Manure…. $2.49

Walking into the Piggly Wiggly, there on the wall.. the revolation… Shit sells. For $2.49 a bag, you can buy shit. Good shit.

Kinda makes the “oh whoa is me” kinda shameful. Life can be the shits, oh whoa is me. Then again, they bag that crap and sell it – so, could there be good in shit?

I’d just finished working out… very disappointed my 56 year old body ain’t rapidly returned to the 24-something hardbody I remember so well… I was sore.. Notta great day at work… Check Engine Light (yes, THAT one) came on on the way home… three days til payday, I’ll either barely make it to work the third day – or write a hot check for gas to make it. Down, I was down.

Then.. hopped in the sauna. Two dudes talking. One kept talking about falling down, kinda making light of it.. he went thru several experiences, situations where he’d fallen. People quick to help.. “You didn’t see that” he’d say… Anyways, turns out the guy has MS. Along with… drum roll…. optimism.

Sunny beach. How can you have MS and optimism? He did. And here’s me the wimp, sad that I don’t see “Arnold” in the mirror when I peek… worried about a stupid car… money, lack thereof.. I’ve got my health. I’m sitting in a sauna for behoogety sakes.. Hell, my hair ain’t even turned gray yet. Stupid, I felt real stupid for ‘down’.

On many different occasions, in many different years – I’ve erroneously been focused in on “what I ain’t got” when I shoulda peeked outwardly to realize ‘what I do have, am blessed with.’

Victor, here you go with that Pollyanna crap. YOU SAID IT! NOT ME! You combined Pollyanna and crap in the same sentence… SEE??!!! Yeah, mebbe you’re right.

Dudes on the local Sport’s Talk show this morning. Funny. Enlightening. Prolly ain’t making too much. They were talking “happy.” One of ‘em grew up in the Old Northeast (notta lotta wealth.).. “We didn’t have a car until I was ten. For years we rode the bus EVERYWHERE. Guess what? Happiest time of my life…. We’re around athletes, celebrities that have abounding wealth.. you think that correlates to happy?... No, absolutely not.”

I see stuff that really pisses me off. Bosses at work when they get in that ‘Kingly’ mood. An ex who won’t communicate AT ALL with her son who’s so proudly called and left a voicemail “mom, I’m gonna be a dad.. and you a grandma.” Knocked on their door.. “Dad, both cars were there, no one would come to the door.” (Uh huh, that would make me Grandpa Victurd.).. I can’t control her, her actions or lack thereof. I can tease son.. “hey DADDY… LET’S PLAY CATCH!”… “Daddy, can I have five bucks?”

I remember the day in Mickey D’s… if you want fast food, don’t go to Mickey D’s on Sunday morning. Four lines twelve deep, staring into roughly eight or so snotnose eyeballs – making ‘mickey’mum wage.. doing their best.. trying to makea buck so they’ll have gas money to get to school. The lady blared. Loudly. Once she finally got her sack fulla goodies… Right there in fronta (let’s see.. 4 times 12 = 48.. plus the four snotnoses).. Right there infronta 52 people “DO YOU REALIZE IT TOOK EXACTLY 22 MINUTES TO RECEIVE MY FOOD?”… Now Mickey D’s sits approximately 200 yards from the Piggly Wiggly… and I’ma thinkin’ many at the Piggly Wiggly even heard her.. apparently she didn’t ‘cause she repeated “DO YOU REALIZE IT TOOK EXACTLY 22 MINUTES TO RECEIVE MY FOOD?”

Mebbe there’s another way to look at those 22 minutes… Perhaps smile at an elderly couple.. Observe the bright, vibrant, energetic eyeballs of a rugrat. Peek under that blanket to see the newborn – his hopes, dreams not even begun yet. Look outside and see the miracle of weather, be it great or not-so-great. Enjoy standing upright, for so many don’t.

Lotta good shit can happen in 22 minutes. So where were we. Oh yeah, manure, riding the bus, MS, 22 minutes, check engine light, money/lots, money/not-so-much, happiness…shit…

I’ma thinking, there’s two ways here. Buddy o’ mine historically blurts out “there’s two kinds of people….” and then finishes up with whatever thought/subject going thru his brain. But, there are two kinds of people. Those that look at life as if wearing cataracts… or those that look at life as if they’re looking thru onea those round/tube things you had as a kid.. (were they holograms? I don’t remember what they’re called) but, you’d turn the dial, look thru the telescopic-looking thing and brilliant, vibrant colors/arrangements happened.

Life, even having manure at $2.49 a bag, is good. Today… I’m gonna look at the clock.. figure out exactly when 22 minutes from now are up.. and I’m gonna think for 22 minutes straight how grand life is.. what I’ve got to be thankful for.. think of family… friends… old times… new times… future times…

Good shit man. Love, Victurd.