Out loud

  Writing is a way of saying things out loud even when no one is listening. I think that is the reason I write so much and so often. It just doesn't seem like I'm talking to myself, although that is really what is happening. It's a delusion I allow for myself. By writing and posting to the world wide web I feel like I am talking to others. Occasionally I get a reply, often not very positive but that's alright, and occasionally words of encouragement. Neither is necessary as I will continue until I don't. It is that way with most things in life, something I have discovered over the years. I'll be alive until I ain't. Nothing much to be done about any of that. 

  There is very little I don't write about. I'm not writing these postings to be popular, to gain anything at all except perhaps some peace of mind. It's not good to keep things to yourself you know. Go ahead and get it off your chest is my advice. Some people pay great sums of money to professional listeners that in turn give then professional advice. I just laugh at that as I feel it is a bunch of nonsense. The only person that can control, modify, or alter your mental state is you. That's the bottom line. All the drugs prescribed don't cure a thing, just mask the symptoms. Stop taking the drugs and you will revert to your original state. 

  This morning , for example, I really didn't have an idea of what I wanted to write about. I decided to write about writing. I thought about why I wanted to write something and this is what I came up with. I do feel like I'm talking to myself the majority of the time. Sometimes I even argue with myself! But fortunately I'm not easily swayed in my opinions and rarely change them. If I did I might consider myself unstable. That wouldn't be good. I am consistent and the proof lies in these postings. Occasionally I go back and read them and have found what I was saying ten years ago isn't much different than what I'm saying today. Oh, some my say I'm in a rut, stubborn, refusing to learn and just backwards. 

  I'm thinking I'm just right. Right doesn't change over time, right is a constant. It really is like I said the other day, when someone tells you not to judge, what they mean is don't tell me I'm wrong. It's not my fault if your judgement is in error. I'm doing my best to correct that, you're welcome. Telling me not to judge is a judgement on your part. You're passing a judgement against me. I wonder why so many seem to forget that half the judgements passed are positive ones. Yes, judgement is a binary thing, good for one, bad for the other. Almost everything in life is a binary function. Even our most advanced computers operate on the binary system, yes and no. It's how things work. Really nothing very complex about any of it. 

  Everything I write I believe to be right. Why would I write something I believed to be wrong? So yes, I do believe I am right. There are times when I point out what I feel is wrong. That is called opinion. I have a lot of opinions. We all have a lot of opinions. Opinions come from judgements. In fact that is what the supreme does, issue an opinion. The highest court in the land and it doesn't judge anything, just issue their collective opinion on the legality of proposed or existing legislation. There is talk now of expanding that court, to gain a few more opinions. It isn't the first time and I'm certain it won't be the last. Well, the truth is everyone thinks their opinion is the correct one. I know I do.

  Am I always right? No, I'm not and I'm very much aware of that. The thing is however I was taught to live my life with conviction. What some will say believing in yourself. Self esteem or whatever you wish to call it. Self confident was, at one time, an admirable quality to have. Today those opposing that call it arrogance. I'm not a survivor, I'm a conqueror. That is my mindset. Telling the truth is never arrogant. That's my feeling on that. Others may not like it, may not agree with it, or even dispute that truth, but that doesn't mean I should stop telling the truth. 

 ‘The universe is transformation: life is opinion.’ – Marcus Aurelius

                                                     

Equal but better

  Heard a new term this morning from the Democrats. Social equalization. That is when you take revenue generated by the legal sale of a drug and give it those that previously were arrested for selling that drug illegally. That is what is being discussed in the democratically controlled city of Baltimore. Following the "legalization" of cannabis, we won't mention that it is still listed on schedule one of the controlled dangerous substance list and a federal crime to sell or possess, the city has enjoyed a revenue stream. What to do with the extra cash? Forget about the schools, the children, and the elderly, that money should be earmarked for "social equalization." What that means is, given to the black community because more blacks were arrested for selling illegal drugs than white folks. That is the "social" part in that equation. 

  Earlier this year those same democrats wanted to release everyone from prison that had gotten there from selling marijuana. The justification being, it is now "legal." No matter that you broke the law yesterday, the law only applies to today. No one is denying that they bought and sold that drug illegally, that they were in violation of the law, but that law doesn't apply today. The thing is, they were unfairly targeted. The police deliberately went into the neighborhood back alley's and sought those people out. It was nothing more than prejudice! They went looking for drug dealers where the drug dealers were known to be and didn't go looking in other neighborhoods that were populated by affluent white people. Later on when the situation changed that action was called "predictive policing" and touted as a tool by their newly hired police commissioner.

  Naturally none of that is being mentioned. You certainly can't be saying it is the black community because that is just racist, unless of course you happen to be black yourself. Instead you have to say marginalized. Everyone knows exactly what they mean but no one is allowed to say that. Yes, there are a good number of black people in jail for selling illegal drugs. Why? Because they were the ones selling the drugs that's why. It's really not difficult to figure out. Do white people sell illegal drugs? Yup, they sure do and they go to jail as well. Is it equitable? 

  When you are the one locked up, it is never equitable. So, that all depends. If I am poor and live in a rough neighborhood does that excuse my lawlessness? It isn't my fault. Is that how that works? That's what "social equalization" is all about. We should give those people money because we legalized the sale of drugs. Now, they don't have any way of making money! That's not fair. Yes, we need "social equalization." When they sold those drugs illegally they made a lot of money but got locked up. Now they aren't getting locked up, but they don't have any money. The least we should do is give them the money from the sale of that drug, that seems fair enough.  

  Social equalization. That is what you call giving people special consideration, special treatment and exclusive benefits to make them equal. All those folks want is to be equal. As I have pointed out on many occasions, everyone wants to be treated equally, until they are. At that point the "exceptions" and "exemptions" enter the picture. You can't be equal without those. Social equalization. It does go hand in hand with one form of government. Socialism: 

• (in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism.

  "socialism is the first stage of the worldwide transition to communism"  

                                                                           

Northwest

  I lived on the edge of Northwest woods, an area in the town of East Hampton. My brothers and I had trails all through those woods and had built a tree fort at one time. Another time we decided to build an underground fort and had dug quite the hole in the ground. Being kids we hadn't really thought that one out fully and the roof turned out to be a bit of a problem. We didn't have a supply of lumber and roofing materials available. We did cover it with some fallen trees and branches but realized what we had built was in reality a trap. We removed that covering and abandoned that hole. I spent many hours roaming those woods and got to know them quite well. 

  When I was twelve or so I was allowed to camp out, overnight. Now I didn't have a tent or much of anything camping related. I did have some old blankets, a thermos bottle and a pocket knife. Hey, that was all Davy Crockett needed, although he had a canteen. I did camp out overnight a few times in those woods making a small campfire and cooking a hot dog, once I took a frying pan and eggs. For reasons I do not remember I had taken sugar and salt along as well. I cooked those eggs in the morning but put sugar on them in the early morning darkness. Well, I'm sure I wasn't the first pioneer to make that mistake. 

