FreeState

I am old, this is long, and if you don't approve, stay off my lawn.

Being a poor north LA boy unable to even sniff a trip to Baton Rouge or an LSU game, radio was about our only outlet in getting to listen to LSU play.

I was working at a gasoline bulk plant in W. Monroe and we had gas pumps and gas at a somewhat discount (around 30 to 40 something cents if I recall) and I was probably making about a buck an hour. A dollar an hour was a wagon wheel for a college student in those days.

I was listening to the game and when Brad Davis caught Bert Jones' pass to tie the game I was happy as hell. When Rusty Jackson kicked the PAT I said "F___ this" and shut the station down and headed to a bar to celebrate.

The next evening when I showed up, the owner's son met me and asked if I'd closed a couple hours early and why. I couldn't lie, admitted to him that I had, so he fired me. His father, a fine old man and the owner, took up for me. He said any college kid who didn't chase pussy, drink beer, and celebrate any LSU win shouldn't be working for them anyway. He told his son that he would have shut down, too.

But the handwriting was on the wall. The owner's son was a prick, I knew he'd be gunning for me from then on, so I told him I'd planned on quitting anyway. The son was a typical mama's boy who was making his mark or at least trying to impress his dad that he was ready to take over the reins. His dad was an old WWII vet, knew of my background, and we got along good. Plus he was a die-hard LSU fan like me. The son, screw him.

So, I am possibly the only S. O. B. on earth who got fired because Bert Jones hit Brad Davis with a tying touchdown and Rusty Jackson (I think) hit the winning extra point.

War is hell.

Damn young whippersnappers. The younger generations need to be shut down and kept in their place!!!

Everyone is against socialism and taxes. Until it comes to their little bailiwick.

Road? Bridges? Schools? Police? Fire protection? Health units? All socialism.

I’m certainly against fraud and waste and corruption but anti-tax dickheads aren’t paying nearly as much as most of us.

Parish wanted to play immediately. Little known fact he strongly considered Northeast in Monroe. Centenary said screw the NCAA and played him knowing they would be sanctioned and that none of Robert’s statistics would be officially recorded with the NCAA.

As I predicted.

I got to pay for both parents funerals with zero help from my brothers. I never bitched about it. My mom was living in a house I owned. When she passed my brother expected half of the house. I had to break it to him while he was globe trotting I had paid for her house and car and I actually owned the house and car. Problem was, he was worth a fortune to begin with.

Mowing yards, weeding. No such thing as a weed eater back then.

Drug store, 7th grade. Hour before school, sweep, crushed ice for old stainless steel soda fountain counter. Sold newspapers. Two hours after school, swept, dusted, cut date and headline from previous days papers so boss could mail in for credit. $3 per WEEK.

Ticket taker at theater. $10 a week.


Service station work: washing cars, fixing flats including 18 wheeler truck tires. There were no power tools back then, cheater pipes and lug wrenches. 50 cents an hour, 12 hour shifts.

Landed job at Western Auto. Dollar per hour. Assemble bikes, tricycles, changed tires, installed batteries, stocked.

Fence post mill. $2 per hour.

Had a job from grade 8 through high school.

And you?

This is exactly what leads to someone getting their arse blown up. As a young man I probably would have been willing to fight him. Today, in my old age, I would not hesitate to shoot him. I’m too damn old to try and fight. And God knows the last thing I want to do is take a life.

Tragedy is him putting his children in a position to witness such crap.

Too many of our guys are too hesitant.

They seem to be non-confident, nervous, and afraid to throw the ball. They seem to be over thinking.

I wonder if they are confused half the time.

We need dawgs who step on the rubber, sling it with an attitude and dare some sunuvabitch to swing.