Heading In The Right Direction

 

It has been well over a month since I last published a blog column. I'm not proud of that. Things have been sort of messy. I'm not referring to my life in general. On the homefront, everything is in check. Balanced. Steady. Content. We have been continuously getting projects done inside and outside of the house we bought over 2 years ago. Our kids are healthy and happy. What's messy is the stuff going on in my brain. 

That has a lot to do with...

Reconnecting with several family members who we haven't seen or heard from anywhere between 9 and 25 years. 

The COVID-19 pandemic hit and shut down our state less than 2 months after we bought our house. 

Adjusting to a second shift schedule. 

Losing a lot of our "neighbor friends who considered us family" because we bought a house that was 15 minutes away. We were no longer "there." Across the street or a house or two down. To take care of their stuff. No longer at their immediate beck and call.

Empty grocery store shelves and beyond due to the shortage of deliveries. 

The number of landlords, some of who we personally know, who went over a year without their tenants paying rent because of government executive orders. 

The number of people who chose not to work because of the extra unemployment benefits due to the additional funds added because of COVID-19. We know some of these people as well who took advantage of that. 

The essential employees, including my wife and others we know, had to work longer house because of that.

Not being included in a lot of festivities.

The drought of 2020.

Too much rain in 2021. 

Mass shootings.

The cost of everything from wood and appliances to food and gas and heating oil blowing through the roof. 

Contractors not showing up at your house for appointments because the job you have for them is "too small."

The list goes on. 

It is a lot. 

And while this may sound petty, a couple of my favorite bloggers/authors who I have been reading for at least a decade, have shifted their focus. 

Big time. 

What had originally grabbed my attention, their candid tongue and not beating around the bush, was no longer there. They had their audience, including me. Then, one step at a time, they shifted their message. Instead of addressing petty issues, they began to focus on inspiring others. 

A sign of the times we're living in. 

I'm not going to lie. 

For a while, I was irritated by this. I wanted to throw my fist up in the air and yell, "After almost 10 years, this is it? That is all? This is what you're going to do?"

But. 

I kept reading. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

They had a point. 

In the crazy world we're living in today, no one wants to read about the candid injustice of not putting a shopping cart back where it belongs or the trend of fake eyelashes and long pointy nails. 

Because. 

At the end of the day, we're all dealing with shit that we never thought we'd have to deal with all the way around. There is so much happening that undeniably sucks. 

For example, last week the boneless chicken breast was out of stock at our local grocery store. Do you want to know why? A restaurant owner and his workers went in and bought the entire supply. The limit was 2 packages. But, he had enough employees to line up. Two packages in hand each. 

This may not seem like a big deal, but this is the bulk of our kid's homemade meals. Thankfully, we had enough n the freezer to get us through for a week and were able to stock up a few days after.

Beyond that, people we know are suffering because of the cost of groceries going up. They're having to make decisions about whether to eat until the next paycheck rolls in or pay their phone. 

Yep. 

My brain is turning and turning and turning. 

Lots of distractions. 

But. 

I have taken the time to obtain a lot of much needed perspective and clarity. Sure, that included pulling back a bit on a few things. 

However...

I'm confident that I am now heading in the right direction.

Face forward. 

Onward march.