I recently made a statement that would seem by the many reactions to be a signal of a problem. I am cutting way back on my Facebook time. The reactions were interesting and even touching. Some seemed to think there was something wrong or that there was some kind of personal problem that precipitated this decision. Let me first dispel that notion. There is nothing wrong….well that wasn’t wrong before the decision anyway.
First a few words about Facebook. On the surface this type of communication and conversation seems pretty harmless and fun and on the surface it is. But dig deeper and you see the problems. Facebook has become a major advertiser that constantly observes and gathers data about each user and aims ads in each user’s direction based on that data. Facebook has also become a real political machine of sorts but the problem is that much of what is purported simply isn’t factual or is so heavily spun towards a certain agenda that it is almost ridiculous to read and believe anything on face value. That being said, there are just too many people online that do just that and that is the end of their examination of facts. To me that is a dangerous recipe for our country in that the political power in this country will belong to the believers of Facebook.
Another aspect of Facebook is it seems to have transformed what friendships are and are not. In my past, a good friend was someone I could talk to anytime about anything and get support and guidance and they could count on me as well for that. Now the best friend you have has the fastest download and upload speeds. This just doesn’t seem healthy to me and it seems to push the notion forward that personal connection is now directly proportional to baud rate. Technology has jumped in leaps and bounds in the area of making the world a smaller place but I’m afraid it has not made the world a closer place and I believe it has actually widened personal disconnection.
Now, to be fair, Facebook is not all bad. I have connected, albeit electronically and in brief words, to many in my past and there is a sort of comfort in hearing from old friends and knowing that some things do not change. By that same token some of these people I follow never really knew me very well growing up and some had no interest in knowing me so it would seem odd that suddenly they want to be “friends”. Again I guess it boils down to what I conceive as a friend and a Facebook “friend” and how they really do differ.
Now this paragraph is not directed to any one individual or group but it just speaks to another interesting phenomena that has evolved from Facebook. Pictures. Pictures of every detail of our lives. Pictures of our homes, food, clothes, cars, babies, weather, etc., etc., etc. They even make an attachment for your phone now that is a kind of telescopic boom to attach your phone to in order to make more interesting “selfies”. Facebook has taken self-absorption to a new level. I remember when a picture was a really prized possession. Now we are so inundated with pictures of everything in our world that they have lost their special quality of being individually special. I know this kind of saturation of pictures and videos will not change and I also know many of you are rolling your eyes saying boy is this guy behind the times but it is something that I have observed over these past couple years.
So to conclude, I am OK. I still value each of my family and friends very highly. I am going through a sort of personal change and challenge that is causing me to rethink and refocus what I am doing with my time and thus determined Facebook was taking too much of it. I expect I will return once I get a few things worked out so until then, love, laugh and live your lives and treasure your true friends.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Good Vs Evil......
I’ve been thinking about this lately and since I can’t really put my finger on the answer I thought I would share the question. The question is as follows: What makes a good person good?
Now on the surface it would seem the answer is pretty obvious but it really is far from it. In fact, good, these days, seems to be a very subjective term. Not that many years ago there was a real distinction between good and evil. So let’s examine the issue and some of the things that I see as defining terms and yet not always.
Is a person that goes to church every Sunday a good person? I would submit that this alone will never define a person as good and in fact, I’ve known many people over my years that go to church that could never fall into that category. By the same token, I know many people who do not attend that I would classify as good. So while this part of a person can signify a strength in character and a belief in something bigger then themselves, it does not, in my mind, make you a good or a bad person by itself.
So how about a person with good intentions? I think good intentions are a good thing but not acted upon are not really meaningful. You know about the road to Hell being paved with good intentions right? So again, in my little mind, good intentions without execution are not a true way to measure a person.
Are Republicans good and Democrats evil or is it the other way around? Do politics make a person good or evil. I suppose you could surmise that many in politics are evil but I don’t believe that. I do know that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely but I will leave it at that because this little offering really is not about politics. It’s about traits of a person that make them good or otherwise. Politics falls outside of this discussion because either someone is truthful or they are not and that may be the best way to separate politicians.
