what endures

  As I walked through my home I notice some of the things that endure. I've noticed that they are often the smallest things, those things that seem insignificant at the time but they have endured over the years. The knick-knacks of life is a good name for those things. Each one holds a bit of a memory but doesn't tell the story, collectively however, they can define you. Eclectic is how I would describe it. Those items aren't a collection that much is certain as few are in a common vein. I wonder sometimes just what imparts that quality to an item, what force causes us to retain those things? They have little or no monetary value yet are invaluable to us. I wouldn't call them relics, relics should have more age to them in my thinking. Relics imply they are old and possibly outdated. My memories inspired by those items are neither of those things. They are just the things I have saved and learned to treasure over the years. Those items endure. 

 We often hear about people downsizing, especially we mature Americans. I have begun that process and am thinking that will take a number of years to accomplish. It's a difficult process to sort through your memories and decide which ones to discard. And I do believe each object does hold just a small portion of our story. At least the object we attach some memory too does. A man and his tools are prime examples of that. I have a good number of tools collected over the years, used for this and that. I haven't used a good number of them in years now, those days are fading away, but there is an attachment there and tools are hard to part with. Still, I wonder why I retain them. There is nothing special or unique about them, they are, as my wife would say, just old tools. There are also my past and I'm hanging on. But there are items that will one day be gone, downsized, and forgotten. It isn't that type of thing I'm thinking about this morning though. No, I am thinking about the little things like an pocket knife, an old postcard or a picture. An old footstool I made thirty years ago. There is the shaker shelf made from old pallet wood long before making things out of pallet wood was a thing. I used that wood because I couldn't afford to buy "good" wood. It wasn't an arts and crafts thing, it was a necessity. I needed the shelf. And that old shelf, imperfect as it is, hangs on my kitchen wall. There's the Cyprus clock that hangs at the end of the hallway. My dad gave me that piece of Cyprus wood over thirty years ago along with a gallon of epoxy. The wife and I made that clock together and it has endured the years, a fixture in our home. There are resin figures the grandchildren bought at the dollar store, one proclaiming me the best grandpa ever and one of lady liberty. Worth more to me that a sculpture in an art gallery. Those are the things that I'm talking about.

 Enduring value is what concerns me most these days. Perhaps that is why the resistance to change, so common with us older folks. We have learned to place faith in the things that endure. Fad and fashion change all the time, but memories remain. Memories endure time. When we are gone all that remains will be our memory. The objects we leave behind will face downsizing. Only those objects with meaning to others will survive that process. Material value will play a role, can the item produce revenue of some type? When others view things as just, that old thing. it's fate becomes uncertain. I have picked up the trash at homes where the person was deceased and another came to clean it out. In the trash old photographs, books, and mementos cast aside. It is one of the saddest sights to see in my opinion. Impartial and unfeeling, completely detached, those items are silenced forever. They did speak to the owner at one time. My stuff reminds and informs me daily. It's where I have been. 

 I write my thoughts and stories in the hope that they will endure. I've noticed that few people want to hear about your "relics" and "treasures." They hold little interest to anyone else. Some will stick in the mind of your children and grandchildren and will be saved, but the story is often lost. I'm fortunate to have a couple old things from my grandparents and the story with them. I'm certain it is only a small portion of the story, but it leads to imagination. I do enjoy thinking about that on occasion. What the rest of the story may have been I mean. So I have taken to writing down what each object is and what the value to myself is. That is an effort to place value upon them to those that follow after me. My hope is they can then tell the story and so what has past, endures. I do believe as long as the names are spoken the people live on, they endure. I feel like I have resurrected a few! And that gives me hope for the future. Laura Rose, you are not forgotten, although you died at 16 and your story is unknown to me. Rest in peace Laura Rose. Her spirit has endured, I feel it. And in some way I hope I endure as well. I believe that is the hope of each of us, it is hope for the future. Even when the future in uncertain and unknown. " In the wild struggle for existence, we want to have something that endures, and so we will fill our minds." (Rodney A Winters)  I'd say we all realize there will come the day when we are gone, but I also believe we all wish to remain. Thing is, I'm certain we do not get to choose what is left behind, that is decided by others. One mans trash is another mans' treasure. The Bible says, " For where your treasure is, there your heart is also." My legacy will be what is retained by others, by what endures of my heart. Those items of no value, that are invaluable. A paradox? 

the great illusion

  President Barack Obama ran on a ticket of change. Yes, things changed. Then trump won and things changed again. Presently we have Joe Biden who is doing his best to change things back to what Obama offered. Change is usually regarded as a good thing. If you google quotes about change the vast majority speak of change as a necessary thing, it is the means to progress. Yes overwhelmingly the attitude is change is a good thing. But it is my feeling change is really just the vehicle of optimism. I did find this quote from Ellen Glasgow, "All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward." And that is more in line with my thinking on the subject of change. Change comes from discontent. It isn't necessarily that we want something better, we just want something different. The reason many marriages collapse as well. It isn't change that grows a marriage, it is improvements. Yes, improvements are change but there is a fine distinction between the two. Improvements retain the base whereas improvements change the superficial. And in my experience it is the superficial that irritate us the most. What we sincerely believe does not change, nor should it. In truth, when we are shaken to our core we will react, often rashly and in a detrimental manner.

 Today we keep hearing about change, how things must change. What is it that needs changing however? From my point of view I see an attack on the basic moral and ethical values that created this nation. The change desired is an elimination of consequence. Whether that consequence is legal or spiritual, the consequence should be removed. That is to say, a far more permissive society is what is being hoped for, one in which all actions are excusable. I see the modification of civil law and spiritual law to accommodate just that. The most glaring example of that is this promotion of abortion as an alternative method of birth control. I know of no Bible that says, it's alright. Yet, the church today refuses to condemn that. Homosexuality is an accepted practice in some of our churches today, certainly a more permissive approach if ever there was one. A change for the better? I suppose if you are a homosexual that would seem to be the case. My Bible clearly states man shall not lie with man, that it is an abomination unto the lord. Read Leviticus 18:15-24 if you have any doubt about that. Should we change that book to read more along the lines some would like? Would that be a good change? For those wishing to engage in such I suppose it would. 

 But let's look beyond religion and look at civil laws. What is civil law? Civil laws pertains to private matters, not to criminal activities. Civil law deals with morals and ethics expected within the society. Civil law gives us the authority, think permission, to act in a certain fashion. The challenge lies in separating the civil from the criminal. When we begin to shift criminal behaviors to the civil realm, that causes changes that disrupt the society the greatest. That is because you are now attacking core belief systems. So just what is criminal? Any act that violate our sense of morality as a nation is the short answer. IE: doing something wrong. It is only the degree of "wrong" that is delineated in the writing of law, codes, guidelines, suggestions or whatever. Premeditated murder, in the first degree. is the most serious of crimes. We all agree no one has the right to kill anyone else, well except sometimes. We call that justifiable homicide. Aborting a baby because you don't want a baby is justifiable homicide according to Roe V Wade. That was the decision. Was it right? No, I don't think so and should be changed. Entering the country illegally is a crime, yet, we are not supposed to call those people criminals. Why is that? Is it because of intent? They didn't intend to break our law, that was just a consequence of them crossing the border. They should not be subject to penalty? If I go to to a restaurant, eat my meal, and then not pay should I be a criminal? It wasn't my intent to break any law, I was just hungry. Same logic in my opinion. I feel the same way about the smoking of pot. It's illegal and if I do that I am subject to criminal penalties. Just because local authorities are now refusing to enforce that federal statue, the statue remains in effect and fully enforceable. My feelings on the law do not change the weight of the law. 

 Yes there should be changes in the law. Changes in what is criminal however, not in what is moral. Our founding fathers were well aware of a sense of morality and indeed, judgement. The judgement they feared the most was not civil penalty but the spiritual cost. That is what guided their beliefs and their reasoning. It is my belief that the vast majority of those "moral" beliefs that were actually criminal have been eradicated over the last two hundred and forty years of legislation. Slavery led the pack in my estimation. The belief that it was morally correct to enslave your fellow man is unbelievable to us today, yet, the practice continues in other parts of the world. I haven't heard of any great campaign to stop others from doing that. Other previously criminal activities have been legalized. What does that mean? Legal means, it may be immoral but it will be allowed. Generally speaking it is allowed as long as it is profitable to the government in some fashion. We are now using law to rewrite what is moral. And that is the great illusion. If we all acted in a moral and ethical fashion we wouldn't need thousands of laws! But man doesn't act that way, never has, never will. The big mistake has always been allowing the law to define morals. Worse yet is when we allow the law to eradicate morality! And that, that is what we are witnessing right now. Many are calling it change and it is certainly different that much can't be denied. As for me I will defer to Ms. Glasgow, " all change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. " I would add, all change is not growth, there are times when it becomes decay. We are entering a time of decay in my opinion, one that needs to be addressed. There comes a time to stand fast, hold your ground. That is what we need to do right now, to halt the spread of this rot. We can do that by replacing the "plants." Far too many in Congress are just that, plants. They are there to serve themselves and those that placed them in power. Well, we the people are the gardeners. I say we just transplant them! Time to weed out those that are not producing instead of reelecting them. Consider the current commander in chief. Forty seven years and what did he produce? A tax increase on  Social Security recipients, twice. Yet, he was elected to lead the nation? Someone was using miracle grow! I'll just leave that right there.    

how wrong is right?

