Lessons In Life

There is a topic  from the Golden Girls, that no matter how many times I watch it; it always touches me way down deep.

It is about when Rose becomes unemployed and she speaks about the bag lady she sees each morning.

It makes me ponder on my own life. I wonder if you do this too. Do you ever think you could be in a position of being a bag lady/man? Did you study real hard in  high-school and go to college and are now in the middle of a great career? Only to find out the company is downsizing.

Did you ever in your wildest dreams think that one of the major reasons you were being escorted to the front door is because you had proven yourself over and over what an outstanding employee you had been them? That the benefits you had earned was the reason you were being let go? The company has learned to hire temps, because they don’t require the extras.

When I was living in Florida I was amazed at how many people were homeless. You hear the hype about big old Florida. The place to retire, the bright, warm sunshine. How could there  be homeless in such a glorified state?

Florida is a great place to retire if you were lucky enough to be on the right end of the stick. If you were the prior generation that lived, played and worked hard. When there was an economy that was better balanced.

A time before companies figured out several ways to give you less service for a bigger dollar. Life was slower. Food was grown in the ground. Families worked together, looking out for each others interests.

Your meat wasn’t filled with chemicals. It was home-grown, corn-fed, and butchered at your local meat market. Although life is always tough no matter what generation you come from, the family that stays together, prays together and lives for one another are the ones who now look at their Golden Years with stars in their eyes. Their hard work had paid off and now they can ride golf carts,  play golf and frolic in the sun.

But life isn’t like that today. Nothing is stable and there are no more securities. Many live and save for a vacation. But there are many who try so hard to save and when vacation comes they stay home or travel close by. Camping has become a great way to have fun.

If you can even afford a six man tent, you can find many fun and enjoyable places to relax and enjoy the outdoors. But there is still a deeper issue. The ones who are our neighbors, or maybe we worked with, who never saw it coming.

There was no preparations for the future. We thought we had it made in a shade. Suddenly the job is gone. There are two mortgages on the house. Two to three vehicles sitting in the drive way. A swimming pool out back. The kids wear only name brand clothing. The newest make-up and hair styles had to be had. Every credit card in our wallets is maxed out.

We never gave it a second thought that tomorrow may not come. This takes me back to the Golden Girl show and my own experience. I may have talked about this many moons ago. If I did, forgive me, but on the other hand, it is very important for all of us struggling in today’s world to keep this foremost in our heads.

Many of us live believing and knowing that God will not let us walk through it without knowing he is by our side. But we also know that this world is to get worse. The Bible promises us this. It has to get worse before Jesus can come back.

One day I was at a local gas station near my home. I was getting ready to get out of my car and this man started coming towards me. He didn’t want anything from me but yet by his looks I was a little afraid. Shame on me for acting this way. Even the ugliest of sheep can wear the most beautiful clothes.

I watched this man who looked like he hadn’t had a bath in days. His clothes were torn and didn’t fit properly. What he was doing was going through the trash cans. When I realized this I pumped my gas and went in the store to pay.

I said, do you know there is a man out there rummaging through the trash?

Yes, we know it. He is a regular here. Every morning and evening he pays us a visit. He is looking for soda cans or food. We save him our donuts each day and he takes them with a smile.

My heart dropped down to my toes. Here I was, worrying about the rising prices of gas. Complaining in my head about what I had to pay the clerk. I had forgotten to be thankful for having the money to pay.

I felt like a real ass to tell you the truth. Right there in the store I thanked God for all of the wonderful blessings he had bestowed on me through the years. Yes, life is tough. Life throws us many curves. I hate the high prices of anything today. But I am  more careful now ever since that gas station incident.

I watch how much I am wasting. I ask myself, do I really need it, or do I just want it.

When I walked out of the store I walked up to the man. I handed him some money. He looked at it and you would have thought it was the biggest amount of money he had seen in a long time.  Who knows, it may very well have been. He got teary-eyed, and he grabbed my two hands into his and he started shaking my hands. Thank-you, thank-you mam. You don’t know what a blessing this is for me. I can now go to the grocery store and purchase some food that I know is safe to eat.

We hugged each other and he waved and smiled as I got back in my car and left. My heart swelled and my eyes were wet from tears. It felt glorious to help another person. I love helping people. I can’t always say yes to others but I try to do what I can.

Thank-you God for allowing me to learn that life can not be taken for granted. This was a lesson that I needed to learn today. While I sometimes forget to say thanks, and there are times I forget that you are near me, you are constantly watching over me, teaching me things I need to learn before I am allowed to come home. Amen

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Daily Prompt; History of Language

http://dailypost.wordpress.com-DP-Daily Prompt-Daily Post

Write a piece of fiction describing the incident that gave rise to the phrase, “third time’s the charm.”

