Hop's Thoughts

I had attempted to write a poem about this morning, but I know all too well that poetry is not my forte. I tend to fall into cliches, but not like social media, where I can taste colors, and smell words. I speak of sunlight as if it's the dawn of man, when the reality is it's merely the yawn of man and beast. We both yawned, Swag and I, then stretched, his more graceful and with much less crackling. He runs, I limp, both waiting to greet the day. His prep takes less time, as pantless and shirtless is proper attire for my feline friend. He will later walk back upstairs, while I carry his food. Zig-zagging against my legs, showing his appreciation, tail standing tall. I"ve beaten this theme to death: the morning sun, the hope of a new day, the inevitable good and bad, the struggle to sleep, all just to repeat this moment, hopefully without rain. Today will be different I tell myself, as I stare at the same mug, on the same table, on the same deck. Forty-six days from now it

When I was 16, I worked more hours a week than I do now. Younger people may not know this, but when I was in high school, the minimum wage was somewhere around $3.75. Then again, the dollar sure did seem to stretch farther back then. When I graduated high school, I immediately started working full time, then at the end of the summer of 1989, I started roofing. my hourly pay was dreadful because I was working 7 AM - 5 PM, but I loved it. A few months later I would get a substantial raise. I worked there, at that rate, for a little more than six years. I was making more money per year then than I am now. A lot more. Over the years I've had some decent and not so decent jobs. Some paid well, some paid terribly, and some paid an outrageous amount, but couldn't supply me with enough hours to call it a career. Come to think of it, I've never had a career because I've never stayed in any job other than childcare for longer than six years. Not even the same field. I do and I

We all deal with stress daily. Some of it is even good stress, such as exercise, housework, or working on some type of project where the results allow for the body to relax much more so than just lounging around. Stress is a dirty word and for most of us, stress negatively affects us. It messes with our sleeping and eating habits, and if left to the point it festers, it can have repercussions for both our mental and physical health. I've long believed that stress, or more so how we handle it, is the number one cause of colds and sickness. The mental health part is obvious, but when we are completely stressed out immune systems always seem compromised. It's one reason why we all need something. For me, it has become cooking. Let's be clear. I am no master chef and my lack of patience does not allow me to enjoy cooking when the process is not active. I like to stand over, mix, stir, taste, season, and every other thing one can do. I like the preparation and the idea that I

Mid-June Fifteen Minutes since the sun had risen The sounds of birds The screen door sliding open, then shut The sounds of the morning Joe That first sip He stalks through the high grass and low brush, King of his personal jungle I await his return with a much easier meal to catch All the others are asleep The sun blocked by the house I'll be gone from soon These moments; this deck. The quiet The solitude I'll miss this. Only this. That one time of day where there is hope That today will be better than yesterday Then the world wakes Tomorrow I'll hope for the same Still waiting.

I'm guilty of this. You're guilty of this. We're all guilty of this. We do it every day. Whether it be with strangers, acquaintances, friends, family, or whomever you can think of; we all do it. Smalltalk or not, we tend to have similar conversations with the same people every day. We ask the same questions, get the same answers, and most often give the same replies. Watch people you speak with every day. Watch their mouths. They're mouthing the words you're about to say. You already have your response ready. The safe, generic, attentive, yet passive, supportive, yet dismissive statement in reply to the never-ending repetitive thread. We've all become social media. But, and this is a big BUT, we engage with people who have nothing else? What if this mundane line of thinking isn't out of boredom, civility, and the normal social awkwardness of speaking, not texting or messaging? What if this is who they are? What if this is all they have and, even worse,

I've always wanted to write a book. Moreso a screenplay, but I believe I'd need some program to make it easier. Shorthand has occurred to me, but it's 2019 and I'm no freak. I am but not in that way. I've actually had a mental block as of late, but not with writing. I've actually been writing blogs like crazy, then deleting them. This blog; my blog, was always more about mental self-preservation than it was about being noticed. In the past few weeks, I've written more about efficiency vs inefficiency, the beauty of pregnant women, some thoughts on prayer, a supervisor's immaturity and need to be liked, my own personal state, the empty bucket list, and even the definition of love. I've deleted them all, either because they are too personal or they might be viewed as an attack on someone's character. I'm used to people attacking my character, so you'd think I'd be OK reciprocating, but I keep reaching to be better. Plot Twist: It's

Have you ever worked or lived with a child who is viewed as special, different, hyper, distracted, impulsive, disruptive, socially challenged or exhibits social anxiety? Have you ever tried to maintain their attention or interest in a classroom, gym, or organized setting? Have you tried to instill discipline or explain rules, procedures, and guidelines to them? If you have, you know this is the most challenging thing in your life. Have you ever sat back and allowed them the freedom to do what they want in nature? In a wooded area, with a creek, some hills, fallen trees, broken branches, leaves both alive and dead everywhere. Bugs, insects, small animals, and some not so small. Sheltered from the rain, the sun, and the wind. Maybe it's the air, a stunted wind, that doesn't blow so much as massage. The coolness on a hot day and the slight warmth on frigid ones. Don't speak of rules or directions, just watch. A tree to climb or jump over, depending on its state. Leaves to ki