  The first month of 2021 is almost over  and the world is still turning. I have to say it does seem a bit calmer than in previous months. I think that is because certain factions are attempting to establish a peace. Well, the truth is they are looking for a capitulation, not an agreement. The new leader has already signed 19 executive orders! It's a new record, making all other presidents look like slackers. Wasn't long ago that same person said using executive orders was the mark of a dictator. Guess he wants to firmly establish his position as that, and I have to say, he is of to a great start. Of course it is easier when your orders are just rescinding the previous ones. Yeah, doesn't take much thought to say, no. 

 It is rather amusing and frustrating to watch what is happening now. Biden made his promises, which he is already backing off of, there is nothing I can do to stop the pandemic. He did keep an unspoken promise however, more people unemployed. And where is that two thousand dollars that he was saying would be mailed out, day one? The plan is now to ask for an unreasonable amount of funds and blame the Republicans for not just signing the legislation. As I said, they are looking for a capitulation, not a compromise. They have the majority and intend to use that to their advantage regardless of the consequences. The attempt to silence and censor any opposition has begun. That is concerning enough but when you hear this discussion of a bill to fight "domestic terrorism" you should grow very concerned. That is the path to "political" prison. When the left leaning groups protested at the capital, throwing molotov cocktails, destroying property and injuring a great number of police officers that was called, a peaceful protest. Indeed members of their party spoke out saying, the protests shouldn't stop, that the people should press the issue. They were exercising their right to protest! Now, it is called an insurrection. The police force acknowledged they had prior knowledge that it was likely to happen. National Guard forces were requested and denied. The Police opened the doors! But, that is an insurrection? Perhaps it was nothing more than something politically expedient to the new world order. That is being dismissed as a conspiracy theory however. The conspirators speaking the rumors of conspiracy. Having firm control over the biggest sector of media sure benefits that cause. Any plot, any scheme uncovered can be dismissed as a conspiracy. Hey, there was only a little election fraud, not enough to change the outcome. Think about that statement for a moment. How much cheating is allowed? Just a little bit is okay. 

 I'll keep writing and pointing out what should be obvious. I've signed the petition for a convention of the states. I've seen some movement toward introducing a term limits bill. I fully support that of course. I think it may be introduced more as a preemptive strike than anything else. I'm certain career politicians do not want a convention of the states. It isn't only term limits, but talk of a balanced budget, there loss of perks and benefits, that sort of thing must scare the crap out of them. What if those people had to get a real job? But it is obvious to me that changes need to be made. No longer can we trust the integrity, morals or ethics of our elected officials. Jefferson, Jay, Monroe and Madison  never anticipated those qualities would be abandoned on such a large scale. They did expect elected officials to abide by their oaths of honor! Hey, in their day they would face each other in a deadly duel to preserve their honor. That was true even when that honor was a mere illusion, a perception. They were. after all, men like you and I. They had ideas and agendas of their own. They just never imagined that the abuse of power would be so obvious, so contrived.

 The coming years will be a turning point in American politics. I have no doubt about that. Change, big change is coming. I have doubts that this generation is up to the challenge. Self denial isn't the strong point it once was. Can the population be pacified with a government handout? Looks like they are going to try. And the implementation of policies that favor minorities in the name of equality. It's not equal when you receive favored treatment! That should be obvious, but that simple point is being lost on many. Not much I can do, but I will not give up. Sometimes you do just have to give them what they ask for, enough rope to hang themselves, as the saying goes. 

time and charges

  I shared a little story yesterday, and in that story was the mention of phone booths. Isn't it strange that I should remember the location of a great number of them in my hometown. Well, alight maybe not a great number, but a number of then. When I was young they were made out of aluminum. The frame was anyway, with a bi-fold door. The phone was black with a small shelf beneath it, to hold your change I suppose. A big phone book hung from a chain beneath that. When walking to town I would check the change return on every one I passed, sometimes collecting enough for a pack of baseball cards or a piece of candy. Those booths made a fine shelter from a passing shower as well. If I remember correctly a local call was ten cents. I certainly didn't make many calls, after all, who was I going to call? I didn't want to call home most of the time, no point in that, I already knew what time I had to be home and they didn't want to be bothered with any bad news. Truth be told, I only knew a few numbers in the first place. I have a vague memory of when my home phone number began with a letter, J I think, followed by four numbers. After that it begin with 324, you didn't use area codes unless it was a long distance call. For that you needed the help of the operator.

 If you didn't have a dime and really needed to make a call you could ask the operator to make it a collect call. If the person accepted the charges you were connected. If you just wanted to let that person everything was alright, for whatever reason, we had a little trick for that. When the operator would ask for your name you gave her, and it was always a her, some fake name. The person being asked if they would accept the charges would simply say no, your message got through without you saying a word. I thought that was pretty clever. You could even work out other code words to relay information without having to pay that dime. I'm certain the operators were all well aware of all that.

 Ah, the phone booth. It was like a beacon on a dark night. Well it was as long as someone hadn't broken the light. It's amazing that there wasn't more vandalism than what there was. The booths I frequented rarely had any damage to them. They were a bit dirty, trash on the floor and graffiti written on the phone itself, but the glass wasn't broken and the door worked. They also served as markers, like a 1960's GPS. I'm at the phone booth down in the hook, by the liquor store. Or I might be in the one, in the parking lot, by Rexall. They were often places to meet your friends.

 Today I see a phone booth every now and again. I'm not certain if they are functional. There were two on the corner here in Greensboro. They weren't really booths though, they just had those little side plates on each side. When I first moved here, before I had a home phone, I did use those phones. It was on one of those phones that I received the news of my fathers passing. I had just returned from visiting him in the hospital, in Florida. I called my Mom to check on him and she told me he had passed. Those little "booths" still hang on the pole down there, without phones, and I am often reminded of that day when I see them. That was in 1990! Thirty one years later and I will not forget those phones. The "bank" of phone booths they had in basic training during my Navy days stays with me as well. Standing in a long line waiting for a booth. There was a set time for that, once a month was it. If you didn't get in a booth in the allotted time, too bad, better luck next time. I can only imagine what messages had been sent over those phone lines. 

 Time and progress have changed all of that. Gone are the days when you would be asked, do you have a dime to make a call if you have to?  When going places far from home, twenty miles or more, we often carried a dime for emergencies. That dime would be hidden somewhere, stashed just in case. Maybe it was stuck in the corner of your wallet, or even in your shoe, but it was your lifeline. When I was in the Navy we would roll a dime inside our neckerchief to ensure you could make a call if you had too. Why we didn't just think of calling collect I can't say, of course if you were calling the Navy they wouldn't accept charges anyway. Today we all carry a phone around, with a camera, still and video, and access to the internet with the proper calling plan. As far as I remember we only had one plan back then, connected or not connected. A dime would get you three minutes, that was the plan. Time and charges could be requested after the call ended. I called collect once , from Spain! Yes, I had been drinking a few beers and called home. Don't remember the time, either in Spain or at home, but Mom accepted the charges. It cost over fifteen dollars! I remember that because Dad reminded me almost every time I called. Yes, I called from a phone booth on some street in Spain, Barcelona to be exact. Long Distance! 

Time and charges. Yes it's been some time and there has been some changes. Now you could call home but the people you are calling aren't home. No matter, they will still answer the phone. Now you have to ask, are you home? Today few people have a phone, attached to the wall, with a cord on it. You still see desk phones though, mostly at a place of business with multiple lines. I expect that will change at some point. I'm thinking when we are all connected. Time and changes having replaced time and charges.  

or can you?

 Ran across this quote while reading, "Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant." That gave me pause to think. My first thought was, first one must believe in fate. Fate is something I have given thought too but have yet to reach a definitive answer too. If God has given us free will wouldn't that mean we can choose our own fate? That statement was made by Seneca. Not the Indian though, the ancient philosopher. He was a stoic and hung out with the likes of Plato. I feel like I'm a bit of a stoic having been raised in New England, an area of the country known for that quality. Stoic philosophy stresses wisdom, courage, justice and temperance. Stoic people ae generally not openly emotional people. Sometime they are confused with cynics. Cynics and cynicism have over the centuries come to mean something different than what they were in ancient Greece. Socrates was a cynic.  For a cynic life was all about virtue. Material possessions weren't important. They were rather like the hippies of the ancient world. "The secret of happiness, you see, is not in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less."( Socrates) Today we think of a cynic as someone who distrusts everyone. A cynic today believes no one does anything without it being of benefit to themselves in some fashion. They always question the worth of everything. It's my thinking it is fairly easy to become cynical, it does become habit. I admit to struggling with that on a daily basis.

 But back to that quote, "fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant" and what it is saying. For me I think it is saying you have to believe in fate, in order to follow your fate. You have to be willing to believe, and that's where cynicism enters the picture. Of course the rest of the quote implies you will be dragged along whether you believe in fate or not. That's fate, unavoidable. It's my thought that happiness contentment, or whatever you wish to call it can only be achieved when you you recognize your fate. It is certainly what I feel most people are in search of, even when they aren't aware of that. Some settle for the short term goal while others struggle with eternity. That I believe is usually a product of age and maturity. When you are young it is right now that is important, then it becomes tomorrow and finally legacy, that is to say, what is left behind. What are we fated to leave behind? That is the question in the forefront of my thoughts this morning. It would seem to me, at this moment in time anyway, my legacy will be my words. Is it what I have chosen? No, I'd say that isn't true, it has become my fate. Well my fate for the moment anyway. Is fate an ever changing thing? Now there is something to think about. Is our fate shaped by the choices we make, or by our reaction to circumstance?

