Mortality.

10 years ago today my life was turned upside down. I wrote in depth about it two years ago and you can read about it here. One thing that I want to stress is I am not writing about this looking for people to feel sorry for me. Death is a part of our lives and you have two options, bury yourself in grief or move forward. I am going forward and am enjoying life.

Subconsciously however, this year it has been more on my mind than in the past. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was having a major case of writers block. This is what caused it. I really wasn't aware of it until I took the time to analyze it. So why is it bothering me more this year? I believe it is because this is the tenth year. There is something about every 10 that makes it more significant. One of Jack Benny's long time gags was that he was 39 years old, never turning 40. The older he got the funnier the joke was, but to some it is no joke. Considering the alternative, I would rather get older.

One of my favorite Harry Chapin songs is called There Only Was One Choice. Unless you are a Harry fan you probably have never heard it because it is a 15 minute song. One of my favorite lines from the song is:
I have a problem with my aging
I no longer can ignore
A tamed and toothless tabby
Can't produce a lion's roar.

We all know there is only one outcome to life. When younger we feel we are indestructible and don't worry about it. As we age we begin to accept the inevitability of it. I have debated with myself as to which is harder to deal with, the suddenness of death like with my wife, or the waiting for the inevitable like with my Dad. Neither is easy but life does go on for the rest of us. There is a period of intense grief, but then you have to move forward. I know people who can't do that. My wife was like that after her dad died. I focus on the now, with occasional side trips like what I have experienced recently. One message I have continually spread is let those you love know how you feel. You really don't know when you won't be able to do so anymore.

My plans for today is to keep myself busy and not be home until I am ready to collapse into bed. I am going to one of my favorite places in Georgia, the Chicamauga Battlefield. I love history and that is a great place to go and be alone with your thoughts. To those of you who read this I want you to know that I really do appreciate you. We may have never met but I consider you all good friends. Have a great day. I plan to.

Responsibility.

Once again we have someone who failed to use common sense and now wants to sue over it. Lauren Rosenberg is suing Google because she was hit by a car when she followed Google Maps while walking to a destination in Park City, Utah. Part of the route called for her to use a highway. Since there were no sidewalks, Ms. Rosenberg decided the best way to travel that road was to walk down the center of it. Not surprisingly, she was hit by a car. In addition to Google she is also suing the driver who hit her. Her lawyer said he was amazed at the negative publicity that his client has received from this. He also was amazed to learn that there is no Santa Claus.

Too many people today need a class in common sense. Ms Rosenberg is in her 20's, which makes her old enough to know that walking down the middle of a highway is not a good idea. I have not yet ran across a story that says what time the accident happened, but I have seen enough to get the impression that it was in the evening. If that is the case it makes what she did even more ridiculous.

It seems today that no one wants to accept responsibility for their actions. If something bad happens the first thing a lot of people do is try to figure out who they can sue. I am not totally against lawsuits. If someone sells a defective product they should be held accountable. If a doctor is truly negligent he should pay the price. However, a company that makes curling irons should not have to tell people not to use this while you are asleep. You are responsible for your own actions. It is time that comes back into effect.

Need A Car?

A 1965 used Astin Martin. Driven by some guy named Bond while chasing someone with the odd name of Auric Goldfinger. The asking price is only $4 million. What a bargain.

A Pleasant Surprise.

I am my own tax preparer. I always file form 1040-EZ so I see no sense in paying someone else to do it. (Of course that makes my inner Jack Benny happy.) This year I filed on April 15 because I owed almost $100. The reason that I owed was from working at Taco Bell last year where nothing was withheld. So I filed, paid, and forgot about it.

Imagine my surprise when yesterday I recieved a letter from the IRS. The first thing I did was check the name and address. They matched. I opened the envelope, looked at the check, and got very happy. A note in it said I would receive an explanation in a few days. As far as how much I got, lets just say it was a little more than the $20 in my illustration. I have another five day vacation coming up this weekend so I will now do a little more than I planned. Incidentally, I will not be taking another blog break this time.