So This is Christmas

WAYNE’S WORDS
Volume 2 Number 22
So This is Christmas

I was at a standstill in traffic a few minutes ago and, as I sat and waited for the vehicular artery to become unclogged, I noticed something in the KFC parking lot to my left.

An old man had was helping his wheel-chair bound wife into the car and as he got her out of the chair it proceeded to roll down the parking lot. A lady who was ready to turn into the flow of traffic that was unaffected by the snarl got out of her car and retrieved the wheel-chair and pushed it back to hand to the man, A smile and pleasant words of seemed to be exchanged and the people went about their business.

Beautiful.

I strive to be like all three people in this scenario.

• I want to be like the wife who has someone that cares about her so much that every day he will do the little things that matter like: take her to town (even if it IS just KFC), get her in and out of the car and who knows what else that man does for her.
• I want to be like the man and not give a second thought to doing those things. It is just what he does, because he loves her.
• I want to be like the lady who stopped her busy Christmas schedule, even for a moment, and helped strangers.

I strive to be like these people, but I often fell that I come up short (keep your "little" jokes to your selves).

• Maybe I focus too much on one task and forget about other things that need my attention.
• Maybe I concentrate so hard in making one thing work out for someone that I end up being oppressive rather than helpful.
• Maybe I internally and unintentionally prioritize things that need my attention and don’t stop to realize the things I am ranking can all be number one on the list.
• Maybe I don’t tell or show the people I care about how much I actually love them as often as I should.
• Maybe my life is just a juggling act and lately I am having a hard time keeping all of the burning batons in the air.
• Maybe I am feeling sorry for myself.
• Maybe I am feeling sorry for the people I feel I may be letting down.
• Maybe I will just pick up these damned batons, disregard the burns and start juggling again, but this time I will concentrate on all of the batons and each of the batons at once.

Maybe that is really what life is. It IS juggling. You have to watch all of the flaming batons at once and, at THE SAME TIME, concentrate on the one you are about to catch as you throw another into the air. If you drop one of the batons can you make a corny juggler’s joke then flip it back up into the mix with your foot? If you drop them all can you pick them back up, relight the ends and keep trying?

I am of the mind that you concentrate harder, focus stronger and keep trying. And that is what I will do.

I hope that all you have a beautiful Christmas. I know I will – I am surrounded by people that I love immensely and, lucky for me, they also love me.

Until Next Time,

Wayne

Thankful, Wondering

WAYNE’S WORDS
Volume 2 Number 21

Thankful, Wondering

I hope that each and every one of my 3 loyal readers had a great Thanksgiving. I had a good one and I also had some time to do some needed work around the house and even took some time to play and relax.

‘Tis that time of year when we all start thinking about what it is we are thankful for and we start looking toward a new year in hopes of making things for us and those around us at least just a little bit better.

This time of year for me is actually somewhat confusing - especially this year with all that is going on in the world. So, while I count my blessings I am also usually left wondering about things.

• I am thankful - for my son. Regardless of how trying he is, how disrespectful he may turn toward me with his teen angst (at eleven years old) and how he fails to realize that I am his biggest ally, I am still in awe of his greatness everyday.
• I wonder - Why is it that we have come to the point that we need a casualty report for the first shopping day of the holiday season?
• I am thankful - that I still have both of my parents with me today. Both of them are the reason I am who I am today. I will keep trying, folks. I will keep trying to get better with each passing year.
• I wonder - Why are “we” bailing out these companies and banks? If we went to them in the same broke-ass state or were unable to make a payment because we were losing money or told them that we were too big to fail, they would kick us to the curb and take both our first and second born (and still charge us penalties and interest).
• I am thankful - for my beautiful girlfriend. She stands by my side and puts up with my insanity and mental quirkiness day in and day out. She makes me want to be a better man and indeed has made me a better person.
• I wonder - What did they mean in Yankee Doodle Dandy when they wrote the lyric – “and with the girls be handy?” Is that some sort of pre-Revolutionary War sexual reference? It always made me giggle. Plus, what is that whole “called it macaroni” part supposed to mean? Was Yankee Doodle an idiot?
• I am thankful - for my high school buddies. Regardless of differing political views, lifestyles, levels of success, etc. they always welcome me with open arms and usually a beer. Not a bad way to be welcomed – all in all.
• I wonder - Why do people (especially politicians) say they can see both sides of the story or an issue, but no one ever says that they can see the middle? That is usually closer to where the answers truly reside.
• I am thankful - that I am not short. I am not really tall, but I’m not short. Don’t get me wrong - I love short people, unless I am one of them.
• I wonder – How are troubled suburbanites are going to commit suicide when we have done away with all of the internal combustion engines? You will no longer be able to run a hose from the tailpipe to the interior of your car so you can suck down fumes that will take you deep into eternal sleep.
• I am thankful – for life. For better or worse it is pretty damned cool. “I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah. I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah. Another day of living. I just want to celebrate another day of life.” (Rare Earth)
• I wonder – What is going to come after High Definition Television? Did they bestow the name “High Definition” upon this technology because they are holding out for “Higher Definition” and eventually “Highest Definition?” What the hell is that stuff gonna cost us?
• I am thankful – for where I live. Mother Nature (thus far) doesn’t hate Las Cruces. We have no totally crippling weather, no earthquakes, no all consuming wildfires, no floods, no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no locusts, no sinkholes, no avalanches, no ubiquitous fog, etc. We have isolated occurrences of some of those, but they don’t shut down our entire region and existence.
• I wonder – Why are there are not really any superheroes? Is any of it that far-fetched? Sure, the ideas were uber-fantastic to the public during the Golden Age of Comics (1930s and 1940s), but now? With all that we have seen, discovered, invented would it be too crazy for us to handle or even fathom a real Superman or Batman?
• I am thankful - for my “work family.” We are like “real” family in that we care about each other and we have each other’s backs, but we get paid too! I guess that makes it better than “real family!” Tee Hee.
• I wonder - What in the hell they told Randolph Roberts when they decided “Chuck Cunningham” was no longer going to be a Happy Days character? “There will be no write out, no spin off, no nothing. We are all just going to pretend your character never existed. Sorry, Mr. Roberts” By the way Chuck was actually in 9 episodes of Happy Days (he was not in, but credited in two other episodes). In the first 7 appearances he was played by Gavan O’Herlihy. That really sucks! Roberts thought he got a big break by taking O’Herlihy’s role then “C’YA!”

To quote the Late Great Jerry Reed in Smokey and the Bandit “Hell, I gots to go!”

Until Next Time,

Wayne