revised?

  After writing yesterday I thought some more about all of that. Emotion rather than reason I mean. I got to thinking how it takes emotion to put the reason in motion. That is how the revolution began. The emotional response, throwing tea into the harbor and other protests, precipitated that happening. Those emotions were fueled by reason, or were they? I'm certain there were conspiracy theories galore back in those days as well. Actions motivated by those with financial interests attempting to influence those actions either for or against the crown. There was an awful lot at stake. Using emotion as a tool. Sometimes we call that tool propaganda, and what is propaganda if not an emotional tool? That is what it is designed to appeal too. I have written in the past by all of this, I find myself repeating certain themes, when I said, " emotions are great motivators, but seldom good guides." I believe that to be an accurate assessment of the human condition. We are often all excited, all hyped up on something, only to discover later on, it wasn't such a great idea after all. Buyers remorse is one example of that. 

 Emotion has little to do with age. It does have something to do with growth and maturity. Not everyone that grows old gains either of those qualities. That is evident, especially in the political world. Perhaps that is because it is far easier to convince people to do the wrong thing than it is to do the right thing. Isn't that why we admire those that have principles and stick to their guns! Those people stand for all that is right in the world, for justice, decency and trust. Still it can be easy to lead them away from all of that if you appeal to their emotions. You can even convince them that wrong is right. The easiest method is to create a dependence. The type of dependence isn't all that important. It could be financial or it could be an emotional one, ie: popularity. There are those that have a need to go with the crowd, to get positive reinforcement that they are correct, you know those people, the "everyone was doing it" crowd. As I said, age has little to do with that. There are those that despite age, success, wealth, power or position still require that. It is my thinking a good number of "entertainers" from all genres have that need. It doesn't diminish their talents, in fact, it may be the basis for that. I get it. I also feel we all have a bit of that in us, it's just that most of us learn to control those emotional needs. I am reminded of an old adage I read somewhere, "it is hard to remember the goal was to drain the swamp, when you are up to your butt in alligators." When we lose sight of the goal, emotions rule the day. 

 That is part of what I was thinking about yesterday. A good deal of the social issues we are facing as a nation are being decided upon with an emotional response rather than a reasoned solution. Say what you like but building a wall along the southern border to stem the flow of illegal entrants was a reasoned response. Emotions had to be set aside. No one wishes to see others suffer, but you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Stemming the flow of illegals, by whatever name you wish to apply, is a common sense, reasonable response, to a serious issue. 

 Governing with compassion doesn't mean throwing open the doors. Governing with compassion doesn't mean simply give everyone whatever they want. The figure of Uncle Sam is symbolic of the relationship between government and the people. Uncle Sam will do what is best for all, protecting his family first. Uncle Sam will tell you, only two pieces of candy! The scales of justice are blind for a reason, The hope is the removal of emotion in the administration of justice, We have a jury of our peers for the same reason, That jury is supposed to weigh the evidence based on fact, not emotions. When that doesn't happen we say you have been tried in the court of public opinion, not the court of fact. Doing what is best for all, and by all I mean your family, in this case a family of Americans, is the compassionate response! Just like when your momma said, I'm doing this for your own good! It was hard to believe at the moment, our emotions were in control, but we learned later the wisdom behind that. Well that is if  we achieved a degree of emotional maturity. There are those that never do. 

 Let's act upon our emotions in a reasonable fashion. Even when that action may diminish our popularity. It may take a while for others to understand. In the meantime we should be secure in the knowledge that we are choosing the best way forward. We can't buy our way out! I see the government throwing billions of dollars at problems in an emotional response. No one in government actually believes it will solve the problem, just pacify the population. That is the key to them holding power, governance by appeasement. It won't work, as we all know you can't please all of the people all of the time. Eventually you will see an emotional response! Sometimes that response is revolution. It must be remembered that revolution doesn't revise, revolutions replace! Be careful what you ask for, the replacement may not be as good as the original was, seems that way most of the time doesn't it? 

emotion, rather than reason

  In an effort to remove some negativity from my daily existence I am shying away from political commentary. Just kiddin', I could no more do that than support Bidens' presidency. Politics, the general welfare of the nation as a whole, has become an important issue to me. It is true when I was much younger I wasn't really paying attention to what was going on. Oh, I voted for the candidate of my choice in each election, performed that civic duty. it is the obligation of every citizen. But then again I don't remember such core issues being voted upon either, that was because I wasn't paying attention. There were things that slipped by me, things like Roe V Wade. Of course there wasn't much protesting going on either, a few marches and such. They were being conducted by the hippies and pot heads was my impression of all that. Turns out, politicians took them seriously and approved some of their ideas. Well, that was unexpected. But as the years have passed I have begun to take notice and grow concerned for the future. And I've come to understand it is a future I won't be living in! In what I can only think of as irony, I have come to be concerned for a future I will not be living in, as the wheels of government turn slowly indeed. Consider Roe V Wade. That was passed 48 years ago and now today the discussion has been reopened. And what is the discussion about? Is an unborn child, a child? And should we allow the murdering of that child? And amazingly the discussion is still open! 

 That got me thinking about age and politics. When I was growing up I was encouraged to keep abreast of current events. I seem to recall an English teacher that insisted upon that and I had to write weekly papers on just that. I would read the local newspaper as that held the most interest to me. At least I read about someone or something that I had a vague knowledge of. It was easy to form an opinion on that stuff as I lived below the bridge and most of that stuff concerned those above the bridge. Yeah, kinda like Republicans and Democrats. As I got older my world did expand until I found myself surrounded! That is when the interest in politics began. 

  When thinking about America and American politics we have to go to the beginning. We have to think about those founding fathers and the documents they composed. Just who where those guys anyway? Most of us are familiar with the names but do you know the ages? I was surprised to learn that the majority were less than forty years old. We do have to remember that forty was an elder person in colonial times. Even more surprising however is this list; James Madison (25) Alexander Hamilton (21) James Monroe (18) Thomas Jefferson (33) John Adams (40) Washington (44) and Franklin was the old guy at (70). Today in Congress the average age for our representatives is 57. The average age of a Senator is 61. Interesting also is that the average age of the Democratic leadership is 72 and the average age of Republican leadership is 48. 

 Now all of that being established, you can fact check it if you like, I think it is safe to say there is a larger disparity between the ages of our representatives and the general population today, than there was back in 1776. You have to wonder how it was possible for such younger people as Madison and Monroe to have played such an important role in the founding of this country. This was long before there were Republicans' and Democrats. Well, the truth is they just went by different names back then, and were divided on many issues. The final document, the Declaration of Independence, was the result of compromise. The first congress lasted for two years! Yeah, we usually only hear about the congress meeting in Philadelphia but that isn't the whole story. No, it took a couple years to reach an agreement. The federalist papers published from 1786 to 1787 where written by Hamilton, Monroe and John Jay(43) in support of the constitution. Note the time between the revolution and the signing of the Constitution was a period of eleven years. Yes, governments move very slowly, even when in revolution! 

 It isn't lost on me that it was the younger folks that started the revolution that led to our independence. Yes, they were revolutionaries. It is only when we examine their thoughts that we see a difference between then and now. When those founders were in their teen and early twenties they did have the thought processes and understanding of much older statesmen. You have to wonder why? It is my thinking it was because those men were taught, from an early age, to be critical thinkers. Morality, honor, and diplomacy were a part of their lives. Infractions in those codes of conduct were severely rebuked. It must also be remembered that those younger folks had a lot less to lose financially than the elder statesmen. Ten years after starting that Revolution that was mentioned when they wrote "we pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. "  There circumstances had changed over that eleven year span. Still, they were well aware of the consequences of this action.

 What is the lesson to be learned from that? I see it this way. Those "young" people were acting upon reason. They could see the inequities imposed by the King. The King was a hinderance to what? Making a good living, advancing in society, and the acquisition of power. That was summed up the phrase, "the pursuit of happiness." Yes, they were emotional people as well, all fired up as younger folks tend to be, impatient. They needed to convince the population that being independent was the way to go. They needed to convince the population that dependence upon government was the cause of their discontent. It seems to me that message has been lost over time. Today we have those promoting dependence as the avenue to freedom. In that is the fundamental difference in the political parties today. The Democratic party favors that dependence by the population. That is the reason for many of their proposed policies. It has been their modus operandi since at least 1865. The establishment of dependence as a means of control. The Republicans advocate for less government, less taxes, just like the colonists wanted, and accountability. 

 Does age play a role in all of this? I wonder about that. I have doubts. In my way of thinking it has more to do with moral and just thinking than age itself. Those founding fathers in their funny old fashioned ways did live their livres by a code. Whether that code was founded in Christian principles could be debated. It is my belief that many were based in just that. After all these Europeans were attempting to establish a new world order, weren't they? No monarchy. These were educated men having read and studied history and all the lessons learned from that study. At the same time they understood the absolute need for rules. They has to be a standard agreed upon by the population in order to be successful. Wise enough to separate church from state they didn't attempt to delineate morality. There only fault, if it is a fault, was believing in the honor of men. They also were well aware you can not legislate morality! 

