Seriously serious

It seems to be my word of choice these days. I’ve never cared much for swearing or cussing (as some people call it). I was amazed at how good at that my father was. He is now 103 and doesn’t do much swearing any more, but in his day, I always thought he was better at that language than anyone I knew. I have heard that from other people about older relatives — Uncle Joe could cuss a rhyme. Funny, when you think about it.

Enough of that ... back to “seriously.” As I said, it seems to be my word these days.  Seriously, I say, gas is $3.95 a gallon? What’s with that? Yesterday, the same gas was $3.75 a gallon. Seriously, I’m pumping different gas today than was in the underground tank yesterday?

Seriously, I bought ground chuck last week costing $2.69 per pound — this week it is $3.29. I need to check the market prices more closely. Seriously, I didn’t see that much of an increase from one week to the next.

I say seriously about other things other than prices. Things that didn’t bother me at all when I was 25, slightly irritated me at 45, and now at 60-plus cause me to have “seriously” creep into my vocabulary. Did my advancing age decrease my tolerance?  That’s a question I try not to contemplate too “seriously.”

Recently I called (and called) a company for a repair issue. I was transferred to a girl with the title of Customer Relations Case Manager. Seriously, what does she do? Her title alone brings out my word, and then I find out that her office is in Costa Rica, and the reason no one has not gotten back to me in 10 days was the earthquake in Costa Rica last week. Seriously, I thought I was calling somewhere in the United States — did I know I was talking to Costa Rica? Costa Rica?  Seriously, you have to love those 800 numbers.

Seriously ... what do all the people I see with their cell phone to their ear have to say all the time? Today, after pumping gas at a local establishment, I went inside to pay.  Usually I pay at the pump, saving myself a few steps, but I decided to go inside. I paid for my gas and a little snack, obviously my reason for going inside, and as I try to leave, a very young boy, maybe 9, walked right in front of me, cell phone to his ear, and oblivious to everyone else as he pushed through the door. His mother apologized for him, the boy still unaware. Seriously ... good manners, young man, are always appropriate. I must not have enough to say or not enough friends. I don’t even use up the minutes I pay for on my cell phone. Seriously ... is something wrong with me or them?