  When I think back on that I smile. To be young and able to just throw a blanket on the ground, curl up and go to sleep. There are no animals in Northwest woods larger than deer. Deer will not bother people, neither will racoons, pheasants or other woodland creatures. There are no snakes to be concerned with. Still, there were the bugs that would crawl over you but I had no concerns regarding that. I do remember it beginning to rain on one of my camping adventures. No problem, I wasn't any more than a 1/4 mile from home, if that. That was the beauty in that. As a kid those woods seemed huge and far from home at times but the reality was, they weren't. I didn't have to go far to be away from the lights and the sound of traffic. Where I lived there were no street lights and after five o'clock, very little traffic. A few hundred yards into the woods and you were hidden.

  One memorable camping adventure was with a neighborhood friend, Barry was his name. Barry and I shared the same birthday and he lived next door to my uncle. We would hang out together occasionally. It was at his house I first heard the Beach Boys sing Good Vibrations on a 45. We decided to camp out and set up camp in a new location to me. It was in a different corner of the woods closer to Barry's house. We had settled down and were set to go to sleep when we saw some bright lights in the sky. We wondered what they could be. Then some clouds moved in and a light rain began. We decided to pack it up and head home. We got disoriented in those woods in the dark and the rain. We began hearing other footsteps and had a feeling of being watched. I had brought along my BB gun and made sure it was cocked and ready! Now, we never really saw anything but we both agreed something or someone had been there. The next day we went back to our campsite. There we saw three round circles on the ground that looked like the ground had been burned. The trees were burned a bit too! We had been visited by a UFO. 

 That would have been about 1966 or so, I was twelve or thirteen at that time. Parenting was done differently back then. I had no phone, no gps tracker and was told simply, be careful and have a good time. There was no questions about where will you be or anything like that. Sometimes Mom would pack my "grub" for my adventures. It wasn't something I did often though, just occasionally when the mood would strike me. It was a great childhood in that regard, I did have the freedom of the woods. I carried by pocket knife and a BB gun. I felt like I could run through those woods like an Indian. I knew where there were several Indian graves as well. They could be identified by three stones in the shape of a triangle. The local Indians, I was told buried their dead wherever they fell. Fact or fiction, I don't know. That Indians had been about in those woods was without question. 

  There was also an abandoned village. The village of Northwest was at one time a thriving sea port. Whaling ships had left that port until a new port was established just across the bay. When the ships left, the village slowly died away. All that was left when I was young were a few old barns and foundations. It wasn't spoken of very often. I learned later that some of my ancestors lived in that village and some were buried there as well. I never discovered those graves however as it was outside the normal area I played. I could roam those woods freely back then without concern about being a trespasser. I'm certain that isn't the case today. Still, I didn't go on anyone's property, in their yards or anything.

   Also down to Northwest there was a buffalo wallow. This wallow often formed a shallow pond. It would freeze over and was a good place to go ice skating. It wasn't very large but it was private. My siblings and I feeling like we had our own private rink. Well, most days we did. It was only a short walk from home. Once when I was very young I went with my siblings and my feet were cold. Now I don't remember it but have been told the story for fifty years or more, but my oldest brother had to carry me home. Apparently I was crying and complaining that my feet were so cold I couldn't walk. Now that doesn't sound right to me but that's the story. 

  Northwest woods was full of Indians, hidden spots and UFO's. I had many adventures there and miss them occasionally. I especially miss them in the spring, that's when the Lady Slippers would bloom and my Mom loved those things. I always picked them for her, although the word was it was illegal to do so. Then again in the winter, just before the holidays it was in Northwest woods were I got the greens for Christmas and mistletoe. There was white pine and running pine. Holly trees were around as well. And yes even a few small Christmas trees to be had. A few times my brothers and I had one in our bedroom. Northwest Woods, that is what I called them, guess they still do. 

                                                                               

cured?

  Are we now to say that anytime any action/choice/decision or law that we don't agree with constitutes a mental health issue? That is what I'm hearing anyway. Kamala Harris proposes that transgender surgery should be provided at taxpayers expense for those in prison. She did go on to say it is a decision that should be made by a Doctor. This surgical procedure may be a medical medical necessity and it should be provided. Just how does a doctor determine that? If I've been alive and well for thirty years or more as a man why would it become a medical necessity that I have surgery to make me appear to be a female? No surgeon can change your dna! Surgery doesn't change reality, not in this situation anyway. After the procedure you are still a biological male.

  Can you "cure" mental health issues with surgical procedures? The only one I've ever heard of was a lobotomy and I wouldn't say that was a cure, although their behavior was certainly modified afterwards. You know back in the old days the days of common sense and reason, mental conditions were treated by a mental health expert. Yes, transgenderism was a mental health issue, I contend it remains so. That's not to say you can't function in society, that you should be ostracized, minimized, rejected  or mistreated in any way, just that it isn't a medical condition. It's a mental condition. It is contrary to the normal and expected behavior. In adults in America today about .5% identify as transgender. So, yes not the normal thing, as uncomfortable as that fact may make you feel. That entire community is less than 5% of the population. All I'm saying is this, if you feel uncomfortable with who you are, seek a mental health expert, not a surgeon. It's like the old saying you can put lipstick on a pig but it is still a pig. 

  We live in America where you are free to be you. That doesn't mean that everyone will embrace your choices. Prejudice exists and will always exist. There is nothing you can do about that. All you can do is punish those that violate the law. There is nothing illegal about stating your opinions, beliefs or suggestions. Good thing too, as I would be in prison by now. 

 In America you are free to get any surgery you want as long as you are willing to pay for it and it is a legal procedure. There are procedures that are illegal for a simple reason, it's nuts. The raging debate centers on abortion, a medical procedure. This debate is to settle whether it is a medical necessity when that procedure is desired solely for a mental condition. No one is advocating for any ban on that procedure as a medical necessity.  

 I do not believe I am under any obligation to pay your for wants. The government isn't a charitable organization, nor should it be. It is a "governing" agency. To govern is to limit. As a citizen of this country, as one of "we the people" I'm limiting the expenditure of my tax money to necessary things that benefit the whole. Even then, I have a vote on that as well. This idea that a mental condition should be treated medically is foolishness. If we are going to say that a mental condition should be treated medically that is exactly what was addressed in that movie One Flew over the Cuckoos nest. His criminal behavior was treated with a medical procedure. 

  Was he cured? If I rob a bank because I want money is that a mental condition? Why is that any different from wanting a sex change? I can't help either action can I? That's the thinking. In a court of law you must present "clear and convincing evidence" that you were mentally ill at the time of the offense. That evidence may be a record of therapy sessions and a diagnosis from a "mental" health expert. You don't need a medical doctor in that situation, an Md's testimony isn't relevant. The reason being, it is a mental condition. That's how that works.

  Is all criminal activity just a mental issue that should be solved by a medical procedure. Is that the case? Empty the prisons and institutionalize everyone that commits a crime. I remember when there were state and federal institutions performing that very function. They did begin relying heavily on medical procedures, mostly heavy drugs and the occasional lobotomy. In the 1960's the state of California, what a surprise, began closing those mental health facilities, opting for treating them at home as a more civilized method. Other states followed and about fifty years ago all those hospitals were closed. 

