September

It is a transitional month. Summer is not over but it is starting to feel like fall. Today is cloudy and has the smell of showers in the air. The yard has little activity unlike the hustle and bustle of summer. Soon the little scooters will be sleeping on their mounds of stored peanuts. Even the yard boss must be settling in to her nest.

After good nights sleep in my own bed, I reflect on the weekend’s conversations. The day begins with the “Moment in Time” talking about the same thing. I was going to put the link here but when I checked it all that was written was: “Dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Pellentesque ultrices facilisis risus. Aenean sollicitudin imperdiet justo. Nam sed nulla sed metus blandit pretium”. Maybe I wasn’t really awake when I heard Dan Roberts talking about times before telephones, televisions, and texting. People would assemble in one spot to talk. Just talk. These events sometimes held in parlors after dinner or on special occasions held in meeting halls where people would share news, discuss politics, optimize opinions and stories bringing jolly laughter.

That was pretty much what this weekend’s gathering was. Pretty much a leftover from the old coffeehouse days where discussions of politics, religion, music, and books were lively and sometimes volatile. Everyone brought their opinions to the table and felt free to give and take from others.

As the television is filled with news loops of police sirens and little facts blocking my soap operas, I reflect on the transition of these people who shared just a brief moment with me. None of the conversations that I heard offered deep thoughts or unknown facts but more a neighborly “Hi! How are you?” Perhaps the participants were more familiar with each other or maybe I wasn’t listening the first time round. Even with the excuse of alcohol the friendly conversation was about family and travels.

Now I don’t bring much to the plate but gibberish, but I am a good listener. I don’t have any political ideologies or factorial wonders but I absorb what others talk about. I don’t retain whose kids are playing soccer or how the baby is walking. It goes in one ear and out the other. I do pay attention to what the question was and who made it.

I also notice a strange habit we have when we get together. I classify these people as “friends” because of shared experiences more than agreement on emotional bonding. We have a follow up to some of our comments to what I would call “bullying”. Maybe other groups do the same, but it stood out in my mind this weekend. We make a comment and the reply indicated physical harm. It is all taken in good fun, but I wonder why we do that? As I recall we have always done that. Is it a guy thing? Of course we never do harm to each other but it is a sort of teasing that is acceptable to all.

After hours of watching police cars race up and down the streets with flashing lights, I wonder when they will run out of gas or the battery will go dead? Are all those firemen and policemen standing around getting tired? Maybe I should get back on social media and read what people are saying? Maybe I should turn off all the electronics and retire to the parlor for a quiet conversation with myself?