Is anyone out there beginning to experience Facebook fatigue? I can speak for myself and say yes. First it seems the heavy users of Facebook gauge their popularity in how many friends they have or how many likes they get and if we all stood back to think about this fact is it not troubling?
It would seem that we are all staying inside on the couch a lot more and this behavior is translating to our kids. I am as guilty as many about not being able to just put my phone down and forget about it. We are all completely tied to technology at such an unhealthy level now. I grew up until my 20’s without a cell phone or computer so what has changed? Why is immediate connectivity so important now?
Well I’ve made a decision. My wife, my family and my life are too important to waste away on Facebook. I am going to make a change. I won’t entirely step away from Facebook but I will be on it much less. It’s time to focus on what’s important to me and that is not on my computer screen! The people that are most important to me, and I them, know how to communicate with me. I really think that my life will be much simpler and I will enjoy my lovely wife more. I will concentrate on what is around me and the people around me.
This announcement will not shake anyone’s world but my own but I wanted people to know I’m not just disappearing. I am trying to make a healthy change. I will look in now and again but as I said it will not be every day and it will not be on the hour. To all of you who feel compelled to live your life on Facebook I wish you the best but don’t forget about the people around you that you may actually be ignoring even if they don’t say so. Life is short…..don’t waste it away online.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Irrelevant?
It’s been a while since I wrote anything. Not sure why….but I’m back.
One thing I’ve been pondering lately is something I do think about from time to time but it seems more relevant as time goes by. In fact the term relevant could be applied to this as well. The question is this; has time passed me by? Am I a prude? Have I become an old curmudgeon that just hasn’t kept up with the times?
Ok, that’s several questions but they all pertain to the same thing. I see the use of disrespectful language, disrespectful behavior and everything in-between and I am starting to think the new norm is something I’ve not adapted to as I grow older. I see just one foul word on a post in Facebook and I shake my head. I wonder what has happened that language has become so unbridled. Then I think is it me? Am I so out of touch, so old fashioned that I cannot loosen up and not react to these things?
So I guess I am wondering if the bar has changed and I just haven’t changed with it. Am I becoming irrelevant to this new age of behavior? I’m not certain anymore. It’s not like I have no sense of humor or don’t enjoy having fun. It’s not that I am perfect and haven’t slipped up in the past. I am far from perfect. I have my own warts as does everyone.
I think what it comes down to being is I don’t react to change always positively. I don’t react well to decaying moral and social values that I see now as what many seem to think is the norm. I will likely go to my grave with these same feelings. I think life and people should be respected. (ALL life) I think the slow elimination of our children being able to communicate face to face will be the ruination of our society. I think the internet, with all its amazing advances and benefits have taken away the respect of our children for nature and for life. It has somehow cheapened what previous generations have seen as valuable.
I guess when I boil it all down I see no going back. We are obviously completely dependent on technology now right down to our youngest children. The simpler things in life I can appreciate will likely be considered old fashioned and now irrelevant. The fact is I will not change. Call me old fashioned or out of touch but it will not deter me from still enjoying a warm breeze or a fresh flower or chirping birds. Because when we all leave this planet, there will still be warm breezes, fresh flowers and chirping birds and they will all still be much more important than your IPad.
One thing I’ve been pondering lately is something I do think about from time to time but it seems more relevant as time goes by. In fact the term relevant could be applied to this as well. The question is this; has time passed me by? Am I a prude? Have I become an old curmudgeon that just hasn’t kept up with the times?
Ok, that’s several questions but they all pertain to the same thing. I see the use of disrespectful language, disrespectful behavior and everything in-between and I am starting to think the new norm is something I’ve not adapted to as I grow older. I see just one foul word on a post in Facebook and I shake my head. I wonder what has happened that language has become so unbridled. Then I think is it me? Am I so out of touch, so old fashioned that I cannot loosen up and not react to these things?
So I guess I am wondering if the bar has changed and I just haven’t changed with it. Am I becoming irrelevant to this new age of behavior? I’m not certain anymore. It’s not like I have no sense of humor or don’t enjoy having fun. It’s not that I am perfect and haven’t slipped up in the past. I am far from perfect. I have my own warts as does everyone.
I think what it comes down to being is I don’t react to change always positively. I don’t react well to decaying moral and social values that I see now as what many seem to think is the norm. I will likely go to my grave with these same feelings. I think life and people should be respected. (ALL life) I think the slow elimination of our children being able to communicate face to face will be the ruination of our society. I think the internet, with all its amazing advances and benefits have taken away the respect of our children for nature and for life. It has somehow cheapened what previous generations have seen as valuable.
I guess when I boil it all down I see no going back. We are obviously completely dependent on technology now right down to our youngest children. The simpler things in life I can appreciate will likely be considered old fashioned and now irrelevant. The fact is I will not change. Call me old fashioned or out of touch but it will not deter me from still enjoying a warm breeze or a fresh flower or chirping birds. Because when we all leave this planet, there will still be warm breezes, fresh flowers and chirping birds and they will all still be much more important than your IPad.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The Microsoft Store (Lesson Learned)
So I thought I would write a short post about how a certain corporation’s store got the best of me. Here is what transpired:
Back on July 5th, 2015 I ordered a Dell Inspiron Laptop from The Microsoft Store. I bought it from this site because they offered a deal that was below what Dell was selling the same computer. This was a computer for my wife in her retirement that would give her plenty of hard drive space, more than enough memory and a fast processor. I failed to really notice that on the order they put a disclaimer that no refunds after 30 days.
The computer arrived and I was all excited about giving my wife, for her birthday mind you, a screaming machine using the latest OS, Windows 8 at the time, and having a new computer she could use well into the future. Well my excitement slowly turned into frustration as performance issues began to happen to the point now that we can’t even use the machine.
I got online with Dell and their tech spent almost 3 hours with me trying to diagnose and repair the issues. They could not find a problem but they also did not fix the performance problem. So my next step was to go to the Microsoft Store. We began moving to a different state so it got put on hold a little longer than necessary but the fact remains the computer is about 3 months old and my wife’s old Gateway Laptop with Windows 7 out-performs this Dell!
The Microsoft Store….I began an online chat with a Microsoft person. I retold my entire story and the person was constantly saying how they understood how frustrated I was….that’s where the understanding ended. I have spent so much time trying to resolve this with Dell and now with Microsoft that I really just wanted this resolved by replacing this machine. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that they could not refund my money as it was over 30 days. I replied that I did NOT WANT A REFUND, I just wanted a machine that worked as expected!
