The Kwik Kar Archives: The Anole!

Today's Kwik Kar of Weatherford Archived Ad hearkens back to June 7, 2005:

 

Kwik Kar Lube & Tune is a registered service mark of Kwik Industries, Inc.

Farewell to My Friend, Marni

I was perusing the website of one of our two local Weatherford papers, the Democrat, and as I often do, I made a quick pass through the Obits. Yes, I'm of that certain age when it's become important to see who has passed on recently.

So, I was saddened to see that Marni (Mockbee) Henderson had died last month of congestive heart failure. The notice showed up way late in the paper, not until just a few days ago, over three weeks since she left us. Lots of folks around here will be saddened at Marni's passing, as she was our barber. Really, she's the only steady barber I've had in Weatherford since I came here in '96, even though I've transgressed from time to time and hit one of the franchise shops (but only on those times when I was desperate and Marni happened to be closed). I've always gone back to Marni, my local independent businesswoman.

Marni was a good ol' Texas gal, and she knew everybody's business, but in an endearing and entertaining sort of way. If something interesting was happening in Parker County, you often heard about it first from Marni. Plus, the icing on the cake was that not only was she entertaining, she was actually good at cutting hair. That particular combination of attributes can be kind of rare here in small town Texas.

She was only 48 when she passed. She had had a stroke; it was in 2009, as I recall. However, she seemed to rebound quite well from it. But it was probably a portent of the future. Marni's health was apparently on a long downward slide. I'm trying to remember if she was a smoker; I seem to recall that she would step outside the shop from time to time to take a puff, but I wouldn't testify to that under oath. Of course, I was gone from Marni's world, due to my incarceration, between 2010 and late 2011 and couldn't keep up with her more recent health issues.

I saw her for the last time about four months ago. I had been back home in Weatherford for only about four months that day. She rolled on by me in her truck as I walked down York Avenue, and as she did, lowered the window and hollered at me that she was now working for another barbering establishment over on Palo Pinto. So, she had given up running her own shop! I waved and nodded my head to assure her that she would be seeing me again. But I was broke then, and store-bought haircuts would have to wait until my personal economy was on the rebound. Alas, the happy reunion never came.

Marni seemed almost destined for a bit shorter life than most of us enjoy. She had terrible luck with the male gender, in terms of getting a good specimen of lasting value. Her man Lee Henderson passed in 2008, also at age 48. I don't think it's a coincidence that she had the stroke just a few months later.

I know that she had gotten a new man in her life before I went away, but I can't recall his name, and I don't know if they were still together during her final days. But I assuage my sadness with the thought that she had plenty of loving kith and kin at her side when she left.

Adios, Marni.

Note: the photo of Marni Henderson was found on the Weatherford Democrat website; no photographer attribution was given. Text alteration was added by me. I will be happy to comply with a removal notice if contacted by the copyright holder to the original photographic image.

The Kwik Kar Archives: When Dachshunds Ruled the Earth!

This one's from February 3, 2004. Or maybe from February 3, 145 MILLION YEARS BC:

The small "movie credits" text at lower left reads:

A DEBBIE LINCOLN PRODUCTION of a DUSTY BRITTAIN FILM
'WHEN DACHSHUNDS RULED THE EARTH'
starring MEL GIBSON • CLORIS LEACHMAN • RUTGER HAUR and JACKIE CHAN as 'Charles'
Filmed in DACHS-O-SCOPE and glorious BLACK AND WHITE • Soundtrack available on NAUGHTY DOG RECORDS

Kwik Kar Lube & Tune is a registered service mark of Kwik Industries, Inc.

Kwik Kar of Weatherford — The Debbie Lincoln Project

Debbie Lincoln was a loyal client of mine from at least mid-1998 until 2008 (I'll have to check on the end date...I've slept since then). She and her husband Mike had the local Kwik Kar franchise in Weatherford, Texas. What was amazing about having Debbie as a client is that she (largely) loved my off-kilter sense of humor, had an amazing sense of the absurd all her own, and gave me largely free reign to inflict our senses of humor on the unsuspecting public of Parker County, Texas. Her and Mike's Kwik Kar franchise was wildly successful. Perhaps too successful, from my point of view, in that Kwik Kar of Weatherford attracted the attention of those who wanted in on the action and had the monetary means of making a serious attempt at doing so. Alas, the fine folks of Jiffy Lube made her and Mike an offer that was just too good to pass up, and they sold the business. I never even tried to approach the new Jiffy Lube owners about doing ads for them; I realized it probably just wouldn't be the same.