 Well that takes us beck to the first question, do you have to believe in fate? Yes I guess you do, belief is the most powerful force there is. We tend to think of belief as religion, but belief isn't necessarily defined in that way, the belief of the non-believer is just as strong. A bit of a paradox. "Fate leads the willing and drags along the reluctant." Guess you might as well follow what is going to drag you along anyway. The only difference is being willing to accept that which you can not know. I don't think you can know your fate, you have to live your life first. Your legacy is your fate, you can't change that. Or can you?   

A unifying message?

  I hear a lot of buzz about this Amanda Gorman, the poet at Joe Bidens inauguration. I hear that Morgan State offered her a job, doing what I'm not sure. I tried watching that recitation but admit to not making it to the end. I did go online and get a transcript of it however. A poem? Well a few of the words did rhyme, even though that isn't a prerequisite to composing a poem. Many people seem to believe what she wrote was wonderful, inspiring even. That isn't what I read though. I read a condemnation of the previous administration with veiled references to how evil that was. She wrote, " We've seen a force that would shatter our nation, rather than share it. Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. And this effort very nearly succeeded." It's clear what she is talking about and yes, the Democrats cheer! If you continue reading this poem you can see where it is a call to action, indeed a call to incite! So for me I hear it as a condemnation of the country, the very country that afforded this young person the opportunity to speak. A chance to spread propaganda to those that would listen and be beguiled by a silver tongue. I am not so easily fooled. What I read was nothing short of a condemnation of  America. 

 It's quite obvious why she was chosen. Hers was a message of "we" meaning the democrat's can unify the country. It was more of an admonishment than an inspiration. The underlying message was clear when you look past the flowery words and reconciliatory phrasing. America has been a terrible nation but we can make it better. Any ideas you may have had concerning America's greatness should be cast aside. It's going to be a new world order. The Americans will be usurped! " but while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated." Those are her words, her thought. What is she saying? Democracy delayed? Yes it has been for 244 years and if I have my way will remain that way. We live in a Republic, a government of the people and by the people, not a simple democracy with mob rules! Perhaps this young lady isn't aware of that. I just found the whole dissertation as a hypocritical condemnation of America and American values. 

 Yeah I know, she's wildly popular. I don't care. She reads well, puts on a captivating performance, articulate in a refined Rap sort of way. But I found her message to be false, hypocritical and condescending. " We will rebuild, reconcile and recover" recover from what? And this is supposed to be a message of mercy and unity? Only if you agree with them, only if you agree. If not, "we will rise" is repeated over and over again in that poem. "We" who is we? It isn't we the people that she is talking about, she is talking about a political ideology, one to replace the Republic. I really don't care about her age, ethnicity, or background. I read her words and the meaning is clear. and I don't agree with the premise she proposes. Democracy must be defeated at every turn, just as it has been, as Franklin stated, a Republic, if you can but keep it. I will not surrender the Republic. Nope, ain't going to happen. A unifying message, an inspiration? No, I don't think so.    

Rules for a Republic

  If anything good has come out of all the chaos lately it is that more people are reading the constitution. That isn't to say everyone is reading that document to understand what it says exactly but more to bolster their own belief in what they think it says. Of course the bill of rights draws the most attention. The reason for that is simple enough to understand, the bill of rights is what is guaranteed to each one of us; citizens that is. That part is often glossed over somewhat, the being a legal citizen part I mean. Today we have some working to remove that qualification altogether, a simple I stepped over the border being sufficient. The other main topic of discussion concerns the second amendment, the right to bear arms. That right is under attack, those in power wishing to be the only ones with the guns! The reason we secured that right for ourselves in the first place being to not allow that to happen. We had already seen what happens when government restricts the citizens from defending themselves. The second amendment is quite clear, quite succinct, it says: " a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. " Perhaps the word militia confuses some, a militia is a military force raised from the civilian population, that's you and I. Makes sense we should own a gun doesn't it? A militia would need to be raised in what circumstance? If the government forces were to try to impose martial law upon the people! You know, a military coup. That's what I'm talking about. 

 There is a great deal of this is what it says, but that isn't what it means, depending of your position. A lot of what we call reading between the lines. Personally I think that is wrong in this situation. It took that convention 116 days to write that document. It took about 90 days of debating the text after it had been written. I believe the words were carefully chosen and their meaning made perfectly clear. I don't believe we should be second guessing that. Yes some of the words are funny to us, the manner of expression a bit strange, but it is written in the English language. 

 In the case of impeachment Article One, section three states, " judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further then to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States: but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable, and subject to indictment, trial, judgement and punishment, according to law. " So what does that mean? Seems clear to me and I'm certainly no lawyer or constitutional scholar, impeachment can remove a person from office, additionally it can prevent that person from holding any office again. Now in the case of Trump he is no longer in office, don't see how you can remove him from an office he doesn't hold. So, if any Senate trail where to take place it has to center on whether he could hold office again. The rule does say the person convicted is still subject to civil penalties. Seems to me if you do not want Trump to run again you would have to pursue that penalty in a civil court. You can't impeach a man that doesn't hold the office. "impeachment shall not extend further than removal from office." Yes, it continues with, and, a word that means, in addition to. If you can not remove him from office, he's already gone, you can't, in addition, bar him from office. Hey, that's just what it says. 

 Today we are worried about pronouns. When that document was composed it was understood that all men meant all people, that man, humanity, was all the same thing. Today we see such nonsense as, gender identification being questioned, male, female or other? There are only two options! When asking for a statement of fact, there really are only two answers, opinions notwithstanding. He, she, him and her can now be offensive? It's offensive to state an obvious fact? Strange, if I go to a department store they have it clearly marked, men's, women's, boy's, and girl's sections. Should I be offended? Should the bra's be available in the men's section? Athletic supporters next to the thongs? My only point here being, pronouns are not offensive and make it clear about whom we are speaking. Yes, there are he's and she's. That isn't to say there aren't aberrations to that, but that aberration wouldn't be obvious. 

 I do think it is a good thing that more people are reading the constitution. Of course it is my hope that more people read and understand what that document is all about. Civics isn't a subject that gets much attention in my opinion. People seem to be more concerned with what that document guarantees them, than what obligation that same document places upon them. Yes, as citizens we do have an obligation to the government. We are the government! The obligation is to follow the precepts set forth. That is what the founding fathers were writing. Rules for a Republic! Yes today many are aware of a book, Rules for Radicals. and can tell you the authors of that. James Madison is often credited with writing our constitution. He did get help from Alexander Hamilton. They were the authors of the federalist papers. How many people today even know what the federalist papers were all about? If you are like me and not a lawyer or scholar you should read them for an explanation of what the Constitution is all about. That is what they were written for, to convince New Yorkers to ratify the constitution. Gives a great explanation. Public officials and members of the military take an oath to defend that constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. What is it that they are defending really?  They are defending a dream, an ideology as stated in that document. It is stated clearly in the preamble: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, etc, you know the rest. That's what we are defending. A militia, which is considered as a necessary to a free state, owes just as much loyalty to that document as any public official or military member. You are a member of that militia the moment you become a citizen. Will you promise to defend that constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic or will you choose surrender? I'd suggest you read and understand that document carefully. We is a subject pronoun, we the people means you and I, pronouns are important. let's not dismiss them. 

 If we are to maintain the Republic, for which we stand, not kneel or otherwise ignore. we should all do one simple thing, read the manual. Seek to understand the instructions as they were written. Don't skip over paragraphs or pages. Yes it takes time and I know we all anxious to get what we want but the thing is this; it takes time to understand the instructions. Sometimes we may not like those instructions but we shouldn't change them. Change the instructions and you will not get what it was designed to be, you will get something less. It was designed to be, a more perfect union. 

a difference that matters

  When our differences no longer matter we will have succeeded. I wrote yesterday about differences and from comments I received I felt like I hadn't really explained what I was thinking. And so after spending the day celebrating my grandsons birthday, and letting my thoughts percolate some more I'm going to try once again. I was saying how we should concentrate less on celebrating our differences and concentrate more on finding our commonalities. The more we separate ourselves by those differences the less united we are going to become. It seems a rather obvious statement to make but one I feel necessary. Consider your family, those closest to you. Each person is different but we barely notice that and when we do we laugh about it. We don't hold a celebration, just a simple acknowledgement. The differences really don't matter. 

 The danger inherent in that is apathy. Apathy is when you just don't care. The opposite of that is, of course empathy. The first allows us to do nothing at all and the later inspires us to action. The issue being allowing emotion to rule your life. It is possible to empathize with others while not accepting their feeling as valid. Yes, I know it feels valid to them, I get that, which I why I also stated that belief is far stronger than fact. That doesn't mean I have to accept your belief. I can empathize, experience and understand your feeling, but remain detached from that as well. That's what mentors do. We have professionals we call psychologists that do that for a living. Yes, they go to college for that and with that training get to pass judgement on your mental health. Strange isn't it? They are often admired and indeed consulted and when they say you have a mental disorder that is taken as fact. They aren't called names or accused of lacking empathy. That's true even when there is another equally qualified expert saying just the opposite. The list of recognized disorders is periodically revised. Yes, what was crazy yesterday is perfectly fine today. It's a part of the morality of convenience that I have noticed emerging over the last decade or so. The book doesn't specifically say it is wrong so therefore it is right. But I've written about that in the past and I will revisit it in the future I'm sure. It is different from the way I was raised and I don't accept that. It's a difference that matters to me. 

