Thoughts of a Common Man

Sam brought it around, and of course we all assumed he had Covid, but the tests were negative. So, just an annoying summer cold that got more annoying when Kathy got it. She’s having a miserable enough go of it. Of course, my powers allow me to mostly avoid mere mortal annoyances but my first conscious draw of air on Thursday was an: “Uh-oh.” I’m too busy for a summer cold… …I was up and out by 6:00 anyway. But while there may be a God… …a summer cold certainly proves the existence of Satan. Tomorrow will be a day when no one wants to be at work. Get away day before a long weekend. I may be sneezing on the tee.

This is not inflation. Gas prices are not through the roof because of inflation. Neither are groceries. Or coffee! I stopped at a restaurant stop on my never ending trip between Buffalo and Syracuse. There was a huge line at the only open place - Tim Horton’s. I don’t need to go to ‘Timmy’s’ for coffee. In fact, given a choice, I’d pour my own at 7/11. There were two young people working to serve the 7 people in line.  So, high prices are not through the roof because they’re paying higher wages to employees because they CUT the number of employees! It was finally my turn. “Medium black coffee,” I said. “Four dollars and twenty-eight cents. Would you like to round up for the Ronald McDonald House?” “Are you freaking kidding me?” I asked. “Pay $5 for 12 ounces of coffee?” He looked at me. “I bought a huge container of Maxwell House for $8,” I said. “How the hell do you charge more than $4 a cup?” The kid shrugged. Price gouging! Go to any fast food joint. Ain’t no dollar menus anymor...

So, the Supreme Court was at it again on Monday claiming that the football coach who wanted his team to pray was free to do so. I’m all for freedom of expression. Yet, aren’t these the same people who ostracized players for kneeling? So, you’re okay with expressions that you like… …but expressions you don’t like are… …not the time or place for it? See the hypocrisy??? And it is going to get truly ugly when a group of students move to the 50-yard line next year and start praying to a different version of God. Muslim freedom of expression? Years ago there was a Muslim basketball player… …he got run out of the league because he was vocal about American problems. How about Satan? Will devil worshipers be given equal time? I’m truly confused! We formed this Democracy based on the fact that we felt that citizens should be free to express themselves. Now? Freedom is great… …as long as it’s the same freedom that a religious sect wants. Makes no sense to me. Very troubling decisions handed down...

We played golf on Saturday instead of Sunday this week… …which was weird…. …but we all swung it pretty well. I haven’t been feeling well (for some damn reason) but I’ve never hit the ball further than I have this past month. “Put it on my tombstone,” I told Pops. “Yeah,” he laughed. “I’ll write, ‘He was really hitting it well.’” But we also golfed behind a father-son team and I was a tad annoyed because the Dad was in a Trump 2024 hat.  They were nice enough to us and didn’t even say anything when I hit the green from 200 out while they were still lining up their putts. “Sorry!” I was yelling. “I didn’t think I could get it there.” “You did! Almost hit me. Would’ve hurt for a minute,” the kid said. He was laughing.  He was happy.  We watched him running across the fairway, across the green, and on the tee box, There’s usually not a lot of running in golf. He was just having fun. And on one tee I was lining up my shot as the subject of abortion came up. Our discussion grew...

It shouldn’t have been a surprise. I knew they were lying during their confirmation hearings. Shouldn’t it be frowned upon to lie under oath? And it’s not that people are FOR abortions, but pro-choice is certainly something that all Americans have as a right. There’s been separation of church and state. It’s a basic tenet of the constitution… …until yesterday. I’m not a woman. I have zero idea how they feel about being judged as second class citizens. That’s what it feels like to me. And here’s the sad thing: Abortion didn’t end yesterday. Safe abortions did for a whole lot of people. The rich will still be able to get safe abortions for their mistresses. The poor and the marginalized will be forced to carry children to full term, no matter if they are raped or trapped by incest. And once the baby is born… …no one wants to hear anything about assisting a mother who can’t afford to raise the child. But make no mistake… …it’s about control. I’m a Catholic and I spent years reading from t...

My youngest is 22 years old today. That’s pretty crazy. I can always remember his age as he was born on ‘00 - a few months before the Yankees spanked the hapless Mets to win the World Series. Sam counts that as one of his titles. And he’s had a few. ‘Nova has won for him twice. He’s already counting the Bills super bowl for next year. Sam has been the heartbeat of the house since ‘00. He’s had a rough year. Lost his beloved Paris. 13 seconds. ‘Nova lost in the Final Four. Sam has a huge heart and a great personality. He goes to work every day. Helps around here. I’ll always worry for him, as I do for all my kids… …but I’m proud of the good man he’s become. I may send a “make good decisions” text to him now and again, but usually that’s all he needs. Happy Birthday, son! We love you! Go Bills! (Just don’t bet on them!)

What is your standard answer for: “How’s it going?” Seems to me that we haven’t learned much in the way of anything new. The answers I get are: “It’s going.” Or “Same shit. Different day.” Not a whole Lot of cheerfulness in those responses. Every once in awhile some nut bag will say something along the lines of: “It couldn’t be any better.” That one is a little hard to believe coming from a guy pushing a drywall cart on a dirty construction site. I usually try to give a real answer if someone asks me. “Busy. Too busy. Wish I wasn’t so busy.” If I’m having a miserable day I will probably try and mix in a joke or two to see if I can liven things up somehow. We all need to interact. What I find amazing are the people who might tell you their entire life story, as a total stranger, when you’re waiting on a line. That happens every once in awhile. “I have to get home because I left the kids with my mother and she likes to get her drink on and since my kids are assholes they’ll fight with he...