I thought maybe I was a goner. Band camp, awhile back, I was at an establishment with fellow Bubbas (again, that's our group of po' po' pitiful me men who've run off every mate we've ever smooched due to our own oopsies, so, we gather with good frequency to berate them. HA).
Anyways, I hadta pee. So, without looking, I jumped up (well, as close to 'jump' as a 66 yr old can) and I was immediately (accidentally) clobbered by a biker dude headed the opposite direction. He was roughly 6'4", two-fitty, and I am thinking "uh oh, he's gonna eat me faster'n a chocolate donut hole")... Just then it was "SIR, SIR.. I'm sorry!" Only it wasn't me that said it, it was him.
I smiled, muttered, "I'm sorry too," went on my way and cussed myself for being judgmental all the way to the John.
On this day, a biker dude was kinda close behind me... road was a four lane 30mph road, alluvasudden he pulls around me to pass - only he backs off the gas to equal the speed limit I was going. Then, he gestures the ole "roll down the window" gesture. Gulp. Victor, you judgmental basta', remember bumping into that guy on your way to the John? Uh huh. Then it'll all be ok. OK. As I complied and got my window down, I heard, "Hi sir.. just wanted to let you know your blinker is on." I giggled, felt 66 years old, wrote it off to wrinkles, said "thanks" with a smile and continued my 5mph under the speed limit we old farts drive with.
Twelve years ago, I sat in the office of an optician. I've been to church before. I've even been to Hawaii, and yes, Wrigley Field too - but I ain't never been in an optician's office. After nearly 30 minutes of silence, eye doc looks at me and says "Victor, how old are you?" 54. "Well, you've got cataracts in both eyes."
So, a few weeks later, I'm back in his office (I've been to church more than once, to Hawaii twice, but Wrigley Field only once) and he takes some kinda tool, whacks out my left eye lens (I'm left looking at egg whites, that's all I saw.. and that's prolly what my eyeball looked like.).. Then, he puts in a new, fake lens, and wow, clear. Very clear. Ain't been thataway in awhile. Same procedure on the right eye. Wow, even clearer. THANKS Doc!
So... I walked in the grocery store, saw real life colors like I ain't seen in years... not to mention greater clarity, definition of the derrieres of female shoppers (sorry, kinda, not).. And I spent the next few days rejoicing, throwing away the 8 pairs of $1.49 'readers' I've compiled over the years.. You see, I now see, and life is very good.
I no longer read the paper using my extended Olive Oil arms. I can now look in the mirror and say things like "Damn, you've aged" and "Victor, that ear hair is prolly three-quarters of an inch long, geez." All good.
I got onea them 'close up' lenses.. and one for seeing far away. Not many years after, this coincided with retirement from softball, cause, haveya ever tried to catch a pop-up with one eye that now sees close-up, and one that sees from a distance? It ain't an easy thing. (Neither is navigating tweezers to pull an ear hair when one eye is closeup, one is for distance - kinda like life, the struggle is real.)
Victor, you're rambling..is there a point to all this? Well mebbe. Yes? And that point is?
It's kinda that I find myself liking to use the close-up eye the most. You know, like 'waking up and smelling the roses' that are in the garden now, not the ones you wanna plant and see years from now. It's today, not five years from now, not when I'm maybe 80..it's today. Tomorrow ain't promised, so use that 'see far away' eyeball for when you're at a stop sign, ya gotta squint (close the close up eye) to see things at a distance.
I've never been any good with compound interest anyways - but my focus now is on today, Monday.. not Friday, or July, or 2020.... Live the day. Today. See it close up. Appreciate.
I''ve wandered from the Bubba table a time or two to visit, get to know somea them biker dudes. Nice, nice folks. Damn me. I even appreciate their 'burn-outs' now, and I can even read all the patches on their jackets.
I'm enjoying grandkids that are 2, 6 and 8. Sure, I think of them one day in high school, college, married, as a parent - but today is yummy. Close up. Worry later about "I do" and treasure today and hearing "papa" as one of the first ever said words. Save that far away eye for when you're at the stoplight and ya gotta see traffic in the distance.
I've lived a life where I ain't had very good long range planning. That's ok, I can live with that. At 9:28am Central, my long range planning is lunch today.
I may go to church Sunday. Might even plan for Hawaii, or a train ride to Wrigley - but now, right now, I'm gonna jump in my car and head for the hot tub at the Community Center.
In my late 40's, I found myself alone, soon to be divorced. I joined the Community Center, figured I'd lift some weights, ride the elliptical for a bit, sit in the sauna, then head to the Jacuzzi where I'd be met by a score of beautiful, fit, perfect, scantilly clad gorgeous women. I did all that (lifted weights, the elliptical, the sauna, and headed for the Jacuzzi).. Minutes after i got there, the 70-something age women's arthritis class was making their way out of the pool, and to, uh huh, the Jacuzzi. Ha.
Today, hey, mebbe somea them women won't look too bad to me! I'm going, today, now, 9:37am Monday, 6/17/19.
Victor, your blinker is on. I know, my checkenginelight too.
Band camp, I'd bought an ole Mercury clunker from the daughter of the owner who'd passed. Nice car. The code to punch in on the door to get in was his birth date, 07-06-1920. I didn't change it. Also, his checkenginelight was on - BUT, he'd covered it up with electrical tape so it wouldn't bug him. I like your style Mister. Me too. I'll worry about that.... tomorrow. I'm gonna live today.
Happy today,
Love, Victurd
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