I make and sometimes break New Years resolutions...so

Okay, moving right along here. Went out and bought yet another bathing suit today. I have several in increasing sizes in a bottom drawer so this isn't a new idea. What is new I just put the suit, a towel, the never worn years old thongs, and soap into a duffle bag. That's never happened before. Chatting with the delightful clerk about my yearly bathing suit purchase and how I never actually get to the pool she said something about it being hard sometimes to make the effort in winter driving conditions. I could have kept my big mouth shut but no, I admitted I live 2 blocks from the pool. She has a wonderful laugh :)

Caution: Current rethink underway.

It’s been a couple of years now since I retired and there have been a few surprises, I must say. Surprise number one: clientele interaction had pretty much replaced social interaction. I had an inkling but yes, it’s time to admit, I’d become a hermit of sorts. So, I’ve been making an effort to put myself out there. There’s the painting group. I’ve attended enough sessions now to feel fairly comfortable. I was accused of appropriating aboriginal art at one point and my reaction was to stay away but after a missing a few sessions I got my to-heck-with-it back and all is well.

Then I saw a poster at the library showing a bunch of older folks sitting around a table having a wonderful time. It was an invitation to a free memoir writing class. I signed up. It’s been a roller coaster of emotion but overall well worth the angst. For one thing, I’ve learned I have angst. Oh Em Gee. I’ve also learned, when it comes to me being me in social situations, it’s well deserved angst. My parents weren’t completely out to lunch when they set about training me to accept that, as my mom would put it, ‘I’m not very likeable’. News flash: all those memes about being yourself are rubbish. If you’re a social moron, it’s probably best to keep a lid on it. I’m working on it.

It’s a great group of people and a fantastic facilitator. I’ve learned some things, for sure. I don’t want to write a memoir for one thing. I do want to write, though. That’s the biggie. There’s a feeling that I get when I’ve been working on something and I’ve finished it. I’ve missed that. When I was potting I’d aim for this many butter dishes and when they were sitting there, shining, in their fresh-off-the-wheel beauty the sense of satisfaction...well, it’s good. I’ve been getting that again from the last sentence. Dot.

And, like potting, writing is done in isolation. For me, that’s the good news/bad news thing. Learning to play nice with others is still on my list of goals but the contentment that I feel during periods of quietly ‘doing’ by myself can’t be a bad thing either. I have to get out there and screw up once in awhile to realize that. So now, I’m back to that aspect of life that continues to baffle. I’m organizing. I’m trying (and you know I don’t like that ’t’ word) to rid myself of the remnants of past interests and make my environment and routine condusive to current activities and goals. How about that, fellow stay-at-home travellers.

So, here goes. I have a file cabinet. Most of the content is rubbish. Good day for a back yard burn.

Well, that's rude!

There was a phone-in show on radio (was that this morning) and the subject was rudeness. Are we getting ruder? If so, why? As so often happens, I was just thinking about rudeness. More in the context of what constitutes rudeness and is that changing. AND is rudeness a popular trend.

My neighbour is always chiming in from her side of the fence on conversations I'm having with visitors on my side of the fence. I consider that terribly rude. She, apparently, doesn't. In her case, I don't think it's a matter of following a trend. I take it to be just a general, old-fashioned if you will, way of participating that would once have been considered a quirk.

Last time I had a dinner party one of the guests felt it was appropriate to sneer about the menu in general and after having second helpings of everything pointed out that I certainly hadn't made much of an effort. He stated that he makes this stuff all the time so he knows how easy it is to 'throw together.' Well, it took me a lot of time and effort so I can't help but be happy for him that he finds it effortless but sheesh...I think that was rude. But again, just a personality quirk.

When it came to the phone-in there were many and varied suggestion as to what the heck is happening on a broader scale. There seemed a consensis that there's something more than quirkiness going on out there. Television was hit hard. I can really understand why. I watch television. I watch a lot of television. Once in a while I like to watch at least a few minutes of some programs that I know are popular but I haven't really acquainted myself with. Or I'll turn the TV on and watch whatever happens to be there. Such was the case one day when I stumbled upon an entertainment report thing. It had that Mulrooney boy on it and a couple of young women, (one was named Tanya I believe). They were sitting on a couch and talking about the way some tremendously accomplished actresses had been dressed at an awards show. Now you want to talk about rude. They were Rude. I kept expecting someone to step into the frame and stop them.

Then there's a show where a group of people in Britain go to each member of the groups home for dinner. The commentator is extremely rude and often the participants are almost as bad. (Maybe my dinner guest got his cues from that one.)

The point is, it's out there, and I think it is on the rise. It's hopefully not going to appeal to everyone but just like vandalizing and theivery and meyham in general there are people who are going to think, when they run into rudeness, 'oh, sweet, that's the way to be.' Well, I don't know about y'all but I'm going to do what I can to buck this trend. Lord knows I'll screw up from time to time and let forth with a rude comment but rest assured, if you're on the receiving end, you can feel free to set me straight in no uncertain terms. Please.