March 18, 2023

like not making heads and tails of it or like not grasping it or like not seeing the light

BigMartha who is full of wonder and surprises, says--We are all different and think differently. Yes we are and do. Some folks are gearheads, some sneakerheads, collectors, quilters, trendsetters, techies, sportnuts, readers, and God only knows what else! Saturday question—And who do you think you are? AverageMaggy, but shops like a billionaire, says--There seems to be a lot said in our world, but much is never really worth hearing and many folks have no idea really what is said or what the purpose is.  Now that could be AverageMaggy, that could be. They don’t get it just like I don’t get a lot of stuff. Some folks say they don’t get most of the stuff I say in “It’s Saturday!” Sooo be careful when you read on! I suggest you take it with a gran of salt! I'm just another bozo on the bus! Or as Shakespeare once said--All the world was but a stage, and all the men and women merely players. 

Our son, Chet and our grandson, Henry a.k.a. Rookie to me, were here last weekend. We had just a great time, indescribable!  ANYWAY, Rookie called it a "boys' weekend!"  I asked him what were his 5 most favorite things/memories of the visit to AZ in that order.  And this is what he sent me in his words--5. Swimming. It was fun to do with grandpa because I beat him in a race and he introduced me to some of his friends. 4. Mickey D’s. It was very enjoyable food! Also,the fact that I thought it was McDonald’s was pretty funny! 3. The organ house. I didn’t even think that there would be someone actually playing on an organ! I also loved the food. 2. Grandpa’s tiny house. It was very cozy and it was just right for grandpa. 1. The hike. The views on the hike were AMAZING! I loved learning about all the desert plants! I had a great time hiking with Dad and Grandpa!

There are many things of our lives or in our heads that are indescribable!  We sometimes try to describe them to others but it really can't be done the way we see them and feel them.  Besides, most times others really don't care, they have their own indescribable stuff that they are thinking about.  Sooooo, it's pretty much me and myself smiling about them.  I love it!  I have many and continue to make more. ItchieBitchie, who is very complex, says--erv, occasionally we meet a person who understands us a little and it's such a great feeling.  I agree ItchieBithcie. It's really special if you both seem to understand each other a little or a lot (i.e. a great experience, now that is heart warmer).  Bingo!

I had a great talk with a friend who is very intelligent (i.e. that is fact) and is also very smart (i.e. that is my opinion). We seem to understand each other pretty much and you know not all folks do understand each other (i.e. my opinion). We were talking about how America is changing from a “capitalistic” form of country which to us means from being entrepreneurs and hardworking form to a “consumer” form of country which to us means being given much by the government without any work. In a country that elects its leaders, when the majority of the voters become the consumer type of folks, then the government will change, and the character of America will change (i.e. that is our opinion). It appears that many folks don’t seem to understand this and maybe don’t care, and some folks are working very hard to get it this way; they are happy the direction it is going. It’s called a mob or herd mentality.  We have seen this in past history and in more recently in other countries (i.e. I think this is fact). My friend and I agree that the only quick way this will change is a massive huge catastrophe, and we think it would have to be massive huge.  The current snowball going down the mountain seems otherwise impossible to stop, it is too big and going toooo fast (i.e. our opinion). My friend gave me this quote to think about--"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.” -- Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.  This is something to think about, I guess. Some folks will surely understand that thought differently than others will.  For sure! Saturday question—Do you like the way our country is going or do you not?

CoachB says—If you can’t give it away, you don’t have it, it has you. Yikes!  I have a lot of STUFF I don’t want to give away, I admit it.  How about you?  That is really hard to grasp in our selfish minds, my opinion. Soooo I have been analyzing my thoughts and life a lot this winter and have really enjoyed it.  I have. It’s complicated but very interesting.  And I admit it, it’s confusing. Many folks have used the word “stuff” in their conversations with me.  Soooo interesting. My mentor would say to me—erv, all that stuff is just a game! Another friend says to me—When the gonger gongs, all the stuff goes back in the box! Pretty deep stuff, huh! Soooo one thing I think is—We are responsible to be good stewards of our stuff! JoeBlow who reminds me of a person in a wax museum, says—I don’t know if I buy into that!

I was hiking up ‘er in ‘em mountains the other day and a younger couple came up behind me as we were going up the mountain.  I wonder why they were going faster than me! Da! I let them pass.  They stopped and asked if I needed some water—no, I’m fine—I have a power bar if you would like one—no, I’m good; I have done this many times; I’m a veteran hiker. I thought they were thinking—what is this old coot doing up here, we hope he makes it down!  But I also thought it was very nice of them to think of me (i.e. that is how I would treat old folks I think).  Here’s a quote-- “When you surrender to the process of aging as simply part of the human condition, you come to peace with it. You become more loving and appreciative of other people’s love and care for you. The more loving you become, you see that everybody is trying to be helpful to you. And it is loving to allow them to be helpful to you. People think, ‘Oh, I’m being selfish if I allow somebody to be helpful to my life.’ Actually, it’s being generous. Generosity is the willingness to share your life with others. It’s a gift to people to allow them to love you.” – David R. Hawkins  OldBettyLou who is a buzzer beater, says—That is hard for old folks to do sometimes; we just don’t want to hear it.

