Day 4761

I think I'm becoming invisible. I've sent numerous messages to people who could potentially help me fix up the house and have received no replies. Nothing. I have a feeling that contractors just don't want to mess with this small house, but at least they could send me a polite letter saying that they're too busy or something. I guess it's easier to just ignore me. I found out that the falcon heavy launch is next week, but I still don't know if I'm going to be credentialed or not. I've heard nothing yet. This is cutting things pretty close for someone who has to make travel arrangements. The magazine I write for has dropped off the radar too. I don't even know if they want me to write an article about this launch. This is all frustrating for me, but it's probably a sign of the times. People just don't want to be bothered these days. Lord help you if you actually want to talk with someone on the phone. You have to send a text message now. Talking is apparently socially unacceptable.

This is a strange complaint from someone who rarely talks anyway, but I do wish it were easier to get things done. I've almost given up on calling customer service. You just get a call center in a foreign country and end up talking with someone you can barely understand. I have resolved exactly zero problems talking with customer service people. Lately, it's hard to even make a hotel or restaurant reservation with a phone call. Everyone just wants you to use their mobile app, which half the time doesn't even work. Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man, but I don't think younger people even realize how much better life used to be. We're going backwards. Life in the 60's, 70's and even parts of the 80's was great.

It's kind of pointless to dwell on these things. The world has changed. All you have to do is turn on the television and it is apparent that we are living in some sort of dystopian alternate universe. I blame a lot of these problems on drugs. If we could just get rid of all the drug users, so many problems would just disappear. Crime would go down dramatically if there were no drugs to sell or traffic. Problems at the border would disappear. A lot of mental health issues would be alleviated. It would be an uphill battle though. Everyone seems to be high on something. People on the street are taking heroin, often at government sanctioned safe injection sites. People in offices and warehouses are smoking pot. Anyone with the least bit of anxiety is taking Xanax. It all seems so wrong. Would it really be so hard to do without this stuff? I don't know why anyone is taking Fentanyl? I can't imagine taking any pill that wasn't prescribed by my own doctor for a very specific reason.

I would suggest long walks as a solution, but I don't think I'd get many takers. A contemplative life appears to be a luxury. Life is far too hectic for most productive people and the stoners just don't care. It's probably no surprise that I see a lot of older people walking in the park. When you reach my age you're just happy to be alive and staying healthy takes on a whole new meaning. When I was in my 20's and 30's I never thought about my health. I didn't think I was invincible or anything. It just wasn't an issue. Getting high was never an issue either. I've never liked taking drugs or understood why others depend on them. 

I'm not going to change the world, but I'm going to try to enjoy the time I've got left. For me this means living a peaceful and largely uneventful life. When I finish my blogging goal I'll probably disappear from social media. Who needs it? Long walks are good. Maybe I'll spend more time looking at the stars. I'm lucky to have a friend like Janet. Even loners need someone to talk to.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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