Are poor people good? Are rich people good? I would answer both those questions with yes and no. In other words, your wealth or lack of wealth does not make you good or evil. There is a segment of the population that considers all wealthy people to be greedy and evil. I don’t subscribe to that theory. There is a segment that thinks poor people are inherently criminals and only looking out for themselves and I think that is also wrong. While a person’s circumstance in life can influence how they behave you cannot categorically claim that all in one group or another are good or evil. It’s all about actions.
This is not an issue that is so cut and dry. In my opinion a good person is a combination of traits that incorporate a giving spirit, a helping hand, and basically a person looking out for their fellow man. I think church is a great thing but you need to be involved in a way that is serving as well as receiving. If you only attend every service to gain forgiveness and enable you to return to your less than good ways it is meaningless. So when you look at the religious person, it still comes down to execution of morals and principles in this world.
Finally I think the best judge of a person is not when you are watching their behavior or following their actions but more when you are not. Integrity is just that. When no one is watching how do they behave and act? Why do they do what they do? Do they give to a charity or give of their time to attain some sort of status within their community? Do they want everyone in the world to know they gave to a charity? So you see, in my eyes, action without the right intentions can also be a troubling way to judge a person.
That’s all for now. This good and evil thing can be a very daunting task to actually recognize because probably the most giving, generous and loving people on this planet don’t do it for recognition….they do it because they are good.
Now on the surface it would seem the answer is pretty obvious but it really is far from it. In fact, good, these days, seems to be a very subjective term. Not that many years ago there was a real distinction between good and evil. So let’s examine the issue and some of the things that I see as defining terms and yet not always.
Is a person that goes to church every Sunday a good person? I would submit that this alone will never define a person as good and in fact, I’ve known many people over my years that go to church that could never fall into that category. By the same token, I know many people who do not attend that I would classify as good. So while this part of a person can signify a strength in character and a belief in something bigger then themselves, it does not, in my mind, make you a good or a bad person by itself.
So how about a person with good intentions? I think good intentions are a good thing but not acted upon are not really meaningful. You know about the road to Hell being paved with good intentions right? So again, in my little mind, good intentions without execution are not a true way to measure a person.
Are Republicans good and Democrats evil or is it the other way around? Do politics make a person good or evil. I suppose you could surmise that many in politics are evil but I don’t believe that. I do know that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely but I will leave it at that because this little offering really is not about politics. It’s about traits of a person that make them good or otherwise. Politics falls outside of this discussion because either someone is truthful or they are not and that may be the best way to separate politicians.
Are poor people good? Are rich people good? I would answer both those questions with yes and no. In other words, your wealth or lack of wealth does not make you good or evil. There is a segment of the population that considers all wealthy people to be greedy and evil. I don’t subscribe to that theory. There is a segment that thinks poor people are inherently criminals and only looking out for themselves and I think that is also wrong. While a person’s circumstance in life can influence how they behave you cannot categorically claim that all in one group or another are good or evil. It’s all about actions.
This is not an issue that is so cut and dry. In my opinion a good person is a combination of traits that incorporate a giving spirit, a helping hand, and basically a person looking out for their fellow man. I think church is a great thing but you need to be involved in a way that is serving as well as receiving. If you only attend every service to gain forgiveness and enable you to return to your less than good ways it is meaningless. So when you look at the religious person, it still comes down to execution of morals and principles in this world.
Finally I think the best judge of a person is not when you are watching their behavior or following their actions but more when you are not. Integrity is just that. When no one is watching how do they behave and act? Why do they do what they do? Do they give to a charity or give of their time to attain some sort of status within their community? Do they want everyone in the world to know they gave to a charity? So you see, in my eyes, action without the right intentions can also be a troubling way to judge a person.
That’s all for now. This good and evil thing can be a very daunting task to actually recognize because probably the most giving, generous and loving people on this planet don’t do it for recognition….they do it because they are good.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
My Christmas Blessings
My cousin, Jim, who is the real writer in the family posted a Christmas letter of sorts so I thought I may as well do the same. Also, I am home alone and have time on my hands which anyone who knows me spells trouble.