 Now the rest of what I have to say is subjective. I will say this; look at the younger members of Congress today. Are they of the caliber of a Monroe or a Hamilton? Has their education prepared them to lead the nation? We have the "squad" and what does that represent? Listen closely to the proposals of these members of Congress carefully. Listen closely too, to the proposals of the elder statesmen, what are they proposing as a path forward. In my view politicians today are often legislating by emotion, rather than reason. This is happening on both sides of the aisle, I can't lay the blame at the feet of the Democrats. Common sense and reason is being set aside in favor of what? Is it really to benefit our grandchildren and beyond? Is that what is best? The dismantling of the Republic. That is the path I see today. Emotion, rather than reason.    

just a thought

 And I often wonder, where the story goes. If I were a songwriter that is the hook I might use. Every song has a hook, at least that is what I read somewhere. I certainly haven't studied such things as writing songs, books or novels. I guess that is what journalism students do. Apparently there are rules for all of that, we tend to make rules for everything. Strangely however there are times when something breaks the rules and that is celebrated. That is when we say, it's cutting edge. It's breaking new ground and a few other old clichés. Strange too, when I do that, it isn't. Still hoping for that one hit wonder I suppose. And that is another thing. How long before something becomes a one hit wonder? I'm guessing until the person responsible passes away, another hit is a possibility. 

 I don't know, that thought just came to mind as I sat down to compose this mornings' blog. Google says a blog is informational or a discussion, often in the style of a diary. Yeah I guess that is what I am writing most of the time. My "information" is often questioned, disputed or disparaged, and that's fine. My discussion is with myself and so I get no arguments there. I do get others that insist my discussion is filled with incorrect information though. I have to say, seldom does that change where the story goes. And that is what I was thinking about, where the story goes after I'm gone. I think some of that thinking stems from having witnessed the passing of family and friends. That is something that happens to all of us over time. It's the part of aging often overlooked when you are young. As you grow concerned with losing your youthful vitality and looks, you don't think about losing ones that came before you. It is only when you begin telling their stories that the realization of mortality hits you and you begin to understand. When someone is telling mine, where will the story go? Memories are always in the first person, stories are not. Others can take my memory in another direction and I find that unsettling. In a way I suppose it is the difference between heaven and hell. We all want to go to heaven don't we? Of course we do, even when we deny the existence of such. It is my feeling, in the final moments, we all pray. And we pray for where we go, not for where we have been.

 It is our story that keeps us alive. That is what I say to those that have suffered the loss of a loved one. As long as our name is spoken, we are alive. I was curious about my ancestors and learned their names. Some had to be resurrected. At least in my world they did, as their names had been forgotten and gone unspoken for a generation or two. In other circles, in other parts of the story that may not have been the case. I don't know where the story went. There's the hook, "after I'm gone, I wonder where ,the story goes." Sing that with a steel guitar in the background and grab your beer. That's the thought.   

a simple memory

 On palm Sunday I am always reminded of my childhood. I have this memory of helping to split the palms that were to be handed out at church services the next day. After choir practice on Saturday morning others arrived at the parish hall to direct the activity. Palms had arrived in long boxes shipped from I didn't know where, at the time I figured they must have come from Israel. I wasn't really aware that they had palm trees in the south and that those palms were the same as those in the Bible stories. The adults opened those boxes and the fronds were placed on the table. It was our task to separate the fronds into strands, if that is the proper term. Whatever the case, I remember doing that. The strands were then placed in wicker baskets to be blessed by Reverend Davis on Sunday. After the service was over everyone was given a palm to take home with them, to bless their home. It is just a simple memory of a time long ago and one I smile about each time I remember it. It was a time of what I can only describe as relaxed. I say relaxed because it was such a comfortable feeling being with those others, splitting palms, and enjoying the comradery. That was a time before I even knew what comradery even was. I would say I had a Waltonesce sort of childhood. It was indeed a simpler time, requiring very little in the way of material things to celebrate an event. The ladies may have provided cookies and a pitcher or two of kool-aid, I don't really recall, but that was the standard fare for such gatherings. 

 That took place in the kitchen of the parish house. The kitchen had a long table in the center of it, big enough to work on. I can see that table in my minds eye, green  formica top, a chrome trim around the edge and large wooden legs. Nothing fancy about that table, utilitarian in design. That kitchen had a big old gas stove, and lots of cabinets. There was a refrigerator as well. In the far wall of the kitchen was the serving window, the standard design. Normally the domain of the adults cooking those pancake breakfasts or whatever, it was one the few times I worked in that kitchen. Made you feel a bit more grown to be included. It was those subtle little gestures that marked my childhood. Back in those days, in the dark ages, children were treated as children until it was decided they were ready for adult activities. A great deal of what the adults were doing were a mystery to us then, seen and not heard we learned a great deal by simple observation. When it was time to speak, we would be asked. Our responses often determined our "development" in the social hierarchy. Today the kids call that respect, being respected, and valued. In my day we didn't think about such things, either we could or we couldn't. You had to earn your place through your actions, the default mode was to be silent. 

 Well, that's just a memory I cherish from the past. It's one of those memories that can't really be shared, it's personal. That frustrates me at times. I wish I could share the feeling, the emotion, that memory evokes. I could come close to that with others that were there, like my sister, but she is gone now.  I think that is the hardest part in all of that, losing the ones that share your memories. Oh you can tell the stories to others, write them down, sometimes even stir them, but without that first person, I was there, memory, it truly isn't shared. To be truly shared both have to had participated. Beyond that all we can share is similarity. It's very close but not the same. Still the memories are what sustain us in the bad times, give us hope for the future. At least they do with me. I'll be remembering that Saturday afternoon, splitting palms, all day today. Good memories.   

think about it

  Perhaps people have enslaved others not based on the color of their skin, but upon their desire to accumulate wealth. That is to say could it be the motivation was a selfish one, a means to increase their net worth without having to do the work themselves. I know that isn't what is being promoted as the cause of all that, the narrative is one of race, but slavers never really cared about what race a person was. What slavers cared about was the availability of those people. Whether they were acquired through conquest or barter made no difference, the motive was always profit. Every race on earth has been enslaved at one time or another. It was the Portuguese however that took that to new heights beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the Portuguese that first bought slaves from the African continent to sell to Europeans. And yes it was a trade agreement. The Portuguese paid the Africans in guns and goods and in turn sold their "inventory" to others in Europe. That trade continued for hundreds of years. It's true that slaves were first brought to the north American continent, in what is now the United States in 1619. Slavery was already a common practice around the world by then, nothing new, just business as usual. And all of that had nothing to do with skin color, it had to do with commerce. It was the disruption of that commerce that was a cause of the civil war in America.. There were those businessmen, most notably the large plantation owners, that required a large labor force. Slaves were the most economically viable solution at the time. In the mid 1800's innovations in machinery was reducing that need. But machinery was expensive, tended to break down and required skilled workers to maintain and operate. Many smaller plantation owners couldn't afford that and resisted the changes. Eventually that led to succession. Those owners wanted to keep the old way, keep their slave labor, and maintain their profits. All of that had nothing to do with the color of anyone's skin. 

 That is just a brief history of slavery, not just in America , but in the world as a whole. Mans' inhumanity to man knows no bounds. It is only through the establishment of societies that man attempts to restrict. That is if you wish to call that a restriction. Man left to his own devices is not a good thing. Once it was realized that man had to work for the things he required his good nature quickly evaporated. Consider the Biblical account. Man wasn't supposed to eat the forbidden fruit in the center of the garden. He did and at that moment knew shame. Later Cain kills Abel out of jealously. In the Bible story of Joseph the brothers throw another brother into a pit and sell him to the Ismaelites. They were all the same race/color. So we can see by that the motivation is not the color of the skin. 

 You know it is an amazing thing really. Slavery in America only lasted 82 years. After that, it was abolished throughout the land. That came about because of the vision, the thought, and the rational thinking of our founding fathers. They stated a simple truth when they wrote, all men are created equal. Now that didn't mean everyone gets the same, is treated the same, or is created with equal circumstance, just that each man feels the same emotions as the next. We have to understand that those writing those words were risking their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in doing so. They realized the import of that. Some of them had relied upon slavery to increase their wealth and position in society. When government began to interfere in those profits, taxation, those same men reacted. It didn't happen overnight. There were many years of unrest, of discontent with the crown. Severing ties with the power and the wealth of the crown was risky business indeed. There was no army to defend ourselves with, just a bunch of militias scattered across the colonies each one loyal to their own colony and financial interests. It was during this colonial period, when we were still under British rule, that slavery as an institution began to be questioned. In fact, during the American revolution many slaves were freed and fought for the fledging nation. By 1783 when the treaty of Paris was signed and the United States of America was born, the practice of slavery was losing favor in the northern colonies. But the southern portion of the new nation, that area having the large plantations still required that labor pool. It took 82 years and a civil war for that to be abolished altogether. 

 The economic impact was staggering to the south. The original solution was to provide the freed slaves with land and a means to support themselves. It was known then, and it still true to this day, land ownership is the key to success. But then Lincoln was killed and Johnson became president. Being sympathetic to the southern plight that plan was revised. The land was returned to the original plantation owners, those that had revolted against the nation wishing to maintain their "business" as usual. Their response was to create the sharecropper system, the closest legal device to slavery that they could muster. Again that had nothing to do with the color of anyone's skin, it had to do with cheap labor. In the north ruthless businessmen created the ghetto's. Doesn't make any difference what color you are either, you can live in the ghetto. It isn't about color, it is about control. Control a persons ability to produce a product, any product at all, and in doing so you control his life. The easiest method of control is dependence. 

