Beyond the Byline: Are you tired too?

PLYMOUTH — Every now and then, it is said, one needs to cleanse the soul, free the mind, and nothing accomplishes those goals better than a good rant.

We stand witness to daily rants coming at us from all angles and from all people of all backgrounds and standing.

And since they all seem to get great results from their rants — I’m thinking, why not?

A good rant can be quite motivational, and those listening to the rant apparently respond in a good way.

So here goes, my latest rant on things that just, for some reason or another, bother the heck out of me.

OK, so the recurring theme I have implemented is “I’m tired.”

So, I’m tired of:

Political advertisements, panel discussions, and “expert” commentaries. I long for the return of spirited political discourse seasoned with insight, intelligence, and mutual respect.

The ever-increasing senseless acts of violence where innocent people are victimized.

Insincere politicians who make promises they hardly ever keep because they listen to operatives who have no clue how to connect with voters in any meaningful way. Tell us why you are such a good candidate — stop telling us your opponent is bad. What are you going to do to help the people?

Superficial “go-getters” who seem to be rewarded for, well, not very much. Roll up your sleeves, volunteer during off-hours, and contribute genuine hours, days, weeks, and years of helping your community and people in need.

Restaurant menu photos of mouth-watering, delicious-looking food that entice you to order items that come out looking nothing like the photos.

Unfunny jokes and even more tired — actually sick of — ugly comments that are all over “social media.” As Rodney Dangerfield would say, “No respect, I tell ya, no respect.”

Bad manners, which are seen everywhere and rarely questioned. Tolerating such behavior only further erodes whatever is left of the fabric of our decent society. “Excuse me,” “please,” “thank you, “you’re welcome,” and “may I” still have a place in society? And open doors, smile, never cut in line.

All those obnoxious celebrations, especially in the athletic arenas and stadiums. Young and older adults acting like idiots for doing what they are paid to do. As Vince Lombardi once said, “Act like you’ve been there before.” And to the fans of these “warriors,” wear your team’s colors, represent proudly, and respect the opponent’s fans’ right to do the same.

Unfocused “leaders” — athletes, politicians, CEOs, you choose. There are way too many of them being paid mega dollars for jobs where they rarely give a damn about customers, voters, constituents, other party members — but embrace those big dollar donors.

Wasted futures and misspent pasts and too many failures, especially in our younger generations. So much potential that will, sadly, go unfulfilled. As my parents’ generation would say, they all need a good kick in the pants, or a wake-up call, or a dose of reality.

Too few cozy nights, fewer home-cooked meals, and no kids and grandkids to dote on (a personal message).

Unappreciative people — so many out there. We are all fortunate to be here and to have so much to be appreciative of, so do it.

So many dogs and cats without homes. Those commercials tear me apart. Pets offer us the perfect example of unconditioned love, loyalty, friendship, reliability, and joy for living.

Being misunderstood by even those who should have gotten to know me by now. That saying — “you just don’t get me” — applies here. And let me also be the first to admit that there was a time that ”getting to know me” could have been somewhat challenging.

Paranoid, insecure, impatient people who miss out on taking advantage of what others have to offer because they are jealous, intimidated, and unthoughtful.

Trying to bring positive change to a world that keeps changing for the worse.

Wanting more out of life, of wanting someone to share this earthly paradise with. I guess I’m just tired of being tired.

In summary

So when I get in this mood, I look for something to do, and that usually takes me back to The Homeland — Plymouth, PA, Old Shawnee.

I take a ride through my old neighborhood and visit where it all began for me. Back to Reynolds and Second streets and the hills of Plymouth.

I go to where my first steps were taken — I go back home just to look around the hallowed ground where I grew up.

It’s where I learned just about everything. And I think about my parents and all those great people who helped me grow.

So much was learned there. But it’s really not so much about what you learned as it is about how you have taken what you learned back then and how you applied it throughout your life that followed.

It’s about knowing how to be a human being, which is not nearly as important as being human.

Deep inside, we all know right from wrong, and we decide on a daily basis on how to apply all that we learned when we were learning how and who to be.

Sometimes, we refuse to be all we can be, but back then, we learned how important it is to be good — to be kind.

So, it’s always good to return to where it all began and, perhaps, take a refresher course on how to be and how to apply it.

So there you go, returning to those days stopped the ranting. It took me back to my pre-ranting days — to a time when all I ranted about were kid things like sports, school, and not enough marshmallows on my CMP.

It’s Monday, so start your week off right.

Give it your best — it’s worth it.

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