Green Dragon Tavern
A place to sit down with a couple of pints of ale and wax subversive.
Organizer:
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No Rest For the Wicked….
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No Rest For the Wicked….
Howdy Taverneers! As some of you know, right before Trish’s memorial service back in January, I was out splitting firewood, wasn’t watching carefully where I put my feet, and tripped and fell, resulting in a boogered up left hip. It didn’t completely break as in the commonly heard refrain, “…he/she fell and broke his/her hip.” With mine, the ball part of my hip began collapsing into itself, which is pretty painful, and is irreparable, meaning that I have to have a complete hip replacement. In fact, I will be getting said hip replacement quite soon, on April 9th as a matter of fact. I’ve been meeting with doctors, and from what I’m hearing, the hip replacement is only slightly more invasive than a Covid test. If there are no complications, I won’t even have to stay in the hospital overnight. Physical therapy is optional??? Now like I said, my hip is painful, and there are no positions in which I can get into where I’m remotely comfortable. I walk with a pronounced limp, and the whole bloody thing, in general, is terribly inconvenient, but from what I’m hearing, is that I would have a much worse time having my tonsils out. And in reality, while every day that passes I am another day closer to my death (as are we all), it’s not because of my hip. THE REAL PROBLEM isn’t my hip; it’s the reality that now I’m officially (in the eyes of those around me and close to me) AN OLD MAN!!! All the sudden everybody is worried. It’s worse than being a newborn with brand new parents. Can you believe there are several folks, including my doctor who don’t want me heating with firewood anymore, because it’s “too dangerous?” And they’d all sleep easier if I gave up my kerosene lamps as well. And we won’t even mention Mezcal and loaded firearms. All of a sudden the place I’ve lived comfortably for better than thirty years has become the sequel to “No Country For Old Men.” Now everything is going to kill me, if I don’t screw up and do myself in first. People, well meaning though they may be, are already asking me if I’ve considered looking into heat pumps? Heat pumps? I concede to being a dumb ass for not looking where I was stepping, and, I’m doing my time for said action, but I’m not 900 years old and suddenly made of glass. I never promised anyone that I would even try to grow old gracefully. After losing Trish in the manner in which I did, there’s a whole lot of things about which I no longer care, and heat pumps is most assuredly one of them. In my estimation, “It’s better to die living, than to live dying.” Don’t know who originated that, but John Barlow (R.I.P.) wrote it into the song “Welcome to the World,” and it was masterfully performed by Bob Weir and Ratdog, and, is rapidly becoming the sum total of my life philosophy. When author Ambrose Bierce was in his early 70’s, he saddled up his horse, and crossed the Rio Grande, bent on joining up with Pancho Villa in the Mexican Revolution. We know that he mailed two letters from a town in Mexico soon after, then…just up and disappeared. Completely. Vanished without a trace. He could have been put up against a wall with a cigarette and a blindfold, or he could have made it to South America in search of the legendary crystal skull; no one has a clue. Frankly, if my life is to become restricted to existing in a perfectly safe, sterile and secure environment, give me the Mexican wall, the cigarette and the blindfold. Come to think of it, keep the blindfold; I’d prefer to see it coming.
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20 Replies
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Other’s projecting their fears on to your life in a limiting and confining manner for you – is a major pet peeve here.
There are metaphors on a grander scale all over the place too – starting with things like mask wearing.
It’s generally a sure fire way to bring out the worst (or best) of rebels out in me in response as well.
Sometimes it almost seems mandatory to then next do something that will trigger even more of that same fear – just to get even, and to let them know they’re not actually the one doing the controlling.
The Barlow Lyric feels almost like a cousin of “He not busy being born, is busy dying”
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During the mask nonsense, if people got into it with me, I not only rejected it, inside, I wanted to just openly lick something in the vicinity. Rebellion and pride are sins, and should be curbed, but their are internal ‘system overrides’ against the works of satan that kick in. I tried to remember that the humans doing the ‘enforcement’ were deceived into thinking they were helping save lives or their job. But some you could see were in the tribe of Karen and enjoying it, full auto.
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@dana.acker if it’s any consolation, my father in law had had the surgery twice, both in his late 70s. He recovered nicely and is back to walking 3+ miles a day. You’ll be ok. Just make sure they don’t jab ya while you’re there. Prayers for swift healing. 🙏
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And speaking of John Barlow – he was definitely on our side ….
Tho the words did unfortunately come from Davos – i’d like to believe he was only there just to stick it to the man ?
https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence
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This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by LesTyranny.
eff.org
A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace
by John Perry Barlow Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. … Continue reading
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I agree; I mean Barlow wrote “Mexicali Blues.” That ain’t a Davos song.
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“I shot first and killed him; Lord, he didn’t even draw,” is a cowboy song lyric (from Mexicali Blues”) that probably didn’t/doesn’t go over well in Davos…though Marty Robbins up in Heaven probably taps his foot to it. Just sayin.’
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This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by
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As I was reading your story and thinking about what I would do if I was in your shoes a song came to mind. I don’t know if it strikes the same note to you as it does me, but just throwing it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spZONbvFSLU He was one thing…and maybe another, but lots of his lyrics hit me like many of John Prines’s did. Wishing you well.
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Amen! Excellent choice!