It is easy to get down in the weeds about how many things are wrong in this country and world and the way so many seem to have lost their humanity so I will try and not go the easy route. Instead I thought I would focus on the good things and the blessings in my life. Complaining seems like such a huge waste of energy, although I am guilty of it now and then, that I thought instead I would give thanks. So here’s my thank you list in no particular order:
1) Thankful for relatively good health in spite of myself.
2) Thankful for my wife and best friend for being by my side through thick and thin.
3) Thankful for my daughter who I grow ever prouder of through the years.
4) Thankful for my Step-Son who although faced with many difficult challenges continues to face them head on.
5) Thankful for my Sons, Jason and Josh, for being the great men they are.
6) Thankful for all of my Grandchildren and hopeful to see them all as much as possible in the future. 7) Thankful for my wife’s sister Stephanie and her husband Jeff for an even more fun and interesting future at the Myrtle and for being the kind and crazy spirits they are.
8) Thankful for all of my extended family (and you know who you are) because when you strip all of the nonsense away from this crazy world your family is what matters.
9) Thankful for a roof over my head and food on my plate which is more fortunate than many.
10) Thankful to my Church and the family that comes along with it. (and you know who you are)
11) Thankful for my Priest and friend Fr. James for always being there for me no matter how I’ve screwed up.
12) Thankful that I have the ability and resources to write and distribute this letter to so many…something not that long ago would have been a monumental task.
13) Thankful that my Linda, when diagnosed with cancer a little over 7 years ago said ya…..right…bring it on! She is an amazing spirit and inspiration to me every day.
14) Thankful for this beautiful country that provides us with such magnificent splendor that many take for granted, be it the beaches mountains and everything in between.
15) Thankful for all that have left this world but taught me so much about life, love, challenges and how to laugh at them all as well as myself.
16) And finally……thankful to an all loving God who made 1-15 possible.
There are many more things to be thankful for but these came to my mind and with my mind I am much better off getting them out while they are there. I am also thankful to you who read this because you obviously care in some way about knowing me better.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah as well as a prosperous and fulfilling future!
It is easy to get down in the weeds about how many things are wrong in this country and world and the way so many seem to have lost their humanity so I will try and not go the easy route. Instead I thought I would focus on the good things and the blessings in my life. Complaining seems like such a huge waste of energy, although I am guilty of it now and then, that I thought instead I would give thanks. So here’s my thank you list in no particular order:
1) Thankful for relatively good health in spite of myself.
2) Thankful for my wife and best friend for being by my side through thick and thin.
3) Thankful for my daughter who I grow ever prouder of through the years.
4) Thankful for my Step-Son who although faced with many difficult challenges continues to face them head on.
5) Thankful for my Sons, Jason and Josh, for being the great men they are.
6) Thankful for all of my Grandchildren and hopeful to see them all as much as possible in the future. 7) Thankful for my wife’s sister Stephanie and her husband Jeff for an even more fun and interesting future at the Myrtle and for being the kind and crazy spirits they are.
8) Thankful for all of my extended family (and you know who you are) because when you strip all of the nonsense away from this crazy world your family is what matters.
9) Thankful for a roof over my head and food on my plate which is more fortunate than many.
10) Thankful to my Church and the family that comes along with it. (and you know who you are)
11) Thankful for my Priest and friend Fr. James for always being there for me no matter how I’ve screwed up.
12) Thankful that I have the ability and resources to write and distribute this letter to so many…something not that long ago would have been a monumental task.
13) Thankful that my Linda, when diagnosed with cancer a little over 7 years ago said ya…..right…bring it on! She is an amazing spirit and inspiration to me every day.
14) Thankful for this beautiful country that provides us with such magnificent splendor that many take for granted, be it the beaches mountains and everything in between.
15) Thankful for all that have left this world but taught me so much about life, love, challenges and how to laugh at them all as well as myself.
16) And finally……thankful to an all loving God who made 1-15 possible.
