I'm Back, Again

I went down to Killeen again this week. Left Tuesday morning and got back late last night. I should have warned y'all, but I was just rushin' around like a one armed paper hanger, so please forgive me.

Whille I was driving down Tuesday, I got stuck in a traffic snarl in Foat Wuth. Stop'n'Go for about 30 minutes while a wreck was clearing itself out at Belknap on I-35. I didn't waste the time though. Reached over to the passenger-side door pocket, got out the spray bottle of sunscreen and sprayed my arms and neck. Shoulda sprayed the exposed part of my chest. When I got ready for bed that night, I noticed it was red as a Beefsteak Tomata!
I also had a chance to get out of my car, run back to the trunk, which I had already popped open and get something I needed from my suitcase. As soon as I caught the attention of the driver behind me I held up one finger to indicate I'd just be back there a short time. He nodded and smiled ruefully. And, sure enough, by the time I was back in the driver's seat, the truck in front of me hadn't moved an inch.

One the backup had cleared, it was smooth sailing all the way to Killeen. In fact, the sun was shining, the top was down...obviously, if I got a sunburn on my chest, I had some great music playing, the Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes and Brown-Eyed Susans are decorating the roadsides,and I look up to see a pair of Hawks riding the thermals. I think to myself, "It just don't get much better 'n this!"
I look at what I've just typed, and know that only those of you who actually are acquainted with me are aware of my truly excellent verbal skills. Then I am reminded of the card I saw and how humor is often strikingly accurate as well as funny. "Just remember, in 10 years, No one will care what your GPA is!"

And unless you're applying to gradual school, that IS the harsh truth. No body cares how good your grades were, and no one, except another educational elitist, or an employer, cares about your education. The average person only cares what you can DO, not what esoteric knowledge you possess, unless it directly effects their daily life. You can conjugate verbs in Latin? That's nice. Can you fix my car? You know all the Presidents, in order? What good is that if you can't fix the leak in my pipes? You can calculate the angles in a hypotenuse or analyze chemical compositions? But can you explain it, in English, to a room full of undergrads?
My rambling point is that practical skills are nice, we should all, each and every one of us know how to fix a flat tire, change our own oil in our car, sew a seam, resew a button, iron a shirt and pants, cook a simple meal, write a correctly worded, correctly spelled formal business letter and thank you note, dress minor wounds, balance a check book, shoot a gun [ for self- protection and self preservation], fish, and write legibly . I'm sure there are some other basic life skills I'm omitting. Please feel free to add your own to my list in comments.