Drifters….

When u first see that word… It’s my guess you thoughta old Country Western movies, and the drifters that would come thru town… Eh, could be.

My life has been filled with ‘drifters’. I’m certain after you read that, there was somewhat a negative connotation attached. To the contrary.

I haven’t occupationally, or didn’t, find what I wanted to do forever and ever in my twenties… thus, I hop-scotched.. And have done many different things… Many jobs “ran out on me.” United Airlines (indefinite furlough, coulda gone to NY or Chicago “permanent part-time”, no thank you). Eastern Airlines (Please Mr. Union head-guy, 80% of something is hella better than 100% of nothing!”).. Chapter 7... Braniff Airlines.. Belly up… twice… Tiger Warehouse.. We had a 65,000 square foot warehouse filled to the gills, life was good. “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered” - we leased a 2nd 65,000 square foot warehouse. Couldn’t fill it. Thus, our demise.

There have been SO many “tweeners” that I prayed would be “right”.. Owned own delivery company (doing well, though lotta hard work.. 3rd year “me or the business”… I chose the marriage.. Oops..)… Teaching school, 5 years.. Got bassackwards in required college hours mandated by district.. Quit…

Victor, this is boring. NO! WAIT! THERE’S MORE! (You jest?) No, I ain’t kiddin’! Worked for golf course, managed a sporting goods store, carried mail, sold air freight, Sports Information Director for College Athletic Conference, managed a Sonic, was in hotel sales (For a Paris Hilton Hilton), dealt craps at a casino,… STOP, PLEASE STOP!!! WHAT’S YOUR POINT?

Point is, in that span, I’ve met hella people. Drifters. Some, still there. Some, came for a short, left. (And I haven’t even mentioned where I’ve been working the last 6 years)..

If you think I regret in all of the above - well sure.. .I too regret in being married twice (6 yrs, 20+ yrs) and having those ends… Who really among us starts a job/marriage with thoughts of “ends”?

But. Do I regret all the “Drifters” along the way? Not no’s but hells no’s.

Even if you are a lucky one.. You hired on at the utility company, Children’s Mercy Hospital, “The Ford Plant”, wherever - and you’ve been there since… well back in the day when you had “a six pack” for abdomens… you’ve surely experienced “drifters” in and outta ur life. I say ‘outta’ but they never really are. They’re etched there forever.

I will never forget Fernando Papi I worked with at United Airlines and his infamous saying “It not my yob man, it not my yob.”

Saw’a dude at the down-home place I occasionally frequent. He was from one of the above places. He looked at me, smiled, I looked at him, smiled. Then we spent fitteen minutes trying to figure out howinthehell we knew each other. (We finally figured out we dealt craps together.)

There’s the same sequence… Whenever one leaves, there are hugs, there are those positive, yet far-fetched thoughts “we promise to keep in touch.. It’ll be just like it was” but it rarely is. Don’t care, you never lose the affinity for those that have “drifted” in and outta your life. Just seeing their face again, be it in real life, or be it in a dream, a thought, a reminder - it conjures a smile.

I do have lifelong friends, and for that I’m very, very gracious. I also have many ‘drifter’ friends - and with all them ‘drifts’ - so much to look back on, remember, rejoice the time.

I’ll never forget… recently… when I came back to play softball after a ten year hiatus… as I walked on the field for that first game… dude in a lawn chair (he’d just completed playing).. In our day we’d had many a battle agin’ one another.. He leaned up from his lawn chair for closer inspection... Rubbed his eyes like it was a dream.. And finally blurted “well I’ll be damned.” It was a great moment - cause it took me (and him) back to 1985, 1995.. Not that I wanna go back there - but that it helped me to remember “1985 and 1995 - life was pretty damn good.”

One would think, if you know your past, and you’ve gotten ‘way too attached’ to previous drifters in you life - you might be cold shouldered at first.

I don’t feel that way. Our stay here is short. Our relationships vary from lifetime, to maybe only for the summer. Victor, are you talking to yourself again? Uh huh, am. Love all. No matter how swiftly they (or you, exit - stage left.)

God Bless all the drifters I’ve encountered along the way. I loveya all. I remember ya all. Mebbe not first name, but if I see the face and I connotate “he/she was fun” I smile. Life’s about smiles.

I kindly thankya for droppin’ in. Love, Victurd.