There are many more things to be thankful for but these came to my mind and with my mind I am much better off getting them out while they are there. I am also thankful to you who read this because you obviously care in some way about knowing me better.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah as well as a prosperous and fulfilling future!
Monday, December 8, 2014
Mindless Ramblings
So it’s been a while since I’ve written much of anything. Dealing with family and personal issues that have pretty much consumed my time. A lot has happened in this crazy world since I last wrote. I’ve tried to stay below the radar because some of my views might not be completely popular so better sometimes to keep things bottled in this head of mine. It’s a change I’ve tried to make. If I am asked my opinion I gladly will share but otherwise I am trying to remain somewhat un-political.
One trend I am seeing is this tendency to belittle or make fun of certain Walmart shoppers. While they seem to bring it upon themselves in many cases, for a reason I am uncertain of, it is making me increasingly uncomfortable. It is almost a kind of sport for some and that’s fine but I have a hard time with it lately so I steer clear, as much as possible, in engaging in the behavior. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging anyone who finds it entertaining, I just choose not to get involved.
Another thing I am realizing over these past few years is just how families are changing. Large families that stay connected seem to be an endangered species. I think it’s a result of how spread out our society has become. I also think that with the dawn of social media we lean much more heavily on electronic communication and much less on face to face visits. That’s sad, in my opinion. One of my real joys of childhood was to go to my Grandmother’s house on Sundays, sometimes for dinner, sometimes to just visit and sometimes to steal a few carrots from my Grandfather’s garden. It was a simple joy and it was certainly just taken for granted. I remember how excited I would be when my cousins were visiting. Family was just more connected and closer. I look back now and realize just how good we really had it. Not in terms of money but certainly in terms of family interaction. Texting just doesn’t get it for me and I am a hideous conversationalist on the phone. Will this family dynamic ever change? I can’t see it but I do know I miss it.
I am in a melancholy mood tonight. I have been thinking about all of the people in my life that have left this world for the next and as I start to count them up it becomes a sad event. Friends through church, a wife, all of my parents, grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins…..if I look at the losses one by one it’s much easier than looking at the total but anyway I look, it is not easy. I guess what is becoming more real to me each year is my mortality. Living a good long life has its positives but also one drawback is you see a lot of loved ones leave before you. There is no fix for this, it just is and for some reason this evening it has pushed to the forefront in my mind.
I really try to focus on the blessings I have and how very fortunate I am to have what I do have because there are many not so fortunate but some nights those other thoughts creep in and when they do I must ponder them. I am blessed. I have relatively good health, a roof over my head and a soul mate that completes my dreams with me. Why is there a side of human nature that exists which makes us want more and want to do better? My guess is if there wasn’t that facet to humanity we might have gone extinct many years ago. The problem is it can be taken too far. I don’t begrudge anyone who works their tail off to reap the rewards of that effort. What bothers me though is there are many in that situation that not only take it for granted but do nothing to help the less fortunate and that is really in my eyes a crime against humanity. Yes we want to do well for ourselves and yes we always want to try and do better but somehow we must never forget what got us there and perhaps who helped us to get there.
I really am aimlessly rambling with an occasional lucid thought so if you take anything away from this, it is that everyone, I think anyhow, has some of these thoughts. We may not be able to fix many of the things I’ve mentioned but sometimes just verbalizing them helps us to make sense of this crazy world.
One trend I am seeing is this tendency to belittle or make fun of certain Walmart shoppers. While they seem to bring it upon themselves in many cases, for a reason I am uncertain of, it is making me increasingly uncomfortable. It is almost a kind of sport for some and that’s fine but I have a hard time with it lately so I steer clear, as much as possible, in engaging in the behavior. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging anyone who finds it entertaining, I just choose not to get involved.
Another thing I am realizing over these past few years is just how families are changing. Large families that stay connected seem to be an endangered species. I think it’s a result of how spread out our society has become. I also think that with the dawn of social media we lean much more heavily on electronic communication and much less on face to face visits. That’s sad, in my opinion. One of my real joys of childhood was to go to my Grandmother’s house on Sundays, sometimes for dinner, sometimes to just visit and sometimes to steal a few carrots from my Grandfather’s garden. It was a simple joy and it was certainly just taken for granted. I remember how excited I would be when my cousins were visiting. Family was just more connected and closer. I look back now and realize just how good we really had it. Not in terms of money but certainly in terms of family interaction. Texting just doesn’t get it for me and I am a hideous conversationalist on the phone. Will this family dynamic ever change? I can’t see it but I do know I miss it.
