Generations

Last week, I ran into Chip, former Asylum faculty member, at the gym. As always, he loves to share senior citizen facts with me. After all, he is 68 years old and is paving the way for the newly indoctrinated senior citizens like myself. We laugh about the debilitating effects of age, but the topic is really not funny. Both the body and mind literally fall apart. Actually, the situation is quite frightening.

I have had ample time and opportunity to observe the geriatric crowd first-hand, both on the bus and at the gym. Observing senior citizens at the gym is probably the most enlightening. I get to see firsthand exactly what physical limitations, self-imposed or not, are presented by the older generations. Frankly, I am not even certain about the reasons why many of the senior citizens are going to the gym. Their workouts are beyond leisurely, almost comatose.

Many of the senior citizens at gym do not appear to be there willingly. I suspect that certain medical conditions have caused their physicians to mandate an exercise program. Unfortunately, the geriatric workouts that I have witnessed are close to worthless. One or two sets with extremely low resistance (i.e., weights) does not even qualify as a placebo. I have even seen a couple of senior citizens snoozing on the weight machines. What good is that?

By the way, I am still in awe at the amount of money that is required monthly just to maintain a "normal" life-style. As I stated previously in the "blog," I have been living "on the cheap" for so many years such that I have lost track of reality, at least in empire. Over the past few days, I have really noticed the complete dependency of the automobile in Hawai'i Kai. There is no second thought given to driving the motor vehicle everywhere, even just to move it across a parking lot to avoid walking.

What is even more appalling is the affluent life-style of the young adolescents and university-age young adults in Hawai'i Kai. They live at home with their parents, often providing no compensation. The parents clothe, feed, accessorize, and finance their offspring in entirety. And, the attitude of entitlement is so pervasive and narcissistic. Even if the offspring work at wage slave jobs, they don't even earn enough in a month to pay for the parent-provided "smartphones" they carry around. Most of those offspring are given four times more in spending money per day than my average daily expense budget. What I believe to be luxurious life-style is just average to them.

Another mundane day for the ol' lavahead was a special day for everyone else. The morning buses were crowded. Heck, traffic in Waimanalo was bad. The gym was unusually packed, but there was no sign of a certain fitness and training hottie. Everyone was abuzz about the "big game." Lots of animated excitement. I, on the other hand, could have cared less. Instead, I decided to extend my tenure at the snobbish coffee shop in town for another day. While sipping the expensive cup of coffee, I composed the "blog" on the cheap "smartphone" using the free wireless Net "hotspot." What better way to pass the time, eh?

I haven't been sleeping well in Waimanalo, even though it is out in the middle of nowhere. The other house on the property has been rented to a bunch of mainlanders who seem to throw a party every night. Fortunately, the parties end before midnight. Throughout the night, dogs can be heard howling. There are also chickens making all kinds of noises randomly. The landlord and family are up around 5am. The only positive aspect so far is that my Nissan® Frontier truck is well suited for Waimanalo since I am essentially living on farmland back by the mountain range. So, in conclusion, being out in the middle of nowhere in Hawai'i does not guarantee peace or quiet. Quite the contrary.

After a prolonged workout at the gym, I walked to the bus stop. As always, I look around to see if my homeless buddy is loitering in the vicinity. Nada. Just as the bus to Hawai'i Kai was arriving, my homeless buddy appeared out of nowhere. I decided to wait for the next bus in order to chat with my homeless buddy. He is still camping at the airport. When the next bus arrived about 30 minutes later, I commenced the arduous journey back to Hawai'i Kai, where I procured a healthier dinner at the fast food joint. Naturally, I continued to compose the "blog" with the free wireless Net access. Then, off to Waimanalo I went.