 The deinstitutionalizing of the mentally ill was complete. I have to add I've seen a lot of crazy stuff in the last fifty years! Could it be that it is related to that? Maybe normalizing, empowering and encouraging those behaviors isn't such such a great idea after all. Progress is great, moving ever forward. Thing is, sometimes you take the wrong step, start going in the wrong direction. And sometimes it is like Forest Gump famously said, "it happens" when he took that next step. And, "that's all I have to say about that. " 

                                                                                     

  

a home for the past

  Are things going too fast, or is it that they are just behind me? It's a question I find myself asking more frequently these days. The kids are all grown, the grandkids are grown and a great grandchild is on the way. As I remember all the events, all the occasions, all the ups and downs over the years I do marvel at the speed of it all. I know it is something people talk about all the time. My parents did, my grandparents did and I'm certain mankind always has. I've always heard about the promise of tomorrow, but never exactly what that promise is. I've heard a great deal about what it is hoped to be, what others believe it to be, but no one has ever returned to confirm any of that. There are no citations for that! I do believe that this life isn't the end, that our soul, our essence, our energy, will continue either in part, or in whole. Perhaps that occurs with what we leave behind.

  It may sound a bit silly. As I mentioned yesterday my son just purchased a new home. He has moved from being a few blocks away, to a few miles away. With that move I got a feeling that the wife and I are here alone in Greensboro. That's strange because my son's new home is still technically in Greensboro. Still, I can't walk over to his house now, it's too far away and there is no sidewalk for that anyway. My other son has been living in upstate New York for twenty years now and I seldom see him. Holidays and an occasional, just wanted to see you trip. The grandkids are living their lives. Mark is married and expecting that baby in January. Morgan lives in Cambridge, a good thirty miles away. All of this has changed our lives, it all happened really fast. 

  The strange thing about all of that is this; the older we get, the closer to the future we get, the more the past rushes at us. It is the past that creates that speed, not the forward motion. In some sort of trick of physics, an Einstein type theorem, the relevancy of time is distorted. What that old time religion  described as the circle of life. All areas of the wheel are turning at the same speed yet do not cover the same distance, the periphery traveling the farthest. Life is that way. We all travel at the same speed yet do not cover the same distance. But we realize that the distance is finite, we will reach the end. And like a roll of toilet paper the last few squares go quickly, sometimes causing anxiety. 

  This afternoon I'm going to a baby shower. Yes, it is for my granddaughter Bailey. Well, granddaughter in law is the official title. Yes, I'm going, although back in my day men didn't attend such things but it is a brave new world. I'm nothing if not flexible and progressive. I can change with the times. A great deal of the traditional ways are being ignored, cast aside and replaced. Reveal parties, public breast feeding and having your children on a leash are all common enough these days. Children addressing their parents by their first names, informing their parents and teachers of their preferred pronouns are more examples of this. Gift registries e-mailed and an accounting taken. Yes, things have changed. But life continues on, ever forward, trying to outrun the past until the beginning is reached. A great grandchild, a new beginning, and a time of hope. Hope for the future, and a home for the past.  

                                                                               

                                    Now, that's old school 

I might

  My son purchased a new home that came with a workshop. Now he isn't exactly what you would call the do it yourself type of guy and so for that reason I sort of took possession of that. It will become my domain! I've been renting an upstairs apartment for well over twenty years now and my only shop has been the attic. It has served well for most projects I have done over the years. I'm not building anything of any great size just little things that interest me. Over the years that attic has been filled up with my "tools of the trades." Having been raised in a home where you fixed it yourself or did without I did learn a variety of trades. As a result I need departments! 

  I have begun transferring my tools to this shop. That in and of itself will be a project taking up most of the winter months. It isn't just moving them from one pace to another, it is the sorting out, the organizing of all that. It's an amazing thing, the amount I have collected over the years. It can become a sickness, this do it yourself business, as I began acquiring specialty tools as well. When you are aware of those tools that will perform the task so much quicker and easier than using conventional tools, you just start buying them, many I have only used once or twice but I might need them again one day. 

  And therein lies the problem, I might. I suspect that is what every hoarder and collector says and feels, I might need that some day. I do question the need for a few hundred socket wrenches. But then again they are in three different drive sizes, and the sockets themselves are six point and 12 point,  and of course you have to have deep well. So, yeah, they are all necessary. Fifty screwdrivers? Well, I might need that one some day. As far as woodworking tools you just can't have too many of those. You need plumbing and electrical too. I don't have too many, I wonder if I have enough? I might need that saber saw, miter saw, skil saw, bandsaw, table saw or scroll saw at any moment. And I of course you need some manual ones, who doesn't need a key hole saw. I might.

  I have never really had a serious hobby of any sort. What I mean by that is a devotion, a concentration of performing a specific task. I have dabbled in just about everything there is, trying my hand at that. I have found nothing that I excel at, nothing that holds my undivided attention for more than a few hours at a time. But I'm not discouraged by any of that because, I might. It's never too late, look at Grandma Moses. She began painting at 78 and was famous by the time she was eighty. Did she find that talent or was it simply the rest of the world recognized it? I haven't been recognized yet, but I might. 

  In the meantime I am enjoying transferring and sorting through my tools. It's a man thing I suppose. It takes me back to my roots. My father was a jack of all trades and in my eyes a master at all of them. His only shortcoming, by his own admission, was in electronics. Even then, he showed me how to test vacuum tubes, examine the wiring and what capacitors looked like and to avoid them! In a child's eyes he fixed the television on more than one occasion. He went his whole life unrecognized, that is my feeling. It was known however if you needed something fixed or built he was the man you wanted to do it. He was admired by those that knew him for his skill with tools of all sorts. Perhaps one day that is what will said of me, he could fix things. A real renaissance man. Well, I'm not that, but I might be, one day. I just need a bigger shop and more tools.  

                                                                             

with our hearts

  I see a lot of Meme's on Facebook saying how we used to know all our cousins growing up. That may very well be true for some but it definitely wasn't true for me. My mother was one of ten children and my father had been raised by his grandparents on his maternal side. The aunts I knew best had no children. There were three uncles from my moms side but I had only met one and he wasn't married at the time. I still don't know if he had any children. Uncle Bob lived in Florida  and he had children, at least that is what I was told. Uncle Brownie had children and I went to school with them, I think. I never really knew any of them. I recall talking to one young lady named Peggy in English class. She was quite friendly, very pleasant and attractive to boot. When I got home from school I was talking with my mother, telling her about this girl. She says, yes, that's your Uncle Brownie's girl, your cousin. And I thought I was just being charming! Well, I found out she was just being polite. 

