There is no small, unnoticed action of outs. It is witnessed by others. Even when we act in a space where there is no human observation of our activity, we carry that action within and its presence makes itself felt as we interact with others. Our actions count. Imagine each of your actions, however small, contributing to enrich, enliven and inspire others. I can see you doing this. This brief YouTube video of a Native American woman who grew up on the “Res” will inspire you as she inspires her brothers and sisters on the “Res”.
Farlo turned and looked at the garbage truck, “We don’t need this. We’re abandoning it. It’s time to rescue Harry J.”
Joey G held up his right hand like a cop directing traffic, “Hold on Farlo. We just can’t abandon a garbage truck. We got permission to borrow it.”
“Look, kid. Read your manual. It’s on page 734, section 5, paragraph 3. I quote it since you can’t find the time for reading the manual. It reads, “You can abandon a garbage truck even if you borrowed it from a beautiful, fully figured African American woman.”
Joey G said, “Do you think you’re talking to a second grader? You made all that up.”
“Didn’t. Filo has a gift to predict future contingencies. Don’t hold me back, Kid,” grumbled Farlo.
“If you’re so smart. What will I tell the beautiful, fully figured African American who wants to have drinks with me at O’Rourke’s? What if she wants to stay longer than an hour? What am going to do with tough dame?” asked Joey G.
Farlo glanced at Tina, “Do I look like his father?” Then he turned his attention to Joey G, “What did you learn in school? You’ve got no clue on working the relationship. I bet the longest you’ve been a relationship is seventy-two hours.”
Tina barked twice in agreement with Farlo.
Joey G was puzzled for a moment, then he said, “How many days is that?”
“You are dense. I think you got one too many hits to the head. You play football?”
“Fantasy football at the bar. You think the pot smoking in high school messed up my brain?”
Farlo said, “You asked and answered your question. That’s a good start. Seventy-two hours is three days.”
Joey G beamed in triumph, “You are so wrong. You don’t know everything. You only think you do.”
Farlo scratched his head. “I’m usually pretty good at this. How many days?”
“A whole weekend, one time.”
Farlo looked down to Tina, “It’s not worth it, is it girl?”
Tina Barked.
“What?” asked Joey G.
“Let’s go. I don’t want to miss Harry J again,” barked Farlo sounding like an agitated pit bull. He turned and walked toward the delivery door of the Crack House. Tina followed. Joey G stood still basking in his victory over Farlo.
Farlo reached the door, turned back, and said, “Well? You gonna stand there recalling the one exciting moment in your life before I entered it?”
Joey G scurried to the delivery door. He said, “What’s the plan? Will you mentor me on how to handle the beautiful, fully figured African American woman who digs me? What about the tough dame. She thinks I’m cute. I got two hot women after me.”
“What you have, kid, are two beautiful women who want to do charity work. No more talk, follow me.” Farlo opened the delivery door. It opened to the hallway. The tough dame stood three-fourths of the way down the hall and pointed to a room. She blew a kiss toward the trio.
Farlo extended his right arm, pretended he caught the kiss, and put his hand on his lips and sent a kiss back. The tough dame mimicked Farlo’s moves, turned and walked toward a door that left to the Crack House’s store.
Joey G whispered, “That move was so unfair. Her kiss was meant for me. I’m sure it was. If I had a few more seconds I would have made an acrobatic catch to put you to shame.”
Farlo ignored Joey G’s complaint and strode down the hallway. He stopped by the door indicated by the tough dame. Tina sat on her haunches next to Farlo. Joey G trailed, practicing extending his left arm high over his head.
When Joey G approached Farlo and Tina, Farlo put his finger to his lips and pointed to the door. Farlo stepped toward the door and put his ear against it. Joey G did the same. Tina sat on her haunches, feeling superior to the human species because dogs had super sensitive hearing.
Farlo pulled his head back from the door, Joey G stayed against the door. Farlo grabbed Joey G by the shoulder and yanked him back. He got up close to Joey G’s face and whispered, “On the count of two we’re going in. Get your head in the game.”
