Always Glad To See July 26

Always glad to see the dawn of a July 26. I made it through another 365 days, a little wiser, a little more worse for wear ,maybe a wee bit disheartened but unfailingly optimistic.I enjoy the blessing of good friends who on occasion laugh at my jokes, being part of a family I happened into, a fair amount of good health and remarkably, I have retained my sanity though many might like to put that up for debate.

I'm still way to vain about age. The rational side of me knows it's just a number and people d0n't always judge  you based on the number of years you've existed, but you won't find any listing of the age I slipped into today and I don't think I will ever be comfortable discussing it.

I kept wondering when the years would start catching up to me. I was still active and not overly gray and involving myself in a myriad of projects that a younger person might avoid. But,this was the year age caught up with me.I  have arthritis and my mobility is compromised. A year ago I didn't have a handicapped parking sign or walk with a cane. Stuff that came easy for me is now a bit of a hassle but I have refused to let the handicap stand in the way and I do what I need to do even though it is uncomfortable. It would be easy to say that I am worse off as this birthday arrives than I was last year but I don't see it that way. I have had to retire and my time is my own now and I have begun a number of things to improve myself and my surroundings and it is an exciting time. I have had limitations on the way I could live and things I wanted to do. Thankfully, some of that has melted away and I intend to enjoy all the remaining birthdays and the days in between them.

Where I am worse off, like our country, is in our political climate. I am living during the reign of the worst president in our nation's history who has divided the country and with his party, brought misery to many Americans. Our health care is in as much danger as our freedoms. But with age comes wisdom and we've been in fixes like this previously and endured. I will never stop standing up for what I believe in and being the vocal opposition to oppression and injustice. And I won't quit being a smart ass either. I've still got some boat rocking in me (have you seen the shows I write and direct each year?) and sometimes I never know what I'm going to say and that's the way I like it.

I've learned patience and I have a loyal partner with a sharp wit all her own, a loving and amazing cat ,Bruce Springsteen on the radio and those aforementioned treasured friendships. Maybe I've become a slave to routine in some cases-I find that comforting-but it has not hampered me in any way.  I will never like talking on the phone but I will always enjoy texting and social media. Not much of a fan of writing or talking about myself but birthdays make me reflective so this one time,the word "I" has appeared more than either of us might like.Thanks for indulging me.

If you have taken time out of your day to read this,chances are you are one of the people who has made an imprint on my life be it large or small and that is a wonderful gift and I thank you.

I am going to get a glass of wine and sit in the yard.

AS WE DANCE ON KATHY'S GRAVE WE DIG OUR OWN

    I have had a lifelong interest in comedy. I've been writing it since I was a kid, some of it professionally. I am fortunate enough to have a comedy group and I am a devotee of satire and of stand ups. Though there are far too few of them, I also  enjoy a well crafted sitcom.

      So when talk of humor turns serious and makes the news, I take special note.

       And in case you haven't noticed, it's open season on comedians which is ironic since we have a clown occupying the highest office in the land. Professional comedians and talk show hosts thanked the comedy gods when Trump was put into office knowing that he would provide them with bushels of material not seen since the Reagan administration. But things have taken an ugly turn and while making jokes in the land of free has always been a right just as free speech has been a right, it is something that no longer is guaranteed and that is alarming.

       I think every American citizen should be allowed to burn the flag. Would I do it? No, absolutely not. Do I think you should do it? No, never. But one of the freedoms we have been able to enjoy until recently is freedom of expression...freedom of speech. If someone feels that burning the flag expresses their feelings, they may do so without consequence. And the government agrees. Laws making it illegal to burn the flag have consistently been voted down by our elected officials.

      Kathy Griffin posed for an unfortunate picture clutching the cut off head of Donald Trump. Is it something I would've done? No. I am one of many who hold #45 in great contempt but I cannot conceive of ever creating any punchlines or pictures that deal with the demise of the commander in chief nor endorse anything that threatens him harm.

     But throughout history, jesters and comedians have jabbed power with barbs. Satirists like Mort Sahl and Mark Russell, George Carlin  and indeed Mark Twain have always held those in office accountable and the American people are better off for it.  Comedy is an art and this is not a good time for the arts. The current administration is cutting funding for the arts almost as fast as they are cutting needed funds for the less fortunate.
    The Trumpbots of the rigid right are aghast! Oh the humanity! Look what this comedian did! She has crossed a line! They are fretting and moaning and calling (ironically) for the head of Kathy Griffin. The same people who looked the other way when  singer  Ted Nugent repeatedly called for the death of Barack Obama, and not as part of a comedy act. That joker was serious. So Trump hosted Nugent at the White House.

