Taking Stock

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It might be hard to believe, but we are about to be at the halfway point of 2022. Students are out of school, graduations are over, primary elections are mostly done and summer vacation time is upon us. Its’s always good to take stock of where you are because, in this day and time, there are so many situations and issues where we don’t have any idea about where we really are, and we wonder if anybody at all is “taking stock” of anything. As I have aged, one of the things I especially appreciate is the steady consistency of small-town living. The peaks and valleys are not too extreme, and daily life is seldom rambunctious or shocking. Thankfully we live 668.3 miles from the ”outer limits” otherwise known as Washington D.C. That’s not far enough, but it is at least somewhat comforting because by the time the craziness of the White House and Congress reaches us, it has been spun around and watered down by the national media to the point that it’s hard to really take it too seriously. But more and more that seems to be changing. Gas is four bucks a gallon? Really? A trip to the grocery store is like an episode of The Twilight Zone? Inflation is streaking toward nine percent and your 401k is shivering and hiding in the closet. Everybody in the White House Press Secretary’s office is doing the moonwalk every time President Biden speaks. So, it just makes you wonder. Who’s really checking on things and keeping track. Is the Wizard back behind the curtain? Maybe it’s the Wicked Speaker of the West flying around on her gavel. Does anybody know who’s writing these speeches? Is that the theme song from the Twilight Zone playing in the background again? And who do you call about getting some baby formula or aspirin or half a million computer chips delivered to the most powerful, most prosperous country in the history of mankind? Those are some interesting questions to think about as we roll into the last half of the year. My advice? Go on out and pick up a good book to read, look around and take stock occasionally and don’t take anything too seriously. . . at least not until November.