Right after high school, in fact, the first Saturday after graduation, Sue married her high school sweetheart. She was so in love and it showed in each day of their marriage. But Ron had a hidden secret. A bad temper followed him like the blackest of shadows.

When the two had their first big fight it shocked Sue so much when he slammed her against the living room wall. After thinking about it she just knew that he didn’t mean to do it. Sue knew that he loved her as much as she loved him.

She went to him and apologized for what ever she had done to set him off. He smiled and said, “I’m sorry Baby. I don’t know what got into me. I guess it was just the way it came out of your mouth. It seemed you didn’t understand what I was saying and you were not on my side.”

Sue wiggled closer to him on the couch and gave him her biggest smile thinking to herself, I will always think about the words I use and the tone I carry before I speak. This was all my fault.

After history repeated itself for four more years Sue decided to file for a divorce as she lie in her hospital bed recovering from a broken jaw.

She blamed herself for the divorce and lost all of her self-esteem. She felt she wasn’t good enough for any man so the first time she met Jeff at a local pub, he introduced her to some of his good buddies. They drank and even smoked a little pot. What Sue didn’t realize is that one of these good buddies had slipped a drug into her drink.

She didn’t care what she was doing and with whom she was doing it with. They ended up at one of the friends pads and she was passed among the guys like she was the  main appetizer.

A year later as she was walking back and forth trying to calm her baby she finally got baby Jane to sleep. She put her in her crib and went into her own bedroom. Closing the drapes and kneeling beside her bed she prayed.

Dear God, I have made so many mistakes. I have believed what wasn’t true. I have let myself sink down into the gutters. I know I am better than this because you told me so years ago. Please help me Lord. Help me to trust in you and to stand tall once again with my head held high. Help me to take care of my baby God. Open my eyes and let me see only the good around me. God if you can guide me to a decent man I promise that I will look closely instead of making rash decisions. I don’t want to live alone God. I don’t want to raise Jane without a Daddy. Amen

About a year later Sue and Jane were grocery shopping. She was trying to pick out some ripe tomatoes. A gentleman across from her was doing the same thing. He picked up the brightest, reddest tomato and handed it to her. “Is this what you are searching for? he asked, looking straight into her eyes.

Sue blushed and told him yes and took the tomato from him. Without asking the two went through the aisles of the store talking like they had been friends forever. Bob talked to Jane and had her giggling in no time.

When it was time to check out Bob asked her if he could call her later in the week to take her and Jane out for supper. Sue hesitated and looked up toward  the ceiling thinking, could this be it? God could he be the one? Please give me a sign if you want me to walk a way from this opportunity.

Sue didn’t get any bad feelings and so she looked back at Bob and answered,”yes, that would be nice. Here is my phone number.”

“Thank-you Sue. I will be calling you probably in a couple of days.”

The three parted and as she was loading her groceries into her car she thought to herself, third times a charm.

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What Happened?

I am not bitching ; I am just wondering.

Today when I went out I had to go to the bank and have some papers noterized. Now I have gone to this bank for over fifteen years. Everyone in there knows me. There was one new girl working today. She could have been a fill in or maybe a new employee. It didn’t matter.

She gave me a hard time. My bank account number was not good enough. All the information I gave her verbally she could verify through her computer. She called over two other tellers and ask them if they recognized me. One said yes and the other said no.

I looked her in the eye and said, “how can you say this? You wait on me all the time. You and I set up accounts for my brother here”. She played dumb. I don’t know what was going on behind the counter at the bank today, but I didn’t want to be a part of it. After words were exchanged for several minutes, I finally got my way and left without saying goodbye.

The second incident happened when I was leaving the grocery store parking lot. I saw a cart to the side of my car. I checked to see how close it was to my car door. I know I should have taken it back to the cart storage area but it was windy and I just didn’t want to have my lungs have that much chilly air plus the winds so I left it sitting where it was.

I got in my car and a fancy white car pulled up in the same area I was only two car spots down. I started my car as the forty-year something guy got out of his car. He walked over to the cart that was by me and he swung it around in full circle.

He was not paying attention to my car or maybe he really was. He came so close to taking off the paint on my car that I actually ducked my head with my hands. It made me very nervous. He looked at me and mouthed something at me that didn’t look very nice. I swear I didn’t do anything. He must have been having a bad morning and decided to take it out on anyone near him.

What makes people lose the respect for other humans? If I would have acted like that with my mother around she would have reprimanded me so bad. What is the saying? Treat others as you would have others treat you?

