stars

MissPerfect says--Sometimes the stars all line up (i.e. as some folks call it) soooo clearly that any person can figure out what they should do BUT then it doesn’t seem to work that way.  CadillacJack, who can over-the-top exaggerate at times, says—I thought I had it all figured out BUT I didn’t.  Sooooo you might think you have this “It’s Saturday” all figured out BUT maybe you really don’t.  You have it all figured out based on your perspective (i.e. based on your current or past environment—we are all skewed if we like it or not).  I have no idea what is a normal person. The benchmark as to what a normal person is, is based on what we reference tooooo and compare?  I know for sure that some of you folks aren’t normal; you can’t be!!!  haha  But then again, Joe Blow says—erv, you’re all wet about most everything you think and write. You are soaking wet, dripping wet!  Take that into consideration when reading this “It’s Saturday.” But remember—It takes an abnormal person to know one! I still think that everyone is mentally ill to some degree, some just worse than others.  And the ones who are sure they are not, are probably the worst!  Such is life.

I don’t understand our culture.  I don’t.  Our culture glorifies sports figures who made a few baskets, spiked a few volleyballs or ran for a few touchdowns in high school and/or college but the last 30, 40, or 50 years haven’t contributed much to society, but many folks still think they are stars.  I don’t.  Many of them lived not such good lives and many folks still glorify them.  I don’t think they are my kind of stars.  I think one type of real stars are the caregivers that take care of many different types of folks.  I especially think of caregivers who take care of folks with Alzheimer’s as I’m most familiar of these stars.  Many have done this for years (i.e. 24/7).  It is an ugly job that is very hard on folks physically, mentally and financially.  I know many of you who are or have been such stars.  I can’t applaud you enough.  For those of you who will be such caregivers in your future, I wish you much courage, wisdom, strength and endurance.  For those of you who will never have to be a caregiver for a person with Alzheimer’s, you can thank your lucky stars!

What makes a person a star in our society?  We have movie stars, sex stars, sport stars, money making stars, music stars, we have dancing with the stars, media stars, etc.  How do folks get fame and fortune?  Aren’t those what our society consider stars?  Are you folks stars?  Do you know any stars? Do you want to become a star? Some folks who I might consider stars don’t want to be a star in any way.  I also know folks who want to be stars, it appears, but I doubt if they will make it, but they might (i.e. shine like a star). It seems like folks who become stars, somehow draw a lot of attention to themselves.  DuaneTheWorm, who really tries to be a star by self-glorifying himself, does this but I don’t know if he is a star yet.  He might be and I just don’t know it.  Could be. 

What can you and I do to create some miracles?  Are you crazy erv, you and I have no ability to create miracles.  Well, maybe we do.  Joesixpack says--I’m not sure about that.  SusieQ says--You are lunie erv, just plain lunie tunie.  God is the only identity that can do miracles.  SusieQ, I don’t know about that.  Maybe we can be the conduit in which miracles can flow.  erv, you are out of your gourd!  Do doctors perform miracles? Can we encourage a person in such a way that will change their life?  Can we influence people to modify their life in which they will find happiness? I have a friend who told me the other day, again, that I saved his life. I’m not certain I did but maybe I did.  I like this guy a lot.  I have had the opportunity to part of maybe saving four people’s physical lives that I’m aware of (i.e. and I really don’t know if they would have died without me—they think they would have but I don't know). I'm not any different than any of you guys. Just think about the lives you have saved. Well for sure I didn’t save this lady’s life.  I was getting a couple of things at the Dollar General and approached the check out at the same time as this maybe 85-year-old-woman using a three-prong cane.  I motioned for her to go ahead—no you go ahead—are you sure lady, I don’t want to make you mad—if I get mad you will know it as I go crazy when I get mad—please go ahead as I don’t want you to go crazy—I’m not mad, you go ahead.  I sorta kinda bowed and made homage to her (i.e. I think she was a real grinder).  I paid close attention to my Ps and Qs and got out of her way as fast as I could.  I was scared for my life! I thanked her for being soooo nice to me. She looked at me confused.

At a local golf course, many of the guys go bare back and some go bare foot.  They seem to really have a good time.  They also sell Busch Lite for a dollar a can (i.e. that seems to help).  ANYWAY, I said to one of those guys—I don’t think I would fit as I really don’t look that good bare back.  He said—After about 6 Busch Lites, no one really cares what you look like, everyone thinks they look good and are stars. I said to a friend the other day at the golf course.  I hear you can really drink the beer.  He said—One of your friends says this about me—my beer drinking is like pouring beer into a 5-gallon bucket!

I have a unique situation, yes I do.  I want to tell you about something that some of you are involved with as part of my life that makes you stars but I can’t.  I realize I should not write this, it is like a teaser and then not tell you; it ain’t nice.  BUT I am.  The reason I can’t tell you is it will offend some of you because it will compare you or your situation with mine and you will think I’m trying to make myself look better than you.  It’s not really about me but more about many good folks (i.e. many of you) but it probably won’t be taken that way.  Soooo I can’t write about it.  BUT, many of you are stars for doing it.  You can guess what it is.  In fact, I will not tell anyone except maybe our children. I lie as I told a friend. And that is a risk as they have spouses and I don’t want to offend them in any way.  BUT they are good people, soooo they might not get offended, but they might. 