  I did grow up in a very small town and no everyone didn't know everyone else. That is a myth made in the movies and folklore. Oh, I knew most family names, whether they were local or from away, but I didn't know everyone. People have a tendency to stay in their own little social groups. Back in the 1960's when I was growing up there weren't nearly as many organized sports, clubs, associations or whatever for kids. Mostly it was what church you went to and what your social class was. All the little cliques in school. As far as extended family in my house little was ever spoken of. My dad had one brother and two step-brothers. I met his brother Elwood once as a child and later I went to see him in Chicago after graduating boot camp. His step-brother Pete I knew quite well but never really knew his kids, why I have no idea. His other step-brother Harry I only heard rumors about, he was someone to avoid by all accounts. 

  Years ago I began work on the family tree. I have sorta lost interest in the last few years and set it aside. But when I began it was all a mystery to me. All I knew of my ancestors were a few stories and a few names. I did know my Great Grandfather Floyd. His wife passed away when I was three and so I don't remember her. He had three daughters, two had moved away and one still lived in town. I heard her name, Aunt Jessie, if I ever met her I don't remember that. On Mom's side I knew her Mother; nana I called her. She came from Sweden and that was about all I knew about her beyond the family she had here in America. So, there wasn't that much family around I suppose, at least, family that was close, with close meaning familiar in this context. 

  I now have family across this country. I have discovered many relationships I didn't know about and I have had relationships myself. I was surprised to find that people did move about the country a great deal even in the old days. For some reason I never pictured people doing that figuring they just stayed close to home, like the Waltons did. I have learned how that isn't always possible. If I wanted to return to my hometown I would need to win the mega millions lottery today! Even then, it had best be a significant amount if I tried to recreate my youth. So yes, people move about the country seeking opportunity. I have ancestors in California, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania and most likely all of New England. The first one I know of arrived here in the late 1600's. 

  The family tree. A bit of a misnomer in my opinion. A better name/ description would be a listing of ancestors and descendants. Blood really doesn't make families after all. I think that is the biggest misconception going. We form our families with our hearts, not our blood. There are many family members that are actually quite different from one another in personality, in politics, and in philosophy. We may all belong in the same "grove" of trees but we are all different. The seed may be shared but the product of that seed quite different. Like apples you might say. Some are bitter, some are sweet, and some are just rotten. It happens. Nature and nurture. Both play a role but I'm thinking it is the nurturing that has the greatest influence on development. 

  I do wonder about my parents and their relationships with their siblings. We all have a story to tell. Very little was said about them to me when I was young. Parents didn't talk about such things with children. I wasn't exposed to adult themes until I was considered adult enough to understand it. And I'm not talking about sexual things, complex relationship issues are adult themes as well. My parents were correct when they told me, when you get older you will understand. I also wonder if those Hallmark families really exist or is that just in the movies as well. If they do exist, I've never seen one. And the fact is, I'm too old to start one now. I'm the ancestor you heard about, but never met. The Uncle. I'm excited to add Great Grandfather to my relationship titles. That's scheduled for January as long as my granddaughter Bailey cooperates. 

                                                                           

Memories and smoke

  It's that time of year for burning leaves. Now that's an activity that has been on the decline for some time now. I had a neighbor lady that did that almost as a religion. She raked those leaves in large piles throughout her yard. Then each pile was transported to the edge of the driveway, we lived on a dirt road. Her actual drive was "paved" with clam and scallop shells, over an inch deep from years of dumping them. The garden hose was stretched out and handy. Those leaves were put to the flame and the smoke rose into the sky. I just loved the smell of those burning leaves and would stand in that smoke. You could smell that on my "play" coat most of the winter. Aunt Francis, as we called her, no relation, tended the fire as we kids brought more leaves from those piles scattered across the lawn. 

  Burning leaves, sticks or any kind of wood outdoors is a pastime I have always enjoyed. I don't know I guess it stirs that pioneer spirit in me. At my house we just had a burn barrel. A 55 gallon drum that sat on some cinder blocks. My brother had taken a hatchet and made some vent holes near the bottom. It worked well and was quite safe actually. It didn't have the same appeal as a open fire though. It was more of an urban feeling, civilized  and tame. I liked that campfire style with a hint of danger involved. I just liked the snap and crack and occasional flying embers! Man, that made you come alive. I have done so on a few occasions right here in Greensboro. The town has established hours and rules about that although I'm not real familiar them. I was never questioned or challenged on that. The Police did once inform me I couldn't shoot a BB gun in town. That was well over twenty years ago now and I still laugh about that. 

  My son just purchased a new home. It has a bigger yard than his previous place and will have far more leaves. I do plan on doing some burning outdoors. There is already a makeshift firepit under a tree in that backyard. It will do fine as long as the flame is kept low. Personally I don't like the location and would relocate that to a more open area. I'll talk to my son about that. His new home is surrounded by a small wooded area. I really like that even though the idea of a forest is just an illusion. The woods are in reality only fifty feet or less in depth. Still, it gives you that rustic feel. Nothing like burning stuff outdoors. I'm not a big fan but there is always s'mores to be made. And yes, s'mores will be made over those sticks, leaves or whatever. Not much concern about "dangerous" fumes or chemicals. I know, I know, you shouldn't do that. Well, I'm just not concerned at all. 

  Some time back I wrote a poem about burning leaves. I'm including that here:

                                            

                                                                Memories and Smoke 

On the scent of burning leaves,

I'm transported to a time

Filled with love and laughter

The childhood that was mine

Memories surround me

like a gentle hug

Pulling on my heartstrings

with a gentle tug

So far away, yet so near

the years passing by

I can see them drifting

like clouds in the sky

Each passing picture different

Somehow still the same

An ever changing landscape

Only memories remain

Now the wind has shifted

I'm transported once again

To the place I'm standing

Delighted to have been 

                                      A.B. Reichart 

                                                                                   

Soon

  The signs of the season. When I was young Christmas didn't really begin until after the Thanksgiving day parade. That is when Santa Claus made his first official appearance. Christmas music began to be played in the stores and windows decorated. The Sears "wishbook" arrived and silver bells shone. You just knew Christmas was coming soon. The anticipation was so thick you could cut it. Trees lined the streets, lights adorned rooftops and there were candy canes galore. The churches were decorated, ready for the arrival of the Christ child. Hot chocolate, cookies and pies. The little kids would be hearing that warning, better be good or you'll get a piece of coal! And people, well people were just a little more friendly, a bit more jovial you might say. Merry Christmas was heard often and no one offended. 

  A great deal of that has changed over the years. Yesterday as I walked through the Walmart I noticed that pallet full of Popcorn tins. You know what I mean, those heavily decorated tins with three different kinds of popcorn in them, probably popped six months ago. A sign of the season. Now, Santa has been around since Labor day, he was there for opening day of the school year. There are sweatshirts, slippers and pajamas on display emblazoned with messages of the season. Holiday savings are in every department. Yes, they are holiday savings these days, Christmas isn't a necessity for savings. Little is seen of the Christ child, mostly with products geared toward the Latino communities. 