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Since we’re on the subject of John Barlow, here’s another song he wrote with Bob Weir for the Ratdog album, “Evening Moods.” Note: this top shelf “Dead Family” recording is strangely unavailable. I feel blessed to have found it on YouTube. But the CD is no longer for sale to the general listening public, and isn’t available on any of the streaming services I’ve found. If any of you know different, please let me know. When I’m asked what my favorite Grateful Dead (and extended family) song is, “The one I’m listening to at the time.” And, while that’s my story and I’m sticking to it, there are several Dead songs that are monumental, absolutely rising to heights that transcend, not only the entire Grateful Dead library, but music itself. And I’m more than certain that several of you could more than add to the list. I rank “Terrapin Station” fits that category. “Box of Rain” does as well. “The Wheel” comes pretty close. And, this song, “Lucky Enough,” I put with those. This song touches greatness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cz5lJXSn6s
youtube.com
Bob Weir & Ratdog - Lucky Enough
Lucky EnoughThe other night, my soul hit the pavementAnd I looked up, and I didn't have eyesTo see the joy, the beauty, and the tendernessReasons why a man's...
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In my humble opinion that is….
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aww Dana. I understand. This happened to my grandma and it was disturbing to watch. She wanted to live life to the fullest. You do it YOUR WAY!
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Dana I hear you, after mom died I also found myself very concerned with how my father was going to manage he had been in South Florida for 50 years and married to her since he was 17. I watch my neighbors across the street but also fallen and hurt his head and the kids all decided what was going to have to happen I say live that way as long as you can live that way and be happy they’re probably going to make you have a home health nurse after your visit because you’ll be considered a fall risk or someone to stay with you I hope your surgery goes well no complications and you can get back to doing what you’re going to do best regards .
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Dana, best of luck with your surgery and don’t let the FFs get you down!
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I am thankful to be a recipient on the upside of Dana’s rebellion. I commissioned Acker Forge Unlimited back when it was more unlimited, to make me a couple of these beauties. One was sent last week to a lady preacher who is the wife of one of the worst resistance seeding ministers in the US. He had international news coverage for planning the largest in person Easter service in 2020 in Pittsburgh and Harmeet Dillon, the lawyer helped him get rid of some legal pushback that did happen.
It was interesting that she contacted HIM when she heard he was going to do it, because she could not get ANY denominations, like Baptists, to run a service in a way that they could set a good precedent. Not one! She is not a Christian, but she is standing up for what is right. People were doing things under the radar, but not wanting to be going into Mexico clad in bandeleros as Dana mentioned.
The second one is going to his sister, who pastors up in Montreal, Canada. Their church did not shut down and had a lot of persecution (and growth and blessing). Members that attended were greeted by swat teams and given $1500 fines for each individual, per service. The pastoral staff had a chain of command plan for being arrested. The youth pastor is now my pastor up in Vancouver BC.
I call these Jael’s Spike from the account in the book of Judges, where the Prophet Deborah says that since the men are being sissies, a woman will get the credit for the win. Jael killed King Sisera with a tent peg and since I don’t feel like people have a concept of the actual violence of the situation with a mental image of some little Chinese plastic 4 inch stake, this is a more likely representation.
He is making them from OLD high carbon steel railroad spikes and they ring with the sound you get from a pure metal.
Outstanding craftsmanship and done with grit and love. I gave him a total pass on completion until he’s all fixed up, but Dana is of the generation of getting things done to keep your word even at cost.
Of course, most of you know that these costs do not compare with the cost of losing your integrity. There is also a ‘death wish’ thing that those of us in the ‘hard to kill’ club that is formidable and delicious to the eternal part of our souls.
The actual purpose of the spikes would be to pin down nautical rope knots or I will probably use mine to secure things I am building outside or to put on a nice show when cooking holiday meals to delight the children.
Dana is truly the best. I am not ready for a trip to Mexico or a walk in the frozen forest like my Nordic elders found to have him changing locales. Not that it wouldn’t be better, but that there is still some things that need doing and few who will do it.
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I do appreciate the kind comments, Kathryn. The original, which served as a model, was a “marlin spike” made for my son when he was doing marine salvage, and had to hammer and dig into and pry loose big knots in wet rope as thick as his arm. So the spike has nautical applications, and, as Kathryn has pointed out, works exceptionally well at dispatching evil rulers.😉
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Interestingly, the spikes (before bending and forging to a point) originally were straight, had a head on each end. They are fabricated that way, then cut in half and the edges beveled to make two regular railroad spikes. Years ago I used to get them regularly at a blacksmith’s swap meet held in Troy, Ohio each September. I haven’t been in a while, and discovered that they aren’t as plentiful a find as they once were. The old guy from whom I’d get them (25 years ago and before) knew somebody who knew somebody who worked at the factory that made them. I regret I never got his contact info.
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Wishing you the best with your surgery. As long as you have your wits about you, and you are sharp as a tack, you call the shots on how much fussing you let people do about you. If you cede to your loved ones little things here and there that they can do for you, it is like throwing a bone to a dog. It will give them something to happily chew on, and they will feel like they are contributing a little bit to your recovery. It’s a tough balancing act though.
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I am renewing my passport just in case.
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I’m sure after this long, painful wait, you will be more than ready to undergo this surgery, but you are right – everything is a challenge with age, or just that things take a bit longer to mend! After looking at my granddaughter’s newborn skin and my own, well, let’s just say the years haven’t been kind BUT that old skin still protects me from the sun. We still got what it takes! Look at it this way–we’re like aged wine or cheese– long time coming but still quality stuff! I can tell you’ve got a great mindset to get through this…don’t be looking for the bullets quite yet! Keep us informed–you’re in our prayers!
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