This is not the only time I have observed such things in public. It always makes me wonder what goes on behind closed doors at home. I have seen kids running through the grocery store knocking things off of shelves while a parent is talking on a cell phone.

I have seen parents slap a kid right across the face in front of me. I have even seen couples arguing in public and have heard some pretty choice words being exchanged. I think it is so pathetic.

What has happened to society? Where did the rules change about public behavior? Family morals? Child abuse? I don’t understand anymore. Can I fix it? Definitely not alone, and I don’t even know if it can be fixed in group settings.

A lot goes on today that I do not approve of. The ones I see the most are the children. I have seen people stealing in stores. I have seen too many naked butts from guys wearing their jeans too low.

Oh believe me there have been times when I would be considered a tattle tale. If I think a child is in danger I will report it to a store manager. I have even reported teen guys with pants at the knees. I don’t want to see their butts or their boxers. To me this is a big turn off.

What about women and young ladies that have to show all of their cleavage or women who brag about the size of their chests. Who cares? Who really wants to know? There is so many more important things in life to be concerned with than  body size, at least in my opinion.

If things don’t change and some morals brought back into our lives I hate to see what will happen to our young grandchildren. How will they act? How will they treat their mates? Will they respect their parents or grandparents?

I don’t know the answers but I can say truthfully that I am so glad I am the age I am. I am all for having fun in life. Laughter is the best medicine of all. But when you degrade yourself as a person or a mate or a parent, you have crossed the line.

I hope the gentleman that swung the cart is in a better mood tonight. I hope that whatever was going on at the bank this morning was resolved. Life is good, let’s keep it this way.

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My Release

Except for one day last week when I made a quick run to the gas station for bread and eggs today I got out. Yeah! Fresh air. I breathed in deeply letting the crisp air come into me. There was plenty of sun and it was a high of 32.

It felt like the best medicine I have had in two weeks. The first thing I saw when I went outside of my house was a black squirrel looking for food. I went back in and grabbed a hand of peanuts and tossed them at him. He didn’t run away. I think he is getting used to my hand throws.

The next thing I observed was a bird. Yes it sure was. I stopped dead in my tracks and listened. It was a Spring bird. Yes Spring keep on coming!

Oh how I love the smell of Spring

When all becomes so new

A bird does sing the sun does shine

And takes away the winter blues.

Terry Shepherd

I had made some pumpkin bars and a chocolate cake. Why? I don’t know, something to do. Something to take to Al today. I cheated and had a nibble here and there through-out the evening.

Today I grabbed my plate with the goodies and headed straight for the nursing home. I didn’t let Al know I was coming ahead of time, in case my planned visit backfired with my health.

When I walked in it was lunch time and I spotted him immediately in the hall. It brought back memories of his Parkinson’s Disease as I watched him trying to stand. He had gotten his walker out into the hall and then his knees buckled and he was frozen in his motion.

It was a long hall so I was able to observe the whole movie clip. A nurse aid was holding the walker so he could sit down but his legs would not bend. They worked together and finally he was seated. I arrived just as the nurse was giving him one of his pain pills.

Finally his legs kicked in and bent over he walked down to the dining room with me by his side. We sat at his table and he ordered his food. He chose a chicken sandwich, mashed potatoes and peppermint ice-cream. Drinks were ice water, juice and hot chocolate.

It took him a half an hour to eat his lunch. He said it still feels like something is stuck in his throat but that the mechanical soft diet was helping. I did see him struggle quite a bit trying to get the two-handled cups to his lips. I don’t know how to help with this so if anyone has any ideas, let me know. He can pick up the cups with both hands but lifting them to his lips seems to be very difficult to him. Then tipping the cup up enough to get the liquid in his mouth was worse. Straws have already been taken a way from him as he can’t release the straw from his lips, so this idea is out.

I saw that at least for today his tremors were in full swing. Several times he would be trying to take a bite of his sandwich and the tremors would shake the bun so badly, that it crumbled down his lap and onto the floor. He at least got the protein though, but I felt so bad for him but said nothing.

We talked about everything I could think of. I noticed that he barely blinks. Everything he said to me was in a complete stare. I tried when I got home to sit still without staring and I could not do nearly as long as he could.

He was in a pretty good mood which I was thankful for. There were no tears. He was going to be going out with the providers that help him to get out of the facility for a while two times a week and I am sure that helped his mood. He was going to the one store that he loves that sells coke vintage items. Then they were going to the Dairy Queen where I had given him a bogo coupon for blizzards.

I talked to him as long as I could and then helped him to get his coat on so he could take off. I waved good-bye and swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched my baby brother leaving.

