Escaping Vanity

         The gift of space and time, like food will spoil as they age. There's a responsibility we have as caregivers and neighbors to keep folks on the radar. Just enough to say hello and not too far away to deliver first aid. Like a runner on first base, we take a stride and get a lead. We're ready for action and waiting to run home. But, sometimes that lead off gets us picked off.      We get a comfortable distance from the safest and closest base. Forgetting to check what's going on around us. Caught high and dry and tagged out. This happens to everyone at some point. We only meant to enhance our team. No one is out there trying to be left on base or caught stealing.     Communication often mimics the base runners of baseball. We work hard and wear down the lady to make it to first base. We've hit it off and ended up on base. Sometimes additional bases for the lucky strikes. We often only get so far. This is where my analogy seemingl...

         Speeding by her street to stretch the trip another three miles. He’s using the screenshots from their online order to surprise her. Yes, he is much later than the time he promised to be there. No, he won’t hear the end of it. Luckily, he’s got his priorities in order.          She loves to add the potatoes to her Taco Bell delicacies. Each item costs a little more. Also, he doesn’t even like their drink choices. Even so, he’s ordering a Crunch Wrap Supreme combination. They give you a taco and a drink. He’s not going to have a single drop. She is.         You see Mountain Dew is like the chaser behind her favorite midnight snacks. They’re like the alcohol she never knew. Forget Fireball and fancy named mixed drinks. The drive-thru is the place to get your fix. This time he’s doing it unannounced.         Sure, he will get a phone call asking ...

      A brisk walk, by the man in black, to deliver the creme brûlée cheesecake. The couple looks at one another in wonder. Somehow, he knew it was a special occasion. They were unaware of the ticket the host gave the server. When making the reservation, a note was entered to describe the reason for their booking.      When they arrived, the host opened the door and extended what a man would do to welcome someone into their home. Restaurants and companies encourage the employees, they ask them, to act like owners. Taking this initiative and responsibility extends the relationship people have with one another. As habitual creatures, we take these practices home with us. There are also personal touches we add to our work that are brought from home.      Simply acknowledging people or saying hello is the first step. I've previously written about simply opening the door for people. Physically being kind and allowing the person entry, but also met...

How much tolerance is given in the workplace? What number does a parent count down from before taking action? Should authorities have endless patience before enforcement? Standards are quite important. There is a point where a student has failed, then starting over at the beginning.  I was posing facetious questions to myself about old grudges. The time-tested Hatfield and McCoy’s feud symbolic of hatred with unknown origins. A clash that was carried on by relatives and decedents. History is filled with things decades or centuries old. Which ones are still fervent enough to have emotions about?  A country based around capitalism is the foundation for inequality. The entire structure is to outwork those around you and prosper. If everyone worked varying amounts and led the same life, what would then be the motivation to try at all? Social programs propagate being able to rest easy during tough times. They are not made for a long-term stay.  The debate about minimum wage fo...

                          Folks live in these metropolitan and otherwise populated areas. They don't know their neighbors. They see somebody who is accused being detained, there are perceptions attached to that. However, each perception is up to the individual. We ought to attach a basic investment into anyone we meet. An introductory credit line of kindness and faith. This must be coupled with the ability to make payments and extend these credits as we are patient with any mistakes.             Think of your definition of respect, it's just that. Something I say could be disrespectful in your view, but I think it's respectful. Those are opposing versions of an abstract idea. There's no absolute value attached to them. People started blurring the lines between those abstract ideas without absolute value and it has crossed over into our education system; where science...

            This article almost didn't happen. Ironically, someone made a very reckless decision with some things that I was working on. It's one of those situations where you can act or choose to sit back. You can confront the person head on. That is an option. There's no use in standing by with electronics in hand. Drop them and be a part of change.             The language I suggest is designed to make someone who acts early, look foolish. A person could easily read a piece of things I have put together and reach conclusions. A world of people who are read by skimming headlines. Here, clarification is grinding through the questions I am going to ask. Then, I will attempt to answer them.  My points are sometimes trapdoors.              As I was playing with this idea, I had three general observations. One was ...

         I stood there watching her hold his hand for the last time. Even though I’d heard stories, there was never a moment he seemed dangerous. One June afternoon we met in his kitchen. Seated quietly behind the kitchen table, soon he would be out running heavy equipment. Yes, he’d been eligible for social security for a while now, and he never stopped working.           Despite being older and sometimes lonely, he made the most of his sense of adventure. He’d take the horse trailer for a weekend getaway. Perhaps drink from a mason jar and howl at the moon. A man never confused about his age, just confusing you with the wrinkled  and bruised skin.           Folks fail to see the identity issues many of us have. A person we all acknowledge is still experiencing loneliness. They make choices to take on greater risks in the hopes of duplicating old feelings. The sort ...