Apparently this is just not something the Microsoft Store does. They do not back up their sales and the Microsoft store tech came back at one time with a comment that maybe I should think about where the root of the problem exists, in other words it was Dell’s fault.
We are now at a point where if we buy something online it is a buyer beware kind of setup. I learned a lesson here. I thought I was dealing with a reputable company and that they would indeed provide the right kind of support. They offered me a “tune up”. So I guess they think there is something Dell, the manufacturer, could not find.
To end this hideous story, I was contacted through the Facebook page of the Microsoft Store and asked to send my order number and other pertinent info. I did so and have not heard a word. I am done with the Microsoft Store. I learned an expensive lesson and my point in writing this is to teach others. I will tell you if Microsoft makes good I will write a follow-up but don’t hold your breath!
Back on July 5th, 2015 I ordered a Dell Inspiron Laptop from The Microsoft Store. I bought it from this site because they offered a deal that was below what Dell was selling the same computer. This was a computer for my wife in her retirement that would give her plenty of hard drive space, more than enough memory and a fast processor. I failed to really notice that on the order they put a disclaimer that no refunds after 30 days.
The computer arrived and I was all excited about giving my wife, for her birthday mind you, a screaming machine using the latest OS, Windows 8 at the time, and having a new computer she could use well into the future. Well my excitement slowly turned into frustration as performance issues began to happen to the point now that we can’t even use the machine.
I got online with Dell and their tech spent almost 3 hours with me trying to diagnose and repair the issues. They could not find a problem but they also did not fix the performance problem. So my next step was to go to the Microsoft Store. We began moving to a different state so it got put on hold a little longer than necessary but the fact remains the computer is about 3 months old and my wife’s old Gateway Laptop with Windows 7 out-performs this Dell!
The Microsoft Store….I began an online chat with a Microsoft person. I retold my entire story and the person was constantly saying how they understood how frustrated I was….that’s where the understanding ended. I have spent so much time trying to resolve this with Dell and now with Microsoft that I really just wanted this resolved by replacing this machine. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that they could not refund my money as it was over 30 days. I replied that I did NOT WANT A REFUND, I just wanted a machine that worked as expected!
Apparently this is just not something the Microsoft Store does. They do not back up their sales and the Microsoft store tech came back at one time with a comment that maybe I should think about where the root of the problem exists, in other words it was Dell’s fault.
We are now at a point where if we buy something online it is a buyer beware kind of setup. I learned a lesson here. I thought I was dealing with a reputable company and that they would indeed provide the right kind of support. They offered me a “tune up”. So I guess they think there is something Dell, the manufacturer, could not find.
To end this hideous story, I was contacted through the Facebook page of the Microsoft Store and asked to send my order number and other pertinent info. I did so and have not heard a word. I am done with the Microsoft Store. I learned an expensive lesson and my point in writing this is to teach others. I will tell you if Microsoft makes good I will write a follow-up but don’t hold your breath!
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Mini Rant
Many of you who know me know that I, from time to time, just have to spout off a rant. I am going to list in no particular order my list of independent rantacious thoughts….yep made up a word there.
1) That little gadget on the side of your steering wheel actually serves a purpose….look it up in your auto manual.
2) On the same note the use of that device does not mean you have permission to merge.
3) Hackers suck.
4) Children who constantly scream in a restaurant should be dealt with by parents and no one else so put your cell phones down and actually engage with your kids.
5) Anyone who thinks our government is efficient and the best stewards of our money only needs to make it to retirement age to understand the futility of that thought.
6) If you don’t believe in God then what exactly is your purpose on this planet other than to pilfer and die.
7) I really don’t understand pop culture any longer so have decided to divorce myself from most of it and won’t lose a minute of sleep about that decision.
8) Reality TV is an oxymoron.
9) Politicians=money=self-importance=failure
10) People are people no matter where you live….same fallacies, same strengths, same goodness, same evil but all in all I still would rather be on the beach.
11) I am blessed.
12) I love my wife.
13) I love my family, all of them, and wish I could be more involved with every one of them.
14) Making friends for me is a long process but thankfully my best friend is by my side.
15) I still love chocolate regardless of the health issues and if I am on my death bed and know it I would want a piece of chocolate before I pass.
16) Guns are not bad….people are bad…fix the bad people and stop worrying so much about the guns.
17) I know the previous comment will tick off some of my friends….so be it.
18) We used to be a nation that could see past our differences and still be the greatest nation on Earth……now we are so polarized, I wonder how we get back to that.
19) I love America and still think, albeit naively, that the good in our people will eventually win over the evil.
20) I am thankful for everything I have been given…..the good, the bad and the ugly for the bad and the ugly have made me appreciate the good even more.
That will do it for now…..now I feel better.
1) That little gadget on the side of your steering wheel actually serves a purpose….look it up in your auto manual.
2) On the same note the use of that device does not mean you have permission to merge.
3) Hackers suck.
4) Children who constantly scream in a restaurant should be dealt with by parents and no one else so put your cell phones down and actually engage with your kids.
5) Anyone who thinks our government is efficient and the best stewards of our money only needs to make it to retirement age to understand the futility of that thought.
6) If you don’t believe in God then what exactly is your purpose on this planet other than to pilfer and die.
7) I really don’t understand pop culture any longer so have decided to divorce myself from most of it and won’t lose a minute of sleep about that decision.
8) Reality TV is an oxymoron.
9) Politicians=money=self-importance=failure
10) People are people no matter where you live….same fallacies, same strengths, same goodness, same evil but all in all I still would rather be on the beach.
11) I am blessed.
12) I love my wife.
13) I love my family, all of them, and wish I could be more involved with every one of them.
14) Making friends for me is a long process but thankfully my best friend is by my side.
15) I still love chocolate regardless of the health issues and if I am on my death bed and know it I would want a piece of chocolate before I pass.
16) Guns are not bad….people are bad…fix the bad people and stop worrying so much about the guns.
17) I know the previous comment will tick off some of my friends….so be it.
18) We used to be a nation that could see past our differences and still be the greatest nation on Earth……now we are so polarized, I wonder how we get back to that.
19) I love America and still think, albeit naively, that the good in our people will eventually win over the evil.
20) I am thankful for everything I have been given…..the good, the bad and the ugly for the bad and the ugly have made me appreciate the good even more.
That will do it for now…..now I feel better.
Monday, July 27, 2015
More Stuff.....
Yes another entry. My mind has been actually working lately a little better; therefore I have thoughts to share. Lucky you.
