An 18 year-old boy is glaring at me for reasons I have yet to determine so I take action and tell him I am going to teach him how to write a letter to a girl.
This is unsolicited advice he doesn’t want from dear old dad, but I ignore his protestations and tell him to this one song can hit all of her sweet spots at once.
His face scrunches up and I give him my biggest Cheshire cat grin, ‘yeah, your old man had a little game there. I know a thing or two about talking the ladies.’
The look of horror on his face is worth the cheesy line and though I try to maintain a straight face I can’t, it is too funny and I start laughing.
Later on I’ll tell him that he could consider using the McCartney melody and see if that works for him.
“If she really means something to you there are other songs, maybe even poetry like Marlowe’s Passionate Shepherd. I know you don’t want to hear it, but file it away. You don’t have to use any of this, but trust me some things never change. If you really mean it and share it this will go far. Just make sure she knows you are sincere or you’ll be sunk.”
It was the kind of week that brought out the kind of behavior that leads to comments about fifty-year-old men not acting certain ways and in return received the appropriate response.
“What the fuck does that mean and why do you think such a comment is going to do anything other than add fuel to a fire you can’t control.”
Silence fills the space where the flames were and I walk away thinking about how 25 years-ago I would have run forward into battle.
Don’t have time nor patience for nonsense even if I do have the energy and inclination t0 hold up a mirror to someone whose profound ignorance and stupidity is beyond the pale.
I am very good at getting into trouble without assistance and take exception and issue with those whose incompetence and stupidity create situations in which I am to face the consequences of their behavior.
If you force me into those situations I will let you know about it. The only question is whether I will calmly review it with you so that we can avoid repetition or reach down your throat and rip out your spine because it is the only way I can guarantee you won’t keep throwing me under the bus.
****
Reminds. me of how I once told a girl that if she was smart she would lean on me and let me carry her from time to time.
She didn’t like relying upon others because she didn’t trust them not to let her down and I knew that.
“Don’t be silly woman, I don’t ever make offers like that I won’t try to back up. Take it.”
“What do you mean try? Don’t you mean you will do it?”
“I mean try. I am being precise. I might pick you up and drop you because you are too heavy.”
I saw the flash of anger and irritation in her eyes and watched it disappear when she realized I was teasing her.
“You spend all your time thinking you are the boss. Sometimes you can stop trying to be so damn bossy and accept some help.”
She rolled her eyes at me and muttered something about my being a pain-in-the-ass.
“Be careful you don’t fall in love with that pain-in-ass because life is never the same.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Yes, I am.”
I spent a good portion of the past few days reviewing a very painful situation to try and determine where the shortcomings were and if I could have done things differently.
Thought about Lombardi’s quote and another about chasing excellence and asked myself if I had worked hard enough to say I had done all I could do.
The answer was yes, but it didn’t make me feel much better…if at all.
Spent more time reviewing the game tape and post game analysis and came to the same conclusion.
That is one of the frustrating parts of life, you can do your best and still come up short.
We like to think we have far more control of situations and circumstances than we do. We like to believe that when we fail it isn’t because of us and our own foibles.
Sometimes we can rest comfortably in our efforts even if we came up short because we know we gave it all and sometimes that is not enough for us.
At the moment I am most frustrated because I haven’t been able to convince myself that it is ok to accept that we came up short because we did all we could do.
We did and it didn’t matter because circumstances outside of our control prevented things from going the right way. Makes me very angry and a little sad.
I’ll get beyond it and I’ll pick my butt up and keep going because I don’t know any other way, but dammit.
I got into it with some Trump supporters who were bitching about the ‘Deep State’ preventing him from being successful.
Told them the Deep State nonsense is an irrational excuse to explain bad policies, delusional ideas and nonsense.
We haven’t seen any progress with NK that hasn’t taken place in the past. The deficit is rising, trade war is hurting business and the divisive talk is terrible.
They told me they were irritated about the shutdown and I showed them the video of him saying he would take responsibility for it. Asked them why 10 people were murdered by White Americans using guns and yet the president hasn’t said one word.
He spread the usual lies about the border and engaged in xenophobic babbling but did nothing to lead. He just divides.
Such a sad commentary about him and the lack of leadership.
We ought to hear him talk about giving something back instead of whining about what he doesn’t get or hearing him try to destroy the free press.
Made the decision that I have to keep focusing on giving something back, somewhere in some way.
Doesn’t have be to huge, doesn’t have to be a lot.
Just has to be something.
Could be as simple as helping one person get through a rough time. Just has to be giving something.
