Know Jack 480 Mental Meanderings

I think this is the fifth time I’ve started this 480^th blog post. To be honest, I’ve lost count. Four times I started typing and threw it away. I usually start writing in my head long before typing anything. Therein lies the reason for so many false starts. Thoughts I’m willing to share have been at a premium of late.

It is no secret to those who Know Jack that I am a brooding, moody sort of man given to mercurial shifts. I don’t think I’ve ever given anyone the idea that I’m a warm, fuzzy kind of guy. I’m told that I’m a nice guy about ninety-five percent of the time. That’s being generous, but I’ll take it. I won’t use the word describing the other five percent here. If there’s anything amazing about me, it is how fast I go from nice guy to the other guy and how light the pull on the trigger is.

I used to be able to conceal the shift much better than I do now. At least, I think that’s true. `In any case, I have all but ceased to provide advice, comments, explanations, and arguments. I have found a happy place from which to smile and wave as people go about their merry way. If that way leads to pain, disappointment, and unhappiness, well, I am old, ignorant, and out of touch, and it was their choice.

As I recall, a huge part of being young consists of laying hands on hot stoves to see if they are really hot. Knowledge acquired by trial is the best knowledge. It is certainly the easiest knowledge to retain. At my age, retention is important.

Proof of that last statement is found in how this post has wandered about looking for a real point while only trying to Know Jack.