All you ever wanted to know about Life -

in an encapsulized synoptic supposition ...

kind of a 'LIFE SUPPOSITORY" !!!


er, ah, um - or is it DEPOSITORY?


OH - the PIC?

It is just a PATRIOTIC LIFE-SAVER ...

LITERALLY !!! :) :) :)

FACTOIDS ?

© - Tom Hyland - 6/19/10

My Dad Used To Say:
“The Older I Get,
The Dumber I Get -
And - I -
Ain’t Gittin’ Any Younger!”


Factoid One - We Are Born!
Factoid Two - We Live!
Factoid Three - We Die!
Factoid Four - We Have No Control Over One And Three!
Factoid Five - HOW We Live Is All Up To US!

Our Origin, or Place of Birth Could Be Anywhere!
Circumstances Beyond Our Control Start Us Off.
Country - City - Town - Rural - Farm?
Rich - Poor - Opulence - Poverty?
Silver Spoon - No Spoon?

Culture - Food - Lifestyle - Religion?
Assets - or The Lack Thereof?
Rudimentary And Elementary Education?
Mores - Norms - Customs - Traditions?
All These And More Are Variables!

Some Religions, Cultures, Say At Age Seven -
We Reach “The Age of Reason” -
The Ability To Tell Right From Wrong!
Others, At Age Thirteen or So -
Say We Have “Come of Age!”

Almost Adults - “Teenagers” -
Expected to Accept More Responsibility!
But Do We Really?
Those ‘Wings’ Have Yet to Appear -
Perhaps Just Little ‘Nubs’ on Our Backs?

“All Work And No Play Make Jack a Dull Boy!’
These Are Formative Years of Experimentation -
A Time of Discovery - Some Bumps And Bruises Acquired -
Trying to Figure Out Just -
Who We Are - and - What We Want!

Many Choices Have to Be Made -
Paths Must Be Selected -
This-A-Way - or - That-A-Way?
“The Golden Rule” Is Replaced By -
Statutes - Laws - Regulations - Edicts - Fiats!

Then, Afore You Know It -
Bing! Bam! Thank You Ma’am!
Age Twenty-One!
Adulthood Hits Us Like - ‘A Ton of Bricks!”
You Are Now Responsible For Everything!

Did You Learn Your A-B-C’s Properly?
What About That Oft’ Dreaded Subject - Math?
Now - You Must ‘Dot Your I’s”
And Watch Your ‘P’s and Q’s!’
Did You Eat Your Peas? Your Spinach?

OMG - This ‘Life’ Stuff Is Gittin’ Serious!
Did I Make My Bed? Must I Lie In It?
Why This? Why That? Why Me, Lord?
WHY? WHY? WHY?
Why Is This So Difficult?

“Growing Pains” - “No Pain, No Gain!”
Which Path Did We Choose in High School?
Commercial - General (Shops) - Academic?
Did We Go On To College?
Or - Join The Military? I Did Both - In Reverse Order!

What Was Our First Real J-O-B?
Did We Truly Like It?
Did We Stick With It As A Career?
Or, Rather - Did We ‘Flit About’ -
Like A Butterfly, or A Honeybee - Searching?

By Our ‘Thirties’ - Were We Married?
With Children? How Many?
Did We Find ‘Happiness’ Yet?
If So - How?
If Not - Why Not?

In Our ‘Forties’ - Were We Secure Financially?
Or - ‘Slaves’ To The ‘Almighty Credit Card?’
Were We Able To - ‘Keep Up With The Joneses?’
Did We Have An ‘In-The-Ground Pool?’
Or - Just An ‘Above-The-Ground’ One?

Ours Was A Cheap, Plastic ‘Wading Pool!’
But, Our Kids Could Play, And Cool Off -
To Be Sure - There Were ‘Tough Times’
Once - Even Having To ‘Charge’ -
A Mere Five-Dollar Prescription For A Sick Child!

Our ‘Fifties’ Sprang Upon Us -
Like A ‘Preying Tiger!’
Where Did The Time Go?
So Rapidly, Like A Corsair, Attacking And Plundering -
Perhaps Bringing Along A ‘Panic Attack?’

I’m ‘Over The Hill!’
It’s All ‘Down-Hill Now!’
Was I A Success?
Was My Life - SRO?
Standing Room Only!

Or - Heaven Forbid! - A ‘Flop!’?
Now, Apprehension And Fear Crept In -
OMG - I Have Nothing Set Aside For Retirement!
Those So-Called ‘Golden Years’ Of -
R&R - Rest And Relaxation ...

Just Months Before I Hit ‘Sixty’ - It Happened!
“THAT’S IT - I WANT A DIVORCE!”
After Thirty-Four Years Of ‘Wedded Bliss’ -
She Wanted Out!
BUMMER!

How Could I Have Been So Blind?
Why Did I Not See ‘The Hand-Writing On The Wall?’
Separate Checking Account!
A New Car In Her Name Only!
Her Money! My Money! No More Our Money!

Now - Ten Years Later - Post Retirement -
In Retrospect - She Actually Did Me A Favor!
As Jacky Gleason Used To Say:
“HOW SWEET IT IS!”
FREEDOM!

Self-Indulgence! Self-Responsibility! FUN!
With No Repercussions, Nor Consequences!
In Two Months - I Will Hit SEVENTY!
As Frank Sinatra Sang:
“I DID IT MY WAY!”

What Will The ‘Seventies’ - ‘Eighties’ and ‘Nineties’ Bring?
I DUN’NO!
Factoid Six -
But I Sure As Hell Am Looking Forward To Find Out!


© - TKH.