Just over a week ago I posted this:
It was a way to say thank you to all the readers from various locations in the country offering tips on where to retire. After that post and some other shenanigans my shoulder issue came up. Again, lots of information and suggestions from people that I have never met in person , and may or may not ever meet in person, but still took their time to post a comment offering help. I'm sure there are those that lurk that enjoyed the fact I was hurting. Anyway, all this community has given me a few ideas and when time allows I will put them up here.
Here's some more proof about those friendships described above:
A few examples. Jeffery, my coauthor, reached out many a time by email back in the past. We chatted and had some good conversations. Between the blog, email, text and phone we stay in touch as life allows. We haven't met in person yet.
Leigh, found the blog and started commenting and emailing. We chatted on the phone a few times and he actually made the effort to drive down and meet face to face a few times. I have promised to go up his way at some point to visit his neck of the woods. Go easy in the comments Leigh :)
Phil, same thing, like minded, separated by 3000 miles of travel or 1-2 seconds over the internets.
I can add plenty of others that are daily commenters or emailers that reach out to "chat".
Thanks to all of you.
The reason I mention Leigh and Phil is what happended the other day. Each of them sent me an email.
Both emails had the exact same meme.
So, at some point yesterday, those two were on similar meme sites or social media and both saw that and both thought of me and both took time to email. Thanks guys. I laughed.
And I 'll leave you with this comment on the jeep/ springsteen post by unknown.
Kind of out of the loop on the commercial, but do have a faint, distant knowledge of the area. Fall of 1965, had a roommate who lived in north central Kansas and it was pheasant season. So the three of us roomies went to visit his family and go hunting. But first, the Blind Date: there were 2 girls who were recruited, but one chickened out, so I said "okay, I'll go". Borrowed an old Jeep-may have been a Cherokee-from the guy's father, and off we went, just the two of us. Asked her where we should go, as I didn't know the area. She said there wasn't much in town, but we could go up to the Geo. Huh??? The geographic center of the country, you dufus. So we found it, saw the sign, then started making out. Eventually we fell asleep with the motor running and by the time we woke up the thing had run out of gas. In. the. middle. of. fucking. NOWHERE!!! Saw a dim porch light a fair distance off, so started hiking to see what I could find. Woke the poor guy up-it was at least 2am by then-told him my 'out of gas story', and he fixed me up with a 5 gallon can of gas, drove me back to the Jeep and my new 'love', and we soon were headed back to town. Gave the guy my last $5 for his bother; he was reluctant to take it, but I insisted. Her mother was waiting up for us, noticed that her daughter's clothes were pretty wrinkled but didn't even lecture me. Though we did hook up once more the following summer, we went our separate ways for good. If you ever doubted the line from The Beach Boys about "the Midwest farmer's daughter", you ain't never been to the Midwest and spent an evening with one of them girls. BTW, we didn't even see a pheasant. Thanks to algore's Internet thingy I learned a few years back that she had passed away, sadly missed by her sons and grandkids. Her obituary had a picture-she looked just like she did when she was a high school senior-slim with a twinkle in her eye. RIP, Alice.
Unknown, thanks for sharing your story. When I read that I was thinking "Night Moves" Bob Seger.
Your comment also gave me a few ideas.
See that one post that I just through up there brought back memories to someone that took the time to share.
More later... Work calls.
Hilarious meme, as always.
ReplyDeleteThat story about Alice is amazing. I can't tell you how many memories were spurred by reading your writing or a few others I swing by. I have no doubt, we'd be an odd bunch if we all got together, but we'd fit like a puzzle.
ReplyDeleteWhat, me go over-board?
ReplyDeleteSay it isn't so . ;-p
Life happens, Brother. We can't plan every thing. The best laid plans of mice, and all that.
Leigh
Whitehall, NY
As I get older, I like to think that I become wiser. And I begin to realize that a life well lived, is not measured by any numbers. From the numbers of your bank accounts size, to even the number of friends you have made in your life. I think that a life well lived is measured by the quality of those friends that you have made, and what you have done to help others with your money. And in some cases, what you have done, to bring people together over something like a blog on the internet.
ReplyDeleteQuality over quantity. I would rather have one really good beer than a case of what passes for beer to most Americans. One good friend that I trust with my life, or, even better, my loved ones life, than a bunch of friends that I don't trust to pick up my mail when I am on vacation. One good woman to spend my life with, than a bunch of women that pass in and out of my life.
Thomas Friedman wrote a book called " The World is Flat" meaning that the technology today has shrunk the world so much as to make distances between people non existent. I think that although I don't like his politics, he was correct about that one point. The miracle of the internet has allowed me to know dozens of people that I otherwise would never have the chance to know. And to be exposed to ideas and thoughts that I might never have been exposed to. And to also realize that the world is actually not filled with bad people, but that most of the people living are interested in the same kinds of things. Having enough money to feed your family, and to leave some type of a legacy for them after you have passed. Being able to have enough time away from work to spend it with your friends and family, just to enjoy being with them, and time to make more friends, again, of the quality that makes you a rich person. And while in America we look and see that the freedoms that we take for granted have seemed to be under fire over the past number of years, those same freedoms are universal, and desired by people in every corner of the world. People in Iran want the freedom to speak their mind, and to protest unjust government actions. People in countries like the Czech Republic have sought their right to self defense, and have embraced firearm rights. Mostly, what is universal for all of us is connections with others, and this blog is one of the important ones that allow for such connections to be made.
So I wish you, Irish, and everyone else, strong friendships, close families, good relationships with your significant other, perhaps good beer to drink, and the ability to know the difference, but mostly, freedom to make choices about everything. Let's look forward to a time when perhaps once again political parties main currency is not hate, but compromise.
pigpen51
As a kid growing up in 'the good old days' the neighborhood friendships and solid bonds were always there though few ever thought much about the how or the why-the goodness was there in plain sight and was as regular as the sunrise and pretty much taken for granted.
ReplyDeleteMoving into adulthood, living is different places with different dynamics, it quickly became apparent that the new neighborhoods were missing something. Maybe it was me; maybe it was them. Maybe it was just the unnoticed comfort of having been raised under the wings of the family did not extend to other times.
The meme states the case well; a man's ideas describe him far better than the man himself.
FWIW, Irish, my wife unit and I's theme song is Orleans' You're still the One, with Huey Lewis's Stuck With You a very close second. 47 years on March 15....
ReplyDeleteWhen you find a good Eternal Companion, hang on to her/him for all you're worth! I'm one lucky guy.
Night Moves-the lyrics pretty much describe those crazy, wild, and fun years. About the only constant was my old '58 Impala ragtop and good times with the young ladies. Fast forward about 30 years, on a desolate stretch of I-70 and up comes Ronnie Milsap's "I Wouldn't Have Missed it for the World"-first time I ever heard it. Had to be written for every guy who at one time or another had THE ONE get away. In my case, she made the adult decision as we went our separate ways off to college, never to meet again.
ReplyDeleteSadly, she is gone too. Ronnie nails it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCMB1gYLiIk