Logic/Emotion, A Long Hard Erection Day, Just My Opinion, Man, R>L
"No more Internet. No more social media, no more scrolling through litanies of dreams and nervous hopes and photographs of lunches, cries for help and expressions of contentment and relationship-status updates with heart icons whole or broken, plans to meet up later, pleas, complaints, desires, pictures of babies dressed as bears or peppers for Halloween. No more reading and commenting on the lives of others, and in so doing, feeling slightly less alone in the room. No more avatars."
Hey Tuesday, how are you? You look lovely this morning; put your coat on the hall tree, your fedora on the floor, and sit Indian style whilst I make some morning soup for a few folks around the world. Typos are fun!
Four years ago today, I was in Mexico wearing a red, white, and blue speedo sitting by a pool. Before COVID, we would do a week in Mexico end of October or the first of November and in February. We were with my sister and her husband, the Kemptons, and our cousin Michael. We all agreed to not watch any returns until after our sunset cruise. We didn’t talk about the election; the outcome was predetermined.
We spent the day at the pool, and about 5:00 boarded a nice boat. We ate, listened to some music, drank a bit, and enjoyed a 3-hour tour around Cabo. We returned to our resort and met in Michael’s room; we watched the returns roll in and were stunned. The question was not if Hillary was going to win, but by how much. I had voted as had my Queen; we did share who we voted for after the election. To me, it was one of the greatest political upsets of all time.
The next day we were down at the breakfast joint, and a lady from Texas was screaming Trump, Trump, Trump. We slowly walked away; if you remember, Trump’s messaging about the Mexican people was not a shiny happy message; we were concerned some local country folks might get a little upset with Texas Deplorable. It was the first time that I saw first hand the enthusiasm of a Trump supporter.
I know some folks say it’s cultish, but I can’t remember a politician that can bring folks together and likewise rip others apart. I think he broke a few brains these past four years, many asking how this is even possible. Fast forward to today, I now sit on top of a mountain; we will not watch any returns until later; no matter the outcome, the sun will rise tomorrow, and life will go on.
Our kids, well Carly and Bailey, will be with us; they will dine with us and watch as the anchors at CNN, and other networks call the fight. Round by round, state by state, I have a sneaky suspicion who might win, but I’ll keep that to myself. I suspect you also have an idea; we will watch together as history is made.
I favor logic over emotion. It’s funny to me how erratic some people get when talking politics. I know many sane people who have recently lost their minds; it’s exciting to be alive. I do believe there will be riots tonight, and for the next few days, I don’t think we will have a clear winner tonight; I think a close race will be had, and maybe by Friday, a winner will be determined. I would keep a close eye on Florida and Pennsylvania; whoever wins those states will be our next President. A split will be dicey, spicy, and an exciting twist.
We have face to face meetings again. We had two yesterday, I’ve got two today, things are rolling back to normal. I guess a client or two is upset we are not opening our offices, for the safety of our staff, we are not allowing the general public to visit our office, but would gladly send a staff member to a home if there is a need or request. It’s hard to determine a person’s comfort with outsiders coming into their homes.
My friend Josh, one of the smartest guys I know, ordered green, yellow, and red rubber bracelets for his staff. I think we will follow suit. It’s a visual indication of how someone is feeling about the virus. My Queen and I would proudly wear green, but we do have some red bracelet wearing staff. I respect their fear and hope they respect my choice of freedom. I don’t think COVID will kill me; it tried and failed; I’m waiting to see if it wants to get in the ring again; I kicked it’s ass last time, I don’t think it likes Anson Ross and for that matter Jenny Jo.
Many know we got an antibody test upon our return to Indiana back in July. We both tested positive, had short and long term antibodies. Neither of us ever had a symptom, so when I hear of these numbers growing, I wonder how many people are like us; yes, COVID positive, but zero symptoms. The reaction from most was happiness for us, “yeah, you are good to go!” While others questioned the type of test, called us super spreaders, and did not appreciate the way we continued to live, seemingly endangering others with our “careless” behavior.
I am speaking to a group later this month. It was a Zoom meeting; I ask if I could do it in person. The board approved my request. I’ve secured a large room; it will be the first in-person meeting for this group since February. A few folks will show up; I know there is a hunger for in-person events and know many folks that would love to meet face to face. I also understand someone not wanting to join, so they will be Zooming in to watch my presentation.
On our drive in between meetings, we listened to a Joe Rogan podcast; the guest was the man behind the Social Dilemma. It’s interesting to learn how the algorithms work, pushing you from site to site, video to video, corrupting your mind with disinformation. I’m now about a month into my social media holiday; I don’t miss it, my mind is clear, I have time to do other things; I suggest you remove the poison from your phone, if only for a week.
I post once a day, a long forum piece I refer to as my word soup. I guess some folks get pretty angry about my words; I’m so sorry, if you don’t like my view of the world, maybe you should not stop by my Free Soup Café? It’s free, you know, and I encourage anyone else to join me in putting out their thoughts and ideas; why exactly do you get so upset? I’m guessing your social media feed is advising you that people like me are the problem. Here’s an idea, is it possible that I could be the solution? I’ll keep penning my thoughts; you can choose to continue to consume or reject my thoughts and ideas; I don’t care, either way, “it’s just like my opinion, man.”
"No more Internet. No more social media, no more scrolling through litanies of dreams and nervous hopes and photographs of lunches, cries for help and expressions of contentment and relationship-status updates with heart icons whole or broken, plans to meet up later, pleas, complaints, desires, pictures of babies dressed as bears or peppers for Halloween. No more reading and commenting on the lives of others, and in so doing, feeling slightly less alone in the room. No more avatars."