I stopped at the grocery store for some groceries. I didn’t want to stay long because I was beginning to feel worn out. I had been in there about five minutes when all of a sudden I felt like I was going to pass out. Then I got sweaty and shaky. Oh no, not now. I knew then it was my sugar levels. They had become too low. I frantically looked through my purse and found a bite size Hershey bar so I popped that into my mouth and then just prayed that I could get through the store and home. God answered. I walked faster and did make it home and immediately ate.

All in all it was a good day. A sure sign of Spring through the birds. Sunshine and seeing Al. Replenishing my cupboards. It all made my day.

Chapter 14

The next morning Henry popped out of bed. He was ready to start the day. He got dressed

and then went to the kitchen for breakfast. He was surprised to see his mom standing over the stove.

Carol said, ” I thought I would give you a little something extra for your big day and cook you breakfast”.

“Wow mom, this is a real surprise. You sure aren’t going to hear any arguing coming from me”. Henry said. His mom smiled at him and turned back to her fried eggs. She made it a little extra by adding a thick slice of fried bologna. She put the finished plate in front of him and Henry grabbed a glass of milk. “Sure smells good mom. Thanks a lot”.

He dug in and she left the room. After eating he went in and did his hair and yelling bye to his mom he left the house. He drove to the opposite side of town until he saw a nice looking motel.

After parking he went in and asked for a room. ” I need a special room for tonight. I am getting married today. I have cash”. The clerk smiled and had Henry fill out some paper work. He took the groom’s money and then handed him the room key.

Henry decided he better check the room out. He opened the door and flipped the lights on. Nice big bed and looks clean. He turned around and walked out feeling satisfied this would work.

He drove back into town and stopped at a small jewelry store. Once at the counter he asked, ” Do you have any plain bands? I need a gold band”. The clerk showed him a few styles and Henry decided on one that had engraved flowers on it. ” I will take this but first, how much is it”? The clerk told him and Henry smiled. “Yes, I will take this one. Do you have one of those boxes to put it in”?

The salesman smiled and after collecting the money he placed the ring in a black box and put it in a sack. Handing it to Henry the clerk smiled and said, ” Good luck son”.

He decided to go hang out at the garage for a little bit. He still needed to get a hair cut but that wasn’t going to take long. The wedding was at four. He had some time to kill. He walked in and his buddies said, “Where ya been? We haven’t seen you lately”? ” Hey Henry, we thought you went and died or something”.

“Nah, I have just been busy. Between the two jobs and spending time with Jane my time just slips by too fast”, Henry said. The guys stopped what they were doing since it was almost lunch time

and they each grabbed a bottle of pop. Sitting down at the bench they played catch-up.

“You all know I am getting married today don’t you”? Henry asked them.

“What? You’re getting married”? “Well you old dog you. You are going to go and get yourself hitched up”. ” Are you crazy fool? Getting married”?

They all laughed and asked about the details. Henry explained and then their break was over. For awhile Henry followed them to the cars they were working on. He watched until a customer came in and then said, ” Well I guess I will be getting out of here. I have things to do and people to see”. All the guys yelled bye to him and wished him good luck.

He felt his pants pocket making sure the box was still there. He looked up at the courthouse clock and decided to go ahead and get his hair cut. The barber shop was one of two in town. Both of them were small. His mom had always brought him to this place so he just continued to come. He remembered always being so fascinated with the barber shop pole. The red stripes going round and round.

He walked in and there was only one customer a head of him. He waved hello with his hand and the barber said, ” Hey Henry, nice to see you. You are next bud. Just have a seat”.

Henry sat down and picked up one of the few car magazines and sifted through it. He was about through all the photos and heard his name being called. ” So what you been up to since the last time I saw you Henry”?

“I have two jobs now Al. I still work at the grocery store. I also got a part-time job over at the bowling alley setting pins”.

“Well you know what they say. A busy mind stays out of trouble”, Al said with laughter.  Henry relaxed as his hair was being cut. The barber finished and was brushing talcum powder on his neck when Henry said, ” I am getting married today. Today is my last day for being a single guy”.

As Al was taking his money for the cut he wished Henry a good life. Well, everything was done now. He drove home and decided to take a bath and just hang around the house. He thought about taking a nap.

He was pleased to see his dad was mowing the yard when he pulled up. His dad waved at him and Henry waving back went on into the house. His mom was napping on the couch. The house smelled clean. He went to the refrigerator and got him a cold pop and saw that the kitchen table was set up for the wedding food.

He walked quietly passed his mom and went and started running his bath water. He shaved while his water was filling and then went and got some clean clothes out. Locking the bathroom door he sunk into the tub and thought, this is it  Henry. This is the big day. Today the girl I love will become my wife. I am the happiest guy alive.