 Difference and division. I believe we have progressed beyond appearances. Oh it is often used as an a reason, an explanation or excuse but I think that isn't as prevalent as it was in the past. What we are experiencing now is cultural differences, Much harder to see and to define because culture is rooted in belief. America is struggling with cultural differences. Culture is defined as the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people or social group .It is the cultural differences that divide. When we first formed this nation there was a commonality of culture. We welcomed people from all lands and became for a number of years known as the great melting pot. That was simply because those coming here adopted the culture of America, Yes, they became Americans with a past that included another cultural experience. They did not impose that culture upon the existing culture however. I'm not sure when that ended exactly and I'm certain it does continue on some level anyway but it isn't the norm anymore. That's why all the hyphenations. African-American, Mexican-American, etc. etc. The other culture being placed first. But it extends even beyond that to ideological culture. As Americans we are losing our cultural identities! It is now Americans that are being melted in the pot! Something different will emerge. There's no guarantee it will be better. For me, it marks a beginning of the end. The Republic itself is in jeopardy. It was Americans that formed the Republic. That was the culture. Today all we hear is it's a Democracy. Democracies decline into despotisms ( Aristotle) He went to say, " The real difference between democracy and oligarchy is poverty and wealth. Wherever men rule by the reason of their wealth, whether they be few or many, that is an oligarchy, and where the poor rule, that is democracy. Who controls the government today? The wealthy is the answer. Whether through their lobbying efforts, control of the media, or by direct payments they are in firm control. The differences they create ensure they retain that power. Do not allow the "poor" to unite. No, division is all important to their cause of total control.      

differences

  I left this thought in response to a Facebook posting and thought it would make a good blog post, so here it goes. Instead of celebrating our differences we should focus on discovering our commonalties. Tolerance is not the same thing as acceptance or inclusion. Many fail to understand the differences. We see our nation sharply divided and wonder why? Both sides are firm in their beliefs. And make no mistake about it, belief is far stronger than facts. That is the nature of man and that alone needs to be recognized. I'll repeat that, belief is far stronger than facts. 

 Over the last few years celebrating our differences has become a mantra. The more differently we define ourselves from the whole, the less of the whole we will have. Think of it this way, there is only so much icing on the cake. That is what is causing the division. Far too many identifying with the icing and not the cake. The cake is the foundation! Yes there is an inequity in that, the icing is sweet and the cake is not. Still the cake tolerates the icing it doesn't attempt to become the icing. That metaphor is a bit strained but I hope you get the idea. What I'm saying is we need to identify as one, not as many. E Pluribus Unum, just like it says on the great seal of the United States; out of many, one. 

 The way I see it the division is because so many feel like they are different from everyone else. The search for excuses and exceptions. Mostly all of that is an effort to gain an advantage of some type while decrying equality. I'm disadvantaged in some way. If it isn't economically, it's biologically. If that doesn't work  I can try spiritualty. But proposing a standard is labeled as racist! I'm not sure when it happened but many now believe being American is a race. Being an American, loving America and adopting her values doesn't make you a racist. Still, that's what we hear don't we?  What you are is a nationalist. Being a nationalist is a terrible thing, why it's like being proud of your family name or something. A nationalist believes in political independence for their nation. Yes, those folks are loyal to their country! Nationalism, omg, that's what Nazis' where. No, that was the name of a political party in Germany. A party that rose to power on empty promises of wealth and prosperity. Yes, it sure sounded good at the time. The Nazi's, the National Socialist German Workers Party, promised many things and kept practically none of those promises. There objective was to gain power, not to make the nation a better place for the workers. But the workers were duped for a while. By the time the real agenda became apparent it was too late. Being a nationalist isn't wrong, what you do with that nationalism is what counts. I believe in taking care of America first, and everyone else will just have to stand in line. It isn't a matter of taking care of America to the exclusion of all others, it is a matter of priorities. I'm tired of those wishing to cut the line! 

 It is my belief that is where the division begins. The difference being what is best for the nation, compared to what is best for the individual. President Trump, in my opinion, centered his efforts on America and American interests. His was strictly a business approach. Sure made a lot of folks upset that can't be denied. For that reason he has been called by every name you can imagine, indeed the assault continues. Were those actions what was best for the country? I don't see how. Four years of that culminated in what we saw at the capitol. But those on the left need to blame someone else. It's always that way. There's an attitude of me first, country second. Let's all celebrate our differences! Well all I can say is, I can sing and Elvis Presley could sing, we just sang differently. We could celebrate that but in the final alanyls Presley sang better than I do. It would be better for everyone to listen to him. It's what is best. I shouldn't attempt to force you to do otherwise. 

 America is a land of tolerance. That was written into the Constitution. Adoption of your beliefs was not! We the people in order to form a more perfect union; that means what is best for everyone, a union. That was the thinking, It was the thinking behind trade unions at one time as well. Today unions do little for the working man but a whole lot for the union bosses. That's because the unions wield the power, not the people in them. A subtle thing that goes unnoticed. The federal government can go down that same path if we allow that to happen. How does it happen? When the people grow content with whatever that government offers on an individual level. The concern isn't for the whole, it is for the individual. How much can I get? Unions tell people when to go to work and when not to. They even pay those that strike when told, with other union mens' wages that is. Today the government is doing the same thing, only difference being, many of those have never gone to work a day in their life! Who's paying them? The one's working. 

 It is a matter of belief. That is the bottom line here. As I said in the opening paragraph, belief is far stronger than fact. If one where to prepare a simple list of the accomplishments of Trump and compare that to a list of Obama's accomplishments that becomes obvious enough. What I believe to be accomplishments, what was best for the country certainly wasn't what Obama did! There are those that believe the opposite. The big difference? The manner in which the media reported those accomplishments. How did it come to be that so many hate Trump? Was it simply because he defeated Hillary Clinton? Is that the sole reason? Remember they wanted to impeach him before he even won the election. Why? I'll tell you why, because Trump was going to put America first! That was surely going to disrupt business as usual. For that reason he had to be vilified. He is an outsider. Yes, in the party of inclusion, of tolerance, of acceptance and understanding, the party of empathy and compassion for all, he was different! He had to be squashed. And that is the bottom line. That's what I believe.      

necessity

  Every once in a while a picture, a photograph or just a momentary glimpse will inspire me. Often I find that I am inspired with what I hadn't noticed the first time I looked. I discover that later on. Maybe that is what people see in those abstract pictures, I rarely take a second look at them. I much prefer real life when it comes to art. This morning as I browsed my memories page on Facebook there was a picture there I had taken some years back. I remembered taking that snapshot and even a comment someone had left on it after I posted it. I took the picture because of the redness of the sky that particular morning. I was reminded of an old adage, often repeated when I was growing up, "red in the morning sailors take warning, red at night sailors delight." Taking that picture from my front porch, or deck if you prefer because it is on the second floor, the tops of the telephone poles and all the associated wiring shows up in stark contrast to that sky. Perhaps it was the sailor reference that inspired the thought of rigging. It is that rigging that connects us to the world these days. There are electrical supply lines, telephone lines, internet cables, television cables and probably others that I'm not aware of. Those poles are the masts of today. It isn't lost on me that they are cross shaped either, unintended but still there nonetheless. A design of necessity. 

 When that picture came up on my page all those thoughts came to me simultaneously. That's why I'm trying to write it all down. It's a method of sorting through it all. I can't help but think about discoveries I have made about my ancestors and the sea. Turns out quite a number of them were whalers. Yes it is an occupation that has fallen out of favor in the modern world and they did attempt to hunt those whales to extinction. There were only a few species of interest to them, the sperm whale and the right whale chief among them. I imagine an ancestor of mine staring through the rigging as he clings to the mast scanning the horizon. Looking for the days pay to just come swimming by. How they must have loved a red sky in the morning. That red sky was evidence that just over the horizon, to the east, was clear skies. The suns' ability to illuminate the haze to the west is that proof. 

 I thought how the rigging of today connects us all and how the rigging of yesterday did the same If you were looking through the rigging of a sailing ship, you were likely at sea. If you were a whaler the time of your return was uncertain. The voyage ended when the barrels were full of whale oil. That could take a year or more, You did have to maintain the rigging to continue the voyage. Today we have to maintain the rigging to remain in touch with each other. Hard to imagine living today without all that rigging. Of course we are pushing for wireless methods just as sailing ships were replaced by engines. Then we could go ever farther and faster. I'd say the world in general has taken that path, ever farther and faster. Lines, rigging, running everywhere, connecting and leading, some we follow to unknown destinations. It is a maze. Sometimes we are lost. 

 I don't know I was just inspired once again when I saw that picture. The background attracted my attention but what was in the forefront inspired the thoughts. How often that happens. The background catches our attention and we fail to see the whole picture. We focus on the background and not what is right before our eyes. You see it was the sky that caught my attention, the rigging was just in the way. Yes the sky is inspiring all on its' own there is no denying that. But viewing that sky through the rigging of life is another matter altogether. The meaning becomes much deeper. Instead of enjoying the simple pleasure of a morning sky my mind is occupied with other thoughts. Thoughts of the journey. A journey without a set destination, we really don't know where we are going, yet we continue to sail on trying to fill our barrels. And when the barrels are full? Another voyage awaits. Keep your eye on the horizon. It is easy to become focused on what lies directly in front of us. a sort of attraction is created, like a moth to the flame. That can make the voyage almost untenable if we allow it to happen. Look to the horizon instead and chart your course carefully.  