I want to pat you on your back (i.e. some of you anyway). You are really stars and maybe you don’t even know it.  You are very kind and encouraging to all folks (i.e. go in the right direction).  There are folks like you and jerks in every profession, net worth levels, genders, churches, ages, etc.  RickyRick says—"Anything out of control in your life can harm other people and damage your close relationships. Uncontrolled anger, lust, addiction, spending, drinking, or ambition can create enormous problems. But the greatest destroyer of relationships is an uncontrolled tongue. Have you ever met a verbal arsonist? Their words are dangerous. They use words of discouragement, disappointment, accusation, criticism, sarcasm, condemnation, or attack—the list is endless. Gossip is especially destructive because it spreads like an airborne virus. Careless words have destroyed careers, friendships, and families. Instead of heading in a destructive direction, you can choose to use your words to build others up. Catch people doing something right and tell them about it. Affirm their character when they make difficult decisions. Lift them up with words of encouragement. Building others up with your words isn’t difficult, but in our world, it is uncommon. You reflect God’s glory in a dark world when you control your mouth and build others up.”  Now that is many of you folks and that is why you are stars (i.e. my opinion). You encourage folks. Keep it up my friends. You Aplington folks, that pic of the direction arrow, well, I took it last week.  I have lived In Aplington for 51 years and have never noticed it before.  Have you?  Maybe there are other direction arrows that I haven’t seen in my life.  I need to pay more attention. For sure.

A golf buddy/friend teaches me most interesting things.  He went to a dentist in FL and the dentist told him that he must grind his teeth as they are flat.  He didn’t think soooo but asked his wife.  She never heard him grind his teeth.  When he got back to IA and his local dentist, they told him that it’s a Midwest trait as there is much more grit and dirt in the air in the Midwest which grinds our teeth down.  The dentist knew that right away.  That is crazy!  This is what else I learned (i.e. all in just one round of golf)—The stock market is now measured somewhat different than the Dow Average.  It is measured by FAANG…Facebook, Amazon Apple, Netflix and Google. It’s a new world folks.  You better believe it.  Some of you folks think we just play golf, no way.  Ya, there are grinders that the score is their life, but not for all of us.  But this friend is in the star category for sure. BUT he could right now be sitting in his recliner with his feet up just laughing his butt off thinking that I believed those cock and bull stories he told me. Could be.

I have a friend who sent me a warm, tender encouraging note.  I have had many of these from many of you folks.  ANYWAY, she is a caregiver for her husband who has Alzheimer’s and has had it for many years.  She is a star for sure.  She signed the card—your friend on this journey of life (i.e. that was touching to me for sure).  Yes, we know what this is all about.  We have similar emotions, feelings, and reality.  No faking that folks. I understand her.  I had a conversation with a friend whom her husband also died of Alzheimer’s (i.e. she toooo is a star).  We were also in a support group together.  We have shared a lot through the years.  ANYWAY, I asked her how her friends are treating her.  It appears they are very supportive of her and she was positive about it.  She called me a close friend.  It appears when we share emotions, feelings and reality with folks, we become close friends.  JoeLayabout is not a close friend.  I wonder why!

Not all stars are showoffs and make a lot of noise.  MyFriendJean recently passed on.  She was a star to me.  Probably many folks didn’t know her but I got to know her quite well through all the years I stopped for my visit.  Here is an example of a person who was a star to me that very few folks would consider her a star probably.  She shared many good things and bad things.  We laughed a lot and cried some together.  She was really a good person with good values, good work ethic and a great love for her family and of God.  She collected many “MyFriendJean sayings” for me through the years.  She got them from books she read.  I must have literally hundreds of them.  I will miss her but will never forget her. 

Many folks work hard for money, stardom and power and some actually acquire them and accomplish their desire.  Some change and some stay the same.  We all know both kinds.  Many who acquire these things that they work soooo hard to get, screw up their lives.  Many get it but don’t know how to handle them.  We see it all the time.  It ain’t nuttin new!  Very few folks can handle success.  Just look around.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out.  Sooooo do we really want a lot of money, stardom and power? ItchieBitchie, who eats a lot of lucky charms, says—I pray to my lucky stars that I’ll be lucky and get them; I’ll take my chances; I still want them! My neighbor down the street seems to have made the grade and he seems to be doing really really good. I want to be like him.

I golfed with two buddies/friends the other day.  Both retired John Deere employees.  One was an engineer.  I was changing oil in my old MTD snowblower that has a Tacumseh engine and there were two oil drain.  Soooo why I asked the retired engineer—This engine is used in multiple machines and different machines need an oil drain on a different side; it’s all to save money. It’s all about the money.  Now that makes sense.  The retired engineer (i.e. about 65) told me that years ago Deere had 17 different casings so the same oil pump would work in them.  He designed an adapter kid that would allow all the engines to use the same casing and the same oil pump at a cost of about $50 per machine.  It saved Deere $850,000 a year.  I kidded the star in that I bet he got a big bonus.  ANYWAY, we went to the first tee and there was a threesome.  They wanted us to hit first.  One of the threesome asked the retired engineer if that was his dad’s cart (i.e. he has a shiny new golf cart).  My friend looked at him in a confused look (i.e. the you dumb..,look)—no, it’s mine.  Besides, my father is 95 years old.  The guy says to him—Is he still alive?  I nor my friend have no idea if he was joking or serious.  I had a huge massive internal laugh at both of them.

Roger Dangerfield said—My luck is soooo bad that if I would buy a cemetery, folks would quit dying!

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

erv

MyFriendJean says—A weed is but an unloved flower.