One event that took place just the other day was losing an aunt of mine, Aunt Helen, who even after all of these years and miles separating us never felt like a stranger. It was some time ago when I last saw her but I pulled up to her old Montcalm Ave apartment and knocked on the door and that sweet lady appeared with a smile that made me know she was family and embodied everything that is good about family. The fact is if you look up love in the dictionary, likely Aunt Helen’s picture is beside it. She was one of a kind and I know of no person who could ever say a bad thing about her, notwithstanding the Dodger fan in her. Even though I did not see her for some time, I feel as though our family took a big hit in her loss.
I am not going to get political here. Everyone knows my political leanings, so unless I feel really moved to do a political piece, I am avoiding that nonsense for now. Sometimes avoidance is the healthier option. I felt a collective sigh from my few readers after writing that statement.
Let me talk a little bit about my new home, Myrtle Beach. There is a lot to enjoy here and the ocean is beautiful and the golf course at my back door is usually quite peaceful. There is a lot to like about this place but let me tell you a few things that are a challenge. The first thing is people….not just people but lots and lots of people. Along with lots and lots of people come lots and lots of cars with mostly lost people behind the wheel. Thankfully where we live, we can choose when and when not to be encumbered by people. In my employment I must coexist on the highways with many of these people. The thing about Myrtle Beach is it would appear that all rules of driving are suspending within the city limits. Most days I actually find it entertaining to watch. These folks just sprawl all over the highways and change multiple lanes with no regard to whether or not any other vehicles are near them. Turn signals are rare as they are in most places these days and speed limit signs are a waste of tax payer money. Not surprisingly there are a lot of accidents during “the season.”
Another positive about this place is restaurants. I thought where I came from, Raleigh NC, that they had a lot of restaurants. This place is crazy with all of the restaurants. One thing they are not here, generally speaking, is cheap. A lot of choice but they cater to the throngs of weary, lost travelers and separate them from as much of their money as possible. Choices do abound, however, so it’s hard to complain about that.
So Linda and I are trying to find our way down here. There certainly are lots of things to see, some we want to see, and some we could care less about. The wax museum is probably in the latter category. They have a pretty good minor league baseball team so I will try and go to those games as I am able. Baseball seems to have a way of bringing me back to my roots. (I was a lousy little leaguer but your mind tends to push those negative things away.)
And of course there’s the beach. Myrtle Beach really is a beautiful beach and we are minutes away so hopefully we take a lot of that in. I vote for waiting for more of the lost travelers to find their way home and give me my beach back but I will try and deal with the throngs when I have to deal with them.
Linda continues to near the official retirement phase of her life. I am so happy for her and also very proud of what she accomplished with the NC United Methodist Conference. She made a lot of lifetime friends and was generally surrounded by the highest caliber of people. I still must slave for the man for a few more years unless Ed McMahon comes to my door. (Wait he’s dead)
So to sum this little entry up; I am blessed.
One event that took place just the other day was losing an aunt of mine, Aunt Helen, who even after all of these years and miles separating us never felt like a stranger. It was some time ago when I last saw her but I pulled up to her old Montcalm Ave apartment and knocked on the door and that sweet lady appeared with a smile that made me know she was family and embodied everything that is good about family. The fact is if you look up love in the dictionary, likely Aunt Helen’s picture is beside it. She was one of a kind and I know of no person who could ever say a bad thing about her, notwithstanding the Dodger fan in her. Even though I did not see her for some time, I feel as though our family took a big hit in her loss.
I am not going to get political here. Everyone knows my political leanings, so unless I feel really moved to do a political piece, I am avoiding that nonsense for now. Sometimes avoidance is the healthier option. I felt a collective sigh from my few readers after writing that statement.
Let me talk a little bit about my new home, Myrtle Beach. There is a lot to enjoy here and the ocean is beautiful and the golf course at my back door is usually quite peaceful. There is a lot to like about this place but let me tell you a few things that are a challenge. The first thing is people….not just people but lots and lots of people. Along with lots and lots of people come lots and lots of cars with mostly lost people behind the wheel. Thankfully where we live, we can choose when and when not to be encumbered by people. In my employment I must coexist on the highways with many of these people. The thing about Myrtle Beach is it would appear that all rules of driving are suspending within the city limits. Most days I actually find it entertaining to watch. These folks just sprawl all over the highways and change multiple lanes with no regard to whether or not any other vehicles are near them. Turn signals are rare as they are in most places these days and speed limit signs are a waste of tax payer money. Not surprisingly there are a lot of accidents during “the season.”
Another positive about this place is restaurants. I thought where I came from, Raleigh NC, that they had a lot of restaurants. This place is crazy with all of the restaurants. One thing they are not here, generally speaking, is cheap. A lot of choice but they cater to the throngs of weary, lost travelers and separate them from as much of their money as possible. Choices do abound, however, so it’s hard to complain about that.
So Linda and I are trying to find our way down here. There certainly are lots of things to see, some we want to see, and some we could care less about. The wax museum is probably in the latter category. They have a pretty good minor league baseball team so I will try and go to those games as I am able. Baseball seems to have a way of bringing me back to my roots. (I was a lousy little leaguer but your mind tends to push those negative things away.)
And of course there’s the beach. Myrtle Beach really is a beautiful beach and we are minutes away so hopefully we take a lot of that in. I vote for waiting for more of the lost travelers to find their way home and give me my beach back but I will try and deal with the throngs when I have to deal with them.
Linda continues to near the official retirement phase of her life. I am so happy for her and also very proud of what she accomplished with the NC United Methodist Conference. She made a lot of lifetime friends and was generally surrounded by the highest caliber of people. I still must slave for the man for a few more years unless Ed McMahon comes to my door. (Wait he’s dead)
So to sum this little entry up; I am blessed.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Big Changes...
So I’ve not written much for a while. Part of it was because of how busy Linda and I have been trying to basically retool our new home and new life. I’ve been so tired at the end of every day I basically spent a lot of my time like a lump on our sofa.
I know that over these past several months I have inundated Facebook with pictures in and around our new digs. The positives outweigh any challenges with our move so I have decided to try to focus only on the positives.
Many of you know that I was quite involved with my church in many ways. I’m not sure how I ever fill the void that has been left in that regard. I am church hunting but I made so many friendships and went through so much personally through St Timothy’s Church that to find a place that will even come close to my Raleigh church home will be difficult at best. I must tell you that the Vestry and parish gave me a little send-off that was humbling and even now I am overwhelmed when I think about all of the outpouring of love and good wishes. The single most difficult thing about this move was moving further from all of those friends I cherish.
So I have settled in and soon Linda will finally retire and settle in as well. She is also going through a difficult period. Everyone who still works always is jealous of those who can retire but I must tell you while physically and emotionally she needs this, I am seeing that her love and contact of all of the people she worked with over 15 years with the NC United Methodist Conference is something she will dearly miss. She has been especially blessed to have the high caliber of people she most closely worked with and you cannot put a value on that.
