People my age are always moaning about how great it was growing up in the 1960's.

Yes, kids had more personal freedom.

Yes, everything was cheaper.

Yes, there was great t.v. to watch on only 3 channels.

All of those flowery tributes about being a kid long ago are true.

BUT

They forgot about the threat of nuclear war. We actually practiced drills in school to 'duck & cover'. When Cuba got missiles from the U.S.S.R, there were tense moments when the world might have been blown up.

They forgot about a president, his brother and a racial leader for peaceful equality were assassinated.

They forgot about race riots in our schools.

They forgot about an unpopular war where 18 & 19 year olds were being damaged physically and mentally.

Back in those olden times, parents shielded their children from the news.

Parents took these bad things better because they grew up during the Great Depression and then fought in a World War.

Adults back then had greater respect for authority, something my generation fought against and helped to start the erosion that continues today.

I remember the good from childhood. I also remember, sadly, the bad.

We have become a generation that blots out the horrors of the past.

And that ain't good.

Those same people that I played tag with, then smoked dope & drank with are now either waving a flag and denouncing anything that doesn't resemble the America of the 1950s, or are still drinking and smoking like it's 1969.

You want to know what's wrong with America? It is us.

The Greatest Generation built us up, then we Baby Boomers took the ball

and dropped it.

Short memory is a disease I can do without.

I love America, warts and all.

I just hope there's enough of us left to right the ship.

~

Once in a while, a 'do gooder' will approach me while I'm standing or sitting somewhere having a smoke.

They tell me I should quit for my health.

I either reply:

And you should quit eating so much

or

dress better

or see a plastic surgeon.

If I feel like engaging them,

I will ask them what they like to eat or drink the most.

Then

I'll ask them what they would do if someone told them to stop it or they will die.

Either one generally works.

If they persist I'll tell them "Thanks for your opinion, now

fuck off."

Life is easy when you make it easy.

I'd love it if someone opened a Spam cafe in my town.

All the good things seem to be 'just around the corner'.

Like love, money, happiness.

I'd just like to know how many corners I have to turn to find these things.

I've turned so many I'm getting dizzy.

~

It's Monday again:


And it's off to work I go.

Recently, a young lady walked up to me, smiled and asked me what was the name of the cologne I was wearing.

Old Spice, I told her.

"That's what I thought", she said.

"You smell just like my Grandad. He wears Old Spice".

I was not amused.

You have to be my age to get this:

"You'll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent."

~

... on a Freudian level:

So I dreamed I'm protecting this mixed breed dog.

Suddenly, it turns into me. It even talks like me.

I turn my back and it is once again a dog.

Before I can say anything,

people have cooked it on a spit and are eating it.

Then I woke up.

I'm not a psychiatrist, but that seems like something is deep seated in my brain.

Hmmm...

~

Okay.

So I'm listening to someone's will on headphones. Yes, headphones.

When I picked up the headphones, I put aside a bowl of banana pudding.

A few minutes into listening to the boring legalese, I reach for the pudding.

What? It's been eaten!

How could someone do that without me seeing?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention -

it was a dream.

Yet another product I've used for years has been discontinued.

One day it's available, the next day it's gone.

The frustrating part is no notice of a product line ending.

It would be nice to know in advance, so that I could stock up until I can find an alternative.

~