Related articles

• Chapter 13 (terry1954.wordpress.com)
• Chapter 12 (terry1954.wordpress.com)
• Chapter 11 (terry1954.wordpress.com)
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• Chapter 6 (terry1954.wordpress.com)

Can Anyone Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

I just hate to go to the grocery store anymore. Believe it or not I used to count around five bags of groceries for about forty dollars a week. These weren’t those flimsy plastic bags either, although I do use them for trash bags too. They were the paper sacks that were filled to the brim, like Folgers coffee, remember the phrase?

So I wish that someone could teach me a few things. I live in an area where I can’t have a garden. But I have heard of planting things in patio pots, like clay pots? What can I plant? When should I buy the seeds and start? What kind of dirt will I need?

Also, I eat  too much dairy according to the blood tests. But I can’t take sugars, white, carbs and dairy totally out. What would I be left with to eat? Veggies? Yes, they are good but do I want to live on them on my dinner plate daily? No.

Can I make my one sour cream? If so how do I do it? Can I make my own cream cheese? If so how do I do it? I am just curious. What makes me madder than a hornet’s nest is paying double price for organic foods. To me organic is what I ate growing up. Foods grown in the garden with no chemicals. Now, I have to pay extra to eat the premium health foods. This is why I want to know about the patio veggie plantings.

Can anyone teach me?

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Chapter 12

Life looked good from the outside. Henry had two jobs. He bagged groceries through the day for a few hours and then he went to his full-time job in the evenings at the bowling alley. He was ready for the next step.

Tomorrow he was going to get hitched. Jane and him were doing what was right. They were going to have a kid and that kid deserved two parents. He thought about his own parents and how he wished that things were different in some areas but at least he had them both.

After breakfast was finished, he hopped in his car and went over to Jane’s house. She opened the door before he even had a chance to knock. “What you doing doll? You packing up some of your clothes? I wanted to come over and see if you had anything ready that I could take to the house before I went to work”.

Jane led him to her bedroom and he looked at the bags laying on her bed. ” I guess you have been the busy beaver. Look at all this crap. Are you sure you really need all this stuff? Aren’t I enough for you to live on”?

Jane laughed and said, ” I must have clothes silly goose. You don’t want me walking around naked in front of you parents do you”?

Henry snickered as he thought of Jane scampering through the house with a big belly. “Nope, I don’t want you showing yourself to anyone but me baby. Your body is just for me. Besides, I was just playing with you. I guess I will start loading up your precious clothes and then get to work”.

Jane gave him a peck on the forehead and helped him carry the bags to the front door. He loaded them and then kissed her goodbye. They planned to meet after his final shift at the bowling alley. He started to leave and turned back to her and asked,”You do have your blood test right babe? You know the big day is tomorrow”.

“Yes, quit worrying, get to work or you will be late. You got your test, and I got mine. Now get going”. They both laughed and waved at each other and then he took off. It took him longer to get her stuff in the car so he would just take care of it between jobs.

He went to work at the grocery store. He really did like his job, he was thinking. Lot of people coming in and out. Some days good tips for loading up their cars. He was bagging one lady’s  groceries and when he was finished he took them to her car. After making sure the cart was empty he turned to leave and she called out to him.”Hang on there Henry. I got something for you”.

She got in her purse and pulled out a card saying,”I found out you are getting married tomorrow from some of the ladies that work here. Hope you don’t mind them blabbing your news. Anyways, I wanted to give you this card”.  Henry looked at the card and started to place it in his apron and she said, “Wait, don’t leave. Open it now. I want to see your eyes”.

Henry gave her that special grin that showed two dimples. He tore open the card and saw it was a congratulations  card. Inside was a check for one hundred dollars. He started to say something but she interrupted him by saying,” Now don’t you go and say anything Henry. You are a good boy and you work hard. Take this money and use it for something you two can use”.

Henry leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He said,”Gee’s Mrs. T, I just don’t know what to say. All I can think of is thanks”.

“That is all I wanted to hear. Now go back to work before I get you in trouble. Have a good day tomorrow”. She turned and got in her car and he waved to her as she was leaving. He tucked the money into his billfold and went back to work whistling. He knew exactly what he was going to do with this money.

His four-hour shift ended in no time and he punched out and drove home. He took the bags two at a time and took them inside. Placing them on his bed, he opened each of them to just take a peek at what she had brought. Dang do all women need this many clothes? I don’t even have half this much. I better make some space in my closet for her and empty out a couple of drawers.

