Tossing Salt Presents:
A Day of Dougie
The U.K., Essence & Snookie
DougMaynard.com
Doug Maynard

Greetings once again. It’s early in the morning and as usual, I can’t sleep. Emotions and anxiety are running high and since I got tired of tossing and turning and overthinking everything, I decided to walk into the kitchen and get on my computer, thus here I am. And since I am here, why not make today a Day of Dougie? Yeah, I’ve been on a roll as of late. If I have to be up, I may as well be productive, right?

So you know the drill by now. I reach into the infamous Magic Bag, draw out three topics of discussion, and then, with no preparation, advance notice, or prior knowledge, write about said topics. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. So let’s get the bag out and figure out what’s on the agenda for today. We have The U.K., Essence, and Snookie. I think I can do something with these. Are you ready? Let’s roll.

The U.K.

Jolly Old England, aka The United Kingdom. I’ve never been there obviously, but that nation has always held a place in my heart, and visiting one day is on my Bucket List. Maybe it’s the accents, which sound so amazing even when they’re cursing you out. Maybe it’s the mystique and history of The Tower of London, Big Ben, the battles from World War II, and Buckingham Palace. Maybe it’s the whole Royal Family thing.

Most likely, it’s the fact that my longest run working for a website about professional wrestling was over ten years for Wrestle-Zone.co.UK. The site isn’t there anymore, but I had some great times and met some incredible people because of it. I’m sure that I had plenty of the readers scratching their heads and wondering what this redneck from North Carolina was talking about, but the numbers were good and my memories from those days are nothing but excellent as well. One day, I’m going to show up and spend the night on Pap’s couch. And we’ll talk the night away and have a great time. Believe that!

Essence

The definition of essence is, “the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character”. So it’s that special little quality that makes something or someone stand out and be noticed. Maybe it’s a scent or maybe it’s just the way they act and carry themselves. Maybe it’s the eyes or the nice, round little bubble butt. It can be anything, but it’s always special and always hard to define, but still real. And I can’t think of anything else to say on this topic so I’ll move on to the next.

Snookie

Two things come to mind with the word, Snookie. And not surprisingly, both are people. One is the annoying little wench from Jersey Shore. Remember that show? The only thing good from that show was The Situation’s abs. And the other is a man I’ve known for over forty years. His real name was Chris, but he wanted everyone to call him Snookie. I never did lol.

We met when I was sixteen and at the local convenience store playing video games. He came in and started playing the machine next to me and a friendship was born. It’s funny looking back because we had nothing in common. I liked country music and comics. He liked rap and action movies. It wasn’t long before a third party entered our pairing and we became the Three Amigos… or Three Stooges depending upon who you asked. The third person, Shannon, had long hair and heavy metal all the way. Three people with nothing in common and different personalities, but we all got along well and it worked. Go figure.

But back to Chris, aka Snookie. He eventually hooked up with the wrong crowd and did some stupid things, but we still kept in touch occasionally. He was an amazing guy who stayed on my last nerve and could piss me off like a few others. We would physically fight and both end up bruised and scraped up, but then, start talking about what we were doing that night. Crazy, yes, I know. But I would always be there for him and I knew that he would be for me as well. Old friends and memories. They can be a great thing sometimes. I’d love to talk to him again sometime. Hey Chris, if you’re out there and ever see this, give me a shout.

And there you go. Thanks for reading and thanks for the continued support. Writing this stuff is what keeps me sane and I do it for every one of you. Comments, thoughts, and any suggestions for topics of discussion for future columns are welcome and appreciated. And now, I’m closing this up. Let’s see if sleep comes to me this time or if it’s more of the same. I need a cuddle buddy. Damn! But anyhow, take care and I’ll see you on the next go-round. Make it a Day of Dougie, folks. I love ya!

Ubuntu!