I am in a melancholy mood tonight. I have been thinking about all of the people in my life that have left this world for the next and as I start to count them up it becomes a sad event. Friends through church, a wife, all of my parents, grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins…..if I look at the losses one by one it’s much easier than looking at the total but anyway I look, it is not easy. I guess what is becoming more real to me each year is my mortality. Living a good long life has its positives but also one drawback is you see a lot of loved ones leave before you. There is no fix for this, it just is and for some reason this evening it has pushed to the forefront in my mind.
I really try to focus on the blessings I have and how very fortunate I am to have what I do have because there are many not so fortunate but some nights those other thoughts creep in and when they do I must ponder them. I am blessed. I have relatively good health, a roof over my head and a soul mate that completes my dreams with me. Why is there a side of human nature that exists which makes us want more and want to do better? My guess is if there wasn’t that facet to humanity we might have gone extinct many years ago. The problem is it can be taken too far. I don’t begrudge anyone who works their tail off to reap the rewards of that effort. What bothers me though is there are many in that situation that not only take it for granted but do nothing to help the less fortunate and that is really in my eyes a crime against humanity. Yes we want to do well for ourselves and yes we always want to try and do better but somehow we must never forget what got us there and perhaps who helped us to get there.
I really am aimlessly rambling with an occasional lucid thought so if you take anything away from this, it is that everyone, I think anyhow, has some of these thoughts. We may not be able to fix many of the things I’ve mentioned but sometimes just verbalizing them helps us to make sense of this crazy world.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Politics and Humanity
Has politics outrun humanity? There was a time in a not too distant galaxy where the two actually worked together. Where you couldn’t really have one without considering the other. Is this a thing of the past? I hope not but with the trend of recent events it would seem so.
How do we take a beheading and almost forget the human tragedy side and only look at it through a political prism? Perhaps it’s only our less than esteemed politicians doing this because everyone I talk to is sickened by it and wants our government to do something and that is Liberals, Conservatives, Libertarians, Democrats and Republicans. So at the basic human level I think most want some sort of a response other than we are launching a “criminal investigation”. Come on! Is NYPD going to just fly over to Iraq or Syria and handcuff the bad guys and read them their rights? Don’t forget the “freeze police!” command. That ought to do it.
I think we are at a real crossroads in our country. We’ve all seen the Religious aspect of our nation trending downward. With this it would seem our humanity is slowly dying. We are fast becoming more concerned about making sure that our rights are not infringed or we are not offended or offending anyone else to the point that no one shows concern for much of anything else. I’m not saying rights are not important and, in fact, our basic rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are more important than ever. The PURSUIT of happiness. No one, unfortunately has the right to happiness. Happiness is a distinct result of actions taken. The problem as I see it is everyone thinks we have a right to anything we claim we have a right to and therefore we have a right to be wealthy on the back of someone who has attained wealth. A right. How about we have a right to be able to pursue the same things in life to achieve that result?
Back to the original topic. Do we have a right to life? I’m not talking about the polarizing and emotion filled topic of abortion. I am asking the simple question…do we have a right to life? Many are probably saying yes and to those I then ask do we have a right to death? Do we have a RIGHT to death? Death is an outcome of events that we sometimes cause and sometimes do not cause. Life is the same but we don’t think of the two as the same. I would submit that life is a miracle. I know the science behind it but life is still a miracle. The merging of the egg and the sperm in just the right way can cause life. It is not a right….it is a miracle. So the Declaration of Independence says we have an unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Hard to argue with that document but if we looked at it in its simplest terms abortion is infringing on the fetus’ right to life. I said I wasn’t going down that path and I will stop it there.
