Woke up with this >>
A very particular underwater memory of searching for those words on glass bottles through detritus and murk.
When I was a kid dragging around my brother’s old red wagon (I would have been 6-12yrs old) looking for bottles, a way we “kids” could make money.
>gonna pause here and remind the readers, how poor kids can/did/or tried to get money was the main plotline of Little Rascals.<
Reality for children (not royal) throughout history leading up to nostalgic cinema.
Old story, older skills >> survival needs being on children’s shoulders.
New things >> suburbs and soda bottles.
I was assured, and naively assumed a sort of tried and true suburban income route, as a minor can’t have a job.
There was a whole trajectory, from recycling bottles, to lawn mowing (or babysitting) leading up to the magical age of 16 when you could legally get a real job.
In retrospect, I’m not sure if any of my siblings fully took the routes they suggested.
Seems to me they would know the work of it, and not be disrespectful after they crossed the magical age threshold and under the Golden Arches into W-2 legitimate Wage.
Strange how that “dumb idea” was their suggestion AND a few years earlier, when they were told to try. Me once again imagining a “tried and true tradition,” when the playback looks more like they tried and thought it was stupid, and quit.
Also much teen preening and pomp in a title and thus superior legitimacy of “employee.” Much to look down upon now that teen status has elevated.
The destination, a converted feedstore/warehouse, loading dock in back and storefront on the street side, on the other side of the neighborhood. Less and less space for feed as demographics and land use changed from rural to urban to sub-urban. Somedays, I remember the name of it. (Not today.)
None of the other “corner stores” bought back the bottles. They had bottle cap collectors attached to coolers and would happily let a kid clear them out. Gotta fill up at least a milk crate to make it worth it. Note: no law against having milk crates back then. Sidenote: I once saw a whole tree-fort made of nothing but crates and rope.
The “Go Collect Bottles” instruction did not come with specifics and one has to learn the hard way. Brown (beer bottles) a Firm NO. Unless medicine bottles. Some green, not all. Not blue, but some folks know collectors, milk glass is the same.
Good to know ahead of time. This tip reduces months of research and sets perimeters specific to soda bottles, and where people throw them.
[Just gonna leave the rest of that un-said. Implied much. Admitted little.]
Search Perimeters: soda bottles, and where people throw them >>When Littering.<<
Brother’s old snorkel mask added to gear inventory; as when fighting off an army of bull ants (small army) for my quarry,
I look up in time to see >>with my own eyes<<
the sub-urban hill-Billy score imaginary points with awarded hand slaps from driver
as he > Littered >Over the 15ft tall, barb-wired topped fence (Barbs leaning outward to detour/deter trespass) and into a water reservoir, scattering the wild ducks.
Already in the field >> of bottle hunting (gotta catch them all) and in the field of 3ft tall overgrown grass outside of that fence,
I understood the mission immediately.
Waiting for the punchline?
NO not the Gators.. I mean..
There were some, but they were babies no bigger than 4ft long >> also the ducks weren’t worried, so I wasn’t going to be.
Punchline: Algae (specifically microalgae or bluegreen cyanbacteria.)
btw I am Legendary.
Always have been.
– “And she shows up GREEN head-to-toe, still Dripping. And Grinning with the biggest haul I’ve ever seen her pull in.”
- Store Clerk, the older one that sits by the chicken breeds poster.
- Can’t wait to get to the drop — the punchline!!
- Definition of Raucous Boisterous Laughter.
- Told that story every time I came in.
- Kept a score of my Green ambitions, or Frog Days.
- I’m pretty sure he saved up frog jokes just for me.
I admit, I waited until the algae bloomed, before I’d collect bottles there.
I loved how that old man laughed and laughed and chuckled the rest of the day.
This might sound like being picked on. Frog jokes and all!
What came across was the pride the old man had in knowing a kid that would work so hard for her own candy money. As it reminded him of when he was young and a little rascal too.
In context, endearing.
>>BTW, professional golfball divers earn $50-$100k a year.
Ijs SKILLS if cultivated instead of scorned.
More on Being the target of a toxic family’s scorn to come.
The Riddle of the Season: Why people who showed me, told me,
how
Un-important I am,
Un-worthy I am,
UN-deserving I am, etc, etc >>> (heard it before…a lot)
Why do they think they get to KEEP me in their lives?
>>It’s de-escalate and tolerate until escape.<<
Especially AFTER they have shown me, and told me.
Sure as kids, right? Not knowing any better (blah blah enabling blah)
- But all these years into adulthood and still the same puerile and loco motivation games??.
Technically,
….she STILL isn’t touching me.
