There is, of course, a subtle difference between "a bail out" and "BAIL OUT!"

I've had a series of days that can only be described as, "can't see past the end of your nose" days.

You know the kind of day I'm talking about; the kind of day when you're so wrapped up in the things that you ABSOLUTELY HAVE to do, you barely have time for the things you NEED to do, and of course, you can't see far enough away from your own head to see the things you WANT to do.

I've had people say that such myopia is a sign of adulthood.

Forty percent of my psyche agrees with those doomsayers; the other sixty percent wants to punch-a dem in-a da crotch.

So, the child is still alive, still in the majority in my cerebral Senatorial Chamber, but sees the necessity for belt tightening until the adulthood crisis has passed.

And a thought occurred to me as I sat here, putting the thoughts together, that I wanted to share with you.

Back in the 80's, in those glorious days of Reagan, he did a speech for a group of high school students.  As I recall, he told the story that sometime in the Presidency of William McKinley, the head of the United States Patent Office suggested to the President that he shut the office down; in his opinion, everything that could be invented by man HAD been invented by man.

The story is apocryphal, of course, although I seem to recall that there was an idea floated in those early days of the last century, that eventually, our creativity and consequently our improvement as human beings must, as all things, end.

On days like today, and yesterday, and the day before that and for the rememberable past, I can understand that the treadmill that we invariably create for ourselves tax the reasonable parts of our brains so much that we inadvertently allow the creative parts of our brain to atrophy to the point that the only thing we can think is that favorite mantra of mine...."fire bad, tree pretty."

And when I get to stop and think about it, as I have today, it ENRAGES me.

Just because I've gotten older doesn't necessarily make it mandatory that I grow up.  Just because there are more days behind than ahead doesn't mean I have to throw all of my spare cash into a retirement account I'm not even sure (at this point) that I'll live to use.  Just because I live in beautiful, diverse, but largely hard-workng agricultural community doesn't mean there isn't room for something more than pseduo-professional creative arts.

Just because I have this small little soap box in the midst of a wide world of soap boxes doesn't mean I can whine and moan and bore you all to death with it.

Ooooh!  Half price Jelly Beans!

........as you were.