Cap'N Hugh "Strongback" Golly announces

He say he'll read the book next week!

observations: on a Whataburger's visitors

Now, this is what I've observed in my small city in East Texas at the one Whataburger we have.  So maybe this observation is not so much about human nature, but more a regional or even local one.  I guess you'll have to tell me what you think if you've taken some time to observe a day in the life of your local 24 hour fast food joint (preferably a Whataburger... cause it could be specific to the type of restaurant, too).

Also, these observations pertain to the inside dining room of the Whataburger.  I have no idea what habits those frequenting the drive-through may have or what ages may be represented.

In the morning, starting really early at around 5am, the elder folk come in to break their fast. These are the elders we should respect simply by virtue of their age and the life experience that goes with it.  We can readily see their life written in the wrinkles on their face.  And they come as often alone as with someone else.

Surprising as it may seem, there are many in this group that come alone or with someone and meet others while here.  Almost like breakfast clubs for the Grannies and Grampies.  Many of those meetings, it seems, are prearranged.  Just as many, though, are simply by virtue of the same folks coming to eat at the same time on a regular basis.  It is enjoyable to watch these meetings, especially those that were not prearranged.

The morning and early lunch time is dominated by these sweet old folks.  They love to talk to GrA, by the way.  Many give such expressive communications as I'm walking by that I feel compelled to stop so they can try to get a smile from him.  Thankfully, this little guy is really smiley and almost always rewards them for their efforts.

Midday meal-time starts to see more younger visitors.  But still the majority is older folks who have earned their silver hairs.  Even at lunch, those who are younger are still in the thirties and above.

Later day and dinner see more families here at my favorite writer-work haunt!  Some nights (maybe Wednesdays and Saturdays) tend to have larger families visiting for a meal.  I'm thinking these might be folks departing church and stopping on their way home.  But I haven't asked any of them, so this really is just a guess.  I think it's a good guess, though, because oft-times these family groups greet one another.  Additionally, they often look well-dressed, as if for church.

Evening and night are when the youth and young adults visit.  Most often they come as groups of guys or girls.  Very few come alone.  Sometimes there are couples that seem to be out on dates.  The fewer guys, the better, as I've not directly said, but basically shared before.

A few times I've been here after the bars let out... those are some interesting times to observe.  I really do not prefer them, though, and, in fact, work hard to avoid that time (especially on Fridays and Saturdays and I just don't work at all for 24 hours on Sundays).  It's sometimes funny, but often disturbing to watch (and hear!) the interactions of the often inebriated folks that visit my Whataburger during those after hours.

My favorite working hours are from about 1am until 5am Monday through Wednesday and sometimes Thursday.  It's difficult for me to make it to my Whataburger during those hours, though, because I do need to sleep sometime!

Have you observed various hours at a local 24 hour restaurant?  I'd love to hear what you've seen... even if it's not a full 24.  Maybe you've observed a certain spread.  Tell me about it by commenting below!

Cap'N Hugh "Strongback" Golly taking a moment

my thoughts: on choice

Growing up I recited, weekly, the above theme for the young women in my church.  In it, you can see "choice and accountability" is the fifth value mentioned.  It's a great point!  The two necessarily go hand-in-hand.  Even if it seems someone has escaped the consequences of their actions... they really haven't.  You just haven't seen the ultimate result.  Maybe never will.  Still, they will always experience, at some point or another, justice.  We are all, indeed, accountable for our choices.

The awesome thing about choice is that even in the most unlikely circumstances, we have a choice.  We can readily read about concentration camp prisoners, perhaps the most famous being Viktor Frankl, author of Man's Search for Meaning.  He, like a few others, made the choice to have a positive attitude when all around them made another choice.

The difficulty is that choice doesn't always seem quite so obvious.  Sometimes our circumstances seem to demand a certain reaction or action.  The key is to recognize the point of choice.  The moment in which we make a choice to react or not.  That can be difficult and seem nigh on impossible.  But change is possible.  It really is.