  When I was young we wrote letters to Santa. That was an activity enjoyed by Moms and Dads and sometimes even in school. I recall being able to mail your letter to Santa at the post office, for free. The postmaster would take that letter and put it in a special bag labeled North Pole. Today the kids just create a list on amazon and send e-mails to Santa. I hear he even answers those e-mails. The elves aren't mentioned nearly as often as they used to be, today they are diversity hires I suppose. I haven't been around young children much in the last ten years or so. I wonder if they have the same feelings toward the season I used to have. For me, it like a magical time. I really did stand a reasonable chance of getting what I asked for. I knew when the answer was, we'll see, that really meant, no. A maybe gave you some hope, like buying that lottery ticket, but a letter to Santa was almost a sure thing, if you kept it reasonable.

  A few signs of the season I rarely see anymore are Carolers and Nativity scenes. Caroling just isn't a thing anymore and Nativity scenes are relegated to the churches or private property. You can't display such on public property anymore. I don't feel any excitement in the air for Christmas anymore, mostly I hear people complaining. I realize it is only October but it feels like Christmas has already come and gone. But we all have our own memories of Christmas past and the joy of the season. For me, bubble lights, stockings hung by the chimney, the big bulbs on the tree and bigger ones outdoors. All that and everyone trying to keep a secret. The presents were wrapped and placed under that tree, the ones that were being given by your friends and family, Santa's gifts wouldn't be there until Christmas morning. So, for maybe a week or so I would pick up, shake, weigh and guess at just what was in those boxes. The anticipation was the best part and I have to add, I was never disappointed. 

                                                                             

 

Justified

  Yesterday on the news I heard about a poll taken concerning a revolution. Well, it was a survey asking whether violence would be justified if your political party loses the upcoming election. To my surprise there were a number of people saying, yes. The numbers reported were higher for those voting Republican rather than Democratic. That didn't surprise me as I understand the bias in the news these days. But what did surprise me was the way in which it was reported. It was almost as though it was an encouragement. I heard no outcry from those sources condemning any such action. It was reported as a possible reaction to election results and that we should be prepared for that. A call to arms?

  Now our first revolution was against the King and crown. We weren't protesting the results of any election. It's like comparing apples and oranges. So, I'll set that word aside, revolution. What would you call it? Last time it was called an insurrection! Yes, and Trump was charged with that and the debate goes on about all of that. Amazingly he is running for that office once again. Amazing to me simply in the context of history. An insurrection is a violent uprising against a government or some authority. Is that what happened? No, the election results as reported where called into question, that is what happened. It very well may happen again. Election results have been hotly questioned at least eight times in history. None of those were ever called an insurrection. It was simply the democratic process.

  In just two weeks it will be election day. Early voting has begun in a number of places. The big push is on. Trump even got a job at McDonalds, that's how bad the economy is getting. Harris is making promises left and right, in different accents. She has stated outright she will propose a program that will only benefit black males. Yes, she says that. "(1) Providing 1 million loans that are fully forgivable to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business. (2) Championing education, training, and mentorship programs that help Black men get good-paying jobs in high-demand industries and lead their communities, including pathways to become teachers. (3) Supporting a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets so Black men who invest in and own these assets are protected. (4) Launching a National Health Equity Initiative focused on Black Men that addresses sickle cell disease, diabetes, mental health, prostate cancer, and other health challenges that disproportionately impact them. (5) Legalizing recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in this new industry." Imagine Trump proposing that and just changing Black to white. An insurrection would surely follow.

  How much confidence do you have in a fair accounting of the votes? I admit to holding a great deal of skepticism. All this early voting, mail-in ballots, no requirement for ID at the polling place and the use of electronic devices leaves me questioning. We all heard about some "sd cards" from voting machines disappearing for a short time only to reappear later on. The chain of custody had been broken. Was that card altered or replaced? In a court of law that "evidence" would have been thrown out. Possibly it was your vote! Is it even possible to get an accurate count in a nation of over 262 million eligible voters? That was the number estimated for 2023. Yes, even the government can't say with certainty how many eligible voters there actually are, think about that. 

  No matter what the results are in November I'm predicting there will be unrest, to put it mildly. I'm against any violent uprisings, I don't want to establish a new government, just preserve the one we have. I also don't feel like we the people have to blindly accept whatever it is we are told by that government. The authority of government stems from we the people. That is what the Constitution is all about. That is what the Electoral College is all about. It is also one of the responsibilities of the Senate! The mechanisms are in place to challenge election results without any violence. I don't care what your religious beliefs are, or are not, Let us all Pray for America. Are we to revolt against ourselves? What kind of stupidity is that? 

(https://www.history.com/news/most-contentious-u-s-presidential-elections)

 

                                                                                   

  

Smiling

  A short while back I decided to try carving a bit of stone. Well, grinding stone is more accurate. I purchased some carbide bits for my Dremel tool and had at it. Now I have no artistic talents as far as sculpting, painting or drawing so I decided on a simple design. I would grind out a hole in this rock to hold a tea candle. I then shaped two smaller stones to sit on that. Ringing the hole I had carved out with smaller stones the campfire was ready. It now sits by my computer and I occasionally light a candle in it. Whenever I do, it makes me smile. I can't say why it does, it just does. 

  Do you have anything like that? It doesn't have to be something you made yourself, just something that always makes you smile. I have a number of things like that gathered over the years. My great grandfathers clock makes me smile. Certain photographs make me smile. I guess it is memories that make those smiles, even when there is no memory associated with that object. Memories of what may have been. My little stone guys are smiling, so I smile. They have a look of anticipation on their faces. That's what I see anyway, and I am the artist, so that's it. The objective of an artist is for you to see what they see. As I said, I'm no artist and so I didn't try to do that, it just made me smile. You could say with the innocence of a child I created my sculpture. I did it only to please myself.

 It's something you hear often, the innocence of a child but I'm thinking it is more a lack of inhibitions. As we grow and mature we gain inhibitions. You could also call that restraint, wisdom, judgement or discretion. Temperament is another way of looking at that. What's your temperament? It is a variable for all of us depending upon circumstance. Before my morning coffee my temperament is a bit different than it is afterward. The sign of good mental health is an even temperament. I read an article describing four temperaments. According to that my temperament would be "melancholic." The experts say that temperament is innate. It is possible to change it however. They recommend getting a mental health expert to assist you with that. Imagine that. Things like that also make me smile. 

  I enjoy sarcasm. Nothing quite as funny as that stuff when done properly. When your retort can't be answered, you win. That always makes me smile. I get a lot of smiles from Facebook when complete strangers start calling me names. I'm smiling because I know they are reacting that way in defense. I also know you only need to defend yourself when you feel you are wrong. I must have made them think about what was written. It went contrary to their thoughts. Some begin to roll out their heavy artillery; citations! The thing about citations is you are now saying, I don't know, but this person does. You then expect others to accept that as fact. Well, this other person wrote it down, it must be true. Yeah, makes me smile. 