                                                                               

transition of power

  The reality is we have a new president. He is not one I have chosen and one I believe will do more harm than good. That being said, he is the president. As I sort through my emotions the one I'm struck with is, anxiety. Yes, I'm feeling just a bit anxious. I feel like I'm watching a movie and we have reached the part where the villain has the upper hand. Our republic is being held hostage with no one to rescue it. The villagers have circled the castle but to no avail. I'm confident a hero will appear on the scene, someone to inspire and lead the villagers, it's just a matter of time. But the reality remains, I'm on the edge of my seat. 

 Now I can remain anxious and point out every flaw in the villain but that will accomplish nothing. So I will focus upon an Article Five convention in the hope that will come to fruition. I won't lose sight that 34 out of the one hundred house seats are up for reelection in November of 2024. Control of the house can be regained. I will keep reminding others that it is in our representatives that the power of the people resides, not just in the president. It is the legislature that can impose the will of the people upon the president. And that is why I fully support a convention of the states, to impose that will. A convention of the states is not to remove a sitting president, its' purpose isn't to do that, it is rather to codify those common sense ideals that were taken for granted by the original framers of the constitution. It isn't the constitution that has changed over two and a half centuries, it is the character of our politicians. No longer is honor central to their character, the acquisition and retention of power has replaced that. And for those reasons alone, we need to change the rules of the game.

 I believe we need to begin with term limits. Two terms should be sufficient. Two and you are done, forever. In that way favors can not be promised so readily. I would also include a set number of days they have to be at work! No more of this coming to work when the mood strikes. No work, no pay, just like everyone else in the country. In the past the house has averaged 146 days in session per year. That's about 40% of the time. The average American goes to work 68% of the year. I think our representatives should have to work just as many days as we do. Then once we have them actually going to work benefits can be discussed. No more lifetime pensions for serving in the legislature. No, that isn't happening. Social Security, a 401K, or some other form of investment is highly recommended. 

 I do think before any of that can happen however we need to secure the vote. Regardless of any feelings you have either way, the vote needs to be secured. I hear murmurs of having to have a vaccination card in order to travel around the country. You already have to have a drivers license, proof that you are eligible and/or qualified to drive a car anywhere why shouldn't you haver to do the same to vote? That, to me, is the first common sense thing to do to secure the vote, a national voter ID law. Perhaps you would require a pin number. Wow, there's a thought, a pin number to secure your vote. How many pin numbers are in use today? Must be in the hundreds of millions, the majority are only four digits. If you can use the same number more than once that means there are ten thousand possible combinations. And yet, no one is having their bank account drained by others guessing your number. Why is that? Two step verification is the answer. That is what we should require when casting your vote. 

 Those are just a couple thoughts I have. I realize there will be many people happy when Biden gives them money. The main stream media is going to extoll everything he does as miraculous and so great. Indeed, I'm expecting to hear the virus is under control within a month or so, well, at least by summer. People will surrender their freedoms without question. Censorship will be an everyday thing. Mandatory this and that will be viewed as patriotic. It's best for everyone else if you just comply. The normalization of aberrant behaviors will continue unchecked. Lies will be told as truth! It's already happening. I've heard it said, well there wasn't significant voter fraud, not enough to worry about. Really? How much crime is allowed? They only robbed a small amount from the bank, not enough to worry about. That's the thinking that scares me. It's only a little wrong. Biden won fair and square, there was only a little cheating going on. That's what the winners say. And I'm supposed to just ignore that. No, I'll be advocating for a rule change, one where any cheating is considered a serious offense. I'll also advocate for a change in the players to prevent some of this, I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine, legislating. Too many bedfellows in Washington in my opinion. 

 It is what it is. The movie isn't over. I'm anxious to see how it all comes out. I have my guesses about plot changes. All I can do right now is watch. I've signed the petition and will continue to inform and advocate for that. I'll be casting my ballot in November of 2022  for my representative. I'd like to able to say I won't say anything about Biden but that would be a lie. I'll be giving my opinion, vigorously and often I'm sure of that. Having heard the calls for unity from the very people that created the divide in the first place to say I'm non compliant will be an understatement. There was nothing civil about the way the left has conducted themselves over the last four years. The seeds were planted and now you have to live with what has grown! Be prepared for a legislative attack like you have never witnessed before. No one is above the law. The people can change that law, and I'm predicting we will. That's what I will remain anxious about, excited even. Yes I fully support a peaceful transition of power. That transition will be from our representatives back to the people. We the people will limit their power, their terms, and their conditions of employment. The job application form (vote) just got changed!    

shut up

  As I checked my notifications on Facebook this morning I was met with an exclamation point and a warning. I was informed that my comment had violated community standards. My comment was classified as hate speech. Well, being the curious sort that I am I did have to read that comment to refresh my memory. What had I written? Turns out I wrote nothing more than the truth punctuated by a rhetorical question. The truth is hateful? Apparently in the Facebook community it has been deemed so. I did submit feedback saying I disagreed with their determination. I got a response saying how busy they are but was assured that decision would be reviewed. 

 Now I've said all of this before but feel it important for me to repeat it once again. Facebook is a privately owned company. I do not pay to use it. That being said I do agree that they have the right to censor whatever I choose to post. I don't feel it is a violation of my first amendment rights in any way. It's their social media platform, their property. I do not have to use it. I don't like it when they choose to censor me. That's especially true when I don't agree with their reasoning. That brings us back to that hateful comment I was accused of making. I had read where Joe Biden has selected a person who calls himself Rachel Levine to be asst. secretary of health. The headline was, of course, highlighting the fact that he was a transgender man. It was being suggested we should all celebrate that because, he would be the first openly transgender man to serve in the federal government. Apparently quite the accomplishment. It was on that topic I left my thoughts. The exact quote has been blocked, even from my own view, and so I'll try to reconstruct it as best as I remember. 

 That is a man. I pointed out that you could add or subtract body parts, wear different clothing or call yourself by a different name but your gender remains unchanged. I further asked if they believed in science. I explained that science would prove what I say to be the truth, a simple dna test would confim that. I asked, if a person thought they were a dog would you feel the same way? It's the same thing. Believing yourself to be something other than what you are, I believe, is psychotic. And that is was declared hate speech. In my view I said nothing hateful, I told the truth of the matter. That's what bothers me. I get it is their platform, their opinion, but when the truth is deemed hateful we have a problem. Belief is not fact! That person believes he is a woman, but he is not. He is a man pretending to be a woman. I fail to understand how that simple fact is hateful. And it is that fact alone that I was talking about, hence the rhetorical question. If I believe myself to be a mountain goat would it be hateful for you to tell me otherwise? 

 The thing is the censors decided it was hateful, assuming I hate this person or hated transgender people in general. Whereas I do believe they have a mental disorder I didn't say he shouldn't have that job or be harmed in any way, I just said, he is a male of the species. A basic scientifically verified fact. I do question why it is considered alright, perfectly fine, and indeed a cause for celebration, for an individual to pretend to be what they are not, depending upon which delusion they choose. As I said I could believe myself to be a superhero but that doesn't make me a superhero. In normal circles that would be considered delusional. But believing yourself to be a different gender than what you are, a biological assignment at the moment of conception, is alright? That is the issue I have comprehending. I would further state this. If you know you are a man but pretend to be a woman, and admit that by calling yourself a transgender, why is it offensive? I'm just telling you something you already know! So what you are saying is, telling the truth is offensive and hateful? 

 Well whatever the case is, I found it amusing. I'm not offended that they chose to delete, block or otherwise not allow my comment. In fact it just tells me they are afraid of the truth. When you are told to shut up that means they don't want to hear it. The reason is usually, it upsets their delusions. I get it, I felt that way when I was teased as a child, he can't hit the ball! I told them to shut up, even though I knew I really couldn't hit a curveball. Same thing in this case. It's a guy that thinks he wants to be a woman but knows he is a man. Shut up! LOl. If you are offended by your own beliefs, you really do haver a problem.

let me explain

  My interest in history and in my ancestors has grown over the years. I have given that some thought, wondering why that should be so. Then I thought, maybe it is simply because it seems so much closer now, history that is, you know, at my age. The whole subject just seems a bit more topical. Seriously though, I do question why I've become so interested in that. Is it a desire to have answers to questions that I never asked? What I mean is, as far as family history there are many unanswered questions that could have been answered had I chosen to ask before it became history. Well those that knew the answers are history now and that is the problem. Of course I wonder if the answer I was given, had I asked, would have been the truth or some alternative fact. We hear a lot of alternative facts these days. Alternative facts are always presented as progressive. We used to believe this now we believe that. Or was it that, then this? It is fact that interests me though, stories can be an amusement or a means to disparage, but facts tell the true sequence of events. 

 It is a thought I had when I first started writing these blogs and the thought lingers. If we don't write our own story somebody else will. I'm just not too comfortable with that. I have been writing down my thoughts, feelings, and perceptions all along. I've started writing a book, several times, and in several formats. The problem with my book writing is that is more of an autobiography than anything else. I get writing and then stumble, what I stumble over are alternative facts. That is to say, recording the truth of the matter. It's quite difficult to just bare it all. That is especially true when you feel the need to provide an explanation. That is what the premise of my book started out to be, an explanation. I was given life, either by god, nature, chance, or circumstance and feel an obligation to explain the expenditure of that life. Alternative facts are often nothing more than excuses or explanations. Both often fall upon deaf ears. 

