Today was an interesting day. Challenges and triumphs. Some small doubts and some major reassurances. A crazy morning, that I had to stop and type about right when it happened. And ah… the “Piston” mummy bag is ahh.. Pissed On. LOL. Now I’m thinking about another story with my boys, my brother-in-law, and a basketball game. I’ll have to tell that one some day here, but not today.
I’ve already typed a lot today, so I’m not expecting much from this post. I followed through with my thoughts from last night about baggage. After twenty eight years, I am surprised. See something, say something. I learned that in the last decade or so, through the Church.
I didn’t see anything since then, yet I knew things. I don’t know why I waited until now. Other than, I’m not there to see who I might have upset or not. I also say I waited until my kids had grown and gone, and until I was out of public office. Or was it for my Grandma?
You can’t say anything, it would break Grandma’s heart. Was it better to never have an honest conversation with her? Was it better to deny her last wish to me the moment she said it – and not tell her? What person have I become for the secrets I keep?
No. Not anymore. I said something and I said it louder and today I hope, I said it to the right person. I feel I am done. I’ve done enough to satisfy, whatever in me needed to be satisfied. From here on, it’s a task like any other. I’m sure I’ll have an email response or maybe a phone call. Or I don’t know where it will go and that is okay with me, I’ll follow along and do what I need to do.
Other than that, I’m done. I took out the trash. Gone.
Lots of talking today. Met Jerry up at the campground restrooms. I was there changing my clothes real quick and talking on the phone to my friend Patrick. And Jerry, well Jerry, just kind of threw himself into the conversation. He some how thought I was a YouTuber influencing peoples travel destinations, based on the phone call he overheard, as I described the wonderful weather down here to Patrick.
Jerry struck me as someone who doesn’t get listened to very often. So after a moment of entertaining Jerry and my phone call, I let the call go, and focused on Jerry. He was upset about a waterfall in Hawaii that was, according to him, a local kept secret that no one would give him directions to. You have to find it to enjoy it they said. He spent ten years and found this waterfall oasis, pristine and quaint, the pond only big enough for two or three.
Then the YouTubers came, found it and shared the location with the world for a few clicks and likes. When he went back five years later, it was overrun with people and pollution, he said. I kept listening, thinking we were at the end. Then, he told me that I didn’t understand, it’s about the nature of photography, and why real photographers like him no longer practice their art. Facebook has stolen his talent and legalized the theft of his skills. I really tried hard to make Jerry smile.
I listened and offered positive counterpoints, yet, Jerry was angry about something, and it’s not YouTubers or Facebook, or even people sharing his photos. I don’t know, I did try, probably for two long to get him to smile. He did calm down a bit, and partly it was a mutually nice conversation and I tried to end it politely then. Jerry didn’t like that, I still didn’t understand. There was a law passed, he said, in nineteen ninety five that changed everything and Trump was trying to fix it.
I wished Jerry a good day, smiled and walked away while he was still talking. I tried.
Walked back to the campground, and my new neighbor across to the left came over to introduce himself and ask about my solar panels and antenna’s and stuff. That was a nice conversation, he’s been retired for three years, still new to RV’ing he said. He had a lot of questions about my radios and the different antennas – there are a variety on my site now. I gave him all the time I could, I’m sure he and I will chat some more over the next week.
Then I sat to write and send the garbage letter. Proofed three times, finger hovering over send. Wondering if this was the moment I let go. Could this be the day? Maybe it’s just in my mind, and I should let it go by forgetting it. I wanted to click send. Was this the moment?
Another neighbor I hadn’t met, though she’d been described to me, came to introduce herself at that moment. Her husband Phil and I have chatted here and there for the whole week I’ve been here. She is a hobbies photographer that specialized in night scenes, landscapes, and the sky.
She told me the light was just right (I thought way too dark and offered to turn on lights.) and she had come at this moment to ask to take my picture of my sitting in my chair and playing radio.
She said it was the right moment. I smiled and obliged her. She set up her tripod to frame a shot, in a few days, when she’s done processing, I’ll have a photo of me clicking send on that email.
Almost full dark now, I had to rush her out as politely as I could as I refused to miss my walk tonight. I grocery shopped earlier – real shopped – up and down all the aisles just kinda looking for something for lunch.
I bought vegetables. Who am I? That was lunch, a tub of carrots and cucumbers. It just looked good. And it was, also picked up more steaks for dinner. What a day.. did I miss anything? Let me see.. Pissed myself, shower, slept, blunt, McDonalds, typing random story, talk to Patrick, talk to Jerry, talk to Joe, talk to Teresa, walk a mile (PR, post to Facebook, 33:32,) cook/eat dinner, drink a beer, write this post.
Oh, two phone calls from Dawn, the park supervisor at the front gate. She calls when Amazon delivers for me. LOL, twice today. Third solar panel came in. Ahh.. A full day, very full, almost too full.. yet it worked.
I wish I would have had more time to spend with Teresa talking about photography and I can hope to see them tomorrow before they leave, else I’ll just have a photo and my stories here to remember them. All the same, good people.
A full day.. and a low of only fifty six degrees tonight. Might be chilly, I’m still down a blanket. Tomorrow, I get to find a laundromat.
And the BESTEST part of the day!!! Look at that beautiful picture of a newborn child of two of my Jackson friends. I checked in on the old Facebook today, and was overjoyed with their good news. And this photo, it still touches me. Those eyes, that life. The love of this family. It’s a good photo. I saw that when I got back from McDonalds. Somehow, seeing such a beautiful and meaningful photo (at least for me, this is the pro-life statement) affirmed my path for the day up to that point.
Sometimes I wonder about this path.. few months in? A year in? I still need to spend sometime writing about this journey I’m on. Not the day by day of it like I have been, yet the meta of it. What is it that I’m doing out here in Texas campground, why did I have to go south, then west? If I’m here to take pot break, okay, why hand me a free blunt today. In the unexplained mysteries of Christ, did I earn a blunt because I handled pissing on myself with grace and a smile. I’m confused, I can only imagine what my readers might think.
Yet that photo touched me deeply, still is touching me. Like it was gift just to see it, to have it shared with me, and then for permission given for me to share it with you. I’m leaving the child’s and family’s name anonymous – I love them too much to confuse them with my story on Google – yet so proud to share: this is the newest born future saint from Jackson, Michigan that I know of.
Time to rest.