I am in a good ole classic rare for me deep funk fueled by a peeled onion number of things. In counseling, we say when working with a new client, take your time, let them get their story out, don’t peel their layers of vulnerability back too quickly.

Examining my own layers and sorting them out as to where this crap came from or where it started, is not easy for even me.

In many ways this funk started with COVID. Watching the news this past Monday was an alert that a new strain of COVID called, “FLiRT Variants” is rearing its ugly head. Honestly haven’t given much thought about all that masked nastiness lately or even heard the name, but recently family members in Kentucky tested positive, Facebook friends in Oxford, and I’m still affected by the Pandemic by being thrown off my walking regimen.

I used to walk from St. John’s to the Ole Miss campus almost every day when I had my mailbox in the old Union. When those were removed, still walked at least three days a week, then one or two. That all stopped when our Bishop closed the church for months because of the Pandemic. Once over, walked to campus maybe once a week, but mostly at Home Depot and Kroger.

It got to where when walking, I was having to think about walking…how far is that and feeling each step; taking stairs was the same. So, still work out on weights every day, have begun walking longer distances, and before Mass at church “do steps” from Mass area down to our social area and back – getting there.

By the time you read this, the Ole Miss fall term will have begun this Monday, August 26…all those students from all over everywhere returning and mingling – oh no, not again! I have kept up with every new vaccination strain but nonetheless – oh no.

Another onion layer is all my projects which seem to be piling on and don’t want to do any of them! Have to feed me and Jag, mow, trim, laundry, but there’s stuff I’ve just “quit seeing” like my master bath, office, kitchen cabinets etc.

A huge issue is replacing the swivel ball assemblies on my 1964 Land Rover. I’m okay (just) with a spanner (wrench) but this is a huge project. I have finally, as of last week, accumulated all parts necessary, but still need to pour over my manuals as to the sequence of how the parts go on, make a list (see above OCD) but pick up a manual and put it down.

Now, in fairness to me, I go to Mass daily, arrive an hour early to spend in solitude before our Lord in the Tabernacle, then Mass, 8:30 am Monday, 12:10 the rest of the week; write this weekly column for the Oxford Eagle which I love doing, have been for 30 years and spend several days on that.

And I’m not driving my bought new 1971-MGB-GT or even starting the IIA, totally ignoring my best God-given talent, Art, second music – have a large painting started two feet to the right of me of a Mill in Missouri that I’ve laid out the very difficult perspective, begun to paint, stopped – and my mom’s piano, bunch of guitars that I’m not practicing on!

Strained relationship with two of my three sons and loving my bourbon is probably not helping and the fact that I’ve not been out with a female because of my strict dating rules since breaking up with Scottish fiance in 2011.

Note: I pray every day for God’s will only be done. Then there’s “free will” God has allowed us that I do not want and probably causing most of this funk…!

GO REBELS!!!

Steve is an Oxford resident, worked on the Ole Miss Campus, and received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology
(Counseling) from the University of Mississippi.