I guess that with all of the turmoil in the world right now and the uncertainty of just where it is leading makes me think about how I am so blessed to be able to enjoy my life and my pursuit of at least those three things previously mentioned. I look at things in that way and then I watch our government. They are more concerned about the power levied on them in the political arena and therefore they base all of their decisions always looking at how it will either increase or decrease their power over the people. Politics has become all about power and influence. The human element has been lost. Just some of my thoughts this morning. My opinions and although I still have a right to express them….you have a right to ignore, disagree or agree and move on about your business. I just hope that some day in the not too distant future our politicians become humans again and look not only at how their behaviors are affecting other humans but I hope they take a good long look in the mirror and realize politics and humanity should always be together.
How do we take a beheading and almost forget the human tragedy side and only look at it through a political prism? Perhaps it’s only our less than esteemed politicians doing this because everyone I talk to is sickened by it and wants our government to do something and that is Liberals, Conservatives, Libertarians, Democrats and Republicans. So at the basic human level I think most want some sort of a response other than we are launching a “criminal investigation”. Come on! Is NYPD going to just fly over to Iraq or Syria and handcuff the bad guys and read them their rights? Don’t forget the “freeze police!” command. That ought to do it.
I think we are at a real crossroads in our country. We’ve all seen the Religious aspect of our nation trending downward. With this it would seem our humanity is slowly dying. We are fast becoming more concerned about making sure that our rights are not infringed or we are not offended or offending anyone else to the point that no one shows concern for much of anything else. I’m not saying rights are not important and, in fact, our basic rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are more important than ever. The PURSUIT of happiness. No one, unfortunately has the right to happiness. Happiness is a distinct result of actions taken. The problem as I see it is everyone thinks we have a right to anything we claim we have a right to and therefore we have a right to be wealthy on the back of someone who has attained wealth. A right. How about we have a right to be able to pursue the same things in life to achieve that result?
Back to the original topic. Do we have a right to life? I’m not talking about the polarizing and emotion filled topic of abortion. I am asking the simple question…do we have a right to life? Many are probably saying yes and to those I then ask do we have a right to death? Do we have a RIGHT to death? Death is an outcome of events that we sometimes cause and sometimes do not cause. Life is the same but we don’t think of the two as the same. I would submit that life is a miracle. I know the science behind it but life is still a miracle. The merging of the egg and the sperm in just the right way can cause life. It is not a right….it is a miracle. So the Declaration of Independence says we have an unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Hard to argue with that document but if we looked at it in its simplest terms abortion is infringing on the fetus’ right to life. I said I wasn’t going down that path and I will stop it there.
I guess that with all of the turmoil in the world right now and the uncertainty of just where it is leading makes me think about how I am so blessed to be able to enjoy my life and my pursuit of at least those three things previously mentioned. I look at things in that way and then I watch our government. They are more concerned about the power levied on them in the political arena and therefore they base all of their decisions always looking at how it will either increase or decrease their power over the people. Politics has become all about power and influence. The human element has been lost. Just some of my thoughts this morning. My opinions and although I still have a right to express them….you have a right to ignore, disagree or agree and move on about your business. I just hope that some day in the not too distant future our politicians become humans again and look not only at how their behaviors are affecting other humans but I hope they take a good long look in the mirror and realize politics and humanity should always be together.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Honesty...Am I Out of Style?
Remember when a man’s word was his bond? Remember when a verbal contract was as binding a contract as you needed? Have those days passed us by. I’m not sure how it got to where it is in all areas of society but now even written contracts are not worth the paper they are printed on.
I am still a bit backwards and still have faith that when someone tells me they are going to do something I trust that they will. When I am told it will be done today I believe it even when everyone around me tells me I should have it in writing. Perhaps I should wake up and become cynical but it seems to go against everything in my being. I still trust people.
Webster tells me the definition of trust is as follows:
belief that someone or something is reliable, good, honest, effective, etc.
There’s that evil word surfacing again: honest. So why do I take people to be honest at their most basic level? Maybe it’s because I try to be honest and up front with people and expect no less from others. Am I naive? Perhaps, but I just can’t envision living in a world where people distrust everyone. I guess I wouldn’t make a very good lawyer and especially not a good politician. I can live with that.
