Of course, everyone has heard the phrase “The pen is mightier than the sword”.  I sit here and wonder how much more might I have accomplished if I had only used the sword instead. I also realize if I was walking around town scantily dressed, swinging a sword, the funny farm would be my next stop. So, I sit here, letting my fingers do the walking and talking. For the most part, I am in control of what my fingers are trying to say. But every once in a while, when I send out notes, they are read differently than my mind and fingers were trying to say. There are a few things folks understand immediately. You know things such as LOL, or ROFLMAO. But there have been many times over the years I have had to mend a fence or two due to a misunderstanding. I may sit here and try to send sunshine, but when the words are sent, they arrive with thunder in my voice. I have been approached more than once by folks complaining I wrote about them. Over the last 70 plus years, (soon to be 77), I have met and talked to many people. Yes, and many from different colors and races. Sometimes, these meetings were just a brief passing and I have forgotten their names in ten seconds of that meeting. Good grief, I am terrible with remembering names. Young folks approach me as though we are the best of friends. But I wonder just who was that person. So, I have to ask, “Just who are your grandparents?”  It is most likely I went to school with them. Now, I have to try and remember the lineage of that person. Just as soon as I turn and walk away, a gust of air goes through my mind and erases everything. Many folks would call this a fault of mine. But, I would not be totally human if I did not have a couple of faults. I will admit, I may not fit what some folks would call normal. Heck, even the professionals who calls themselves doctors admit that. My heartbeat may go from 45 beats per minute to 90 bpm, depending on what the mind is thinking about. One professional person would say this is not quite normal, but the other says it is normal for me. So, this all boils down to just what the mind is trying to say with the wandering fingers. When I type, I don’t even look at the keyboard and let the mind and fingers do their thing. There have been times when food in the tiny little oven turned that dark color because the mind was not paying attention. There has been more than once, yes probably more than 100 times my thinking got me into trouble. There was even a few times, the mind totally lost its way. But not today, at least I think all is ok.  You see the mind can actually help the body to heal. I was on one of my yearly health inspections, ( I do this every once in a while )  and the nice person asked me about medication. Sometimes I take some, many times I do not. I explained it to the health person, “as long as I think it helps, then it helps.”  That is all that needs to happen. It would be so nice to say the mind totally controls the mind. This control, controls me, and I control it. This is almost like saying the fox controls the hen house. Now, all you folks out there, I have just broken a rule of writing great little stories. One must try not to use the same word over and over again. But being in control today, I used that word too many times. So if you don’t like it and my words brought thunder and not sunshine. Get out ya magic marker and start crossing stuff off. It is after all still January and the lack of good warm sunshine is missing in my world.   Peace on good people, Mud season is on its way and the little boy in me gets to play again.  Ken White COB mountainman

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