We are blessed to have Linda’s sister and husband Jeff in the same town so we can connect with them regularly. It is always good to have family close. That has been a challenge as well because my daughter Marlee and Linda’s son Bill are now 3 hours away where they were minutes away for many years. The fact is we made this move for selfish reasons in that this was a step for us towards retirement and towards less maintenance and upkeep and more time to smell the roses. (or sea water as it were)
Now I am beginning to meet new friends and get to know my coworkers better so in that regard I am definitely headed in a positive direction. You never know how many years are in his plan for us so we are now going to try and make the best of every gift of a day we are given. And please stay in touch.
So I will start writing more as time and my physical ability allows. Based on my poor grammar and choppy sentences you can assume that mental ability is not really relevant. Happy days all!
I know that over these past several months I have inundated Facebook with pictures in and around our new digs. The positives outweigh any challenges with our move so I have decided to try to focus only on the positives.
Many of you know that I was quite involved with my church in many ways. I’m not sure how I ever fill the void that has been left in that regard. I am church hunting but I made so many friendships and went through so much personally through St Timothy’s Church that to find a place that will even come close to my Raleigh church home will be difficult at best. I must tell you that the Vestry and parish gave me a little send-off that was humbling and even now I am overwhelmed when I think about all of the outpouring of love and good wishes. The single most difficult thing about this move was moving further from all of those friends I cherish.
So I have settled in and soon Linda will finally retire and settle in as well. She is also going through a difficult period. Everyone who still works always is jealous of those who can retire but I must tell you while physically and emotionally she needs this, I am seeing that her love and contact of all of the people she worked with over 15 years with the NC United Methodist Conference is something she will dearly miss. She has been especially blessed to have the high caliber of people she most closely worked with and you cannot put a value on that.
We are blessed to have Linda’s sister and husband Jeff in the same town so we can connect with them regularly. It is always good to have family close. That has been a challenge as well because my daughter Marlee and Linda’s son Bill are now 3 hours away where they were minutes away for many years. The fact is we made this move for selfish reasons in that this was a step for us towards retirement and towards less maintenance and upkeep and more time to smell the roses. (or sea water as it were)
Now I am beginning to meet new friends and get to know my coworkers better so in that regard I am definitely headed in a positive direction. You never know how many years are in his plan for us so we are now going to try and make the best of every gift of a day we are given. And please stay in touch.
So I will start writing more as time and my physical ability allows. Based on my poor grammar and choppy sentences you can assume that mental ability is not really relevant. Happy days all!
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Another difficult Concept
I have been considering a word lately that is freely tossed around and extolled upon but I find it a difficult concept in its purest sense. It is tolerance. I’ve read the dictionary meaning and read tons of different quotes on the word but the difficulty I seem to have is understanding the pure meaning. It seems to hold a very subjective meaning in so many cases.
Just ask yourself this simple question: Are you tolerant? I think many people would quickly say yes. Then they would think about their answer and say sometimes. Dig deeper. Are you tolerant of a person’s weaknesses? Wait now, what would you consider a weakness? Another very subjective thing. Do you Tolerate children misbehaving? Most people’s answer would be yes….to a point. What is that point? Clearly if you watch children in public it’s different in almost every case. Some parent(s) seem to allow most anything while others keep a very tight reign. Again, we all tolerate things on a different level.
Now here it is, the most used, if not overused, instance of the word tolerance….political tolerance. Let’s face it, the left accuses the right of intolerance and the right accuses the left of the same. Who is right? Are they both right? ( sorry, correct) If you tolerate a certain perspective, does that mean you condone it? I should think not. To tolerate something in my eyes means to give freedom to the person or thing or principle to be able to express themselves without fear of retribution. That does not mean freedom of consequences though. Even though you tolerate something does not mean you erase your set of morals. It does not mean you should be unable to express an opinion about what you think is right or wrong otherwise why even have a moral compass?
The one aspect of the word tolerance that bothers me most is if I say I am tolerant of someone, it makes me sound as if I think I am superior. The fact is I consider the word accepting much better. It again does not mean I condone a particular behavior but it does mean I accept the person’s right to behave the way they deem fit and any consequences will come later and very likely not by me.
I guess this word has become a bit of a sore spot for me because the very people that seem to espouse the term tolerance the most only want us to condone a certain behavior and if we do not or cannot then they deem us intolerant. So you see, it seems to be a vicious circle that we will never solve. I think it comes down to something I’ve already said tolerance is acceptance but does not imply agreement.
So there you have it. I had to get this off my chest. If you’ve been able to tolerate this entry feel free to give me your thoughts. This is a concept I continually wrestle with so any help would be gladly accepted!
Just ask yourself this simple question: Are you tolerant? I think many people would quickly say yes. Then they would think about their answer and say sometimes. Dig deeper. Are you tolerant of a person’s weaknesses? Wait now, what would you consider a weakness? Another very subjective thing. Do you Tolerate children misbehaving? Most people’s answer would be yes….to a point. What is that point? Clearly if you watch children in public it’s different in almost every case. Some parent(s) seem to allow most anything while others keep a very tight reign. Again, we all tolerate things on a different level.
Now here it is, the most used, if not overused, instance of the word tolerance….political tolerance. Let’s face it, the left accuses the right of intolerance and the right accuses the left of the same. Who is right? Are they both right? ( sorry, correct) If you tolerate a certain perspective, does that mean you condone it? I should think not. To tolerate something in my eyes means to give freedom to the person or thing or principle to be able to express themselves without fear of retribution. That does not mean freedom of consequences though. Even though you tolerate something does not mean you erase your set of morals. It does not mean you should be unable to express an opinion about what you think is right or wrong otherwise why even have a moral compass?
The one aspect of the word tolerance that bothers me most is if I say I am tolerant of someone, it makes me sound as if I think I am superior. The fact is I consider the word accepting much better. It again does not mean I condone a particular behavior but it does mean I accept the person’s right to behave the way they deem fit and any consequences will come later and very likely not by me.
I guess this word has become a bit of a sore spot for me because the very people that seem to espouse the term tolerance the most only want us to condone a certain behavior and if we do not or cannot then they deem us intolerant. So you see, it seems to be a vicious circle that we will never solve. I think it comes down to something I’ve already said tolerance is acceptance but does not imply agreement.
So there you have it. I had to get this off my chest. If you’ve been able to tolerate this entry feel free to give me your thoughts. This is a concept I continually wrestle with so any help would be gladly accepted!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Facebook Leave of Absence....