  

                                                                                 

coming and going

 Yesterday while writing my daily blog I thought that it doesn't matter where you are going but it always matters where you came from. That is a question that is always asked of you whenever you go someplace new. If you are someplace where others don't know you they will ask, where did you come from? During my time in the service that was usually one of the first. An immediate judgement was made dependent upon that answer. If I said, New York, the assumption was New York City, but if I said East Hampton, I would be asked, where is that? On Long Island. Where is that? And the questioning would continue and after explaining all of that the thought in others minds was, New York city. 

  The question where did you come from is a lot deeper than a location. We are the product of our environments, no doubt about that. The circumstances of your birth and the manner in which you where raised play the most significant role in determining where you came from. Yes, no matter where you came from there are always two sides to the track. Sometimes both tracks run through the same household! I believe that somewhere along the way you make that choice, which track to follow. What values do you most admire in a person? It is that which will determine that course. In the course of our life however those values may change as we grow and learn. But I do believe we return to those early values and so the real change is a return. We begin to see things for more than what appears on face value. 

  We all make judgements and assumptions based on where a person is from. We make judgements based on social class as well. We are constantly judging others, that's what we do. I'm always amused by those saying, don't judge. What they mean to say is don't condemn. They seem to forget that a judge can render a favorable verdict as readily as a unfavorable one. In fact that happens in nearly every case. Just depends on which side of the question you stand. The reality in this world is that you do have to judge, render a decision in the end. The world is a binary place, like it or not. It is the place I came from. I live in a binary world still. Now it's true that I may not agree with your decisions. It is also true that I most likely will not change my decision based on yours. I have passed judgement. It takes a great deal to overturn a judgement. We even admire that quality, calling it conviction.

  It's part of the language now, we hear it all the time. Where are you coming from? Know where I'm coming from? It's an idiom I associate with the 1960's and the hippie scene. I was around back then but I didn't go there. I was never much on fad or fashion and so didn't adopt much of that happening. Guess you could say I just wasn't hip, cool or with it. I thought where you were coming from was just stupid. Yeah, it was fashionable, the in thing, but it wasn't necessarily a good thing. It was called the "counter culture" for a reason. It did run counter to the culture I came from. I admit I did venture into that culture just a bit in my younger days but discovered what I already knew, it's not for me. Turns out I am a bit of a traditionalist. At least that is what they call where I'm coming from these days, when someone wants to be kind. 

  It's an amazing thing really, how we can all come from the same place and be so different from one another. It really does all depend on where you have been. We are asked a great deal where do you want to go? We are told to establish goals and work towards those goals. To get where we want to go. Where do you want to go? The answer may vary but I think it almost always winds up being, where I have been. It's the place we call home. Home isn't a location, a place on the map, home is, as that old idiom states, where the heart is. It's a place in our minds, a subconscious place, the place we always retreat too in times of trouble or stress. Do you retreat to surrender, or to regather your forces? That is the place you come from. Know your place and you will know happiness. Shakespeare was correct when he pointed out, each of us play a part. When you enter the stage where do you come from? For you readers old enough to remember Snagglepuss, he always said, "exit stage left." And you know what, we all will one day.       

                                                                                  

Remembering

  I grew up in East Hampton, New York. Born in 1953 it was still just East Hampton back then, a few decades before becoming the "Hamptons" and a prize on the Price is right. It was simply home. The local newspaper, The East Hampton Star was published every Thursday and still is to this day. It remains one of only a handful of privately owned papers in the country. Its' banner proudly proclaims, The East Hampton Star shines for all. It has been the policy of that publication, a promise, to publish every letter to the editor. There are certain conditions that must me met however, some discretion is exercised. I have written to the publication myself and was always published. For at least one year in high school it was required reading for studying current events. 

  That paper has always been associated with the Rattray family. It's the only family I have ever known that owned and published it. I did a quick search, to check my facts, and it was originally started by George Burling. I have never heard of him or that name. According to Wikipedia it is he that started writing East Hampton as two words instead of just one. The reason was to distinguish it from Southampton. I suspect that this George Burling fellow wasn't a local and just didn't know any better. Anyway the paper was sold to the Rattray family in 1935. David Rattray is the editor today. I remember Jeanette Edwards Rattray as being the editor of that paper. She wrote a least one book that I'm aware of about East Hampton history and included a genealogy of those early settlers. My family is among them.

  There is a section in the paper that I always enjoyed and looked for. It was an article from 25 years ago, fifty years ago and 75 years ago. I would read those and sometimes know just who they were talking about. The paper has only been archived in a searchable database till 1968. Fifty years ago would be 1974. If I could read that today I would recall it as current events! 75 years ago would be 1949, that was the year my brother Dan was born. Just four years before my own birth. In doing my family tree I have searched that publication many times and found a number of articles concerning relatives. I discovered there was no birth announcement for me in that paper though. The East Hampton Star wasn't shining for me on that day. They did publish when I graduated boot camp in 1972 at Great Lakes Naval Training center. 

  I was thinking about this. Strange how a "history" section can be a current events section at the same time. I was reading that history and found it amusing. What those old people did and talked about sure was funny. I read about my great grandfather and how his big gray died. It was assumed you would know that was a horse. I read where they got a telephone at the doctors office. There was always something. How those articles were selected I have no idea but they were always interesting to me. I do not receive that paper anymore but hope that section has continued to be included. Fifty and seventy five years ago I would know a good deal about today. Fifty three years ago I graduated from the new high school. Yes, the high school was a brand new building then, I hear it needs to be replaced today, too old and outdated. 

  I'm certain a lot has happened since 1975 that I know nothing about. That was the last year I actually lived in East Hampton. The twenty five years ago section would be news to me. It would be history as current events. At least for me it would be, know what I mean? We all keep our hometown in our hearts. It makes no difference where we go, it always makes a difference where we came from. Any news about that is current events. What little news I get these days about East Hampton isn't very favorable in my eyes. I do have a few high school friends still living there, and have met a few new ones on Facebook, and I get it. I left when I was still young and full of hopes and dreams. I hadn't developed that deep appreciation for what I had. Today all I can do is smile and remember. I've written about all of this several times and think I summed it up best a while back when I wrote, " I went back, but home wasn't where I left it" I realize it never will be. It's nothing to be sad about however, it is something to remember.  

                                                                               

                      

                                                            Home Sweet Home, the real place

                                                            according to some, disputed by others.

                                                            I walked, bicycled and drove by that

                                                            almost daily.  

Happy

  Many of us feel we need stuff to make us happy. The truth is it is when you don't want stuff you are happiest. So why do we continually want more stuff? It's a bit of an enigma. Those old Chinese guys talked about that a great deal. Kung Fu knew all the answers to that. It all has to do with Qi. That is the central power in your body, the energy source you might say. At least that is my understanding of that. You don't need anything else, just Qi. 

  Here in the west we tend to think more in religious terms about that power. Our strength is in belief. The goal is the same, to obtain peace of mind. You don't need anything outside of yourself to feel happy and content. But our physical needs get in the way a great deal. We need to eat, have a safe place to live and tools to facilitate all of that. That's why we all have a job of some kind. What is it they say, find a job you enjoy and you will never work a day in your life. I had one of those but I still had to get out of bed and go to work, and it was work. Our hobbies are generally what we would like to do if we didn't have to earn a living. But we have to work to afford our hobbies. Personally I would say I don't have any hobbies just a wide variety of interests. A regular jack of all trades, that's what I am.