 That desire to control persists to this day and will continue. There are those in the country today that wish to mobilize certain groups to action. They are presenting that action as something of benefit to those doing the work, they are insisting it is an entitlement! What they aren't saying is, that entitlement makes you dependent upon us. But the real truth is, it is to benefit themselves, to increase their wealth and profits. Indeed the ultimate objective is power. It has always been so and you aren't about to change that. We wrote the Constitution to empower the people! Government is not to control the people, people are to control the government. Were it not so, slavery may very well still exist in America. Slavery still exists in many parts of the world today and it isn't based on the color of anyone's skin. It is based solely in control. And so we have to question who is controlling the narrative? Who stands to gain the most? 

 Our government, a government of the people, has written in its founding documents the premise that all men are created equal. It did take many years and is an ongoing process to codify that. It has come one step at a time. Today there are no legal barriers to anyone based on the color of their skin. There are no legal barriers based in race, creed, national origin, sexual preference or gender. What are the barriers today? The barriers are what can not be seen. Can we know the heart of another? That is to say can we say your actions are based on the color of another's skin? No, the reality is we can't. No the fact is people react, for the most part, to increase their own status, wealth, or power. And that doesn't change based on the color of your skin. 

 Power, real power is dependent upon control. You have to have the means to control the population through whatever means you can. It could be by brute force, the dictators. Comply or die! It could be by creating a dependence upon that power. ie: socialisms. In that system everyone is dependent upon government. Both of those systems will work, by varying degrees, and last only for as long as the people are willing to comply. The founders were all well aware of that and hence the Republic was formed. Government by the people. If there is a flaw in the system it is a simple one. In our republic you are not to be dependent upon the government, but rather act independently. In that matter the government doesn't control you, you control government! But you have to do it yourself! 

 Look all I'm trying to say here is, don't vote yourself into dependence! It is your choice here in America. Don't vote that choice away for a momentary gain. Many have done just that for over 150 years. Those same voters are now complaining about being dependent. That, according to some, is the reason to vote for the ones that created that dependence in the first place. Rather an amazing thing isn't it? Think about it. 

paying attention

 There are milestones along the way. Sometimes we don't notice them, at others we just glance, and others, well, we stumble over them. The other day my son and his wife stop by to tell us they are taking a short vacation. It's only for a few days, to just get away. That's wonderful, they both work hard and are well deserving of a few days relaxation. Their son Mark is off to college but Morgan is still at home. After they leave, a few hours pass by, it hits me! Morgan will be home alone! I turn to the wife and say, they are leaving Morgan home alone? She turns and gives me that look, you guys know the one, and says, yes she's 18 you know. Yes, I do know that now that you reminded me. My granddaughter is 18 years old. Guess she doesn't need a babysitter. Just how did that happen so quickly? 

 I can't say why certain things act as milestones. I was reminded of the time Mark rode his bicycle from his house to mine, by himself. That was a milestone I remember. I remember thinking then, he sure is growing up. I remember when Morgan got her drivers license, that seems like a long time ago now. And there are plenty of other milestones as well, ones not related to the grandkids. There was the first time I was getting a haircut and the barber asked if I wanted my eyebrows trimmed. That was a sign however, a sign of old age on my part, a milestone I'm not anxious to reach. But too late, I'm here. And the time I was given the senior discount without even being asked! And now this latest sign. Morgan, my granddaughter is staying home alone. No longer a little girl she has become a young woman. That's a hard one to digest. Must be some subliminal message in that. I wasn't surprised when Mark went off to college and stayed in the dorm. That was expected, anticipated even. Probably has something to do with being a man and all that. It is, after all, the expectation I grew up with. I was expected to leave home, strike out on my own. My sister however, she was expected to get married, have children, and raise a family. Yes, that was the expectation. Although she did get a college degree and become a licensed cosmetologist, that was pretty much what she wound up doing. And I believe she was happy doing just that. 

 The truth is we have these milestones our entire lives. It is only a matter of seeing them. When we are children we are looking for them, anxious for them to appear. The end of the school year, the beginning of summer, freedom to roam the neighborhood, getting your drivers license, graduation, and other milestones going forward. We may get so involved in living that we miss the milestone altogether. 

 When that happens we label that nostalgia. How old does a memory have to be to be nostalgic? I believe that would be different for each of us. I think maybe it depends on how many signs you have read along the way. If you haven't read the signs along the way that information will come upon you suddenly, sometimes upsetting. I guess I missed the sign about Morgan being 18. Now having read that sign, or rather having it read to me, I was surprised. Now I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for my little girl. But I also realize nostalgia is something I had best get comfortable with. Being left with memories is a good thing, a great thing as a matter of fact. Of course there is something to be said about looking forward, having hopes and dreams for the future. I still have those as well. 

 I think we all leave little markers along the way. Those markers are the signs for those that follow us. Today we have followers on Facebook. I have followers. I do laugh to myself about that, having followers, like I'm a cult leader or something. I would rather have fans than followers. Wouldn't we all prefer hat? My posts and my blogging are markers for others. Some will read, some will not. Some will be missed altogether. Those are obvious markers though, I wonder what other markers I have left behind. What little messages or directions have I scattered across my 67 years? More importantly perhaps though, what signs have I missed? What milestones went unnoticed?   

independent voters?

  In, what I can only describe as a stunning announcement, Senator Duckworth, Democrat from Illinois, stated flatly, I will not vote to confirm any nominee or appointment by the Biden administration, if that individual is white. Read that again, if that person is white. Now if that isn't a blatant racist and discriminatory remark I can't imagine what would be. Senator Duckworth is of Thai descent. She made that statement and and the explanation is that there isn't enough minority representation in government. So her solution is to fill government positions based on race. I didn't hear her feeling about "identifying" oneself as a particular race so perhaps white people could just identify as a minority to secure a position. Hey, we already have a guy identifying as a woman in government. Yes, he is the head of health. 

 Senator Duckworth is proposing that government positions should be filled according to racial demographics. The census bureau has these estimates in that regard, listed as "self identified" : non-Hispanic white 60.1% ( I didn't know you could be a white Hispanic) Hispanic Latino 18.5%, Black 13.4% and Asian 5%. Now, it is true that the majority of those positions in government are filled by white males percentage wise. It's also true they were all voted into office. You have to question if all Asians voted for the Asian candidates, and all Blacks voted for Black candidates, and all Hispanic-Latinos voted for Hispanic- Latino candidates, why the disparity? Could it be that the electorate is voting for who they feel is the best choice and not the "correct" race? Isn't that what we are supposed to do? Not according to Duckworth who now says positions should be filled by race, not qualification for the position. My question is, why has she not be censured already? An admission of prejudice surely warrants that action, at a minimum. 

 You know I was a Navy recruiter for several years. I was that guy that administered the entrance exams, filled out the paperwork, and got you signed up. I also had a quota to fill. Not just in the number of enlistees but in the race of those enlistees. That's correct, the government did have, I'm not certain if that is still in effect, a policy of filling spots based on race and gender. The qualifications were even different depending upon those factors. An example of that was the score required for entrance. Based upon your race the score was different. Yes it is true, white people required a min score of 32 and other groups required a 17. Discriminatory? It always seemed that way to me as I believe everyone should have an equal chance, thus an equal passing grade. But that isn't how that worked, quota's had to be filled to maintain the demographic balance. This is apparently the same policy Duckworth would use to fill the seats in government. Is that equality? 

 Look this isn't a political thing, Republicans vs Democrats, this is a matter of national concern. This concept that equality means everyone gets the same and that it can be forced. Note I didn't say enforced, rather forced. The idea that a predetermined amount of "diversity" based on self identified demographics is just ridiculous. According to Duckworth 5% of all government positions and by extensions all positions, should be filled by Asian peoples. Doesn't matter if they are qualified or not, 5% should be Asian people. If a company has 100 employees five of them should be Asians, 13.4% Black, 18.5% Hispanic-Latino and 60.1% non-Hispanic white. Well except 60.1% white is too many. That's a majority. And the only way minorities can be equal to the majority is by making the minority the majority. See how that works? And how do you do that? By excluding the majority! It's what we used to call discriminatory. Now we are going to call that equality. 

 Now to be fair don't we have to consider what percentage of the electorate votes in each demographic? Isn't that why the push to make it easier for everyone to vote? Isn't that the reason for the opposition to voter ID laws? We want to make sure that everyone can vote for the candidate of their choice. In that way 60.1% of the non-Hispanic white people will vote for the non- Hispanic white candidate and 18.5% will vote for the Hispanic-Latino candidates and so on. Equality has been achieved. Well because everyone always votes for the candidate that matches their race or ethnicity. That's the criteria to be applied according to Duckworth. And there is the problem. The majority is controlling the outcome of the election! Imagine that. It's a simple fact that about 78% of the current congress are white people. If only 60.1% of the overall population are white people how did that happen? Could be other races are voting for, wait for it, white people. Yes, that may be the case. They are voting for the candidate they feel best qualified , the ones they choose based on personal preferences. Independent voters unconstrained by having to vote for a candidate to fill an artificial quota!      

my right

  Once again we have a mass shooting. Twice within a week. These have taken place as the Congress is once again talking about "common" sense gun control measures. The discussion takes place after each incidence. And once again we will hear about the scary assault rifle used. It was an AR-15 style. What does that really tell us? It is a semi-automatic weapon with a pistol grip. Yeah, that's pretty much what it means. It's the weapon of choice for the bad guys. Amidst all the tragedy involved with these events the victims and families will be used as a tool of the left. Preying upon their justified emotions the campaign will be launched once again. Another distraction from the border crisis and the lefts' plan to destroy the Republic as we know it. The only problem this time is the shooter isn't a white, Christian, male conservative. No matter, the spin doctors are already working on that one saying he has lived in America most of his life. He was influenced by white guys! Why it is probably white guys that drove this maniac to do what he did. They may have offended him in some fashion. 

