I Ain't Said Nothin' But A Word...

REAL LOVE VIRTUAL TOUR

Every year I spend the weeks between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day reflecting on the old people.   (Aren't my ma and pa pretty?)  Celebrating Mother’s Day has always come with relative ease.   Gifts for mom were easy.   Spending time with my mother even easier.   Father’s Day has always been more of a challenge.   By the time I was twelve I’d pretty well exhausted the requisite supply of socks and ties we’d pick out for my daddy.   One year I’d even given him a rock to use as a paperweight.   Not sure whose brilliant idea that was but I’ll take credit for the creativity.   If I recall correctly, it was a pretty rock and I don’t think it cost me more than an afternoon in my mother’s garden searching for the perfect, naturally polished stone. Over the years the perfect gift has given way to the perfect card.   Depending on whether or not my daddy and I were on speaking terms determined whether it was a Hallmark or just your generic dollar store variety.   Son-shine took g

For the last few days I have been swimming in a well of emotion.   It hasn’t taken much to make me teary as I have been on the verge of breaking out into that really ugly cry.   My baby boy has two best friends that have been an extension of our family since forever.   When they were in school it was the rare occasion that you ever saw one of them without the other two of them and if they weren’t traveling as a trio, you were sure to see some duo combination, two seeking out the third.   When my son-shine was out of my sight I knew that he was at one’s home or the other’s and I trusted that he was safe and well, their mother’s caring for and loving him as if he were their own. One day the trio was acting up as only they could, playing a random game of hokey pokey, kicking one foot in as they roared with laughter.   At least that’s what I think they were doing.   For all I know it was a game of karate kick something, boys being boys.   But they were happy and laughing and a

‘Tis the season, graduation season! Around the nation young people are walking across stages, waving their diplomas high and proud, taking the first steps toward the next phase of their lives. Three of my favorite people celebrated this past week, having made family and friends very proud of their accomplishments. Of the three, two have clearly defined goals for their future. One has entered the military.  Another, after being accepted to four of the most prestigious colleges, has confirmed enrollment at their first choice. And then there is that one who doesn’t have a clue, still contending with “what now”. Recently, I worked on a research project talking to a host of high school seniors about their future plans. For each one who had already applied and been accepted to college, or who had enlisted in the military and was preparing for boot camp, there were two more who still didn’t have a clue. For them, the prospect of tomorrow was still about having a good time wit

I am already having a day.   For thirty minutes I was contemplating my Muppet personality.   Why, you might ask.   Why not?   At the time I didn’t have anything better to do.   Like I said, I was already having a day. For years I adored Miss Piggy.   Her creator, Frank Oz said she was “a truck driver wanting to be a lady”.   I got that.   Like Miss Piggy, I was destined for stardom and nothing was going to stand in my way.   She and I both had our public personalities – soft, demure, and lady-like.   Piss us off and it was on like a firestorm.   Miss Piggy kicked Kermit’s green butt a time or two when she wasn’t kissing it.   I wasn’t much about kissing anything that I had to kick. But I’ve evolved.   I’m no longer wanting to be anything, lady or otherwise.   The public personality isn’t quite so soft and demure.   Piss me off and it is still on.   So, I was thinking that I’m more like Janice Muppet now. Janice is the lead guitar player in the Electric Mayhem.   She