Mebbe the greatest word ever....

Ok, sure... You're curious. I'm curious. And you were thinking? Love? Peace? Family? Emotion? Devotion? ButterBrickleIceCream? Sex? (Pervert!)

I was thinking of the word touch. Of course, foremost one thinks of the touch between two lovers – and sure, a wonderful thing. (At least I THINK I remember it being so!)... Hands held in walk.. A simple hand on the leg when sitting beside one another.. A soft brushing of the cheeks... OK OK, and the more NC-17 touches, sure.

This grandparent thing has reminded me of another version of touch. Wonder. To lean, to kiss the cheek and see the reaction in the eyes of my granddaughter gives me a feel like no other. MAJOR yanks on the heartstrings.

A fun touch about touch the other day on FB. Proud mama/fellow coworker writing about the results of a recent bath given to her one year old son “So my son discovered his “manhood” in the bath last night... great” !!!!!

Touch is helping someone up off the ground. Opening a door for a stranger to enter first, hand placed upon the shoulder to hopefully nicely welcome them in first. Meeting a friend for a drink, or dinner – catching eyeballs across the room – the handshake/smile, embrace.. simply saying “I like you” without words.

An email in your inbox (or outbox). You were on my brain, thought I'd (touch) write. Clicking the like button on FB, or adding a comment, posting to one's wall. Touch.

Seeing or reading something highly emotional, wonderful – and twenty-five years ago ya mebbe didn't even know how to cry – but now, today, the tears flow so easily. Touched. I am goofy in this manner. Honest, I cry too damned easily, and.. close your ears, I love it. TOUCH = FEEL. Yippee, yahoo, oh baby, oh baby. Come'n git me life, I'm living/loving. Touch. Touched.

A flower. A note. A high five.

Had a shipment at work the other day – a Wednesday.. Import. “Last free day” in the warehouse in New Jersey. LTL carrier summoned in to pickup. Next day “sorry, didn't happen, limited drivers, bad weather too.” So.. Cha-ching check for $180 (storage fees) overnited ($90 for Thursday, $90 for Friday).. Driver sent back in Friday. Learn Monday “well, he was in line.. was gonna be 2 hours.. dispatcher pulled him out.. he went back a few minutes before close.. they wouldn't load him.” Damn daddy. So.. s'more cha-ching. $90 for Saturday. $90 for Sunday. It's Monday, can't get a check to them until Tuesday, so anuther hunnerd and eighty for that. I had eight eyeballs at work looking at me funny. The hell was I to do? To the rescue comes a new coworker. Nice fella named Jay. Walked into my cubicle, announced “Hey Vic, I ran down a broker in NJ, persuaded them to pay on our behalf, AND pickup today" (Monday.) My eyeballs brightened, my smile swiftly came – I put up my hand for a high five – and and even broader smile appeared across his face. Bingo. Friends. “Official – welcome, GLAD you're here!” Later sent him an email with the ending “You da man!”.. Responded, “thanks! Slick Vic!” A simple touch can mean so much.

A recent blog about Liberty, MO "back in the day." Had a comment online “Thanks Vic. I left Liberty 30 years ago and miss being there almost all the time. You talked about people that I haven't thought about in years. Thanks for taking the time to write this blog. Casey Williams”.. Wow – way cool. We each gotta touch outta that Casey – thanks!

We all touch every day – even if no physical contact. We touch or are touched in watching TV, a movie, a phone call, the internet. We 'touch base'. Mebbe kinda-sorta ALMOST as nifty as winging the words “I love you.” (And that in and of itself, is a touch, touching.)

Ok, time to scram. Gotta referee little turds basketball. 1st and 2nd graders. They don't even keep score. Pretty touching to watch the faces of both the kids and the parents. May you enjoy the touch in your life – and the touching of others. It's a good thing, mebbe the greatest word ever. Love, Victurd.