 Now it is true that this shouldn't be a political talking point. The second amendment is clear in its' intent and meaning. Shall not be infringed is pretty clear to me. Stripping the right to own weapons from the citizens of this country is not going to stop any mass shootings! That is just a simple statement of fact. It is estimated that Americans own over 400 million guns. If anyone thinks that banning any semi-automatic weapon will stop these shooting they are crazy! Do these people not realize or understand that a revolver, like the one marshal Dillion carried in Gunsmoke is a semi-automatic weapon. Yes, any gun that shoots a round each time you pull the trigger is a semi-automatic weapon! Doesn't matter if it is two shots, six shots, or a hundred shots, the trigger will still need to be pulled for each shot. This hair brained notion that if the shooter has to reload that gives you the chance to run in and shoot them is theater! How long are you going to wait to be sure he is reloading? Or have you been counting the shots? Like Dirty Harry are you going to say, was that five shots or six, do you feel lucky? Please quit talking like a fool. How many armed Police officers and others were at that scene? The shooter wasn't shot! How did that happen? Was it because he didn't run out of bullets or have to reload? No, it was because those attempting to shoot him were hiding, trying to protect themselves from being shot! And that is what each and every one of us would be doing as well, it's common sense. 

 I do hear the cries of anguish from those that lost their loved ones. I understand all of that and I would feel the same way. The same thing is said about drunk driving and the drivers are being punished. I haven't heard a single proposal to stop selling cars. Over twenty thousand people are killed riding motorcycles each year, shouldn't we ban that? We have laws banning the sale of drugs, with stiff penalties for doing so, yet, drugs are sold every single day. Over 46,000 drug overdoses occur each year. People die as the result of choices they make and sometimes as the result of choices others make. Guns aren't killing people, people are killing people! Those that wish to harm others will find a way. Disarming others will not stop that. Taking away life jackets will not stop a flood. They will however provide you with a chance for survival. As I said, there are over 400 million guns in America, Do you really believe you are going to take them away? Really? No, the barn door is open my friends, it's way too late for the roundup. You know the second amendment is about self protection. Every man has a fundamental right to protect himself and his family. He has the right, by natural law, to protect himself from all enemies foreign and domestic. The world is a dangerous place. It has been made so by those wishing to control others, to cause harm to others and to restrict the freedom of others. And that is the problem, not guns. 

 What concerns me is when I hear our "leaders" wishing to control the people, to restrict, indeed remove my freedom of choice. Currently I do not own a gun of any kind, haven't felt the need. Still I enjoy that choice, a choice guaranteed to me by the second amendment to the constitution of the United States of America. I willingly served in her armed forces, willingly agreed to risk my life in her defense and would do so today if that became necessary. I want a gun to do that with! And I don't want a musket or a single shot rifle like Daniel Boone. That right must not be infringed! Whether I choose to exercise that right or not, my choice. Banning weapons will not stop anything.     

the good stuff

  After writing yesterdays blog about going pro I read it aloud to my wife. That is something I often do as a sort of test run. After reading it out loud I do hear the inconsistencies in the writing. These compositions can be rambling, confusing, and not very structured. But then I reassure myself by saying, well I'm not a pro! Yes these writings and ramblings are the work of an amateur. I'm not ashamed of that and make no excuses for it. I have no desire to take any classes, to learn the proper form and structures, I just enjoy writing things down. No need to go pro. Grandma Moses took no lessons. 

 Speaking of professional grade stuff led my thoughts to the good stuff. It is something I believe the majority of us have. I'm thinking about those material things we have that we call our good stuff. I'm wondering if that isn't becoming something of an outdated thing however. My grandmother had her good china and good glasses, my mother has her good linen. and I have a good soup tureen. I'm not certain if my kids have any good stuff though. That's what I am thinking about really. The younger folks today all seem to use there good stuff all the time, and when it is no longer good, they discard it. Is that a part of this modern throw away society? And is it a lack of sentiment?

 When I was a kid we had our good clothes. You wore those clothes to school, church or formal occasions. If you were not actively involved with those activities you changed your clothes. It was that way with shoes too, you had your good shoes to go with your good clothes. The good shoes and clothes only went away when you outgrew them. If people came over and they were given a drink it was always in a glass, even soda. Mom would fill the glass with ice as well as soda and serve it, with a coaster. We weren't animals was the reasoning. It was like asking, pass the potatoes please. Everyday was that potato on your plate when you got it, not in a bowl on the table. Of course you did have to act like this was a natural thing, wouldn't want to be caught putting on airs. I always snickered though ,couldn't help it, using the good stuff and acting all civilized was putting on airs. I thought it was funny how everyone would pretend like it wasn't. I knew; I also knew I had best be extra careful to not get gravy on that tablecloth and not grab that potato with my bare hand. 

 I'm also thinking that having the good stuff is directly proportional to the size of your home. The larger your home the more good stuff you can store. I say store because that is where the good stuff usually is, being stored, not being used. Even though it may be on display in the china cabinet it doesn't get used often. In my old house I had a formal dining room. In that room was the breakfront, a matching china cabinet and the serving table. I had purchased that complete set from a friend that had sold his house and was downsizing. I had the good china, the good linen, the good glassware, candlestick holders, table runners and whatever in those cabinets. I needed that good stuff if I entertained. Well, I did entertain, myself if no one else and I have to say it felt pretty fancy. Today I have no room for any such trappings, all that good stuff is gone. I don't miss any of it but it is a nice memory. I got rid of that stuff as easily as I got it, and maybe that is the key.

 Is it because we can all obtain the good stuff so readily that we are losing the value? In todays world of credit it is certainly easier. When I was a kid a person having a credit card had to be wealthy. One of the first ones was the Diners Club. Yes, you could charge gasoline and other stuff besides dining out on that card. If someone flashed that card it was impressive. Today everyone has several charge cards. We can just charge the good stuff that we may desire. I realize all of that is variable, there are no absolutes, but getting the good stuff today is far easier than in years past. If I ruined my good suit I wasn't likely to get another anytime soon, hence the care taken to keep it nice. Good clothes came at Easter and Christmas. At some point designer clothes became the thing and that continues to this day. Designer clothes came along with charge accounts is my thinking. 

 Something I have learned over the years though. You can't charge the good stuff. No, that stuff has a value that can't be carried on a ledger. The good stuff is a show of what is important to you. It's simple really, we keep the good stuff and get rid of the rest. The rest is what we will eventually call junk. It is the stuff of yard sales and bazars. Some of that junk was the good stuff at one time or another. The real good stuff however never reaches that stage. That stuff remains for ages and is passed down through families. Sadly I believe that is a custom that is dying out somewhat. I don't mean old photographs, although the actual physical photograph is becoming rarer these days, or other personal items, I'm thinking about stuff. Stuff like sets of china, silverware, knick-knacks and such. Those objects that have been sitting on the shelves in your childhood home and perhaps in your grandmothers home before that. The things that were valued as the good stuff. The value of the stuff may or may not be related to the price of the stuff. That fancy soup tureen for example. it may have been an extravagance at the time of purchase. The actual price may not have been a lot, but twenty dollars for a soup tureen can be a lot to pay for such a luxury item. But then we have to factor in the sentiment in that as well. That's how some stuff gets to be the good stuff. Other things are purchased as the good stuff and that is all it takes, like a diamond or gold piece. Diamonds and gold are always good! 

 Defining the good stuff. That is different for everyone. Holding onto the good stuff is also an individual thing. We all have that stuff I think. The stuff we wouldn't part with unless it was a dire necessity. The good stuff that we purchased to satisfy a want, not a need. Sometimes we need to satisfy a want. How much stuff do you want? How much stuff do you need? I guess it depends upon who you are getting the good stuff for. Are you getting the good stuff to show others that you have the good stuff? Or are you getting the good stuff because you need the good stuff? Having the good stuff does show that you are successful. I don't know I guess we all want the good stuff just for different reasons. 

turning pro

  Yesterday afternoon as the temperature neared sixty degrees a sudden hankering came over me. Now years ago, back in the day, it might have been spring fever. There may have been a certain stirring, a certain mood in the air, and thoughts turned to love. But yesterday that wasn't the case, no yesterday as that thermometer rose, well the digital display anyway, my thoughts turned to grilling. All at once, just like that, I wanted a grilled hot dog, with toasted buns and all the fixins'. And by golly I went directly to the store to get just that. 

 Out on the porch sitting in the corner waiting for the occasion is my grill. I bought that grill last year when a bit of nostalgia hit me. No more gas grill for me, I'm going back to charcoal. It is only the wife and I most times, and certainly no hurry. I have time to prepare the grill, wait on the coals to be right and time to clean up. Yeah it does cost a bit more and does require a little more effort but the results are worth it all. So I decided on Mr. Flame, son of Hibachi. If you are old enough you will remember that particular grill. If you are not familiar with it, it is basically an Habachi grill that folds in the middle. It isn't very large, enough grill space for four hotdogs or hamburger patties at one time, a little more if you squeeze them in. It's big selling point is ease of lighting and ease of cleaning up. When folded up it can be carried to the beach or wherever quite easily. I went out on the porch, unfolded Mr. Flame and fired him up for the first time in the 2021 season. I wasn't disappointed in the results. I did have that summer meal I had craved. Hot dogs, macaroni salad, and baked beans. Eating like a king! Later on I even had an ice cream cone, with nuts. Life is certainly good.

