oddities, observations, & omg's...

oddities, observations, & omg's...

                                                     

 

   I have often wondered how close I came to being a child prodigy. 

  HUH?  What's up with that? 

  Was it a hands down deal that I was to be as I am?  Could it have been something totally different at 10 or 11 years old?  A gene in a different location or even an altered alignment of my DNA might have been all it would have taken for a child prodigy of music, math, or, even pop culture, to have emerged.  

  However, none of that happened.  Ordinary is my average.  But, as you read further you will see that I do share early age similarities to a child prodigy.....just in a different way.   

  The first presidential race I remember was 1952.  I marveled at the two bald-headed presidential candidates as I watched them on my grandmother's Emerson, mahogany wood, 16 inch TV screen.  Even the outgoing resident of the White House sported a near bald head.  In a nine year old boy's perfectly illogical mind, if I could be bald, it would only be appropriate and within my reach to achieve the highest office in the land.  

  At 10 years old, I read Dorothy and Lillian Gish and D. W. Griffith during library time.  Three years later,  I read the story of Chicago's Mayor Cermak.  In between Griffith and Cermak, I read biographies of FDR, Churchill, Jack Benny, Henry Ford, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Fitzgerald. 

  As far as I knew, I was the only one of my group of five pals who at 11 years old started reading the daily Indianapolis News.  That's where Herman Hoggleboggle resided.  Herman was a cartoon character who looked like a cross between Archie and Dagwood.  He offered platitudes, quotes, and positive thoughts to start my day.  

  By the age of 12,  I discovered a newspaper column called Did You Notice which was a daily observation about something unusual that occurred in the city.  It could have been a sinkhole in the middle of a main thoroughfare or something as simple as the downtown street lights going dark for 30 minutes. 

  I give Did You Notice credit for my observational acuity today, which, of course, is a special talent.  

   So, you can see that just as a child prodigy has his or her level of exceptional achievement at early stages in life, I too had reached certain unexplainable levels during my pre-teen and early teen years.

  It is with those thoughts in mind that certain observations and sightings have been randomly noticed and deemed worthy of mention.  

  We have all cried about the latest mass school shooting.  It is noticeable when tragic headlines are being exploited by any member of the media.  As events unfolded, the story itself was reason enough to follow developments and presented its own sensational headlines.  No Yellow Journalism required or needed. 

  As of this writing, the Omicron virus has accelerated in Kentucky.  However, it appears retail stores, especially supermarkets, have basically ceased sanitary precautions begun during the start of the pandemic.  I no longer notice attendants sanitizing self-serve checkouts or wiping down grocery cart handles.  Maybe it's not needed.  I don't know.  It appears the virus has become ho hum.

  Kentucky’s governor has advocated wearing masks inside stores and restaurants.  I sometimes feel I am the only person who heard the message.  

  I witness way too many drivers running through the yellow of a stoplight at major intersections.  Recently, I had come to a  complete stop for a red light when a car behind me zoomed through the intersection causing the car in the cross lane to narrowly miss the intruder.  

  It's almost impossible not to notice the acclaim of Harry Styles.  

  The increased popularity of body art in the past so many years must still be on the rise.  For the first time, I saw a body art studio in a mall.  

  You can't live in Kentucky and be blind to the liquor industry.  According to several local restaurants and bars, the number of people ordering bourbon has dramatically increased.  Also, Mojitos enjoy some repute here.  

  It would be difficult to support any argument that contends beef consumption has decreased.  I've seen at least 15 high end steakhouses and lots of other lower priced offerings such as Texas Roadhouse, Longhorn's, Logan's, Outback, and Cattlemen's in this city.  

  Speaking of eateries, I remember the time when I would drive all day and never see a Mexican restaurant.  Today, the proliferation is astounding.    

  I can't speak for my three brothers, but I always looked forward to a trip to get ice cream on a warm summer night.  I imagine they enjoyed it as much as me.  My wife and I live within a mile of a Graeter's Ice Cream Store and it is always packed with families walking to and from the store.  

  While driving through an adjoining neighborhood, I noticed a huge yard sign advertising a home for sale by auction.  The sale was to be an online event.  Must be a sign of the times. 

  Having spent 17 years in my Encore Performance with professional teachers,  I can't help but notice the number of teachers in the United States leaving the profession.  

  Speaking of schools, I noticed this month the local school board did away with what the media is calling, Forced Busing.  When Forced Busing was passed here 40 years ago, the same media called it Desegregation. 

  Front and center are the countless people who have managed to use YouTube to their advantage.  The latest one I noticed was a guy who advises about coins and their value.  A simple idea, but he's turned it into a fortune for himself.  

    I have noticed a proliferation of yard signs congratulating members of the Class of 2022.

  The latest shortage of workers all over the country seems to be life guards.  I noticed many cities are increasing pay and offering bonuses.  

   Names of businesses have always gotten my attention.  I passed a large enclosed truck with huge letters on the side that read, OMG.  Underneath the acronym was the full name of the company, Outdoor Maintenance Guru.    I thought that was pretty cool.  

   To be continued... 

   Coming up:  you are going to meet Steve, a 92 year old designer who is still working; meet more POS (people over 60), and; hear about some careers we don't often think about, but, someone's got to do it!

  And, finally.  

  As the aging process continues, I have found that it's important to stay relative, or, as a former 90 something president said when asked about why he still goes out in his boat.....it keeps me in the game.  But, sometimes change just kind of sneaks up on me.  

  I was giving my 16 year old granddaughter a driving lesson and was in the front passenger seat.  As we were driving around the neighborhood, she informed me she will be taking her written test sometime in June.  Here is what transpired.

  SG:  Well, that's great.  Do you think you know the material?

Izzy:   I think so.  Like what?

  SG:  Things like, do you know the distance you are supposed to maintain when following a car?  

Izzy:  It's three seconds on a regular street and five seconds on a busier road (later I found out this is the correct answer in Kentucky). 

  SG:  (But, that day, I knowingly replied) We probably need to work on that one, Izzy.  It's one car length for every 10 miles of speed.

Izzy:  Hmm, I've never heard that one.  Are you sure?  

  SG:  Honey?  How long have I been driving?

Izzy:  Give me another one. 

  SG:  You know, if it wasn't so late, we could drive by the license branch and get a booklet.

Izzy:  A what?

  SG:  You know.  A book of rules so you can study them.

Izzy:   Oh, those are all online.  There isn't any book.  

  SG:  Of course there isn't.    

  As we left her, I was thinking of our conversation and wondered about her answer about distance.  I later looked it up and verified her correct answer.  Here's the question though.  How does a 16 year old new driver (or anyone for that matter) know how to judge three seconds distance between cars?  

  HUH?  What's up with that?