Iron Filings - 63
Having had our family gathering for Christmas early this past year, Gayle and I found ourselves alone on Christmas Day. So we did what any older couple would do on such an occasion: we went to the theater and saw "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker". I don't know if we'll make it a Christmas tradition, but it was great fun. We've seen all of the Star Wars movies and don't have a serious criticism about any of them. About the only thing that's always puzzled me is how those folks can have all those great adventures in numerous galaxies and yet, whenever they emerge from their funky space ships they always manage to find breathable oxygen.
* * *
Then there's this from my headline collection:
Dentist allegedly rode hoverboard while extracting patient's tooth [nbc.com]
Girl's mouth allegedly set on fire by a dentist [nbc.com]
So much for dentistry. That was almost as much fun as running into "Wait Till You See What Plastic Surgery Has Done To These Movie Stars!" – I clicked on that one and lingered there for a short time, just long enough to decide that most movie stars are about as smart as a bucket of squirrels. [Breitbart.com]
* * *
I was amazed over the outpouring of grief following the death of Kobe Bryant. I mean no disrespect for the man, and no question he was an exemplary athlete, husband, father, and citizen, but he was just an athlete. He played games for a living while the vast majority of us dog it out in more serious pursuits. Worse still, and a little shameful, were the Grammys that night where the performers and honorees fell all over themselves trying to show who had the greatest depth of empathy and sympathy. Perhaps, given the somewhat idiotic state of life in America these days, we all just needed a good cry. I understand that.
* * *
Random Notes From Our Dysfunctional World
"A Christian high school student in Kentucky was expelled after school administrators saw a photograph from her 15th birthday party in which she was wearing a rainbow sweater and smiling next to a rainbow birthday cake." [nbc.com]
"A South Carolina woman accused of killing her husband with eye drops in 2018 pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter Thursday and was sentenced to 25 years in prison" [nbc.com]
"French radio broadcaster France Inter has apologized to the country's LGBTQ community following the airing of a song with the title "Jesus is a Faggot". [Breitbart.com]
* * *
For as much as I have often complained about bizarre moments in customer service, I thought it only fair to bring forth a moment of really exemplary service. We'd shopped the stores in trying to fulfill Gayle's long-time wish to have a trundle bed for our guest room. Nothing spoke to us. We decided to look into that online home goods behemoth, Wayfair, and there it was. The order placed, we were told it would be delivered in two days and, since we'd purchased assembly (a wise decision) we were told the assembler would be here at six o'clock the day after delivery. The bed arrived on day two, and the day after Tyler arrived right at the scheduled six o'clock and got the job done quickly and professionally. Next, the mattresses. We went to a local (not a chain) mattress store on an icy Saturday afternoon and by two o'clock had made our choice and purchase. "When can they be delivered?" we asked. "Should be there by four o'clock," the owner said. Wow. Sure enough – shortly after three Kevin (a special education teacher in his other life) showed up, brought the mattresses in and put them on the beds. Done. Sometimes it all does work out, doesn't it?
* * *
I'm often asked where I get all the ideas for the Cold Iron columns, especially the bits that make up the Iron Filings pieces. The answer is simple and comes from one of the great American philosophers of the twentieth century, Yogi Berra: "You can observe a lot by just watching."
* * *
G. K. Wuori © 2020
Photoillustration by the author
