have you ever given any thought to whether any of the wisdoms you flung against the wall that is your child as it grows actually stuck or made any impression at all? were they even listening to, much less retaining, your efforts at passing along the benefit of your experience?
at least in the case of my youngest, i think she was listening, at least part of the time.
i received an early father's day present in the form of her latest posting on her blog.( www.monkeyheartdiscourses.blogspot.com ) her posting may well be the best pap's day gift ever.
my take on child rearing has much to do with growing up the son of a hard drinking, dry land cotton farmer. it was rare that i ever saw any hint of affection from him. i don't recall ever hearing an "i love you son" from him, or from my mother, for that matter. being raised in an affection vacuum can have a positive affect, even if the benefit is to the next generation.
the years of my youth were without the pleasantries my children enjoyed. they suffered the unfortunate circumstance of being born into a middle class family, to a dad who grew up in the meanest of situations. given that happenstance their appeals for this, that or the other thing "all the other kids had" often fell on unsympathetic ears. there is a difference between "wants" and "needs", after all. attempts to impress upon them how good they had it at 7420 were met with poorly concealed skepticism.
while they may not have been granted every wish, they did grow up in a home where affection-- hugs, kisses and "i love yous" were common.
i'm sure they all grew tired of hearing me harp on ad nauseum about how good they had it. still, it appears my favorite daughter retained some of my tired truisms and she made the old man cry in the remembering of those good old days.
thank you, baby! XOXOXO. i love you. aio
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
the human brain, such a delicate flower...
the human being and all that is involved in making each of just that, human, is for most of us never given the slightest, most fleeting, even casual, thought. we just are. no consideration given to the intricate and complicated blend of cosmic plasma that's involved in making each of us tick. not a whit of worry given to-- are things are running as they should, until something goes amiss, that is.
consider for instance the human brain, the computer system of our being. it hums along without missing a beat until catastrophe happens.
a motorcycle rider speeds along, not a care in the world, sans helmet-- the wind blowing through what's left of a now balding pate, not a care in the world-- that is until a car stops unexpectedly in front of the rider and without any other viable option the biker lays his machine down. bike and rider are propelled ahead at the speed of the bike, by forward momentum, into certain injury the result of which is most certainly an uncertain and possibly altered future.
it is not my intent to pick on bike riders. it is their right to straddle that crotch rocket and without the protection of a car's exterior to carom along at, or above the speed limits innocently assuming home will see their return. sometimes fate has other plans.
the human brain is such a delicate organ and even a minor bump can upset the apple cart resulting in a bleed into the brain; or, after 60 years of pork sausage every morning for breakfast that final smidgen of plaque seals off the pinhole of circulation remaining, resulting in an embolic stroke of potentially massive proportions.
brain injuries of any source are not something i'd wish on my worst enemy. in the blink of an eye what was a heartbeat beforehand a perfectly capable and functioning specimen from the top of the food chain, can in an instant be reduced to a mute, confused and slobbering wreck, left unable to eat or bathe unaided and without the ability to preclude pissing or shitting himself. catastrophe neglects no race, gender or socio-economic strata, dealing misery without discretion across the board.
it is human nature to live in a state of denial, denying to the very end that any untoward thing will ever visit itself upon you. take it from me, it can happen, and does to some unsuspecting soul with every tick of the clock, here, there and all around the world forever and ever, amen. bad things could be coming to a neighborhood called you at anytime and when you would least expect it. on that note, i'll climb off the soap box, at least for now.
ya'll be careful out there, ya' here me? aio
consider for instance the human brain, the computer system of our being. it hums along without missing a beat until catastrophe happens.
a motorcycle rider speeds along, not a care in the world, sans helmet-- the wind blowing through what's left of a now balding pate, not a care in the world-- that is until a car stops unexpectedly in front of the rider and without any other viable option the biker lays his machine down. bike and rider are propelled ahead at the speed of the bike, by forward momentum, into certain injury the result of which is most certainly an uncertain and possibly altered future.
it is not my intent to pick on bike riders. it is their right to straddle that crotch rocket and without the protection of a car's exterior to carom along at, or above the speed limits innocently assuming home will see their return. sometimes fate has other plans.
