leave a trial

JoeBig, a science fiction author and retired professor of mathematics and computer science who lives on the north side of the Beaver Creek deep in Butler County just west of Austinville, says—So high, so low, so many things to know.

Do you think there are patterns we have and that we also leave behind (e.g. money management patterns or parenting patterns)?  That is just a couple. There are patterns of all kinds; patterns that tell others who we are and were (i.e. tell-tale signs).  And many folks do them over and over and over again and again (i.e. both good patterns and bad patterns). My Mom, Anna, us to say to me—erv, look at your friends’ patterns; that is who they are; their past will pretty much be their future; yes, they can change but their history tells you something about them. ItchieBitchie, who is very under rated, asks--If a person can’t be trusted with little things, why do you think they can be trusted with big things; if they gossip about others, why do you think they won’t gossip about you at the card table?  If they are sweet and kind to others, it’s a good chance they will be kind and sweet to you. The comet leaves its tail alright! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Saturday question--What is sorta kinda the major label we have formed by others saying who we are; like what are we all about (e.g. what's our #1 most important thing)?

In John Grisham’s new book, The Judge’s List, two of the key characters, Jeri and Bannick, keep talking and thinking about everything they do will leave a trail, and they don’t want to be trailed.  They keep trying to cover their trail (i.e. just like the folks did in the old west stories) but it is very hard to do in our world of today, almost impossible.  Think of that.  We leave a trail all the time with social media, credit card transaction, our cell phones, our actions, fingerprints, what we do on our computers, our use of the internet, cameras, money accounts, even your garbage, etc.  Oh ya, we leave a trail alright.

I was looking for some folks who live close to me here in the park to maybe take a tree down for them.  I couldn’t find their lot soooo I stopped and talked a couple in front of their park model.  We had such a nice talk.  I asked him if I do the project if he wanted to help me—no no, I have two new knees and a new hip and my back is a mess; I worked hard, really hard when younger and messed up my body soooo now I can be down here (i.e. he left a trial). Sooooo I found the lot but they weren’t home soooo I talked to the neighbors across the street.  They told me their stories.  Fun stories.  They were from Canada, and he was a long-time bronc rider; he said he had two new knees, a bad shoulder and a rib bone that sticks out to prove it (i.e. those broncs left a trail).  BUT CowboyJoe still wears a cowboy hat!

Are you a grinder?  I know folks from all backgrounds who are grinders; they just grind and grind and grind until they get it done and then grind some more.  They are relentless.  I talked to a new acquittance/friend I made from pickleball who is a very smart person.  He tells me he only needs maybe 3 hours of sleep and then gets up and starts grinding (i.e. he probably gets a lot done in a day grinding away).  I suggested a book he might want to read as we share the same situation of losing our wives.  He told me he use to have a large library and read a lot of all kinds of books.  He doesn’t read anymore.  I suggested he should again. He said—I just can’t stay focused.  I bet he was a grinder on the job; got a lot done; his employer probably really liked him.  He and all of us leave a trail and are leaving a trail.

I read these quotes while eating my oatmeal with a half a banana on it--Phyllis Diller once said, “Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing.” In the same vein, Jerry Seinfeld said, “Having a two-year-old is like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.” Daniel Webster said, “Educate your children to self-control…and you have done much to abolish misery from their future.” My Daddy, Chester, said—erv, the best discipline is self-discipline.  Saturday question—Do you and I have self-control and self-discipline? What does our trail show? How do we get self-discipline and self-control? Recently a gal told me that she tried and tried to quit smoking when she was younger, but just couldn’t; she would always be a mess until one day she asked God to take the desire of smoking away and she never smoked again. Wow! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

I wanted some $2 bills for the grandkids for their Valentines. Wells Fargo said since I have no account with them, they would not help me. Neither would Bank of America. Sooo I stopped at AZ Credit Union. The teller, a sweeeet gal, went in the back room and got some. She asked if I had an account with them--no--are you a member of any credit union--no but my friend JoeCreditUnion works for one back in IA-- her supervisor said good enough! It's who you know, for sure! Those gals left their trails!

SuperJoe is a regular phoenix.  Are you a phoenix—not like the legendary bird but a person or thing regarded as uniquely remarkable in some respect (i.e. maybe unassuming not pretentious or like Phoenix, AZ)? I regard some of you as phoenixes.  Yes I do.  Several of us were waiting our turn to play pickleball the other morning.  One of the guy’s home is Austin, MN, home of the world famous meat, Spam.  Most folks our age know about spam and have eaten it as a kid in many different ways (i.e. I got real sick of it).  It gained popularity during World War II period. Those guys said they still like it fried once in a while.  I haven’t had it for a long time. How about you?  It surely isn’t a premier meat, but it is still on the market and it is still a good seller they told me.  It’s inexpensive and easy to prepare (i.e. open the can).  Spam is a phoenix! I just might buy a can for old times’ sake.  How about you? LuckieEddie says—Spam sure has left a trail!

