Not having a plate of cheeseburgers, with everything, from White Castles, preferably in La Grange.
Or, neglecting to go to Portillos and have a dog. Their crinkle cut fries are amazing, washed down with a large root beer.
These might carry you over for the first three of the day. Back in my youth, sliders might have been a very early breakfast, following a very late night. But I digress.
Maybe we are not the only ones, but at birthday parties for my kids – and now grand ones – the cake ceremony has been rendered the opportunity to belt out your absolute worst rendition of “Happy Birthday” ever.
A cacophony of the off-key, off-kilter, off-rhyme, off-everything by all in attendance. As long as it maintained a “G” rating, anything was allowed. Atrocious acapella. Raspy rhythms. Squealing. Animal sounds. Flatulence.
Provided you remained in “Happy Birthday”, all bets were off.
Can’t you tell how much she loved hers?
Now, two things have since happened.
First, since my kids have all growed up and left the nest and have the latest version of an Apple or Android, the old man calls them early on their birthday and leaves a sonnet on their voicemail. You have no idea how well you can sing hands free in a car making your way to your first call. Only once has one of them answered the phone. Sorry to say, he got the live version. I bet his ears are still ringing.
Second, now that I have three grandkids, they too get a voicemail version of “Happy Birthday” from the old fart. I just coordinate with momma and let it rip.
According to Merriam, fear is “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.”
So then, I guess to be fearful of something, then you have to anticipate or at least be aware of the danger or dangers laying in wait. However, in my case, stupidity, ignorance, and a lack of presence pretty much cancels out any ability to anticipate and/or be aware.
Thus, no fear can exist.
Just luck.
But I digress….
Let’s just say there are certain ways of being and certain ways of being used that I really have no use for. I have travelled a path for much of my life where I allowed my worth and value to be allocated by others. A way of confirming my low self image.
Since the light went on in my noggin and I have turned on the blinker and taken the off ramp, I really do not go that way any longer. If a billboard from the past appears, I tend to ignore it and stay within the moment.
So there really never was fear. Just a willing acceptance of that mode of treatment for some bizarre reason.
These days, a pleasant often strong emotion is caused by anticipation and awareness of the opposite of danger.
...my temporary assignment. 