Plain Brown Wrapping

We meet a lot of people in the course of our lives. Some are fancy packages that we must be careful with. Some are simply the plain brown wrapped package. Ask yourself which of these two possibilities you are.

Do your friends think of you as high maintenance?

Are you always seeking to be in the limelight or the center of attention?

Do you want people to see you in "all the right places?"

Asking yourself, what difference do any of the above really mean? Are people more likely to like you if you have the right credit card; graduated from the right law school, medical school, or MBA program? Can you be a simple but effective person? Is Harvard the only indication of your intelligence? Do you really need to drop names? I hope not.

My mother disappeared again this week. It seems that the PIC (short hand for People In Charge) made a decision that we could not be of assistance and would merely complicate the already preposterous. I spoke with Ms POA and explained my frustration. No compassion, nor a phone call from her, sister POA, jr., a CNA or anyone else. Just shut out of my mother's life. No further explanation needed. Magically, my mother reappeared today. Simply everything back to the pretend normal state of affairs.

Another child has been liberated and is eligible for adoption. This one was hard. I had considerable hope for the mom. Tuesday evening I picked up four siblings who are headed down this same path with their mother. Seems she took her son out for a stroll; apparently to be her interpreter or her bodyguard while she procured some crack. Fourteen year old son was angry and notified all the right people. Too bad it came to this.

5o on Sunday. My turn to become one of the sages. My turn to offer what little wisdom I might have now. No presents; no jokes about 5o being old or half-dead. Just wish me a happy birthday and share your wisdom with me. I think this is as plain as I can get wrapped. Thanks in advance.