Tag: love

STEEL PENCIL NEWS REVIEW

OCTOBER 4, 2026

VOLUME 163

CENTER-RIGHT PERSPECTIVE ON CURRENT NEWS EVENTS WITH A MEASURE OF FLAG WAVING.

Getting the enthusiasm to write this article has been very difficult. I have been utterly disgusted with just about everything related to the government and politics lately. So much so that I have actually been tuning it all out and turning to my artwork as an escape from it all. I should clarify that statement because I think overall, our President and his staff are doing a pretty darn good job, considering the constant harassment from the left.

I have a favorite TV channel that I watch on YouTube called Vice Grip Garage. The fellow that created the channel and stars in it is a country boy through and through. He has a saying when something unusual happens while building or repairing a car. He says; “Well, I can’t believe it, but I guess a gotta, cuz I’m looking right at it”

That pretty much sums up how I am feeling about the Democrat party right now, and the lunatics that are running for election. I can’t believe my eyes, but I’m looking right at it. My mind cannot accept someone running for office in the United States of America openly claiming to be a Communist. I can’t believe the Democrats embracing socialism. This is like watching some kind of “Twilight Zone” episode.

Kamala Harris is creeping out of the shadows, sounding “bat shit” crazy, saying things that nobody can decipher. She is either perpetually drunk, or an undiagnosed head case. The latter is likely what is going on, because if you have difficulty making a totally sober statement without laughing out loud like a hyena, you may have a few neurons shorting out somewhere.

Gavin Newsome, man, I don’t even know where to start with this cat. My best description is some sort of metrosexual flim flam man. Sits in his chair like a chick with his legs crossed, squirming like a chick, waving his hands around like some sort of modern dancer. His smile is so fake it creeps me out. He just looks greasy, slippery, and slimy. The most amazing fraud that is glaring like an LED headlight is that so called “Bullet Train”. Billions spent with barely any progress whatsoever. Will we ever know where all of that money went? You can bet Gavin will be livin’ the good life”. No proof, just sayin’. Movin’ from the French Laundry to the Money Laundry. The only difference between Gavin and Tampon Tim is Gavin is better looking.

Talarico, the guy looks like a televangelist, but he’s definitely on the wrong side of the good and evil line. If I was stupid enough to say God was non-binary, I would be afraid to sleep at night. The number of stupid statements this guy has made is mind boggling, yet he is supposedly neck and neck with Ken Paxton, a dead serious conservative and red blooded American.

Then we get to good ol’ Abdul El-Sayed. The very first (and should be the last) Muslim nominee for the U.S. Senate. This guy lies faster than you can keep track. One week he is all for a particular issue, next week he’s against that same issue. He is a master of “flip flop”, that’s how you can identify him as a Democrat. When you read his political agenda it has Muslim activist written all over it. His most revealing item on his Wishlist is ending military funding to Israel and shifting those funds to domestic needs. In the future if a Muslim is successful at gaining a seat in the US. Senate or House, it should be mandatory they be sworn in on the Holy Bible with a pigskin cover. No Quran should ever be allowed in any of our government buildings for any reason.

While I’m on the subject of an Islamist in US Government, something I can’t really get my head around now or ever, let’s talk about the scumbag New York mayor. This guy is so fake and such a liar he makes we want to vomit watching him speak. You can see the disdain for America bleeding through his facial expressions while he is lying to your face. This guy is the quintessential “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. New Yorkers are supposed to be tough guys, they portray themselves as impervious to fakes and scammers. Well, if you ask me, that facade just melted away like spring snow when Mamdani showed up. At least for the rest of us, we know where all the “suckers” reside. Keep this in your mind, don’t ever forget it. When Mamdani was campaigning and when he was sworn into office, Bernie and AOC were standing right beside him smiling like Cheshire Cats.

Moving to the west coast now, pretty much same scenario except Seattle’s mayor Katie Wilson is not an Islamist. She may be an Islamist sympathizer which wouldn’t surprise me. She is however remarkably dumb. Dumber than a stack of hammers actually. She is a dyed in the wool socialist, while being the offspring of some very wealthy people. But the wealthy folks are not exactly what you would call capitalists. The daughter of an evolutionary biologist, and the granddaughter of a novelist. Not quite in the same camp as Elon or Ken Fischer. With an education in Physics and philosophy and a college dropout, you wouldn’t expect her to have a firm grasp on how to manage the fiscal budget of the large city like Seattle especially since she never had a real job and lived with her parents most of her adult life.