MyOldCootFoursome talk about crazy things, yes we do.  Sooooo TheMI-Engineer asked me--what's your score Irving, is that your real name--no no, it's Ervin--are you named after someone--no--you are probable named after a "thing"--a thing, what do you mean--then another old coot said--there is an old psycho movie called A Think, maybe you were named after that! Soooo as the round went along I asked the Old-IRS-AgentBill who he was named after--Sumbithch! How about you Mike--I went to kindergarten and the teacher called on students to raise their hand soooo she could get to know them--she called Lawrence Michel, that was the first time I knew my name was Lawrence. TheMI-Engineer always wears a Michigan cap on with a big M on it sooooo we called him Mr. Mediocre! What a hoot!

John Wooden said—"Things turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out.” Do you grasp that? It seems we all have had a rhythm of everything going well then all of a sudden, things don’t go our way. What happened?  We really didn’t change anything, or did we? I mean we are cruising along and then we have a hick up, sprain an ankle, have a family crisis, a financial problem, lose our job, have an accident, get sick or step on a nail. What happened anyway? It is hard to understand. As another John, anybody can be a John, says—It’s not if but when. I suggest you give the book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen as a gift to your 10–15-year-old grandchildren or friends or get it from the library. It's an excellent book for this age of kids to learn about surviving during a difficult time in their life. It’s a novel about survival written at their level and at their interest (i.e. great investment my opinion). It’s a classic. In fact, a retired jr. high teacher told me that he taught this book.  It is that good he thinks. I read it and I agree.

We had breakfast with a friend and his wife who have been friends since we were very young.  We told the same stores we have for years and laugh just as hard as every. What a hoot.  Deano always liked music and spent a small fortune as a teenager putting quarters in the jukeboxes. One of his favorite songs I remember was "You can't roller skate in a buffalo heard" by Roger Miller.  Listen to it. It's about attitude. And it's funny! A friend sent me this about gratitude; it appears that gratitude is a big part of our attitude of life.  "Gratitude isn't about pacifying our painful or challenging times--it's about recognizing them and finding self-compassion as we do the work" Alex Elle

I always don’t understand myself sometimes! I get off kilter, out of whack, off balance, skewed, get away from what I believe. That is when I need to re-analyze, re-think, re-calculate, re-asses, re-apply, re-evaluate, re-read.  And when I do, it’s BINGO! I ask myself; do I want to be like those folks who are in their holy huddle of thinking they are better than everyone else? Is that me? Do I want to be part of the country club mentality? Is that who I am?  Maybe I need to back off and not be around those folks. Do I let the attitude of just a few folks screw me up? Ego and power tend to mess with folks.  King Herod had all the baby boys killed in Bethlehem as he was scared that one little baby boy was going to take his power away from him (i.e. it scared the crap out of him). Is that why some folks want to protect their elite group from what they think are the lesser folks?  A friend told me once that the DuaneTheWorms of the world (i.e. folks who are fakes and phony) are that way as they have no confidence soooo they need to power their way around; she might be right; the great folks don’t have to do that. Sooooo I am going to be me? I am already feeling better. Maybe I understand a little. Big on the maybe and the little! Remember, I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN.

The social security actuarial tables say that at my age of 77 my life expectancy is about 10 more years (i.e. that doesn’t mean I will live that long or I might live longer).  If I was 60, it would be about 82.  Once you get to an older age, your chance of living to an older age is better.  TomSmart who is the good news of the week and boy do we need it, says—C’mon erv, that’s just common sense (i.e. if you are 90, your chances are better you will become 100, especially for women). I looked up on the chart to see how long my old golf buddies (i.e. who go for the whole enchilada) are projected to live, would you believe it, it said they are projected to live longer than Methuselah!

This might be hard to grasp but try.  Dr.J says—"Loneliness is a global pandemic of sorts. The most vulnerable are people younger than 25 and older than 55. Also singles, those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and those suffering from chronic disease. Perhaps you fit into one of those groups. Even if you don’t, our technologically advanced world is a lonely place. But God doesn’t want us to live in perpetual loneliness. He has given us a prayer to offer: Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. That prayer was originally composed by David, the man after God’s own heart. When you feel lonely, it helps to remember the biblical heroes who suffered bouts of the same affliction. But our ever-present God can show us how to turn our loneliness into love for others. Even something as simple as writing a note, smiling at passersby in the grocery store, or calling an ailing friend can help.” RonTheServent who is a regular brainiac, says—Listen up and pay attention, you are blessed to be a blessing. GoodPersonBilly who is ok with his crazy, says--Be a blast to someone and not an…to someone”

One of my old golf buddies hit his tee shot on hole #8 at The Fountain of the Sun Country Club, an executive course here down in the Valley of the Sun. He hit a bad slice that hit BigMartha's humming bird feeder in her yard adjoining the hole. It was smashed into many pieces.  He went over there to retrieve his ball when BigMartha was holding the ruined feeder and said to TheOldCoot--what are you going to do?  TheOldCoot thought for a minute, rubbed his chin and said—I think I will adjust my grip! Quite obviously he was not making heads or tails of what BigMartha was saying, surely not on the same page!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said--Living in the past is lots of fun...besides, it cheaper.

No comments:

Post a Comment