You may ask why I am on this topic. Well, lately we had some work done at our house. The contract I signed was pretty basic and I accepted it on good faith. The company we dealt with seemed honest enough and the fella we sat down and talked with seemed on the up and up. Now to be fair, they got the work done, albeit a week or so late (weather caused the delay) but it’s these little details like the warranty and follow up that seem difficult to get done even after getting “promises” to stop by and wrap things up. The money’s gone but we are still waiting for the final wrap up. So once again I am told one thing several times and it ends up being quite different.
It all seems to come back to being honest. In my profession it is expected that I will be honest with my customers even when honest is a difficult discussion. The great thing about being honest though is you don’t need a good memory. (And I don’t have one) So I will continue to try and be honest with people even when it is the hard path. People can call me naive and a pawn but I know that I will always feel better about myself if I take the path that holds the truth. If everyone had this philosophy imagine how much we could get done and how much better life would be……
I am still a bit backwards and still have faith that when someone tells me they are going to do something I trust that they will. When I am told it will be done today I believe it even when everyone around me tells me I should have it in writing. Perhaps I should wake up and become cynical but it seems to go against everything in my being. I still trust people.
Webster tells me the definition of trust is as follows:
belief that someone or something is reliable, good, honest, effective, etc.
There’s that evil word surfacing again: honest. So why do I take people to be honest at their most basic level? Maybe it’s because I try to be honest and up front with people and expect no less from others. Am I naive? Perhaps, but I just can’t envision living in a world where people distrust everyone. I guess I wouldn’t make a very good lawyer and especially not a good politician. I can live with that.
You may ask why I am on this topic. Well, lately we had some work done at our house. The contract I signed was pretty basic and I accepted it on good faith. The company we dealt with seemed honest enough and the fella we sat down and talked with seemed on the up and up. Now to be fair, they got the work done, albeit a week or so late (weather caused the delay) but it’s these little details like the warranty and follow up that seem difficult to get done even after getting “promises” to stop by and wrap things up. The money’s gone but we are still waiting for the final wrap up. So once again I am told one thing several times and it ends up being quite different.
It all seems to come back to being honest. In my profession it is expected that I will be honest with my customers even when honest is a difficult discussion. The great thing about being honest though is you don’t need a good memory. (And I don’t have one) So I will continue to try and be honest with people even when it is the hard path. People can call me naive and a pawn but I know that I will always feel better about myself if I take the path that holds the truth. If everyone had this philosophy imagine how much we could get done and how much better life would be……
Monday, August 4, 2014
A Political Rant of Sorts....(But Not All Politics)
Once in a while I just have to express some opinions about political issues. I try to avoid them too often because I know there are so many people that just don’t care about anything but their own little world but occasionally I must purge the pressure that builds up inside me of a political nature. By the way, this will not be a Republican vs Democrat debate. You’ve been warned so you can close this before you listen to my opinions.
What has happened to this country of ours? How did we become a nation of takers? For so many years, in my mind, what made our country special was when we saw a task in front of us; we rolled up our sleeves and worked at solving the problem. We didn’t just look at how an issue affected us but how it affected the whole country. The American spirit has slowly transformed into an entitlist mentality. How did this happen? I think that as a whole we have become a large experiment of Pavlov. Many American’s see politicians and they begin to salivate about entitlements even before a single word comes out of those politician’s mouths. In fact, forget about anything remotely important about any problems in this country as long as you keep sending those checks. It is both sad and embarrassing that we have come to this.
You can also look around at how totally dependent we have become on the speed of technology that has made us look at everything with the same expectation of speed. Our highways are now fraught with danger. Not just speeders but people so self-involved that the safety and consideration of others is a thing of the past. People did actually one time think about the other people around them and sometimes even before themselves. Even look at charitable giving. It used to be all about helping the charities. Now it is about making sure everyone is aware of the giving of the particular individual as to show a perception of how great a person is measured. In other words many people now give so that they can proclaim it loudly and feel even more self-important. The people that impress me most are the ones who just give, don’t advertise it, and go about their business. Charity should never be about “keeping up with the Jones”.