I know a little bit about Seattle having lived in the greater Seattle area for fifteen years. I conducted a business there 10 of those fifteen years. The people of Seattle are really strange, and really far left. So, her being elected, as unqualified as she is, didn’t surprise me, she fits right in with their convoluted ideas of government. The video below was done before Katie Wilson made her debut, imagine what it’s like now.

Well as you can see this uprising was happening in 2019, and the people of Seattle and surrounding cities were rising up and saying “no more”. Well, that enthusiasm died a slow death. Probably interrupted by Covid and the economy. And yet when these people knew the truth, they did something really stupid and elected Katie Wilson, an activist, very successful activist that played a huge part in quelling that uprising.

IT WORRIES THE HELL OUT ME!!!

It worries the hell out me that these people are getting elected while espousing these radical ideas and tearing our country apart one city at a time. I find me talking to myself, asking how can this be happening in this wonderful Republic we call home. Well, my friends, you can find all of the reasons why it is happening in the files at the DNC. This is the fruits of the Democrat party, the party that will sell their souls to Satan for power. They don’t give a “rat’s ass” about this country or it’s patriots. They only care about power, absolute power.

God Bless all of you, and God Bless this nation and it’s President. You know how to vote to fend off this craziness. I don’t care if you’re on your sickbed, with one leg barely hanging on, cast your ballot for the party of “Common Sense”.

VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE

STEEL PENCIL NEWS REVIEW

AUGUST 31, 2026

VOLUME 161

CENTER-RIGHT PERSPECTIVE ON CURRENT NEWS EVENTS WITH A SPRINKLE OF PATRIOTISM.

WHAT GHOULS LOOK LIKE IN THE MOVIES

WHAT GHOULS LOOK LIKE IN REAL LIFE.

I’m absolutely not an expert on psychology not even close, but my wife is. She has a master’s degree in forensic psychology, and she made a statement today that confirmed exactly what I have been thinking from the start. She said and I quote; “that woman was home alone with those kids all day, she could have killed them at anytime, but she chose to do it after her husband came home for the maximum impact. She wanted to punish the husband and the father of the children”. She wanted to kill herself in the process and punish him ever more, but sadly, she survived.

OK, I admit someone that commits an act of this type is a mental case, however, you are going to have a very difficult time convincing me that before, and while she was planning this heinous act, that she didn’t realize that what she was about to do was very, very wrong, and sick. But instead of stopping and reaching out for professional help, her selfishness and narcissism urged her on.

I will never believe that during this episode of violence that she didn’t once consider that what she was doing was very wrong and maybe she should abandon the idea. I think her idea was to inflict horrendous pain on everyone connected to the family then “off” herself, so she don’t have to suffer the consequences. I really think these people somehow think they will be able to see the pain and suffering even though they are themselves dead. Indeed, these people are mentally disturbed, I’m not disputing that, however they know right from wrong, they just choose to ignore it for totally selfish reasons.

In my opinion, the real tragedy here is the defense is going to blitz the jury with pscho mumbo jumbo, paint her as a victim, that she is legally insane, and completely hide the fact that she is a self-centered narcissist, willing to commit murder to satisfy her selfish desires.

My verdict: Guilty, 100%, Life in the slammer.

VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE

MAY JUSTICE PREVAIL FOR THE SAKE OF THE CHILDREN

STEEL PENCIL NEWS REVIEW

JULY 4, 2026

VOLUME 154

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

I’m pretty sure this is a first. I don’t think I ever wrote an article on the Fourth of July. Obviously, this one is pretty special. My wife was born in London and immigrated to the US in the 1980’s. She loves and appreciates this country more than a lot of native-born Americans. She knows what socialism is and how oppressive it is. She was born to a successful real estate developer and was able to tour the world before she was twenty years old. She toured the old Soviet Union, and she can tell you firsthand how dire the life was during those years for the Russian citizens. The English government she lived under was pretty terrible although it’s even worse now. So, when she hears someone talk positive about socialism, she gets very animated very quickly.

