THE GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB
Nearly every morning for over 40
years, it has been my habit to meet with some Good Old Boys for coffee.
Over the years, some have moved, and some have died, but we always managed to
pick up new acquaintances along the way. The faces have changed but the
dynamic of the meetings has not. A few months ago, I said goodbye to my old
friends on the left coast and moved to Rogersville.
During several road trips over the
past year, I noticed that, wherever I stopped for breakfast, I saw similar Good
Old Boys’ coffee clubs. In fact, I
believe that these little cliques exist in nearly every community in the
nation.
So, what is it that holds them
together?
Certainly, we have discussions
about politics and obituaries, but beyond that, it is just guy stuff; that’s
all! At our age, we repeat stuff but that's okay because we forget
stuff, too. So, it’s the same old stories, the same stupid jokes, and THE
SAME PERSONAL INSULTS.
My wife thinks our insults are cruel,
but she doesn’t understand. Today, everything that offends
someone or hurts someone’s feelings is called bullying. People run to safe spaces and cry whenever
they hear something that doesn’t agree with them.
Not so with Good Old Boys. In
our early morning meetings, we have polished and perfected the manly art of
sarcasm. We make fun of each other and we insult each other’s physical
appearances, disabilities, and behavior. Nobody is immune. And at
the end of the hour we all say goodbye and then we reassemble the next morning
and it starts all over again.
That’s what Good Old Boys do.
That’s how we express our affection for each other (although most of us would
deny that there is any “affection”).
Well, now that I am finally settled
into my new home in Eastern Tennessee, I am happy to announce that it didn’t
take long to find a new group of Good Old Boys to fill the void. They have welcomed me and made me feel right
at home as we start each day with the same stories, stupid jokes, and lots of
insults.
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