After reading the results of our local elections this morning, it came as no surprise who the winners were, so going forward, we’ll see if it’s gonna be ‘business as usual’, or marked improvements in the way in which they’ll be representing our community. Back when I was the president of a board, I was exceptionally careful about not bringing forth my personal opinions, but rather those which I felt would be in the best interest of the majority. Yes, we will always have special interest groups in every form, but the key, is to keep them side-lined, rather than allowing them to steer our governmental ‘boats’, and especially now when seeing what our nation’s tribal mentalities in our various State and National governments have turned those legislatures into nothing less than very dark comedies, and all the while, our world is watching. I never would’ve believed the day would come where standard decorum’s non-existent. Yes, the things some of our elected officials say and do, decades ago would’ve never been considered, even behind closed doors and shuttered windows.
Having not spoken to my dear friend in well over a week, I placed a call to her, just to see how she was doing, so we spent a good half hour filling each other in on the various happenings in our lives since we last spoke. Our conversations always seem to get us both distracted enough from our daily grinds to the point where we’re recalling past events, and sometimes we end up speaking about someone we’ve both known but didn’t realize it until those names have been brought up. There’s no question, she’s got quite the memory regarding people and places out of our past. It creates a smile whenever she can’t remember a name or place, but I can, and visa versa. Yes, I’m coming to believe we’re reading each other’s minds and we don’t even know it.
Another reason I’m thankful to have her as a friend, is because she’s been an outside connection to my deceased mother, and only because at one point in time, she worked along side her. More than once she’s mentioned how much my filterless opinions remind her of my mother. I dare say, I never realized I was my mother’s son in more ways than one, until shortly after her death, and to the point where there’ve been times when I’ll say something and swear it was coming out of her mouth instead of mine. At times, those similar knee-jerk responses get taken in the wrong way, which end up getting the receiver’s feathers ruffled, and just yesterday I chastised myself by using a few of today’s politically ‘incorrect’ nouns, and soon after given a few dirty looks. My gosh, and to think I was talking about myself!
I had a relatively full morning with my having to meet with several gentleman from out of State who were wanting to look at a property, which took up a good two hours of my time, but at least everything went as planned, so that was another viewing that may create some good results going forward. Of course there were many questions asked about our City which started with how many people are living here. Yes, they had me thinking hard several times before answering.
Another call I had to make, was to a friend/client whom I’ve known since we worked together at a bank, and my main reason for calling, was to give her some recent information on a property we’re both familiar with, and once that was relayed, I proceeded to share some happenings since we last spoke, and the main one being, was that text-a-thon I got pulled into about three weeks ago, and the main reason I shared it with her, was to re-affirm our beliefs that we must never allow hateful people to get by saying and doing evil things to others and not be chastised for it, and only because it gives them license to do it again. I also assured her there was no name-calling or vulgarities coming from me, which made that potty-mouthed senior all the more furious.
Oh, I just now remembered to tell you about my encounter with the older gentleman who stopped me at a curbside yesterday which I’m still scratching my head over. The first question he asked, was the location of a building, so I told him, but for whatever reason, he proceeded to engage me in conversation about religion, so I stood there and listened. According to him, he’s been sober for 30 years, lives in Hancock County, the son of a Methodist missionary, spent his growing-up years in South America at various missions, has been in every South American country except one, now a practicing Baptist, and the list went on.
During a short pause he made, I proceeded to tell him that I attend both Lutheran and Congregational churches on a regular basis, was raised in a strict orthodox family setting, and of a bloodline most would pay dearly for, just so they could post it on their personal resumes. Of course he was so busy talking about himself, he didn’t catch the ‘bloodline’ in my response, so I just let it be.
I dare say I was fully brought up to speed on his entire life in less than five minutes, and in spite of him appearing to be a normal chap in his 60’s, I just couldn’t stop noticing the black-rimmed glasses he was wearing which had fake diamond sequins imbedded in them, and just remember, that information overload happened in the course of perhaps five minutes or less. What likely got him stirred, was my saying, “Just remember, the core our faith is love and forgiveness.”, which he agreed, but when I then asked, “What do you believe the core of all evil is?”, his immediate answer was, “Money.”, which prompted me to shake my head while replying, “No. The core of all evil is fear, because from the roots of fear, sprouts all the deadly cardinal sins.” I believe my response was what triggered his, “I gotta go.” Where else other than in the ‘last outpost’, would you find yourselves being button-holed by a perfect stranger wearing sequined glasses, and then fully loaded-up with his life-story within a five minute time slot? Wow!
Tonight’s One-liner is: The soul’s joy, lies in doing.