Life is beautiful.....wasn't that the name of a good movie about twenty-five or so years ago? Retirement was good for Tim. Bradenton had some great pickleball courts. Today it was just his daily walk around the retirement community....down Melrose for about a mile....then back on Finley for another mile....and one last turn on Jameson.
Life was good for Rick also. He was a little older than Tim but he could still log 15,000 steps a day. His route was a bunch of lefts and rights and lefts and rights as he liked to see neighbors more than concentrate on his pace.
Tim and Rick attended different churches but did see each other at Trump rallies and boat flotillas. This day their paths merged at the corner of Jamison and Stoudt.
Tim........"Hey....brother Rick....how we doin'?"
Rick......."Tim....I've seen you walking a few times but you always look like you are on a mission."
Tim........"Well I'll slow down today. What's new?"
Rick......"Trump won."
They both laughed.....paused....thought about Trump's win....and laughed again.
Tim........"It was great wasn't it? Send that woman back to wherever she came from."
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Rick......."Yeah....praise God....Trump's moving fast isn't he? There's no stopping him now."
Tim's perfect implants and Rick's bright dentures were sparkling in the Florida sun.....but they paused smiling for a split-second at Rick's comment....took a few steps....sneaked a cautious peek at each other....and then resumed their conversation...
Tim......."They're trying to get his nominees but if any Republicans cause a problem....Trump will round them up and get them!"
Rick......"We'll get a new FBI....and a new CIA....and maybe a new NSA....and a Trump ally at the Justice Department...."
Tim continued Rick's thoughts....
Tim........"And Trump allies everywhere! Who would have thought that Musk and that other guy would be on our side? They'll save a trillion on cutting jobs alone!"
That last comment hit them both a little bit....and they sneaked a side-of-the-eye peak at each other again. Rick continued a little more subdued....
Rick......"Yeah....no more Fauci and all those....health scientists!"
They both then thought about RFK Jr. and paused again.
Tim........"Did you see that monster bomb that Israel dropped on Syria yesterday? Hamas is gone.... Hezbollah is reeling....Iran is shaking under their turbans...?"
Rick......."It looks like we may finally get peace and security in the Middle East...."
At that Rick paused and stuttered a bit.... realizing what he just said...
Rick....."Of....of....of course God is in control of everything."
Tim......"Of course."
They came to where Tim would go left and Rick would go right....each one thought about some of the words that had come out of their mouths....."no stopping him now"....and...."Trump will round them up and get them"....and...."No More Fauci....and all those....health scientists"....and most of all...."Peace and safety." In just a few hundred yards walk together they had inadvertently cast a little doubt on each other's optimism.
