Facebook sends
reminders, a photograph of what we thought was interesting enough to post for
all to see and then asks if we’d like to compare that with a recent photograph.
The image
on the left is when I attended the Texas Locksmith Convention, representing a
wonderful organization, the Society of Professional Locksmiths (SOPL). For about 30 years I’d been a member of
another organization, Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA). At some point I no longer wished to associate
with that organization.
The
problem with ALOA, they were far too politically oriented toward socialism, perhaps
the correct term would be corporatism.
They believed the State knew better than individuals how to properly run
businesses. ALOA worked with State legislators
and foisted licensing on locksmiths through the Alarm Services Industry without
having any locksmiths representing our interests on the licensing board in
charge of our industry. That didn’t set well
with many locksmiths.
I tried to
launch a startup locksmith organization, Fiercely Independent Locksmiths of
America (FILOA); but for one reason or another FILOA never gained a foothold
among other locksmiths. Membership
numbers didn’t come in as I’d hoped and so I joined forces with SOPL, their
having a similar attitude, that of locksmiths being highly qualified and in
charge of their own businesses with a minimum of interference from government.
The image
on the right was taken by the camera in my laptop, a ‘selfie’ if you will, this
past Thursday evening. This is my
office, a retirement shadow box above where I sit displaying key elements of
the Houston Police Department issued uniform along with items attached to that
uniform. It’s difficult to make out, but the dark blue material came from a
pair of police trousers, complete with the ‘thin blue line’.
I was
attending a leadership meeting put on by the Conroe Stake Presidency of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The beautiful part about our meetings has to do with the ability to
attend in person or, if need be, via the Zoom App. It’s an hour and a half
drive from my property in Buffalo, Texas to the Stake meeting in Conroe,
Texas. That and I’m getting to where
driving at night isn’t a great option anymore. Being seventy in the twenties isn’t the same
as being twenty in the seventies, or something like that.
Thursday I’d
been moving boxes out from a closet in our second bedroom, boxes that contained
tax return records that no longer seemed important enough to be taking up space
in the house. I loaded them into my
truck and relocated them to a storage unit on our property where they’d be safe
from the elements, but out of the way.
That’s when I noticed my back was sore.
Lucy, or
should I address her as Doctor Lucy… rubbed a concoction of oils all over my
back to ease the swelling and pain. When
I pulled my jeans back up, that’s when I noticed how much swelling had taken
place. I couldn’t bring the two portions
of the waist fabric together, there was a gap of perhaps six inches keeping me
from being able to button my pants.
Fortunately
for everyone, no doubt, the camera on my laptop only captured my upper torso
and face during the Zoom meeting. No one
needed to know my britches were gapping wide open as I quietly sat through that
important meeting. That explains the
Then and Now images you see here.
No comments:
Post a Comment