Life is a highway........

Article this morning about one of the last Negro Baseball League players passing away… Slick Surrett I believe his name was.. A happy man. Was in WWII. Played baseball for 7 or 8 years, then onto the Ford Plant in Claycomo for 50+ years. “Never saw him without a smile, he had fun in life.” That’s pretty damn cool.

The old baseball coach at the local college. He’s gotta be upper 70’s by now. Comes into the joint where I go - has a soda pop - smiles, talks.. Always asks how others are. I’ve tried to put myself “under his cowboy hat” and see how he views life. To be upper 70’s - knowing “one day soon” life is gonna change… Gonna live it loud now. I don’t mean loud as the noise loud - but loud as in eyes wide open, carry/give that smile… recognize how fleeting life is… Suck up every last drop. He is, and he does. That’s pretty damn cool.

So, when me, fitty-something, gets down.. I try to thinka the odds.. I could well be here for 20, 30 more. So why be down? Look at these chaps- they recognize it - they don’t bemoan ‘ends’, they embrace it.. I’m still a kid at heart and am influenced by my elders. To me, that’s pretty damn cool, and they are pretty damn cool.

Life is so wonderful to watch. People of all ages. Watching them find the things that are important to them. Differs so with age. For some, it’s hustle-bustle, gotta do this.. Then that.. Come on, we’ll be late. Rarely stopping to take time to stop and smell the coffee. Nah, not for me.

Watching people people watch… Huh? The hell’d he say? Yeah, that. Ever seen a granny dote, smile, follow with her eyes - her grandkid? Onea the most marvelous things on earth to see.. Oh sure, the cuteness of the snotnose is nice - but I getta bigger kick outta watching granny’s proud, wondrous smile as she observes. Perty damn cool.

I reckon (Victor, you gonna preach again?).. Mebbe. I reckon, there’s “good moments” out there if you peek around long enough. People choosing to have fun. Fending off strife and the yuck that happens in life. Selecting “I’m enjoying ‘the now’”…

Read an article about how happy people live longer. And, so said this study, folks that ain’t happy - but pretend to be - live longer too. Rectum I’m somewhere in the middle. I DO have fun. Daily. Almost minute by minute. The yuck (van has no reverse, roof of house leaks, behind a month on the mortgage) is still there in the backa the brain - but thankfully whatever they call them lobes in the fronta the brain allow me to smile, laugh, see, joke.

Life’s like cold weather, or can be. We gotta “layer up”, then demonstrate warmth. Every one on the planet has some issues - and I fret for the ones that wear ‘em on their sleeves..(Victor, the name of your blog is checkenginelight, isn’t that a bit of a contradiction?).. Not at all Mr. Times New Roman 12, not at all. That defines it. Again, we all walk with yuck (just ask Tiger.).. It’s how we present ourselves, how we feel moment to moment that we’ve a choice on. Actually, I’m doing pretty AOK in that department. I think. I enjoy life, minute by minute, person by person, conversation by conversation - even if I ain’t even in the conversation.

I am very thankful to all my role models. Slick. Coach. The grannies. The “choosers”. Well, I guess everyone chooses - some just do it better than others - keeping that yuck in the rear, allowing themselves to see, do good.

I’m rambling. Seems I do that more with age. God I love aging, I shit you not. The more I age, the more good I see. Again, thanks Slick. Coach. Granny. “Choosers.”

Life is a highway. I did it my way - all night long. Going to referee 1st and 2nd grade basketball now. You would not believe how much “people watching fun” that one is. And sometimes the grannies even have nice butts. The end. Love, Victurd.