Newspaperboy

Now and then I feel the need to publish an "I, Me, My" post.
Our environment motivates me to do that today-

I'm not sure how I met "Dennis". He lived in the addition across the fence behind us, so maybe that was a factor. Whatever...
Dennis delivered "The Indianapolis News" evening newspaper. Dennis and his family were moving, so he had to find a replacement.
About halfway along his route there was an old community grocery store. We delivered a newspaper there and Dennis asked, "Want a candy bar and a soda?"
I heard the change jingle in his pocket. The fact he was able to reach into his pocket and pay for both of us impressed me and planted a seed-
"Why couldn't I do this?"

I was 10.
A manager for the newspaper showed up at our home. He wanted to make sure I could correctly make change for our customers when I did my weekly collections.
Mom, Dad, and I had practiced.
I passed the test.

My first "job", I delivered those papers for four years. That job taught me A LOT-
How to budget. How to save. How to take care of customers.
And how to deal with customers in an older community that sometimes would not be there when collection time came, having passed on.
Tough, because you learned to care for them.

With money earned on that route I saved enough to buy my first motor scooter at 12. (In our community, our Law Enforcement Officers looked "the other way" when they saw 12 yr-old kids illegally riding motor vehicles on our roads.)
With funds saved from that route I talked my folks into allowing me to buy my first car from my Dad's brother when I was 14.
(This they WOULD NOT allow me to drive until I was legal!)

Today? It's hard not to compare my generation with kids who have their noses stuck into IPhones and IPads that have been given to them by their parents.
(I'm also guilty of wanting our son to "have it better than I did", so I don't throw my stones with too much force.)

But I do wonder-
Are we doing these kids any favors over the long term?

2024 Olympics

"Competing for Trinidad and Tobago, from Chicago, Illinois"...
The meaning of the Olympics has gotten completely lost for me.
(But I may still watch Simone!)

PTSD and Tears

I don't normally watch the conventions of political parties.
Normally.
But my wife has, believe it or not, become more of a political junkie than me.
(She barely chats with her relatives in Chicago, and WON'T visit them unless there's a death there.)

I don't know if it is my wife's present political interests... or the fact we were watching LIVE while some stupid 20-yr old tried to make history last Saturday.
I'm sure all of us who watched that now have an "I remember it vividly" story to tell.
When I heard the shots and Trump fell to the floor of the stage I shouted out loud "THEY'VE SHOT HIM!"
Sara Jean literally went into hysterics.
When he rose to his feet, behind the (much too short) female Secret Service agent and I saw the blood trickling down the right side of his face I shouted, "THEY'VE SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD!",
And anyone my age who has seen "The Zapruder" film knew the man was gonna die.
But GOD, not the shooter, had a plan.
And when we heard the news that he was pretty much okay?
I cried.

Now, we've been watching CSPAN... every single damn moment of this convention, and I want Madeline Brame to move into the house next door to us.

When the National Anthem is played or sung...
the tears flow.

When the Pledge of Allegiance is recited...
I cry.

And when I detect the sadness in the eyes of my former president...
I cry.

Sara Jean is sure it is PTSD that is affecting me.
That may be true.

And I'm just as sure that the sadness I see in Donald Trump's eyes is also PTSD.

I'd appreciate your comments.

Killing Fetuses

It seems to me the only issue dims have to pound on before the election is ABORTION.
And pound on it they will... like a dead horse.

They will lie, (and unfortunately it will be somewhat effective) and say republicans will make abortion illegal. (THIS republican would be pleased if that was true.)
And that brings up the question I ask so many of my acquaintances-
"How can you be a democrat and a Christian simultaneously?"

It's not unusual for us to be sick to death of politics sometime in October. (September this election?)
But I suspect I may turn off the TV and go back to my stack of "gotta read" books by that time.

Poopin' With The Pope-

I'm not Catholic so I have no idea how exciting it would be for this Baptist to meet "Il Papa".
I suspect he's a nice man. Just taking on that job has to be a pretty big deal.
But Joseph Robinette Biden IS (or pretends to be) a member of the Catholic Church.
So meeting the Pope for him had to be a really big deal.
But our President has to be prepared for LOTS of Big Deals.
And the fact he soiled himself when meeting the head of his Church troubles me.

(This post is mostly B.S.. The whole idea of this demented weenie being our president... troubles me.)

Solitude

Boss called me into her office last week-
"I've noticed you're awfully quiet lately and want to make sure there's nothing wrong here at work."

"My wife has Lewy-Body Dementia and I'm trying my best to maintain my sanity at home.
There's nothing wrong here at work. As a matter of fact, this is a respite from what is going on at home.
I like EVERYONE I rub elbows with here."

But there's more than that going on here-
My son says, "Dad has lost his country and he is in mourning".
And that comment brought tears to my eyes. It may be more truth than I want to admit.

We are now living "In interesting times".
The next few days of our lives might be VERY interesting.