Super Bowl Sunday doesn’t mean so very much at our house since Harold isn’t a fan of sports, I am not a fan of grilled things and neither one of us seem to have any fans. Yep, our Super Bowl Sunday was pretty quiet and the only touchdown was when Patches jumped down from the couch and made a four point landing. I didn’t fine him for doing his happy dance in the end zone and in fact, rewarded him with a treat. Patches did complain and say if we were any more boring he would be calling the funeral home to arrange a pick-up.

For a writer, validation comes in the form of feedback and I heard the funniest line from Quentin Tarantino during the SAG awards when he said…”I want to know what other people think but I don’t want their advice.” Harold reads Patches’ blog every morning while he drinks coffee and I often hear him almost choke he laughs so hard. If he has something negative to say, Patches acts like his rabies shot has worn off and he danced all night with a rabid skunk would be understatement! Patches’ argument that Harold experience the world from two inches from the ground makes me wish I had the ability to draw cartoons.

I suppose writers are not so different than most other people; we want guidance but most often we don’t want to be told there is anything wrong with the way we are living our lives. I got a call last week from my nephew who lives in Austin and he was frantic because he had been evicted. I knew he was expecting me to say Harold and I would be right over to pick him up and bring him to San Saba to stay in our extra room; and part of my heart cried out for me to do just that, but Harold would have blocked the door and hidden all the keys to the vehicles had I even mentioned it. I guess I should mention we are talking about an almost fifty year old man with an alcohol problem, a sense of entitlement that makes Lindsay Lohan look like an angel, and one who has lived off his wealthy father his entire life. I emailed my youngest sister telling her how sad I felt about it all and she wrote back saying this…"Lindy, you have cared deeply your entire life and maybe way too much.” It was as if her words became a lit fire on the page and seared directly into my brain.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you have questioned your entire existence? I mean you look at your life and you see where you, are, how people treat you and think, 'wow, I gave them permission to do this?' I will give you just a tiny example of what I am talking about. I was going to take a part-time job here in town and then found out the only reason I was asked to do it was so I could be used for free legal advice. Of course, I would never have given any legal advice, but that isn’t the point. It made me want to look in the mirror and see if I had "Use Me" stamped on my forehead.

I have lived my life as such a positive force of nature. I have truly loved this world even in its most unlovable moments. Normally when people have been unkind and even cruel to me, I have been more loving and understanding to them because it has been my wish to remain true to who I am, and not let their negativity change me. I have to say almost sixty-one years of doing such is becoming more and more difficult. I think this tank is getting full and I am ready for life to be a little kinder, easier and nicer to me. I, know you guys prefer funny and so do I and that is exactly why I wrote this article. Life is a conglomerate and there can be no up without down, good without bad. There is no me without you and if I love you guys, then I will always tell you my truths. Here are some big truths…the sun will come out tomorrow, I will smile, love you, live to write many laughs and life shall go on.