But I don't like that piece of information to get out. I am told I'm a contrarian with a wide lazy streak and a narrow attention span, easily distracted by shiny new ideas. I expect great things from my children,and their children, for that matter everyone else around me.
All the while procuring a hall pass for myself. Yellow with age, it served me well, my children now suspect forgery. My shoot from the hip, ask questions later (or not) take no prisoners, leave every man behind, devil take the hindmost, parenting style was out of style.
Unpopular in the last century, my style is now used as an example in this century, a bad one! It has since fallen under criticism by the children, to put it mildly. At first I wrote off their murmuring as preadolescent whining. It was hard to ignore, but I succeeded for years. Then the unthinkable happened they learn't to talk. (imagine that).
I was fond of saying "I'm not here for the popularity contest." They assured me I wasn't in the front runners. Our relationship was strained. Being the self described Alpha Male that I am.
( Shouldn't you wait for others to call you that.) OK ! OK ! I was just planting the seed.
To my way of thinking if it ain't broke don't fix it, I was assured by those around me it's broke.
( Gee tell me how you really feel ). As the years rolled by the kids grew up and moved out. Me always the contrarian moved out then grew up.
So what to do ! How best to level up as they say. It stands to reason if I made this mess I can clean it up. Weeks turned to months, and months to years. I embarked on the heroes journey.
(I'm writing this so I get to be the hero funny how that works)
I self sequestered, same self to a remote cabin deep in the Kiamichi National Forest of Southeastern Oklahoma. A place trod only by the legendary Bigfoot, and a few hardy agro entrepreneurs. I too stalked the hills in search of answers.
Listening, listening, always listening. Ok! Ok! Just encase anybody ever read this.( Maybe the cabin is not as remote as that, maybe it's in a subdivision you know water, power, mail, and garbage service. Maybe it's right in the middle of Oklahoma's #1 destination Brokenbow lake and the adjoining Beaver's Bend state park. Maybe there is no Bigfoot (maybe he don't believe in you either) But I do have some shall I say, some very interesting neighbors. (I hope they don't read this).
Listening, I say and writing rambling missives, late into the night with disconnected themes( I wonder if there's a connection there). Where spelling and punctuation are treated like a second language, always good to know, but not completely necessary to get my point across.
Like a group of beer drinking dart players I have a celebration every time I even get close to the point I'm trying to make. Unfettered by the shackles of higher education. I jump back and forth like an olympian in training between the 1st- 2nd- and- 3rd person until exhausted. The rules of fine writing are -persona-non-grata-( an unwelcome foreigner). Slowing the process down immensely.
Listening, hot, cold, wet, dry, cloudy, sunny, windy, still listening, but to what, I hiked those hills listening to audio books from the library and podcast on my I-phone. I was schooled in the 10x rule, the 5 second rule, the 80-20 rule. The Golden rule didn't even make the top ten New York Times best sellers list.
I was versed in meditation, mediation, and mindfulness. It was enough to make you (sigh) so I did. Psychology, Philosophy, Physiology, and Pharmacology. Each revolution of the legs, seeking revelation of the mind.
I even listened to a podcast of Deepak Chopra.( I think my Alpha Male seed just withered) No worries I didn't understand a word of it. Could that possibly be his real name, I wish I had thought of it first(Deepapa) all the good internet names are always taken.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote "Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences" consequences of my own making I might add. Maybe instead of feeling sorry for myself I should jut say I"m sorry. Could it be so easy! (who said it was easy) Yes that's it children I'm sorry!
I stand before now a changed man, after years of listening. I marvel at the amazing transformation and growth. My legs are much stronger now!
P.S.
Now for some housekeeping to the person that commented "Papa Randy is crazy" Let me add two things. 1 it is my duty as blog moderator to correct your spelling, and add the punctuation your education left out! So as to clarify your intended meaning. 2 let me add "like a fox"so your comment now reads Papa Randy is crazy like a fox. There,There it's all better, your meaning is now clear, and as always thanks for the kind words.
For as a man thinketh in his heart so is he Proverbs 23:7 KJV
This is Papa Randy I am
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