everything you take for granted Is everything that keeps you stranded...

There are several things that most people in this world take for granted, that I simply do not.

1) Enjoying Fireworks.

I hate loud noises, always have.  As a kid, I was scared of balloons because of the loud noises they made when they popped.  Similarly, I have never enjoyed fireworks.  I have never been to a display of firework on  a July 4th.  I did watch some fireworks at a local carnival before, but I'm pretty sure I was drinking then, so that mitigated some of it.  And I watched some fireworks from the Eiffell Tower on Bastille Day in 1984.  But regardless, even though I am no longer scared of them, I still do not enjoy them.

2) Drinking.

I do drink alcohol, an occasional beer, some Asti rarely, some wine.  But I just never really got into drinking.  I sometimes wish I felt like coming home from a hard day at work and having a relaxing beer.  Or martini.  Or glass of Scotch.  But I don't.  Never developed a taste like that for the stuff.

3) Going shirtless.

I was heavy even as a teenager, and I've been too embarrassed to remove my shirt in front of people every since.  I mean, I don't like looking at my fat, I want other people to see it either.  In the last 30 years of my life or so, unless you were my doctor or someone I was having sex with, you have not seen me shirtless.  I am envious of those guys who think nothing of taking their shirts off when they're hot, or being able to swim with only trunks.  But it's something I've never been able to do.

So one thing you'll never see is me, shirtless, drinking a martini while watching fireworks.

POLT