 It is my feeling that all too often we complicate things. That seems to be the trend in recent years anyway. Everything has to be taken to the professional level. Even our leisure activities are becoming that way, professional grade! All that may have started with the first really expensive pair of sneakers. Today the kids may think of Jordans or whatever but for me, a pair of Chucks was a real extravagance. If it weren't for those shoes who would remember Chuck Taylor today? I'm betting there are kids today wearing Chucks that have no idea who he was. But to be a better basketball player better shoes were required weren't they? Yes, and Chuck Taylor filled that need to go, pro. My first pair of "expensive" sneakers, that's what we called them before they were athletic shoes, was a pair of Pro Keds. They had gold colored split suede leather uppers and super sticky soles. Cost? About 35 dollars! I was working at the IGA at that time, after school and weekends, made almost sixty a week. But I'm getting off track a bit, I was talking about making everything professional. Fact was, my basketball playing didn't improve one bit after buying those shoes, the game wasn't more enjoyable and I had less spending money. 

 The luxury yesterday wasn't the grill, the charcoal, or the food. The luxury yesterday was paper plates. Yes, paper plates. Buying something with the express intent of throwing it away. Yup, you buy it knowing full well you will use it once and toss it. Why; for convenience. That's right money to burn. That is what a neighbor of mine when I was growing up would have had to say about that. Why you could just wash the dishes you know? I laughed at her frugality, we all did, but it remains a fond memory of her nonetheless. We called her Aunt Francis and she did live a simple life and strangely as I look back I have to say, she was a professional at living. She entertained herself, fed herself, maintained her home and genuinely enjoyed living. That is professional level in my book. She reveled in the simplest things. She did have money to do pretty much whatever she wanted to do, to live comfortably. That is where the professional part came in, understanding just what was needed. She wasn't easily swayed in her choices. She felt no need to upgrade, to go pro, with anything. She did buy a mower that started by winding up a spring when pulling the string became difficult. She didn't buy an electric start riding mower however, a push mower worked just fine. No need to mow the whole yard in one day, I'm not getting paid to do it, is what she would say. 

 I did post a couple pictures on Facebook. That is the best use I have found for that site, sharing your life with others. It is a social media platform after all, just some have turned it into a professional opinion machine. But then again that should come as no surprise, there are always those folks at the party. They are the ones that always start a fight sooner or later. But I did enjoy reading the comments about my grilling being old school and how basic it all was. I'm sure it brought back memories for many of the "old" days with their parents and friends when grilling out was a thing. The backyard barbecue was our introduction to all that. Good days with family and the neighbors. Kingsford charcoal was the top of the line, used by professionals! That's what I though anyway as Dad would complain about the cost of charcoal. He would say, we could have used wood if we had just started earlier and you could get good oak! Of course he's say, when I was a kid we didn't cook and eat outside, that was for poor people. Well, then we all turned pro. 

 Isn't it strange? I've even heard the real professionals say it, going pro takes the fun out of it! I'd say that has been my experience as well. When you begin to worry about the details, about getting everything just right, making sure it is the best it can be, it ruins the fun. I think there is a life lesson to be learned in all of that. Maybe Aunt Francis knew that lesson, but she never told me if she did. She did appear to have mastered being content. I wouldn't go as far as to say, happy, I can't really speak to that. But she was certainly a pro at "making do" as she put it. No Martha Stewart but a great cook, an excellent seamstress, and creative. I'd say she was the Martha Stewart for the average housewife. Pro level? Yes, I'd say so. Well the real pros do make it look easy don't they? Like I say, there has to be a life lesson in there somewhere.  

hoping

  Hope, faith, belief and expectation. Those are the emotions that drive us. The order in which we pursue them is what differentiates us from others. That is what makes us different. It appears to me the primary emotion today is expectation. So many expecting so much. It is my thinking you should have hope before expecting anything else. Hope is what sustains us. Or I should more properly say, sustains me. I do have a habit of speaking in the first person when writing these thoughts as they are, in reality my thoughts. I'm not attempting to impose my thoughts or beliefs on anyone, I'm just offering an opinion. Whether you accept the offer or not is totally up to you. I remember the days when you were offered something and the response may have been, no thank you, but thanks for the offer. In todays' world, most especially on social media, the reaction is often quite different. That offer is likely to be met with derision and name calling, along with the insistence that your opinion is completely wrong. It's been my experience that the things that make you uncomfortable bear looking into instead of dismissing offhand. That's doubly so with ideas and opinions. If a statement caused you discomfort , there is a reason for it. We say, we're offended! Hear that all the time these days. But why the offense? Offense comes from something deep rooted, a core belief of some type. Especially a moral offense. Moral offenses go against the grain of instinct. 

 It just seem to me people expect a whole lot more today than in years past. When those expectations are not met, offense occurs. In truth, it is disappointment. That is when we begin to look for excuses, for the reasons outside of ourselves. We fully expected others to respond according to our thoughts. The best you can do in that regard however, is hope. I hope you will respond accordingly. I may believe you will, I may even have faith that you will, but in the end all I can do is hope. The mistake comes in when I expect something. I do subscribe to the idea, expect nothing and you won't be disappointed. It is an adage I was taught as a child and has stayed with me. That's not to say I haven't had my share of  disappointments, the practice is a lot more difficult than the advice. Perhaps it comes down to demands. How much do you demand of others? Do they met your expectations? It is that way with most things, don't you think? We have to begin by making demands of ourselves. That is the key. If we allow ourselves to be disappointed when others do not perform according to our standards, when our expectations are not met, we may become offended. The offense however lies within us, not with the others.

 That is why I say it should begin with hope. We must not lose hope. Faith, belief, and expectations will always follow hope. Expectations should be last on the list. I believe we exist somewhere in-between hope and expectations. We can not control what others do, we can not control tomorrow. I refuse to lose hope, believing things will work out for the best. That is the foundation of faith. I don't necessarily expect things to work out but I believe it will. I believe that because I have hope. If one is to believe in a God, an omnipotent entity that designed the whole universe, wouldn't that God has designed it for success? I hope so. I believe it will, I have faith. As for expectations, I'll just have to wait and see won't I? Will God disappoint me? I sure hope not. It's funny isn't it? We spend our lives wondering, where we are, what are we doing here? In the end we pray for where we will go. Are you hoping or expecting that result? Me, I've got my fingers crossed, I'm hoping. I'm hoping I won't be disappointed. I've found being certain of anything can lead to disappointed. For that reason it is best to just keep on hoping.     

in a little while

  It slipped by me yesterday. Yesterday, March the 19, is my grandmother Bennetts' birthday. She was born in Munfors, Sweden in 1884. 1884, 137 years ago. Amazing isn't it? It is when I think that my own mother is now 91 and I am 67. How did so many years get all jammed together like this? I mean, I remember my grandmother well, spent many hours at her home with her. She rocked me as a baby, saw me through childhood, into adolescence and waved goodbye as I left for the Navy. It sure seems like a lot of time when viewed like that. And yes Grandmother Bennett was an immigrant. Wasn't her choice really, she was dispatched by her family to care for a sick aunt. Then life happened to her, she fell in love, married, and had ten children. The rest, as they say is history. And today I'm sitting at a computer in Maryland thinking about all that has transpired over the years. 

 My mother is the youngest of her children, born in 1929 at home. Hers is a different story, not yet finished. She lives in Georgia now with my brother. Of her four children only brother Dan and myself survive. That is a stark reality at times when in mid sentence, it is real. Most of the time the thought doesn't linger long and life goes on. Still there are times, moments, when that time stands still altogether. When all the years combine into that phrase, a little while back. A little while back could be the 1960's now. A little while back we were all together talking about the old folks. It always did seem funny to hear my mother saying, momma. That's how she spoke of her mother, as momma. Momma said this or momma did that. To this day she will say that, momma. Yes, my mother had a momma, and her momma was born in 1884.

 It was a while back, when I was working part time at the grocery store, just before I retired altogether, that a young person was quizzing me. This young lady was doing a paper for her senior project. She had to interview a senior about a time in history. Me, being a historical figure I suppose, was her choice. She wanted to know about the Vietnam war. I had to begin by explaining what the draft system was and how that worked. I talked and she listened, for a while. When we finished up the interview she tossed aside her history book. I asked her what she was doing with that book. She said it was outdated now and being replaced the next school year. That's when I thought, I'm older than the history book now? That's another reality that can sneak up on you. I mean think about that, you are now older than history! Well, it happens every day doesn't it and just goes unnoticed. I've started paying attention, finally. I remember my history teacher in high school telling me just that, pay attention. I hear you Mr. Slattery. 

 Yeah grandma's birthday slipped past this year. To be completely honest about it, it wasn't the first time. I think I am like most men, bad at remembering dates when it comes to stuff like that. The ladies seem to have post it notes or something in their brains. They remember the first date, the first kiss, the first time you ever said anything stupid and every anniversary. It's an amazing ability really, and one of Gods' little jokes I think. God smiles every time we men forget something like that. A reminder, you ate that apple didn't you? Didn't you remember what I told you? Yes, dates can be elusive things for men. It's amazing to think I knew and loved a person that was born in 1884. Somehow it doesn't seem possible. Well until I remember great grandfather Lester. He was born on April the first. I always remember that, it being April fools day. He was born in 1878. Rutherford Hayes was the president then, number 19. We are on number 46 now. I may live to see number 50! The superbowl will be 55 this year and I was around 12 years before that was even a thing. Historical? 

