Good day; Happy New Year FB friends/family so called... Here I am in Northern Wisconsin with lots on my mind and feel like I have lots to say.... Some may say its just rambling, which it is, some may find substance in what I have to say. First and foremost, I ask the question, why the hell does anyone live this far north? Lol! Secondly, most of you or most of you that really know me, know that I drive a semi and am in the trucking industry (business)... Nothing to brag about, its a dirty business; LMAO! Well those that didnt that chose to read this post now do;😝.. As I said, I am in the Northern parts of Wisconsin, which is bitterly cold and bitterly cold for us Kansans and Missourians. It is Negative 11/12/13 degrees or some awful temps of such and dropping.... Supposedly or projected to be close to negative thirty by the time I leave tonight; coldness us central mid westerns dont quite grasp yet or ever will. Lol! 😢 To the subject of driving a semi, I once again am driving solo. Sad I know, but know need for sympathyJeffrey Stonene has left me for another man; his dad... Which I wish them the best in their endeavors and pray for their own success and prosperity. So with that being said, its apparent now that I am solo, alone in this world of trucking for the time being... It comes with its ups and downs, joys and sorrows, pleasure and pain... Here in Stevens Point, Wisconsin where I am shut down, due to hours of service, not bitter cold temps or blizzard conditions which some may suppose... I went to Buffalo Wild Wings, a chain of casual restaurants (dinning/drinking) that is scattered across the great U.S. of A. My journey to get there seemed rather tedious; walking half a block or less in the extreme bitter cold, blowing snow and a wind chill that felt if one took a deep enough breath itd freeze ones lungs... But I toiled on as I normally would on any given day. I arrived at my destination after what seemed to be a long journey in such conditions, went in to the oh so welcoming warm dwelling; beer flowing, food hot, even if it werent so would of felt so... These are the things one cherishes in such conditions, found a spot at the bar which I so much relish, set down, ordered a hearty heavy dark beer to warm ones soul after nearly feeling one could freeze to death in such conditions of what seems to be weather for a polar bear... Ahh, heaven I thought... Lol. Started to feel the limbs of my body thaw with every sip of Stout, ordered enough WILD wings to fill (warm) every ounce of bitter coldness that remained in the blubber of my body... (Enough for a small army). Here I was, comfortable again, limbs thawing, belly filling (over filled), thirst being quenched, mind satisfied by the simple pleasures of life, self somewhat content... I begin to look at my surroundings, noticing things/people I hadnt yet took the time to observe under such circumstances ( weather, cold, snow, ice, etc). The joint was packed out, I mean packed... I found or was able to land by luck, one of the two seats left at the long bar that seated twenty or so people. In my observations I quickly realized that the University of Wisconsin was playing the Outback Bowl against Auburn... Whoop, Whoop! In my travels, which I may or may not take for granted, I found myself satisfied... Satisfied being in my definition, enjoy the people. Here I was alone, somewhat feeling extremely lonely; bitter, not caused by the cold, but by my own circumstances and relations with others, I found myself satisfied in the moment... As I observed others cheering on their team, I took great joy in taking apart of their celebration of cheering on with them... Cause I sure in the hells didnt know who Auburn was or little lone give a rats about them, I took part in their joy... Rooting on with them, knocking back brew after brew with them, cheering on the University of Wisconsin, seated next to me was an older gentleman, I would say late sixties early seventies I struck up conversation with. Interesting? Yes! Interesting enough to me... A life filled with stories... Which I enjoy... Always. Guess it or not, an old Wisconsin Dairy Farmer... Tall, grey haired, that was very thin, slim in figure, large massive hands that told stories on their own of hard work; sacrifice. After conversing with him and sharing bits and pieces of each others back grounds/life, me telling him about my grandfather, farm, cows and all the normal or not so normal things people talk about at a local watering hole, I thought it was funny, not in a ha ha way, but funny when I spoke to him about being from Kansas, he said, I knew you werent from here, its that Kansas accent, lol... Didnt even realize Kansans had a particular accent, laughed to myself, but with respect. I deeply enjoyed this conversation... Only some that I know could really imagine what it detailed and it depths (cow talk, high beef prices, aging farmers, farms and the joys and memories of farms/ranches, crops, differences of farming styles, land prices, old wise farmer jokes, etc). He spoke of his fathers retirement from the family dairy, the toll retirement took on his father, his fathers death, which was suicide shortly after retiring at age eighty-three... All of these things I enjiyed, sad as they may be. In the midst of our chatter, one-on-one, one couldnt help but notice the collective crowd, even being a smaller Wisconsin town of about thirty thousand, there where all types of folks, folks from every ethnicity... All gathered, slapping each others hands with every Wisconsin score, no animosity seemed to be amongst them... Sure there were different political views, sure there were different religious views, cultural views, but all were there to cheer on and hoping for the victory of the University of Wisconsin. I realized that ninety-nine percent or more were all hard working In one way or another, individuals. I couldnt help but notice that when the Star-Spangled Banner played it became extremely quiet, the Prayer, the Military Solute, how humble and at peace everyone seemed to be... With that being said, I realized that in the small Wisconsin town, miles away from the University of Wisconsin and all the different ethnicities and diversified persons that crowded the, In general speaking, small town bar; how much they loved not only their State, their University, but their Country....
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:39:43 +0000
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