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.
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.
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?
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Do You "Know" What You Have?
Do you know what you have? Seem like a strange question? Think about it for a bit.
If you have a cell phone in your hand right now you have something that not only didn’t always exist in much of my lifetime but for many years only the elite could afford. Can you imagine explaining to someone of 30 years ago what you can do with your phone today? What seems so mundane and a normal part of life was not even considered when I was a child.
Do you own a color TV? I know that some of you whippersnappers are saying what does he mean a “color” TV? When I was a child only the elite could afford color TVs. In fact for many years, if you had a TV at all you were considered well off. More than 1 TV? Not even a consideration for many families when I was a child.
Do you listen to music on an Ipod or some other electronic portable device? If you didn’t have a record player in my youth (with a good needle) and you were lucky enough to have a transistor radio and could actually pick up a radio station that was your form of entertainment with music. If you were really well off you had a record player and even some records.
Do you have running water? Silly question right…..well in my youth there were houses that did not. Frankly, there are many third world nations even today that do not have running water in houses. Do you have a washing machine? You guessed it…..many could not afford to own their own machines for many years. Laundromats were a real hopping business.
Do you have a car? (or 2 or 3 or more!) Again, if you were lucky enough to own one years ago you were pretty popular. Now teenagers have their own cars….unheard of not that many years ago.
If you are reading this you have some sort of web enabled device that allows you to read it along with an internet connection. Not that long ago having your own internet connection was very expensive and only the elite had it not to mention their own computers.
Do you have a loaf of bread in the kitchen. Believe it or not, it wasn’t that long ago most people actually had to bake their own bread if they wanted it. My wife eluded to me a while ago that she didn’t even know sliced bread existed until she was 6 or 7 years old!
You can look in any room you want and really look around and think about all of the things we use every day that didn’t exist that long ago. It’s quite amazing if you really ponder it. Where we have come with plastics and manufacturing is astounding and you need not look far to get a sense of that. Try it sometime….look at your desk or your car or your office or school and think about the everyday things you use and do and research 20 or 30 years ago….you will learn that although we have a lot…..we really do not know what we have.
If you have a cell phone in your hand right now you have something that not only didn’t always exist in much of my lifetime but for many years only the elite could afford. Can you imagine explaining to someone of 30 years ago what you can do with your phone today? What seems so mundane and a normal part of life was not even considered when I was a child.
Do you own a color TV? I know that some of you whippersnappers are saying what does he mean a “color” TV? When I was a child only the elite could afford color TVs. In fact for many years, if you had a TV at all you were considered well off. More than 1 TV? Not even a consideration for many families when I was a child.
Do you listen to music on an Ipod or some other electronic portable device? If you didn’t have a record player in my youth (with a good needle) and you were lucky enough to have a transistor radio and could actually pick up a radio station that was your form of entertainment with music. If you were really well off you had a record player and even some records.
Do you have running water? Silly question right…..well in my youth there were houses that did not. Frankly, there are many third world nations even today that do not have running water in houses. Do you have a washing machine? You guessed it…..many could not afford to own their own machines for many years. Laundromats were a real hopping business.
Do you have a car? (or 2 or 3 or more!) Again, if you were lucky enough to own one years ago you were pretty popular. Now teenagers have their own cars….unheard of not that many years ago.
If you are reading this you have some sort of web enabled device that allows you to read it along with an internet connection. Not that long ago having your own internet connection was very expensive and only the elite had it not to mention their own computers.
Do you have a loaf of bread in the kitchen. Believe it or not, it wasn’t that long ago most people actually had to bake their own bread if they wanted it. My wife eluded to me a while ago that she didn’t even know sliced bread existed until she was 6 or 7 years old!
You can look in any room you want and really look around and think about all of the things we use every day that didn’t exist that long ago. It’s quite amazing if you really ponder it. Where we have come with plastics and manufacturing is astounding and you need not look far to get a sense of that. Try it sometime….look at your desk or your car or your office or school and think about the everyday things you use and do and research 20 or 30 years ago….you will learn that although we have a lot…..we really do not know what we have.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Friends (Probably Not What You Think)
How many friends do you have? OK then, how many good friends do you have? OK then how many “close” friends do you have? Recent events have caused me to ponder these questions. Facebook friends are great and the prayer chain that is created in times of crisis is very comforting and supportive but what about when you are not in crisis and just want a friend to sit and talk with?
I don’t have a lot of close friends and maybe that is just me. My very best friend is the person I took vows with and I am blessed to have such a friend and companion. I have many friends I have made over the years through my church involvement but have probably not worked hard enough at building them into something closer. I have friends that I have made through my, unfortunately, multiple varied jobs in the past few years but none of them I could call close friends.
I’m not complaining, I just wonder how many of me are out there. How many people keep their private life private and don’t have a lot of close friends as they are basically satisfied with what they have and who they are sharing their life with. I sometimes see my friends having parties and outings and feel a little unhealthy envy but the structure of my life and how close my friendships can be counted is really a personal choice. I think that friendships can be seen a lot like marriage. If you don’t work at the relationships then they do not stay strong and they will be nothing more than passing relationships.
I don’t even know where I am going with this topic but I have been pondering it with recent events that my wife has been going through with her health. I had a lot of support through Facebook and family and some friends but it really did illuminate that my circle of close friends is small. I am OK with this as it is the way I really have lived my life over these past years. Linda, in my eyes, had such an incredible outpouring of her Methodist friends and colleagues that it was humbling to see. I stayed beside my closest friend and when she told me she felt guilty about how many hours I stayed with her it puzzled me because there is no place I would rather be. That is not to say it wasn’t difficult seeing her dealing with the various health issues and pain and in fact that was the hardest part but it is to say that I chose her to be my wife and in my mind closest of friends.
Again, I am not complaining just stating facts. If the Lord took me home tomorrow I could say I lived a full and blessed life and have known many incredible people and been involved and tried to do the best I could do in anything I was involved with be it church, work, family and friends. Did I fall short? At times yes but then I honestly can say that I succeeded more than I failed. I hope you can all say that as well.
I don’t have a lot of close friends and maybe that is just me. My very best friend is the person I took vows with and I am blessed to have such a friend and companion. I have many friends I have made over the years through my church involvement but have probably not worked hard enough at building them into something closer. I have friends that I have made through my, unfortunately, multiple varied jobs in the past few years but none of them I could call close friends.
