New Paradigm

September 1, 2025 10:03am

Labor Day. Perfect cool weather!

My father passed two months ago. July 1, 4:05pm….I looked at the clock when he took his last breath. I’ve devoted a lot of thought to death and meaning so no new revelations.

I still see his clear eyes staring into mine as the end neared. Uncommunicative in his febrile state, I wondered at his thoughts, if any, as we locked eyes in those last days.

4:05. We all left the hospital room maybe a half-hour later having said our last goodbyes and hugging each other. Then, a whirlwind week of figuring things out in the new paradigm – the funeral, caring for my 90-year-old mother who is still determined to stay in the house.

And now? Now we operate in the new environment – new routines, new responsibilities. I wonder what he would say about our efforts. The garden is a mess, the ancient RV gone (my mom told him if he went first, that RV was history), and some questions remain…. the guy was 93 and had three motorcycles. All were titled in his name only…. why? Now, I must jump through hoops to get them in mom’s name so she can sell them. Or, who knows, maybe she’ll jump on that 1200 Sportster and ride to Sturgis. A quick search on YouTube confirms she would be right at home among the geriatric motorcycle mammas!

Toxic – No One Leaves Alive

September 20, 2025 7:05pm

My father’s death has loosed chaos on us all. Relationships bend and break. Revelations erupt in the aftermath – the effluvia flowing down the contours of the topography we thought we inhabited.

Now, the burden has come to rest on me, and I follow in the footsteps of all who have cared for an aging parent. I accept this but question why other options are dismissed.

I sat outside last night looking into the blue sky beyond the contrails and wondering how many parsecs that indelible line of sight would cross before hitting any celestial object – perhaps all of them.

The older I get the more convinced I am that we are animals that dream we have souls. In reality, we exhibit the worst possible behaviors – proving that we are controlled by hormones that defy every spiritual inclination we may have considered. Much as it pains me to say it, I can hear the screams of those who claim toxic masculinity. There is some truth there and little today to curb that motivation. What is the male of the species to do? Shall we all become castrati to eliminate this oppression?

Life becomes more complicated and the incentive to wrestle with it wanes. Return on investment is just losing its appeal.

Setting The Stage

September 28, 2025 7:17pm

Let me set the stage for you….. Twilight in Crestwood. I’m sitting in my dream chair. Having just eaten a pizza and having enjoyed some bourbon and vodka, I’m now drinking a Schlafly Pumpkin Ale. The shadows are creeping up the trunk of the Mulberry tree and I’m calculating the probability of an extinction level asteroid strike in the next ten minutes when my 90-year-old mother calls to tell me she wants to sell the house she’s lived in for 57 years. I tell her – relax- no need to get agitated – everything will take care of itself. I mean, think about it, if we do nothing at all, what is the worst-case scenario? We all die! Surprise ending – that’s going to happen anyway!!! LOL!!!

So, I’m reading Mein Kampf and nodding along with some of his writing but finally get to some material that is just beyond the pale. The point is, not many people who criticize Hitler have ever read him. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!!!!

We spent the day in Payne Hollow doing volunteer work at the home of Harlan Hubbard. It is difficult to reach but then he and Anna mostly rowed across the Ohio to Madison, IN for supplies. It was an austere life with no modern amenities – not many people today would consider this a life worth living.

I imagine that Harland and Anna would counter by saying that their lives were thoroughly examined and invoke Plato in response.

On September 13, we were at Mount Vernon to stand guard (in colonial attire) at Washington’s tomb. I took three 15 minute turns and then we walked down to the Potomac. While we were gone, Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth showed up with his family. His 16 Secret Service and military guards shooed our guys away from the tomb, but he later came down to the group for handshakes and photos – which I missed.

The stone house proceeds apace; I have about six weeks before it gets too cold to lay stone. I hope I can have the arch in the fireplace done by then – I intend to do a little outdoor cooking this fall.