BennyEast.Com/Blog The official blog of Kenny West

PHLO!

Phlo.  What is Phlo?  Maybe it's already a thing... Maybe not.  I could probably Google it.  But, if it is already a thing, I wouldn't have anything to blog post about on this fine evening.  Sure, I could post another blog of the many blogs I've posted in years previous about this fair young lady that once held my heart captive with her beauty and brains and humorous antics and talented photography skills... But... I won't.

Because she no longer holds my heart captive, except for the rare occasion that I hear a song that reminds me of her.  Like on Friday when I was siting in Bahama Breeze with my friend Melody enjoying a bomb-dig-gi-ty adult beverage before going to see The Boss and suddenly "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train comes on.  And then my first thought is...

Oh, hey, I remember when this one girl, way back when, was in the midst of letting me down easy after our two week stint of attempting to date (AKA breaking my heart because I wanted her like crazy and she was so so about me and she had to let me go go) and this song came on... WAY back in 2010...

There was a brief moment where my heart tugged.  And I wished I could have gone back to that moment and figured out the right thing to say or do, or whatever... Or physically morph my body so that she would be like "HEY-OOOO!  Who's this cutie suddenly before me?  Hubba hubba!"

And then I'll say something like, "Okay, calm down... You're just a little drunk at the moment.  I'll return to my normal looking self in a couple hours after your beer goggles wear off."

And then my next thought was, man Bahama Breeze REALLY needs to update their playlist with some newer musics.

And then I thought... Damn these onion rings are bangin' and this drink is DEEEEEElicious.

Of course the song ended and... So did the memory.

Anyways, so what is Phlo?  It stands for politely help and love others.

I was just updating my Twitter with some more of this story I've been story tweeting for the better part of 6-8 months when suddenly Flo from Progressive turned into Phlo.  Which was going to be a character but I then turned that into an acronym PHLO.  Politely Help and Love Others.

When you don't know... Just PHLO.  I feel like.... It should be a thing.  Or at least a thing I want to start doing.  I was thinking about today, how bad things happen to all of us.  And they always will.  They always have and they always will.  The future will be filled with crazy crap to deal with.

I mean, like at the very end of my work day a lady came to me asking for help with scanning things in and word for her thesis.  Most of the younger generations don't even give it a second thought.  I don't even give it a second thought.  This student however, was of a generation that didn't grow up with scanners and Microsoft word.  So, I politely helped her.  Even though yes, I was just ready to go home after a long day.

After about 15 minutes beyond my usual quitting time, she was finally comfortable enough with how to scan and merge the scans into word for her to add to her thesis-y paper thing.  Here's the thing...

That worn out feeling is only temporary.  It's transient.  Just like feeling any other feeling.  Just like any situation.  It's all temporary.  So... Eventually you'll feel something else and you'll be somewhere else.

Like I sit here eating some left over pizza from last night and relaxing and blogging.  Just politely help and love others and afterwards... and take that "blah" feeling and put it aside.  Because I can guarantee that at some point down the road when you're in peril.  You'll wish for someone to politely help and love  you.

Phlo.

So just like in the dragon Twitter story when the dragons are about to have trouble coming their way... They call on a little of that PHLO.  Polite help and love from others.

Sometimes it's hard to do in the moment because maybe you're just worn out, or even stressed, or annoyed.  But the people asking you for help... Probably aren't doing it to annoy you, or wear you out even more as a joke.  They are doing it because they know you know how to do what they don't know how to do.

They want help.  They want your expertise.  If anything you should be flattered!  Again, it's harder in practice than in theory.

Just remember Phlo the next time you are in a station where you just don't really want to help the person asking you for help.  Just Phlo it up!

And after it's over and you think back on it... over and over and over and over... and over again...

If you politely helped and loved those others... that memory will echo back exponentially and grow...

If you didn't?  That memory will also echo back and grow louder and louder.  And each time you revisit that memory...

You'll feel one of two things... Good.  Or not so good.  I for one do regret each time I didn't Phlo because in that moment I just wanted a nap, or I said to myself I really don't give a crap.  And now when I look back...

I wish I had not thought that.  I wish I had politely helped and loved others more.

Yes, I know, I'm sure next week I'll just be like... Bah!  Screw being polite and helping people and love!  But in this moment as I chow on some pizza (probably because I have pizza)... I'm feeling the love and politeness.

Yo, just PHLO, you know?

On that note... Train, if you will... Sing us out please.