Why do people seem to “look up” to people on TV? This I can’t seem to figure out.
I mean, I did, when I was young watching Hercules, Mr. Dressup and the Friendly Giant while eating puffed wheat for breakfast. But here’s the thing about those shows: They inspired me. Skipping to the tune of the Polka Dot door or The Flinstones while walking that exact mile to school, those shows made me smile!
—
MEMORIES
But a memory that sticks in my mind is when I was about 14 or so: One of my jobs was delivering prescriptions from Mironuck’s Pharmacy to the Old Folks Home after school. At first, I just delivered them. But then I started to go in and personally deliver them to the people. I met old miners, great grandmas of kids I went to school with – you know the ones that built our small town. It wasn’t long before I would go there and take square dancing lessons with them! Drinking in all the grand stories they would tell, and the sparkle in their eyes would be lit up light 4th of July fireworks to be able to share! Then the “Boys Club” invited me to play pool. I got to live vicariously through their lifelong memories of our small town and learned the “old school” pool shark ways back then, which must mean “vintage” by now! Of course, that’s when we had a pool hall below Ziggies Bar and Restaurant if my memory serves me right, which was another job I had of bussing tables in the evening. I would go play pool with my brother and try my slick tricks 
.
—
TRUE IDOLS
As we get older and the world changes, so do we. I never remember some “movie star” or “media person” that sticks in my mind as someone that I idolized??? Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash were singers I listened to, but never looked up to? I was inspired by a hard working Pops that gave his heart and soul to provide for his kids. Sometimes working three days straight plowing snow, sleeping on a bench, to come home and go shoeing horses or fix the dump truck or cut firewood. I was always in awe by the “Boys Club” teaching me about pool, but more so, I was in awe of their life stories and history of the 3000 person mining town I was raised in. The knarled and knotted hands of the ladies when they would take my hand and suggest perhaps I be more “girlie” – you know ditch the baseball cap and polo shirts. But I remember those hands being so soft and warm when they touched mine. You could tell those hands had miles of hard work and raising children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. They all loved me just the way God made me. Besides the stories, the teachings – they were family. Back then it was “just life” – now I see how significant my younger life was. I have worked my entire life, and when I was young whether it was with Pops or a local place in town – I was always learning, shaping my future, through “regular” hometown folks. When I see the world today, I am so very grateful my Pops raised me how he did. I am blessed that I learned so many things from the Old Folks Home.
—
COME WHAT MAY
We can’t stop the aging process, but we sure can decide which path we travel down and trust me I’ve hit many dead ends, speed bumps, stop lights and Police 
through out my journey so far. Life is a variety and a variation of events that don’t matter. What matters is how we dealt with the speed bumps. Do we remember what we felt like when we hit the dead end so as to not duplicate that again? I think a lot of my younger life I drank muddy water 
– (you know when you go to the ski hill and fill your cup with coke, root beer, orange, 7 up and mountain dew). As I age, I’ve learned to pick one or two and savor the taste. The path before me may not be any clear, but how I drive it sure has changed.
May your path be full of speed bumps, pot holes and dead ends (I’ll leave the police out for y’all ??) and may you find that wonderful greatness inside you hiding in the muddy water of life ?❤️ xoxo Trina
