Fred

I’ve some wonderful and faithful followers. You can see a list of them, including photos in some cases, in the top right corner of the blog. You’ll note that a number of these followers attach portrait photographs of themselves and that’s appreciated in most cases.
by Charlie Leck

In the case of one of my followers, Fred, it might have made sense not to include the photograph. Would you believe it? My wife thinks Fred is cute. Well, the fact that she did marry me says something about her taste, I guess.

I would find it more comforting if Fred would give me an idea of what kinds of subjects and which of my opinions upset him. Then I could do my best to avoid those matters. Fred, however, is one of my silent followers and, perhaps, that’s just as well.

I’ve gotten to know a few of my followers, like Tony, for example. Tony Rugare regularly posts blogs also. His gimmick is to be concise and exactly to the point. He’s good at that. I don’t think I ever fail to read his posts. He writes at http://rugaremusings.blogspot.com/. I don’t include a title of his blog because he has this habit of changing it so frequently. Check him out anyway.

Then there is a nephew of mine, Jim Leck, included among my followers. Unfortunately and very sadly, Jim died about a year ago. It was like a dagger to my heart. I always enjoyed his terribly humorous musings about my blogs. I’ve not been able to bring myself to remove Jim from my list of followers and maybe that’s okay. Perhaps Jim has access to a computer up there and maybe he continues to follow my posts.

A brother, Frank, is also included among my followers. It’s agonizing for him to read, what he calls, my drivel. Frank is a follower of Rush and he was also nuts about Sarah Palin. He thinks the Tea Party is just great (an abstergent force in America according to my brother) and that Bill Clinton ought to have been castrated. Why would anyone read me so regularly who finds me such an unpleasant glutch?

Sam Stern is another follower. He’s a neighbor just up the road. He is one of the best bloggers I’ve ever read. His problem is that he’s infrequent. He sometimes lets months pass without posting a blog. I expect he only wants to post about the most important subjects. The problem with that is that we forget about him and what he’s been saying. He drifts from our minds and that’s not good. There’s a nice bar between Sam’s house and mine and we meet there occasionally, over a pint, to lament the strength of the current Republican Party.

Plumb Bob is another infrequent blogger. He and Sam are probably busier than I – no doubt! Yet, Plumb Bob ought to be reflecting more often. He’s very sensitive and mysterious and I always come away from one of his blogs feeling as if I’ve read something very, very important – even though I’m not too sure what it means!

A couple of our town’s councilpersons read me regularly also. I expect it’s because they want to find out if I’ve been rabblerousing. I’m generally considered a trouble maker and I’m to be watched carefully in that regard. These two are wonderful public servants, however, and I would find it difficult to say bad things about them – difficult, not impossible!

David Williamson is a follower from Wales. He’s a damned good writer and also handy with sketch pencils. His blog, Van Peebles Land, is one I will not miss – ever!

Most of my followers, however, are mysteries to me. They have curious names and descriptions and I don’t have the slightest idea whether I please them or infuriate them. How about Leena Guha Roy who seems mad about her mom and dad and loves creativity both in the arts and in her personal life? She also loves to write. I hope I get to have a conversation with her some time.

Then there’s Nardo, Tork, Joey, Peter Moos and Genivaldo Martins Matos. It seems the latter writes an adult only blog (or so the warning leads me to believe).

Rich McConnell is an old high school buddy and he is as solid as a silver dollar. It’s always a better day when I get an email from him. Gina Mitteco is a wonderful, petit lady with whom I used to work (at 1000 Friends of Minnesota). Gina is as good a human being as you’ll ever meet and tough as hell for such a tiny person.

There are plenty more, including my wife and one of her school classmates from 40+ years ago, some people I met at the farmers’ market, a couple of political allies and a bill collector of sorts.

Fred, however, as you can see from his photograph is the strangest of them all and I don't want to cross him.

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