We needed tough lessons as children. An occasional playground fight was expected as the norm, and if we complained to our mother that we were being teased, we were treated to this glorious aphorism: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” My mom used to say that all the time, one of the seemingly endless adages she had at her disposal to deal with any of life’s problems. To this day I think long and hard about the practical application that dogma had on my life.
The idea that you could actually choose whether or not to be hurt by words: that was huge for me. Even though it has been repeated ad nauseam for generations, “sticks and stones” really is a powerful bit of philosophy to a kid. That’s one of the great things about being a parent: you can spout nothing but clichés, and yet, to your child, you come off as one of the great thinkers in Western culture.
–from MEAN DADS FOR A BETTER AMERICA, by Tom Shillue
Please use the term media cave, - I hate the phrase man cave - it’s reductive and derogatory. As Sebastian Maniscalco said “my father had a man cave it was the house”
Thank you for reminding me. I wanted to talk about our post-show hangout in Memphis and here it is:
“Great visit with new friends”
A wonderful time with two citizens of ‘Shillueville’, @CBMichael @JoeBlueHouse and Joes lovely wife Lisa.
Our next time through we will definitely plan a longer visit!
“Ensconsed on Lake Manawa”
Near Council Bluffs IA.
We are right on the lake.
I had an audience backing in our spot.
I usually do, I’ve been backing up trailers in general for 30+ years and The Big Blue Beast for almost 9, so I’ve had a little practice.
The hardest part of our spring move to Montana is backing out of our winter quarters. Which has a curvy driveway, with lots of trees.
“I’m going to”
“Kansas City
Kansas City, here I come
I'm going to Kansas City
Kansas City, here I come
They got some crazy
Little women there
And I'm gonna get me one.”
———
First of all, we are going around Kansas City, and I’ve already got a crazy little woman…
She’s crazy because not only did she ‘pick me’, but she’s stayed with me for almost 47 years.
We are now headed to the IA state park, Lake Manawa, in Council Bluffs,and we are to meet @CBMichael for supper.
My lovely Navigator extraordinaire found the state park. It has a site on a lake with full hookups for only $26.00.
Short day today only about 5 1/2 hours of driving. It’s stressful pulling the Big Blue Beast through metro areas with construction and ‘Jersey barriers’ right on the line with no shoulders.
Last night, my formerly expansive derrière was worn out, and I went to bed at 21:00 after almost falling asleep in my chair.
Picture: The Big Blue Beast atop the continental divide, 50 miles from Yellowstone
