A Peek Behind the Curtain

Oftentimes when I am working at writing these rambles, it is not as easy as throwing an idea at the wall and then writing about it. Many times, I have to actively try to say something in these, even if all I intend to do is ramble. Most of these rambles are made even harder because talking is easy once a conversation has already started, but I purposefully have to start the conversation with an opening line. Once I get going it is easy enough to just type for a solid 5 minutes and get something down, but that start is very difficult at the best of times. The other 10% of the time I just write until I am tired of typing and then I wait a day and proofread and see if there are any improvements to be made, or if I even want to release the ramble at all. Let’s be honest, not all of them are worth reading, even if they are not necessarily supposed to be completely sensible. To be straight with everyone, I just wanted to give a glimpse into how my process works and maybe that starts a conversation about work in any form. The start, the ongoing processes that keep the work moving, and the struggle to keep coming back. The easiest part is the end. All I have to say is, “But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time,” and I am done.

P.S. See you next time.

Billy Joel Had It Pegged Down

We are halfway done with the 1^st year of our new president and man has it been rough. Nothing he is doing seems to be on par with what needs to be done. Prices are up, moral is down, and the country in total just seems to be a more miserable place. People I know say that it is the worst it has ever been. Then like a beacon of reasoning, I heard the Billy Joel song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and it got me thinking. If you really listen to the lyrics of that song, it has been really bad before now. The entire song is a grocery list of all the things over the years that were just not what the world needed. However, with a list that large, if we added to it, I don’t think it really would make a blip on the radar. In fact, I would say that among all the other “fires” he mentions in the song, the current run of the world would be a very small part of what is, and was, wrong. Not that I am saying we need to continue on the path we are on, but I am saying that our parents and their parents survived Billy’s song and lived to sing along to what are, for them, memories. It gives me hope that maybe one day the song will be covered by another artist who adds their own lyrics and this generation can reminisce as we sing along. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

Birthdays Don't Hit the Same

It is that time of year again. I grow another year older and everyone makes it seem like a big deal. Almost like one year makes me somehow completely debilitated and incapacitated to do anything for the next year. It wasn’t always like that though. In my youth, birthdays were a time to invite friends and family to celebrate you in a special way. You got to hang out with your cousins that you only saw at Christmas. Balloons, party hats, and cake, but as you get older, it becomes more a razz on how old you are getting. The cake gives you heartburn, the balloons are crazy expensive, and the party hats don’t fit your dome. It is better to almost ignore your birthday and just try to relax most of the day. Although if you work, usually your friends at the office must make a big deal of it so that doesn’t work on those birthdays. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means complaining. I still enjoy being above ground and look forward to the next year and what it will bring, but I imagine by another 30 or so years, birthdays will have been a dime a dozen, and I will care even less that I am aging like soured milk instead of fine wine. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.