Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster as it approaches the apex.
Yeah, the ride, thus far, has been eventful and uneventful, exciting and boring, educational and dumbing, joyful and bone numbingly sad. And fast; very fast.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
I decided early on that I would be in charge of my life as much as circumstances would allow. No guiding hand on the shoulder; no predestination; no trusting in unseen otherworldly decision makers. I am doing this my way, because I believe I know the true meaning of obligation.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
I’ve practiced two religions: Catholicism and Atheism. The latter won out even though it is more difficult to abide than the first. Along the way, I discovered that it requires more faith to have faith only in one’s self..
I also tried being Jewish, briefly, but only because it is an integral part of my ancestral root. Let me just say this, Bubbalah, the barriers to entry for Judaism are high. Very high. First there’s the language – much more difficult than Latin -- then there’s the no-bacon, brisket-only diet – then there’s all that worldwide oppression – and not to mention, more guilt than a Catholic priest can lay on you in five minutes in the confessional. Oy vey iz mir. Yep, give me that old-time Atheism. Any day.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
I’ve done lots of different things to put food on the table. Some worked; some didn’t. When an employer got value for money, I usually didn’t get time-value money for time. It took me a while to figure out the system, but I persevered and ended up being exactly what I wanted to be. Which, I suspect, is true for most folks. Effort in, success out. I’ve been retired for nigh onto twenty years now.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster
I’ve owned nine houses so far --- not too shabby for a silly-vilian, I suppose. Some of them because I thought I wanted to be a slum lord; some just for their roof-over-my-head value. Along the way I quickly learned that I had to be a good actor, in both senses of the phrase, to succeed. I also learned that I have great difficulty interacting with people – a skill I may never acquire.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
Remind me, some day, to tell you the tale of the Two Pams: They rented my small brick house on Lewis St. and were always late with the rent. The last time I went to collect the rent from them I was met by a card stuck in the door jamb by the DEA. It ordered me not to enter the building until their investigations were complete. I never found out if the card was actually from the DEA or from the Two Pams trying to skip out on their last month’s rent. I did learn that when they paid me with ‘collection money’, as they called it, it wasn’t money from the collection plate at church. It was money they collected in the churchyard; not from churchgoers, but from kids attending the adjacent grade school. In exchange for drugs. Having faith in humanity is sometimes very difficult.
And please, please, don’t remind me to tell you about the kids that burned down half of a perfectly good duplex on Elm smoking in the garage.
Or the really nice guy who committed suicide in the house on Franklin because his wife left him.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
I’ve lived through many clothing-style eras too, from chinos to blue jeans to bell bottoms to khakis to suits to casual Fridays, and back again. I did make a concerted effort to avoid the grunge era, though. It just seemed like so much lassitude. My favorite was the suit era. Maybe because it coincided with my maximum-income and nicest-house eras. My least favorite was the casual-Friday era; it always seemed to me like a way for my then employer to justify smaller wage increases – but, who knows.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
And, for amusement, I’ve dabbled in SCUBA diving; sky diving; automobile racing; hiking; camping; traveling, building model planes, etc, etc, -- plus more than should be enumerated here – for any reason. Of them all, traveling was and is my favorite. Hopefully, there is still time for more adventures.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
I’ve been married multiple times; once successfully. That marriage is still a work in progress. Going on 42 years now.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
What should one do when the ‘coaster reaches the top? Close one’s eyes and let the rush of air and loss of gravity exhilarate you? Or proceed , eyes wide open and screaming through the last the ‘coaster has to offer? All the way to the platform where you relinquish your seat to a new rider?
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
In the meantime, I may move a bit slower, but I will keep moving. Even if only to repair farm equipment, cut grass, and do some lite woodworking or computer programming (just to keep the mind sharp, you understand).
And lately, I’ve begun to appreciate the benefits of car washes, dishwashers, and garage door openers. Appetizers, I suspect, to herald in the next course.
Clickity-clack goes the ‘coaster.
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