I was born and raised in the south-central US, and never had any desire to be a world traveler. I love this country and although having been twenty eight of the 50 states, I would not travel beyond the national borders until I have seen every single one of the fifty glorious states. Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m quite happy with my decisions and my love for my country. I’m not being totally truthful, I have visited our neighbors in Mexico and Canada. Mexico looks like California, and Canada looks like Washington and Oregon. Ho-hum.

I have heard the theory that certain behaviors and memories get passed down through genetics. Memories that are embedded in your being, but you can’t recall them voluntarily. I think that may be true. Many years ago, the first time I stood in the presence of a Scottish pipe and drum band, the hair stood up on the back of my neck and a strange feeling washed across my body. Years later, I discovered through my DNA that my heritage is 99% northern European which includes Scottish, Irish and English ancestry. My point is that this could also play a large part in my deep love for America as my family came from Essex, in London and landed on these shores in 1700. My family was here 75 years before the Declaration of Independence was written, 325 years ago. So, if the theory is true, and you do have embedded genetic memories, I have over three centuries worth to deal with.

PRESIDENT TRUMP KNOWS HOW TO THROW A PARTY.

Wow, I watched most of the festivities tonight, tuned in just a bit late. But the lead up to the President’s speech was phenomenal. His speech was phenomenal. I don’t know exactly how many celebrities refused to participate or who they were, but personally, I thought the show was much better without them. Celebrities always want to make everything about them; this was not the time and place for that. This was a time to celebrate our nation, as an American, with pride, humility and gratitude. The military performers were fabulous, totally perfect for the occasion. God bless these great people.

The Democrats did everything they could think of to sabotage the celebration. Instead of joining in as Americans and sharing this great moment, they chose to be jerks. Calling this “Donald Trump’s Party”, and they weren’t going to participate. Sounds a bit childish to me. President Trump wanted this to be special for all Americans. The only political statement I recall was his statement against communism, vowing that America would never be a communist nation.

Thank heavens the Democrats didn’t succeed. The entire show was awesome. How about that stage? Don’t think I’ve ever seen a more spectacular setting, but then again, it’s not ever going to be the 250th Anniversary again. The fireworks were over the top. The crowd was joyful, dancing to the music, and having great time. The promoters must have pre-screened the attendees, because I didn’t see a single whacko person. Thank God for that.

I have one more thing to say about the show tonight; Melania was gorgeous.

Going to wrap this up to tonight. My wife and I are extremely thankful for this wonderful country we live in. We are thankful for a President that loves America as much as we do. Sure, we have some problems we need to deal with, but we can do that. None the problems are worth killing each other over. We just need to work them out for the betterment of our country, so everyone’s life gets better, not worse. We need to make it possible for young folks to buy homes again, so young families can blossom. We need to get the America haters out of our educational system. We need educators that focus on the future of our youngsters, not some weird fantasy about 200 genders.

God bless America, stay safe, stay vigilant, stay free.

VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE

STEEL PENCIL NEWS REVIEW

JUNE 30, 2026

VOLUME 153

CENTER-RIGHT NEWS COMMENTARY BY A DYED IN THE WOOL PATRIOT.

OK, where do I start? Let’s start with SCOTUS. That body of so-called super lawyers are turning out to be a reflection of a huge part of this nation, which is dumbshit braindead individuals lost in their own egotism. Wow, I amazed myself with that outburst of sarcasm. They just missed the chance to make this nation one hell of a lot stronger and buoy up the national pride, but no, they had to pander to the sniveling white liberals suffering from racial suicide complex. What a bunch of retards. Yeah, I used the R word and I’m damn happy to do so. If anyone has a problem with it, put it where the sun don’t shine, I’ve had enough of these dumb ass commies.

DEMOCRAT SOCIALISTS

Democrat Socialists is a synonym for Clusterfuck. I don’t know a better way to describe it. Take a look at all of the retards flapping their jaws about how great things are going to be when the state owns everything including you, they tell you when to eat, sleep, fornicate, and control every single aspect of your life. Everyone lives in same shitty apartments, and you get a bicycle for personal transportation or ride the state-run transit with every piece of shit person created whether you like it or not. You get your personal items doled out as they see fit. Forget about those bathroom cabinets full of cosmetics, you can’t afford them. Ain’t gonna be doing too many selfies nobody wants to see your ugly natural mug with the zits and pits.

