a wild night out in galesburg tonight. galesburg is fair-sized, maybe 30,000, big enough to have things going on. tonight, for some reason, garbage night brought all kinds of things out to the curb. tons of furniture, an old grandfather clock, couches, chairs, unbelievable. to me it reflected the fact that lots of people were moving, or aggressively downsizing, or something. one guy actually said that to me, when i admired his pile. going somewhere with about half as much room, because his kids had moved off to college.

that's actually what we should be doing as well, because one of ours moved off to college, but it's beginning to look like two of the last ones aren't moving off anywhere. that's another post, but my main point is that i felt like picking up some of this stuff, which i generally would have done in my earlier days, but these days we're feeling like anything we really need, it would be better to simply buy. i wouldn't have even minded asking that neighbor for that grandfather clock, they always say yes, then you have no compunction about comeing around with a truck. but my wife draws the line there. she doesn't like scavenging. and i've come to see it her way, or at least, not willingly shame her that way. recycling/reusing is actually honorable, but let someone else have the honor. i'm ok with minimalism/nothing.

my new book of stories (below post) came out with underwhelming response. i will struggle, and hustle, and ignore all my other books for a while, to make sure it stays afloat in its ratings. people don't want to read about devouring spaghetti, maybe. i am not sure i am even remotely close to a short story audience. or maybe i just suck even with short stories, and should go back to biography. well, that's what i did. i jumped straight back into history, family history to be specific, my great-great grandfather, who was a pretty interesting character.

we have a lot in common, in fact - he had eight kids, six who lived, and he moved a lot, but he did it mostly for the kids. he would always try to find what was best for them, particularly when it came to admitting that educating them himself wasn't quite working. i admired that in him. he was willing to work unsavory jobs well into his sixties, just because he had to keep things moving. and finally, when he had the chance to have what he wanted, he bought an apple orchard in the ozarks.

he survived three major depressions. and, he fought in the civil war but lived.

i am humbled by history. but most of all, i'm simply protected by it. delving into it helps me avoid thinking about all kinds of other things.