Henry spent the rest of his free time getting the room all in shape for his new wife. He changed the sheets, rearranged his dresser and closet. After he finished he heard his stomach rumbling so went out to the kitchen

His mom was sitting there working one of those crossword puzzles. ” Got anything good to eat mom? I’m starving”.

“There should be something there Henry, just take a look. I noticed you bringing in all those bags. Are those Jane’s belongings”?

“Yeah mom they are. She sure does have a lot of stuff doesn’t she”?

“I hope that is it. You won’t have any room to sleep if anymore is brought. She can just leave the rest of her stuff at her house. When you two get your own place then you can crowd up your own home”. The two laughed and Henry started pulling out left-over chicken and some of his mom’s home-made potato salad.

“Tomorrow is the big day Henry. Are you sure you want to go through this? Just because she is going to have a baby, doesn’t mean you have to marry her”.

“Mom, I love Jane. I want to marry her. Sure I wasn’t expecting some kid right a way, but I want to do what’s right”. Carol got up and went over and ruffled his wavy hair. The two smiled at each other and then she left him to eat.

Henry cleaned up his mess and then changed clothes and off to his other job he went. Clocking in he went to the back and Carl was waiting for him. “I hear that you’re getting hitched tomorrow Henry. I hope you will be very happy. Here is a card from all of us here at work. Good luck kid, and by the way, I heard you did a really good job last night, keep it up”.

“Thanks boss, and thanks for the card. I am sure we are going to do just fine. When you find a girl like Jane you want to snap her up before someone else turns her head”. With that being said the two laughed and then the boss left him to do his job.

Henry opened up his second card and it was signed by everyone. There was also a fifty dollar bill laying there. Wow, I feel so rich. One hundred and fifty dollars. He tucked it a way with the other money and went to work.

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Chapter 10

Henry pulled into the bowling alley parking lot. He had been here a few times. Went bowling with friends, but bowled so bad he never went back. When he walked inside it was pretty quiet.

He could smell coffee coming from the little cafe on the side. He head a few pins being knocked down. As he looked out over the lanes, he saw one family sharing some time together. He thought, that could be me and my kid some day.

Other than the family of bowlers he didn’t see anyone else. He walked over to the cafe and grabbed a cup of coffee and put his dime in the money cup. He took it over to the red table and sat down. Wonder who runs this place. They on vacation?

A bald man came out of the back office. He had a big gut and the bottom button was left undone. Probably too fat to get it buttoned. The guy noticed Henry sitting there and walked up to him.

“Can I help you kid”? Henry stood up and extended his left arm out. Shaking hands Henry said, ” I  heard you are looking for a set-up man. I came right over when I heard about it. Are you still looking for someone”?

Carl, the owner said, “Ya, I am still looking, who’s interested”?

“I am. I need some more money. Got a kid coming on the way and I need more hours. I work over part-time at the grocery store bagging groceries. It is an ok job, but won’t do enough for me”, Henry said.

“You got your girl knocked up huh kid. Pretty stupid thing to do if you ask me, but who’s asking? This job pays every week. It is a late-nite job. You come in around 7 and you work until we close at midnite. It pays sixty cents an hour. You interested”?

“I sure am sir. When can I start”?

“How about tonight? My name is Carl but you can call me boss”. Henry reached out his hand and shook on  the deal with Carl and putting his hat back on he turned and left, yelling back at the guy, “See ya tonight and thanks”.

Henry was smiling and whistling his way to his car. He had done it. He had landed himself another part-time job. With these two jobs he now had a full-time job. Wait til I tell Jane and the guys.

He got in his car and took off a little faster than he should. Dirt scattered in the parking lot. He saw a cop sitting on the next corner but he must have been eating his donut as he didn’t do a thing.

He went over to Jane’s house and jumped out of the car and raced to the house. Banging on the door, it wasn’t long before it opened, with Jane standing there. Henry grabbed her by the waist and picked her up and swung her around. She started giggling and telling him,” put me down Henry. Right now”. Henry ignored her as he continued to swing her.

“I got another job doll. I am going to be working over at the bowling alley. Going to be a night job. I am going to bag groceries through the day and then go set-up pins at night”. Jane’s face went from giggles to frowns.

“When we going to have time to see each other Henry? If you work day and night when you going to fit me in”? Henry let her down and tried to think of the perfect answer. He didn’t want any fighting to start. He knew what he was doing was the right thing.

“Oh doll, you know I will be with you every minute I can. You know how much I love you. We are going to have to help mom and dad out when we start staying there. We can’t expect them to feed us every meal can we? This way we can have time together alone. We can go to the restaurant and get a burger, then we can go to our special spot and be together”. He winked at her and she recognized that wink. Sex, is that all men ever think about? Isn’t that how I got myself in this position, by having sex?