So, when reality sets in you organize your friends and run out in the streets to protest. Lots of luck with that, they gonna beat your asses and throw you so far back in the slammer they have to pump air to you. You might get out someday if you’re lucky, but you’re gonna be tagged like a deer. Fuck up again and you might find yourself dead. Race ain’t gonna matter no more, everyone looks the same, poor and broken. Aint’ gonna be no more envy, nobody gonna have anything to envy. Wanna go boating, join the navy or take a ferry ride. My wife toured Russia when it was the Soviet Union back in the sixties, she can tell you exactly what it’s like. Their ain’t no troublemakers, the government will just disappear you. Wake up you fucking morons.

GAY PRIDE MONTH??

Why don’t they call it Perverted Scumbag Month? When you walk down the street in front of children with you dick swinging, or your muffin and tits bare, I don’t know what else to call it. Next month if some drunk guy walks down the street with his manhood dangling, they’re gonna throw his ass in jail. I accidentally found myself on Alaskan Way in Seattle when a naked bike ride materialized, it was the ugliest display of human anatomy I had ever seen. My God those people should have been arrested for terrorism. I’m telling you, the women in the naked bike ride would cause instant erectile dysfunction. This what the nations gets for it’s birthday, a bunch ugly perverted naked people parading around saying how proud they are to be mental basket cases.

STRAIGHT WHITE GUY PRIDE MONTH AT MY HOUSE.

Yep, I know it ain’t particularly popular in some circles but ask me if I care. I’m damn proud to be white, I love being a man, I love everything about being a man. I can build a car from scratch (I’ve done it), I can weld, I can build buildings, spent my life as a steel worker, I can fish, hunt, drive trucks, busses, and boats. You need it done, chances are I have done it and can still do it.

I worked every damn day of my life and provided a home, food, and transportation for my family. It was my job to do that; I was proud to do it. It made me happy to see my daughters in nice gowns when it was time for proms and school dances. I was proud of my family, I would have died protecting them, it was my responsibility, I signed up for it of my own free will.

I feel sorry for a man that doesn’t have the balls to step up and take his place in world that God intended for him to take. I had a Father that was a living breathing example of what it means to be a man; a husband, a provider, a protector, and mentor. Likewise, my Mom was the perfect example of a woman. She could do it all, and she did with energy and dedication for her family. She always put her family before herself. My mother and father were the salt of the earth individuals, genuine in every respect.

There are still people in this world exactly like this, they just don’t make a lot of noise. The people in gay pride parades are noisy, empty souls, that are useless in every sense. They are like weeds in your flower gardens.

Well, this article probably pissed off a few people, but I’m going to lay my body down very soon and go to sleep. I’m going to sleep well, because I’m a peace with who I am. If I’m not at peace with you, you’re likely some sort of moronic nutcase, or a Democrat.

God bless all of you, and God bless America and our President. Stay safe, stay vigilant, stay free. Tell the Democrat Socialists to pound sand.

VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE

Angry cartoon bull blowing steam from it’s nostrils. Vector illustration with simple gradients.

STEEL PENCIL NEWS REVIEW

MAY 19, 2026

VOLUME 148

CURRENT NEWS FROM A CENTER-RIGHT PERSPECTIVE, WITH A DASH OF PATRIOTISM.

INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE CIRCA 1955. A SCENE FROM MY IMAGINATION.

WHAT I AM SEEING AND HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL ABOUT MY COUNTRY RIGHT NOW

How I view the world was undoubtedly shaped by being born in 1941, watching my family and people around me deal with the seriousness of the most consequential war since the Revolutionary War. Then living through the social revolution of the sixties and seventies. People of my age group, have a mindset like no other. That said, we are disappearing daily from old age, and old age-related diseases. If you are part of a high school alumni group that you keep in touch with, you are very aware of your mortality.