Connecting to my last post about my thoughts... even if someone doesn't give us respect, it is our choice whether or not we give respect.  Regardless of their choice,  we will be held accountable for ours.  Dang it...

most recent Cap'N Hugh "Strongback" Golly

observations: people react to a baby in a wrap

I have worn my babies since my first.  Not because I've always been super knowledgeable about babywearing... even now I'm definitely not as knowledgeable as many ladies out there.  I am functionally knowledgeable.  I know what works for me and do that... a LOT.

Babywearing has saved me from feeling bonkers many times.  Sometimes, though, it's a source of frustration.  In a way I will not get away from this part, though, unless I only go in public alone.  And that's just not going to work.

You see, folks around here don't often see babies wrapped.  I see a lot more babies being worn, even here in my country city than I did twelve years ago wearing my first.  But around here the packs are way more popular than wrapping.  It's probably easier for the parents, so that's why they do it.  That's a huge reason for babywearing of any kind.

Wraping is my babywearing style because the way I wrap myself into it is super versatile for wearing my babies.  With one wrap, I can hold him facing me (as a newborn), facing either right or left, and facing straight out with legs in or out.  It is rare that my babes prefer that position, but every once in a while they do.

On to how people react... well, one of the funniest things I've observed is now babies (generally) decrease personal space.  And when wearing a baby, that means my person space shrinks to almost nothing.  It's pretty funny to me now and I usually don't mind it.  But a few babies ago it was a source of much annoyance.  Why the difference?  Well, that'll be in a MY THOUGHTS post eventually.

Next is the surprise.  I've had people looked shocked and horrified in surprise as they realized I had a baby in front of me.  Once, a lady coming out of a bathroom as I went in reacted as if she'd just seen a monster and almost ran away from me.  Seriously.  I laughed harder about that than any other reaction!

Most often, though, are the abundant and ready smiles that I really don't see nearly so often when my babies are walking on their own.  People want to talk to babies.  I'll share some observations about PEOPLE TALKING TO BABIES soon.  It's really pretty wonderful and sweet.  I haven't always seen it that way because it does require a degree of patience in/from Mama that I haven't always had.  Please forgive me if you were among those impacted by my lack.  I am very sorry for my lack of understanding back when I had three and fewer.

Some folks talk to me about the wrap.  About half the time it's a way to get close enough to talk to the baby.  The other half of the time the, usually, ladies are really interested in the wrap because they're thinking of someone who could use it.  I love talking about babywearing and how it has benefited me and, I believe, my babies.  I really do think it has!

There were some folks, back when I had just two and my second was almost always in the wrap.  My second just LOVED being worn.  None of my others have loved it so much.  She was content to sit in it even when I was sitting still doing nothing for a while.  Well, there were folks that thought she would never walk because she was always in the wrap.  I think she heard and wanted to show them they were absurd because she was walking at 8.5 months!  I even caught her dancing at 9 months old!  I wish I had video of that because you really cannot imagine how adorable such a sight is!

So, babywearing... you have to be pretty dedicated if you're like me... and don't prefer lots of folks staring at you.  But it's worth it for many reasons.  If you haven't heard of it, check it out!  And tell me what you think whether you wear your babies or not!

my thoughts: on respect

It's related to karma. It must be. Important as it is, if we give it, we likely get it (and vice versa!).  There's a great song (see below) about it.

Some say you must demand it.  That if you allow others to do (bloddyblah), you won't get it.

I'm here to tell ya... you have absolutely only as much control of another human being as they allow you to have.  We all have a choice.  In every circumstance.  We have a choice.

Regardless, if you want it, you must give it.  What goes around does actually come around.  It may not seem like it... it may take a while... but eventually... eventually it'll come back.

