musing aloud

My brother now runs the family business - a small gas station/restaurant in a location that makes it quite profitable.  I practically grew up there, worked before school and after school - did my homework at the counter when business was slow.  Can't say I've been back often since 1996.  I stop in maybe once every couple of weeks to see how things are going and to catch up on the local gossip.

And I did that yesterday.  After my brother cajoled me into buying an 89 cent pack of little cigars (cherry flavored), he told me a lady I've known all my life was killed in a car accident the night before.

We weren't close - we were on the periphery of each others' lives for as long as I can remember.  We attended the same schools, rode the same bus and then later our kids were friends.  And now she's gone, very suddenly.  I was stunned.

I guess we expect people who have been there forever to be there forever...regardless of how close we are.

And it spurred me to pick up the phone and call Charles, who is probably my closest friend.  We haven't talked in a while, so we got all caught up.  But I SWEAR not to let months go by again, because you just never know.  And then I got in contact with a few other friends.

I don't mean to depress anybody.  It's just on my mind.

As far as the cigars go - wouldn't you know,  I forgot to take cigarettes to work today and they were all I had in my purse.  And so i smoked the danged things.  Toward the end of the day, Sgt. Greene joined me and said - Wow.  I didn't know you smoked cigars.  I gave him the pack and said..I don't.  Ick. 

One of the inmates came up to me and proudly told me he was studying criminology.  An independent thinker, that one is, by his own proclamation.  I have to wonder if he'll think independently OR - use the independence of mind to manipulate theories and proven facts into what he wants them to be. 

My favorite psychologist was around today.  We had time to visit and he was in an unusually playful mood.  I alerted him the library book sale and he said he'd be there if I would be so kind as to call and remind him.  I'll always be his secretary, I suppose.  Then we got into a discussion of truth being more deadly than lies.  That's one of the things i liked about that particular prison - there was no shortage of stimulating conversation, no shortage of anything, except perhaps staff.  Whoever takes my place...I hope she appreciates and watches out for them like they'll watch out for her.

My cousin the superintendent called and promised he was coming up to central - but he never made it.  Shoot.  Just recently, we began acting more like family than coworkers.

Speaking of family, mine is becoming closer.  That's very satisfying to experience.

And in a couple of weeks, I'm taking a well deserved weekend away from the ordinary and going to see someone I love very much. We've made plans for a bookstore, a mexican restaurant and decadently rich chocolate.  It'll be good to get away.