I created the picture above because it is very indicative of the place where I grew up. What you see in the picture are people, mostly of European descent, gathered peacefully, expressing their love for our great nation, their families and communities. The only freak shows you saw in those days were the ones that came to town with the carnivals.

I’m not naive, there have always been people who were “different” and gay folks have been around since the beginning of time. When I was growing up, gays, lesbians and otherwise strange folk kept a low profile, it was not a good idea to be too open, it could be dangerous. So, there were always people that you would consider a sub-culture, even though on the surface it all looked serene and peaceful.

So, by now, you are probably asking, what is the point. My point is, although all of the same stuff was going on then, that is going on now, the mainstream culture made it clear what it would tolerate and what it wouldn’t. I absolutely do not condone violence against others, but in order for a society to exist in a peaceful and orderly manner, restraint must be exercised by everyone. The majority of society did not agree with the alternative life styles, didn’t want their children exposed to it. The folks that lived the alternative lives, needed to be aware of that, and respect the majorities wishes. That is the formula for people of different stripes to coexist. Simple. Key word “respect”.

RESPECT; NOT MUCH OF IT LEFT

Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up to understand what has happened to that wonderful word “respect”. It all starts in the family home, that is the birthplace of respect. It starts with the parents. The mom and dad have a solemn duty to exhibit respect for each other, along with expressing their love for one another. They must make certain the offspring respect and show their love for one another as well. Love and respect are the most important lessons children can be taught. It determines the way they treat others they come in contact with, in the future. Secondly, and equally important is the respect for authority. The children need to be aware that mom and dad are in charge, period, not debatable. Parents need to stand firm from the time the child is born until that child leaves home. This is the formula for raising children that are able to navigate life more successfully. A parent’s weakness in exhibition of authority, creates problems later, that can be impossible to deal with.

Schools in my day were rife with authority figures. If you got out of line at school, you were punished in any number of ways, plus you had to answer to your parents. You were hit with a “double whammy”. Not a pleasant experience. When you were graded for your work, it was an honest grade. If you weren’t performing your work, you received a failing grade. Another experience that you didn’t want to go through. Also, if you failed, your peers looked down on you, another unpleasant experience. So, if you wanted to be able to walk with your head held high, you towed the line. Another valuable lesson for living a successful life.

Then, sometime in the sixties, a horrible thing happened. The traditional family started to disappear, and they went soft on the kiddos. That was the beginning of the end for respect. It was all downhill after that. The pictures below are the result.

So, this is all the result of failed families, failed public education, failed institutions of higher learning and failing to hold people accountable for their actions. The inmates have taken over the asylum. I don’t give a rat’s ass what you are, who you sleep with, what you do with your genitals, just keep it to yourself. I don’t give a rat’s ass if you’re a vegan, or a vegetarian. I ain’t none of those things, and I ain’t never gonna be any of those things. So don’t try to sell me on the fact that you’re somehow superior to me, a straight white, Christian male. Keep that shit to yourselves.

I respect my fellow man, and try my best not to be offensive and disrespectful of my neighbor. I respect everyone’s property, their rights to be who and what they are. Just don’t burden me with your mental illness bullshit.

We are living in the best damn country on the planet you are given the right to be who and what you want to be. In spite of this, we have a growing number of folks that express extreme hatred for the nation and 95% of its inhabitants. I sincerely believe if you feel this way, you need to pack up your shit and find somewhere else to live. I’m totally happy here, and you are causing me to be unhappy seeing your sorry asses. I can say this with absolute pride, my family took up residence in America in 1700 and we have been here ever since. Old glory is my flag, United States is my home. I might be 85 years old but I’m still a damn good shot, and I’m willing to defend the Republic and all of its glory. If you don’t like it, you can kiss my old wrinkly ass.

God bless America, God bless our President. Stay safe, stay vigilant. stay free.

VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE

STEEL PENCIL NEWS REVIEW

JANUARY 3, 2026

VOLUME 133

THE NIGHT HAS A MILLION EYES

There is an old saying that the “night has a thousand eyes” implying that your bad deeds are going to be seen by someone regardless of how careful or clever you think you are. The number of eyes in the night has grown into millions in recent years with the advent of mobile phones. Even the smallest event gets captured on someone’s phone camera. If that event is deemed important enough, could end up on the 10:00 pm news.

