I love this title:)
Reading this made me sigh. Especially the ending.
We’ve both been in those positions. Me under your chin or you under mine.
The special moments of communication without words. Sometimes we need no words.
Hence the sighing!

You are an amazing writer baby.
In the meantime of heaven – between you and me – those moments are GOLDEN!

Powerfully penned, Mark. Excellent storytelling my friend this is an amazing write. Great detail as well. Appreciate you.

Damian

Epic & not only that, not a word out of place .. Bravo my friend .. Neville ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍

Blue-collar or otherwise, you are a fantastic writer Mark. I adore how you two catalogue your love too, in the minutiae of everyday existence.

Not sure our class systems equate, but I’m indelibly stained with working class ink. My first love was a lawyer, and boy, did she move in upper class circles. It took me sometime to accept my presence in their world. Ironically, she dumped me for an Irish ruffian of crime. ‘C’est la vie’ as they say somewhere.

I love how you describe what is going on around you but your still in the present with the person you love.

I love the words take time to describe their journey into the story.

I understand the term blue-collar writer. I think I would have phrased it as every man writer. Relatable and not snobby. You have the spirit of a storyteller, I think

We love the piece dude, but most of wat we love is your remembering your pop. You do that on several of your pieces and we see that as love. Tight

It’s the pacing, the nuance…articulating details of life so vividly
while interweaving emotions with a down-to-earth sincerity
just all-around proficient writing

much respect

Naaj

I’m hopefully learning to be a better writer as I go along. It’s hit or miss for all of us, I know. As long as I don’t become too mundane, I’m seeing progress. LOL
Thank you, Naaj. I look forward to your insights.

Powerful work. Tremendous.

Like Adelphina said, great title. Also those opening lines are not only funny but very observational in that oxymoronic way.
Great stuff.

It’s the first time I heard about the “blue-collar writer” and I don’t know why we should be under any name, a writer is a writer on his/her own style.

“a blue-collar writer approaches writing as a disciplined, daily, and often arduous profession, focusing on consistent output and “putting in the work” rather than waiting for inspiration.”

I understand about the daily events thing, but I don’t agree a about “rather than waiting for inspiration”, inspiration is not specific and has no limits, and if You are the one who “inspires” yourself to write from your daily life, it’s the ultimate inspiration, no less powerful or emotive than the one that may comes sudden, and here is but an example, for me this is a true masterpiece, the way You waved the events then the turning comes like a gentle breeze with deep profound layers, no doubt You are a profoundly emotional and deeply thinker person. I truly like this, and yes in the meantime of Heaven(what a gorgeous title!), it’s the good time to tell Her “I love you”. Glorious✨

Wow, thank you for the in depth comment. I am one who definitely waits for inspiration to write, verses just sitting and plodding on the keyboard. Actually, I write on an old tablet, then transfer it to the laptop.
Anyhow, I thank you very much for this time that you took. It’s rewarding to be acknowledged for our efforts, obviously. So thank you!

This seems like a love -hate relationship with existence in a way. Love keeps you going in rough times and memories are like a truce between mental battles fought and heartfelt moments. Nice one, Styx.

If we could see all the corruption in the world, the earth would light up like a night sky with a million stars. You did such a incredible and detailed analysis here, VOI. Great work.

The problem isn’t China it’s us….the consumer that buys their products.
Before China there was Japan and after China there will be others for multinational corporations to plunder and exploit and we will continue to buy from them
Great thought provoking write.

Powerfully penned, Keith. Excellent write my friend. Appreciate you.

Damian

Can we stop buying what is presented to us cheaply. Prices go up and we are stuck in the hamster wheel of wanting to do right but it’s often not.

I remember seeing a video where someone took a MAGA hat and turned it around to show it was made in China…which pretty much sums up the issue. Take as much as possible, give back as little as possible and never worry about the other guy. The humanity of the world has become devalued. Brilliant piece

Good work here. Plain, clear, brief, and to the point. It puts all we do in perspective regarding manufacturing and consumption. There are many causes: corruption, greed, graft, poverty, laziness, stupidity, sickness, mental illness, and lack of education are the prime movers. Mix and match and you get governments — meaning the PEOPLE who govern –that are corrupt, uncaring, inefficient, underfunded, overwhelmed, and driven by combinations of all those causes I mentioned. What do you get? Man’s inhumanity to man, our oldest and most practised activity.

This is a nice piece, well said.

This is unhinged in the best way 😂 Dark humor + fast food mythology = instant read.

Powerfully penned, Keith. This is a very clever write my friend. Appreciate you.

Damian

Another one for the books here. lol

What about perplexed soul fast food? Does it include diet cocaine? Everything is so darned conceptual these days.