Today was our first walk at Carousel Mall and the grumpy old men were in fine form. They started asking the usual bait questions and I pretty much skipped to the end thanks to both the debt-cieling problem in August and the potential for the world oil reserve currency to no longer be the US Dollar. If neither side can possibly have any hope of winning, there is nothing to argue against. Instead of some “despicable liberal plot” I just met their arguments with economic disaster and that pretty much shut them up. They switched their talk to metal and wood shaping and the auctions they were looking forward to.

Once we finished the walk and the grumpy old men got their coffee at Taco Bell we all sat down. The talk went to their show-and-tell. Near the end the conversation turned to social security and medicare and one of the grumpy old men, Lee, brought up that I should be contributing at least 10% of my income to my retirement plan. I was gracious and thanked him for his advice and explained that as my life stands currently something like that, while a good idea, isn’t feasible currently that really upset him. He ended with “That’s a really defeatist attitude” and I shrugged and said “In my world, it’s the best that I can do.” and that was pretty much all there was to that.

I don’t think the walks will have any more political overtones to them as I have very clearly indicated that I will not be arguing with them. After the walk, Dad and I went to Cracker Barrel and he tried to get my goat again and I pretty much shut him down with “People are just looking for the status quo, to go about their lives without being upset. They are looking for their normal.” and I got the classic response “That’s the talk of the moderates, that is.” and I countered with “It works, people are happy, why should everyone else get upset? If life goes on, why meddle with things?” and that pretty much nipped that line of arguments in the bud.

If there is one lesson that I have learned for all of this is that just like at work, a big jagged stone eventually gets worn down to a smooth one after it’s been bombarded by water over enough time. Just like I have ceased entertaining turkeys at work, I have also ceased entertaining turkeys in my personal life as well.

Really so far, I’m having a very good time and I’m doing quite well at not playing this particular Kobayashi Maru.