Category: Generic

Red Flag

Daily writing prompt
What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you?
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There are a lot of personality traits that act like warning beacons for me. Lack of empathy, selfishness, unwillingness to pet cats when the opportunity arises. There is one that stands out above all others though. Really, it’s not a personality trait in and of itself. It is more like the result of a series of red flaggable traits.

The red flag of which I speak is being a trump supporter. Those stupid red MAGA hats are literally red flags that they stick onto their own heads. Thanks for that, I guess.

If you are a trump supporter then in the best case you are someone for whom racism, hate, greed, sexism, nationalism, selfishness, and full on fascism are not a deal breaker. That’s enough for me to avoid you at all cost. Worst case, of course, is that you are just a plain old run of the mill fascist and that’s enough for my country to go to war with you, as evidenced by that little blip on history’s radar from back in the 1940’s. Remember that? When half the West was conquered by nazis and the other half banded together to eliminate them? That little historical event? Yeah. That’s where your trump support leads.

That’s it. Simple. Support trump and set off all of my red flags.

I Have Not Forgotten

I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that it has been 22 years since 9/11. I was an adult when it happened. How can I have been an adult 22 years ago? Does not compute.

I wrote a recap of my view of that day back in 2018 so I am not going to write it again. Someday I might revisit things and then compare what I write to what I wrote before. I’ll view it as a time-affecting-perspective exercise. Not today though.

I haven’t forgotten how it felt, being mesmerized by it all. I never want to feel that way again, but whenever people post pictures of the burning buildings I feel like I am being dragged back into it against my will. Jen and I often spend a little time looking through documentaries, but that is something I choose to do. It’s also something I prepare myself for in advance. Popping onto social media this morning and seeing images of planes crashing into buildings just feels like a punch in the face and a kick in the balls. Even knowing the date, I am never ready for that sort of thing and it’s awful. I don’t need that sort of reminder, thank you. I mean, folks are going to do what they need to do, right? I just feel like, for me personally, today is a good day to avoid the socials. That’s all.

I have not forgotten, and I never will.

The Ideal Week

Daily writing prompt
Describe your ideal week.
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This is probably going to sound a little on the boring side, but just remember… I’m old.

Right then, the ideal week…

  • Monday through Friday
    • Spend some quality time with Jen
    • Help one of my staff members figure out a complicated issue that helps a customer provide quality healthcare to their patients
    • Play some guitar
    • Take a couple of fun and interesting photographs
    • Hit all of my exercise, diet, and vitamin goals
    • Pet two cats
  • Saturday and Sunday
    • Spend some quality time with Jen
    • Play some guitar
    • Take a couple of fun and interesting photographs
    • Hit all of my exercise, diet, and vitamin goals
    • Go somewhere or do something fun. Take a drive, see something interesting, explore something new, it doesn’t matter what or where as long as Jen and I do it together
    • Pet two cats

And there you have it, gentle readers. My ideal week. Or should I say, the somewhat boring ideal week of a 52 year old red head in Massachusetts.

I hope you enjoyed that. You’re welcome.

Respect

Daily writing prompt
Name the professional athletes you respect the most and why.
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There was a time when I felt okay about holding up some pro athletes as worthy of respect, but those days are over. There have been too many times when an athlete or a celebrity I admired on a public or professional level turned out to be an utter scumbag on a personal level. Jen and I were literally talking about this during our long drive up to Vermont yesterday.

The last straw was Bobby Orr. The single greatest hockey player in the history of ice on Earth let it be known that he was a Trump supporter. Everyone who knew Bobby Orr raved about what a kind, decent, respectable man he was and then boom, he’s at best a nazi sympathizer and at worst a full blooded, card carrying nazi himself. To hell with him. I can’t ignore fascism. Any and all respect I had for him as a human when right down the toilet.

There are still a few folks that seem respect worthy, but are they? Are they worth it? David Ortiz and Patrice Bergeron both seem like good people, but is there something in their personal life that will dispel that theory someday? It’s just not worth the effort. I choose to keep their professional lives as isolated from the rest of reality as I can.

Sorry about that.