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Ye old anti-climatic climax

tcr! · Feb 17, 2018 at 8:00 am

Audio (MP3): 20180217 - Ye old anti-climatic climax

Blue Goose of St. Charles, Illinois

There’s an Italian mobster that lives up the street from me. He looks Italian but maybe he’s Greek. I’ve never talked to him but we’ve exchanged waves at the communal mailbox. I have a theory that he’s in the witness protection program although I don’t have proof to back that up. After seeing him mow his lawn I suspect he doesn’t like egg noodles and ketchup.

His daughter is Egyptian. Well, one year for Halloween she was dressed up as a pharaoh so I don’t know if that actually qualifies her as being a true Egyptian.

Anyway, this morning we both left for work at roughly the same time. He followed me out of our neighborhood, down Division Street, up along the Fox River, across the Prairie Street bridge, and then… He turned north on 1st Street toward Blue Goose[1] and I continued west on Prairie.

During our minor caravan I thought for sure he was tailing me. He probably was. Maybe there’s a hit out on me, I don’t know. Maybe he wanted to wait until we were side-by-side and then give me a manila envelope with crop forecasts for orange juice.

But he didn’t.

And that avid readers, is the end of the story.

Ye old anti-climatic climax.

But wait, the real story is that sometimes we can be going down a certain path, have a good feeling that something extraordinary is about to happen. And then the story ends. That lottery ticket ends up in the trash with all the others. We don’t get a leg up on the frozen OJ market and live out our lives on a tropical beach.

Okay fine, I can get sucked into the “what I have is not enough” and more[2] as much as the next Clarence Beeks or that there’s something missing and only if I could get the right hair cut then I’d be truly blessed.

However, to be truly and fundamentally happy in this very moment, we’ll never go wrong with simply appreciating what we have. Plus, we can always take action to make things happen rather than plodding along waiting for the universe to hand us our next winning lottery ticket.

When I do win the cosmic lottery it feels unlike anything else, the clouds have parted and the heavens rain magic down upon me. Flashy, life changing miracles only make me want more of them. They promote the good feeling that there’s something more to life than just “this.” But really, enjoying the simple miracle of what’s right in front of me pays overall higher dividends. It’s sustainable, too, something I can do every day regardless if I’m driving to work or tying my shoes. Granted, driving the same route to work can get more than mundane and maybe that’s why I tend to day dream.

But my point is that it’s not very often our cosmic path takes a life changing turn. Life just continues on as it always has and we’re only left with what we’ve always had. But there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes our courses don’t need corrected. What we have now is enough.[3]

In related news, on my way to work the only parking lot I see that’s consistently plowed is the liquor store on the corner of Prairie and 14th Street. Your call if that’s fortuity.

#advancedsoul #missedconnections #bluegoose #diariespodcast


  1. Somehow Blue Goose generally works its way into my local stories. I don’t know why. It’s not on purpose as I don’t have a paid shoutout gig with the neighborhood grocery store. Maybe it’s simply because it’s the friendliest store in town.

  2. As an example: Doing more, more, more

  3. Or is it? Who doesn’t want a fairy tale?

Joey Joann · Feb 17, 2018 at 11:57 am

Paul Lencioni is great!

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Christ of Larsen · Feb 17, 2018 at 12:23 pm

Your a great writer

tcr! tcr! · Feb 17, 2018 at 1:01 pm

Thank you!

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Paul Lencioni · Feb 17, 2018 at 1:57 pm

Holy bananas! You are one of my new favorite people! You get it! Thanks for the commercial - but more so, thanks for your great writing and for leading the ideas that can help shape a more beautiful world. - Paul, BG CEO

tcr! tcr! · Feb 17, 2018 at 2:37 pm

Aww, thanks! Just doing my part. :)

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dan mackey · Feb 17, 2018 at 3:56 pm

I’m going with you’ve seen the movie trading places at least once.

tcr! tcr! · Feb 17, 2018 at 4:15 pm

Yep. One of the best 80s movies.

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Sanders · Feb 17, 2018 at 6:33 pm

I know that dude. He’s from Moldova

tcr! tcr! · Feb 17, 2018 at 10:03 pm

He looks more Mediterranean to me. But I won’t rule anything out.

Sanders · Feb 18, 2018 at 9:43 pm

Looks can be deceiving, I’ve heard.

tcr! tcr! · Feb 19, 2018 at 7:41 am

True. His daughter was wearing one of them striped nemes once and I mistook her for an Egyptian monarch. However, unless you live in my neighborhood we may be talking different people.

WAIT. I see where this is headed. What do you know about the OJ forecast?

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Mary Kay · Feb 17, 2018 at 11:10 pm

Went on many shopping trips to Blue Goose as a kid, remember when a customer backed up into a another car in the parking lot and pushed it into the river! The staff was always beyond amazing, personable, and helpful and my mom knew the manager by name.

Mary Kay · Feb 17, 2018 at 11:11 pm

And your story was a wonderful slice of life!!!!

tcr! tcr! · Feb 18, 2018 at 9:02 am

Wow, pushed it right into the river!

tcr! tcr! · Feb 18, 2018 at 9:02 am

And thank you!

Mary Kay · Feb 18, 2018 at 11:34 am

LOVE LOVE LOVE reading your posts!!!!

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Jamie J · Feb 18, 2018 at 7:15 pm

Rose workout bird

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jimi hindrance experience jimi hindrance experience · Feb 19, 2018 at 1:23 pm

I don’t get the Clarence Beeks reference. I googled him and remember the character but I don’t understand his significance.

tcr! tcr! · Feb 19, 2018 at 1:28 pm

In Trading Places, Clarence was the guy giving the orange crop forecast to Winthorpe and Valentine in the dark parking garage. It was a covert operation of course. His character was also always in it for himself.

tcr! tcr! · Feb 19, 2018 at 1:32 pm

Okay, referencing Beeks was a bit of a stretch. 😊

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