I’m not complaining, I just wonder how many of me are out there. How many people keep their private life private and don’t have a lot of close friends as they are basically satisfied with what they have and who they are sharing their life with. I sometimes see my friends having parties and outings and feel a little unhealthy envy but the structure of my life and how close my friendships can be counted is really a personal choice. I think that friendships can be seen a lot like marriage. If you don’t work at the relationships then they do not stay strong and they will be nothing more than passing relationships.
I don’t even know where I am going with this topic but I have been pondering it with recent events that my wife has been going through with her health. I had a lot of support through Facebook and family and some friends but it really did illuminate that my circle of close friends is small. I am OK with this as it is the way I really have lived my life over these past years. Linda, in my eyes, had such an incredible outpouring of her Methodist friends and colleagues that it was humbling to see. I stayed beside my closest friend and when she told me she felt guilty about how many hours I stayed with her it puzzled me because there is no place I would rather be. That is not to say it wasn’t difficult seeing her dealing with the various health issues and pain and in fact that was the hardest part but it is to say that I chose her to be my wife and in my mind closest of friends.
Again, I am not complaining just stating facts. If the Lord took me home tomorrow I could say I lived a full and blessed life and have known many incredible people and been involved and tried to do the best I could do in anything I was involved with be it church, work, family and friends. Did I fall short? At times yes but then I honestly can say that I succeeded more than I failed. I hope you can all say that as well.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Arm tied Behind My Back.....
So I am compelled to write a little tonight even though I am basically exhausted by the day’s events. If any men out there are married to their soul mate they will understand this. My wife had a procedure today at the hospital that was supposed to be outpatient surgery and long story short, she will be in the hospital for 3-5 days. She’s in good hands right? No big deal right? Right and wrong.
This lady has gone through a lot and somehow she has the strength and attitude to push through it. What I am going through pales compared to her trials. That being said, when I don’t have her by my side day in and day out I am like a lost puppy. It’s as if someone has tied one hand behind my back and said….there now have a nice day. Some of you know my past and how I had to deal with a real loss. I would never and could never diminish such a loss. THAT said, without Linda with me I feel like an unplugged GPS. Nothing else seems very important. I am blessed to have a daughter that hangs by my side and tries to steer me away from trouble but that is a difficult task to say the least. We have a great seemingly limitless number of prayer warriors that keep us grounded and guided by the Lord which is also pretty important during these times.
So I have a lot to be thankful for and yet I am a fractured soul when my lady is not near. I do pray a lot for guidance and strength. That helps but there are times when even that seem to not fill this void. Do not think for a moment that I am saying I don’t realize how fortunate I am. I am who I am and what I am because of all of the great people surrounding me for all of my life with love and support and friendship.
I suppose what I am feeling right now is a bit of angst about not having my lady by my side and having to watch her suffer yet again. I know none of us knows God’s will or plan but there are times when my faith is challenged when I see someone I love with all of my heart go through so much pain and suffering time after time. She would never ask the question why but I find myself asking it on occasion and while I understand I won’t know the answer perhaps until the next life I think of myself as weak in having to ask the question.
That’s it for tonight. I have a lot of people praying for my wife’s recovery and that means the world to her and to me but I just had to vent a little of the frustration that accompanies these recent trials. Thanks everyone who read this till the end for listening and give your soul mate a hug and tell them you love them because life is full of mystery and surprise.
This lady has gone through a lot and somehow she has the strength and attitude to push through it. What I am going through pales compared to her trials. That being said, when I don’t have her by my side day in and day out I am like a lost puppy. It’s as if someone has tied one hand behind my back and said….there now have a nice day. Some of you know my past and how I had to deal with a real loss. I would never and could never diminish such a loss. THAT said, without Linda with me I feel like an unplugged GPS. Nothing else seems very important. I am blessed to have a daughter that hangs by my side and tries to steer me away from trouble but that is a difficult task to say the least. We have a great seemingly limitless number of prayer warriors that keep us grounded and guided by the Lord which is also pretty important during these times.
So I have a lot to be thankful for and yet I am a fractured soul when my lady is not near. I do pray a lot for guidance and strength. That helps but there are times when even that seem to not fill this void. Do not think for a moment that I am saying I don’t realize how fortunate I am. I am who I am and what I am because of all of the great people surrounding me for all of my life with love and support and friendship.
I suppose what I am feeling right now is a bit of angst about not having my lady by my side and having to watch her suffer yet again. I know none of us knows God’s will or plan but there are times when my faith is challenged when I see someone I love with all of my heart go through so much pain and suffering time after time. She would never ask the question why but I find myself asking it on occasion and while I understand I won’t know the answer perhaps until the next life I think of myself as weak in having to ask the question.
That’s it for tonight. I have a lot of people praying for my wife’s recovery and that means the world to her and to me but I just had to vent a little of the frustration that accompanies these recent trials. Thanks everyone who read this till the end for listening and give your soul mate a hug and tell them you love them because life is full of mystery and surprise.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Pipe dreams and Other Thoughts
Are we more important than we think we are? I’ve wondered that from time to time. Then it occurs to me that we should really be more concerned about how we are important to others. I don’t mean just in the sense of responsibility but just mattering to others. Do we just wake up one morning and say “I think I am going to start to matter to others.” I think not. I hope not. The way we gain importance is through how we make a difference in other people’s lives. It’s about the effort we make to actually affect others in a positive way. It can start by something as simple as holding a door open for someone.
Why should we care? I’m sure that many people these days really look at how they are viewed instead of actually affecting the view. The other point to acknowledge is if we are trying to affect the view in only superficial ways we will only look as shallow as those attempts.
You see, I think that living your life for others is the supreme way to really and truly make a difference. Many people in this day and age live life only for themselves. It is known as what’s in it for me rather than how can I make a difference for them. You see it every day. Go to a supermarket and watch how people are on self-missions and God help anyone who breaks their mission’s rhythm. You can ride on any road and see how so many people seem to be ready to beep their horn at anyone who breaks their stride. Remember the old saying, patience is a virtue? I submit that is a mostly lost virtue. I think that virtue began to decay when the microwave was invented. Push a button and in 2 minutes you have a complete meal. Now it is an expectation that we push a button and instantly get what we want. No more need for patience.
I talked about this with my dear sweet wife the other day and said imagine if everyone lost their cell phone reception for a day. The world would go into complete turmoil. Nothing would really change in that day but the perception of being disconnected from an over-connected world would drive deep and traumatic results. Perhaps it would also make everyone stop and look at each other if for just a day and perhaps even TALK to each other. What a hideous time that would be right?
How about no electricity for a day? Now, of course, the obvious need for electricity is with health care and vital services but think how paralyzed we are when power goes out for just 20 or 30 minutes?
