Benny Jay: Burn Out

I’m walking the dog and talking on my cell phone — telling Milo about my big plans to take a break.

I’m beat up, worn out and on the brink of break down.  Gonna go north — way north — far from this madness and re-charge my run-down batteries.  Yes, sir, that’s just what I’m gonna do….

Soon as I finish Milo tells me about this guy he knows who did twenty-two years hard time on a prison farm in Mississippi. They had him picking cotton in the hot sun all day long — didn’t even let him wear gloves to protect his fingers.

Pause.

Well, don’t I feel like the big wimp — complaining about my easy existence while this guy’s picking cotton in the broiling sun?

Guess it goes to show you what we already knew — as bad as we may have it, someone, somewhere has got it worse.  It’s always good to have a little perspective on life.

That said, I’m not giving up my vacation time just cause Milo’s friend did twenty-years of hard time.  Oh, no, I’m gonna lie on a sand dune and watch the clouds meander across the blue sky. And then when I get hungry, I’m gonna get up and make me a cheese sandwich for lunch — slather it with Mr. Mustard. Man, I love Mr. Mustard!

When I come home, I’ll be like a marshmallow — all soggy and soft.  People in Chicago will be going one-hundred miles per hour, and I’ll be going ten.  I’ll be the slow car in the fast lane. It’ll take me at least a week to catch up to speed.

And then I’ll start dashing until I can dash no more and I need to take a break.

Like I said, every battery needs a re-charge when it’s running low. That’s just how it goes. No need to apologize. Even in that prison farm, they got Sundays off.

See ya’ soon….

• share:
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz up
• Tweet this
• Tell a friend