“For pride is spiritual cancer; it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”—C.S. Lewis
Yesterday was action packed pride. It started off with a crowmotion that woke my entire cul-de-sac up at 5am. They should be up anyway. I don’t know what was going on with my crows but I was proud of them.
After I posted my vagabond article I went vagabonding. A five mile walk that took me past my crow friend at the park. I arrived back in my garden just before 9am. Beer? Not yet. A good thought though. Do a little gardening, pick a salad and then I’ll be real thirsty.
I was looking at my two-year-old carrots that have flowered and will soon produce seeds for me. Then I spotted it. A fucking Thomisus spectabilis. A White crab spider resting on the top of my flowering carrot plant.
I was out of my mind with excitement. Little garden mysteries every single day to discover. Have you ever seen a white crab spider? I haven’t. After I took the photo I was beaming with pride. What a fucking achievement. I drove my wife crazy talking about it.
I went back to the spider several times. On one occasion there was a couple of ants with wings walking on it getting very close to the spider. Has anyone ever photographed a white crab spider capturing its dinner? I could be the first. More pride developing.
The spider made no attempt at the ants. He must want something special for dinner. Then another bug showed up and was walking right into his jaws. Here it is my money shot. I got this one.
The spider made no attempt to capture the bug and this bug walked right underneath its legs. I couldn’t believe it. I went and got a beer. Now I need a beer. I’m surprised there isn’t a Pride Brewery in Seattle. My wife returned and was now kind of getting into my excitement. And then it happened, and I was there to photograph it.
Dinner is served.
I sent the picture to a family member who is a gardener. He immediately text me back and said he has connections to National Geographic Society, or a calendar company and he’s sending the photo to them and that I am going to be famous as soon as it gets published. He’s bullshitting me but I’ll take it and I added in the famous part. I couldn’t be more proud, but wait, there’s more.
RAMPING UP THE PRIDE.
I then got a Linkedin message from a former manager. I open up Linkedin and the page opens up to some parts I made 10 years ago. I couldn’t believe it. I was so proud… Mary. I had to make a comment and boast. I couldn’t waste this prime boasting opportunity. Not after my bug photo. No way.
Note the one scissor head with the initials MH. Mike Huggins. I created the machining process for the heads and the scissors. Me….me…me...
No likes on my comment so far—wtf? My wife told me last week she got four likes on her Facebook post and that will keep her happy for a week. I told her she needs to step up her happy a bit more. I told her if I get four likes on an article I’m happy for a month.
My pride is really ramped up now and it’s only 11:42am. I thought I should take a nap and cool off a little. And then my wife comes in with a book. “Did you know your name is in this book?”
“WHERE,” I shouted? She opens it up to the first page and there is my name. “THAT’S IT,” I shouted. “I need a fucking strong drink now. I’m at pride overload.”
“There’s no living with you today is there,” asked my wife? Probably not, but she should try.
“BUY A THOUSAND MORE,” I shouted.
“We can’t do that Mike.”
My wife does all of my on-line book ordering, banking, grocery shopping, bill paying, cleaning, but I do all the gardening. I refuse to enter into anymore technology then I have to. HATE IT. She sat on my request for a couple of weeks. If this were a business I’d fire her. But she finally did order the book and I’m proud of her.
THE VACCINE REAPER REPORT makes it into a book that will be a New York Times best seller. What a fucking honor.
I love that cover too. I can’t wait to get into this book. I’m encouraging all of my subscribers to buy the book. Subscribe to Don’s substack if you haven’t already. For the first 25 subscribers who do order the book I will send the new updated VRR skull sticker for FREE. I will. I’m not joking. I’ve done it before I can do it again. It’s bigger than the old sticker and has updated stitches. You can stick it on the bulletin board at your laundromat like I did.
I’m very happy that Don found something I wrote worthy enough to make it into his book. I can now retire from writing. I did it. Done. Over. Finished. I’ll just be a bug photographer.
For the new skull sticker email me at michaelhuggins50@gmail.com and I’ll forward it onto our sticker department manager—Marjorie Taylor Gleam.
Check out Don’s other books here at Amazon. I’ve read several. They are excellent.
I first discovered Don long before I started my Substack, but I don’t remember where. I remember first reading him and thinking who is this guy my funk soul brother? His views were very similar to my own and we are close to the same age. I lost the site where I was reading him and couldn’t remember his last name. When I started my Substack I had no idea who was writing here. I posted an article and Don commented on it and I thought is this funk soul brother? It was. Small world. Fun to connect back up to Don and his writing. Thank you Mr. Jeffries for the kind mention in your book. I do appreciate it.
Mike, this made my morning. I was having my coffee and whisky and trying to wake up. I could hear your voice in my head as I read this. I was oooing and ahhing and laughing out loud.
AMAZING photo of the spider! You were so lucky to see it when the bee arrived. Who'da thought? The camouflage worked.
Very PROUD of you, in several ways. The book, the surgical device, the revised sticker, the early beer.
Bravo Mike Huggins.
I'm sending this one to Patrick Gunnels to ask if he will read it on his "Reading Epic Lit" show. He just read "The Little Prince" last night, that's why I was up so late.
https://rumble.com/v2w2ge8-reading-epic-lit-book-4-1130-pm-et-.html?mref=6zof&mrefc=2
Dammit Mike! It honestly doesn't get any better than this! All of it. Now I'm all excited too. Thank you for uplifting my day. 🙏🏼😊