An Epitaph for Heros and Bums
An essay about subtle appreciation or lack thereof34 total reviews
Comment from Pyrrho
To self examine is to ask the wrong person. Your circular trip ended as it should. Don't you just love garage sales? I probably bought more at auctions and garage sales than at stores. whenever I visit my daughter I see a house full of my stuff.
reply by the author on 13-Aug-2014
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To self examine is to ask the wrong person. Your circular trip ended as it should. Don't you just love garage sales? I probably bought more at auctions and garage sales than at stores. whenever I visit my daughter I see a house full of my stuff.
Comment Written 13-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 13-Aug-2014
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For the last few years, I have systematically been divesting myself of stuff--too much stuff gathered over a lifetime, but I still couldn't walk away from two bargains, huge oversized, framed mirrors for $30. I have absolutely no place to put them, unless one counts the garage where they've been all week since I got back. Crazy!
Comment from scd41
The present generation is sold out to instant food for their conveniences. McDonald and others do attractive packings to camouflage their high-calory contents inside. The most important thing, not found in them, is the personal care and love with which homemade food is prepared. I enjoyed reading your submission.
reply by the author on 12-Aug-2014
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The present generation is sold out to instant food for their conveniences. McDonald and others do attractive packings to camouflage their high-calory contents inside. The most important thing, not found in them, is the personal care and love with which homemade food is prepared. I enjoyed reading your submission.
Comment Written 12-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 12-Aug-2014
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Thank you for sharing my nostalgia.
Comment from dennis0530
Old habits die hard or they never die at all; maybe just transformed or delegated?
(House) cleaning habit is just so pervasive that shirkers are beginning to call it an obsessive/compulsive behavior. Psychologically a good way to avoid. it.
The hero/bum strategy is a good method to have things done. It works both ways and is already being employed by the son.
Whenever we do things satisfactorily for those who we love, a hot bowl of home-made soup is a treat to be enjoyed.
Was it only me to notice that "heros" should be "heroes?" or is this an accepted form?
reply by the author on 12-Aug-2014
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Old habits die hard or they never die at all; maybe just transformed or delegated?
(House) cleaning habit is just so pervasive that shirkers are beginning to call it an obsessive/compulsive behavior. Psychologically a good way to avoid. it.
The hero/bum strategy is a good method to have things done. It works both ways and is already being employed by the son.
Whenever we do things satisfactorily for those who we love, a hot bowl of home-made soup is a treat to be enjoyed.
Was it only me to notice that "heros" should be "heroes?" or is this an accepted form?
Comment Written 12-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 12-Aug-2014
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It depends on which Spellcheck one uses. I too think it should be heroes, but I get corrected and at any rate heros looks better.
Thanks for the read.
Comment from AAud
This was a great essay; well presented with a good flow. There doesn't appear to be one unnecessary sentence in the whole thing.
By the end, I thought you deserved that bouquet of flowers. I was wishing you'd gone back and got them after all!
reply by the author on 11-Aug-2014
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This was a great essay; well presented with a good flow. There doesn't appear to be one unnecessary sentence in the whole thing.
By the end, I thought you deserved that bouquet of flowers. I was wishing you'd gone back and got them after all!
Comment Written 11-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 11-Aug-2014
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Thanks for reading. I bought two very large mirrors at the garage sale that I don't need and have no place to hang. LOL
Comment from Kausar_Javeria
Hello there~!
Hahah! This is very well-written. My favourite part was the 'hero/bum' threat. Love it!
Good luck in t he contest!
JazakAllah Khair~!
(God Bless~!)
(^_^)-<~~KAUSAR~~>-(^_^)
reply by the author on 11-Aug-2014
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Hello there~!
Hahah! This is very well-written. My favourite part was the 'hero/bum' threat. Love it!
Good luck in t he contest!
JazakAllah Khair~!
(God Bless~!)
(^_^)-<~~KAUSAR~~>-(^_^)
Comment Written 11-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 11-Aug-2014
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Thanks. I had creative ways of talking to my son when he became a teenage, some of which included the amputation of critical body parts.
Comment from Emily George
Interesting article. It shows the different values of today.
Though I still think people love homade produce and your son would love the trip down memory lane for his taste buds.
reply by the author on 11-Aug-2014
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Interesting article. It shows the different values of today.
Though I still think people love homade produce and your son would love the trip down memory lane for his taste buds.
Comment Written 11-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 11-Aug-2014
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Surprisingly, I don't think he cares at all. Last year he grew tomatoes and I canned 24 jars of chile/spagetti sauce and it's all still in his cupboard.
Thanks for reading.
