I FOUND THE GOLDEN LINING
I’ve been in kind of a funk lately. I’m thinking that old age is finally catching up with me. The state of the world and our country is extremely disconcerting. Our business, although very successful, is becoming more of a challenge with shortages of material due to Covid and impatient and asshole clients making impossible demands of us. If they only paid as fast as they demand service? On top of everything, I’m having pain in the ass health issues that are a mixture of psychosomatic and things that should have and could have been avoided.
As a society, where are we going? Certainly not in the right direction. We have a government that seems to thrive on Anti Americanism and lawlessness. Dishonesty reins. Our politicians are ruthless and do not respect their oath of office and the people who put them there. Do the majority of politicians even really give a crap? Yes, they do, about themselves.
One question is, are we better off today than we were a year ago? I know several people who hate Trump, and because of their hatred, they feel the entire country should suffer because he was elected and has so many supporters. The guy did his job well and brought America to new heights of prosperity and success, for God’s sake. On the other hand, their attitude is anybody would have been better than Trump, so now we have a feeble older man with a criminal son and is proven to be compromised by our adversaries. Yup, that's better, even though the Biden administration has brought chaos to our land. Sane and well-educated people are buying guns to protect themselves against everybody.
We’ve been suffering for over a year with the pandemic. Every couple of weeks, the story changes. Where did it come from? Should we be wearing masks, and how many or not, and where? Is the vaccine any good, or is it safe to take? How many people really died from Covid or other causes? Will it ever end? People are confused and are edgy because they don’t know what to do. I sure as hell don’t know the answer.
Our floor covering business has never been better. While we are selling lots of goods, delivery and availability have presented many challenges. Customers have changed considerably. First, their attitudes suck. Many folks have relocated to our area, fleeing from crime and Covid in more metropolitan centers. This means more elitists. They have come to our small town with their big-city Bloomingdale attitude bullshit. Yes, we are benefitting financially from their exodus, but they are terrible to deal with. The real estate market is crazy. The people moving here are buying up homes sight unseen and creating a huge bubble bursting in time. The realtors have very few houses to sell. This is all very good for floor covering but only if goods are available. Most of the new clientele expect more than can be delivered, and they seldom miss the opportunity to be bullies.
As life becomes more taxing, my health seems to be deteriorating a bit. I’m already an old fucker, and I’m feeling ever older with each day that passes. Now instead of aches and pains, I’m beginning to feel worn out.
When I was a kid starting high school, my Dad used to tell me never to play football. I was a big kid and on the tough side, so I didn’t listen to him. First, because I was a natural, and it was expected of me, and secondly, for the social aspects of playing the game. Football was my key to the girls and overall social acceptance. At the time, it was cool, but in the long run, my Dad was right. I swear every ache and pain I feel today was either a result of a fight or playing football. Was it worth it? At the time yes, today, no fucking way. As an example, I remember tackling my friend Brian in a practice scrimmage. I was a 260 lb defensive guy, and Brian was a 215 lb strapping, downhill running fullback. We hit head-on with a tremendous impact, and I injured my neck — for good. After that injury, my doctor told me never to play football again. Guess what? I didn't listen, and I continued. I don’t ever remember playing without playing injured. My neck, my hand, my head, or my leg. Always something and painful, but the show must go on. Today, I feel all those injuries and more, but I always played injured. I still play injured. I haven’t missed a day's work in years, and now I have periods where I need a cane or even a walker. I’ve been getting dizzy and having foggy spells, but my mind is pretty sharp. Don’t let your kids play that stupid and violent game. Would you please learn my lesson? It isn’t worth it.
Time to do things I enjoy is also growing short. Lately, my thinking time has been reduced as a result of my lengthy participation in the business. I used to take time to listen to music and sit and think. I would consider it a form of meditation. It is becoming a bit more challenging to develop my thoughts for writing too. Most of the time, I crave sleep.
Through it all, things are not that bad. There exist many wrinkles of gold in those gray skies I seem to be concerned with. First of all, I may be an old fart, but I’m still a scrappy son of a gun. When I go, I guarantee I’ll go fighting and screaming. I am a warrior. Secondly, I have my best friend as my closest ally. Carole and I have been together for almost thirty years. Believe me when I tell you she is a saint to have put up with me and my shit for all this time. She has been at my side all of the time and never hesitates to offer suggestions when she thinks I’m wrong or in a dark place. She is the best and most important person in my life. Everything I do always involves her and results in her welfare first. Carole is my gatekeeper. I am so lucky to have her, and so are my friends. She watches over all of us. And I have wonderful and caring friends.
I failed to mention when Covid hit, my close friend, Dr. Steve Herman, did his research and had the courage to start prescribing HYDROCHLORIQUINE for his patients and his family. The drug has proven to be a winner and has worked successfully. Donald Trump early on was an advocate. I have been blessed that Dr. Steve considered me to be part of his inner circle and demanded that I use this drug. Few people listened, but they do now.