     Bill Maher should know better. You steer as clear as you possibly can from the "N" word or any form of it. In a lame attempt to be funny, Maher uttered a slur and inadvertently became more fodder for the outraged right who have been looking for an excuse to bring the notoriously liberal and outspoken comedian/host  down in exchange for the sins of pointing out the obvious failures and flaws of right wing republicans. They see blood in the water now, even though the GOP record on civil rights pales in comparison to what Maher has done for that cause. Maher is not prejudiced. He has been a truth teller and an advocate for civil rights. But none of that matters now. He slipped up and here they come, hot on the trail of vengeance.

     The job of a comedian is to push the envelope, speak truth to power, and sometimes they stumble but the penalty should not be to have you life and career ruined by a bully. And if you are paying attention, the leader of the free world has made it his mission to destroy Kathy Griffin. He and his co horts are taking steps to bring the hammer down on her life's work. They are pressuring her sponsors and her concert venues and things germane to her life's work. . With so much work that needs to be done and the cloud of impeachment hovering, your president concerns himself with Kathy Griffin. A lifetime of making people laugh and doing countless charitable benefits and making donations to those less fortunate. ....Griffin and Maher have done that,

       Should a mistake or an error in judgement cost any of us our livlihood? Of course it shouldn't. And whether you find Griffin funny or not, indeed even if you don't care for her humor, there is a bigger issue here. A basic freedom is in jeopardy.

        So dance on the grave of Kathy Griffin's career if it makes you happy. But hope that your family member, your friend or your co worker does nothing that 45 considers to be an affront . He went after Kathy Griffin and some day he may come after you.

         And you would think Trump could appreciate a good joke. It defines his presidency.

THE BEST SPOT ON THE BLOCK

 I might not have the best looking car, the most fashionable house,the most lovable cat...(wait, I DO have the most lovable cat) or the prettiest lawn but I have the best parking space on the block, right out front.

I know this because everyone parks in front of my house but me. If there's space in front of their home, they still park in front of mine.  Sometimes 3 cars try to squeeze in the spot and it looks like a bus is out there. They all want a piece of that valued property. Why? I have no idea.

Maybe it is the sprawling oak tree that serves as "nature's garage" for the garageless. Perhaps they feel the vehicle is safer with this form of shelter. Maybe it's the streetlight just across the street that keeps the space bright all night cutting down the chances of vandalism. Maybe they just want to annoy the heck out of me.

And so my visitors have had to take a shuttle bus from whee they had to park to pay me a visit. I once had to circle my block like an airliner circles O'Hare in the rain while praying I will find a space that will get me home before the weekend.

I don't ask much in this life....a comfortable bed, a hot meal, the company of friends and a chance to park in front of my own house a few times a year.

The house next door to me has more people in it than attended the Cubs victory parade and they each seem to have a car and none of them  particularly anxious to park by their own hotel... I mean, house. Are they trying to throw off the authorities?

The biggest offender and the guy who covets my space the most is a small man with a red car who delights in parking in that space in front of my house. Sometimes right in front of it, sometimes inches in front or back of that prime real estate but always there when I look out the window. I have no idea what this guy does for a living but he seems to only use his car to go to and from work on irregular days and when he doesn't go to work it sits there sometimes for as long as 36-48 hours.
I bet he even gets under the skin of the other poachers. Sometimes the curbs are bare as far as the eye can see, but for him, in front of my house though he could have had any space he wanted.

To add some pathos to the story I recently have developed mobility problems that make getting around a bit problematical. I am carting around a cane and moving at a snail's pace. It is evident to the neighbors that I am not going to be running any marathons soon and still they flock to my space with no regard for my hobble.

Helpful friends whose names I won't mention have suggested everything from a sharp key to crushed glass but so far I have only resorted to cursing.

However, the swear words will soon be in the other mouth. The free parking is over! The city has
graciously agreed that I could benefit from handicapped parking signs and that means there is going to be chaos on the street where I live. Cars will be scrambling to take up the spaces of other neighbors or heaven forbid....park in front of their own building! Imagine!

If I had my choice, I would rather keep the annoyance and lose the cane but if these are the cards I've been dealt I'll play them and enjoy the result. Fewer steps, a guaranteed spot on a car laden block and a chance to see what my neighbor's car looks like in front of his own house.

Little do these motorists know they are in the final days of parking 'neath the old oak tree. I am thinking of popping some champagne and sharing it with the city workers who will soon be putting in those signs.

There is only one drawback to being able to park in front of my house. That Oak Tree provides shade and shelter but it is also a fine host to all kinds of birds who now won't have a selection of autos on which to take care of business. My hood may soon resemble a rorschach test but what a small price to pay to be able to park in one's own zip code.