I haven't spoken to either Debbie or Mike in a couple of years, so I don't know what MIke's up to these days, but Debbie was always a painter, even when she ran her Kwik Kar franchise. She now seems to keep very busy at her painting, as evidenced by her blog here:

Now or Never: Debbie Lincoln's Blog

The Kwik Kar of Weatherford ads ran weekly in either the Parker County Shopper or the sadly defunct Parker County Advertiser, with occasional ads showing up in the Weatherford Democrat and various specialty publications like the Weatherford High School "Roos" booster programs.

In fond remembrance of Debbie and Mike (and Kibble the Wonder Pomeranian and the entire Kwik Kar Crew), and the amazingly fun advertising we did over those years, I hereby dedicate a portion of my blog to posting reproductions of some of the ads. I take no responsibility whatsoever for any effect these have on you.

Our inaugural ad is from January 7, 2003.

Kwik Kar Lube & Tune is a registered service mark of Kwik Industries, Inc.

The Obligatory Full Disclosure Blog Post

I think it’s proper and fitting that I should disclose at least a bit of who I am, and of my background and history, so that you are aware of what many would call my “world view,” how I perceive reality and the world and other people, and process all this information in my mind. Like every other human being on this planet, the way I perceive – and react – to my environment is colored to a great degree by my personal history, the people I interact with, and the Great Ideas which have survived across the ages, which influence me and other people today.

First off: I’m old. Not real old, but old enough that I think seriously about how much time I have left in this body. It’s served me well, despite all the abuse I’ve dished out to it over the years. But one day, not too terribly long from now, it will fail me. I vow to arrive at that day with gratitude, humility and equanimity.

I was born miraculously. Yes, miraculously, because I had the great good fortune to be born a sentient being in the dominant species (Homo sapiens) on a wonderfully diverse, beautiful planet (Earth). Even better, I was born into arguably the most powerful tribe/race/ethnic group/subspecies (caucasoid of northern European stock) of my kind on the planet, into arguably the wealthiest and most powerful human society (the United States of America) on this Earth. And to top it all off – as if this wasn’t enough already – I was born male, the gender which most everyone would agree enjoys the lion’s share of privilege and power in most human societies, particularly the one I found myself born into. How did this miracle, this amazing chain of events that led to my becoming, occur? Those people around me, in what psychologists and sociologists call my “social sphere,” have many ideas about how such a thing could occur. I have my own ideas, which I’ll speak of from time to time. But not in this post. Not now.

I was born into a Methodist Christian family, in the state of Illinois, in the 1950’s. I am now a Buddhist. Yes, you’ll hear more on this topic in later posts. Notice that I didn’t say that I’m a “good Buddhist.” I’m not. I wouldn’t set a particularly good example for any particular religion/philosophy/organization/lifestyle. However, I do think that stretches of my life story can be educational, informative, or even – dare I say it? – motivational for some others. But I don’t know. If there is something you find useful, from time to time, in what I write – then I’m happy for this.

I am deeply distrustful of theists (people who believe in a God or gods) who are organized into political or social organizations. However, I have theist friends and family members who I deeply adore, including my own wife, who is Catholic Christian. Individual Christians and Muslims and Jews (and theists in general) are fine with me when considered as individuals, but I feel that history has ably documented that when theists get together to do anything other than worship, bad things happen. I have been discriminated against in this culture because of my involvement in a minority religion. I was once fired from a job because of my spiritual views and religious practice (the boss was a Nazarene Christian). One religious congregation I was involved with had a bomb threat telephoned in, back in the 80’s. I feel I’m not sticking my neck out at all when I speculate that it wasn’t an atheist who phoned that day. By the way, when not around other Buddhists, I find that I am often most comfortable being around atheists or agnostics. But don’t let that scare you away, because if anything, I’m a good listener and open to other people’s ideas about reality. Your reality might not match my reality, but I’m highly interested in it, just the same. I am a student of the human mind and human behavior.