Many people have restated the phrase “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it” but it seems to be a more accurate statement with each passing year. We are a culture of cycles. It seems that each facet of our society, be it religious, political or economic, rides a kind of pendulum. It swings one way and religion becomes extremely important…..it swings the other way to where religion is of little importance and this pertains to those other areas I mention. It never seems to be a level and consistent motion but one of constant change. What drives the changes can go back to our very nature of never seemingly being satisfied with anything in our lives. We have definitely lost the stop and smell the roses kind of people we were when I was a child. Few people actually do smell the roses anymore and that is very sad.
Finally, I thought I would once again talk about our Federal government. Our government is corrupt right up to the very top and it is driven by power, greed and money. Our Congress is now almost solely devoted and motivated by the next election. These politicians used to actually care about what goes on in the country. Now their decisions are made by how their constituents will vote. Our moral compass is no longer in play and the rights of the individual are now trumped by how the collective will vote and unfortunately the majority of the collective now vote by sound bites and media misinformation. What’s in it for me is now the driving force.
I guess I am in a melancholy mood this morning. I try to stay positive but in the face of what I see as a world of selfish takers it becomes more and more difficult. There is one thing I can remain positive about and that is I can control how I act and by what motivates me and by doing what I think is right and I can lay my head on the pillow at night knowing that I am doing my very best. If everyone can do this….I guess we will be OK in the end. Your thoughts?
What has happened to this country of ours? How did we become a nation of takers? For so many years, in my mind, what made our country special was when we saw a task in front of us; we rolled up our sleeves and worked at solving the problem. We didn’t just look at how an issue affected us but how it affected the whole country. The American spirit has slowly transformed into an entitlist mentality. How did this happen? I think that as a whole we have become a large experiment of Pavlov. Many American’s see politicians and they begin to salivate about entitlements even before a single word comes out of those politician’s mouths. In fact, forget about anything remotely important about any problems in this country as long as you keep sending those checks. It is both sad and embarrassing that we have come to this.
You can also look around at how totally dependent we have become on the speed of technology that has made us look at everything with the same expectation of speed. Our highways are now fraught with danger. Not just speeders but people so self-involved that the safety and consideration of others is a thing of the past. People did actually one time think about the other people around them and sometimes even before themselves. Even look at charitable giving. It used to be all about helping the charities. Now it is about making sure everyone is aware of the giving of the particular individual as to show a perception of how great a person is measured. In other words many people now give so that they can proclaim it loudly and feel even more self-important. The people that impress me most are the ones who just give, don’t advertise it, and go about their business. Charity should never be about “keeping up with the Jones”.
Many people have restated the phrase “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it” but it seems to be a more accurate statement with each passing year. We are a culture of cycles. It seems that each facet of our society, be it religious, political or economic, rides a kind of pendulum. It swings one way and religion becomes extremely important…..it swings the other way to where religion is of little importance and this pertains to those other areas I mention. It never seems to be a level and consistent motion but one of constant change. What drives the changes can go back to our very nature of never seemingly being satisfied with anything in our lives. We have definitely lost the stop and smell the roses kind of people we were when I was a child. Few people actually do smell the roses anymore and that is very sad.
Finally, I thought I would once again talk about our Federal government. Our government is corrupt right up to the very top and it is driven by power, greed and money. Our Congress is now almost solely devoted and motivated by the next election. These politicians used to actually care about what goes on in the country. Now their decisions are made by how their constituents will vote. Our moral compass is no longer in play and the rights of the individual are now trumped by how the collective will vote and unfortunately the majority of the collective now vote by sound bites and media misinformation. What’s in it for me is now the driving force.
I guess I am in a melancholy mood this morning. I try to stay positive but in the face of what I see as a world of selfish takers it becomes more and more difficult. There is one thing I can remain positive about and that is I can control how I act and by what motivates me and by doing what I think is right and I can lay my head on the pillow at night knowing that I am doing my very best. If everyone can do this….I guess we will be OK in the end. Your thoughts?
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