🎧 I’m Just a Man • The Blues Medley
I once knew an old man… he was a total jerk… so mean and hateful and bitter. His words were like vomit.
The first time I was alone with him, I tried to reach out with a kind conversation. To break the silence, I said, “It sure is a beautiful day.”
Then, for about ten seconds… you could hear paint drying.
As he slowly turned and looked at me in utter disgust, he said, “You’re Captain F#ckin’ Obvious, aren’t ya?”
Honestly, I wasn’t offended. Instead, I let go of the biggest smile.
Over time, he and I became friends. We wore each other down… haha.
The more I was around him, the more he slowly got better. I did things for him like running errands, doing his shopping, and helping him with different things. And whenever he was a dick to me… which was often… I just fired off smile after smile like bullets at him.
As things got lighter, I began to witness another side of him. The walls started to come down. He opened up some. He would sometimes share words of wisdom with me.
Turns out he was well-read, had been to college, had earned degrees, and loved great literature and writing.
He once told me, “If you have a foot in yesterday and a foot in tomorrow, then you’re pissing all over today.”
He died alone… no wife… no family and very few friends… I’m determined to get better the older I get… not stay the same or get worse… the thought of ending like that scares the hell out of me.
And what are great words really? If not applicable.
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I have two great songs for you today… I’m Just a Man and The Blues Medley featuring John Lee Hooker and Ray Charles along with Hank. The three of them together on this Delta blues number is something special.
And I’m Just a Man is kind of the mood I’m in today… because some things make me feel sad. I feel like I could cry… but feeling you next to me? Ahh… that makes me feel alright.
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© 2026 Bryan Loia Hudson. All Rights Reserved.
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Heart of Loia `'.,°~ 
Well said. Each day an opportunity to get better.
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Thank you friend. and indeed it is. May we all remember daily.
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LOVE all of these. Love. That is a great story too. You stayed true to you no matter what the reaction was of the other gentleman! I’m a huge Ray Charles fan. His music always makes me happy.
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Thank you… yeah Ray is great. He’s easy to miss on this song because he plays electric piano and no real solo part and his singing is subtle background stuff… so you wouldn’t even know he’s there unless you were told lol
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Oh well I just listened to this one again and Ray is singing at the end where you can make him out clearly… I think I was getting this one confused with another lol
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What a powerful and deeply human story. I admire your willingness to meet bitterness with patience, kindness, and a smile instead of judgment. It’s a beautiful reminder that behind a hardened exterior there is often a story waiting to be heard. The old man’s words about living fully in today are both striking and unforgettable. Your reflection on growing kinder and wiser with age is something we can all learn from.
Thank you for sharing such an honest, moving, and thought-provoking post. It truly stayed with me. 🙏✨
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Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and share your heart. It means a lot to me that this story connected with you.
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*Daily Juice*
_Nobody knows your entire life’s story like you. They may have heard pieces of it, but no one will ever know you like the way you know yourself. Learn to stay calm._
_Don’t allow your anger become someone else’s victory. Your heart was not created to wither and be discouraged, promise yourself to always bloom no matter how faded life is in your eyes. Live in the present truth, do not not return your mind to the past, so that you do not become stuck to the past. There’s something that distinguises you from others. Find that thing that sets you apart from everyone else and build on it. Your strength is in your uniqueness!_
_Your freedom begins when you reach a point where you do not feel the need to impress or win the approval of anyone around you but God and yourself._
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A deeply moving reflection, Bryan. Sometimes the hardest hearts are not empty of goodness they are simply carrying burdens too heavy for words. Your quiet persistence, kindness, and refusal to answer bitterness with bitterness allowed another human being to be seen rather than judged. His words, “If you have a foot in yesterday and a foot in tomorrow, then you’re pissing all over today,” are as raw as they are profound. This is more than a story about an old man; it is a reminder that compassion can succeed where argument fails, and that the greatest legacy we leave is not what we achieved, but how we made another soul feel less alone. Beautifully written. 🙏
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Thank you Vijay… I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. As always. I appreciate your encouragement. It’s a beautifully written comment as well
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