 Today is the first day of spring , a new beginning. With a degree of luck things will remain pretty much the same as always. I find it a bit ironic that we all hope for that knowing full well time will change all things, given time. Why just a little while ago I had to go to work every day and complained about that. Now I'm complaining about time itself. Time is going too fast. A little while back it wasn't fast enough. Remember waiting for Christmas when you were a kid? Yeah that took a year to get there, today Christmas is just around the corner, be here before you know it. Winter is over, where did that go? Not complaining about that though, or am I. Well I'll let you know about all of that, in a while. Takes a while to understand time doesn't it?      

 

where exceptions begin

  Their is a bill in congress right now called the equality act. This bill hopes to amend the civil rights act of 1964 to specify additional things that you can not discriminate against. The original bill only lists actual realities, not fantasies. But it has been determined that if you proclaim your gender identity to be something other than the actual science proves you are, and I don't agree with that, I'm discriminating against you. Basically what this bill proposes is that you are whatever you claim to be. It is an attempt to codify a fantasy or delusional thinking. Just two years back believing you were a different gender was a condition called gender dysphoria and a treatable mental illness. It was a disability as a matter of fact. Today there are those that would make it a legally protected normality. Sexual orientation is also included in this bill. Now that is none of my business and I would just as soon not know anything about that. In my way of thinking that information is on a need to know basis. Of course there is something to be said for assuming the one gender would be attracted to the opposite gender, you know, that being the normal thing. You could go as far as to say, the expected thing. If you have to start making civil laws to protect those opposing natural laws, I suspect the violation should really be against nature, not civil law. In short, it's what is expected to happen. 

 The whole issue I have with this is certain assumptions have to be made. If someone doesn't get whatever it is they want, and they fall into this category, the assumption is it is because of discrimination. It's like carrying a trump card around. To me it is similar to the whole hate crime thing. To be charged with a hate crime, a federal offense by the way, relies on one of two conditions. Either you admit to that, state your discriminatory, prejudicial, and hate for whatever, or the prosecutor just assumes that was the motivation. How do you determine motivation? If I decide to identify as a woman how are you to determine why? This bill would say, you are to assume that it is genuine. In short you are to believe that I really believe I am a woman. You are required by law to support my delusion. And yes, it is a delusion, you can't change your gender. That's science! And we are told to follow the science aren't we? You can't have it both ways. 

 So what is this equality act really? What it is basically saying is, if I want to be something other than what you like we aren't equal. The only way we can be equal is if you agree with my every choice. That's equal. It's equal because I devalue your opinion, your judgement, making it comply with my standard. Can civil law really ever make people equal? It's a great idea isn't it? It is also a fantasy. There will always be the haves and the have nots. The fact is a community establishes standards. Those wishing to be equal adopt the standards of that community and comply. Those wishing to do otherwise are not part of the community! So then the attempt is made to change the rules, change the standards. Equality is the goal. The reality is, not all things are equal. There are better and worse. Consider something as simple as art. If everyone were equal, everyone is a Picasso or a Rembrandt. We are all equal! We will pass a bill saying just that, if I believe my painting to be a masterpiece you must agree with that. If you do not, you are discriminating, possibly prejudiced. Just because my painting is not what you expected, what is thought of as normal, is no reason for you to treat me any differently. Hey, I really believe I'm a great artist after all. I don't have artistic dysphoria! See the problem with all of that? 

 Look I'm just sayin' you can't legislate on assumptions. Is being a transgender a normal thing? Should I have to acknowledge that? Is that equality? Does equality mean I have to agree with you? That's what makes us equal? Well it is my belief that you have no right to tell me how to think. You are only protected against the way I may act. But when I don't think the way you do, that doesn't mean I have to act the way you do in order to be equal! You aren't a mind reader. Unless I tell you my thoughts you can't know my thoughts. You can not assume my actions are based on your thoughts. I will say this, if you are worried or concerned that your actions may cost you some perceived benefit, privilege, or consideration perhaps you should examine your actions instead of assuming my thoughts. I'll finish up by saying what I've been saying for some time now, "everyone wants to be equal until they are treated equally" that's where the exceptions begin. 

the right thing

  Being an adult is hard. That is the thought I had this morning. What I'm thinking about is making those adult decisions in everyday living. I can't help but believe we are going to be in serious trouble in the not too distant future. The reason for that is the inability of some adults to be adult. It's the only explanation I can find for the actions of some. Not one to post personal business on the world wide web I will not go into those adult decisions I find myself making that inspired this writing. Suffice to say, difficult decisions need to be made. Those decision have to be based on what is the best solution, not necessarily the empathetic, compassionate, or singularly satisfying. In short I could quote Spock on that; "the needs of the many" and you know the rest. That is making the adult decision and what makes being an adult so hard.

 It's called doing the right thing. The issue being deciding what is the right thing? We are influenced at every turn into believing what is right. It begins with our parents, our siblings, our friends and in the end our own souls. Each of us must decide for ourselves what is right. When you have made those decisions, those choices, and are willing to expose yourself to the world, you have become an adult. Children attempt to deceive, to find excuses and alternative endings, but adults simply react to the situation. Being adult does not allow for indecision. That isn't to say the decisions are always right, but they are always honest. And that honesty reflects what the person feels is the best choice. Well, it should anyway. It may or may not reflect current thinking, current popularity, or current fads. Doing the right thing can be very painful. 

 In todays thinking I should be seeking counseling or therapy of some kind. The reason? Reality is staring me in the face. It seems like a good number of people are seeking advice on just that topic, reality. Instead of merely recognizing reality I should have an explanation for it, a reason. Isn't that what the therapists provide? Yes, in my view that is exactly what they do, explain reality to others. Many seek that professional advice simply because; if it costs a lot of money it must be good. I say you can hear the same advice from a stranger on a barstool. Real people living real lives. In my experience the only trick to being an adult is in the ability to say, no. The ability to deny yourself something, anything and everything in order to do what is right. That is being an adult. Understanding that it isn't about pleasing everyone, or even pleasing those closest to you, but doing the right thing. And with that comes internal peace. When you no longer require others to validate your decision, to believe as you do, you have decided. That is the real challenge we all face. When the sacrifices you make are not made to benefit you, you are on the path.

 Now having written these thoughts as a form of justification, something we all need to do before deciding on anything, I have reached the conclusion. I know what caused my original thought, being an adult is hard. Any of you with elderly parents will understand this. When the time comes and you have to adult your parents, that is to say adult the adults, reality smacks you in the face, followed by a punch to the gut. And the decision has to be made to do the right thing.   

Returning

  I had a family matter to attend to that necessitated a trip to Georgia. So, packing a bag I set out. The drive was pretty much straight down I-95, part of the five star Eisenhower interstate system. I have to say the speed has increased by about twenty miles an hour since I last traveled any great distance on that highway. Seventy miles per hour was the posted limit a good portion of the way. Eighty, eighty five wasn't uncommon for others. My four cylinder Ford Focus did strain a bit to maintain the speed limit. It certainly wasn't designed for todays' speedways. Still, I was pleased with how well it did manage the trip. I returned home safe and sound. 

 I didn't write any blogs while away. The first time I think I have gone five days without doing so in about 11 years. A streak was broken. It was time and I did enjoy a respite. I hesitated to write another having had time to examine what I have been writing about. The politics have become a bit toxic to me although still concerning. The negativity does wear on a person after a while. But, I'm not one to quit easily, to fold my tent and leave as the saying goes. So, I'm back at the keyboard once again. I'm saying this has become a habit but not an addiction. Habits aren't necessarily a bad thing, addiction always is. Isn't that the perception? I'm going with that.

 Driving for hours on end does give you time to think. I didn't have the distraction of the radio playing as the stations fading in and out annoy me. I just drove along watching the maniacs around me, alert, but not nervous. I noticed a few things. First off the semi's all seem to have large pipe style bumpers these days. I did see the large chrome ones on the older models. I wonder why the pipe bumpers? Perhaps it is just a style thing and doesn't have a function other than that. Retreads are still popular on those rigs as well as I must have seen hundreds of pounds of rubber on the side of the highways. I wonder why, in this time of "safety" and "caring for others" they are still allowed at all. I did have one chunk of rubber fly over the roof of my car. But in-between the maniac drivers and flying rubber I did think about things in a general sense. 

 I can't say that all that thinking has changed my mind about anything. I still feel the same way. I'm guessing that is a good thing, me being the type of person that likes continuity. I usually make a decision and stick with it. Yes there is a lot to be said about being open minded, flexible and accommodating, but there is a lot to be said for making up your mind as well. Making up your mind is how things get done! Some will call it persistence, while others call it stubbornness. Just a matter of perception really. I didn't spend enough time in the southern states to make any judgements about things. I will say as soon as I hit the Carolinas I did see a proliferation of confederate battle flags prominently displayed. A show of heritage or a political statement? I can't offer an opinion on that. I was amused to see billboards, in the bible belt, advertising Adult Superstores. Well I guess sinning is big business in the south but that is just a judgement call. Lots of advertising for cigarettes, cigars and alcoholic refreshments as well. 