the human brain is such a delicate organ and even a minor bump can upset the apple cart resulting in a bleed into the brain; or, after 60 years of pork sausage every morning for breakfast that final smidgen of plaque seals off the pinhole of circulation remaining, resulting in an embolic stroke of potentially massive proportions.
brain injuries of any source are not something i'd wish on my worst enemy. in the blink of an eye what was a heartbeat beforehand a perfectly capable and functioning specimen from the top of the food chain, can in an instant be reduced to a mute, confused and slobbering wreck, left unable to eat or bathe unaided and without the ability to preclude pissing or shitting himself. catastrophe neglects no race, gender or socio-economic strata, dealing misery without discretion across the board.
it is human nature to live in a state of denial, denying to the very end that any untoward thing will ever visit itself upon you. take it from me, it can happen, and does to some unsuspecting soul with every tick of the clock, here, there and all around the world forever and ever, amen. bad things could be coming to a neighborhood called you at anytime and when you would least expect it. on that note, i'll climb off the soap box, at least for now.
ya'll be careful out there, ya' here me? aio
Monday, June 13, 2011
oh baby, it's hot outside....
All this heat and not a rain cloud, or an oasis for that matter, in sight. the weather gurus bravely hang their hats on a 20% chance of rain in parts of the area. kenemac translation = "it ain't gonna rain here today."
i paid the water bill today, which was knocking on the door of a c-note, and it's barely the middle of june. yikes, something's gotta give, but it doesn't look like the sun is gonna be the one cryin' "uncle" any time soon.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
a wider audience....
deluding myself is what i do best. birthing "pearls" of wisdom on whatever piques my interest sometimes seems a waste of my time and that of the handful of faithful readers of this space. nothing very deep or especially erudite will be found within these confines.
i suppose i'm carping about my limited readership; however any words you find here that perhaps bring a smile or causes one to pause a moment, to ponder, i hope are not a total waste.
the agn printed an appeal for opinions about banning the sale of fireworks this 4th of july holiday. i submitted my last post, called "ban the bomb", for possible inclusion on the op ed page.
today's page included that piece as the lead opinion on the subject. it saddens me somewhat to think that more people will likely read in one day those words, first posted here, than will have read all the words posted at kidsdonegone since it's inception. still, i can't help feeling just a little bit proud that the opinions page editor found those words worthy of inclusion.
a senior (aged) blogger has to take his victories as they come. aio
i suppose i'm carping about my limited readership; however any words you find here that perhaps bring a smile or causes one to pause a moment, to ponder, i hope are not a total waste.
the agn printed an appeal for opinions about banning the sale of fireworks this 4th of july holiday. i submitted my last post, called "ban the bomb", for possible inclusion on the op ed page.
today's page included that piece as the lead opinion on the subject. it saddens me somewhat to think that more people will likely read in one day those words, first posted here, than will have read all the words posted at kidsdonegone since it's inception. still, i can't help feeling just a little bit proud that the opinions page editor found those words worthy of inclusion.
a senior (aged) blogger has to take his victories as they come. aio
Sunday, June 5, 2011
ban the bomb...
five days into june, hot, dry and extremely windy continues to be the norm around these parts. most every day is a "red flag" day and this far into the year, 2011 remains the driest since 1956.
with the heat, wind and multiple "wildfires" seen around here this year the "hot topic" in view of the current conditions, and the fast approaching 4th of july, is whether to ban the sale of fireworks.
it seems like a no-brainer to me. the area grasses are more than tinder dry and can burst into flame at the smallest spark; whipped by the pugnacious panhandle winds, that hint of a spark can be fanned into a massive wildfire, racing ahead of the wind, leaving fear, danger and destruction in it's path .
tens of thousands of acres have burned, scores of homes and other properties have been consumed. firefighters have lost their lives.
banning the sale of fireworks for this fourth of july is the right decision. failing to step up, to make that hard choice, would be irresponsible. deciding authorities, do the right thing, for the good of all. aio
with the heat, wind and multiple "wildfires" seen around here this year the "hot topic" in view of the current conditions, and the fast approaching 4th of july, is whether to ban the sale of fireworks.