 Perhaps my interest is really in knowing how I fit into the picture. Where is my place in history. I'm aware that my part in history is limited, and that is just a simple fact. There is no alternative to that fact. One day it will be written down. I'll be history. I know it sounds bad and we all like to avoid the topic but it is a constant in the universe. It's all part of a master plan. I think it would have to be, planned that is. It's hard to imagine a universe this ordered completely by accident. It's really the are old question each of us have, why. Why are we here and what is our purpose? We have been looking to the skies for that answer since the very beginning. It wasn't lost on mankind that certain objects in the sky remain constant. At first we believed we were fixed, then we realized that wasn't so. That created quite a stir if you recall your history. The Pope wasn't happy about that, in fact, he thought of it as an alternative fact! We know what happened. Galileo wrote a book about it and never relented his position. Eventually the church had to concede to the truth. It was quite a turning point. No pun intended. 

 I don't hold any illusion about knowing the truth. I only know my truth, not yours. And it is my truth I wish to record. I think the thing that bothers me more than anything else is becoming a curiosity. That is what my autobiography would be to my descendants. I believe that to be the truth based on my own curiosity. I search old records, census, land , and other official documents. The items I find in Newspapers however are the one I really want, or any letters, postcards or other writings about the individual. That is what satisfies my curiosity. Something as simple as knowing that my grandmother called her father Papa makes her real. The grandmother I speak of passed shortly after giving birth to my dad. I have only that postcard that she wrote as evidence, but the evidence is conclusive. It's a fact. A fact in her life. The thing is I don't like the thought of it, I'll be a curiosity. I don't want anyone asking, who was that guy? I want them to know who I was, or at the very least, who I believe myself to be. And that, that takes some explaining. The questions I need to answer for myself are; just who am I explaining that life too? Do I owe an explanation? Yes, I think I do. Some people pray for salvation with the same hope I have, understanding. It isn't forgiveness that consumes my thoughts, it's understanding. All you can do is tell the facts, the truth as you understand it to be. If you are asking for forgiveness you have already decided that you were wrong. I believe I won't know that until it's over, being right or wrong that is. In the meantime, let me explain. 

idle hands

 Idle hands do the devils work. That is an adage I heard from my grandmother. a woman that was always doing something. I wonder if perhaps that isn't the cause of a lot of the troubles we see in the world today. Too many idle hands and overactive minds. I've always enjoyed the physicality of work. That is to say, just the physical activity required to get a job done. Thing is man has always sought an easier way to accomplish a task. We want to do it faster, with less effort, to increase productivity. An increase in productivity is an increase in profit. An increase in profit enables more leisure time. The more leisure time we have, the more our "hands" are idle, the more questionable becomes our behaviors. The pastimes that amuse and entertain us are often destructive as well. Destructive of our moral values for the most part is my thinking.

 Exercise has become a business. Think about that for just a moment.  In our effort to make things easier and faster, we created a need to exercise our bodies. We started suffering from idle hands! So, now we have clubs, with instructors, to teach us how to use our muscles. That wasn't much of a necessity in years past, when living was a bit more physical than it is today. We really didn't think about exercising back then, we thought about working. Man started with a few simple stone tools and a lot of physical effort. Then we started making it easier. Somewhere along the way we have lost our sense of balance. There are just too many idle hands. 

 You know it has been my observation that people tend to do what is necessary. As a general rule I believe people will do what needs to be done regardless of the effort required. In the past that often required much physical activity. That activity was often repetitive, like chopping down a tree with an axe. It really doesn't require a great deal of brain power, although there are skills to be learned, but it kept your hands busy. As a consequence your mind was freed up to think. And that, that is what Grandma was really talking about. What we may call critical thinking these days. If your hands are not involved in doing some constructive task, they will find something to do, something that tends to satisfy your emotional side. That is to say, entertainment. Isn't that what we do when we are not engaged in something of an industrious nature? We find ways to entertain ourselves. Those entertainments aren't always beneficial. A lack of critical thinking occurs. Some people choose to entertain as a means of being industrious. And sometimes those people become the most admired people in society. I see that happening in America today. We are placing entertainment above industry, and suffering as a consequence. Too many idle hands. 

 Today man is concerned more with staying alive, than he is with living. That is evident when we watch those seeking adventure. The adventure of today was just life a hundred years ago. I watch the mountain men and homesteaders on those television shows and that is what I see. Yes, the program is designed to make it appear exciting, bold, dangerous and those folks are struggling to survive. The reality is there are camera crews, para medics, and no one is going hungry. One one show the "homesteader" is harvesting timber to sell, it'll get him through the winter. He's using a 250,000 dollar excavator to accomplish the task. Well, hardly a frontiersman in my opinion. But it is entertaining to watch anyway. I suppose you still get that feeling of accomplishment that comes with that sort of life. I'm thinking you have to have a pretty good income to do that however. Banks don't lend money without some form of security. And that is the modern world. Yes, I know homesteading is still a possibility, but you can't start that with an ax and a dream anymore. 

 I don't know I was just thinking that perhaps if we all had to work a little harder, had a little less free time, and kept ourselves busy things would be better. Man has always sought the easier path, human nature I guess. Is that the premise behind the Amish and Mennonites faith? They certainly keep their hands busy. It is fascinating to me that the children almost always choose to remain in their communities. I have read where, at a certain age, they are allowed to go into the world and give it a whirl. They almost always return. Is it simply the attraction of home and the familiar? I can see that. Perhaps life outside that world is just an entertainment overload for them. Moral and ethical values? Or just a simple sense of community. Maybe that is it. When we had to work together, as a labor force, communities were bonded together a little closer is my thinking. Now tucked away in our offices and cubicles that is being lost. Idle hands.    

A new declaration

  I was thinking about how our Congress, and government in general, has become so corrupted. Now when I say corrupted I mean in the sense it has been changed. This government isn't what the founding fathers envisioned. There were thinking in the terms of the ideal. And, that is what they tried to write down. It isn't that they were really any different than men today, but they had a different vision of the truth. In their world things like holding slaves where simple matters of fate. Fate caused empires to rise and fall and fate caused your personal fortune to rise and fall as well. It was the acceptance of fate that drove those men forward. For them fate could be influenced by strict personal behaviors, adherence to a code, and that code was often called Christianity. Some however called that influence by a different name, or no name at all, those people called themselves deists. They did believe in a power greater than themselves but felt no need to name that power. Was that a method to separate themselves from the doctrines of the church? Each denomination of the Christian faith does have its' own doctrine, its' own interpretation of the instructions. Each denomination is a corruption to some. That same corruption is the doctrine to another. And that is what I'm saying here, our government has become corrupted to the point that it is no longer functioning as it was designed to work. 

 First I think we have to remember in those days a mans word, his reputation was everything. It didn't mean he was perfect, it meant he tried not to allow anyone else to see his flaws. They would go to great lengths, including putting their lives on the line, to uphold their principle. These men would face off in a duel for perceived breaches of honorable behaviors. There was no making excuses, blaming  others for your shortcomings, you were expected to conduct yourself within the societal norms. Those men attempted to codify those behaviors. It began with an explanation. We call that the Declaration of Independence. It was a Declaration of why we felt it necessary to do what we were gong to do. It was the proper thing to do, offer the reasons. Had the King chose to negotiate, chosen to listen to that Declaration, war could have been avoided. The King chose otherwise and continued to impose his will upon the people. We revolted! What most of us fail to think about is that there was a period of 11 years from the start of the revolution (1776) until the Constitution was ratified in 1789. It wasn't we made a declaration, revolted, and started the United States under the Constitution. It took a decade to compose that document. The Federalist papers encouraged the general public to support that document and to ratify it. They did so by publishing the document for all to read and their representatives listened to the people! Now there is the original concept, the representative is the voice of the people. That is to say, your representative is your parrot! I don't think that is the case today. How many bills, how much proposed legislation have you seen? Oh, we hear that the Democrats want to do this, or the Republicans want to do that, but seldom do we really know what that is. Consider this latest bit of legislation, 5500 pages! Was that really read, discussed, and carefully considered in a few days? Practically passed overnight! It is ironic that is this day and age we have the capability, the means, to distribute information faster and to more people than at any time in history, yet few ever know a thing about what is going on in government. And our representatives get their input from where? Is it you and I? No, most likely it is through a lobbyist. Someone paid to present a point of view. That isn't to say that particular ploy wasn't used back in 1789, I'm certain it was. They didn't call it that, but the result was the same. As I said we do have to remember those were real men, flesh and blood human beings with their own interests, opinions, and desires. But they wrote a Constitution that was intended to protect the people from government, not the government protecting the people! The people are the government. A precept many fail to fully comprehend these days. In 1791, two years after the Constitution was ratified the Bill of Rights was added. The Bill of Rights are guarantees to the American public. There are limitations on what the government can do! They are among others, free speech, religion, the press, keeping arms, search and seizure, speedy trial and no cruel and unusual punishment. That's some of what they say and they are their to protect you from Government! 

 We are told it is our vote that guarantees our voice is heard. Yes, that was the original idea. Those men writing that document were well aware of, wait a minute what we would call today "population inequities." That is why they included the electoral college process as a vital part of the document. Article 2 of the constitution explains all of that. Without that article most likely we wouldn't have a constitution. It was a compromise among the delegates. Simply put the farmers realized the cities could control the government unless there was some method to, wait for it, "redistribute the vote." You hear a lot about inequities and redistribution these days. It's not coincidence or by accident. There are many that would change that portion of our constitution. Fortunately those same delegates wrote Article 5. In that article it is explained that a Convention of the States will be convened whenever the necessary signatures on a petition from a specified number of states, has been garnered. It is, the Right to Petition, the government! Currently that would require 34 states with a 2/3 majority to be enacted.

