A Day Off

I have the day off due to short hours this week for our company. New contracts coming around and we are waiting for new business to start up. I work four eights this week and Wednesday happened to be the day I didn't have to work. I guess it's kind of nice to have a day in the middle of the week where I can just sit and do nothing if I want to. I was going to go out and do a few things but I realized I would be back in the truck driving, I spend a lot of my time on the road every week. My closest store to home is an hour drive.

I don't mind driving, I actually love driving. It's time to myself and as long as I've got music and podcasts to keep me going, I'm good. No, my problem is that I don't think I really ever developed the art of stopping. It's a great thing to be a good, trustworthy employee. To get the job done and do it as efficiently as possible. I go to the point of not being able to say no though, and that's a weakness. I need to learn to refuse to go beyond my means. That's why I ended up hurt several months ago, resulting in my being out of work for over two months. Even then I felt like I was a burden to my coworkers. Taking on extra stores is rough when you include the distance between and the time put in driving here and there. It affects your attitude and has a negative effect on the rest of your life. The extra money is always good, but money isn't everything.

I was about to leave a little while ago when the little man inside my head that usually screams "Hey, don't say that!" or "NO! THAT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA!" quietly said "Stay."

And I listened. I'm sitting here now writing this in my recliner. I may run to the grocery in town later to pick up a few things. I may fold some clothes for the wife (don't hold your breath, honey. Just cause I write it doesn't mean it's in stone) and putter around the house.

Yes. A day off. Just for myself. That's weird to me.

8+ miles yesterday.

Still walkin'.

The Mechanic

As scary a thought as it might be, especially to my friends, I am in a leadership role at church for our Royal Ambassadors. If you don't know what that is think of it as a boy scouts type group but focused more on missions. It's a part of the WMU (Women's Missionary Union). I really enjoy working with the boys, which my son, Sam, is one of them. We get together and learn about being a Christian and helping others and we have several activities one of them being what I'm writing about tonight, the track meet.

THE BOYS

When I was younger RA's were my Scouts. We were at church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. It was our life and for me a way simpler time. We always had a big group of at least ten boys. We did leather working, woodworking, learned about knives, etc. Some of the teachers I had then I serve with in the church now. I only hope I'm doing half the job they did with me. This track meet was a start and our first outing since I've started with the boys. I'm not alone in this. One of my leaders in RA's wives is now a leader with the RA's as well and the main force behind WMU at our church, Miss Kay! Think of her as the den mother to make it easier, again, if you don't know what I'm talking about.

It's a regular track meet. There are running events, sack races, long jumps, shot put, baseball, softball throw and all that great stuff along with (believe it or not) pellet gun target shooting and a pinewood derby.
My favorite project with the boys has become pinewood derby. It's fun just to sit and make the cars with them. We won all of zero medals yesterday on our first outing but THEY DIDN'T CARE! It was fun to finally come out after a couple of months of work and show off what we had made, and so we did. It was exciting just to sit

the cars down on an honest to goodness track and let them have that first race against each other. And no one cared who won, they were patting each other on the back and congratulating each other. Better sports than most grownups I know.

Like Jake told the other boys Wednesday night and again for me on Saturday morning, "We're not here for prizes guys, it's just about having fun."

The wisdom of a seven year old. I'm lucky to have someone that young and level headed to teach me something I already knew but had forgotten because I decided to grow up. If only I were a Lost Boy.

I can say this. If you're a grown man and feel like you missed out on anything, give it a try. Pinewood Derby, pellet guns, slingshots, go and skip rocks on a pond, CLIMB A TREE if your knees and hip can take it. Just go do!

I'm not forgetting you. I know you were there too. The girls. The GA's (Girls In Action) our female counterparts and the other prettier half of our team. The ones who cleaned up on the medals yesterday and gave a proud showing for our church. Two of you run like the wind blows (to quote Forrest Gump).

THE GIRLS

You're a tough bunch ladies and we are glad to have you right along side of us. And I really enjoyed the fact that you wanted in on the pinewood derby as well. And not one request for a pink car which I have to admit, I suppose ashamedly, surprised me. I don't even know if they make a can of pink spray paint but I would have gladly went out and found one. I love a tomboy and my daughter, Logan, will remind you that she is one.

