Sittin' and Thinkin'

Things have slowed in my work. The paper doesn’t want what I’m writing so much these days. New blood joined the staff, and my role has been cut in half. I hate the pay cut but suppose the other end of it is nice. More time is freed up for me to do stuff that I enjoy. Among those activities are reading, writing, and playing golf. Much of it is spent in what I call “sittin’ and thinkin’.”
The best sittin’ and thinkin’ is done in my office. My butt is plunked down in the office chair and for hours the wheels of my mind squeak as they turn around first one subject and then another. Breaks from the mental work occur when Snoop needs to go outside to chase a squirrel of to relieve himself or when I need to take a trip to the bathroom or get a drink or something to eat. I look up, and the day has disappeared. Sometimes the only way I know the time is when the sun streams through window and floods my desk to the point that I can’t see the computer screen or the desktop.
Over the years, my thinking sessions have spawned column topics, new stories, and novel plots. Some of those threads led to good pieces; some have been a waste of time. The desk at which I work is a sewing desk that Mother used for years. It’s wide and long and has drawers on either side that hold notebooks, papers, and copies of things I’ve completed. I’ve probably produced a number of writings equal to the number of things the Mother sewed. Her creations were more utilitarian, and they might well have been more valuable.
Hundreds of thoughts about my family have poured out in this office. I’ve worried about Amy when she was sick or upset. Lacey was on my mind when she was pregnant with Madden, as well as when she was in school and when she married Nick. Dallas stays front and center many times as I fret over his well being in life and love. The top of this desk has served as a prop for my arm as it’s held my head when I’m worrying, wondering, crying, or praying.
In the last couple of weeks, the rights of teachers have come under assault by a political faction that wants to end collective bargaining. I think about what this means to teachers in the state. To be honest, it has little effect since negotiations have been the school board offering a pittance and the teacher representatives snapping it up and saying “than you for your kindness.” Tenure is also being targeted with the idea of changing probationary periods from three to five years. I think that whether or not a person is a good teacher is discoverable in three years. The added two are just so school boards can throw their overly-inflated views of themselves around. In all of this, one side gets the good while teachers are again relegated to second class status in the work place.
I’m also concerned about the state’s attempt to limit the amount awarded for personal injury in negligence cases. A maximum of $750,000 is being proposed for injury or death. I’ve thought about that but can’t understand how person’s serious injuries or death at the hands of some a business owner’s or corporation’s being negligent can be worth so little. It sounds as if the rich guys have decided to put a price on human life and health as if they were a product they’ve developed.
Not all my sittin’ and thinkin’ is so serious. I’m wondering what happened to a UT basketball team that was supposed to have so much potential. The coaching was there, but the desire of players sure seemed to be lacking. I’d like to know if the Braves will be a good ball team this year, and I “study,” as my dad used to stay, about what’s going to happen to this country if our financial mess doesn’t clear up. I’d also like to know if the Democrats and Republicans will ever care more about the country than about their power. Along the same lines, I am curious when the Tea Party’s fifteen minutes will be up. I hope it’s soon. I think extremism on the right of left is dangerous to the stability of the country.
Yep, sometimes when I have too much time, my sittin’ and thinkin’ slides me into a pool of funk. At other times, that pondering gets the juices flowing and makes life more enjoyable. The summer’s coming, and I can’t wait to do my sittin’ and thinkin’ on the front porch.