  In recent years the focus has shifted to mental health. We hear about that all the time. There should be no stigma attached to seeking mental health services. It's perfectly normal to be abnormal. Isn't that the message? There is no such thing as normal anymore, it's whatever you want it to be. Others, to be inclusive, must accept and support that. But just what upsets our mental balance? We want things. That is the usual reason anyway. We want people to like us, we want a bigger home, we want a new car, we want to be respected and recognized. The things we want create unrest. We confuse our wants with our needs. 

  That is the mental health crisis being faced today. The blurring of the line between fact and fiction. Facts are cold hard things, unchanging, resolute and inflexible. Facts are not the basis of science, as many seem to believe, science changes frequently and is frequently just plain wrong. The fact of the matter is this, it is up to you. There are no pills, no support groups, no organizations, clubs or mystics that can give you peace of mind. That is all on you! Maturity is the acceptance of fact. It isn't the changing of the facts, the rewriting of history, staging a protest or a revolution. Your mental well being is dependent upon maturity. What we called in the old days, growing up.

 "The American Psychological Association defines emotional maturity as “a high and appropriate level of emotional control and expression.” Emotional immaturity, on the other hand, is “a tendency to express emotions without restraint or disproportionately to the situation.” It was listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Note that it WAS listed, it no longer is. It's all perfectly normal now. No need to grow up, be a neighborhood organizer or community activist instead. The science has changed but the fact remains, you still need to grow up. You have to learn to accept the answer, No. Do not listen to the ones trying to sell the product. They are the ones that will profit, not you. They are selling the stuff that creates your anxiety in the first place. The mature individual creates that stress for themselves. 

                                                                                   

Let them believe

  With the holidays fast approaching my thought's just naturally turn to my youth. I can't speak for others, but for me Christmas happened when I was a kid. That is what I think about whenever it is mentioned. All the excitement, the anticipation and preparation's. It seemed like the whole world was involved with that except for the Jewish people, they were celebrating Hanukah. I knew little about that other than I heard those kids got one present every day for eight days. I never gave that much thought though, Mr. Brill, he was a Jewish man, often played Santa Claus in the parade, once I think he rode in an airplane! But I was very young then and so may it be more of a "learned" memory. Learned memories are the stories you have heard so long and so often you start to believe you were there. I don't recall ever hearing anything about what others may or may not be doing. Nothing about the Muslims, Jehovah's witnesses or Buddhists. No idea what they do.

  I can't say when I realized that Santa Claus was just a myth, a story told to kids. I had three older siblings and so was informed early I suppose. I do remember thinking when Mom or Dad said; ask Santa Claus; that meant you probably weren't getting that. Well, I knew I would get one "big" gift" but was never sure which one it would be. I don't remember ever writing a letter to Santa though, all I remember is marking the items in the Sears catalogue. I may have given my Mom a few notes, a few hints now and again. It sure was an exciting time. Thinking back I do remember asking for this or that, wishing for Santa to bring that stuff. I had a wonderful childhood in that regard. I can honestly say I do not ever recall a Christmas when I was disappointed. I'm certain I asked for a good number of things that I never received, but I also never noticed that either. 

  When I had my own children I enjoyed their excitement, their anticipation of the event. And the event was getting those gifts although we did focus on the meaning of Christmas and celebrated Jesus's birthday. Still Christmas was the season of possibilities. You just might get what you are asking for. That's exciting, as the rest of the year you didn't want to hear that admonishment, you asked for it! You asked Santa, not Jesus for gifts. Santa was a saint after all, Saint Nicholas, but he preferred Santa. I never questioned why he only hired Elves and had flying reindeer. None of that mattered, just ask for what you want. Even when I was old enough, knew the deal, I would still say, I'm asking Santa for this. It was a psychological ploy on my part, trying to fool Mom and Dad. I wonder if it ever worked?

  Then the grandchildren came along and the excitement was renewed once again. There is always that period in between generations when Christmas sometimes becomes more of a routine than a celebration. No one even making believe Santa Claus may bring that gift. It becomes an economic thing, not a spiritual thing. Yes, Santa Claus is a spirit. It is the spirit of possibilities. That is what faith is all about in the first place. You believe it could happen. All things are possible. It's a shame that it only lasts for a few years in the big picture. All too soon the realities of life become apparent when it comes to that sort of thing. You are told to save up, get a job, earn some money of your own, to buy the things you want. It's a bummer. 

  This coming January I am to become a great grandfather. Now, that's exciting news. I only have to wait a few more years to see that excitement once again. I can be Santa once again. Completely anonymous. I love that. When you can give the gift without the other person knowing, or even having a clue just where it came from, like magic. And I get to watch. I am Santa; for a moment anyway. At least my fondest Christmas memories are like that. Oh sure, today I realize someone had to buy those things, they didn't magically appear, but I thought they must have at the time. I believed that. Belief is a wonderful thing. Belief is the foundation of faith. Belief lives in children and we should nurture that. It will grow into faith. We need a lot more of that.  

                                                                           

Within reason

  We are now operating in extremes. For every issue discussed the most extreme example will always be used to support your position. Take the hot button topic of abortion as an example of that. No one is advocating for a total ban on abortions. That would be the same thing as advocating for no surgical procedures being allowed. What is being said is that abortion shouldn't be an elective thing, done for  convenience. The response to that is always but what about rape, incest, and I was drunk at the time and so it was an accident. None of those scenarios create a medical emergency. Pregnancy isn't a medical emergency. Pregnancy is in fact a normal and healthy biological function of the female species. Okay, except for sea horses. Being pregnant doesn't automatically create the necessity for an abortion! 

  That is just one example, consider hiring practices as another. All this DEI hiring. Employers are being forced to hire people to satisfy that regardless if the person is actually qualified for the job. Politicians are getting in office for the same reason. Even an ex president Barack Obama is proclaiming black men should be voting for Harris because she is black and a woman. No mention of her qualifications, just race and gender. I'm guessing she is identifying as a woman and informed him of that otherwise it may be offensive. But everything has to be taken to the extreme. We have a male surgeon general parading around in a dress. Extreme, you bet it is and there are others in that administration that are way out there too. 

  No one is demanding books be banned. Many are saying certain books shouldn't be included in the library at the elementary school. Restricted access is not a ban. You don't see any adult magazines or videos available in those libraries do you? Why is that? Because that stuff is phonographic material and has nothing to do with education. But we take it to the extreme by insisting that children should be exposed to all of that as it is normal behavior. Fact is, less than 8% of the population engage in any of that behavior according to a 2022 Gallop poll. That includes the entire LGTBQ+ community. But we hear, it's unconstitutional to ban books and this must not be allowed! Meanwhile the current administration has promised to ban TicTok unless that company is sold to an approved buyer. An actual ban sanctioned by the government. Am I alone in seeing that hypocrisy. 

