Not a loose cannon

A friend with whom I long ago worked at the Mighty Mezz — he was an editor — disputes people at my YMCA calling me a “loose cannon.”
“Always a gentleman. A person who knew when to shut up — ‘cease-fire’,” he said.
“Loose cannon” was terminology those YMCA people used. “Crackpot” might be more precise, but I quoted the word they used.
A few weeks ago that YMCA’s head-honcho “chatted” with me. I reminded her I had a stroke; she knew that.
“You recovered very well,” she said.
“Ornery as Hell!” I shouted.
“Heck!” she corrected. Little children were nearby doing swimming-pool introduction. Her fear was those tykes might pick up my language.
So “that Hughes guy might say anything.”
WOOPS! She had a point. I felt badly. I do it all-the-time. Always inserting foot in mouth — somewhat a stroke effect. Also not realizing how loud I am.
“Crackpot” is more like it. I’m always regaling people at that YMCA with putrid jokes. I love to make people laugh. An uncle was like that.
If people wanna talk, let ‘em talk. Then hit ‘em with a snide remark or comment. That gets ‘em laughing.
My dog walked me yesterday morning at nearby Boughton Park. It was extremely icy — I couldna done it without my Yaktrax.
A “Student-Driver” car pulled in as I returned to my car. The high-schoolers inside wanted to pet my dog.
“Any way to safely get down to the point?” their teacher asked. “I don’t have ice-cleats.” He was the adult authority figure.
“I don’t think there’s an easy way to get down there,” I said.
That made him angry, so it seemed. That I had the awful temerity, unmitigated gall, and horrific audacity to not give him the answer he wanted.
The high-schoolers, on the other hand, were thrilled. “What a pretty dog.”
One was an extremely cute young girl.
I gave ‘em an out. “This way Big Meat-head.” I saw I was in deepest do-do with that adult.
Ever the gentleman, I guess. A “loose cannon” might have challenged that adult.

• The “Mighty Mezz” is the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper, from where I retired over 13 years ago. Best job I ever had —I was employed there almost 10 years — over 11 if you count my time as a post-stroke unpaid intern.
• I had a stroke October 26th, 1993 from an undiagnosed heart-defect since repaired. I pretty much recovered. Just tiny detriments; I can pass for never having had a stroke.
• I do aquatic balance training in the Canandaigua YMCA’s swimming-pool, two hours per week — plus a third hour on my own.
• RE: “Big Meat-head.....” —Every dog we (I) ever owned I’ve nicknamed “Meat-head.” With me my dog knows of himself as “Meat-head.” (A previous dog, who was rather small, I called “Little Meat-head.”) —“Meat-head” because like a pot-head likes marijuana, my dog likes meat.