So, we thought we would try a different hotel in St. Louis. We had stayed in one with the same name several years ago and liked it. It had two rooms and a kitchen in the middle. Clean with nice amenities. Last night’s hotel was not the same. I harkened back to the Great Southern Vacation we took with Neva J and Earl in the mid-90s. Earl was paying for the lodging, and he had a very low cap on what he was willing to pay. The television was fastened to the wall with an elaborate metal shelf with sharp edges. MJ got up in the night and hit her head on the immovable metal TV shelf and uttered words thus far hidden from our son’s ears. It was a Motel From Hell. Yesterday’s motel was worse. When we entered, there was a large bag of trash in the middle of the dirty floor. The room had a sink and a stove, but no cookware or dishes. No coffee anywhere. A broken recliner, the phone was broken, and a thin mattress upon the spartan bed. The air conditioner worked well, but we were cold all night. I imagined a story regarding the hotel from hell, akin to a Twilight Zone episode. I told MJ at one point what if this were Heaven and this room was our big surprise? MJ said that if that were the case, she would accept the leftover eggs in a carton that the cleaning lady offered us as she cleaned out the food someone had left in the refrigerator tomorrow.

I reflected on our one-night accommodations. Many people would love to have what we had for a roof over their heads. Indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and a bed with a duvet would be heavenly compared to their meager circumstances. Surprises await us around every corner. We do not have the preioscope of my youth, where, due to a bend in the plastic design, you could see a little around a corner if you held it just right. Suspense is our master. What we think is going to happen and what really happens can be quite different. The difference between a luxurious two-room suite and a Hovel from the Twilight Zone.

We set our hopes on how many dollars we can accumulate. Money is a gentleman’s agreement that paper or coin has value because we all agree on its value. The Great Depression of 1929 illustrated the vaporization of our love for money.

So much of our lives balances on the tightrope of capitalism. Certain hopes and security can be wiped out quicker than riches. Faith is a bulwark against surprise. Believing in the eternal is important to us spiritual creatures. We take a step at a time. Patience preserves our souls. Paul of the Bible said he knew the feeling of abasement and abundance. My life story.

MJ and I stopped by Paper Source today. We bought more cards. I love going to Paper Source and thinking about upcoming birthdays and Christmas. Surprises that I know are around the corner. Oh, the joys of the simple life and coffee in my hotel room…