Rob Fahrni

The Atlantic: “We know this is a lie, because the people who fought in the Civil War told us so. “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery—the greatest material interest of the world,” Mississippi lawmakers declared during their 1861 secession convention. Slavery was “the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution,” the Confederate vice president, Alexander Stephens, said, adding that the Confederacy was founded on “the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man.”

It’s disturbing to read those words. It was also the premise of the Civil War. I often think Lincoln was too kind after the war. Then again what would’ve happened if all of the Confederate leadership had been put to death? Smarter men than I made those decisions. It is history.

I wish laws had been established to outlaw the use of Confederate symbols. It’s not a heritage to be proud of. It was a movement to overthrow the government of the United States of America. Treason. Punishable by death.

Today all Confederate statues and symbols should be burned to the ground and treated as symbols of hate. The Confederacy is the closest thing Americans have to that of Nazi Germany.

We cannot allow this to happen again no matter how much some of our modern day leaders want for it.

Sure, it’s a heritage. A heritage of hate. Burn it all down. Teach the truth of it. Stamp out the lies.

I felt really great today. Physically great. Not that I didn’t feel mentally great as well but today was a really great day physically.

As we age those things we did to our bodies when we were young start to catch up with us. I had no regard for my body when I was younger. Heck, given what my brothers and I got into day to day I’m surprised we’re all still alive. Couple that with a love of sports and poor genetics and you’re on your way to aches and pains later in life.

I’m not a small guy. Let’s just say it out loud. I’m fat. Have been for a while now and I didn’t realize how bad it made me feel. It takes time to become a fatty mcfatser and you just don’t notice the change. I got up to 295 pounds, I’d put money on me being as heavy as 300 pounds but I never saw that number on a scale. My wife has been trying to convince me to lose weight for years and I knew I’d do it eventually but I had to make that choice on my own.

In December of 2020 I saw an orthopedic surgeon who looked at my knees, because the darned things hurt, and he told me I had the knees of a 70 year old man. 70? I’m nowhere near 70. What are these darned things gonna feel like when I am 70? That thought really struck home. My knees hurt all day, every day. It’s become part of life.

A short time after the holidays I’d had enough. I finally decided it was time to get the darned weight off. As of today I weigh 263 pounds. I cannot believe how much better I feel. I have an incredible amount of energy and I don’t tire nearly as fast as I used to when doing yard work or just going up the stairs in our home. I was resigned to feeling horrible the rest of my life. I just figured it was an age thing. No, it was a weight thing.

If folks ask how I’m doing it, it’s simple, you work really hard at it! I’ve changed the food I consume and how much I consume. IT IS NOT EASY. It’s darned hard to do. I love eating crummy food and lots of it. Cake? Sure sign me up for a couple pieces with ice cream. Pie? Oh heck yeah! I love me some pie. Ben and Jerry’s Chubby Hubby? Yessir! I’ll eat the entire pint in one sitting. Anyone else love Reece’s peanut butter cups? ME TOO! Not just the pack with two in them. Pffft. That’s for losers! I’ll get the four pack and one of those chunky ones with the pieces embedded in it (they’re delicious by the way.) The point is, I’m a junk food junkie. It’s an addiction like anything else.

Will I keep this weight off for the remainder of my life? I certainly hope so. I feel so great right now I don’t want to go back to where I was. I have a long way to go. My initial goal is 220 pounds. When I get there I’m going to reevaluate things and may go down to 200 pounds. I don’t think I’ve weighed 220 since our first daughter was born 32+ years ago. That’s crazy.

That leads me to where I am right this minute. Last Monday I got another round of cortisone shots in my knees. Today my knees feel great. Sure, it’s temporary, I know that. But when you put my weight loss together with the shots? Wow, I feel amazing.

I had to spit this out. It’s for me, I needed to write it down. I needed a place to remember.

I like working in the yard. It’s good exercise, fun when you see the finished work, and gives me time to listen to podcasts.

Here’s the old man process for working in the yard.

Step one: Apply liberal amounts of old man gel to knees.

Step two: Slide on knee sleeves. These provide warmth, stability, and the pressure helps with swelling.

Step three: Pre medicate. You know you’re gonna have pain and swelling. Get ahead of it.

Step four: Remember to grab your headphones!

Step five: GO DO THE WORK AND ENJOY THE SUNSHINE!