Maturity At Long Last

I'm hedging a bit on my age but since I'm only three months shy of the next decade I'm only slightly lying. Besides, telling people one is 70 when they look like they're(ahem!) in their early 60's gets me oohs and ahs aplenty.

It wasn't until this morning that I realized I've gained maturity beyond my years and it's about damned time.

Regardless, about this maturity thing. I haven't listened to Rush Limbaugh for weeks except for a few minutes at the beginning of his show. The interesting aspect of this is I'm a Limbaugh fan. Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto, The Five on Fox. I've nixed them all.

I've become extremely selective about news sites on the computer I read. As an example: There is a 24/7 story on the former NBA player, Lamar Odom. He's on life support but his illness isn't his fault. He was found in a Vegas brothel unconscious after binging for five days on alcohol and cocaine.* Thank the Lord the two hookers he hired gave him the compassion he needed by calling the proper authorities.

And bless those men and former teammates who rushed to his side; men like Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. I caught a blip of a comment from another NBA sports celebrity who said Lamar had experienced many problems in his life.

Before anyone jumps on me for being cruel and heartless let me remind you that this is a big world with millions of people who are suffering. I have friends who have lost children through no fault of their own and their story isn't on television. How does my maturity fit into the Odom story? I switch channels or shut off the TV because it's a 24 hour a day story. Oh, and did you know this? Children, through no fault of their own, will die of leukemia today right here in the Columbus Ohio area. And these kids, not once in their lives had the opportunity to have an entourage or adorn their necks with bling.

If you happen to be in the age bracket between age 66 and 73 and are at all hip and still have your mental faculties you will recall the Beatle's song, 'I want to hold your hand'. It was a phenom song that came out in late 1963. When the 'I want to hold your hand' record came out it was 'Katy bar the door' for popularity. People were putting the disc on their turntable(Hah! Sorry you young punks. I got you on turntable, didn't I) and playing it non-stop.

I was almost eighteen years old and with my best friend happened to be at Grinnell College in the town of the same name located forty miles east of Des Moines. Grinnell, is today what it was at that time, the Oberlin College of the West. It was a liberal hippie school but my friend's brother was the star basketball player on their squad so it was fun going there.

My friend's brother lived in Cowles Hall. As we headed in that direction on that afternoon I heard music blaring from a dorm room; one song over and over and over all that afternoon prior to the game. And the song was? Yep! 'I want to hold your hand'. The decibel level on that sound system was through the roof and nobody  gave a hoot. It was a defining moment in my life. Why? Because to this day that memory set in motion the reason why I shut of Hannity, O'Reilly and Limbaugh. It's the same old story over and over and over again. It's why back in the 70's when Howard Cosell was doing the Monday Night Football schtick a group of guys, symbolically, blasted the TV when he came on the air.

When I hear or read the name Trump off goes that particular TV or radio station. I'm 'Trumped' out. How many times in the last two months has Rush or Hannity started their show with Trump? Too damned many I'd guess so I switch networks or say a rosary hoping the world will end soon.

As I sit and write, with the sound muted on my television, I'm reading on the screen the 9-11 call being initiated for Lamar Odom. Good God, producers, give it a rest. I've been in this same spot for an hour and this is the 4th time it's been shown.

If I'm sick of this news crap it's not like I'm the Lone Ranger. The great majority of the American people feel the same way.

So, what does this all have to do with my maturity lever. Easy answer. It's the 'I want to hold your hand' effect. In other words, put all this meaningless info in the toilet and flush.

Do something different for yourself today. Go to The Dollar Store, buy inexpensive cards for friends and relatives, then write them a happy note. They'll love receiving it and you'll feel better about being alive.

*An updated story suggested his drinks/drugs may have been spiked and it wasn't on TMZ.