Jane smiled at him. She knew in her heart that he was right, but she was going to miss him. “So, when you going to start this new job”?

“Tonight at 7. Maybe you can come over and see me on my break. I got to get going doll. I have to be at work in in a few hours and I’m starving”. With this, he reached down and squeezed her real hard placing a hard kiss on her lips. She gasped for air, but when he turned around to wave as he was leaving he saw that smile. Her smile melted his heart every time he saw it. “Remember, next Saturday, you and me, getting hitched”. Jane had no time to respond as he climbed in his car and spinning his tires took off.

He drove home with his radio cranked. Patsy Cline was singing Crazy, and Henry thought to himself, ya crazy, crazy for you doll. He pulled in the drive and went inside. His mom was washing dishes and she smiled at him as he entered the room. As he was getting some ham out of the refrigerator, he said,”I got a job mom. I mean I got another job to go along with my baggers job. You won’t have to worry about me and Jane living here as much now mom. We won’t be any problem. We will try to find our own food to eat so you and dad won’t have to worry about your budget”.

He got the bread out and the ketchup and made himself two sandwiches. He poured himself a tall glass of milk and sat down at the table to eat. Carol remarked,” Honey you aren’t going to be any problem. It’s that girl you are going to have living here. I worry how she and I are going to get along. Does she talk much? You know I have my own routine and I don’t want someone yakking in my ear all day”.

“Ah mom, don’t worry. Jane’s quiet. She will stay out of your way. She will probably sleep a lot being pregnant. You won’t even know she is here”. With that his mom came over and tugged on his ear and smiled down at him. Then she turned and left the kitchen, the dishes being done.

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Chapter 9

As Henry got into his car, he sat there thinking about his mom. Wow, what a load of crap

she had carried all these years. No wonder she was so grouchy all the time. She has never forgiven herself. Well, I am not going to let this happen to my woman and me. I will work and take care of everything. I am not running away and leaving her to hang.

Henry started the car, not knowing where he was headed. Last night he had racked his brain trying to think of someone who was hiring. Nothing hit him though, so he was just going to drive around town until he saw something.

He drove by the filling station and saw a couple of his buddies trucks parked there. He pulled in and went inside. He found them in the garage side. They were working on a car that belonged to Tom,  his friend.

He walked over and patted Tom on the back and said with a grin,”Hi ya buddy, how’s it hanging”? Tom turned towards him with a jerk and said,” Hey there, you scared the hell out of me coming up and slamming me on the back like that. I am fine. We’re just messing around with Fred’s car here. He says he heard some kind of knocking sound when he was driving around last night”.

Henry walked under the car where it sat up on the rails and looked at the hoses. He didn’t see any drips. He thumped the tires and got out from underneath the car. The two buddies went back to work trying to find where the sound may be coming from. Henry watched, and then soon started for the door. Fred hollered out, “Where ya going buddy? Ya don’t have to leave. Stay around and keep us company. You haven’t got any better place to be”.

Henry turned back towards them and walked back towards them. ” Well, I have to find a job. I need some extra money”. Tom asked, ” What’s wrong with the job you have over at the grocery store? Aren’t you bagging enough ladies groceries”? Tom and Fred started laughing and elbowed each other. Henry said, “No, I need more money, more hours”. The friends both piped up and asked, ” Ya got your eyes on another baby to fix up”? Henry hung his head and then looked back at the guys and said, “Well you are half-right. I am looking for a baby, but not a car or truck, a real baby, my baby”.

The two men looked at him and Tom dropped his wrench while Fred dropped his mouth. They came out from under the car and walked closer to Henry. Fred said,” Come on over here to our little break room and pop a squat. Tell us what the hell you are talking about”.

Henry followed them over to the picnic bench and the three of them all lit a cigarette. Silence followed as they each tried to out do each other with smoke rings. Tom looked at Henry and commanded, “Speak, what the hell are you talking about”?

Henry replied with, ” It’s my woman Jane? She, well, she and I , well we’re gonna have a baby”. His two friends asked, ” How did you get yourself in that kind of spot man? Don’t ya know about the rubber? You do carry one in your wallet don’t ya”? Fred reached for his wallet and pulled out a  condom saying, ” Hopefully one day I will get to use this, but I keep it here for all emergencies”. Tom snickered and under his breath said,” Yeah, that will be the day when that thing gets used”.

The three started giggling and went back to puffing on their smokes as they digested what had been said. After putting their butts out in the ash tray the smiles left and Tom asked Henry,” Sounds like you have decided to keep this kid if you are out looking for more money. Got any plans? Have you told your parents yet”?

