We just can't skate through life anymore

Joe Scarborough on MSNBC has talked about the increased stress that accompanies doing day to day things.
 
This is a time of spring that one can get a little crotchety. Lifelong Minnesotans ought to be prepared for this, heaven knows. But it's still hard. We get teased in early April by pleasant, refreshing weather. Such a relief after the long winter. We ought to know full well that chilly temps are still in the offing. We'll get some gray, cool days that don't suggest we're on the threshold of summer.
Today (Tuesday) is such a day. So maybe it's a day to vent some re. some of the other frustrations in life. How about the snowplows that leave a big ridge on the end of your driveway? We must surely appreciate the plows. Our last big snowfall of this winter/spring was of the very heavy and wet kind. Snow never sticks around long in April. So I walked downtown and back, absolutely no big deal. On the way downtown, snow removal hadn't proceeded very far. So I was forced out onto the street in some places.
So, coming home, after dining at Detoy's, it seemed practical to take the highway route. The shoulder was somewhat restricted because of snow accumulation. But I was on the proper side, facing traffic, as pedestrians should. It was an unusual day. I had to answer to a cop who pulled over. "Where are you going?" he shouted. I thought he could have prefaced this by saying "excuse me, sir." It is harder to escape the attention of police these days. It's concerning because police are making the news so much for shooting and killing people. Sometimes they shoot people in the back. It is so hard holding police officers accountable. Any excuse about feeling threatened seems to get believed.
Could we ever get a controversial officer-involved shooting here in Morris? We can never rule this out. We can never assume that certain bad things only happen "somewhere else." "Oh, not here in Morris." However, the scandal of misbehaving Catholic priests did in fact come to Morris. We can't rule anything out.
So, I walked over to the cop and told him I was going home.
I remember a UMM professor many years ago, name of Peterfi, who as I recall once lived in Communist-controlled Europe and he said we Americans should appreciate living in a place where "no one asks you where you're going."
I pointed up to Northridge Drive and said that's where my home was, because I guess the cop needed to know. At this point he seemed less agitated and he said "I was just concerned about your safety." Yes, cops get concerned about us all the time.
 
Adjusted lifestyle
One thing I will never do again is go jogging after dark. I did this in the 1980s, quite a bit in fact. In fact, it might be relatively late at night, which I found agreeable because of less motor vehicle traffic. I found it peaceful. Today I'm 64 years old and unsure if I should even revive my old pastime. It would be with fewer miles to be sure. But given the complexion of things today, with the cops so hyper nervous all over the place - not the way it was before - I would rule out doing any running after dark.
I'm wondering if it's best to just stay inside after dark, period, but what about events like music concerts where I'd be coming home after dark? It would be sad to rule out attending such events. This would include sports events although I have lost interest in that. We do have to circulate some after dark. But it appears we are in a new age in which we always have to explain ourselves to police.
In general it is much harder to just glide through life these days.
 
Reaction to the new order
The election of faux populist Donald Trump has been attributed to a pushback against the new complexities. Joe Scarborough on TV has talked about the nature of the daily frustrations we might face. "Everything is hard," Scarborough said. "You go to the Post Office and it's hard." Yes indeed. One day I went to the Morris Post Office to routinely mail a small package when I was startled by the new process. I was asked if I "wanted insurance." Huh? What's this all about? I said "well, I'm only sending this package to Starbuck and I'm sure you guys can handle it."
Of course, the Post Office people, poor souls, were just required to go through a new more complicated process, and to ensure their compliance, the system sends out "secret shoppers." Heavens. I think "secret shoppers" are immoral.
I have learned now to just "roll with the punches" when I go to the Post Office. It is hard to go out and about in town and simply make routine purchases. Shopko tells me they don't accept checks. I realize it's a liquidation sale, but still, no checks? (Expletive)
So we're all pressured to start using "bank cards." So I finally broke down and got one. This was after one of the local banks told me they were out of $10 bills. Out of $10 bills? How can a bank be out of cash? If I can't get cash at the bank, where can I get it? I live alone and I use $10 bills a lot. Well I broke down and ordered a check card. Then I learned that a prime restaurant in town has a "minimum payment" for a card, of $10. My average breakfast comes to about $8.70 although given the price increases for food of late, we may meet the minimum soon. I think food price inflation is a bona fide concern. I asked if the tip can be figured into the minimum payment. She said "it can be." Huh? "It can be?" I suppose they don't want to turn customers away.
She told me something I didn't know: a place of business has to pay a little for running a check card through. Is there something in it for the banks to promote the system? That can create a hardship for the businesses. Not all local restaurants are going to set up a Go Fund Me page. I was a "holdout" who just wanted to keep using cash.
Then again, I'm old enough to remember when we left a tip in the form of coins, maybe even a quarter! Oh yes we did. The first time I felt obligated to leave a paper bill, it was rather a shock. It's an issue because there are often wet spots on the table. There is much current talk about how tipping should be phased out. It already feels like a throwback. There is no connection between tipping and quality of service. It's just a custom, having gotten started in The Great Depression. As people pay increasingly with plastic, it will seem unwieldy to carry around "cash" just for tipping.
 
Revelation at the Golden Arches
A few days ago, one of the basic burger/fries "value meals" at our McDonald's was over $10, for the first time that I have ever noticed. It came to $10.04. There is a first time for everything. $10.04 is an awkward charge if you're dealing in cash. But not if you're using a card. You see, one of the problems with plastic is that it can make it too easy to spend money. You're just not as conscious of what you're spending.
Maybe I'm still dealing with a little PTSD as the result of caring for my aging parents for so long. It was challenging and I regret that it's over. But it's over and I need to lighten up a little, I guess. Now, let's get on to some summer-like weather.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com