 Of course all of that is predicated on the vote. We can all sign the petition, but it still has to be voted on. The state legislatures have to recognize those petitions and vote accordingly. 15 states have already done so. That's almost half. Remember it took ten years to write and ratify the Constitution, we have to remain persistent. Remember the last amendment passed, number 27? Happened in 1992 and prevented Congress from giving themselves an immediate pay raise. They can still vote themselves a pay raise, and do so. The Democrats are asking for one right now, 4500 dollars. The only thing that amendment did was make them wait for the next Congress to convene before they got a raise. Of course we should remember that well over 90% of those voting will be reelected. So I can vote myself a raise but I'll have to wait a little while. 

 If we wait for Congress to propose amendments like balancing the budget, voter reform, term limits and the like , you will be waiting a very long time. That is why we need to convene a convention of the states. That is just the beginning of the process however. The delegates would then have to propose amendments. Those amendment would then have to be fully disseminated to the American public and voted on. Can we trust Congress to do that? More importantly however is securing the vote. Until we restore confidence in the voting system I believe we will have unrest. Why did we make that Declaration in the first place? We weren't being heard! Today there are millions of Americans that feel we aren't being heard! But before we make any Declarations we need to exhaust our constitutional avenues for redress. Call for that convention! Insist upon it. We need to insist upon a Constitutional Amendment that requires voter ID and a method of independent verification of the vote! Look, if some clown in India can get my phone number to check on my cars warranty surely we can secure the vote! I question why? Why hasn't Congress acted on this issue? Why do we hear that voter ID laws would be discriminatory? Seems to me the ones that do not want voter ID and ensuring only qualified, authorized, citizens cast a ballot are the ones that benefit from not having those laws! A vote by any other name is still a vote. That seems to be the mindset of the politician. We need to change their mind. Send a Declaration to those representatives. That Declaration is your signature on the petition. 

Fate

  I keep hearing the same commercial on television. It is  for the the Recovery Centers of America. It's a simple production, just a single lady standing there talking. I'm not certain how or why it caught my attention, I suppose that is what they pay an an ad agency to do. Then having listened to it I find myself talking to that television. That happens each time I hear this line, " you've succeeded before, you can succeed again." Now, remember they are talking about a recovery center for addictions. And my immediate reaction is, if they succeeded they wouldn't be coming back! The reason you have a person returning is because they failed to maintain sobriety! And then I can't help but think, that must be more of that liberal logic. You failed but you succeeded in failing. And of course, no problem, you can do it again, although they promise you won't have to start from the beginning. No, they will design a new treatment just for you, to identify those triggers that caused your relapse. I wonder why that is, I already know what caused your relapse, you went back to using whatever drugs and alcohol you were using in the past. You failed to stop using those substances! It's not that difficult to understand is it? The trigger that caused your relapse? You decided to use once again. It is not anyone else's fault! That's the bottom line here. You have control over that! Don't use that stuff and you won't have a drug or alcohol problem! 

 Yeah, yeah I know all about it is a physical addiction, it isn't your fault. Yes it is your fault. I've heard every excuse there is, two or three times. And that is where the program needs to begin. It needs to start with you understanding that this is your fault, not anyone else's, your fault! And you are the one that needs to fix it. In AA the first step is just that. You have to admit that you are powerless against alcohol or drugs. In short, it's your fault, not the alcohol or drugs. You need to take action to fix that. Sure you can ask for help, and you should, but that help isn't the cure. It isn't up to them to cure you! And that is what bugs me about the Recovery Center of America and there premise that you succeeded before, no you didn't succeed before! You failed to maintain sobriety, your fault! As long as you have groups willing to tell you it isn't your fault, that will most likely be the result. Remember these places are in business to make money! That's what they do, it is profitable to have you succeed, over and over again if possible. Especially true when you have insurance that will pay for that success. They do work with all insurance carriers, you know, to help you out.

 This blog isn't just to bash Recovery Centers of America. The reason I'm writing this is because of the message being sent. For me it is a message that you are not responsible for anything that happens to you, it's not your fault. They go as far as to say you succeeded! No, you didn't. And that attitude is now permeating society. Excuses, that is what they are providing, excuses. And I'm tired of hearing all the excuses. Inequality, is the term bantered about these days. It's not equal or fair. It's true the founding fathers wrote, all men are created equal, meaning every man should should have an equal chance in this world, and their thinking was government should provide that chance, but equal results isn't a guarantee. There are inequities in life and in society. There are those born with more than you or I. Some are smarter, better looking, have more money, come from families of influence and power, can run fast or sing, all sorts of things that are more than what we have. It isn't their fault! Quit blaming others for what you fail to have. You have to use what you have and that is the bottom line. Success is dependent upon you, not on what help others can give you. If you fail, it's your fault. Success is not what others tell you it is, success is what you define. For me, if I can live my life with dignity, I have succeeded. Success isn't an accomplishment, it is acceptance of your fate. You don't get to choose that, that's my thinking. I can choose the way I conduct myself however, that's a choice. The rest, the rest is fate.    

driving

  Who taught you to drive? The first car I can remember steering was a 1955 Cadillac Eldorado. It was black with a grey interior. The steering wheel was the size of the wheel of a steamship. I recall sitting on my fathers lap while he allowed me to drive. I even remember the road, Abrahams path. It was a tar and chip road snaking through the woods and we were heading for Three Mile harbor. Dad was hollering, stay on the road. It's just a little memory, just a short clip, but it was such an exciting time. But, Dad didn't teach me to drive, no, that skill I picked up on my own. You see I lived on a dirt road and got to drive old junkers my brothers had. For a short time I had Pontiac Lark that I learned to drive on a fire lane through northwest woods. When it was time, I took drivers education in high school. That was mostly to get the discount on insurance, and I thought, get out of the classroom.

 Well I did get out of the classroom but not nearly as much I had had hoped for. We did spend a great deal of time in class going over the manual! The rules of the road. And watching movies. I smile today thinking about those films. I smile not because the film was funny but because I can imagine the reaction if they were shown today. Those films were actual footage taken by the Ohio State patrol. Today they would be described as traumatic! And that would be putting it mildly. Really they were real life, real time pictures of carnage. Wrecked automobiles, bodies, and body parts strewn about, pools of blood and gore. Yes, those films got your attention, if you had stomach enough to look. I'm thinking many looked away, I can remember looking away a few times myself. No, those films weren't for the faint of heart. They also weren't made to coddle sensitive children, shock and awe was more the technique. But we were assured if we wore that lap belt we could avoid a great deal of that. Well we did have padded dashboards! 

 Now the car the school had was an automatic, power steering, power brakes. The instructor had a brake pedal on his side. My teacher was Coach Ted Meyers. There would be four students, one driving, three in the backseat. Coach would put on his sun glasses and tell you where to go. He sat there calm and cool as a cucumber. Sometimes I wonder if he was even watching at all, maybe just resigned to whatever fate awaited. He would turn on the radio too. We drove around town a bit, might practice parking a little, but that's about all I remember doing. The days we got to drive were the best. I think that would have been in 1969. I can't say for certain but I believe our drivers ed car did have a three point belt. That is to say, included the shoulder belt. It wasn't until it became law that I started wearing a seat belt. I use them today to save the fine, and that is the only reason. It has become somewhat of a habit today. I still feel the same way about them however, should be optional. And I say that having watched those films where not everyone stayed in the car! Some did though, mostly impaled on the steering column. Ah, those were the days my friends when driving was an adventure. You really did need to pay attention, no warning devices on those cars. No radar lane assist, no automatic braking, and no self parking. No, it was just you and the open road. Freedom! That what it was freedom. We would go for a drive, just to drive. And in my neck of the woods we could travel to the next town and that was something. I'd drive as far as Riverhead on some days, a distance of twenty five miles. It was a regular day trip. Didn't drive that distance on a whim. That was when I learned to drive, manual shift, no power steering, hydraulic drum brakes and vaccum operated wipers. It took skills. You had to now how to operate that clutch on a hill so you didn't roll backyards or stall the engine, the car really did need to be in motion to turn that wheel, the brakes didn't always work when wet, and those vacuum operated wipers, well they didn't work either when you were going uphill or trying to pass someone. Yup, took skill and timing to get it right. And sometimes a navigator. The navigator would be responsible for unfolding that map and telling you when to turn. GPS? Ha, you started with getting the right map for the state you were in and went from there. Strange thing about those maps though, your turn was always in the fold line, the navigator needed a sharp eye. Did have an eight track player in high school for entertainment so it was good. I miss those days.  

  

We'll see

  Two weeks into the new year. Amazing isn't it? I gotta say it ain't starting out very well. Now we have 20,000 National guardsmen in the capital. Plans for the inauguration are set, barricades are up, and everyone is on high alert. And the narrative remains unchanged, it's Trumps fault. I'm not worried though I don't think the Democrats will launch an attack against themselves this time. The damage has been done already. This is all just for show. This is for Biden, a sort of reward for going along with the program. In order for your man to rise he has to start at the bottom, even when that bottom is artificially created. The stage dressing has been set, hail the hero. Well until he isn't. Perhaps he'll be replaced in time for the fourth of July, then we can celebrate the birth of a new nation, one lead by a woman! But, wait a minute wasn't there some resolution that we can't say woman anymore, guess we'll just have to call her, are we allowed that pronoun, madam. Well at least she will answer to a familiar name. But I looked at the date the 14th of January 2021 and couldn't help but think, two weeks in. The Democrats have accused Trump once again. The media is fairly glowing with that news. Hooray, first President in history to be accused twice in the same term. They believe they have really accomplished something. Well the fact is it is nothing more than an opinion this time. Same opinion they tried the last time with a phone call, didn't work then, won't work now. They are entitled to their opinion though, I won't argue otherwise, but I have an opinion as well. So, there you go.