This is why I love the internet. There are millions of people watching virtually everything happening in the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And these people are driven by wanting to claim their 15 minutes of fame. So, I guess in reality we live in a world of innumerable snitches. That doesn’t seem to be a bad thing to me, because we live in a world of innumerable people doing illegal things. Let’s face facts, laws seem to be viewed as mere suggestions these days.

Over the past few decades, the legacy media have become the mouthpiece of the leftists. Just about everything they say is either very biased or outright lies. A huge number of Americans have now realized this and are turning to alternative news sources on the internet. I am one of those people. I am constantly perusing the internet looking for stories that aren’t being covered by the mainstream media. I discovered a reporter that goes by the name of George A.A. He seems to have access to some very interesting news content. I have embedded one of his articles for your viewing. Click on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b264csek0yE

I became aware of “Act Blue” within the past six or eight months. You don’t have to be super smart to realize very quickly what this is all about. I urge you to research it and let your congressman know you are concerned about Act Blue’s activities. Of course, in my case, I live in a blue state, my congressman is part of the problem.

Happy New Year everyone! I think we are in for one hell of ride considering we just captured the President of Venezuela a few hours ago, and Iran is on the edge of collapse, the government likely to fall within the next 72 hours. Russia just lost its supplier of kamikaze drones and other ammunitions. Trump is on the move.

VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE

STEEL PENCIL NEWS REVIEW

AUGUST 4, 2025

VOLUME 113

POLITICALLY INCORRECT CENTER-RIGHT PERSPECTIVE ON CURRENT NEWS EVENTS. 

CINCINNATTI BEAT DOWN

When I first saw the news reports on this I was infuriated by the actions of the black goons mimicking the actions of a gang of chimpanzees. If you know anything about chimps this is exactly how they deal with their enemies. Maybe the transition (evolution if you will) is not yet complete. Just an observation, don’t want anyone to get their panties in a wad. 

I don’t know if you have heard this being said regarding black behavior, but they are calling it black fatigue. People are getting really tired of blacks and their stupid shit. If you have watched the Hodge Twins on YouTube, they speak about it often. Blacks are getting out of control. I wouldn’t book a cruise on Carnival or Disney if I were you. If there are more than three or four on an airliner, get ready for an incident. Personally, I don’t want to go to any event where a large contingency of blacks could show up. If you do be sure to wear a bullet proof vest. 

If you’re keeping score like I am, all of this shit started during Obama’s two terms as president. He created more race hatred than Governor Wallace of Alabama. Him and his dumbass wife are still at it. 

OK, back to the subject of Cincinnatti. I knew there was more to the story that what was being reported. In cases like this, just wait awhile, the real truth will emerge. Check out the video below. 

As a 100% white boy, of European ancestry, raised in south central USA, I tried really hard not to engage in racist behavior, and look for the good in everyone. I’m sorry, but I can’t do that anymore. With the increasingly bad behavior of blacks, and the horrible behavior of the illegal immigrants that have flooded into this country under Biden, I find myself becoming more and more critical of brown and black people.

Yeah, yeah, I know, they aren’t all bad. I never said they were, but there are an overwhelming number of them that are total assholes. I know few white assholes too, but I’m sorry, the ratio ain’t the same. Don’t believe me, look at the FBI crime stats. I’m also pretty sure if you’re white you have noticed the growing animosity toward white folks, mostly driven by leftist rhetoric. Folks it’s not safe to be white anymore as you witnessed in the video above. You need to take this seriously if you’re white, the blacks and Hispanics see you as an easy target especially if you’re an older person. They literally hate you for being white, they see you as the reason they are losers.

If you think this is a racist article, you would be right. It’s being forced on me. I fear for the safety of myself and my family. If you don’t believe me, wake the hell up and look around. Stop drinking the Kool Aid being fed to you by MSM. White Americans have been under assault since Obama showed up on the scene. And that jerk is half white.

Stay alert and stay alive. I have been putting off getting my concealed carry permit, I really need to get that done soon. You should as well if you aren’t already carrying. God bless all of you, start paying attention, it could save your life.

