Naps and lessons

I haven’t been doing any traveling lately, but Loki and I have been doing one of our favorite things. Taking naps.

As I’m sure I have mentioned, I am old, or oldish. 67. I’m two years older than my father was when he died and like 10 or 12 years older than my brother was.

So, while I was talking my daily nap, Loki resting on my legs and Gawain on the floor snoring (Man, can that dog snore, like a tent full of boy scout fathers) I was thinking about lessons I’ve learned, and I thought I’d pass one on.

First though, let me say that I’ve been an avid nap-taker for, ever. I took them when I got home from school. I took them during school. I took them as a young adult. And as a young father I used to take them with my infant son taking his own nap on my chest on the floor after work. When I worked at home, I used to…I’ll leave that one out just in case someone I used to work for reads this. (Small chance of that, but still.)

Back to our lesson. As a matter of background, there was a time when a firearm, gun, rifle, could be gotten thru the mail from an ad in the back of a magazine. I never ordered one myself, but I knew someone who did, and at some point, he gave me (I can’t remember the details of why) but he gave me a WWII Japanese surplus (or captured) carbine rifle. It had a beaten up wooden stock, and all that rifle stuff, like a breech and a barrel. The thought of trying to fire it was scary because I had no idea if it would blow up or not. And besides, 30 years after the end of WWII, it was impossible to find the right ammo.

I later loaned the rifle to my brother who subsequently moved from California to Washington, spent some time in jail there (unrelated to Japanese rifles), and then up to Alaska before eventually moving back to California. When asked what had happened to the rife, he said he didn’t know, and that he must have just left it somewhere. So, lesson learned, and I have not repeated that mistake. I never again loaned my brother a WWII Japanese surplus (or captured) carbine rifle. And, given subsequent circumstances, I’m sure I won’t do it now.

Some years later, I was working somewhere, not sure where (as I said, I am old, and I forget things) and I loaned this guy a router. Not the ethernet, Wi-Fi, kind, but the loud electric spinney woodworking kind. And not much later than that he was fired, and I never heard from him or my loud spinney woodworking router again. So, lesson learned, and I have not repeated that mistake. I have not ever loaned another loud spinney woodworking router to a co-worker.

Some years later, I was working somewhere, not sure where and I loaned a guy a 12-string guitar. Not much after that he was fired, and I never heard from him or my 12-string guitar ever again. Lesson learned, so don’t ask, I will not loan you a 12-string guitar, even if I still had one.

Some years later, at the last company I worked at in California before moving east to Reading, Pennsylvania, I loaned a co-worker a book. I think you know were this is going, so I’ll leave it there.

Some years later, I was working somewhere, this was more recent, and I remember it was at Lowe’s, were I worked parttime before finally retiring, and I loaned a guy a quarter. He didn’t get fired, but when I saw him buy something out of a vending machine, I asked him for my quarter back. And he laughed and walked away. Another co-worker said, “you didn’t loan him any money did you, because you should know, he has no intention of paying you back.” He added that everyone knew not to loan him any money.

Lesson learned; did I mention that I am old that I forget stuff. Well, the lesson is…hmm, I really can’t remember. But I’m sure I will never do it again. Whatever it was. Or is. Maybe it will come to me during my next nap.