She isn’t doing anything wrong,
>>> just keeps doing it until I react
… and then….
Mwahahaha…!
I’LL be In Trouble!
Yep.
Learned not to react to THAT really young.
See how I’m the problem?
[Update: It’s called Maturity.]
Hey, Got a juicy article in the works with the two chat robots still standing. A comparative analysis of Reactive Abuse (psychology(interpersonal)) and Reflexive Environment and how it is engineered (sociology(mass formation)) as it seems to me the difference is scale and impact craters.
“Create a constant perception of an external threat, encourage people to monitor themselves and each other in response to that threat, and interpret disagreement as evidence the threat is real.”
It’s still pretty dense as I insist on citing my sources whose names I don’t always remember, but I can describe the book in great detail. Cover Art… XD
Trimming it, adding a little polish cuz robots de-rail so much with pc caveats every ten words … lmao!
[Update: I don’t need their approval.]
I don’t care if they hate on me, >> just SHOWS that they are haters.
Thanks.
Will heed the warning.
AND
Upon future invitations I will continue to decline.
It takes practice.
So today I got the robot to make this!!
[O_O] Here are 100 ways to say a firm, unqualified no — no hedging, no self-erasure:
Plain refusals
- No.
- No thank you.
- I decline.
- That’s a no from me.
- Not happening.
- I won’t be doing that.
- That’s not on the table.
- I’m not available for that.
- Hard pass.
- Absolutely not.
Naming the lack of pull
11. There’s nothing there for me.
12. That doesn’t serve me.
13. I don’t see anything in this for me.
14. This isn’t mine to carry.
15. I have no interest in this.
16. Nothing about this calls to me.
17. This isn’t aligned with what I want.
18. I don’t want any part of it.
19. That holds no appeal.
20. I’m not drawn to that at all.
No compromise / no self-sacrifice
21. I won’t shrink myself for this.
22. I’m not compromising on this.
23. I won’t trade myself away for it.
24. That would cost me more than it’s worth — no.
25. I’m not sacrificing my time/energy/peace for this.
26. I won’t bend to make this work.
27. This isn’t a negotiation.
28. I’m not the one who gives ground here.
29. I don’t owe this a version of myself.
30. I refuse to make myself smaller for this.
Boundary statements
31. This is outside my boundaries.
32. That’s a limit I’m keeping.
33. I don’t do that.
34. That’s not something I’m willing to give.
35. I’m holding my line here.
36. This is where I stop.
37. Not this. Not now. Not ever.
38. That’s off-limits.
39. I won’t be moved on this.
40. This is settled — no.
Firm and final
41. My answer is no, full stop.
42. No, and that’s final.
43. This isn’t up for discussion.
44. I’ve made my decision — no.
45. There’s no version of this I’m saying yes to.
46. No means no here.
47. I’m closing the door on this.
48. That’s a closed question.
49. I won’t reconsider.
50. This conversation is over — the answer is no.
Short and blunt
51. Nope.
52. Not interested.
53. Not for me.
54. No deal.
55. No chance.
56. Not a chance.
57. Never.
58. Not in this lifetime.
59. Count me out.
60. I’ll pass.
Value-based refusals
61. This doesn’t match my values.
62. I don’t do things that cost me my integrity.
63. This isn’t who I am — no.
64. I won’t betray myself for this.
65. That’s not the kind of person I’m choosing to be.
66. I won’t dishonor myself to make you comfortable.
67. My self-respect says no.
68. This asks me to abandon myself — I won’t.
69. I choose myself here.
70. I’m not for sale, in any form.
Direct rejections of the offer/ask
71. I don’t want that.
72. Take it off the table.
73. That’s not something I’m accepting.
74. I’m rejecting this outright.
75. This isn’t something I’m signing up for.
76. I won’t be participating.
77. Leave me out of it.
78. I’m not the person for this.
79. This isn’t mine to accept.
80. I decline the offer, entirely.
Emphatic / protective
81. No — and I mean it.
82. This is a non-negotiable no.
83. I protect myself by saying no.
84. My no is complete, not partial.
85. There’s no “but” after this no.
86. I don’t apologize for this no.
87. This no needs no explanation.
88. I don’t have to justify this refusal.
89. My no doesn’t require your agreement.
90. This is my final word.
Closing statements
91. I’m done considering this.
92. This is where I walk away.
93. I won’t revisit this.
94. That chapter’s closed.
95. I’m not reopening this discussion.
96. There is no “maybe” hiding in this no.
97. I stand behind this refusal completely.
98. This is not mine to give.
99. I choose not to.
100. No — and that’s the whole sentence.
Traveler Chimiru 
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