VERITAS VINCIT   ~   LIVE FREE OR DIE

 

THE VIEW FROM ST. CHARLES

APRIL 5, 2025

VOLUME 64

FEELING GRATEFUL TODAY

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the past. I have a very active life in the present. I have a friend that literally lives in the past. When you sit and talk with him, he has dozens of pictures on his phone from his days as a young man working as a construction carpenter. I avoid getting into conversations with him, so I don’t have to see his pictures for the 50th time. He’s a nice enough guy but damn he’s boring. All old guys like to reminisce about how things used to be, but you have to find new people to tell your stories to. You’ve obviously heard the saying; “The older I get, the better I was”.

That said, sometimes something triggers my mind that takes me back. That happened this morning when I was reading a news article about Tina Louise. She was the glamour girl on the TV sitcom “Gilligan’s Island”. Wow, her life as a child was a sad story. By the way, not to make you feel really old, but she just celebrated her 91st birthday. 

It caused me to reflect on my own childhood, which by the way was unquestionably the best years of my life. That’s how it should be. Your childhood should be the best years of your life. Your body is brand new, everything works great, you can run as fast as you can for as far as you can, rest ten minutes and do it again. The best part is there is no residual pain for the next three days. You lay your tired little body down in bed, go to sleep immediately, and don’t wake up until sunrise. You didn’t have to get up and pee three times.

Every single day of my life while living in my parents’ home (with the rare exception of my mom being ill) I woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking and coffee brewing. How great is that. I got dressed went to the kitchen and mom had four or five menu items I could choose from. During the school year she would help me get ready, give me a hug and kiss, and send me on my way. She just made it impossible for me to have a bad attitude, while filling me with gratitude. I loved and adored my mom.

I rarely saw my dad in the mornings, he had already left for work. My special time with my dad came later in the day. I would walk up to the intersection about a block north of our house and wait for him. He would pull over and stop, I would climb onto the running board of the car, he would put his arm around me to keep me from falling off. When we got to the house, he would open his lunch box and give me a Hostess cupcake he saved for me. Just a simple little ritual that created a cherished memory.

My mom had an established dinner hour (called supper back then). It wasn’t optional. It happened the same time every day except Sunday. You were expected to be there, your face and hands washed. It as a serious event. Talking was kept to a minimum. Fun and laughter were reserved for after supper. If you acted out during supper, you were seriously reprimanded. 

Holidays were celebrated with vigor in the family home. My father was blue collar worker, with a modest income, and my mom was a homemaker. So, my parents obviously didn’t have a large disposable income. That didn’t stop them from creating really fun holiday events. We would get together with aunts, uncles, and cousins. the ladies would cook up some great food, the men made homemade ice cream, and we played until we were exhausted.

Summer vacations were always on a river or lake. My dad was an avid fisherman, and my mom would cook up his daily catch. Of course, the trips to and from in my dad’s 1930’s and 1940’s cars were always and adventure as well. One terribly stormy night coming home from the lake, our 1937 Plymouth quit running as we came into a small town. My dad nursed it to a garage and got it repaired. While it was being repaired, a tornado came very close to the town. The truck and auto repair shop was in a tin covered building. My mom got all of us kids and we sat under a semi-truck inside the garage until the storm passed. The wind, rain and hail pounding down on that tin building was terrifying.

Kids today have dozens of electronic devices available to them for entertainment. We had TV and radio. We didn’t have a TV until I was nine years old. The only thing on it that I wanted to see was the western movies on Sunday afternoon. We actually interacted as a family during the evening hours, talking and playing games. Working on hobby projects, doing jig saw puzzles. Simple stuff, but fun. Summertime on the front porch drinking iced tea and listening to my dad’s stories about his early years we heard countless times but somehow never got old.

Both of my parents have been gone for a long time now. I don’t think I conveyed the message very well of how much I appreciated what they did for me. As a matter of fact, I know I didn’t, and I regret that. If you’re fortunate enough to have a living parent or two, and they provided you with a happy childhood, and supported your endeavors no matter how crazy, let them know you appreciate it and love them for it.

VERITAS VINCIT   ~   LIVE FREE OR DIE

FAMILIES ARE FOREVER  

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