Give it.  Like love and service... even if you don't get it back from the one to whom you give it... it comes back.  And giving it actually does feel good. 

meet Cap'N Hugh "Strongback" Golly

My husband Jessie and I have been working quite a lot on a YouTube character.  We now present him to you.  I hope you'll be kind and take a moment from your busy day to subscribe, like, comment, and even share from YouTube if you think it's interesting or at all enjoyable.  Let us know in the comments there if you think it's lame, too.  Thank you very much, in advance!

observations: guys when they multiply

I've been working at my local Whataburger for a while now.  A lot more frequently during June 2016.  These public work times have provided lots of observation time.  One thing I've observed a few times came to a bit of a head on June 30th.

Have you ever noticed how guys tend to behave in more aggressive ways and use more foul language when their numbers increase?  Perhaps especially when they are young guys... but I have definitely had quite a few opportunities to observe this recently.

For a lady who feels the impact of curse words, even when not directed or spoken to me, this is exceedingly disturbing.  Nonetheless, even though it might surprise those who have known me since my youth, I do not prefer confrontation.  So, I have on at least two recent occasions experienced the truth mentioned in the Declaration of Independence which reads:

...all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.

I believe the truth mentioned here is that folks would rather just keep on keepin' on, rather than interrupt their experience of life by dealing with rough YUCK stuff going on around them.

The rough stuff I've been around and wanted to ignore has been loud cursing and raunchy conversation in groups of guys (usually more than three guys).  On the 30th, there were two guys sitting in the booth just ahead of mine.  I could hear them, but i t was easy to tune them out.  Nary a curse word or raunchy subject did I hear.

When two more guys joined them, all four males began cursing periodically.  Mind, I was not TRYing to hear them or the curse words.  And when four males are cursing, that produces many curse words.  I both heard and felt them pop out at me from everything else they said.

Additionally, their conversation about females in their life currently or experience was disturbingly disrespectful and vulgar.  They four had foul mouths and minds based on their words.  And though I would have rather sat and ignored them, I did experience a point at which their abuses felt like efforts to reduce me under absolute despotism.  If I could have ignored them, I would have.  I absolutely felt the need to throw off the energetic YUCK I felt as a result of the words they spoke.

So, I said something to them about it.

As it happened on the 30th, at least one among them is probably a really nice guy who is often mindful of others.  He tried to excuse his behavior explaining that he was young.  I cut him off and told him that was no excuse and he was practicing now for the rest of his life.  He actually did change his behavior, for which I was very grateful as I was able to return to the writing on which I was working diligently to focus.

Basically, it is my observation that guys, as their number multiplies, become more crude, rude, and even perverse.  Have you had opportunity to observe such a thing?

my thoughts on newborns and purity

It is difficult to remain clean in this world.  Both in the spiritual and physical sense.

As mother of six children now, I have had the opportunity to observe a few things about babies.  The thing that is most pertinent to the title and about which I have been pondering much of late is: babies and dirt.

Have you ever noticed that babies get dirty even if they haven't DONE anything at which they might reasonably get dirty?  Maybe not dirty in the same way as a three-year-old playing directly in the dirt gets dirty, but somehow they collect dirt in the palms of their hands, in between fingers and toes, in the chubs at their neck, and under their arms?  I have!  At least six times with six different tiny humans.

Wanna know what I've decided?

It's just part of this fallen world.  Dirtiness is just part of this fallen world.  That's why we have to clean our nails frequently, take showers, repent every day, partake of the sacrament frequently, avoid environments in which sin is prevalent, and so forth.

This world is fallen.  But we don't have to stay down when we experience a fall.  We are able to rise up when we fall.  We can and must clean off the muck and mud. Each and every time we experience a fall, regardless of degree.  It is within our power.

Requirement: work.  We have to do the work of cleaning up.  Literally and figuratively.  When we end up dirty as a result of our own choice or because someone sped by a mud puddle when we were walking on the other side of it.  We just have to accept some dirtiness comes, but we can choose to get clean and work on staying that way.  We just have to make the choice to do so every time.