I'm Tired

 I'm Tired

An impromptu poem 

by Aaron D. Backes

I'm tired

I'm tired of bad things happening to good people

I'm tired of stupid people being put in positions of power

I'm tired of greed

I'm tired of people who refuse to listen to doctors and educators in favor of politicians and political pundits

I'm tired of the MAGA movement

I'm tired of political fights 

I'm tired of politicians who would rather argue with people in the opposite party instead of doing the job that they were actually elected to do

I'm tired of people who are far different on social media than they are in real life

I'm tired of people who try to push their viewpoints on others

I'm tired of how overly complicated job searches and applying for positions can be

I'm tired of companies whose executives are paid hundreds of times more than their average employees

I'm tired of businesses offering low pay and unappealing benefits, only to complain that "no one wants to work anymore"

I'm tired of not having enough time to pursue more creating writing and drawing

I'm tired of how expensive life can be

I'm tired of people who complain about every little insignificant thing

I'm tired of individuals who always have to be right

I'm tired of policies that simply don't make any sense

I'm tired of programs that were designed by people who aren't the end users

I'm tired of cruelty and hate in the world

I'm tired of the increasing lack of civility

I'm tired of people being shitty to one another for no good reason

I'm tired of the "us versus them" that I've noticed in many different aspects lately

I'm tired of hypocrisy

Hell, I'm just plain tired

That's all for me for now. Had the base concepts for this piece ruminating in my head for a while. Hope you enjoy it. Until next time, have a great week, and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Real is Rare

 Personal relationships were a lot easier when I was little. I had parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends I could trust and count on. I was raised to follow the golden rule and treat everyone with whom I came into contact with courtesy, dignity, and respect. It's something that I still adhere to today.

Maintaining personal relationships can be difficult, even in this age of the Internet and social media. We have so many things trying to get our attention. Some are more important than others, but the people who care for you will show you that they care over time. 

I'm very thankful for the people that I can rely on. Some of them are closer to me than actual blood relatives. I've learned to differentiate between those who are blessings and others who are nothing more than burdens. 

Whenever I meet someone new, I try to keep an open mind. I've met some truly amazing individuals. I've also met some people who are quite attractive on the outside but turn out to be very ugly human beings on the inside. 

I've definitely been burned by some people in the past. As much as I dislike what happened, those experiences have shaped me into the adult that I am now. I learned my limits and what I'm willing to accept and reject.

I'll always be true to those who matter to me, but I'm not going to bend over backward for people all the time. I'm not going to make an effort for those who don't and I certainly won't keep giving for those who consistently take far more than they ever give. 

I know that there are people who will never reciprocate or show me the same kindness and courtesy that I've shown them. I'm okay with that. I'll just focus on those who treat me how I want to be treated and make myself more of a priority in my own life. I can't let others take advantage of me, ignore me, or take me for granted anymore. Life's too short to allow shallow, narcissistic people like that to get into my head and make life miserable. 

There are some great genuine people in my circle, who I treasure each and every day. They make me remember why life is worth living. Real people like that have been increasingly rare nowadays. It's rather amazing how social media has brought forth so many profiles of people who are nothing like their online personas. 

Just had to get that off my chest. I've been removing people that I don't connect with from my life, and I guess it's something that I need to do more of. After all, it's the quality, not the quantity of the individuals in your circle that really matters.

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Thank God for Rock and Roll!

 Not gonna lie, I've been under a lot of stress lately. Work, Covid and a few other things were stressing me out over the last few weeks. I was unhappy and more importantly, I wasn't my usual self.

I took a much-needed break on Tuesday to attend my 41st Sevendust family reunion. The show was at the Fillmore, a new venue in Minneapolis near Target Field that's only been open for 3 years. It's a smaller club that provided for more intimate performances by MJT, Sevendust and Alter Bridge. 

The concert was just what I needed. It was my first show since late May. I got to catch up with an old friend who was visiting from out of state, along with a few MN locals and my buddy who also happens to be the guy in charge of Sevendust's merch sales.

I hadn't seen my friends in Sevendust in almost a year, and it was another great family reunion. The band sounded just as great as ever and I found myself smiling regularly for the first time in months. I'm so thankful that there are great rock and roll bands to listen to and see in concert. They took my mind off of my stressors for a while and let me appreciate living in the moment. 

Still on a concert high, but that'll probably last until the next show. Until next time, have a great weekend, everyone!