Joey G whispered, “What’s with counting to two instead of three?”
“I’m making it simple for you,” growled Farlo.
Farlo placed his hand on the door knob. He slowly twisted it. He moved the door a fraction of an inch, it wasn’t locked. “One, two.”
Farlo opened the door, walked in and stared at five people, three men and two women sitting in chairs who were focused on a solitary figure sitting on a folding chair in front of them. Tina and Joey G stood in order behind Farlo. Joey G was wondering if Farlo’s body would stop any bullet before it reached him.
Who are these people? Which one is Harry J? Is Filo in the room?
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. – Mark Twain
Each day brings us a new challenge. The challenges unforeseen. The challenges, some small and some great. The challenges, at times shaking us to a very core. The challenges, looking at us, laughing at us, asking us if we are man or woman enough to face them head on and not back down. In this brief YouTube video get inspired to meet your challenges. Listen to Morgan Freeman recite William Ernest Henley’s poem, Invictus, the poem Nelson Mandela turned to for strength while in prison.
The words were spoken by Denzel Washington at a commencement speech. Like you and me, Denzel Washington wasn’t born on third base, he failed, worked hard and continued to work hard. Failure didn’t stop him. Discouragement didn’t stop him. He dared to dream. He dared to aspire to big dreams. And, he dared to use his success to build others and create success stories beyond his own. Get Inspired. Dream Big.
Farlo glanced at Joey G channeling Clint Eastwood. Tina still sat in the hub of the garbage truck gnawing on rib bones. Farlo looked over to the three stooges and started laughing. It wasn’t a fake laugh. It was one of those deep belly laughs, the kind that once they start you can’t stop. He bent over, placed his hands on his knees and was taking in huge gulps of air. Tears were streaming down his face.
The taller of the two tough dudes said, “What’s so funny, old dude?”
Farlo looked up at the taller of the two tough dudes, “Your fly’s open.”
The taller of the tough two dudes reached down and felt for his zipper. He quickly zipped up his fly. “Thanks, man. I got an image on the street. If I want to collect protection money and sell drugs, I can’t do it with my fly down. Hey, what are you laughing at?” The taller of the tough two dudes whacked the smaller of the tough two dudes on the arm.
“Pick on someone your own size. That hurt,” said the smaller of the tough two dudes.
The tough dame looked at Farlo, “You are one cool dude. What are you doing tonight? There’s a place I like, it’s called O’Rourke’s. Want to meet up after you rescue Harry J?”
Farlo said, “Nothing I’d like better tough dame, but I got my plate full tonight. Joey G has an opening at ten.”
Joey G waved at the tough dame.
The tough dame said, “He’s not cool like you, but he’s kind of cute. Okay Clint, see you at ten. Harry J is in room 110. He’s waiting for you. BTW, tell Filo we’re repaying all the collection money. It was our cover while we waited for you.”
Joey G said, “You guys weren’t selling drugs?”
“Only idiots use that stuff. What do you take us for? We was only passing out packets of vitamin C before flu season set in,” said the smaller of the two tough guys.
“You’re not the Manchurian mob?” asked Joey G.
“Manchurian mob? You reading comic books or watching cable? We work for Filo,” said the taller of the two tough guys.
“Nice seeing you again, Farlo,” they said in unison. The taller and shorter tough guys fist bumped Farlo, turned and followed the tough dame back into the building.
Tomorrow, Farlo and Joey G finally catch sight of Harry J. What’s gives? Will we meet Filo?
“Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.” Roy T. Bennett
It’s time to assess the quality of our dreams. Are our dreams big enough? Do they challenge us to give it everything we’ve got and hold nothing back? If we look inside, what is depth of the commitment we are willing to make to go after the dream. In this 48 second YouTube video Arnold Schwarzenegger inspires us to go all in after a big dream or not go at all. What is your decision? I know mine.
Three tough looking dudes and one tough looking dame came out the back door and stared at the garbage truck first, Farlo second, and Joey G third. The dame stepped in front of the two dudes and spoke to Farlo, “What gives? Trash pickup isn’t until tomorrow.”