While we were running the ladies cars yesterday I was asked who I was by one of the gentlemen running the track and before I could answer one of the girls answered, "He builds our cars. He's our mechanic!"

                                                                                                                                             And so I leave you at the end of another rambling post with this.

Five+ miles yesterday.

Still walkin'.

Rules

We live by rules. We can't function without them no matter how much we may lie to ourselves. We all go about saying that we live how we want but most of us just want to be regular folk living life. That's called a society, civilized living. And to do that we establish rules.

I have rules. Before Gibb's spoke it on NCIS I have always carried a knife. That has been an unspoken Rule #1 for me for years. I've had a knife since I was eight or nine years old. Boys don't get to do that anymore, have a knife at that age. We've moved beyond that, away from that, somehow. I think it's sad. Boys will be boys isn't even a true saying anymore. They aren't allowed to be.

I don't let people waste my time either. That's another rule. It non negotiable. You can never get your time back. If I can help it at all I am efficient with my time. Although, since I'm probably the only one reading this, I may have wasted it here. Maybe not. This is therapeutic for me. Writing down what comes into my head.

Today was a hard day. Short enough, but irritating to an extent that just had me so worked up I couldn't stand it.

I enjoy working. Doesn't matter what the job is, as long as I'm happy and can provide, I'm good. I make a little progress everyday with people I have to work around. Some I have just fallen in with from the start and I really like that. Who wouldn't? It's hard to explain. We are close, but not too personal? Friends, but something more? Something less? I don't know.

BIG RULE.

Rudeness will not be tolerated. I cannot abide rudeness. You have to be respectful of people if you're around me. I'll call you out as sure as I would one of my children. Everyone deserves respect until they show that they don't.

I always try to make sure that I leave a little more with a person than I take. Friends come and friends go. Some will love me always and some will hate me, always. That's how it is and some things weren't meant to last long, some are.

I have friends all over the world. I know doors I can knock on and be welcomed in like not even a minute has passed when in fact it has been decades. It's nice to carry a history of people and feelings like that in your heart. It's nice to know they are out there.

Anyway, where was I going with this?

I don't know.

As Joel Secrest used to say, God rest his soul, "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPP! Tomorrow's Friday."

I can get behind that.

Thanks for your time. It's precious, you know?

Don't waste it reading my drivel.

4.2 miles today. Still walkin'.

Sunday

It has been a day. We've went to church, lunch, shopped, shot slingshots, and dyed an eleven year olds hair.

I doesn't happen often but sometimes I lose all energy early in the evening. Every few months. And then I crash heavy. I wanted to write a nice post tonight, but this is one of those nights.

Night.

I don't have a title.

I'm on and off about blogging. I read a few from friends and I do enjoy writing a bit and telling the occasional story, but I will let you know up front I may forget to write altogether.

Will this one take? I don't know. Time isn't really in great abundance for me. Two kids, a wife, the both of us working full time jobs, school, church,, etc. really takes away time from other activities. It ain't easy being a productive member of society.

I used to blog with the title Searching The South. It was about the weird out of the way stuff that I used to find on the road while geocaching. The problem is that I don't get to travel that much anymore (see the above reasons) and I no longer cache. Geocaching was great for ten years or so but the same thing happened that always happens for me, people.

People can be fantastic! But a lot of the time they aren't. As they say, familiarity breeds contempt and as you get to know people you find things out that you may or may not like about them. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I'm a fairly honest guy. I'll tell you exactly how I feel, that's in my instructions and if you don't read the manual first it isn't my fault. I'm honest about it up front when I meet folks.

So why The Walkin' Dad? First, thewalkingdad.blogspot.com was taken by a guy that never posted a danged thing to it after his first post. I was kinda bummed, but The Walkin' Dad is more southern. I'm good with that.

Secondly, I walk nearly five miles a day at work for the company I merchandise for. It's good exercise. Great for the legs, not so much the belly. But I'm an old fella and the fish is already in the boat so there's no need to bait the hook.

With this blog I think I can cover a wide variety of subjects from the weird to Washington, politics to perennials, and all sorts of other things. (I'm not into botany.)

My loves are reading, weird history and photography. Luckily, these blend quite well.

I hope I don't mess this one up and if I don't, thanks for the reading of it.

Seegars