Go with the Flow

Missing my music these days, as I have a bad case of tennis elbow for the duration. I ordered a new book of songs and have been anxiously waiting for it to arrive. Only, I can't play it now. Oh, for the good 'ol days, when I could do what I liked, without going through pain to do it.

Restricting myself to puttering around the house, doing chores that don't involved heavy lifting or pulling or pushing. And with good weather coming back around, like today, with high winds but a temperature that feels good to the skin, my honeydo list is sure to expand exponentially.

Other things are out there that seem to bite rather badly these days.

Put a half tank of gas in a vehicle the other day…$40.

For a half tank.

Half.

Did I mention that it was half a tank?

Well, it was.

Half, that is.

And the price is going up weekly.

That hurts, but we must go on, right?

My favorite coffee?

Off the shelves.

And those great chocolate chip cookies I like, with the huge chunks of chocolate in the big, beefy wads of cookie dough?

Likewise, gone.

Like in, not there. Nada. Zilch.

Went out today to get a small electric cord with a power strip.

$35 bucks.

Used to be that was half a grocery bill.

Not any more.

We went out to buy groceries the other day and I looked at the basket we were loading up, and I told my wife it wouldn't come to $50 dollars.

But, when the cashier rang it up, it came to over $100, I asked my wife to check the receipt again. I mean, there was no way possible that could be? Oh, well. Wrong

Continued on Page 5

‘Wordaholic’ By Robert L. Hall ROBERT HALL (cont.)

again.

Never thought I would live to see the day I would have to float a loan in order to buy groceries.

Yet, the future is now, it would seem.

And, if it isn't over-priced, the transportation and delivery times for items is fantastical.

Can I say that? Fantastical? House paint. Arrived the other day, after waiting for it for one year.

One year.

Twelve months.

Three-hundred, sixty-five days.

Looking to get some fence put up. We were told it was no problem The fence people called back.

Can't get it in the color we want. The paint color (brown)? Guess what?

There's a shortage of it.

Another fence contractor we called, said we would have to buy the fence because he can't get ahold of any of it at any price, however he did give us a quote for his labor rate per foot.

When his phone doesn't ring, that's me…not calling him back.

And the electric company.

Sheeessssh! Our bill skyrocketed to over one-hundred dollars over the usual bill last month. We called and were given a long sob story about where energy came from and how it travels over lines and arrives at our house, where we turn on a light or plug in a toaster and we are just stuck and have to pay for it.

You know, an explanation like Kamala Harris would give paid-actor children who were compensated for having to sit and listen to that meathead talk down to them and cackle at them behind her bleary braindead

I'm not new to town so I know the run-around when I hear it. So does every other Crittenden County utility customer.

And guess what?

I've got a street light in front of my place that was reported out, six months ago.

You think the electric company ever bothered to fix it?

If you said “NO,” then: Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

You win a kewpie doll!

They can't be bothered to change our light because they are too busy stealing the money out of my wallet, acting like they are entitled to exorbitant amounts of money just because they stick their hands out and expect you fill it up with wads of cash. I'm wondering where the deuce is the Attorney General of Arkansas at a time like this? Aren't they supposed to be looking into graft and corruption and citizens of the state being overcharged by these bandits who are let loose on an unsuspecting public?

I mean, I would actually feel better about handing over my dough if they would just stick a gun in ROBERT HALL (cont.)

my face when they bill me. At least that way, you know you are being robbed and can't do anything about it.

Oh, and that street light that doesn't work?

The reason it doesn't work is that the transformer on our street is underpowered, so that every time the furnace or air conditioner comes on at the house, the light goes out.

Which, by the way,

Many times.

So far, no dice.

But, they sure expect their money on time, that's for sure. Whether the lights work or not. Whether the transformer works or not.

Whether the source for their power is way too high or not.

Whether working class people or retirees on a fixed income can afford to pay them or not.

Without redress.

You know…like the Boston Tea Party…way back when – and that whole 'taxation without representation' thingy?

Now, when was that…?

Oh, yeah. Back in the good 'ol days.

But, you know, we are all expected to just 'Go with the flow.'

Robert L. Hall is a resident of Marion and has a Bachelor’s Degree in music from the University of Memphis and a Master’s Degree from Florida State University. He is the pianist for Avondale Baptist Church and a writer of fiction on Amazon eBooks.