Rant #1,455: I'm Back

Yes, I have returned home from the sea, back to write once again at the Ranting and Raving Blog.

It was an invigorating trip that my family and I had, and it was good to get away from this column for two weeks.

Honestly, I could use two weeks more.

Right now, my allergies are killing me--what else is new--which goes against what the sea air did for me, which was not give me the least bit of problems with my allergies.

We visited the Bahamas and Grand Turk on our trip, and the world moved on without us during our time away from home.

We had no Internet access, which to be quite honest with you, was a godsend.

Being on the Internet all the time really saps your strength. I enjoy the Internet and all, but it is so nice to get away from it for a spell, it really is.

So much happened while we were away, and while we did have a TV in our room--it was our window to the world during this period away--it did not interrupt our trip at all.

Today, I go back work, which is akin to me looking forward to getting some type of disease. I don't look forward to going back, but going back is something like death and taxes--everyone has to do it.

As far as what happened while my family and I were away ...

Yes, I know about the church shootings; yes, I know about the woman who resigned form her position at the NAACP because she claimed to be black but is actually caucasian.

I know the Yankees have been very up and very down, and I know the Warriors won the NBA championship, and that the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.

 
But the vacation allowed me to get away from this stuff, and my main worry was to stay away from getting a bad sunburn, which I was only partially successful at, even with all the creams and sprays that I used.

It was fun, but now, it is time to get back to work both figuratively and literally.

I must get back to work to assure that my son is taken care of jobwise, which hit a major roadblock not of his own doing right before we left.

Supposedly, that has been taken care of now, but boy, is this thing frustrating. But my son will persevere.

One step forward, two steps back, what more can I say?

Once I actually physically get back to work, I will have many challenges ahead of me, including the knowledge that while I am valued at my job, it is not translating to a salary increase, and hasn't for a number of years.

But at 58 years of age, what can I do about it?

I have to say that the time away gave me a chance to reflect on my career a bit, and frankly, it ain't too pretty.

Honestly, I just grin and bear it. I have nowhere else to go, nobody is going to hire me at this age, and although I do enjoy my job, it is frustrating as heck to be spinning my wheels to a beat that is not my own. All the words of praise in the world cannot make up for money in your pocket, and if there was somewhere else to go, I would go there, but alas, I am as stuck at my job as tightly as sardines are packed in a can.

But at least I have a nice vacation to look back on, when I didn't have a single care in the world ... or at least, I put just about everything on the back burner.

But reality kicked in pretty quickly. The first night home, our living room air conditioner died, and our washing machine went off kilter and needed to be fixed for the umpteenth time.

Yes, reality came quickly, and I can only dream about the white sands of Half Moon Cay now.

I am as far away from those sands as I ever have been, but at least I can say that I was there.

And there will be other vacations to ponder, too, but right now, it is time to get back to work.

Let me peal in peace.