My point in all of these mind numbing thoughts is we are a product of screaming fast and ever changing technology. Technology has come so far in such a short period of time that humanity and the way we interact has been forever changed. The majority of anyone younger than me could never imagine a world without a cell phone, microwave, computer or GPS. I grew up without all of those things and seem to have done OK. (Opinions may differ) So I submit instead of having an Earth Day or some other “green initiative” we should have a technology free day. Perhaps look at a flower or the ocean or listen to the wind blowing through the trees or just sit and talk to someone instead of TEXTING. It is a pipe dream but pipe dreams are always where dreams start so that’s my pipe dream.
Why should we care? I’m sure that many people these days really look at how they are viewed instead of actually affecting the view. The other point to acknowledge is if we are trying to affect the view in only superficial ways we will only look as shallow as those attempts.
You see, I think that living your life for others is the supreme way to really and truly make a difference. Many people in this day and age live life only for themselves. It is known as what’s in it for me rather than how can I make a difference for them. You see it every day. Go to a supermarket and watch how people are on self-missions and God help anyone who breaks their mission’s rhythm. You can ride on any road and see how so many people seem to be ready to beep their horn at anyone who breaks their stride. Remember the old saying, patience is a virtue? I submit that is a mostly lost virtue. I think that virtue began to decay when the microwave was invented. Push a button and in 2 minutes you have a complete meal. Now it is an expectation that we push a button and instantly get what we want. No more need for patience.
I talked about this with my dear sweet wife the other day and said imagine if everyone lost their cell phone reception for a day. The world would go into complete turmoil. Nothing would really change in that day but the perception of being disconnected from an over-connected world would drive deep and traumatic results. Perhaps it would also make everyone stop and look at each other if for just a day and perhaps even TALK to each other. What a hideous time that would be right?
How about no electricity for a day? Now, of course, the obvious need for electricity is with health care and vital services but think how paralyzed we are when power goes out for just 20 or 30 minutes?
My point in all of these mind numbing thoughts is we are a product of screaming fast and ever changing technology. Technology has come so far in such a short period of time that humanity and the way we interact has been forever changed. The majority of anyone younger than me could never imagine a world without a cell phone, microwave, computer or GPS. I grew up without all of those things and seem to have done OK. (Opinions may differ) So I submit instead of having an Earth Day or some other “green initiative” we should have a technology free day. Perhaps look at a flower or the ocean or listen to the wind blowing through the trees or just sit and talk to someone instead of TEXTING. It is a pipe dream but pipe dreams are always where dreams start so that’s my pipe dream.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Just Proud That's All
So often my little blogs are to remember people or things and occasionally I write because I have been inspired. This would be one of those times. Let me tell you about this woman.
This is a woman who goes through life with an open heart. This may seem like a cliché but I assure you it is the absolute truth about this woman. You see, she has worked a number of years in service to the United Methodist Church. Most times she is in the background and frankly, she really prefers it that way. While she works in the background assisting and nurturing each year a new group of aspiring pastors. She does it because she loves what she does and she really loves being connected to so many impressive Christian leaders to come. You may be saying well big deal, what’s so special about that?
This weekend we were privileged, and I mean that in the most sincere way, to sit on our sofa together and watch another annual conference for the UMC. I did more than watch the conference. I watched her. She named every aspiring candidate by their full name before the Bishop would. She could tell me details about these special people that I would venture even some family members would not remember. While this is inspiring alone there is another aspect of this process I watched. I watched Linda’s eyes light up with each ordination and I watched tears of joy flow from her during this process that really put me in awe.
We go to our jobs day by day and push through and once in a while might experience some sort of satisfaction in some way but whenever I watch Linda during one of these conferences I have pangs of envy that while not healthy are real. I will likely never experience what she seems to experience but I am at least the beneficiary of second hand satisfaction.
She may not be there many more conventions but I know that when that chapter ends she will surely miss those intense moments. I know I will. I say this not to brag on her, although I am happy to do that, I say this because I have never been more proud of anyone and more inspired by anyone in my life. She is not a Methodist but you would not know that by the pride she shows in her candidates that she helped through their process. I just wanted to get this out. The really neat thing is long when Linda and I have gone to our glory, there will be a large flock of shepherds in the United Methodist Church that I know for sure will never forget her.
This is a woman who goes through life with an open heart. This may seem like a cliché but I assure you it is the absolute truth about this woman. You see, she has worked a number of years in service to the United Methodist Church. Most times she is in the background and frankly, she really prefers it that way. While she works in the background assisting and nurturing each year a new group of aspiring pastors. She does it because she loves what she does and she really loves being connected to so many impressive Christian leaders to come. You may be saying well big deal, what’s so special about that?
This weekend we were privileged, and I mean that in the most sincere way, to sit on our sofa together and watch another annual conference for the UMC. I did more than watch the conference. I watched her. She named every aspiring candidate by their full name before the Bishop would. She could tell me details about these special people that I would venture even some family members would not remember. While this is inspiring alone there is another aspect of this process I watched. I watched Linda’s eyes light up with each ordination and I watched tears of joy flow from her during this process that really put me in awe.
We go to our jobs day by day and push through and once in a while might experience some sort of satisfaction in some way but whenever I watch Linda during one of these conferences I have pangs of envy that while not healthy are real. I will likely never experience what she seems to experience but I am at least the beneficiary of second hand satisfaction.
She may not be there many more conventions but I know that when that chapter ends she will surely miss those intense moments. I know I will. I say this not to brag on her, although I am happy to do that, I say this because I have never been more proud of anyone and more inspired by anyone in my life. She is not a Methodist but you would not know that by the pride she shows in her candidates that she helped through their process. I just wanted to get this out. The really neat thing is long when Linda and I have gone to our glory, there will be a large flock of shepherds in the United Methodist Church that I know for sure will never forget her.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Some Past Remembrances
I've been thinking lately, and yes I know that’s a problem of itself, about just where we are now as a society and where we have come from in my life. My life is but a speck on humanity but it is mine none the less so just come along for the ride.
I’m trying to remember all of the technological advances in my lifetime and frankly it is too much to just spout off here but I want to at least mention the highlights. When I was a little boy I ran around my old hometown of Lyon Mountain, NY free as a bird. My only stress was to try and determine how many bumble bees I could catch in my jar and lid. I remember strolling through the woods and on paths and picking wild blueberries and strawberries and feasting on them. I remember eating rhubarb right out of the ground. I remember picking and eating apples until my stomach hurt. I remember my one speed bike, yes I said ONE speed….just frittering the hours away riding to Standish or Chateauguay Lake and exploring all nature had to offer and it had a lot. I think as an adult I have a keener appreciation for nature than even children these days do and that is sad.
