The summer vanished in a blur of relentless caregiving for Shelley and constantly entertaining the grandkids. Shelley hosts what is called Camp Grammy. It included a successful lemonade stand and camping. Shelley also raced Vera in go-karts and alpine slides. Fun to watch!
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We’re set to return home on Thursday, with a final stop in Kansas City to see Shelley’s dear friend Judy.
We did get to a few fun activities this summer, like Lakeville Street art. There were some pretty cool chalk artwork pieces; see below.
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We’ve enjoyed a few free concerts this year. Bike riding has been quieter than usual—I’ve only reached 1,000 miles, compared to over 1,500 miles at this time in previous years. Being away more often and hosting Shelley’s grandkids have limited riding time. Still, we took an exhilarating 12.5-mile ride along the Douglas Trail from Pine Island, MN, to Rochester. It’s a fantastic rail-to-trail path that offers a truly enjoyable and scenic ride.
It has been over nine months since I last visited my son. He has been busy with work and preparing for his wedding in late September. I plan to drive to North Carolina during the second week to assist where needed and will return in early October. I will go back again from early November until December 6 to watch their dog while they go on their honeymoon. After this, another year will have passed, marking the near completion of his third year of retirement.
My iron is on the lower end again; I can feel it. I feel sluggish, and sleep has been very difficult without sleep aids. I have concluded this will be the same as long as I am alive.
In closing, we’re nearing election season. I’m not here to debate politics. I’m old enough to know that when someone says, “It’s free,” you should check your belongings because something’s likely missing. People often use phrases like:
• “Free healthcare!”
• “Free college!”
• “Free groceries!”
• “Free prescriptions!”
• “Free long-term care!”
• “No taxes!”
• “Everything free for everyone forever!”
In the old days, the only thing free was a stale Tootsie Roll thrown from a parade float by a teenager who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. And even THAT is rare these days.
Let me ask the tough questions that no one seems willing to ask: If everything is free, who bears the cost? If the wealthy cover all expenses, might they eventually relocate to less burdensome areas? If people cease working because everything is free, do we simply wait for the Free Fairy to restock the shelves? When removing one tax, which OTHER tax could unexpectedly rise to fill the gap, like a mischievous toddler with a marker?
This isn’t politics. This isn’t ideology. This isn’t philosophy. This is kindergarten math.
If the government gives you something “free,” it means:
YOU or someone else paid for it. Because somebody ALWAYS pays. There is no magical money tree. There is no enchanted vault beneath the Capitol. There is no Free Fairy fluttering around, sprinkling Medicare dust and grocery vouchers. If people stop working, the money stops. If taxes don’t go up, services get cut. If the rich pay for everything, they stop being rich. If everyone gets everything, nobody gets anything extra.
This is not complicated. This is not political. This is not controversial. This is old-man logic, the kind you get from someone who has lived long enough to know better.
So here’s my message to the world:
Wake up. Nothing is truly free—be it healthcare, groceries, college, prescriptions, long-term care, or even parade candy. When someone offers you “free everything,” it's not a gift but a bill in disguise, still being written. If, by some miracle, a real money tree is found, count me in! I’ll be there first, with my grocery cart, pill organizer, and health care card in hand.
Until then? Let’s use our heads. Let’s use our math. Let’s use our common sense. I may be 64, but I still know a fairy tale when I hear one. It’s sad that so many Americans can’t tell the difference and just have their hands out, waiting for the free messages to materialize.
