That's What All the People Say

Ah, summer! Time for another dose of yin and yang, fantasy and reality, drama and comedy for...guess who?

Your humble narrator, that's who.

Another work day for yours truly, no better or worse than any other. The sun is shining is what appears to be a normal summer day which, this year in Oregon, is almost frightening after the dreaded HEAT DOME we were under a few weeks back, bringing temperatures up to a record 116. Today was a blessedly pleasant 82. My, it's amazing what a difference 34 degrees makes.  I'm wearing "approved" work attire-dark blue short sleeve polo shirt, tan khakis, bland beyond belief even with my shades on. However, it was apparently enough to prompt this comment from a lovely lady:

"Hey, you look like a movie star!"

Now I'm about as shallow as a puddle in a parking lot and insecure beyond belief because this remark boosted my ego enough to give me a lil' spring in my step the rest of the doo-dah day.

BUT...

...on the way home from work, I stopped to fill my gas tank at a nearby Shell station. The attendant, a gap-toothed yahoo also of the female persuasion looked at my attire and surmised with a gummy grin:

"You must work for Wal-Mart!"

And PRESTO! I'm back on Planet Earf. 

Frank Sinatra, Ol Blue Eyes himself, sang a little ditty called "That's Life". You know as in "that's what all the people say". This tune, written by written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon, talked about the ups and downs of life and how you have to roll with the punches because "some people get their kicks stompin' on a dream". 

Frank would know all about that since he's been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, the inspiration for Johnny Fontaine in THE GODFATHER, the kinda guy that would have his goons beat the shit out of you if you looked at him wrong, then try to take to your wife away from you if you were dying from lung cancer. Yeah, that's life, Frank, as funny as it may seem. 

But let's get back to the song. Here we have the Chairman of the Board telling us that right after he finds himself flat on his face, he kicks himself up and gets back in the race, he finished up with this declaration:

"That's life and I can't deny it

I wonder how would Frank looked in a blue vest

Many times I thought of cutting out
But my heart won't buy it
But if there's nothing shakin' come this here July
I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball and die
My, My"


Wow. What a defeatist. Did Frank really sign off on the premise that he would crawl up in a big ball and die if nothin' shook in July? Not exactly "if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere", is it, FRAN-CIS? 

Still, somehow, some way, I feel the same way here in the good ol' summertime.

Today is July 15th.

Oh yeah, I definitely relate.

My, my.