the ticket

  In posting these narratives of mine a frequent comment I might receive concerns' whether the person reading it followed my train of thought. In order to do that you have to be on the same track as me. Well, the problem with that is I run an independent railroad. No corporate or consumers influences. As a result all the passengers aren't happy with the ride. To that I say, reality is a bumpy ride and not always the most pleasant of things. This isn't an amusement train in a theme park, buckle up and hold on. 

  I would agree that we each live in our own reality. The mind is the most powerful tool we have. It's a topic I have explored many times, the notion of reality and truth. Things are pretty much whatever you genuinely believe them to be. The things I write about are those things. I do not feel the necessity for any "paper" to influence others. Completing an educational course, passing the final exam, doesn't make you any smarter than anyone else. I have no doubt that I could take any course offered and complete the work necessary to "graduate" the course. I have no doubt you could do the same if you chose to do so.  

  We buy our own ticket. You can go first class or steerage, but the destination remains the same. That is the part a lot of people seem to forget. It really doesn't matter how you get there, it's what you do when you arrive that counts. Like the song says, we are living and dying with the choices we make. The ultra rich and famous drowned on the Titanic alongside the poorest passengers. My point there being, it wouldn't have made a bit of difference which ticket you could afford, the circumstances where the same. That's true in life as well. That is the beauty of the American dream, that is the essence of that. It doesn't make any difference. We will all go down together unless we right the ship. One reality is, the ship is  overloaded without enough life boats. Combine that with the mindset from the "leadership" that we are unsinkable and a disaster awaits. Time for a new Captain! Time to replace the governing board of directors as well. 

  Reality is indeed harsh at times. I have been accused of a lack of compassion. Well, perhaps that is true but I really don't want to have to say, I'm sorry. I've found that is the usual result for allowing things to go unchecked, out of compassion. Things go south and you wind up saying, I'm sorry. But by then it's too late, the damage has been done. Remember that movie, Love Story? The catch phrase from that being, love means never having to say you're sorry. What was that saying? It means when you love someone, are truly caring and compassionate, you won't don't anything that you wind up apologizing for. Doesn't make any difference if it is an individual or a nation. You do what is best for others, even when it means they get mad at you or it doesn't benefit you personally.

  Saying sorry after the fact doesn't help. It never helps. It is past and you can't change the past. Apologizing for the past does nothing for today or tomorrow. "It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them."  (P. G. Wodehouse) A lot of that going on in this country right now, the taking advantage part I mean. Acknowledging past mistakes isn't an apology. That is called learning and what the true purpose of history is. History doesn't stereotype, just exposes truth. You can't change history by justifying wrongdoing today. Paying for lifeboats today ain't helping those that drowned. History should serve as a warning, a caution because it does repeat itself. Democracies historically last about 200 years, followed by socialism. We are currently in our 248th year. My hope resides in that we are a constitutional republic. The first one in history. How long can we survive, stay afloat? 

  I know, I started out on a train and wound up on a ship. Turns out it doesn't make any difference what your mode of transportation is, the destination remains the same. It is all in what you do when you arrive. You have to buy a ticket though, so get out there and vote. That's the ticket. Consider carefully the realities and set aside emotional choices. As I have pointed out numerous times, emotions are great motivators but seldom good guides. Vote with your brain not with your heart.