 January the 14th, 1963 was a big day in Alabama. That was the day George Wallace (D) was sworn is as the Governor. His platform, his message to the people, his solemn vow: " segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" He followed that up by standing in the doorway of the University of Alabama attempting to block black students from entering. I was ten years old at that time. In November of that year JFK was shot and killed in Texas. LBJ assumes the presidency. The following year he signs the Civil Rights Act. It was the first time he voted yes to any civil rights legislation. Prior to that, over his twenty year political career he was a southern sympathizer and strategist. That's just the plain truth of it. As President his strategy was to keep those (you know the word) voting Democratic for two hundred years. I have to say, apparently it has worked fairly well. Today the Democrats want to create a socialist state where they control speech, what you see and hear, and make you dependent upon government. The new strategy is one of fear! Cover your mouth, stay apart, and silence social media. 

 The Democrats still believe in segregation. Those in power wanting to separate themselves from the common people. Those in government will hold the power, not we the people. Your vote is just a formality now, just a show. They will decide the winner, not the American people. Those in power have one desire and one desire only, to remain in power. If you just take a look at their benefits, their entitlements, that becomes readily apparent. They exempt themselves from laws they impose upon the people. Segregation? Yes it is, that is exactly what it is. We have been conditioned to think that segregation means white and blacks. That's the first thought but it isn't so. Segregation is simply one group separating themselves from another. Our career politicians have certainly accomplished that! Regardless of party, they have done that. Even LBJ, a racist if ever there was one, set that aside in favor of power. Yet the history we are taught about him doesn't reflect that at all. No, he's a hero. Yeah, so is Joe Biden. 

 As someone who watches, someone paying attention, I do see these things. They are not lost on me. I said it from the beginning and it remains true. The whole problem with Trump is he is not a politician. He just doesn't fit in that world. He is a businessman. Different mindset altogether. Success is measured in dollars and cents, not in opinion polls. He really doesn't care about your opinion. His plans and policies surely upset a lot of career politicians. And what was worse, it was working. Peace in the Middle East? That wasn't supposed to be possible. Securing the border? Wait, where are we going to get our next batch of committed voters? Saying, out loud, we need to get people off the welfare rolls, hold them accountable for their actions, insist they work if they can, and gasp, pay for their own wants! The government started saying, no. Sure did upset a lot of folks didn't it. So much so it was decided before he was even in office, to remove him from that office. And here it is 8 days before his term is to end and they are trying to do what? Remove him from office. At least ten Republicans have joined in, hopeful I'm sure, for favored treatment in the new administration. How many Democrats are doing the same thing? I expect that number would be quite high if the truth were known. Politicians have a way of doing that you know. Protect your power, your office, at all costs. 

  Well, the die is cast as they say. Biden will be recorded in history as number 46, Kamala Harris as 47.   The writing on the wall is plain to see, no surprises there. It is only a matter of time. Any problems, any wrinkles in the plan, will be Trumps fault. The excuse is built in. But when a convention of the states is convened, when we the people speak, a new narrative will reach their ears. No more career politicians! No, that will not be allowed. We will codify that, two terms and you are done, forever! I hope you have a good 401 or pay into SS whole heartedly, that will be your retirement plan. You can join in a Government sponsored health care plan, like medicare and mediciad, as long as you make your contributions. And those free haircuts? Forget about that. No more discretionary funds either. We the people will spend our money at our discretion. Who will be number 48? I'll be watching anxiously. My thinking is it won't be another politician. We'll see.     

visiting

  I spent several hours yesterday visiting the past to escape the present. The news today is upsetting to say the least. There is also little I can do about any of it and find myself standing alone quite often these days. It's unsettling but not unexpected. The younger generation always feel like they have the answers, I was that generation once, although not as prone to acceptance of the "new" way. Of course I did embrace technology as it came along. I'm all for making things easier and more efficient. I have no desire to labor harder and longer but, it was the moral and ethical behaviors I was often at odds with. Yes even those behaviors that were quite appealing back in my teenage years. I was there in the sixties and seventies. Woodstock, rock and roll, free love and flower power. Yes, it sure was "freedom" that was being promoted. Magic mushrooms, mary jane, ludes, and acid for the really hard core ones. I skirted all of that, stayed old school for the most part, bourbon and beer where the intoxicants of choice. Over time that became known as being a redneck. Then the rednecks discovered smoking pot and were now cool. The old school moral high ground began to shift. Hank Jr., Waylon Jennings, Willie and Johnny Cash all became outlaws, and outlaws were cool. Their appeal? The were cool while upholding traditional American values. The things that used to be done in private, because we knew it was wrong, was now being done in the open. And by doing private things in public that makes it alright. And the degradation of American society in general began to take hold. That brings us to the present. Today I'm hearing that censorship is a good thing and being dependent is a right! If you can not function in society, society should just support you. It's not your fault.

 But I took a stroll in the past yesterday. I went back in time to look at my ancestors. I don't always make discoveries, learn things I didn't know, records are cold analytical things. Facts are just recorded. I look often to the census were you can find names, residence, occupation, family members and sometimes more. It really depends upon what year census you are reading. In the beginning it was just a simple count. How many people lived here? They were broken down into categories, men, women, and children. That was divided into age groups. In the first ones, that is pretty much all there was. Later on they became far more detailed asking about income, property owned, education level, race, and more. There was a census for invalids and yes, idiots! Good thing we don't record that on the census today! But I'll set that aside. 

 I spent some time browsing old newspapers yesterday. It's an amazing thing really, all the old newspapers archived and searchable. I enjoyed a paid subscription for a short time but felt it not worth the expense. The vast majority of newspapers I feel would be relevant to my ancestry are available online free of charge. It was in those papers that I did discover a few things yesterday. My first discovery was an obituary for my second great grandfather. I had always recorded his name as James Bishop Terry. I'm not certain how that came to be, on all the census records, on his civil war draft registration card, and other records it just lists his middle initial B. But there it was, at the top of his obituary, James Buckley Terry! I did a great deal more searching before drawing the conclusion that Buckley must be his middle name. Surely the newspaper wouldn't get that wrong. It was quite a long and extensive obituary, one I'm certain was provided by his widow and daughter. Both of those individuals were living in the town where that paper was published. They surely wouldn't have made a mistake. And so, although I lack any official documentation, I have changed that in the record. James Buckley Terry it is.

 In all of that researching I made a couple more discoveries. James Buckley Terry had a son he named James Buckley Terry, Jr. Not often recorded that way though, being a Jr. myself I understand that as I seldom include that information with my signature. It isn't on my drivers license. No reason, just forget to tell them that. Anyway in July of 1887 that son passed away. I don't know the cause of death, only that he passed away. The loss of a child is always a traumatic thing to a parent. Reading that I did feel sad. I found his name, on the mortality list published in the newspaper. Apparently that was a common practice in years past, every year a mortality listing was printed for all to read. So, I read further down the list and another shock. The same James Buckley Terry, my second great grandfather, had also suffered the loss of a daughter just one month after losing that son. Sarah E Terry is recorded as an infant, died at birth. That was the very first time I had ever heard of such. James did go on to live until 1917. 

 I learned a great deal about great, great, grandfather Terry yesterday. I knew he was a veteran of the civil war, I knew he was a weaver and a nurse. I had known about his other children, he had ten. I even knew he built the house my great grandfather lived in in 1898. But yesterday I learned more about the man, about the human side of this ancestral figure. A slight built, rather sickly sort of man. Perhaps it was his years of service during the civil war that had a lasting effect on him. He was listed as being in the hospital although I can find no mention of any wounds he received. It was there he learned his nursing skills. He served with the 127th NY volunteers and was at Fort Sumter when the Union forces recaptured that. He returned to his home and worked in a cotton mill for a number of years. He married, had children and by all accounts loved by the community as a whole. He also suffered from a nervous breakdown at one point in his life. That is mentioned in his obituary. The timing of that is not explained. Perhaps it was simply the strain of living that brought that on. Was it the loss of his son and an infant daughter within a month of each other? I can't know. I do know that in October of 1891 he also lost his daughter Laura Rose Terry. She was just sixteen years old. From an old photograph I have of her she appears pregnant. I have never found a marriage listed for her. What happened to Laura Rose? That's another piece of the past I will try to recover.  

 After a few hours I had to leave that past and return to the present. The mind does get confused with facts, names, dates, and determining what they all mean. That is the fascination for me, the why of it all. I do need the names, dates, relationships, events and the context of history to try to piece that all together. It's sometimes hard for us to remember they were just people like everyone else. They lived there lives as best they could. Snippets of that life can be discovered in those old records. I also discovered that he was buried in the Springs, in the town of East Hampton. I do not know what cemetery it is though, my guess would be Green River. His wife survived him and lived until 1931 passing away in the very house that he had built. The place of her burial I do not know. I will continue to follow the trail of James Buckley Terry and his children. His daughter Lucy, my great grandmother, gave birth to my grandmother Clara. My grandmother Clara passed three days after giving birth to my father. She was just twenty years old in 1924. Agnes, wife of James Buckley Terry was there when that happened. I have a photograph of her sitting with her daughter, Lucy mother of Clara, taken sometime after that happened. Makes me wonder what those two ladies were talking about, the sorrows they surely shared. It has been said a picture is worth a thousand words. I can't know for certain but I think I could write a thousand words looking at that picture now. 

                                                                 Agnes on the left, Lucy on the right