FROM THE CORNER

Have you been in the post office lately? For months now the postal box area has lacked proper cleaning. The floor often looks like it has been walked over by thousands without anyone cleaning the scrapes of paper or dirt on the carpets. As part of a cost saving they laid off Mary Holewinski, who cleaned the post office for a long time. I can guarantee you when Mary was cleaning, it never looked like it does now. Another post office efficiency/cost savings!! And we just endured another stamp increase! *** It has been a little better than a year since McDonald’s in Stanley had its remodeling completed. Unfortunately, the dining area has been open very little during that time. First the closure was COVID-related and now the reason being given for the dining area not being open is lack of staff. I often wonder when will we ever get back to normal for us “old guys,” who like to gather for coffee and conversation? *** Here we are again, the time of year to clean up the garden and trim back the bushes and flowers. How fast the seasons and years go by! It’s “Happy Fall” again. *** Here is another, “Can you believe it?” It came from the cartoon Lola on Monday, October 4. Two ladies are talking and one says, “So, instead of “Mother” we’re supposed to say “Birthing Person.” The other says, “Interesting,” and then says, “just when you think the stupidity well has run dry, it fills back up again.” …………. Ain’t that the truth? *** This piece was sent to me by a friend. It’s a bit long but worth the read and the answer at the end may blow you away. HOW OLDISGRANDPA? Oneeveningagrandsonwastalkingto his grandfather about current events. The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age and just things in general. The grandfather replied, “Well, let me think a minute, I was born before: television, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lens, Frisebees and the pill. There were no credit cards, laser beams or ballpoint pens. Man had not invented: pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and space travel was only read in Flash Gordon books. Your Grandmother and I got married first … and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every woman older than me, “mam.” And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, “Sir.” We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. Our lives were governed by the Bible, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions. Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. Wethoughtfastfoodwaseatinghalfabiscuitwhile running to catch the school bus. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were those who closed front doors as the evening breeze started. Time sharing meant time the family spent together in the evening and weekends – not purchasing condominiums. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CD/s electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President’s speeches on our radios. And I don’t ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey. If you saw anything with “Made in Japan” on it, it was considered junk. The term “making out” referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5 & 10 cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice cream cones, phone calls, ride on a street car and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn’t want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. You could buy a new Ford Coupe for $600, but who could afford one? To bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon. + In my day “grass” was mowed, “coke” was a cold drink, “pot” was something your mother cooked in and “rock music” was your grandmother’s lullaby. “Aids” were helpers in the Principal’s office, chip” meant a piece of wood, “hardware” was found in a hardware store and “software” wasn’t even a word. + And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. How old do you think I am? I bet you have an old man in mind … you are in for a shock! This man would be 74 years old today (2021). *** Did you know? One in five Americans are affected by mental illness. +++ 4,500 children ages 0-5 in the Chippewa Valley live in households that struggle to make ends meet. +++ Only 48% of children coming from low-income homes are ready for school. +++ 26,000 plus households in Chippewa and Eau Claire counties struggle to afford the basic costs of living. +++ 11,250 Eau Claire County and 6,100 Chippewa County residents are identified as food-insecure. (Information from the United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley) *** Smile time. Good and bad news: “I have good news and bad news,” a defense attorney told his client. “First the bad news. The blood test came back, and your DNA is an exact match with that found at the crime scene.” “Oh no!” cried the client. “What is the good news?” “Your cholesterol is down to 140.” +++ An elderly lady ambled into the lawyers office and asked for help in arranging a divorce. “A divorce?” asked the unbelievinglawyer. “Tellme,howoldareyou?” “I’meightyfour,” answered the old lady. “Eighty-four! And how old is your husband?” “My husband is eighty-seven.” “My, my,” said the lawyer, “and how long have you been married?” “In November, we will be married sixty-two years.” “Married sixty-two years?” Why would you want a divorce now?” “Because,” the woman answered calmly, “enough is enough.” +++ A dietitian was once addressing a large audience in Chicago: “The material we put into our stomach is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks erode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. Vegetables can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. But there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and we all have eaten or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what that food is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?” A 75-year-old man in the front row stood up and said, “Wedding cake.” +++ Why didn’t the man report his stolen credit card? The thief was spending less than his wife.

BY DAVID JANKOSKI