Once More Unto the Breech . . .

"Once more unto the breech, dear friends, once more" - Henry V

Just over a year ago I last posted here. At that time I was attempting a Stevie Joe "comeback" after being knocked silly by Life. I had confidence that the bad times had reached bottom and it was time for me to move again forward. Yet, Life often laughs at such hubris. What I thought was bottom was nothing but a brief pause on the descent to madness and despair.

Mrs. Stevie Joe was gone, and I had come to terms with that. However, there was more. I had been a corporate cowboy and then a small business owner. I was a "big shot" in the Holler, but the allure of owning my own business had faded and the tanking economy took a toll on the pocketbook.

So, what to do? My old corporate employer doesn't even exist anymore, and the big business world doesn't need any wayward sons returning home when there are so many new, young recruits hungry for work. Besides, nobody does what I used to do within a hundred miles of Junebug Holler and hell if I'm moving back to the city.

I'm pretty damn good at pontificating. In fact, I'm probably the best in the Holler, but that isn't saying much. Nobody wants to pay to hear your pontificating unless you're already famous for something.

So, I go from being the hotshot, the talk-of-the-town (such as it is) to pretty much nobody. That's a big change for Stevie Joe. On top of that, the prospects for the future aren't looking too bright.

Sure, I could go back to school and retrain for a new field. I already have a master's degree, but that and a five-spot gets you a mocha cappuccino at Starbucks. I need new skills for the 21st century, and they don't come cheap. The local community college charges more for a single class that I paid for a complete semester 25 years ago. I'm not excited about the prospect of spending $100K or more to get back to the earning power I had in 1990.

So, here I am - sitting drinking a beer with Junior and Dickie in Junebug Holler and contemplating my place in this big old world. I'm not going to pretend that I've got it figured out, and I won't make any claims regarding bouncing back lest Life have another surprise for me. I'm just going out swinging and seeing where the punches fall.

Anyway, folks have pointed out that I write a lot and maybe I should look at that. Writing a lot and getting paid for it are two different things, but what the hell. I'll write and write and write and see what happens. So, for better or worse, expect to hear more from ol' Stevie Joe going forward.

The Game is Afoot!
Stevie Joe Parker