Farlo said, “I know that. You know that. You know who doesn’t know that?”
The tough dame said, “Who?”
“The city. The buffoons who run this show are squeezing the crap out of the little guy. They got us working a double shift. It’s thrown everything off.”
The taller of the tough dudes said, “I think he’s right. There sons of bitches down there. I remember when I was busted for dealing dope, they didn’t let me call my lawyer for twenty-four hours.”
Farlo said, “You still selling? My partner and me can use some.”
“It depends,” said the taller of the two tough dudes.
“Depends on what?” said Farlo.
“How much cash you got,” said the taller of the tough dudes.
The smaller of the tough dudes and the tough dame were now interested in the conversation.
“Let’s see the color of your money,” said the taller of tough dudes.
“It’s green. Don’t give me the stuff you watch on cable TV. I’ve been around the block. I don’t think you’ve got drugs. You want to take my cash. Not going to happen taller of the tough two dudes,” snapped Farlo.
“Wait a minute old dude. How do you know my name?” said the taller of the tough two dudes.
“Who you calling old dude? I hope you were talking to small piece of crap next to you and not me. Because if you were talking to me I’m going to give you Harry Morton’s number.”
“Who’s this Harry Morton? He wants some drugs?” asked the taller of the tough two dudes.
“He’s over on Rey Street, he’s an undertaker. Because you and your two stooges are going to be laid out there. He does the pro bono work for the city.”
Joey G had worked his way back and opened the passenger side door, “What are you doing. These guys are bad. Let’s get out of here.”
“Go back to the last pile of garbage you picked up and see if you dropped your attitude in there,” growled Farlo. Tina said, “Grrrrrrr.”
Joey G ran around the front of the garbage truck. He stopped in front of Farlo’s door. He spread his legs apart, he placed his hands on his hips and stared at the two tough hombres and one tough mujer. “You want a piece of him, turkey. Maybe I should say gerbils, you have to come through me. If you want to come through me, you’re going to be in rehab for the next five years.”
Farlo reached out the window and tapped Joey G on the shoulder, “What the hell are you doing?”
Joey G half turned his head around and said, “I’m channeling Clint Eastwood from one of his Dirty Harry movies.”
“You know they were movies, right?” said Farlo as he opened the door. Farlo stepped out of the garbage truck, pushed Clint Eastwood or Joey G, take your pick, aside.
“You want a piece of him, you’re going to have to come through me,” snarled Farlo, taking an aggressive step toward the three stooges.
The tough dame took a step forward, “I’m not afraid of you, old dude. Before I take you out, I have a question.”
“I only have time for one question, so don’t try to sneak two questions in to your one question. I can spot the double question as easily as a robin finds a worm. But if you got a question and want an answer, I got a question for you. I’ll ask mine first, then you can ask yours second.”
“Yah,” said Joey G backing up Farlo.
“That’s not fair, I said I had a question first, so I should go first,” said the tough dame.
“Yah,” said the two tough guys in unison.
Farlo said, “I got back up in the front seat. You want a piece of her there won’t be enough left of you to stuff a turkey on Thanksgiving.”
The smaller of the two tough guys said, “There’s only one dame who’s tougher than us and it’s the tough dame right here.”
The tough dame did an Arnold Schwarzenegger body builder’s pose and flexed her right bicep.
Joey G whispered to Farlo, “She’s got great guns.”
“You three really want to dance? You can save yourself a lot of pain by packing up and moving out of town. Before you do, I want to know where you’re parking Harry J.”
Joey G whispered, “Offer to have a beer with them like you did earlier with the Nazi’s.”
Farlo whispered back, “Channel the caped crusader.”
“I don’t like Batman. I like Ironman.”
The three stooges locked arms, stood in front of the door. The tough dame said, “You want Harry J, you’re going to have to come through us.”
Will Farlo, Tina, and Joey G rescue Harry J? Will they find out why Harry J is so important? What is Filo’s role in all of this? Who is Filo?