I have exhibited what this culture terms “mental illness” off and on, since the age of 12. I have been diagnosed by mental health professionals at various times with Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. My thinking about my own psychology, and how I view my own thoughts, emotions and behavior, has changed over the years. Of course you’ll see postings which address this subject from time to time! I promise to try my best to do them without boring you.

Despite the (apparently) obvious flaws in my mental processes, I feel that I have a better-than-average brain/mind. How do I come to this conclusion? Other people have told me this. Enough people that it adds up to a body of evidence. Of course, my own ego tells me that I’m creative and smart, but having other people observe this and relate their observations to me makes me feel comfortable with my own ideas. Even good! Famed psychotherapist Albert Ellis, the father of so-called “cognitive therapy,” indicated that this process of comparing our own ideas with the perceptions of others was an important component of what he called “reality testing.” If my self-perception seems to differ consistently and radically with others’ perception of me, I probably need to re-evaluate my thinking. I know – it sounds very circular, doesn’t it, to “think about my thinking.” But it’s very helpful for me. That’s one important reason why I’m happy to have folks post their comments on the blog. Your thinking about my thinking just might get me thinking in a new way. As Ellis would say: Fine!

I have a history of substance abuse. Apparently, from what both mental health professionals and substance abuse recovery professionals have told me, that’s par for the course for people like myself who have exhibited significant mental health issues for long periods of time. Still, I’m skeptical of the “disease model” of addiction, because not only does it not hold up very well under the usual criteria used by the medical community to diagnose disease, I feel it provides a convenient excuse to avoid helpful consideration of the individual’s thinking, emotions and behavior which lead to the substance abuse problem. Therefore, even though I am legally obligated to attend a so-called “Twelve Step” support group (and cheerfully do so each and every week), I do not follow the path endorsed by this group to recover from addiction/abuse. I have my own way, based on the psychological and spiritual teachings of my religious tradition, which has a 2,500-year record of helping the psychologically afflicted with all sorts of problems, not just substance abuse.

I feel that I normally “manifest” (I’m using that word in a specifically Buddhist way, but I think even non-Buddhists will understand) as a happy, cheerful, friendly, inquisitive, creative and smart 18-year-old in a 56-year-old body. That’s my own assessment. Sure, there’s ego influencing that assessment. I feel I started out as what psychologists call “high functioning” but my emotional development might have stopped at around age 18 or so. I suffer from introversion and a certain amount of anxiety in social situations, although you might have a tough time telling so, to see me in a social setting. I’m still developing psychologically, I feel. Substance abuse counselors will tell you that you stop developing emotionally when you start abusing drugs or alcohol. That’s an extremely interesting idea, which I had not come across until recently. If true, I’ve developed in bits and spurts over the decades, with stretches of sobriety interspersed with stretches of usage. I’m taking the idea under consideration. I never stop learning, never. When I stop learning, that means I’m dead.

I’ve harmed loved ones, at times. Both physically and emotionally. This is the deepest regret of my life so far. Perhaps I’m fortunate in that they’ve not felt the need to completely, permanently withdraw from me, but what I’ve done in the past is bad enough that I shouldn’t feel resentful were they to do so. I have created enormous bad karma for myself through thought and action, to take a Buddhist perspective on it. I have no doubt delayed my own entry into Nibbana, the state beyond suffering, but for how long? I have no idea.

I don’t expect you to accept, or particularly even understand, anything that I present to you on these pages. I feel that we have no right to expect any other sentient being to completely understand or completely agree with what we think, feel, believe or experience. Instead, we should react with gratitude should this unlikely and rare event transpire. This is the only true miracle that I’ve ever experienced in this life―when minds meet.

Oh, one last thing that is important for you to know about me, but will be difficult for many of you to understand and even more difficult to accept: I like critters. Even cats. :)