I have been posting to this blog for over two years now. In many ways it certainly is not what I thought it would be ......and on the other hand it is. I have tried to take a lighthearted look at many things and have muddled my way through never really thinking too much as to how it played out. In a strange way, I feel that it is becoming a quasi autobiographical introspect. From the very beginning I have attempted to avoid using actual names of people I write about. I have assigned nicknames to many of them. Most people who know me, can readily identify to whom I am writing.
This is my blog and no one else contributes to it, I have never intentionally written anything that I felt would truly be harmful to anyone, living or dead. From time to time, I express my opinion and I sprinkle in some wry sarcasm. What I write I do so with tongue in cheek. I would never lie on purpose. If someone believes anything I have written is a lie, I guess there is nothing I could write here that would undo that opinion. If one does not care to believe what I write.... that is his or her prerogative. Although I sometimes use a bit of hyperbole, everything I have written is truthful. Sometimes you have to read what is written "between the lines". If you feel offended, betrayed or insulted..... then read it over again. Perhaps you did not truly understand what I was trying to say. Or perhaps, your cerebral limitations (or mine) or your predetermined beliefs, interfere with your ability to truly understand what I am attempting to say.
I have always striven to give each of my postings a positive and affirming spin. I would never want anything I write here to be construed as spiteful, malicious or vengeful. In a bizarre way I write my postings with a positive light.
With all of the above said, I am one who is not with out sin. I do not live in a glass house therefore I tend to not throw stones. Those who know me know I am talk way too much and that if you give me enough time I will eventually put my foot in my mouth. Although I usually try to keep a watchful eye on what other think, I also admit that other peoples "petty feeling" matter very little to me. I am confounded that they "simply do not get it."
I think most people consider me a "good guy". I feel that my good nature does not garner me the respect of others. I feel I am perceived as one who sort of goes with the flow. I do not like to be confrontational but trust me I can and will take a "stand" when I need to. I am capable to admit I am wrong and I will constantly remind you when I am right.
As I have written before, I played baseball for the Mighty Lakeshore Baptist Bees. One of the teams we would play twice a year was the team sponsored by one of the local Catholic churches, St. John's. At each of our contests, the announcers would state who was at bat as well as who was"on deck". As a small boy child, it was sort of special to hear your name announced. One of players on St. John's had the same last name as me. Of all of the teams that we played each year, St. John's actually had a person who I was actually related to. The two were not the same person. My mother's cousin had a son who played for St. John's. After each game with the cheating bastards , my mother would drag me over to introduce me to her cousin and her son Bucky Boone, my third cousin. It was on one of those occasions that Bucky introduced me to his friend and teammate Bill Sullivan. I think we were either nine or ten at the time.
Several years later while attending Louisiana State University, I was assigned a new roommate. His name was Steve. Steve was from the same home town as I was and had graduated from the local Catholic High School (Jesuit). Steve and I became fast friends. He knew many of the guys I used to play football against back in high school and yes he was friends with both the aforementioned Bucky and Bill. Bucky ended up joining the Army and died in Viet Nam. Bill began attending LSU and he ad I hung out a lot. He was the second youngest out of 11 children. He did not have a car and I found myself driving him around in Baton Rouge. He would show up at my room and ask me to take him somewhere. Usually I would tell him I did not want to go or I did not have time or some other excuse. He would say " Ahhh Come On Man, I'd do it for you." Most of the time I relented. Back in Shreveport we actually had several people convinced we were actual brothers. We even won a trophy as the best Foos Ball team in town. It seemed that no matter where I went, I tended to cross paths with Bill. Eventually I began to see less and less of Bill . In 1974, The Plaintiff and I were married on August 17 at 4:00 PM in the afternoon. I learned the next day that my friend Bill Sullivan had been married at 7:00 PM later that night at the same church......St John's Catholic. On a week day in 1981 I along with my Aunt Mary Nell were have a winning day at the local race track. I was standing in line to redeem a winning ticket when someone directly behind me spoke into my ear. "Come on Man..I'd do it for you.". It was my friend Bill. He was drunk as a skunk and he proceeded to tell me how much money he had lost that day. I bought him a beer and we spoke for about five minutes and made plans to get together soon. I had not seen or heard from him up until this past year. It seems he works at an accounting firm of which I have conducted some personal business recently.
I do not recall Bill doing one single favor for me. But I truly believe it is because I never asked him. I am confident that he would have. He taught me that if you are truly willing to do a favor for someone, you can truly ask them to do a favor for you.
Recently I submitted a posting concerning my son in law bringing some beer back to me. I wrote it to point out the various beers I was hoping that he would retrieve for me. (which he did by the way) I detailed how I took the steps that I took to make his "favor" for me to be as painless as possible. Upon his return home he informed me that the whole process took less than ten minutes of his time; that he only drove a mile or so out of his way; and the the sales rep even carried the seven six packs outside and placed them in his truck.
In the same posting I referred to an instance a year earlier wherein I had requested a former coworker to retrieve some beer from me. I implied that he "owed me". I pointed out that he was "too tired" to "hook me up" even though I believed it would have been very easy and convenient. I supposed it could be construed that I betrayed my "friend" as someone who was a loaf or someone who would not honor a debt and even steal money from me. I mentioned a vehicle I sold to him and I inadvertently misrepresented the actual selling price. The fact is that he did indeed pay for the vehicle (over the course of several months). I even provided him a written affidavit to attest that he had paid me in full. I did not directly give to him forty dollars. I had actually given the money to another employee with instructions to give the forty dollars to him along with directions to the local beer store. I never consulted with my friend and coworker concerning his willingness to acquire the beers for me. I suppose my history with the aforementioned Bill Sullivan led me to believe that my "friend" and former coworker would "hook me up". The beer he was supposed to have acquired for me was actually going to be a present to one of my new local friends. Finally I want to state that the person to whom I actually gave the forty dollars, informed me , after the fact, that he, not the "proposed beer mule" had my money. It was he that never gave my money back to me.
The mention in my posting was never intended to disrespect my former coworker. It was written as filler and in passing. I have since edited the posting to insure that little or any reference is made to him.
I realize that very few people actually read my blogs. One of the few that do (or did), is the person who I had hoped would bring the beers back to me back in 2009. He now feels as if I insulted him or as he states "I placed a shank in his back". he purports that I use my blog to lie. I differ with him that I lied. He in entitled to his misguided opinion. Regardless, I hereby apologize to him for anything I said either expressed or implied that would have caused him such consternation.
I sincerely hope that I have sufficiently addressed that matter. I do not intend to concern myself with it further.
On with the show
The Third
No comments:
Post a Comment