Henry came back with, ” Ya we told our parents. Fred asked, “We? You both told your parents? Oh wow, how did that go man? Did they want to beat you up and spit you out”? With that Henry stood up and pulled some change out of his pants pocket. He walked over to the pop machine and bought an orange pop. (In those days, orange pop, red pop, and root beer were the favorite sodas). The two followed his actions, getting one for themselves too.

They all sat back down and popped the caps and took a nice big swig. Burping and laughing they got serious again waiting for Henry’s reply. Henry said, ” Both parents took it better than I thought they would. Mine offered for Jane to move in with us until I can find more work”.

You could stick a fork in the silence it got so quiet. All three were pondering on how that was going to work out. Jane living with Henry’s mom. Fred was thinking, this should be better than any movie I have ever watched on the big movie screen. Tom was saying to himself, this is never gonna happen. Henry’s mom is way out there, a real nut case. Henry was thinking, mom may do a turn-a-round. Now that I know what she has been going through, she just may understand.

“So, have you looked anywhere yet”? Tom asked. Henry told him, “No I haven’t. I have thought and thought but can’t think of a  place that is hiring”. “Well you’re in luck my friend. The bowling alley is hiring. They are looking for someone to set up pins. It is a shit job but it’s money, and money is what you’re after, right”? Henry thanked him for the tip and turned to leave saying, ” See ya all later. Gonna go over and check this job out”, and with this he walked out the door closing it behind him.

 

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Parkinson’s Disease Grabs Everything It Can

Today, I took my brother to our favorite restaurant, Zales Pharmacy, to eat lunch, as we had to pick up a refill for him. He walked in like an old drunk, staggering and tipping to one way and then the other, but his smiles were on full force, and the hand was waving to all he saw. He had a great appetite, and told the waitress that he just knew his stomach wanted dessert today. She laughed with him. All the employees at Zales think Al is pretty terrific. They have known us since we were tiny tots and have followed Al all through his years and his PD.

On our way home Al was laughing at me because I was stopping anywhere my eyes could catch a photo to shoot with my new camera. He said geesh, Terry, do you have to stop in the middle of the street? What if a car comes? I told him, I will move on then, no biggie.

We stopped at the grocery store and I got just a few things to keep all in stock, which came to $56.00 for two bags! I need to go into production management, where the money is being made. LOL

Then we came home and he had a therapist that was to come at 3:00pm, and she ended up being fifteen minutes late, and that set him up for smiles be gone attitude, why? Because it was his nap time, and he likes to take his nap at the same time each day, so when she got here, he was not very happy.

She made him walk outside on the ramp to her car and back, and she noticed that he does not pick up his feet, that he shuffles them. She said this was from the PD and there was not much she could do about that. She made him use his cane for balance and then he had to move his arms, holding the cane for balance, back and forth, trying to move only from the waist, but then he could not do this and she said his body was too rigid and stiff, and that his head did not move with the waist.

I watched as Al struggled through this, and then had to turn my back to the two of them, because all it did to me was show me how stiff his body was becoming.

She tried to get him to do some dance steps, simple ones, but his legs did not want to move. Finally she could get nothing else out of the work out, and his face was moody and full of blank staring. She kept talking to him and he was not talking anymore.

I felt sort of bad, because I had worn him out taking him out, but I needed his medications, and also he was a little ruffled at the thought of his nap being late. She left and told him she would be back on Wednesday, and he got up and headed for his bed.

I was a little ashamed of him because he should not show this kind of behavior just because he is not getting his way, but I did not say anything to him because he is a child in a man’s body, and his body was sore and tired from being out and his work out.

When he got up from his nap, I fixed him bacon and eggs for supper, yes, it was an easy supper for me tonight. I just don’t enjoy cooking anymore, especially when I am not hungry. He said he did not want any pain pills and then after coming to the living room, he asked when he was going to take his medications. I said you just did bud, you took them with your supper. He said oh, I didn’t see them or remember taking them, and then he asked me when is he going to have supper.

I find this confusion happening more often than not. Not with any memories of the past, but with the present living. Just think one year ago, he did not use a cane, or a walker, and he did not have a scooter. One year ago, he was continent, and he used to fill his own medications for the week. Now I hide the medications because he doesn’t always believe that I gave them to him and will try to find them. One year ago, he could tell me what he read years ago, and what happened in a chapter. Now the only thing he reads is his big print bible, or he looks at his coco cola books or he watches  reruns, because he remembers them from before and does not have to figure out the plot.

I am so glad for the smiles for these two days, and since they are back, can we send the other things that are progressing to the returns department?