Thoughts of a Common Man

Jake has joined me in the construction safety world and I met him at a site yesterday morning. “Where are you?” He texted. “By the trailer,” I answered. “Talking to William.” William is a lifelong laborer in heavy road construction. He retired at 62 because: 1). He needed a new hip and 2). He had neck & spine surgery. William chatted to me about his love for the Oklahoma Sooners. A lifetime commitment that began when he was just 8 years old. As Jake joined me, William told us about his four children. All successful adults now. “I worked so many long hours. I was behind every paver on every street in the county.” Not easy work! “You gave up your body so that your kids would succeed.” William nodded. “Didn’t think I of it that way, but I was an uneducated, black man. I had nothing to give but my body and my willingness to drag my ass out of bed.” It wasn’t lost on me that Jake was standing beside me. I’ve told him time and again to respect the workers - and he has from his first time...

I was on a bus from the car rental center to the airport. The driver was way too enthusiastic for 6:30 in the morning, and luckily he was talking to a 50-something woman who was seated across from me.  He wasn’t talking to me! “Are you a Chiefs fan?” The driver asked the woman. “No,” she said. “I like the Royals, the NFL is Satanic.” I wanted to high-five the woman. “I’m a baseball fan too,” I said. “The Yankees.” She laughed. “I’d watch a tee-ball game. I played fast-pitch softball as a much younger woman and I just love the game.” “Same here,” I said. “Did you hear about the 13-year old football quarterback?” She asked. “Right here, I think.” “I didn’t,” I said, “But I can guess.” “Sorry to say, he died of a massive head injury during a game. Was dead before they even got him to the hospital. 13 years old.” I bowed my head. “And he ain’t the only one. There have been a dozen kids across the country who’ve died - some because of heat stress. Tough guy coaches. Wouldn’t let the kid...

I am not making this up. I put new tires on my vehicle in May. Four brand new tires that cost me about $900. I bought the warranty. I got a flat. Wasn’t covered. Then they made me buy two - “so they wear properly.” That happened a second time! So I had replaced all 4 tires - none of it covered by warranty. Hit something on the Thruway on August 16th. Got another new tire. Same tire!!!! Same damn - brand new tire - went flat yesterday! I hit the google - tire repair near me - three-tenths of a mile! I coaxed the car there, and as we waited for a new tire to be delivered, I had a long, long conversation with the owner. Just a solid dude. Two men who work hard every day, are the only two employees there. They had me on the way in 20 minutes, and I paid the bill and bought their lunch. No bullshit about buying two at a time - no upselling - in and out and a few laughs. I went about my day… …I’ve had my share of bad tire luck but what can you do? Stopped at the store on the way home. Put th...

It’s a trip I’ve made plenty of times. Hundreds of miles by car. Thousands of miles by air - really rolling the dice that all four flights will go well - and not to mention the work. All inside 48 hours. No big deal… …20 years ago. And that’s the thing about getting older. You think of how it used to go and it all seems doable again, but it catches up. “I’m more tired than I should be,” I mentioned as I finished my day and sat down. “How do you know how tired you should be?” Kathy asked. “Past experience.” Of course, it’s old news to cry about the seats on an airplane but how long will it be before we find out that we have to sit on some stranger’s lap? I sat in the aisle seat with two other people - the middle person was - how do you say it nicely? Portly. Two and a half hours… …same position. Unable to move an arm or a leg or even hold a book. The portly dude went to sleep. Snored inches from my ear - dude has sleep apnea for sure. Ollie gave me three minutes before he appeared with ...

When I stepped off the plane and walked the plank to the airport lobby in Wichita, I kind of gasped. Felt like I was stepping into a boiler. It was just the start of a HOT 🥵 trip. Now, I enjoy this trip because it starts in Wichita, with a stop in Topeka and then Blue Springs before settling in Kansas City. I’ve grown to know the roads and El Dorado always brings a smile because I can almost picture Hoss and Little Joe flying across the prairie. During the drive, I listen to my music as I sift through the fools gold in my mind, searching for peace. I don’t have much more to do than hit a few sites, and appreciate another part of the country. But it was 103 degrees! That’s hot!!! Walking around the sites was a sweaty proposition and then to make matters worse, one of the guys told me about an authentic Mexican joint in Topeka - I stopped by the pretty beat up place and ordered 3 small tacos. (They were $2.49 each!) And they were the best tacos I ever had! I should’ve ordered 6, but dri...

I scheduled the trip about a month ago, and dreaded it because I needed to leave on Sunday morning - which is cherished time - it’s when I swing a club. Having time to prepare had me thinking about getting everything in its right spot in a carry-on bag that my new company got for me.  It doesn’t have any holes in it! I’m retiring the Jed Clampett bag! Jed was a bag that was fairly embarrassing. I also had another bad habit - I liked to travel in the sloppiest clothes I have. I own a lot of sloppy clothes. This trip was going to be different. I packed everything - making sure to keep the things I need to grab in the same compartment. I put on a clean shirt and a new pair of dress shorts. Emptied one of my water bottles and slipped it into the holder. All set! I decided to do one more inspection, all the while wondering why I was wasting my time. As a psycho control freak, surely I was all set. Luckily I had done one more scan - I had forgotten to pack pants! The road is a battle bec...

If there is anything like a royal family here I’m sure the Kennedy’s would be in the running. JFK has had more books written and movies made about him. The photo of JFK Jr saluting as his father’s body went by is iconic. And there was so much more tragedy. Brother Robert was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. Ted had the fateful drunken drive, but spent a lifetime in politics, and of course, JFK Jr. and his family died in a horrific plane crash. There is plenty more, of course, including those who believe that JFK is going to come out of hiding and team up with the orange menace to somehow save the country. Nuts, I know, but this week Robert Kennedy Jr. made the news because he dropped his own presidential run and quickly endorsed the Republican nominee. While I read and watched plenty about the Kennedy clan through the years, I didn’t much follow this saga because the Robert Kennedy Jr. campaign seemed wildly insane to me. There was a story about a bear being left in C...