America The Beautiful, The Land That I Love

Maybe my perspective is a lousy one. Perhaps I look for good and find it. Maybe I should look for bad and find that. I have 4 blankets left in my garage and 5 bottles of water. I should restock as the cold months will hit my homeless buddies. My seven year old looks forward to hiking the canyon where they live. Sure we like tracking coyote but we really like the weirdos that live off the grid.

I should think about our safety more - perhaps. Mums the word with mom. And she does not like my boy playing out front and venturing over to Ms. Webbers house for cookies or over to John and Mary's to play with Ralph the dog. I think he is wise to my watching his every move. But that is part of the dad and boy cat and mouse game.

We have four retired veterans within spitting distance. We do not do enough for them. But it seems they like us to drop by. Little boys seem to light up old folks lives. I suppose that that lightens them up to my ugly daddy mug. We hold hands as we walk, not to protect each other but because we like the feeling. At about six my son rejected it but later that year he insisted.

It was late and we were doing that crazy snuggling with our boy between us and my wife blurted out that we should do more because our hood is pretty much poor. So as we chit chatted we made plan. Canned goods are probably the least healthy these days but better than empty cubbards. If we scrimped a bit we could do a dozen or so at the dollar store and take them down the road to the section 8 housing. My wife is all about that Christian notion of helping. I just follow her lead being a retired preacher man and all that.

What is the target of helping? Who needs it and can it get to the children? I just left the box of can goods at the entrance to the apartments. Maybe they were snagged up by a meth addict and sold for drugs. Do we really ever know if silent good deeds help them in need or just go wrong?

Let us get this straight we do good for ourselves. It makes us feel good. I reckon that is bad. I got a hug from a really disgusting smelling and looking bum the other day. I went home and showered. But I felt good about the fruit I bought him at our local bodega where they call me pops. I am on the north side of young.

There is a love that consumes us if we let it. I do not have a handle on it. When I get it I will let you know.

I walk out my door and see my immigrant neighbor and get chills.

There is a great deal. It is the deal of Freedom. Have you ever just given thanks that your toilet flushes. I do because I used to crap in an outhouse. I really see some hatred going on. I think all our elected officials are awesome. I think Hillary is awesome and I think that crazy POTUS is doing great. From my home state I respect my man McCain. I think Bernie brought great things to the forefront. I like cops and sheriffs. I feel bad that we leave some behind and let them down. But if I judged me the same way that others judge my USA I would drop dead in shame.

I remember picking up a hand full of red dirt down the road and sticking my nose in it. It was a piece of my land as later that day I stood buck naked and the rain cleaned me.

This is not my land. It is our land and I am glad for everyone who is part of it.

If you do not get this next song. I am sorry. It is about city folk and us nut cases of the country. The horse I rode for the Miller brand was Willy. Willy would try to knock me off by hitting branches. Oh lordy that first time he got me on my sad busted ass, wow that hurt. I got up and Willy just looked at me and somehow did a horse smile. That son of a bitch and I did a many a mile and I loved him.

That is America. If I am one piece of it I am prouder than a man ought to be. And I respect and am happy that you live here or elsewhere and move you country in our direction.