it seems like a no-brainer to me. the area grasses are more than tinder dry and can burst into flame at the smallest spark; whipped by the pugnacious panhandle winds, that hint of a spark can be fanned into a massive wildfire, racing ahead of the wind, leaving fear, danger and destruction in it's path .
tens of thousands of acres have burned, scores of homes and other properties have been consumed. firefighters have lost their lives.
banning the sale of fireworks for this fourth of july is the right decision. failing to step up, to make that hard choice, would be irresponsible. deciding authorities, do the right thing, for the good of all. aio
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
rain, rain, stay away...
a few of the regulars were gathered at the life center for our regular noon time "run" yesterday. some were gathered around the tv's watching commentary on the devastation wrought in joplin, mo. someone commented on how dry it is is this part of the world. there's been just over 1/2 inch of moisture recorded at the weather station since the first of the year. i agreed that we need rain, but was moved to opine "if an f-anything tornado is what it takes to get some rain here about, i think i'd just as soon stay dry."
with temps into the 90's and winds sustained at 30-40 and gusting higher the new sod we had rolled out last fall is looking a little worse for the wear. still i'll take that hit and anything else the dry weather wants to deal my way.
all these huge tornadoes, first in tuscaloosa, then joplin and last night in oklahoma, kansas and arkansas have me a tad bit antsy. we need rain, that's true, but if a tornado of any size is the price for getting it, i say thanks-- but no thank you.
i think i'll just take up cactus farming. aio
with temps into the 90's and winds sustained at 30-40 and gusting higher the new sod we had rolled out last fall is looking a little worse for the wear. still i'll take that hit and anything else the dry weather wants to deal my way.
all these huge tornadoes, first in tuscaloosa, then joplin and last night in oklahoma, kansas and arkansas have me a tad bit antsy. we need rain, that's true, but if a tornado of any size is the price for getting it, i say thanks-- but no thank you.
i think i'll just take up cactus farming. aio
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
a little too sensitive, perhaps...
i received an e-mail from one of the guest artists at ASO's season finale, recently. she took exception to my comments re: her physical appearance that evening, going on to school me as to the timbre of Mahler 2, making note as to how lucky the ASO was to have procured the other guest artist for these last performances.
i went back and read again the piece titled, Resurrection. granted the comments in question are a bit snarky but please, ma'am, it's not like i berated your instrument. perhaps you should choose your dress more carefully and maybe get a hair cut and style. you looked nothing like your head shot that evening.
in her response, she made note of mahler 2 as being a somber piece and not appropriate to be wearing "over the top formals and bling." i will cede that point, still one could dress to fit the mood of the piece without wearing something that looked like it might have been sewn from the sun faded sheers taken down when new drapes were hung. something like your co-guest artist was wearing perhaps.
i may be wrong about this and maybe i have a chip on my shoulder but in my mind certain artists and companies, consciously or not, have a tendency to "phone in" their performances, being of the mind that "amarillo is lucky to get" their services. that's bullshit. whether performing in amarillo, or on broadway, the audience is your pay check and as such deserve a best effort, not some mealy mouthed excuse in the "amarillo, texas-- where the hell is that?" vein.
that's imho. aio
i went back and read again the piece titled, Resurrection. granted the comments in question are a bit snarky but please, ma'am, it's not like i berated your instrument. perhaps you should choose your dress more carefully and maybe get a hair cut and style. you looked nothing like your head shot that evening.
in her response, she made note of mahler 2 as being a somber piece and not appropriate to be wearing "over the top formals and bling." i will cede that point, still one could dress to fit the mood of the piece without wearing something that looked like it might have been sewn from the sun faded sheers taken down when new drapes were hung. something like your co-guest artist was wearing perhaps.
i may be wrong about this and maybe i have a chip on my shoulder but in my mind certain artists and companies, consciously or not, have a tendency to "phone in" their performances, being of the mind that "amarillo is lucky to get" their services. that's bullshit. whether performing in amarillo, or on broadway, the audience is your pay check and as such deserve a best effort, not some mealy mouthed excuse in the "amarillo, texas-- where the hell is that?" vein.
that's imho. aio
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