THIS OLD MAN

         This old man is enjoying writing a blog again because what old man doesn't have a lot to talk about? Man, you never want to get cornered by an old man, they'll just go on and on about the good old days when they did this and they did that; things were wonderful then, not like they are now. At least the good thing for anyone reading this blog, is that if you don't like what you're reading, it's not a big deal; just one click of the mouse and it's good-bye, adios, see you later - delete, delete, delete. And something I've discovered about writing a blog is when the topic contains serious stuff that should concern everyone, the readership dramatically drops. Now I don't blame anyone for not reading the serious stuff: pollution, toxic waste, pipeline spills, radiation leakage, deforestation, rising ocean levels, war, etc., etc., etc. because I have to agree, it's down right depressing; it can turn me into a cranky old coot when I obsess on how the world situation has evolved since I first came into this world. I'm on my way out and what worries me the most, is not what is going to happen to me once I take my last breath but what will happen to my kids and especially their kids. When I came into the world, much of it was being blown to shit during WWII, nuclear devastation hanging over Hiroshima and Nagasaki like a filthy contaminated shroud. The thing that alarms me the most about that horrendous war is that instead of making sure that the holocaust would never again happen, people with most of the wealth discovered occupying and stealing other country's resources can be very, very lucrative. And what this means to me is that instead of embracing humanity, having compassion for our world, we've put a dollar sign on everything, with no regard of the overall effects it has on this planet, our only home. I'll soon be gone but my family will have to live in a world that is getting more and more environmentally difficult to live in and I fear for them. 
          Moving on to not so serious stuff, I was talking to my wife this morning, "Sarah," I said as I warmed my thick-stockinged feet by the hot wood stove and sipped a hot cup of coffee, "I can't believe it. I'm lookin' at the end of my life. This is it for me, Fosterville, NB of all places. It's highly unlikely that I will ever live somewhere else." Now don't get me wrong, I live in a great place; it's just at this age and my present health issues; I'm most likely going to die right here on this property, perhaps sitting in the old rocking-chair by the wood stove or face down on the keyboard. When I was a young guy, I had an ambitious future, but now, it's too dang hard to see any future for me, other than getting older and older and finally dying. Cripes a'mighty, there was a time when I worked hard and played hard and didn't give a crap where I laid my head down, and now, taking a nap has actually become a welcome highlight in this old man's day. A future for most people means looking forward towards a raise, a holiday or a great career move, marriage, kids, a home, yadda,-yadda-yadda; whatever. I mean I experienced a lot of that in my earlier days and still do to a certain degree but those ambitious dreams of years ago eventually hitched their asses to an old man's bod, where the energy level was hitting minus degrees on the thermometer of life and if I didn't wear semi-tight jeans, my sagging biscuits would be bouncing off my heels with every step I take.  

          To me, it was a mistake for a lot of people in my generation to plan for their retirement because it seems as if they were planning for things to do before they died. The problem with that is by the time retirement happens, our bodies are generally fairly old and tired. I've always been of the mind that life shouldn't be so regulated because one never knows what's lying just beyond the horizon before reaching that retirement age. However, I could never imagine working at the same job, for the same company, for the same boss, for just a pay-cheque, possible bonuses, vacation time, you know, all the little carrots they dangle in front of a person's nose as the wrinkles start appearing, muscles start sagging, you know, when women's sagging tits bounce off their knees, bones start cracking and men's noses continually drip, mortgage payments keep climbing higher and higher, education keeps getting more expensive, yet drops in learning values, etc., etc.  Nah, that was never for me. Of course, I was lucky and quite young to have retired around the age of 42 (mind you, no money and no pension, broke as flat as piss on a plate) - now that's not to say, I stopped working totally; I mean I've always supported myself and others, I've  never gone bankrupt, never drawn welfare and only once did I collect EI for a year or was it two - that's the thing about being an old man, the memory isn't as sharp as it once was. And now, at 76, I feel I've been working physically harder than I ever did during my younger years - mind you - could be because I ache a lot now, my joints are stiff and the majority of my strength knowing the jig is almost up, decided to hitch a ride on a mudslide heading towards a 6' hole in the ground.

          I know, I know, I'm ranting now, I'm sounding like the old man I am.  And if you've already hit the delete key, well that's no problem - I mostly just yammer away to hear myself talk; keeps me in touch with my being and makes me realize I'm not dead yet. It wouldn't surprise me if I live long enough that the last words I hear will be my own, "Will somebody please change this damnable diaper, I've just shit myself!"...peace, eh! - Trip

My wife and I recently started up an Etsy Store a little while ago and if you'd like to check out our artistic creations just click on the link.