R.E.S.P.E.C.T

HELLO TO ALL,



FIND OUT WHAT IT MEANS TO ME....



MY COUSIN'S SON WROTE A BLOG THIS PAST WEEK ABOUT GROWING UP AND ABOUT RESPECT. I WROTE A COMMENT ABOUT NOT CARING ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT OF ME BECAUSE OF WHAT I WORE. I AM NOT A FASHION MAVEN, NEVER HAVE BEEN, I LEAVE THAT RESPONSIBILTY TO MY WIFE. WHO BY THE WAY IS VERY GOOD AT IT.



I GREW UP BELIEVING THAT YOU HAD TO EARN THE RESPECT OF OTHERS. IN THE SEVENTIES, I HAD LONG HAIR AND PARTIED WITH THE BEST OF THEM, BUT I SHOWED UP TO WORK AND ON TIME AND DID MY JOB TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES EVERYDAY. THE JOB I HAVE IS A VERY DIRTY JOB. AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN I STOP TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE TO DRINK ON THE RIDE HOME, I'M PRETTY DIRTY. IF I OFFEND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME I'M SORRY, BUT IF THEY DECIDE I'M SOME KIND OF BUM BECAUSE OF THE WAY I LOOK, TOUGH SHIT. IT DOESN'T STOP ME FROM HOLDING THE DOOR FOR THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME, OR SAYING THANK YOU TO THE PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER.



IF THE PEOPLE I'VE OFFENDED BECAUSE OF MY APPERANCE TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO TALK TO ME AND ASK ME A FEW QUESTIONS, THEN THEY ARE STILL OFFENDED, FINE, BUT TO MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT I'M A BUM, OR NOT WORTHY OF THEIR RESPECT, IS BULLSHIT IN MY OPINION. IT DOESN'T MAKE ME NOT RESPECT THEM, BUT THEY HAVEN'T EARNED IT EITHER.



I'VE NEVER WORN A T-SHIRT TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THIS OR THAT, IF I HAVE A STATEMENT TO MAKE, I'LL USUSALLY SAY IT LOUD AND CLEAR. I SAW A HIGH SCHOOL KID OUT ON A DATE WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND, AND THE T-SHIRT HE HAD ON SAID "THE ONLY JOB I NEED IS A BLOWJOB!". THAT KID SHOWS UP AT MY HOUSE TO DATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER AND ONE OF US IS GOING TO THE HOSPITAL. RESPECT BE DAMNED!



I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE. NOT WHAT YOU WEAR, NOT WHAT YOUR POLITICAL LEANINGS ARE, NOT WHAT RELIGION YOU ARE. I HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE BLACK, MEXICAN, WHITE, CATHOLICS, BAPTISTS, DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, AND ON AND ON. I'VE COME TO RESPECT PEOPLE I KNOW WELL, SOME I DON'T KNOW WELL, AND SOME I DON'T KNOW PERSONALLY AT ALL.



I DON'T FEEL THAT I OWE SOMEONE RESPECT, BUT WHAT I DO OWE THEM IS AN OPPORTUNITY, TO LET THEM EARN MY RESPECT. IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE I'M SOMETHING SPECIAL IT IS NOT INTENDED TO. I HAVE TO EARN THEIRS, NO MATTER WHAT I LOOK LIKE, THE SAME RULES APPLY TO ME.

IT FEELS LIKE THE RULES ARE CHANGING. MAYBE I'M OLD SCHOOL, MAYBE I'M NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES. THIS DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT I FEEL EARNING RESPECT IS PART OF BECOMING AN ADULT.

I'VE SPENT A LIFETIME TRYING TO BECOME AN ADULT. IN THE END, THE PEOPLE I LEAVE BEHIND WILL JUDGE WHETHER I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS OR NOT. I WILL KEEP TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN THE TIME I HAVE LEFT HERE.

PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONALY. IT IS SIMPLY MY OPINION. IF I HAD SPENT THIS LIFETIME TRYING TO GAIN RESPECT BY LOOKING GOOD AND DOING NOTHING I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TRUE TO MYSELF. IN THE END, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE.


WELL, THAT'S MY RANDOM THOUGHT FOR THIS WEEK.



TALK TO YOU SOON,

TVI

I BELIEVE I'M IN LOVE, AGAIN

HELLO TO ALL,

I MENTIONED IN A PREVIOUS POST THAT MY WIFE BOUGHT A HOT TUB. WELL THEY DELIVERED YESTERDAY, I HOOKED IT UP AFTER WORK, WE WENT TO SEE DREW PLAY IN THE BAND AT HALFTIME OF THE FOOTBALL GAME, AND WHEN WE CAME HOME,....100 DEGREES AND BUBBLES!

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED HOT TUBS, SINCE MY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL DAYS. I HURT BOTH MY ANKLES PLAYING BASEBALL . THEY HAD THIS HUGE STAINLESS STEEL TUB WITH A THING THAT LOOKED LIKE AN OUTBOARD MOTOR ON IT TO BLOW BUBBLES AT THE SORE SPOT. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN HOT WATER WITH BUBBLES BLOWING ON ME, SOUNDS KIND OF STRANGE DOESN'T IT? OH WELL, TOUGH SHIT.

LAST NIGHT AND I HOPE FOR A WHILE TO COME I WILL EASE THIS OLD, SORE BODY INTO THAT BUBBLE BLOWING, WARM THING AND ENJOY WHAT'S LEFT OF THE TIME I HAVE HERE.

