SHAKES FIST ANGRILY!!!

A residue of sorrow: Being reminded what really matters.

Which is a lot less than we believe.

Or maybe its ‘old-er’ age – hard earned wisdom that all we thought really mattered – not so much.

Part of what we’re ‘into’ and think matters depending upon who else shares our passion.

Our son Danny was a big Braves and Georgetown basketball fan, and his departure removed my touchstone to both.

A thought occurring on my beach walk today when John Fogerty’s ‘Centerfield’ came up; a great baseball tribute that always makes me recall (cue the rippling thought clouds) sitting in Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium center field bleachers – 85 cents, cheap even in 1975 – watching Paul Blair, the Oriole’s defensively gifted center fielder; my dream to be him.

I wonder if he dreamed of working for Coke?

And with pitchers and catchers reporting and spring training games beginning next week, the younger me would be looking forward to the season with anticipation.

Meh.

 I now follow Braves games haltingly on my phone. The only televised sport I watch UGA football – the family connections enduring there.

I barely hate the Dodgers any more, freeing up lots of time – a side effect of ‘not much makes me angry’ anymore. I just grumble.

Free time a plus to my evolution: Debating using the extra time to make jam, learn how to play the banjo, or make a Disneyworld diorama out of soap.

Studying my options now – nothing rash at my age – hate to throw out my back.

Part of my time now spent on Substack, the “New economic engine for culture!” a free website devoted to writers and writing.

My Sunday beersatthenifty posted there as well, to the delight of my 12 subscribers.

But as I scroll obsessively though the zillion or so posts/articles, I notice 2 things: Anger and conspiracy theories.

With maybe a 3^rd: Angry conspiracy theories.

And once I began noticing anger, I noticed anger everywhere!

All accompanied by the F word, name calling and death threats: F*N death threats!

Folks seem pissed off: Angry, immediate backlash erupting on-line! Fans outraged! Tensions erupt!

How did we get here?

A big part of it Trump, part anti-Trump.

He using childish insults we thought were childish when 7, ‘The Resistance’ calling him a Nazi, Autocrat and “Fat, fat, fatty -you smell bad!”.

Part of it clickbait, designed to make people even angrier, click and anger more.

A big part social media’s anonymity, everyone a potential angry unseen troll these days. A big contributor to why decorum has gone off the rails…

And the conspiracy theories:

The moon landing was real, I watched it on TV. Didn’t I?

Ted Williams and Walt Disney have been thawed, and will be playing the outfield for the Dodgers. Along with every other free agent.

Conspiracy theorists the ones saying “Just asking questions.”

Like Candace Owens – the queen of conspiracy theorists – ‘just asking’ if the president of France was a man. Well, of course not – he’s French!

But to paraphrase Dondi, “Ignore their anger – be the calm you want to see”.

Fortunately, another residue of sorrow and being un-angry is re-learning what really matters: Friends and family.

A lesson to act upon every day: If you’ve a loved one you haven’t told you love them lately, do it now.

Always do it now… and in a non-angry tone.

A lesson relearned in troubled times, our neighbors demonstrating how great they can be in a common cause.

The current example, the kindness and concern of strangers rooting for Nancy Guthrie’s return – a reminder that the people we’re angry at aren’t so bad after all…

ENHANCE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS POST, PAIR WITH THE FOLLOWING ‘AGING HIPSTER MUSIC’:

A friend recently recommended Kingfishr (yes, no E), an Irish band from Limerick. Good stuff. They have a banjo player – that could have been me.