What Do I Do Now?

Posted on 20/07/2020 by Grumpa Joe

This afternoon I had a pleasant conversation with a dear friend that lasted over an hour. I am not a chatty guy, but I must be a good listener. During this talk she guilted me into going to a memorial service for a Lion friends sister. After some mind wrestling I decided I will get an atta-boy if I go. Nothing beats an atta-boy. Although one awe-shit erases ten atta-boys. That is why I felt it critical to go to this service. I am sorely in need of atta-boys.

I raced through supper, took a shower, shaved, and dressed for a memorial service, only to find a text saying the service is on August 20 not July 20, grrrr!. So here I sit all dressed up and clean wondering how to save the evening. Guys at my age don’t have black books that can lead to a memorable night. In fact, I haven’t had a black book in sixty-five years. I don’t think it would be of any use if I still had it.

During our conversation we discussed my lack of contact of late. It seems my friends are wondering why I don’t return texts and phone calls. I’ve been wondering about that myself. In the shower it came to me, it is grief. Grief is a strange emotion and it strikes at strange times in strange ways. I was thinking it was depression, but grief is a better explanation. The only way out is to deal with it, which is why I finally consented to go to the wake.

I will take the car out for a drive and watch the sunset, maybe that will compensate. I am truly suffering sexual grief which is what happens when a partner loses a longtime loving bedmate. No one ever talks about it though, they just trudge on through. I on the other hand, having diagnosed my problem, like to discuss it, except no one wants to listen.

So driving off to the sunset is my cure. It’ll give me a chance too think clearly about my next move in life.

Filed under: Aging, Biography, family, grief | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Fire Fly Air Force-Chapter 8

Posted on 08/08/2010 by Grumpa Joe

Chapter 8

Summer is passing quickly, thought Morty. Here it is the end of July and Ben still  has not finished his project. What can I do to get him moving, he asked himself?

Each day, Morty watched over Ben like a hawk. He had not taken a day off in weeks. Maybe I should take a break and visit some friends, he thought.

The Sentra Vision belt around Morty’s waist vibrated and tickled his tummy.

      “Hello.”

      “Hi Morty,” answered Gracie. She just returned from a visit to heaven.

      “How was your trip? I missed you.”

      “It was absolutely heavenly as usual. I visited all of our friends at the Angel Academy, and talked to Archangel Michael too.”

      “Did Michael have any messages for me?”

      “No, but he did say that he will give you a mission soon. He asked me to find out how Ben’s science project is coming along.”

      “How does he know about the project?

      “I didn’t ask him, and he didn’t tell me, I just thought it was something the two of you cooked up together.”

       The halo above Morty’s curl lit up. A vision appeared in his head. All summer something he saw was bothering him, but he could not figure it out. Now the picture was clear. He had to act.

      “Will you do me a favor?” he asked.

      “Of course, what is it?”

      “Watch Ben tonight while I take a break?”

      “Yes,” she said, “I still have some days before my next assignment.”

      “Good, please come to Ben’s house this evening.”

      “I’m on my way,” she answered and hung up.

      Gracie arrived as the sun was setting. She found Morty on Skye Scooter ready to go. He gave Gracie a few instructions, pushed a button on Skye, and then disappeared.

          The sunset this evening was beautiful. Only a few scattered white clouds hung over to reflect the light. The sun was a big red ball just above the horizon. A glow of bright pink and lavender colors spread across the sky, reflecting off the clouds. Some clouds were luminescent with orange on one side and shades of grey on the other.

      “I hope it is not too late,” he thought to himself. Morty cruised from yard to yard. As he flew, he kept his halo blinking. He was invisible except for his halo. All of the neighbors mistook his blinking halo for the light of a firefly. I cannot believe it took me this long to figure it out, he thought to himself.

To Be Continued . . .

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Filed under: Cartoons, Characters I knew, children's writers, family, Fire Fly Air Force, Garden, Warm and Fuzzy, Writer | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Cloud Gazing

Posted on 16/07/2010 by Grumpa Joe

There are days when all I want to do is to sit and gaze upon the clouds. They make me want to dream. Sometimes, they put me in a stupor, and at others a state of euphoria. At other times, they make me sad, and depressed.

It is fun to search for something to see in the shape of clouds. That one looks like Mickey Mouse, or gee, today they are strips of cotton floating along in rows to infinity. Yesterday, they were massive mountains of white billowy gobs of whipped cream sitting on top of a blue sky reaching for heaven. This morning they were a shapeless gray cover blanketing the earth.

Clouds are scary when they are green, dark grey, black, and swirl around from place to place in a fury. Sometimes they unleash their swirling energy and sweep the countryside in a rage. Other times they are generators of electrical charge that release energy in a giant flash of light that zigzags to mother earth to explode anything in its way.

Ah yes, clouds, they are many things.

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Filed under: Memories, Motivation, Warm and Fuzzy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »