My Future in Other People’s Words

You know I love writing and sharing my thoughts with you.   I’ve been doing with my blog for eight years now.

Today, I’m sharing some thoughts about my future — more specifically, the spring of 2020 — and I’m doing this in other people’s words!

I hope you find this deviation interesting and enlightening!

CHRIS McCANDLESS

In 1990, after graduating from Emory College with degrees in history and anthropology, 22-year-old Chris McCandless gave away his $24,000 in savings to a charitable organization that fought against global poverty.

He then hit the road to live a vagabond life.

In late April 1992, he was last seen alive on the Stampede Trail around the northern boundary of Denali National Park in Alaska.

After spending months in the frontier, with little food and equipment and inexperienced with the layout of the area, McCandless headed back to civilization.  But, he was trapped by melting snow and flooding!

His journal entries indicated 113 days in the wilderness, but his last real thoughts were noted on day 107.

McCandless died in August 1992 at the age of 24.

While Chris met an untimely and sad ending, I’m inspired by his young thinking mind!

McCANDLESS:  “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.”

McCandless goes on to say, “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”

Jon Krakauer’s 1996 book, “Into the Wild” about McCandless’ life and death was made into a movie the next year starring Emile Hirsch.

“RHINESTONE COWBOY” (GLEN CAMPBELL)

In my career life, the cities have always chosen me:  Rhinelander (WI), Lubbock (TX), Youngstown (OH), Mansfield (OH), Salisbury (MD), Moline (IL), Rock Island (IL), Panama City (FL), and Duluth (MN).

The only times I’ve chosen the city to call home that wasn’t career-related, it was Chicago.  And, both times, it was the best decision I’ve ever made!

“I’ve been walkin’ these streets so long/Singin’ the same old song

I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway

Where hustle the name of the name of the game

And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain

There’s been a load of compromising/On the road road to my horizon

But I’m gonna be where the lights are shining on me”

“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST”

Belle: “There must be more than this provincial life.”

“XANADU”

“A million lights are dancing and there you are, a shooting star/
An everlasting world and you’re here with me, eternally/
Xanadu, Xanadu”

“Xanadu, your neon lights will shine/for you, Xanadu”

REBA McENTIRE IS TALKING TO ME!

No matter what’s going on in my life, good or bad, happy or sad, when Reba McEntire releases a new album there’s a song that I feel is just for me.

On her spring 2019 release, “Stronger Than The Truth”, there were two songs!

Neither are happy, but one offers some hope.

“THE CLOWN”

My life in 2017 was played out tragically in song with “The Clown”.

“After a couple of bottle of red wine, the truth finally came out/
The words ‘I don’t love you anymore’ spilled from his mouth”

But, in the restaurant, the piano kept playing, cell phones kept ringin’, glasses were clinkin’, and everyone was laughin’, dancin’, and singin’

“So I painted a smile on my face to cover the frown/
In that room full of jokers and jesters, I was the clown”

“THE BAR’S GETTING LOWER”

If you don’t have Reba’s “Stronger Than The Truth” album, it’s fantastic.

“The Bar’s Getting Lower” is the song that really sings to me.  It punches you in the gut, but it also offers hope!

Reba sings of a woman whose mother told her to hold out for a good man, which, many years ago, sounded like a good plan.  However, as we know, life doesn’t always go as planned!

“She was hoping for pink champagne/
But she’ll settle for well whiskey

She saw herself in a long white gown/
Not downtown gettin’ tipsy

And that one-night stand walking through the door/
Ain’t the marrying kind, yeah that’s for sure

But she’s gettin’ older/And the bar’s gettin’ lower”

So, does she go home with the one night stand or not?

“She could thank him for the drink and walk away/
Live to love another day

But she’s gettin’ older
And the night’s gettin’ colder
And the bar’s gettin’ lower”

Take a listen to the song here if you haven’t heard it.

And, I’ll end this look at my future in the words of others on a very happy and sexy note with Kylie Minogue.

In 2018, she turned 50 years old.  And, after beating cancer in 2005, she’s still as popular and busy as ever.

“Golden” was the title of her 2018 album and subsequent tour.

The lyrics of the title track are so inspiring!!!

“Tomorrow has all the answers/ Today says we’ve just begun”

“We’re not young, and we’re not old/
We’re the stories not yet told/
Won’t be bought and can’t be sold/
We are golden”

“Don’t you feel the sun on your face?/
Hopeful hearts of the human race/
Wrapped in the arms of love”

We’re golden/Burn like the stars
Stay golden/Straight from the heart
We’re the voice that’ll never give in/
Getting knocked down, back up again
We’re golden, golden
That’s who we are”

Here’s the very stunning Kylie Minogue with an array of beautiful men helping her out, including Jake Leigh and Anders Deeno Nielsen.

In my future, when the rain comes falling down, may it rain glitter!

And, here’s a bonus just because it’s so damn hot and summer is coming!

Maybe I should re-consider Las Vegas? 🙂

Anthony

 

New Details On “The Next Chapter”

For eight months now, I’ve shared a few things here and there about changes that were being set into play.

A year ago, as I was preparing to head off to Bangkok, Thailand, I hoped the mysticism of the Far East would answer a few questions for me.

In my June 2019 blog, “I Need to Write My Next Chapter”, I concluded with this, “I’ll take a gamble on life again!”

At that time, I was very seriously thinking of giving up my career as a television meteorologist and moving to Las Vegas!

Later in June, I posted another subtle hint with this photo and the caption of “Future” — a new theme!!!

Well, I guess that post wasn’t as subtle as I thought. 🙂  Some of my dear friends across the miles quickly caught on to the hint.

And, Connie sent me this private message!

Ha!  I even used cactus stamps for my cards this past Christmas! 🙂

Well, I’m only telling you this now because I’ve changed course and moving to Las Vegas is no longer on the table — for now.

However, what I wrote in my November 2019 blog, “The ‘Next Chapter’ Is Still Being Written”, is still true and it’s getting closer:  “I can’t wait to find something fun to pay bills that’ll allow me more time to live, meet people (friends or that “someone special”), and be a great dad to #Pug2020!”

Here’s the link to that full blog:

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2019/11/22/the-next-chapter-is-still-being-written/

And, the link for the first one from last June:

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2019/06/07/i-need-to-write-my-next-chapter/

I hope you stick around for the details!

You know they’re coming soon because Spring 2020 is getting closer every day!

Anthony

When I Was Young (and Ignorant)

I’ll be the first to admit this since I’m now on the receiving end of it:  I was once young and ignorant!

This is something that I’ve always known, but it took Jennifer Lopez on the Super Bowl halftime show and Blanche Devereaux to drive it home again!

The best meme of the week highlighted “50 years old in 1985” and “50 years old in 2020”!

Rue McClanahan of “The Golden Girls” was dressed to kill as a “Maneater” (another 1980’s reference — you’re welcome Hall & Oates) and J. Lo was swinging from a pole in her performance a la “Hustlers”.

As a youngster just getting ready to turn 21-years-old, I thought Blanche was old!

Maybe it’s because McClanahan was surrounded by a cast of actresses more than a decade older than her (Betty White, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty).  Or, was it was because they were called “The Golden Girls”?

I know that McClanahan was selling “sexy” as an older woman and J. Lo is selling “sexy” as vivacious! (Let me tell you, it works!)

Yet, on the other hand, I never considered my mother, Dessie, old.

When she died at the age of 47, in 1990, I still considered her a “young” woman.  Yet, I saw Blanche as old!

Bizarre!

And, here’s where my youth and ignorance really showed, in the 1980s, even though I didn’t recognize it then.

When I started going out to “the bar” in Paducah, Kentucky, I’d see men that were probably 30-years-old or in their 30s and I thought “they’re OLD”!

Now, I’m that “OLD” person (and I’m not even talking 30s or 40s)!

These days, when I see and hear the gay youth (20s) saying the same thing, I think, “You’re so stupid!  Just wait, you’ll be on the receiving end of it before you know it!”

And, here’s something that totally confounds the age logic for me back then even more.

When I was back home on break from college as a 19-year-old, I had a chance “encounter” one hot summer night with the neighborhood hottie that all the women lusted after!

He was 29 — ten years older than me!

Yet, it was so thrilling, I didn’t even think of the age difference.  Maybe because he wasn’t 30! 🙂

So, just remember, age is just a number!

Also, keep in mind, that most of us in our 40s and 50s shouldn’t try emulating J. Lo!

This all reminds me of Arnold Becker (Harvey Fierstein) as he was getting into drag in “Torch Song Trilogy”!

“I think my biggest problem is being young and beautiful. It’s my biggest problem because I’ve never been young and beautiful. Oh, I’ve been beautiful. And God knows I’ve been young, but never the twain have met.”

And, because I mentioned 1982’s “Maneater”, Daryl Hall & John Oates’ longest running #1 song at four weeks, here it is!

Anthony