  Acceptance does not require adoption. I can disagree with your choices without hating you for those choices. I do not have to participate to accept you. I can simply respect your choice and look beyond that. I can love someone and still tell them they are wrong. But today we are saying love is adopting, allowing, and indeed supporting someone in everything they do without question. Love is love! Well, love isn't sex is the short answer to that one. Love isn't saying I agree with everything you do or say. Compromise isn't simply throwing your arms in the air and saying alright. 

  Remember tough love? That was right, to love someone is tough. It requires integrity as much as compassion. It's why your parents should say, no. Young children are not reasonable or rational. Those are traits that need to be taught. And you can't learn them in college, you get no degree in any of that. We are presenting unreasonable ideas to our children today. There will always be others that simply don't like you, deal with it. Covering your body with tattoos, dying your hair purple, having piercings in your face and lips, refusing to comply with certain standards and expecting employers to accept all of that is unreasonable. Expecting me to pay for your loans, unreasonable expectations. I really miss the day when "within reason" was as common as being polite. It was understood. 

                                                                                   

Price and priority

  Just listened to a commercial on television where you can finance your bathroom for 72 months, interest free! Wow, what a deal. I haven't looked into all the details of this fantastic offer but I'm certain there is a catch in there somewhere. If I act right now I can also get 2500 dollars off the entire project. And no charge for labor. How could anything go wrong with that? Six full years to pay for my bathroom remodel, same as my car, except I have to pay interest on the car loan. So just how much is this remodel going to cost? The average price for a new car in America is 48,000 dollars. I'm thinking that is likely the cost of that remodel. And they can usually do it in a day!

  Well whatever the cost, whatever the deal is, I'm just sitting here smiling. I'm amused with the thought of financing your bathroom. It certainly must be the popular thing as I see ads of those type from several different outfits. If it isn't a chair lift, it's remodeling the bathroom. Well, unless you need new windows from Anderson. All of that is presented to you for your safety, convenience, peace of mind and cost savings. It will definitely increase your quality of life. Especially that low step shower. I remember when the big thing was having a radio in your shower so you could sing and dance while cleaning up. Not a very safe thing to promote. But today you can even get a fold down seat in that shower. We seniors need that stuff. It's a low step shower or the rest home, take your pick.

  It certainly must be a profitable business given the frequency of the ads I see. I'm urged to call right away and I can have that done before the holidays. They are booking up fast though, better act now. You are going to have company over the holidays right. Imagine if they see your old, outdated bath. I mean what will people think? You had best get that new black finished fixtures, it's the latest thing, probably comes with wi-fi so you turn on that rainfall showerhead from anywhere. Everyone wants to take a shower in the rain don't they? Certainly worth committing to a six year obligation. I'm guessing the toilet hasn't changed all that much as I'm not hearing anything about that in the ads. I did install my own "right height" toilet in my bath though, less than 125 dollars at Lowes. No financing required and man my quality of life was doubled. 

  It is one of those things you notice as you mature, priorities and prices. We all establish both in our lives. For some the latest style in clothing is a priority, for others it is a car and still others a home. Our priorities will change over time and circumstance. Then we will look back at the past and wonder what where we thinking. Entertainment has become a top priority for many today. In a way that has always been so as everyone always seems to have money for vice. The prices go up but cigarettes, booze and sex still sell quite well. Yes, some are now having to buy the generic version of Marlboro's and cheaper beer but they are still buying. The nightclubs are doing fine regardless of pricing and the law. It's funny how everyone will complain about the price of those items that are the necessities in life but only when their "entertainments" cut into that budget. Bread costs too much! I'm still buying the beer though. I'm old enough now to be incredulous when it is suggested I finance my bathroom for six years. That isn't my priority and the price is crazy.    

                                                                                  

Sorry

  Today is Columbus day. It is also indigenous peoples day for the more progressive folks among us. A sort of national apology day. I'm not sorry. Columbus arrived in the America's on this date in 1492, landing in the Bahamas. No, he wasn't going on vacation. As with most things his concern was commerce, with making a buck. That was the reason for the voyage of exploration. Columbus never did set foot on the north American continent. Still, all the children know in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That was about as much as we knew.  As many of us thought the Pilgrims were also involved in all of that. They didn't arrive until 1620 however. There were others before that, the lost colony and all of that. Anyway, history and the telling of it is always dependent upon the present. Kids today are certainly being told a different version of history and Columbus than I was.

  The story of how Columbus day became a celebration is seldom told. I know I hadn't heard much about that. In brief it was because Italian- Americans were being discriminated against. In 1891 eleven Italian-Americans were lynched in New Orleans. That occurred simply because there was anti Italian sentiments in the country, not unlike the violence and hate faced by African-Americans. Yes, prejudice and hate knows no color or nationalities, it is just ugly. I response in 1892 President Harrison created Columbus day. During WW2 Italians in America were even targeted as alien enemies! They weren't put into camps like the Japanese citizens were, but they were on the list. Then there is the part about St. Tammany and the New York city Italians. I won't attempt a history of that. 

  The whole deal about Columbus day was simply to recognize that it was an Italian sea captain that made the first voyage to what we know as the America's. They weren't the America's until after he discovered them. Yes, I know, there were many before him that most likely had voyaged here, knew all about it, the Norsemen or whoever. That's not the point. Amerigo Vespucci was the navigator and the America's got their name from him. It's all very complicated. Columbus day was created as a sort of "reparation" for the prejudice and maltreatment of Italian immigrants. For me it's akin to Juneteenth. Same sentiment anyway. 

  Columbus gets blamed for every bad thing that has occurred in the America's. It's all his fault! Never mind all the other civilizations that lived in the America's before they were called the America's that warred against each other, taking captives, slaves, goods, agricultural products and land. Nothing bad ever happened before Columbus showed up. That's the history being taught today as presented by the fact checkers. We are all about the "truth" today. The best way to tell the truth is to place blame on yourself, that way you aren't showing any prejudice. 

  So the white guys are busy apologizing for everything that has ever happened to other cultures, races or nationalities. Except this white guy. I'm not apologizing for anything. I firmly believe all men are created equal and all men share equally for the good and the bad. That is what those writing our constitution thought as well, it is exactly what they meant with those famous words. Now circumstances are not always equal, neither is opportunity. Some of us are born with extraordinary talents while some are just idiots. It just happens that way, no one is to blame for that. Columbus isn't to blame. He was simply a man of his time. He was mean. Yeah, okay. Strangely the kindest, most understanding and benevolent man that ever walked the earth is being denied by the same people upset at Columbus. There is no Jesus Christ, trust the science. I have to ask one question, who's fault is that? Someone has to be blamed, it's the only way. Never accept the truth, rewrite the narrative, retell the story, and above all, apologize.    

                                                                                   

                                                  A portrait of what is believed to be Columbus.

                                               We don't know for sure no authentic picture exists.

                                                             He does look mean though.