WorldClassLarry asks--Do folks have a pattern of success and/or failure? Does it show in their trail? Does the world have a pattern that we all follow and just love it (i.e. can’t get enough of it)? I saw this on the back of a person’s tee shirt at Frey’s grocery store the other day—We’re not crazy, if we’re all doing it! There is that herd mentality again.  Soooo is he wondering if we aren’t crazy doing some of the things we are doing? It was told in a men’s Bible study by a couple of guys that the younger generations are more interested in authenticity than my generation.  They are tired of all the baloney and craziness of the current world.  I don’t know if that is true or not, but it sure sounds good.  Of course, it has to be determined what is authentic now doesn’t it (i.e. a big decision for sure). Authenticity might be different to different folks as I have been told by an advertising executive from the younger generation who is really smart and on top of the procedure (i.e. living the advertising experience). I also read in the paper, soooo it must be right, that the younger generations have been educated that they all deserve anything and everything; they all get the trophy (i.e. they are really messed up).  I’ll have to watch the 5 o’clock news (i.e. which I haven’t watched any news for two+ years) to find out what the truth is. NOT! TomSmart says—If you watch the news, okay, if you believe the news, you must be crazy and maybe messed up (i.e. it might not all be authentic, sucker)!

RickyRick says--People who always say, “I can’t” and the people who always say “I can” are both right. Why? Because fear creates self-fulfilling prophecies. This happened to Job when he said, “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25 NIV). A vision based on fear rather than faith is going to limit you for your entire life. You’re going to miss opportunities. You’re going to waste the talent that God gave you. And you’re going to set yourself up with self-defeating predictions. This is my opinion now—How you and I think will determine our trail; no question in my mind but I am fearful sometimes. Ouchy ouchy! What am I thinking! I’m crazy for sure!

You might think I’m wrong and maybe I am BUT I think different scenery a.k.a. a different trail is good for everyone once in a while for a lot of reasons.  Some pickleball friends from AK who winter here in the Valley of the Sun are on a road trip to FL.  She said—It’s sorta kinda like the Zac Brown Band sings--I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand Life is good today, life is good today. They said they wanted to be around the water.  A nice change from the desert, my opinion. I am real happy for them as they just retired but still commercially fish salmon in the summer. Sounds like a exciting life to me.

Do you think we might “follow the system” and don’t even know it (i.e. like the domino effect)? I wonder about that.  I read the book The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell.  It’s a non-fiction book about bombing during World War II that was recommended by a friend, Tom, who lives not soooo deep in Butler County.  I really liked it. It’s about leadership, egos, decision-making that killed millions, morals, values, faith, and the use of new technology. Here is a thought of the book that is maybe a main thought—“What happens to true believers when their convictions are confronted with reality?” It’s a short book and easy to read.  Also, very popular. You might want to give it a shot.  Maybe! This is just my opinion and ya got to remember that I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and fourth south of Roseland, MN.

Oh, the book stimulated me to study more into the concept called “transactive memory.“ I use this all the time; actually many of you are part of a group of folks that I use.  It’s when folks use the information in the minds of others that they are not good at such as facts, numbers, emotions, management skills, plumbing information etc. that others are good at. Then when they need the information, they just call them. Churchill was very good at it.  We all are. We even store information in our family’s minds.  Learn about it; it’s fascinating to me. Great leaders in all areas use this (i.e. not everyone can be great at everything).  It ain’t no rocket science folks.

I realize that most of you don’t take advice a.k.a. suggestions very well; it’s really hard to tell you anything; some of you more than others.  Just look at your trail.  The proof is in the pudding! ANYWAY, at least I try to think about the advice I get while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it, like—try to bite your tongue when you have the opportunity to brag about yourself; let others do the talking and be the ones to praise you; when your focus in life turns inward, focusing on yourself, you begin to lose God’s purpose for your life: to love Him and others.  SusieQ says—Now that sounds like my sister-in-law but surely not about me!

Things do change. I read in the paper, soooo it must be right, that government agencies are reducing or quitting the negative procedure of “tracking COVID-19 cases.”  We sure spent a lot of time and money over accomplishing very little tooooo nutttin (i.e. my opinion) other than selling the news, folks love negative news). And God only knows how much of all the information was even accurate.  BUT people like to hear all the negative stuff. What did it accomplish anyway; I must of missed it. I guess now they are going to track the number of knee replacements each week that people get. haha  All that, whatever you want to call it, reminds me of my friend, JoeTheHike, leading a group of hikers from our park maybe 6 years ago up ‘er in ‘em mountains. He would stop every once in a while and tell them to look at that rock formation; it's “the sleeping bear formation.” The folks would oooh and aahh!  We would go another half hour and he would stop and have them look to their left and see “Chief Big Horse sitting in his chair." Again, the folks would go wild.  At lunch I said to JoeTheHike, you are full of BS about all those formations.  He said, you are right erv, but the folks just love it; it enhances their hiking experience soooo just let them enjoy it (i.e. it’s just like embellishing the news a little).

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

erv

MyFreindJean said—True wisdom lies in gathering the precious things out of each day as it goes by.