 So here it is a blog about nothing, like an episode of Seinfeld. I did settle my family business and feel good about that. A personal obligation fulfilled. It's good when you do something for yourself every once in a while. No one was hurt. I expect things will return to normal in short order. I am a creature of habit after all, just not addicted to the habit. That's my story. 

open your eyes

  " The Democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who would work and it give it to those that would not. " Thomas Jefferson 

 I didn't listen to a single word of Joe Bidens prepared comments. I'm certain they were not prepared by him at any rate but did read where 4 billion dollars in American relief act monies is going to Central America. I wasn't aware that America now includes North America, Central American and the entire Southern continent of the "Americas. " But apparently that is now the case. I gather the plan to prevent all those in central America from fleeing their socialist hellholes is to pay them to just stay home. That should solve that problem. Somehow I doubt that plan will work. Just who will actually receive those funds? The governments of those nations. Does anyone really believe they are going to disperse those funds among the population? 

 Now to be accurate about it Cuba is the only country in the southern hemisphere that is practicing strict socialism. All the other nations have varying forms of democracy. Some have constitutional democracies and some democratic socialism. It is important to understand that those countries claim to be democracies. And to many here in America democracies sound great! Bernie Sanders constantly raves about being a Democratic Socialist! He has a lot of supporters here in America, those folks that believe they are entitled to certain things by virtue of being alive. The same people that believe killing an unwanted child is a choice I might add. They want a Constitutional Democracy! Yeah, just like say, Nicaragua, although officially the call themselves the Republic of Nicaragua. More political double talk. Well Nicaragua has more people fleeing that nation than ticks off a dog being shampooed. And where are they running to? A Constitutional Republic, namely, the United States of America. Wonder why that is? It's because no matter what they call themselves they are running the country under socialist principles. And socialism, in any of its' various forms, never works! It will never work! 

 Today we have a congress that wishes for nothing more than to operate under socialist rules. It has already happened. The 50 got their way over the 49. That is an example of a simple democracy. And when that simple democracy is being run by those with a socialist bent, you get socialist results. That was the final vote in the Senate, 50 to 49. The last time the Republicans all voted in favor of something, with all the Democrats opposing, was for the 13th amendment! Yes, that was voting to free the slaves. So if you wish to point fingers and say, well the Republicans did the same thing, I would say, yes we did! Difference was what? Supporting the ideals of a Republic vs supporting the agenda of socialism. That was the difference.

 Well, it is what is at the moment. Mid term elections aren't that far off. I haven't forgotten about Article Five either. A convention of the States. I will continue to support that. That is the means to bring the socialists in our government today in check. Term limits can be imposed, voter ID laws implemented, and a balanced budget amendment. I do hope this is going to be an eye opener for some. I realize a great number of people will be content as long as they get "free" stuff. I also know nothing is free and sooner or later you do have to pay the piper. It's my hope that will open those eyes.        

normal

  I read where Unilever, that's the corporation that has such brands as Dove soap, Vaseline, and a variety of beauty products, will not be using the word normal on any of their products. The reason? Seems as though a market research team conducted a study and discovered this: the general public feel uncomfortable with the word, normal. Yes, like this lotion is for normal skin, not dry skin. Normal, as it turned out, isn't a good thing. People no longer want to be normal. No, today people want to be the exception, not the rule. And that, in my untrained view, is a direct reflection of America today. I come from a time in America when being normal was the preferred condition. In fact, it was encouraged. The premise when I was young was to fit in, adapt to the situation, and well, be a normal human being. We were instructed to straighten up and fly right! We had a good understanding of what was normal and what was not! Surely no studies were required to determine that. If you got out of line it would be said, that boy ain't normal! 

 Now I'm certain this decision to study that came about as we are busy attempting to cancel American culture. The focus is on race these days, nothing new about that, and an area that does need improvement. You are not going to improve that by placing one race over the other in some misguided attempt at creating equality. It really is as I have pointed out many times. Everyone wants equality, to be treated equally, right up until the time they are. It is at that point the excuses, the reasons, the justification for those folks to receive something different, something just a bit more. That comes in many forms, charity, special programs, unique identifiers or whatever. The reasoning is, because you have more money that I do, and we should all be equal, you should give me your money. You can apply that logic to anything you like, jobs, housing, cars, music, movies , fame and the list is endless. Everyone wants to be equal until they are! And you know what, that's normal. 

 Today everyone wants to be the exception. It started for me with this notion that everyone is a hero. I went to work, did the job I was paid to do, and so, I'm a hero. No, you are not. You see that's part of the problem today, we don't have any heroes. Everyone is attacked, vilified, degraded, and found fault with. Real heroes no longer exist, now everyone is the hero and that, that is the problem. I wouldn't say our Presidents have always been heroes, although a few attained that status, but they were all respected, well until Nixon came along anyway. Nixon resigned his presidency to avoid an impeachment trial where he certainly would have been found guilty. It wasn't that previous Presidents hadn't done things just as bad, it was just that Dick caught caught. The attack had begun and it has been a feeding frenzy ever since. My only point being, when I was young aspiring to be the President was a good thing, a noble quest, and anyone in that office was to be admired. I don't believe that is the perception today. 

 Well I don't think of myself as any great philosopher, more as an observer. My hope is to be considered normal. That isn't always the case among those that know me and even today there are those that will tell you otherwise but I'm no hero that much is certain. But in my observation you can't have much of a club without everyone agreeing to the rules. That is to say, agreeing upon what is normal. Standards are required! 

 In order to have standards you have define what is sub-par, what is the normal condition, and what exceeds that condition. There is normal and there is different. The thing to understand about all of that is; being different doesn't mean you are the exception. It means you are different. Being different isn't necessarily a bad thing, it is a thing, a condition other than what is expected or normal. It's my feeling we can not and we should not attempt to cancel what is normal! Now it's true that each of us are different, but we get along best when we are the same. When we all become the same, someone wants to to be different, to stand out from the crowd. That gets adopted as the new normal and the cycle continues. Those changing the norms always convinced it is better. It's better because they want that behavior to be viewed as, you got it, normal. 

 I guess normal is whatever you are willing to accept and adopt. That's your normal. When others act outside those parameters, they aren't normal. I do believe we all attempt to be abnormal in some way. Each of us do seek our fifteen minutes of fame, even if it is only a second at a time. We do that through the pursuit of our hobbies or occupation. We have the desire to create something outside the norm. Something better. Unilever did a study and it showed that, people are uncomfortable with normal. Really, no one wants to be normal. The real problem with normal? People won't buy it. 

it's gone

  Do you remember when you were young? I mean, so young that you were unaware of the adult world? Yes, that was the best time of our childhoods in my opinion, the time of innocence and being naïve. We really did believe in miracles, in magic and in the goodness of others. We reached out fully expecting others to take our hands and be our friends. In my time I believe those years lasted a bit longer than they do today. Heck in elementary school we still had some faith in the goodness of others although we now knew some folks were mean. Still, we had Valentines days at school, exchanging cards and we celebrated the holidays with Santa Claus. We knew little, if anything at all, about racial issues, politics, and the stuff that concerned the old people. No we were just kids then, blissfully unaware of most of that stuff. That experience did vary of course, depending upon your social and economic status in the community. We learned about that stuff in high school. with the various cliques and groups. That was the beginning of awareness. And most of us learned to deal with that by what our parents had taught us, not through lessons, but through example. Also the reason a good number of their behaviors were hidden from young eyes. Children should be seen and not heard. We were excluded from the adult world for a fair amount of our childhood and I believe that was a good thing. 

 I was reminded of that this morning with the posting of an old photograph. This picture brought back memories of when my parents had house parties. I think that is what they called that back in the 1960's. My parents would invite their friends over for a night of cocktails and dancing. It was expensive to go out to the club, not that there were any clubs where I grew up, there were only bars and honky tonks. You didn't take your wife to such places, not if you had children. The bars and honky tonks were for cheatin' men and loose women back in those times. So, anyway, they had house parties. The kids were sent upstairs or ordered to stay in another room. Every once in a while one of the women would check on the kids, give you a bowl of chips and maybe a soda. You got a bit more as the party got cranked up. When the party reached full swing you were sent to bed. Your cousins or other kids were sent right along with you, parents will come and get you when it is time to leave! Until then, you were not to be seen or heard. 

 I do remember peeking, to see what those old folks were doing. There was a lot of drinking going on and a lot of dancing. Sometimes it was downright uncomfortable seeing them like that, holding each other close with those funny looks on their faces. Everyone all dressed up and acting so polite and all, like different people altogether. You couldn't hear what they were talking about, the music covered that up, but there was a lot of laughing going on. I figured they must be telling jokes. Then Dad would get tired of dancing with Mom and dance with one of my aunts. Mom would dance with a brother in law or neighbor. Well no one here was dating or anything like that, just dancing. I remember once hearing a lot of shouting and someone leaving the party! Don't know what happened, but the party ended quickly after that. 

