I am thinking about my Saturday spin class protocol as I listen to a book on tape while navigating the eight semi-rural miles between house and club. It becomes quickly apparent that I need to eliminate one, or probably two, in order to better focus on the safe navigation on my truck. Music in the background is one thing but trying to absorb delicate conversations integral to the story being told, is another altogether. Then there is the well-intentioned (mostly) people on e-bikes with little or no cycling experience thinking that they are bullet-proof in a two-way asphalt battle zone. Relax, focus, anticipate.
A gentle, I assume, creative and fearless entrepreneur has set up an adult’s version of a lemonade stand along the road that I travel four times a day. He or she, has built a woodsy, folksy and totally cool cedar three-sided cabin with which to house inventory, display wares and conduct commerce. There are just a pair of items on-sale, shopping bags of fire-ready cedar kindling for $5 per bag and my personal favorite, organic free-range Montana river rocks, also for a mere $5 per stone. I have been keeping a mental spread-sheet of turns on inventory of each since the operation opened with a soft launch just before Christmas. There is also a banner loosely attached to the ‘cabin’ promotion the sponsorship of an organization called Raising the Blues. I had no idea as to what their direction or purpose was prior to doing a Google vet ten minutes ago. I invite you to do similar as I was very surprised and pleased with the mission.
Freeing up available memory as I drive also has the side benefit of inviting unsolicited random input. A somewhat seamy personal response to the gross corruption currently on display from the republican party has, like hate speech inspiring a 226% increase in hate crimes, caused me to think about fighting fire with fire. These sacks of slime are not working for the benefit of the people they are bought and sold by corporate America. As I asked yesterday of a confused potential swing voter, if I gave you a million dollars would you vote for our guy? This is exactly what happens. The ‘bigs’: Oil, pharma, energy, medicine, education, military-industrial and banking, ‘donates’ millions to the politicians elected by the people to pass legislation to make their profits even greater. And the pols do. YOU WOULD TOO, I accuse the poor guy at the business end of my smoking rhetorical AR-15.
This disgusts me no end. But it also helps explain a lot too. Nobody can be so evil as to deny health care, housing, schooling, nourishing food and a decent paying job to people just because they are not rich and white. Right?
So I plot ways to overthrow, rebel, incite and be as civilly disobedient as a non-violent revolutionary can possible be. I decide that I will hedge on my taxes and get that two dollar savings from line 18b on the 1040, charitable donations. THAT OUTTA SHOW THEM!
I am laughing at the silliness of my response when I pass the kindling/rock stand. There is an older woman loading rocks into her SUV. I take an immediate left into the closest driveway, back out and U my turn. I pull up in the drive, roll down my window and ask the woman if she needs help loading the medium sized rocks. Seems she is done and walks the five steps towards me and hands me a twenty dollar bill. Hey Andy.
Instantly the entire sequence plays out in my mind. She thinks I am the proprietor. trump would take it. Trickle down hate-o-nomics. Corrupt and greedy eye for immoral, unethical eye. Take the ill- gotten gains and run offshore to bank. Blame Obama.
‘I was just offering assistance, ma’am, I am not the owner.’
She is embarrassed. But hurries back to reclaim the twenty.
‘Thanks anyway.’
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