Hind sight…

I’m pissed I didn’t learn to figure skate twenty years ago,

because I would have been a much better hockey player…

— retired NHL athlete Brad May on Battle of the Blades…

It isn’t uncommon,

of me,

to spend time,

worrying,

that I’m not,

thankful,

enough…

And last Monday evening,

as the culmination,

of a walk around the block,

resulted in,

a direct shot,

of skunk spray,

into my eyes,

as my mind chattered,

elsewhere,

I considered,

I was receiving,

godly punishment,

for not being,

present,

enough…

But once,

my vision,

was restored,

I stood corrected,

with new insight,

into the potential of,

a conversion experience…

Funny how,

thirty-six hours prior,

to this encounter,

I was required,

to project,

a strong voice,

from the privacy,

of my claw foot tub,

all the way down the stairs,

in a demand,

for all of the fighting,

to stop,

in the living room…

Starshine asked me,

To please stop yelling…

In response,

I wish I would have known,

what I know now,

which is that skunks move slowly,

and calmly,

and only spray,

as a last resort…

Because they are peaceable by nature,

they always give,

a three stage warning,

before evacuating,

their scent glands…

I don’t know about you,

but I have a very long fuse…

And if I’m at the point,

where someone else,

thinks that I’m yelling,

with anger issues,

because they have failed,

to take,

responsibility,

for their actions,

or lack thereof,

then there’s a pretty fair chance,

a lot of listening,

to my asking nicely,

wasn’t going on…

After raising the tail,

the skunk will look back,

over it’s shoulder,

to line up,

the correct angle,

for spraying…

Once this has happened,

it’s too late…

I have a re-occurring,

nightmare,

where I’m beating the crap,

out of certain people,

with my bare fists…

In some scenarios,

there is a document,

with words,

written in a language,

I don’t understand…

And my signature,

at the bottom,

of it all…

There’s a neighbour,

around the corner,

who I’ve heard tell,

tall tales,

about how much,

his employer,

is helping,

all the poor,

drunk,

uneducated natives,

in the small,

Central American country,

where their land,

is being mined,

for his company’s profit…

Another neighbour,

wines,

ad nauseum,

about the great community feeling,

and the fantastic opportunities,

we have,

to all,

work together…

But when push came,

to shove,

as I was standing,

with my hands,

over my eyes,

trying to get,

my bearings,

through shock,

and distress,

he stuck his head,

out his door,

with his sole concern,

focused on,

the stench,

of burning rubber,

which permeated,

the entire block,

of our properties…

In his interview,

on the Strombo show,

Ron MacLean spoke,

gravely,

of the parallel,

between throwing the Christians,

to the Lions,

and the NHL…

During my recent course,

covering equine care,

the teacher spoke,

of banding together,

to create events,

with sponsorship,

which supports,

the full spectrum,

of the ethical treatment,

of horses…

A horse’s body,

was never designed,

for carrying,

a human,

on its back,

but we’ve gone,

and done it,

anyway…

And the twist,

of the matter is,

if we hadn’t,

taken their backs,

for our own benefit,

horses likely,

would have gone,

the way,

of the buffalo…

But I digress…