Comment from ExperiencingLiphe
I work a full time job and come home and supper and dishes and blah! I won't lie I let my apartment go on our six day stretches and sometimes, okay most of the time, our couches are full of junk because I didn't put it away and I left it there but it's homey...LOL. And after everything I need me time and if I did everything every night I wouldn't get the me time. I don't make homemade soup or anything like that and in McDonald's defense they are way more healthier than they were when I was little. They have apple dipper now. LOL. Home-made stuff is okay but I grew up on store bought noodles and stuff, we made home-noodles and they were...different? I wouldn't want them all the time. It's just not what I'm use to. Will is the cook and boy can he cook. Yum! When I grew up my parents let us do whatever in our room. We were told that was our room and if people came over we'd just shut our door. When our friends came over my mom tried the: Don't you get embarrassed with your room like that and your friends seeing it? Nope, I wasn't. My friends know who I was. LOL. My bedroom isn't trashed like it used to be now that I'm on own but it definitely doesn't get cleaned like the other rooms. This was a fun read. Great job
cleaned,you (cleaned, you)
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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I work a full time job and come home and supper and dishes and blah! I won't lie I let my apartment go on our six day stretches and sometimes, okay most of the time, our couches are full of junk because I didn't put it away and I left it there but it's homey...LOL. And after everything I need me time and if I did everything every night I wouldn't get the me time. I don't make homemade soup or anything like that and in McDonald's defense they are way more healthier than they were when I was little. They have apple dipper now. LOL. Home-made stuff is okay but I grew up on store bought noodles and stuff, we made home-noodles and they were...different? I wouldn't want them all the time. It's just not what I'm use to. Will is the cook and boy can he cook. Yum! When I grew up my parents let us do whatever in our room. We were told that was our room and if people came over we'd just shut our door. When our friends came over my mom tried the: Don't you get embarrassed with your room like that and your friends seeing it? Nope, I wasn't. My friends know who I was. LOL. My bedroom isn't trashed like it used to be now that I'm on own but it definitely doesn't get cleaned like the other rooms. This was a fun read. Great job
cleaned,you (cleaned, you)
Comment Written 10-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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Glad it brought up all those thoughts. Now that I live alone, I rarely cook anything, but remember well. Thanks for the visit.
Oh, and I've never made pasta, just the sauces.
Comment from Cumbrianlass
I looked back with you as I read this. Not that I ever pickled much or made jam, but my mum did and so did her mum. I always tried to feed my son nutritious meals too, although sometimes there was too much month left at the end of the money. Thank Kraft for Kraft dinner. I'd chuck in a tin of tuna for a bit more 'bite'.
You should have bought those flowers, Ingrid. Do it next time. You deserve them.
Did you get any deals at the garage sale?
What? Your writing? Oh, it was brilliant, as always.
Love av
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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I looked back with you as I read this. Not that I ever pickled much or made jam, but my mum did and so did her mum. I always tried to feed my son nutritious meals too, although sometimes there was too much month left at the end of the money. Thank Kraft for Kraft dinner. I'd chuck in a tin of tuna for a bit more 'bite'.
You should have bought those flowers, Ingrid. Do it next time. You deserve them.
Did you get any deals at the garage sale?
What? Your writing? Oh, it was brilliant, as always.
Love av
Comment Written 10-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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Ironically, I did, but I DON'T need anything. Two huge mirrors, framed, one in pine and the other brushed nickel--$30 for the two. BUT, I have no f***g idea where I'll put them. They're currently in the garage.
Thanks for all the twinklers.
Comment from Trybuck
Life does have a way of changing us. What was most important a few years ago doesn't seem so needed today. Well done with this story and hope it does well in the contest, Buck
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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Life does have a way of changing us. What was most important a few years ago doesn't seem so needed today. Well done with this story and hope it does well in the contest, Buck
Comment Written 10-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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Yes, time and age does change many things and evolving relationship.
Comment from DALLAS01
I struggle with the answer to this issue. Why did I do it, was it worth it, was in appreciated, did I do it out of habit, to look good, to avert my own mother's criticism, and on and on. I no longer make the effort I once did, and have a secret fear that if I retire completely those remaining habits will go to hell in a hand basket.
I've come to the sad conclusion that a lot of my energy was geared at trying to compensate for what I conceived were failures in other areas of family life.
My efforts paled to my sister's, who is O.C.D. And a perfectionist to boot. I have watched in awe, and sometimes disgust, over the years as she has put herself out time after time for children and grandchildren, who appear not to have really appreciated it. But the bottom line is that her grandchildren, on numerous occasions, have reiterated those wonderful memories.
She did not do it out of guilt, but rather out
co-dependency.
Guess the why-fors don't really matter. Every effort had a benefactor. So just doing the right is always justified.
As homes age, they gradually all into disrepair.
As we age time hurls us into soul's despair
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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I struggle with the answer to this issue. Why did I do it, was it worth it, was in appreciated, did I do it out of habit, to look good, to avert my own mother's criticism, and on and on. I no longer make the effort I once did, and have a secret fear that if I retire completely those remaining habits will go to hell in a hand basket.
I've come to the sad conclusion that a lot of my energy was geared at trying to compensate for what I conceived were failures in other areas of family life.
My efforts paled to my sister's, who is O.C.D. And a perfectionist to boot. I have watched in awe, and sometimes disgust, over the years as she has put herself out time after time for children and grandchildren, who appear not to have really appreciated it. But the bottom line is that her grandchildren, on numerous occasions, have reiterated those wonderful memories.
She did not do it out of guilt, but rather out
co-dependency.
Guess the why-fors don't really matter. Every effort had a benefactor. So just doing the right is always justified.
As homes age, they gradually all into disrepair.
As we age time hurls us into soul's despair
Comment Written 10-Aug-2014
reply by the author on 10-Aug-2014
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You are right to be concerned about full retirement. Welcome to my hand basket. Unless you are clear about how you will spend your time when you are entirely in charge of your scheduling, everything can go to seed. Much of hat I force myself to do is only because I'll get caught NOT doing things. I'm a lousy supervisor, but once upon a time I was an incredible executive, armed with focus and bottom line accountability.
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It's a real concern of mine. I can go from one end of the spectrum to the other in a heart beat. And I don't think knowing that about myself is any guarantee that I won't take a plunge into "I don't give a damn, anymore.
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Living alone, with no one to answer to is the danger.
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There's a stage in between called unless I have to care, and then we revert to habitual movements and attitudes.