The reason I digressed to my childhood is it has a real connection to who I am now and it also has a bearing on who kids are now and where they are headed. There were no buttons to push for me as a child….no phones to carry around. I was not instantly connected to everyone on the planet. My world was what was around me and I really think it was a better world because I think people of my generation had a stronger connection to people around them and to the things around them. Children these days can’t interact with nature and are getting more disconnected from even other people. This is what is, in my opinion, heading us down a path that will be hard to change. Now I know not all children are as I describe but I also know it is a disturbingly large number. I almost wish there was a way to hit the reset button on many of our so called technological advances and get back to basics. Let’s face it…we come into this world with nothing and we leave this world with the same thing. No cell phone service in heaven….at least I hope not!
OK, so we have the cell phone now. I remember having a party line phone as a child where three or four houses shared the same line. Can you imagine that? I remember washers that had rollers that you would run your clothes through to get the water out of the clothes. When I was a child our dryer was a line outside. Electric dryers were thought to be this incredible advancement that only well off folks could afford. Everything that was cooked was cooked on a stove. Microwaves were not even something thought about and there were no shortcuts for dinner. Everything took time to make. Even thinking about ceiling fans and how they were not something much thought about. We were just fortunate to have a light in every room. Does anyone other than me remember the first color TV? No I am talking about the FIRST color TV. It was a black and white TV with a color filter you would put over the screen. It was color albeit one color. Does anyone remember the famous test pattern in the morning before the stations would sign on? For some reason I remember an Indian on that test pattern….surely would not be allowed today.
Let’s talk lawn mowers. The first lawn mower in my recollection was the type with the cylindrical cutting carriage that would rotate as you pushed it. It actually did a pretty fabulous job except it actually took EFFORT to do it. Then the motorized versions burst on the scene. The kind that had a sprocket on top you had to wind the rope around and yank. You could be doing a lot of that process if you had a mower that took it’s time starting.
Let’s go back to TV a moment. No cable TV when I was a crumb cruncher. We really thought we were living high on the hog (sorry to the PETA people for that reference) when my Dad purchased a revolving outdoor antenna that could be controlled INDOORS without having to walk out in a storm and rotate it. What an advancement. It meant you could improve reception on those three channels you were lucky to get.
Does anyone here reading this right now know what a brook trout tastes like? I used to go out and fish the brooks around Lyon Mountain and I’m telling you those little boogers were tasty. OK I am talking about the fish still Jim.
Thinking about computers and there is really nothing to compare them to in my childhood. It was just not thought about much. Looking up at my printer(s) and thinking about those days when printers didn’t exist. I do remember the old copy machines that smelled all through the halls of school when they would fire up that beastly machine which roared like an airplane when it was in operation. Remember carbon paper and how that was the only alternative for making duplicates of anything? I remember when showers were considered a luxury and bath tubs were it.
There are certainly many more things from our past that make us ponder where we are at now but those are several that come to mind. Feel free to share more!
I’m trying to remember all of the technological advances in my lifetime and frankly it is too much to just spout off here but I want to at least mention the highlights. When I was a little boy I ran around my old hometown of Lyon Mountain, NY free as a bird. My only stress was to try and determine how many bumble bees I could catch in my jar and lid. I remember strolling through the woods and on paths and picking wild blueberries and strawberries and feasting on them. I remember eating rhubarb right out of the ground. I remember picking and eating apples until my stomach hurt. I remember my one speed bike, yes I said ONE speed….just frittering the hours away riding to Standish or Chateauguay Lake and exploring all nature had to offer and it had a lot. I think as an adult I have a keener appreciation for nature than even children these days do and that is sad.
The reason I digressed to my childhood is it has a real connection to who I am now and it also has a bearing on who kids are now and where they are headed. There were no buttons to push for me as a child….no phones to carry around. I was not instantly connected to everyone on the planet. My world was what was around me and I really think it was a better world because I think people of my generation had a stronger connection to people around them and to the things around them. Children these days can’t interact with nature and are getting more disconnected from even other people. This is what is, in my opinion, heading us down a path that will be hard to change. Now I know not all children are as I describe but I also know it is a disturbingly large number. I almost wish there was a way to hit the reset button on many of our so called technological advances and get back to basics. Let’s face it…we come into this world with nothing and we leave this world with the same thing. No cell phone service in heaven….at least I hope not!
OK, so we have the cell phone now. I remember having a party line phone as a child where three or four houses shared the same line. Can you imagine that? I remember washers that had rollers that you would run your clothes through to get the water out of the clothes. When I was a child our dryer was a line outside. Electric dryers were thought to be this incredible advancement that only well off folks could afford. Everything that was cooked was cooked on a stove. Microwaves were not even something thought about and there were no shortcuts for dinner. Everything took time to make. Even thinking about ceiling fans and how they were not something much thought about. We were just fortunate to have a light in every room. Does anyone other than me remember the first color TV? No I am talking about the FIRST color TV. It was a black and white TV with a color filter you would put over the screen. It was color albeit one color. Does anyone remember the famous test pattern in the morning before the stations would sign on? For some reason I remember an Indian on that test pattern….surely would not be allowed today.
Let’s talk lawn mowers. The first lawn mower in my recollection was the type with the cylindrical cutting carriage that would rotate as you pushed it. It actually did a pretty fabulous job except it actually took EFFORT to do it. Then the motorized versions burst on the scene. The kind that had a sprocket on top you had to wind the rope around and yank. You could be doing a lot of that process if you had a mower that took it’s time starting.
Let’s go back to TV a moment. No cable TV when I was a crumb cruncher. We really thought we were living high on the hog (sorry to the PETA people for that reference) when my Dad purchased a revolving outdoor antenna that could be controlled INDOORS without having to walk out in a storm and rotate it. What an advancement. It meant you could improve reception on those three channels you were lucky to get.
Does anyone here reading this right now know what a brook trout tastes like? I used to go out and fish the brooks around Lyon Mountain and I’m telling you those little boogers were tasty. OK I am talking about the fish still Jim.
Thinking about computers and there is really nothing to compare them to in my childhood. It was just not thought about much. Looking up at my printer(s) and thinking about those days when printers didn’t exist. I do remember the old copy machines that smelled all through the halls of school when they would fire up that beastly machine which roared like an airplane when it was in operation. Remember carbon paper and how that was the only alternative for making duplicates of anything? I remember when showers were considered a luxury and bath tubs were it.
There are certainly many more things from our past that make us ponder where we are at now but those are several that come to mind. Feel free to share more!
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