 That was a great time in my childhood. Everything was pretty simple. The answers were easy. There was no intrigue, no behind the scenes stuff, everything was out in the open. Well, except for the stuff your parents and the other adults shielded you from until they figured you were ready. Yes I was told that babies came from mommy's tummy but that was all I needed to know about that. I was taught to be polite and respectful of anyone older than myself. Well anyone that was an adult anyway. It was kind of a foggy area though, who was an adult and who wasn't. I think it usually depended upon whether they had a job or not. I mean a real job. I was told not to gossip about others, found out later that is for adults to do. That's probably what they were laughing about at those parties. And then we began to learn about relationships. It is at that point your childhood ends. Welcome to the real world. Ah but for us lucky ones we still have our memories. I remember what it was like back then. It was a great childhood. There are times when I wish I could be that innocent, that naïve once again, to just forget all the nonsense, all the worry, all the cares of the adult world. You know it's true, you really don't know what you have until it's gone.         

the real world

  I keep seeing various meme's about Harry and Meghan. Now I didn't watch that interview, waste of time as far as I'm concerned. My take on it was it was basically a pity party. The rich kids complaining to the richer lady. Surely its' a tough life only living in a 15 million dollar mansion instead of a castle. And then, from what I've heard the Queen herself and others were mean. Well, boo, hoo. But that's about the extent of my knowledge about what was said. As you have guessed by now, I really don't care. Might as well be the Jersey Shore or some other such nonsense. 

 But I did read a few comments about how this interview exposed inherent racism. That's something new? I don't think so, I think we all know that racism exists in the world, especially among those of wealth and power. You know it doesn't take a sociologist to understand that. People attempt to subjugate others for their benefit. What? Yes, it's true, people attempt to use one another to better their own condition. If I have what you want I hold power over you. Think the southern plantation owners as a prime example. What was the reason they purchased slaves? Was it because they didn't like black people? No, it was because they could make those people do the work! It really was that simple. They really didn't care what color anyone was, what they cared about was cheap labor. They started a civil war over that! When they lost that power through the 13th amendment they basically created the sharecropper system. In that way they kept a measure of control over the workforce. When the workforce moved to the industrial cities in the north, they created slums. More control. And in all of that it really had nothing to do with skin tone, it has to do with control. 

 Now in a society we establish laws. What is the purpose of those laws? It would be fair to say that laws are meant to inform the public of proper behaviors. That is to say, what is going to be allowed in the society. The fewer the laws, the more open the society. We all tend to think of laws as restrictions, and they are. They do restrict what is allowed and that is why there is punishment associated with breaking those laws. As the society progresses more and more laws are written. The laws change in nature somewhat, beginning to provide exceptions to the other laws. It's what the lawyers call, legislating. Really it is simple compromise. This will be allowed in exchange for that. The ones doing the legislating wielding the power over the rest. In America we established a Constitutional Republic hoping to avoid that scenario. The Constitution and its' amendment being the final authority, the legislator. But, over the years that document has been interpreted and reinterpreted by those legislators to suit the current wishes of the rich and powerful. 

 Now from what I understand the major complaint was racism. Meghan Markle complaining that they spoke about her skin tone and the possible color of her child. I'm not surprised by that at all. Anytime there is a mixed marriage it is a natural thing to wonder about the childs appearance. Both sides of the family will do that! Yes, they will whether they say it out loud or not, they will. It's human nature. Does that make them racists? If so, everyone is a racist. And that is the law of nature. You can't change the laws of nature. Oh you can write down anything you like but you can't rewrite human nature. Human nature dictates that anything different from the normal will cause curiosity in human beings. Society itself will determine whether that difference is good or bad. Different societies will reach different conclusions. 

 What needs to be understood is that you can't legislate human nature, you can't write a law changing that. We wrote the 13th amendment that freed the slaves. Does that amendment mention the color of anyone's skin? No, it sure doesn't. It is less than fifty words in total. It was written because it became obvious that "all men are created equal" is a natural truth, a natural law, and no man should be forced into slavery or involuntary servitude. It was a change in society, not the law of nature, that precipitated that. Society had caught up! There are societies around the world today that haven't caught up to that. In this country of ours we have written many laws attempting to clarify natural law as the only true law.   One nation under God. What is that saying? We should act according to the Christian values and teachings that we were all taught. That was the thinking at that time. But there are those that would rewrite those laws as well, indeed there are many that deny that law altogether. In the beginning we separated the church from the state for a reason. That reason was easy to understand, we didn't want church leaders leading the nation. The Catholics and the Protestant's do have a differing world view.  So that was rejected and what were we left with? Laws written by man. Those laws aren't infallible like the laws of nature are. For that reason those laws are under constant revision dependent upon the society. Remember natural law never changes! Or as we say today, haters gonna hate. You can't legislate human nature.

 So what was the pity party really all about? People got their feelings hurt. A guy that was raised as a Prince, must have been a tough childhood, meets and marries Meghan Markle. I really don't now anything about her and how she came into the Princes life but apparently she identifies as a woman of color. Now she acts surprised that the Queen and others noticed that. I heard complaints that she didn't feel welcome. Seems to me I heard that about Diana as well, although her race was white. Guess those royal folks are a bit snooty about you they associate with, imagine that. Princess Di was a commoner after all. My only question is, what were either of them denied? Was any privilege, right, or courtesy denied them? From what little I understand the Prince decided to abandon the monarchy. His choice, I don't begrudge him that, but don't complain about it after the fact. Fact is we all have in-laws and outlaws we really don't like. 

 Well none of that matters to me, just something to talk about this morning. I'll go on about my day and my life as usual. I have never understood the fascination with rich people's lives. Just not much of a fan boy I suppose. I guess Prince Harry wanted to be a Prince without having to pay the price. There is a price for everything in this world, in one way or another. What does Meghan Markle want? Looks like she married a prince, enjoys wealth and fame. Is that something to complain about? The in-laws didn't like her. Well, welcome to the real world. 

sentiment

  A little more than three years ago my wife's sister passed away. Joan was a wonderful lady, kind, generous and funny. A real Baltimore girl, whatever that is supposed to be, I loved her like my own sister. There are those that become your in-laws and those that just become a part of your family. Joan was a part of my family. A lady that loved to fish and loved to cook. During the days of my naval career as I moved about the country Joan and her family came to visit with us everywhere we ever went. Now that's quite a feat considering neither of our families are anywhere close to being well to do. That is to say it was a real financial burden for them to do so. But they did make that effort and we shared many a Hallmark moment with Joan and family. We shared in their joys and their sorrows over the years. We grieved together when Joan lost her husband, Fred. We rejoiced with her with the birth of her grandchildren. 

 Now we all have our memories of those we loved. I have a small slip of paper with a note written upon it that Joan gave me over thirty years ago. The note contains a few sentimental words and a thank you, nothing more but it is a treasure to me. I had it folded in my wallet for a number of years until I was changing wallets, then seeing it degrading, I placed it in a safe space along with other important documents. We all have that box, the one with our birth certificates, life insurance policies, and other important documents, and that note has taken its' rightful place in there. A memento of life. My memories of Joan are her cooking, her fishing and her garden. Joan loved to grow a garden every year, peppers, tomato's, cukes,  and more. Fact is the last time I saw Joan as I was leaving, I grabbed a cherry tomato off her plant and ate that. She was laughing about that, it was in September and the plants were blooming their last. Little did either of us realize just how final that plant was. It was later, that same day, that Joan passed. 

 You know it takes time to adjust. At first you have to realize that the person is gone, really gone. You will never be in their physical presence again. The reality of death is hard to accept at times. Then you have to get used to talking about them in the third person. Joan did this or Joan did that. That can take some time to accomplish. It's been three years already but the memory of Joan is fresh. There are times when I think the true measure of love is how long the memory remains fresh. That isn't to say, grief, not that memory, love is the memory we cling too the most. or should. My father has been gone for thirty years but is alive in my heart. I talk to him daily, I see him everywhere and I hear his voice. That is the kind of love and memory that I'm talking about. I no longer grieve my loss but enjoy the memories. And that is what takes time.

 This past Christmas Joans' granddaughter Jessica, gave her Aunt Ann a special gift. Jessica had a baby six months ago, Joans' great granddaughter. Yes there was a bit of sadness when you think about that. Joan, like most grandma's adored her grandchildren and would have been over the moon about a great grand. Being a Marylander the custom here is to call your grandmother mom-mom. Grandfathers are pop-pop. So Jessica had taken all of Joans' ( mommom) recipe cards and had them bound into a book. On every page is a copy of the handwritten card with a transcription of that recipe. Joans' penmanship could be a challenge to some I suppose, but her cursive was clear enough to me, perhaps a product of  our schooling. But this compellation took some time and effort. How could you not be thinking of Joan with each page, each letter written. So this book was given to my wife. What a heartfelt and touching tribute. If you knew Joan, you knew how much she enjoyed cooking. But it wasn't the actual process of cooking that she enjoyed as much as watching others eat that food. Joan wasn't Italian but should have been or perhaps Jewish! Joan loved to feed people and was an outstanding cook. She had a way of throwing things together that just spoke, delicious. Nothing fancy mind you, just home cooking done right. 

 Now my wife has that book and glances through it every now and again. I don't think she is reading the recipes as much as reading the memories in there. The other day he asked me to build her a shelf to put that book on display. It should be in the kitchen where she can share it with others whenever they come over. Sometimes we put things away to save them, we treasure them so much we lock them up. Sometimes the result is the treasure is forgotten about and neglected. Well this treasure is to be shared. It is what Joan would have wanted. She didn't keep secrets about her recipes, although to be honest about it, I never saw her use one either. So, I made a shelf, of sorts, out of some scrap materials I had lying about. I haven't decorated it yet but it is on the wall anyway. That book is there, on display, for everyone to see. A constant reminder of Joan, when no reminder is really needed. She would just laugh about that, call me crazy. Yeah well, houses are filled with stuff, homes are filled with sentiments. Couldn't ask for a better addition.