We’ve all gotta different look, outtake from behind the wheel. I dunno why I keep coming back to McDonalds, but I do. Everyone knows Mickey-D’s, so I guess it’s easy to relate. I’ve pretty much switched my weekend breakfast extravaganza from the Piggly Wiggly, to sitting in McDonalds reading their free newspaper, drinking my “I’m a Senior” coffee.
Long about 9am on Sundays… you getta rush of folks enroute to church, coupled with those pacifying uniformed Little Leaguer needs… and us old shits.. I kinda feel sorry for those wet-behind-the-ears snotnoses that hustle-bustle to get everyone’s order out in a timely manner…
We were five deep in line the other day… A mom, her three children (one in’a ball uni) hustled in to join the line. Now onea the dudes waiting on us was getting hash browns outta the fryer - the chicky for the other line was making to-go drinks.. Mom, the typea mom that the Elementary School Principal certainly dreaded - as she’d watch the school’s every move.. Marched to the front, basically screamed “WHY DON’T YOU HAVE PEOPLE UP HERE TAKING ORDERS?… I PARK MY CAR TO WALK IN BECAUSE IT’S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, AND IT’S FRUSTRATING TO BE HERE WITH NO ORDER-TAKERS… WHERE’S THE MANAGER?”
The “I’m makin’ $7.25 an hour” snotnoses just kinda looked at her. Mom, she didn’t react very well. Hubby was nowhere in sight (gee, I wonder why.) In fact (close your ears) she was fucking up the environment.
Blame the owner, not the kids. Every fast food joint on the planet has an electrical mechanism that runs 100% of the time - and it charts revenue and labor cost. There are goals to meet - which, the person who is in charge, better make sure they ain’t got ‘extra’ help - and, from the owner’s shoes “if you feel we’re biting off more than we can chew…. Chew faster.”
Reaction. Very kinda-sorta different from ‘recovery’. Interesting read in morning paper on Pierce Brosnan, now fitty-five. Bastard. Same age as me and he’s still gotta baby face. Even worse, he lives on the beach in Kauai, you’d think the bastard’d be all shriveled up. Yeah, mebbe surgery, who knows. I can’t even afford a Gosh Darn cell, let alone enough to fight all these crevices.
I get lost. Sorry. The hell was I? Oh yeah, Pierce. Somewhere ‘tween James Bond (the 4th movie) and James Bond V, Pierce was waylaid with “we’re going another direction.” Translated: “you’re gettin’ up there in age my friend.”
Stealing from Parade magazine “Shaken and stirred but not bitter, Brosnan now thinks pass the Bond baton was a blessing “Oh it turned out very lucky, he says. “Within the space of the punch and the pain of being passed over or rejected or the bottom of your world falling out, within that same breath came this liberation of ‘I’m free. I can do anything I want.’ It’s up to me to make the next stage of my career as interesting and as exciting and unexpected as possible.” (Cool.) Nice take Pierce, wayta react during this recovery.
“You’ve got to be a fighting rooster, man,” says Brosnan. “You’ve got to get out there and preen those feathers and look like you know what you’re doing and hope you know what you’re doing and have a good time.” (Even cooler.)
Victor, your blogs usually ain’t this long. You gonna keep going? Surely they’re all asleep or have moved both eyeballs away to the boob tube… Yes. Yes, I am.
I love all the learning that goes on at Mickey D’s. The free KC Star Sport’s page told me about Derrick Johnson. Derrick is a fine, fine linebacker, tough dude, in his 3rd or 4th season for the Kansas City Chiefs. Derrick lost his pa mid-season last year - but he will carry the wisdom from his father for the remainder of his years.
Wayne Johnson, age 60, was a mountain of a man. 6’5”, 300 pounds. They related a story about when Wayne was a gunner on a Navy ship in the Vietnam era.. One night, he heard screaming no the lower deck.. Wayne ran down… his best bud on the ship, a 19 year old white kid from Jersey - was being crushed by the 2,000 lb missile that had toppled on him. :Lickety-split, this mountain of a man, ran over and somehow lifted the missile off his buddy.
“Back then,” Derrick remembering his childhood with his two older brothers who idolized their father “every day was good.” Wayne had an appetitive for life. He kept his sons thru four marriages.. Cool to note this Father’s Day. I’ve only done that with one (and Lord knows how difficult that's been, I can't imagine THREE.), God Blessya Wayne Johnson.
Awhile back Wayne’s kidney’s failed.. Twas hard for Derrick to see this gentle mountain of’a man laying there so frail. “Derrick… Sometimes in life you never know what’s going to happen. You have to make sure, when you’re on this earth, have a lot of love in your heart and treat people right. Never get too big. Whatever you do, never get too big. God has a way of humbling you.”
Derrick couldn’t listen any more. It felt as if his father was giving up, that he was trying to impart some final wisdom before he said goodbye. He stood and told his dad he’d see him soon. “Derrick” Wayne said as his son reached for the door, “Stay gold.”
Derrick’s father expired in November of last year. To this day, his cell number is still in Derrick’s phone. “I can’t erase it. I just can’t.” Wayne Johnson will always live insidea Derrick Johnson.
“He always said something about, life is 10 percent what happens to you, 90 percent how you respond.. I just have to remember that.”…….. Something makes me think he will.
Holy crap we’ve all had those setbacks. We’ve all waited 17 minutes for fast food. We’ve all learned from elders on their way outta this world. We’ve all been handed setbacks like Pierce. Woo, my twenty-something year marriage that ended - hell, you’ve been here - seen the pity parties.. It was like going 70mph on I-435 and slamming the breaks on. The key is reaction whilst one recovers.
Whether it’s being unconvinced by someone who’s learned “Kroc-a-shit’s way”.. losing a loved one.. Losing a job.. Losing a mate.. It’s all about the reaction.
Preen those feathers baby. You’ve got to be a fighting rooster, man. Stay gold.
Victor, this was too longa blog. KMA dude, you ain’t reactin’ very well.
Outta here, loveya, Victurd.
No comments:
Post a Comment