Tossing Salt Presents:
A Day of Dougie
Storms & Bubble Gum
January 22, 2023
DougMaynard.com

And so it begins again. Welcome to a Day of Dougie. It’s been a few weeks and the last time I did this, I was full of plans and dreams for the site. New stuff to make it better and more entertaining for my loyal readers, all 11 of you. How’d that work out? Not too good. I’ve been dealing with anxiety, depression, physical pain to the max, and tons of other things and well, it’s been an ordeal. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about just quitting and giving up. Quit my job. Quit this site and my writing. Just quit trying and instead, just spend my life watching serial killer documentaries and day drinking instead. It’d be so easy.

Yeah, I know that sounds kind of extreme, but think about it. In the past three years, I’ve lost two siblings and a leg. I’m still managing to work a couple of days a week, which I love, but it’s getting physically harder and harder to keep up and I feel like I’m not doing my share and am letting everyone down. I don’t have any friends, not to talk to regularly, and just chill with. That’s wrong. My bad. I have a few great friends, but life is a bitch sometimes and they have their own responsibilities and lives to take care of and I get that. It’s all part of being an adult and having a third wheel tagging along isn’t always practical or possible. We chill when we can and it makes all the difference to me.

But it’s not the same. I feel so empty, so alone, so often. And so overwhelmed. I just want to be able to relax in my home, play on my computer and write, listen to music, and, every so often, have a friend or two over to share a beverage, watch a movie, etc. Instead, this place is so junked up, we’re only three boxes away from an episode of Hoarders. I’m embarrassed to have people over and even if I did, between the pets, my Mom, and her Biden Derangement Syndrome (It’s real. I hate Biden too, but she literally can not stop talking about and blaming everything on that Basement Dummy Pedo), it’s impossible to have anyone over and have any kind of conversation or peace. It’s a bitch! Yeah, that pretty much describes it. Life’s a bitch and then you die.

And now that I’ve rambled and depressed everyone well enough, let’s do a Day of Dougie. Doesn’t that sound like fun? I should probably delete everything I’ve written so far and maybe save it for “The Crazy Book” instead. I would, but I don’t feel like it. Maybe next time. Here’s a poem I wrote back in 10th grade when I was 15 years old.

I make no sense
You wonder why
I only write
What’s felt inside.
‘Nuff said!

Now let’s find some topics for the Day of Dougie so we can wrap this baby up. I’ve got the Magic Bag and the topics, only two of them for today since I’ve already written so much in my intro, are Storms and Bubble Gum. Okay then. Let’s do this.

Storms

Okay, let’s start off with the storms because I do truly love and embrace them. There are few things as relaxing to me as to be sitting safely inside my house (definitely a must) and listening to the sounds of the rain pouring outside and the thunder shaking the air as the lightning flashes. Some people don’t like them or are frightened by the power that they represent and what they’re capable of and I agree that they (and all weather) must be respected. And if I have to go somewhere or be out in the weather, I’m not generally happy about them either. But if I’m safe in my home, then bring them on.

And storms have a great quality about them too in that they can make a person realize just how small and insignificant we truly are in the overall scheme of things. I know that doesn’t sound good, but sometimes people get so full of themselves and think that the world revolves around them and they’re a big deal. It’s about “me, me, me”, right? But then let them be stuck inside a house where the rain is pouring down and the thunder is shaking the walls. The lightning is flashing through the sky and it sounds as if the roof just might fly off the house at any moment. It’s not about them and their problems anymore. It tends to put things in perspective, at least in my muddled mind.

One of my favorite things is, when the weather is blasting outside, just to light a few candles, turn off the TV and lights, open the curtains and just watch and listen and embrace the magic that’s happening. It’s a great time for reflection and just chillaxin’. And I definitely do. And now let’s move on.

Bubble Gum

Bubble gum. Bazooka is still the best. The Pal bubble gum (that you buy in bulk packages for Halloween distribution) is nothing but pure sugar. I like it, but it’s hard as a rock and will break your teeth off. Hubba Bubba is awesome. Bubbilicious is not my thing. And Super Bubble, still only five cents a piece is great for long trips and annoying teachers. I still don’t know how to blow a bubble though. I’ve blown so many things over the years, but the simplest of all things, a bubble, still escapes me. Go figure.

And there you go. I’m through now, It’s 7:05 am and I need to go to bed for a few hours. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. Have a great day and I’ll see you next time… maybe. Take care.

Ubuntu!