Saturday, July 10, 2021

Saturday morning thoughts

Although my audience seems to be dwindling and the number of commenters is in decline, I continue to blog. Not as often as in previous years -- hey, we're all slowing down -- but fearlessly into the future. Head held high, resolutely looking forward, eyes on the prize.

No one knows why. It's just part of being human. We may be talking only to ourselves, but we continue to talk.

It's either very sad or very funny, or both.

Irrelevance, here I come. I'm halfway there already. The world has passed me by. Actually, I would expect it to have [passed me by] as I celebrated my 80th birthday a few months ago and some gosh-awful huge percentage of the world's population are now Millennials or Gen Z types. Young whipper-snappers, all of them. It has been ever thus. The old have their day in the sun, peak, and die off eventually (although Betty White and Dick Van Dyke and even, God help us, Pat Boone seem to go on forever). One generation is replaced by another generation. There's a certain inevitability to it all. Prince Philip is gone, and Queen Elizabeth II cannot be far behind.

Each of us is moving rapidly from "I think, therefore I am" to "I no longer think, therefore I must not be" to "I don't remember your name, but your face is familiar" to "Who was that masked man anyway?"

As one horse said to another, "I don't remember your mane, but your pace is familiar."

Yuk, yuk. Laugh it up, folks, these are the jokes.

Creative writing courses are for the timid. Who needs an outline?

Just open your mouth (or pen) and let 'er rip.

Maybe that has been my problem all along, as well as the secret of my success. I am weak mentally (Spanish, loco en la cabeza), I am unconventional (I don't care what others think), and I am indefatigable (a big word meaning I don't know when to quit).

Not to worry. Everybody has to be something.

If you like, you may continue discussing "what's wrong with rhymeswithplague?" in the comments section.

Or not.

19 comments:

  1. Oh this is a funny post, thanks for the thoughts. Loco en la cabeza and indefatigable, LOL.

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    1. Terra,.thanks for dropping by! I’m glad you liked the post. I was wondering if anybody would even notice. Am I right in remembering that you are in Santa Cruz or am I thinking of someone else? As we say in the South, “y’all come back now, hear?”

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  2. I think there is not a thing wrong with rhymeswithplague. Perhaps as we age we tend to get a little bored because we cannot do all the things we used to do. It frustrates us. And I loved the horse joke. It is my new doddering old grandma joke.

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    1. Emma, you are so sharp it is impossible to think of you as a doddering old grandma!

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  3. This is a good and honest post that addresses much of what many of us may be feeling at times. As they say "Aging is not for sissies!". I always read all of your posts but there are times when I don't comment on many blogs even though I read them. In recent months I have found it difficult to write posts on my own blog and I'm not even sure why. I think maybe we all go through occasional stages of adjusting to the many changes in our lives. Not always an easy thing to do!

    All of us of a certain generation are seeing the number of Millennials or Gen Z types overtake us. That's not bad, it's life. But sometimes it is not easy to see so many changes many of which we may not like or agree with. Sometimes I wonder what this world will be in another 50 years. I bet our parents said the same thing at times.

    I'm sorry, for now I am the one rambling. I will just say that you are not irrelevant and there is nothing wrong with rhymeswithplague. Thanks for your honesty. Just keep on keeping on as we used to say!

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  4. Bonnie, thank you for your thoughts today! You are very kind and my day has perked up noticeably after reading your comment. Just for the record, I didn’t think you were rambling at all. Your writing is well-thought out, cohesive, and flows well (as an English teacher might say).

    P.S. — I am not and was not an English teacher, although there was a time when I thought I would be.

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  5. I really like the summary in your fourth last paragraph, if I can still count. We should be able to enjoy life to the end.

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  6. Red, I have a confession to make. I wasn’t describing myself, I was describing Justin Trudeau.

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  7. Firstly, I frequently don't comment when I'm away or busy or forgetful or unaware what to say or just don't have time to read, assimilate and respond to a post. The latter often applies to your posts because they frequently require thought and the exercise of brainpower.

    Secondly, I think many people are commenting less (but still reading).

    Thirdly, I had no idea what a Gen Z type was. (I've looked it up).

    Fourthly, I don't really believe that you don't car what others think. My prime facie evidence for that is that if you really didn't you wouldn't bother asking them what they think. And if you really don't care then what is the meaning of life and why do you ask us things or, for that matter, tell us things.

    Fifthly. I have to go to Penrith now.

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    1. Graham, thank you for your multi-faceted comment!

      Firstly, I will try to write more posts that don't require thought but I cannot promise anything.

      Secondly, I agree. I probably comment on 10 per cent of what I read.

