A Slice of Middle America

"My mother kept reminding us about other 'strays' of the world, "Don't forget, she may be some body's mother.'
-Janet Frame, An Autobiography

I received a letter earlier this month dated January 9, 2009 from a postcrossing.com friend in Middle America.
www.postcrossing.com
I will change the names to protect the innocent and not disclose the State. I simply feel like sharing an excerpt to show a 'sign of the times' and another slice of life in America today:

Hi Michael,
...I hope you had a Great Christmas, what was it like? Ours was very quiet, just the six of us. My husband, Robert, the grandsons and my son Mark and his girlfriend. It was fun and filled with lots of laughter.

Grandsons had a blast. We had a white Christmas for the first time in years, so there were lots of snowball fights, sledding and making of snowmen. My youngest son built an igloo for my other grandson. Fun was had by all. It's all gone now. It's back to being brown and not appealing to the eye.

I don't have a desire to fly, so I don't see my traveling very far. I am a chicken when it comes to that. Once I thought to go on a cruise but then changed my mind. I am a land lover. That is for sure.

I am reading a book about corrupt politicians (as if there aren't any in the world).

My daughter, Jane, runs a Day Care out of her house, for now. She was a phone representative for Franklin Covey until they closed the office. She is trying to find something similar. For now the Day Care pays the bills.

My youngest son is a Journeyman Framer. He works for a company that is building a new hospital. He does the welding of the framework, fire proofs the walls and things of that nature.

Mark, my oldest son, is a different story. He is almost thirty years old and has NOT grown up yet. He got mixed up with drugs at a young age. Then gave up the drugs and got his CDL. He was truck driver for a few years. He had his sons Jake and Donny and ended up back in the drug scene. From there...his life went downhill. The mother of the boys went way over the edge. When she was pregnant with Donny and learned she was having a boy she starting doing drugs in order to try to miscarry the baby. It didn't work. So when he was born she breast fed him while doing drugs which caused him to have what they call 'failure to thrive'. So we (my son Mark and I) fought and got the baby away from her. That was when Donny was eight months old.

Donny is now doing well. He just had several thousand dollars worth of dental work done for what they call "Meth mouth". All of his teeth rotted from her doing so many drugs. He is really sharp which I find amazing. He is little for his age (only 37 lbs). We had a huge party when he finally made it to twenty pounds at age 4 1/2.

My son, Mark, still hasn't grown up. My husband and I took in the boys to raise. Mark lives in our backyard (in his trailer) with his girlfriend. He does odd jobs to pay for his drinking habit and cigarettes. His girlfriend is thirty-two weeks pregnant with a baby boy. My son just went to stay with my sister to see if he can find a job in her area, so maybe he will finally decide to grow up.

I can pray. We have tried to get through to him but he is so bull headed it just ends up in a huge fight. He wants to raise the new baby boy (I pray he does). He doesn't have a clue what it costs.

Okay...enough of that story. What's new in your life?

It just makes me sad. With all of the opportunity America has to offer. Some just tend to take the wrong path.

Twenty-five years ago today:

January 16, 2009

My office section "A" has to prepare for our introduction next Thursday at a planned conference. My alias on that day is "Machine Gun Mike". I just wonder what will be in store for us on that busy business day.

Helen called in a 'sick day' today. I was on my own at lunchtime as I walked over to the new Dairy King that recently opened around the block.

After the work day it was still daylight and I took this opportunity to go for a bicycle ride for about an hour. It became dark very quickly. I was back home again by 6:30pm. I continued with floor exercises at home as I listened to modern, alternative rock tunes on QUAKE FM99 radio. While exercising the phone rang and it was none other than my new pal, Christopher Cordellos.

Chris seems to be a really nice fellow. He spoke of his folks, his sisters (one is 26 years old and the other is "missing") and his brother is a drummer. He invited me to a 'backpacking and camp out' trip early tomorrow morning that could last until Friday.
"I'd love to go, Chris, but with work and all I will have to take a rain check," I answered in appreciation of the thoughtful invitation.
"Oh okay, man.," he replied with hesitation, "I might move back to Riverside because that's the only place I know I can get a half way decent job, man. I hate my boss right now. He's into cocaine a lot, man. You'd probably think he was cool."
"No, I doubt that," I interrupted.
Chris kept using the word "man" a lot. I found it annoying and couldn't stand it every time I heard it. Otherwise, I find Chris to be very friendly, down-to-earth, and level headed (or passable).

After I got off of the phone with Chris I completed my exercise routine of sit ups and leg lifts. I watched some of 'The American Music Awards'. Entertainer Michael Jackson cleaned up in terms of being the top Award winner. It was funny. The next day a customer asked my name.
"Michael," I said.
"I bet you wish you were Michael Jackson," she announced.
I agreed...but in actuality I am glad that I am "Michael Joe Armijo".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy8kIXA4STs