ONE MORE THING, I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED FOOTBALL. AS A KID I HAD RHEUMATIC FEVER, AND COULD PLAY NO SPORTS. WHEN I GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL I ASKED THE DOCTOR ABOUT FOOTBALL AND HE SAID NO, BUT BASEBALL WAS O K. I WAS QUITE DEVASTATED. ANYWAY EVERY FALL WHEN FOOTBALL SEASON ROLLS AROUND I GET GIDDY. SO IF THINGS HERE GET OUT OF HAND JUST CHALK IT UP TO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON. LAST NIGHT 50-6 GOOD GUYS! GO BOMBERS!


WELL, THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.

TALK TO YOU SOON,

TVI

A FEW CHANGES

HELLO TO ALL,

JUST WANTED A NEW LOOK. LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.

THANKS,

TVI

JUST AN UPDATE

HELL TO ALL,

I WAS LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR TODAY AND DISCOVERED I HAVE ABOUT SIX WEEKS AND IT WILL BE TIME TO START ON THE HARLEY. I'M HOPING FOR SOMETIME AROUND THE FIRST OF OCTOBER.

THE WOOD FOR WINTER IS PILING UP, I HAVE A SMALL LEAN-TO PROJECT FOR STORING THE WOOD CLOSE TO THE FURNACE TO DO, SOME ELECTRICAL WORK FOR THE HOT TUB TO COMPLETE, AND RUN A NEW GAS LINE FOR THE GRILL.

THEN IT'S INSIDE WORK ON THE WEEKENDS AND DURING THE WEEK,.........HARLEY TIME.

I'VE DECIDED TO KEEP THE FRAME I HAVE AND WORK ON MODIFYING IT TO MAKE THINGS FIT, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO FAR OFF SO I'M GOING TO GO FOR IT, AS LONG AS MY COUSIN, "SHOP TEACHER BOB" AGREES WITH MY ASSESSMENT.

I HOPE THINGS WILL GO SMOOTHLY, BUT I'M WELLL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT CAN ASRISE IN THIS KIND OF PROJECT,( INSERT CASH AND OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES HERE).

WELL. THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.

TALK TO YOU SOON,

TVI

HELLO TO ALL,

I KNOW I KNOW, IT'S BEEN AWHILE AGAIN. WORK IS STILL BUSY AND WORK AT HOME TAKES ALL MY OTHER TIME.

TODAY IS A DAY FOR RAMBLING. I READ A POST TODAY FROM ONE OF THE BLOGS I READ REGULARLY AND IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT LIFE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PATHS WE ALL TAKE TO GET THROUGH THIS LIFE. I AM A HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC, I HAVE A COUSIN WHO IS A SCHOOL TEACHER, A BROTHER WHO IS A TRUCK DRIVER, AND ON AND ON. THIS BLOG POST WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW LIFE CAN BE ENRICHED BY USING YOUR HANDS AND ENGAGING THEM IN THE PURSUIT OF CREATING THINGS.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT USING YOUR HANDS TO DO ANYTHING IN A POSITIVE WAY DOES ENRICH OUR LIVES. PAINTING YOUR HOUSE OR PAINTING A STILL LIFE, WORKING ON YOUR BIKE OR TEACHING MY SON TO WORK ON HIS BIKE, ETC., ETC.. THE OTHER DAY I WAS LAYING A PAD OF PATIO BLOCKS TO PUT IN A HOT TUB, YES I SAID HOT TUB, ANYWAY MY SON HAD BEEN HELPING ME AND ASKED IF HE COULD LAY A FEW BLOCKS, I SAID YES AND JUST FROM WATCHING HE PUT IN THE LAST FIVE BY HIMSELF AND THEY WERE PERFECT. WHEN WE WERE FINISHED HE WAS SO PLEASED WITH HIMSELF THAT I ALMOST LAUGHED OUT LOUD, BUT I BELIEVE THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AND EXPAND HIS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SKILLS BECAUSE OF THIS SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENT.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO READ THIS BLOG KNOW ME AND MOST OF THEM ENGAGE THIER HANDS IN MANY WAYS THAT I MAY NEVER DO. I HAVE THE GREATEST RESPECT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS, BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL, BY ENGAGING THEIR MINDS AND THEIR HANDS AND FINDING THE THINGS THEY LOVE TO DO. I WISH I KNEW A WAY TO INSTILL THIS IN OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL. READING, CREATING, THINKING, PROBLEM SOLVING, ARE ALL SKILLS THAT SHOULD BE TAUGHT, AND THEY SHOULD BE CHERISHED BY THOSE WHO TEACH, INSTEAD OF PUNISHED AND PUT ON THE BACK BURNERS BY ADMINISTRATORS OF THE SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTRY.

I HOPE THAT I CAN INSTILL THESE THINGS IN MY SON AND THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO DO IT FOR HIS SON. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TODAY WHO TAKE PRIDE IN WHAT THEY DO, AND ENJOY, TRULY ENJOY, CREATING THINGS WITH THEIR HANDS, READING BOOKS, LEARNING EVERYDAY SOME WAY TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER.

I KNOW THAT, AS A COUNTRY THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE FACING, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THESE THINGS CAN BE TURNED AROUND, IF WE SIMPLY TRY TO MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER BY USING OUR HANDS AND MINDS TO PROBLEM SOLVE AND CREATE A BETTER PLACE FOR OURSELVES AND EVERYONE ELSE.

WELL THAT'S MY RANDOM THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.

TALK TO YOU SOON,

TVI