      Thirdly, now that they've run out of alphabet, I wonder what the next generation will be called.

      Fourthly, I didn't believe it even as I was writing it. I am probably one of the most conventional people you will ever meet.

      Fifthly, I had to look Penrith up, of course, and now I know there is one in Cumbria and one in New South Wales in Australia.

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  8. I do read your posts Bob but I don't often comment because I don't always know what you are talking about or, if I do, I have nothing to say. Also some things like the quiz show you talk about, the name of which escapes me, I know nothing about over here in England. We have University Challenge and a lot of bloggers watch it so that they can see how many questions they can answer. I gave up watching it a number of years ago because of the embarrassment caused to me by the students of our great universities being unable to answer so many questions that I could answer and me sinking to great depths of despair at the obvious decline in standards of education in Great Britain that has taken place over the past 50 years.

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    1. Rachel, thank you for commenting! First, let me tell you that Blogger has been telling me for a couple of days now that your blog has been removed. Is that true? I hope not.

      Sometimes I don't know what I'm talking about either. I always read your blog but many times I do not comment because I know very little about, for example, the Tour de France and the European Football Games.

      I stopped talking about Jeopardy! because I kind of overdid it and wearied some readers, but I still watch it five nights a week, and I too never cease to be amazed at how little people in their 30s and 40s seem to know about basic general knowledge of history. Of course, I don't know very much about very recent stuff that they are interested in, like rock musicians and television shows, so I guess we're even. We are the pots calling the kettles black, I suppose.

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  9. There's nothing wrong with Rhymes With Plague. He is a splendid gentleman and a fine representative of American seniors. The question I prefer to answer is "Who was that masked man anyway?" He was The Lone Ranger who, straddled upon his faithful horse Silver, and with his Native American companion Tonto brought the shining light of justice to the dark nooks of criminality and malice. Somewhat like the wise author of this illustrious blog. Ho! Silver!

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    1. Yorkshire Pudding, them’s some mighty kind words, mister. Much obliged. And smile when you saythat, podnuh. I must tell you that in both the radio and television series Tonto was never called the Lone Ranger’s “Native American companion” but as his “Indian companion”. I suppose today’s politically correct crowd would have us refer to him as “indigenous person companion “ instead. Also, the L.R. said either “Hi-Ho, Silver!” or “Hi-Yo, Silver!” sometimes adding “Away!” but never, ever did he say "Ho, Silver!" though he did say "Whoa, Silver!" on many occasions.

      I remain yr obdt srvnt and faithful non-Native American (in the original sense) companion, although I truly am a native Americn (in the sense of having been born here).

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  10. I agree with the general tone here - there's nothing wrong with rhymeswithplague, we are who we are and you are a fine example of a human being, which is not something I think of many people. I read and not comment all the time, mostly because I'm tired out, onwards we go though and it's good for the mind and soul to write, all the more-so to share what we write for those who pass by. Carry on carrying on. x Ruby.

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  11. Michelle, between keeping on keeping on (as Bonnie suggested) and carrying on carrying on (as you suggested), I will not have much time left for anything else. I will do my best, though. That’s all that can be expected of anyone.

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  12. I have no idea how to respond to this post but I can tell you that Penrith NSW is about an hour drive from where I live, at the base of the Blue Mountains. I haven't been through Penrith in quite some time and now that we are under stay at home orders, it might be a bit longer which is ok because it's more of a "go through" place than a "stop in" place.

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  13. kylie, I’m thinking it’s probably the rare blogpost that can render you practically speechless, so I’m taking that as a compliment of sorts. And if your reaction (or, more accurately, your non-reaction) is not a compliment of sorts, I don’t want to know.

    If I ever get to Australia, I will do my best to avoid Penrith. Thanks for the warning.

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  14. After having read your comment over at YP's "Space" post you may have got yourself another reader and commentator. The latter, by all accounts, a mixed blessing.

    I would have replied to you there. Alas, YP, a man of principles rather than reason, a man not to be moved once he has taken a stance, has decreed that I am persona non grata. And, therefore, will not be published even if and when I whisper sweet nothings.

    I couldn't agree with your comment (at YP's) more. But then "virtue signalling" is rife in blogland. As are "sour grapes". And if you question anything your average blogger's opinion they will get very prickly indeed. Unconsolably so. Echo chambers come to mind. Confirmation bias.

    Never mind. I have found you. You are about my father's age. Good to see that some people at that age still function, have a sense of humour, and perspective. I am not talking about my father.

    U

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<b>My new favorite poem</b>

...is the following one, purportedly by Billy Collins: Another Reason Why I Don't Keep A Gun In The House The neighbors'...