2020-12-04 — Small Price for Peace

The bone in my body that screams for justice isn’t very happy, but it’s completely drowned out right now by the bone that is enjoying peace.

The guy called back again today and again threatened me. This time, saying that he was going to fool me, that he was gonna have somebody call up asking for help, and I won’t know who and I won’t know when, and I’m gonna go out to the job, and he’s gonna be there, and he’s gonna do something to me.

Soooooo I called the police. It’d been a decent day to that point. I slept in until 7 after being up late again (just like tonight), and then I did business stuff all morning. Then I went outside and communed with nature… with my chainsaw. Chopping the trees up that had fallen down across the walking trails. I’ve only got one big one left from the last storm–one tree that took out three or four others as it fell.

And then… I got that phone call, I let myself get flustered again, and this time called the police, given how serious the threat was. I sent them all the text message conversations, as well as the phone call I’d recorded. I called my brother-in-law to have someone to bounce my thoughts off of, and that was helpful. I spoke to the police officer at length, and in the end, I was just like, you know what, it’s worth $100 for me to have peace and not worry that some psycho is going to attack one of my workers or me.

So… I sent him a message, trying to smooth things over, and suggested meeting up for the refund. We agreed on the AutoZone in a city about 40 minutes south of me. But when I got there, he changed the location to a liquor store another 10 minutes or so down the road. It was a bit sketchy, but thankfully, I got there first, parked my car in the apartment complex next door, and went to wait for him inside the liquor store, so I wasn’t outside.

It took him another 5-10 minutes to get there, and he was just this little guy–maybe five feet nothing. I don’t know. Super sketchy. Shifting eyes. Paranoid. But it’s done. I’m alive. I’m at peace. Certainly not just, and part of me wants to stick it to him, but the worst he’d get is a misdemeanor according to the officer, and that’s even in question… and if he really is psycho, then I’m worrying about my employee’s safety and my safety and… yeah… just not worth it. Lose $100. Happy to pay it for peace.

So… that was pretty much the day today.

On a totally different note, I’m surprised at the number of people I’ve been talking to lately who are considering going veggie. Kind of exciting, actually. Fun stuff. It’s nice to be able to share things I’m excited about and feel strongly about with other people.

#1. I’m grateful that I can type almost normally now with my finger. It’s healed up quicker in the last few days than I think all the two weeks before that. Now it just looks like a bad gash, not a freaky chainsaw pseudo amputation.

#2. I’m grateful that I’m at peace. Grateful for a clear conscience. Grateful to be able to move on and not be worried at all about the loss of money.

#3. I’m grateful to have been able to make some progress on the walking trails today. My sister Liz is wanting to enjoy them as well, so I’m working on making an entrance to them from her side of the woods. Hopefully, I’ll get that accomplished soon.

#4. I’m grateful we’ve been busy with work lately.

#5. I’m grateful that things seem to be working out pretty well with David. We’re developing more of a friendship now, and I appreciate that. I think he’s recognized that I’m genuinely concerned for him and his family, and that I’ll take a hit personally to make sure they’re good.

Loves and hugs, my lovelies. I hope your good days have been able to be of the peaceful, happy variety. May we find ways to increase peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

Thought of the day: “We’re kept from our goal not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal.”

~ The Bhagavad Gita

Lift the World.

~ stephen