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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Awwww! Look How Cute! You Can Almost See Them Age…

Yikes but it’s a scary world out there! The house is losing value, relatives have been laid off of work, friends have been or are about to be foreclosed on, and now, seemingly, even children are working full-time...

OK. Maybe not a child, but that’s how it looked, from the face of this morning’s bus driver. He was clutching a blanket, for cryin’ out loud!

OK. That’s not true. He was not clutching a blanket.

But you should’ve have seen him! Such a fresh-peach face on that boy. Such clear eyes! Such good posture!

And no visible scars and all his own teeth, from the looks of it.

Ah, well, I used to have my own teeth, too, before I ground them down to niblet-corn sized nubs.

OK. That’s not true, either. But I was forced to start using an occlusal guard not long ago so that I wouldn’t grind my teeth to little bits whilst sleeping.

Apparently I've been under a bit of stress.

You know, I was once that bus driver. Well, not literally, but you catch my meaning: nineteen years old, unschooled in the ways of the workplace and how to deal with the jerks therein; the realizations regarding how little money was made and how much rent was; the sincerely held belief that each year, it would get better, I would get ahead...

Ha ha! Welcome to the work week, kiddies! Kiss your worry-free complexions good-bye.

Honestly, if I had to do it all over, I would be a plumber. Physical as opposed to mental shit with extravagantly more money.

That or I would try much harder to be born rich.

27 comments:

darsden said...

I saw his sippy cup on the dash, did you...LOL

Joanie said...

... and his mommy in the seat right behind him.

Pearl said...

darsden -- sippy cup?! dammit! I can't believe I missed that!

Joanie, the one with the bags in the aisle that you had to step over? I thought she looked familiar.

Unknown said...

If I could do it all over again I'd stay in school...wait a minute I do that already. :)

Peace - Rene

MJenks said...

If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't get married during grad school.

Meg said...

I actually am doing it all over again--the marriage part...ur...rather...I'm divorcing and you know, hoping to meet someone. My friend, a former nun, told me it was just as easy to fall for a rich guy as a poor one. I'm keeping that in mind

SassyTwoSocks said...

Well said, Pearl.

I, too, my wear an uncomfortable piece of plastic in my mouth at night so I don't clench my jaw to the point of TMJ. Fun times....

Frank said...

Too funny, I discussed next life in depth with some friends. I decided next life I want to be Moses! Or the guy from Moby Dick, call me Ishmael. It’s funnier if it’s late at night in a resort spa and you’ve had a few too many.

Cameron said...

I used to grind my teeth horribly. Then, one day, I decided not to pay bills anymore. It stopped that day. My wife now grinds her teeth horribly.

nsiyer said...

Pearl, ultimately life is empty and meaningless. It is immaterial whether one is a plumber or the rich man's son.Its all about your source of happiness, power and self expression that matters. If one can live life from there, nothing really matters.

Michelle said...

Pearly-Q who cares about money??? It is just green pieces of paper!! They can have it!!! Who is they?? Don't know!!

I am not in a very cheeky mood today!!! I had to cancel my netflix because i don't have enough green paper!!!

The baby bus driver??? Did he have his booster seat??

I'm just saying!!!

Christine Gram said...

AMEN! I miss those days of being green around the ears... or is it the neck? Well, I was green somewhere.

Anonymous said...

I miss being clueless...I want to go back.

I think I could simulate it if I hit myself in the head REALLY hard with a baseball bat.

But what if I go too far the other way? I might just end up drooling all over myself and watching Sesame Street all day...

Which would be a vast improvement to my tooth grinding issues I guess...
:)

Immodesty Blaze said...

Let me know if that tooth guard works.. I don't grind, but I clench. Ouch headache.

Eskimo Bob said...

Allow me to wax philosophically:

Steve said...

I have one of those guards too - for night use. But I've recently discovered that I grind my teeth during the day... it's difficult to talk with those guards in your mouth. Moreover it's difficult to talk without spitting.

I'm fast running out of friends.

Susan said...

One day that boy will have a blog and not know what to write about. Then he'll tell the story about all the goofballs that used to ride the bus he drove! You are contributing to the next generation and I admire you for that.

Ian Lidster said...

We're you very, very smart at 19? I certainly was. I was also smooth and trim and as handsome as you were beautiful. Now, I won't talk about my teeth either. But, I still do have 'all' my own hair. As for the rest, I am no longer certain I want it 'all' to work as instantly as it did at 19. Well-- nah -- I think -- never mind.

Pearl said...

Rene, I would like to go back to school, but I get so sick of those guys chasing me out of there, the way they keep yelling “Hey! We told you before! We’re calling the police!”

iNDefatigable, sounds like it would be a LOT of work…

Prefers Her Fantasy Life, I would definitely have hung out with people with more money. Then again, I’ve had so much fun…

Sassy, it’s a very sexy look, innit?

Frank, Moses, huh? You like to live dangerously! Honestly, I’ve enjoyed most (MOST) of my life. What I would really like, though, would be the ability to see things for what they really are as they occur. I think that would save a lot of heartbreak…

Cameron, that’s a good idea! Send me your wife’s phone number, would ya?!

Nsiyer, very nicely said, and I agree with you. There is something beyond, of course – as there always is! – that taints my view at the present moment, and that is that Monday morning there will be lay-offs here at work. Mostly, I think I’m just afraid.

Michelle, I will be cancelling cable soon. I don’t want to lose my yoga class!!! Things are hard and getting harder…

Christine, it’s not easy being green! (Little shout out to Kermit the Frog there!)

Sweet Cheeks, Maybe that’s it. Maybe I miss being clueless. I’ve gotten older and have learned how badly something can hurt, or how much you can lose…

Duckling Little, actually, I am more of a clencher than a grinder, and I have to tell you that it’s working wonderfully. I have been wearing it for six months or so and my headaches have been cut in half.

Eskimo Bob, we’re going to need more wax!

Steve, we could hang out together! I personally think it’s hilarious to talk with the guard in. Makes me feel special!

Pearl said...

Susan, I think it’s all about giving back to the kids, you know? I do it for the kids!!!

Ian, how astute you are! I was beautiful and slender and incredibly intelligent. So much more so than I am today… As for the rest of it, I’m thankful the hormones have died down a bit! I’m grateful for the memories, as I have lots to draw from, but can’t imagine ever being in my 20s again. It was exhausting!

Mary@Holy Mackerel said...

OMG, I so wish I could go back and do it over. Physical work over mental is where it's at for me too, where you can go home afterwards and just forget about your day...I need a tooth guard too...

Pearl said...

Mary Moore, at least with physical work you can see what you've done at the end of the day...

Jess said...

I have often times brought up with my family that not being born rich was their number one fault. They have agreed.

Pearl said...

Jess, sounds like something my boy would say! HA! What can I say? He's lucky he didn't start out sleeping in one of my dresser drawers!

Barbara Blundell said...

Hi Pearl,
Our Health Centre now seems to employ six formers as doctors.(Just realised you will know them by a different name---here it means Students in their last year at Secondary School )

darsden said...

Pearl I'm down here..help...the snow, it's almost over my head. Can you see the bus yet?
Girl, I saw you on the news this morning with the snow, GMA was at the bus stop. Happy Friday :-)

Pearl said...

Barbara, now THAT is young.
We need to do something about all these young people. :-)

Darsden, the bus stop was !@#$ing cold this morning!