The competitors include us all. I once saw an exercise in which a group of individuals were asked to step forward if they answered in the affirmative to certain questions, such as, did you have a high school education? Did you go to a private college? I don’t remember the other questions – but those who crossed the far line first were said to be the ones who were fortunate enough to have certain advantages in life.

I suspect that had I been entered in this event, I would have been three quarters of the way behind those who crossed the line first. I did go to college, but it was all hard earned. Most recently, I remember being in high school, and my sister, mother, and I

living in a one-bedroom apartment. It then occurred to me that I had no place to study. I sat in my sister’s bed, which was next to mine, up against the wall, with my homework spread out in front of me.

I did not do well my first year of high school, but when I began my second year of high school; I began, as they said, to apply myself and study. I lived in the city, in that small apartment, my classmates lived in the suburbs, and had their own rooms. Here, this was a major disadvantage.

I don’t really have any happy memories, so I generally don’t go traipsing down memory lane. The focus is now more on the day. It’s a very odd turn of events that I now have this volunteer job that’s taking up all my time. I can easily recount the events that brought this about, it was circumstantial. But I don’t know what exactly fate had to do with it.

Today after passing out books at the Palmer Senior Center, I drove (quickly) over to the Salvation Army where the Lions Club meets, and I attended their meeting. I was just a few minutes late. I sat there and semi-chatted with the woman who is my sponsor (yeah, it’s a lot like AA). And waited for the meeting to begin. Food had to be served first – when finally, they arrived, the caterers were really fast. I did not pay the $13.00 for a meal – white rice, rolls, and some sugary drink, no, not for me. Finally, the meeting began, and the main subject of conversation was the upcoming Lions Club gun show, which is going to held this year, gulp, on Easter Sunday.

The rationale for having the gun show on this day is that they’ve held the show now, for 55 years. They began it back in the day when guns were used exclusively for hunting. Now they are sold for self-defense. I wonder what sort of weaponry Jesus would choose – I can see him carrying down an AK 47. Now if he’d had that when they took him away after the last supper, the narrative would have turned out differently.

Yep, the human race is losing. I’m going to continue to stand by the sidelines and watch.

Next: 85. 3/27/24: Get ‘er Done