YOU can do it too

   It's not always been easy to rally round a flag.  During riots, rallying was not the answer.

  The city, close enough to country though

  I got nothin' but scrap metal

  I'll find some paint

  It'll have to be little.  Maybe flea market scrounging.  Digging America out.

  Like bringing Lincoln's body to memorial.

  You gonna use those?

  You gotta plan?

  People were on the move again some.  The thought of some moving forward while being in various forms of stuck, well it made for some feelings to backslide.

  You're fucking up coordinated!  Some alphas barked.

  AND YOU DON'T CARE WHY a little girl in a big, band hat yelled.  Some of the band on its way was veering off course because so many people had weakened.  A body or two on the ground.  En route to boast we can do consumerism decision:

  Others were in every state but where.  Where what?  People asked of relationship.

  Roooooaaaaar'ers pulled into town one day.  Whas jappening hot stuff?  

  We were into manager wars by that day.  An old babysitter sucked down a butt with me to hear.  

  Well, ours is the best.

  Sure?

  Sho nuff am.

  Is there a but?

  Not a but, but

  In your pack, you gotta butt I can have?  I don't want a whole one.

  We're helping.

  Tell me.

  You know how, ok, well, in a war people don't share information.

  Tell me about it.

  Well, we started a list in opposition to somebody's reason to quit list.  Started out why not to.  Then morphed into a standoff about who's duties were who's.  And in all that not getting done then, we kind of, we helped write job descriptions.  Our manager had no idea...doing so much it was messing with what they call time management.

  So then?

  Some other company's workers tried to do something similar but it was a SMACK DOWN.

  Long drags on two whole cigs and thinking.

  Some of the girls your age gave THANK YOU cards describing for what and that helped people who couldn't contextualize themselves in this environment.  And you?

  In the 1980's "accounting" was the cement burms.  In the 90's a lot of us still remembered sweeping change and effect.  Some stood together at all costs.  Certain roles required standing alone sometimes.  As the levers contracted and fleshed out transition in economy, we filled in for ourselves, for each other.  Couldn't always can do (or take criticism) so

  Some creative solution and "work around" busted hurdle.  We had to get to voting especially before the communism of working eliminated more people from renting.  It was nearing crisis in a quiet riot.

  THIS IS PATHETIC, she wasn't the only one with the criticism of country and country people.  She held up a piece of financial record and a smaller than small mostly empty cup of coffee.  But she worked pro bono to help people 'fess up to school loans and explain what happened.

DEBT IS A SIN   the handwritten sign in a morning place.

  She threw her highlighters down on the front seat of a very clean car and heels clicked gravel-ly across the parking lot.  She took it down, the sign, and turned and looked, slowly, all around her.  People in vehicles that couldn't move, people drowsy, people with bags of belongings-left, people not stopping her from taking the sign down.  She looked at the sky, said out loud, umbrella day, and plucked the highlighters off the seat one by one.  She kept the sign out on the table all day.

  We were calling her The Stop Running Lady until a man kept chiding let 'em run, she'll get 'em.  She took issue with that because she was not, technically, the judge.  Nor was she going to spend her life lost in never-ending arguments.  Apriori or? She asked some of us scholars.  Nobody could recall.  Not into lecturing either, she revealed about her working method.  God knows we spend a lot of time doing that and if that's education, it's dubious, a dubious approach if you ask me.

  No one aksed you.  She looked at the man, owing child support and family behind on rent.

  Don't ask for advice either.  I can't offer any.

  One day some people lunching nearby finished up, a man said handing over car keys, Go ahead.  I will catch up.  Then he put a finger on the sign on the table, tapped it, turned it towards him.  It is true, he said.  She said, I can see where it all connects up Sir.  But I also think the Lord taught a bunch of people about forgiveness.  The man's brow furrowed.  Hers did too.  He turned the sign and used both hands to put it back where she'd had it.  I heard about what you all are doing down this way.  The car had pulled up on the road.  The man went and got in it.

  Making a lot of milkshakes, I told my Dad who I'd introduced as My Great White Father when the family was heading back north and stopped for hugs.  A Native American friend spit out electric blue colored soda and smiled for a change.  On the cellphone I parsed the gritty details--learning about life--from progress with a healthy dose of salt.  Give me that, my mom could be heard saying.  We got one too!  Are you okay?

  Of course.

  Don't say that.

  Well what I mean is

  Yes?

  You guys didn't raise no fool.

  We had fun visiting.

  Heart beat calming, That makes me glad, 'cuz I think this is home now.

  We'll tell your father that some other time.  Take care of you.

  You ALL do the same.