Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for April 24, 2022

When did Arlo change religions?

Jimmy, if you’re thinking of retiring, all I ask is that you let us down easy.

Arlo is waxing philosophic again. A couple of memes I’ve seen have had the same affect. They kept harping on the fact we’re closer to 2050 than 1990. For us Boomers I think the significance is 1990 was when we could delude ourselves that we were still young, after all we were just passing 40. On the other hand, 2050 marks the almost unobtainable 100.

Last night I heard a sweet voice calling,

“Come along, won’t you come along home.”

Wind on the river and the calves are falling,

“Come along, won’t you come along home.”

refrain “Come along, won’t you come along home now,

Night is falling and the path is steep.

Come along, won’t you come along home now,

Water’s running and the river is deep.”

Every night the voice gets bolder,

“Come along, won’t you come along home.”

Song gets sweeter as I grow older,

“Come along, won’t you come along home.”

refrain

—Chad Mitchell Trio

I think about this song more and more as I approach 80.

I guess that I am worse than a pragmatist or a pessimist. I don’t see a glass that is either half full or half empty. I see a glass that hasn’t been knocked over yet.

Ode to Old Age

(To those who have gone before)

I do not want to climb mountainsI no longer want to soar in the cloudsI do not need to be a kingOr even control myself

I long to be part of the earth

I now feel its calland anticipate its embraceI desire to spread throughout the landand enter the realm of blissful oblivion

I long to be in the earth

I have tired of the struggleI do not yearn to right wrongsI cannot question any moreI shall not find answers

I long to be part of the earth

Soliloquy

To look into the gelid eye of Death

And have not fear,

To clasp its fleshless hand

And not quake,

To walk into that shadowed hall

And still be proud,

That is the true test of Man.

The Dead

The past is dead

Let it stay

Crouched

Within the shadowed alcoves

Of the mind

Until, unbidden, it arouses

Savor briefly its narcotic

And then force it down again

The Apparitions’ Litany

My life is filled

with ghosts

I’ll not see again

Eyed shadows in cars

hallways

good friends

Yeah, I went a little bit nuts with the postings. It’s not going to happen again.

“I’m a Pragmatist.” “Oh, I thought you were Norwegian.”

Pessimist: “Almost over.”Optimist: “Not over yet.”Pragmatist: “What’s for dinner?”

What wonderful comments today!! There are some that SHOULD all be read, and this one today is special!

I’m thinking I won’t survive the current presidential administration.

Just made 80. Captain Davy Jones of the Death Ship In Pirates of the Caribbean series asks the new victims, “Do yah fear death?”, I can truthfully say, “No, I don’t.” However, I do fear dying. Dying hurts, a lot. As you age, body systems start to fail or disease sets in. Body parts fail due to years of wear and tear damage. Every injury you ever had, stops being maintained in a painless state. The body starts setting off alarms (pain) that things are not right and getting worse. Telling your doctor about your pain gets an answer of the form. “Well we cannot do anything for that, you will need to learn to live with it.” You might get a referral to a Pain Management Doctor, to “manage your pain.” A Pain Management Doctor’s function is to prescribe just enough opiate (Hydrocodone) to make life bearable, but not enough to make you pain free (If you had enough to be pain free, you could overdose and suicide. Cannot have that!!)

Arlo and janis’ last name is Day.

Arlo’s statement is true for a newborn baby. Not pessimistic, just a fact.

Elasticity.

Sounds like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” to me, as we reach the end of our days

Blame evolution.

“…life is but a dream.”

Not always a merry one