Term limits, retirement, and other thoughts…

I have a complicated relationship with term limits. On the one hand, I feel that responsible voters should be left in charge to “throw the bums out.” On the other hand, they almost never do. The Constitution is of little help in solving my dilemma. It only limits presidential terms. Arizona has seen the light and term-limits its legislators. Even so, our state reps can serve longer than they should. I know this much, seeing Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi plastered daily on my TV screen after all these years is “cruel and unusual punishment.”

I just completed my taxes and it served to remind me of something my father used to say. “All Americans are Republicans at tax time.”

Speaking of Republicans, I wish the GOP would return to being the party of Reagan instead of continuing this curious infatuation with Trump.

I retired a year ago from Arizona Western College, but I still work part-time as a substitute teacher at the local high school district. Retirement has altered some of my long-held habits. I still get up before the rooster, but I’m not so careful about ironing my shirts and pants. I admit to occasionally wearing sneakers with dress slacks. It’s no big deal if my socks don’t match. I have become like my parents, as the guy in the Progressive commercial warns about. I read the ads now as well as the articles, and I underline and highlight stuff. I get excited about running errands. I step on the cat more often. Just the fact I own cats indicates some form of surrender from the “real” world. Next thing you know I’ll adopt a shih tzu. One thing I haven’t done in retirement is wear shorts to church. I don’t need to give parishioners another motive to sleep in on Sunday mornings.

MEL PARKER

Yuma