If nothing else is learned from this pandemic, let it at least be this…
Our government has failed us, both at the federal and state levels.
We haven’t learned the lesson for truly being prepared, for over 100 years.
We got complacent and ignored better judgement and past experiences.
We thought we could out “tech” it, or out “think” it – and our Biggest and Best Health Systems could handle anything.
We ignored calls for re-stocking our arsenal of protective equipment and personal protection gear.
We did this to ourselves by allowing the folks that were elected to ignore it.
And, I shouldn’t have to explain that this problem resulted from the inaction of BOTH political parties – BOTH failed us.
100 years of ignorant bliss.
Multi-millions of dollars spent on the WHO, CDC, and FDA over the decades.
The BEST Medical Systems in the World, focusing more on profitability and cutting costs for warehousing seldom used “Emergency Preparedness” equipment and gear – like they were using some kind of factory “just in time” logistical mentality.
Federal and State Departments of Health and Human Services, and Public Health Departments were ignored until a disaster flung them into the forefront to explain and provide guidance, and assurances – but, ignored over the past decades when requesting more in preparedness.
When will we ever learn?

The needs of the many…
Interestingly enough, I found myself watching an old Star Trek movie called the Wrath of Khan, the other day while hunkered down in this isolation state we now find ourselves in.
I like Sci-Fi movies, always have. I guess it’s because I love science stuff.
Khan is the “bad guy” in this one. He is a genetically engineered tyrant that has a death wish against Kirk. He is vengeful because of a past incident with Kirk. In an earlier movie, Khan is awoken by the Enterprise crew after 100 years of being frozen in stasis. He attempts to commandeer the ship and kill Kirk, for which he is marooned on an empty planet and tasked with its repopulation. Unknown to Starfleet, the neighboring planet was soon to explode, and in the interim between Space Seed and The Wrath of Khan, became an inhospitable wasteland in which most of Khan’s followers, including his wife, perished. Khan blames Kirk for their deaths and seeks vengeance during the film
Anyways, mixed in with the thrills, battles, and science – going where no human has gone before, is a human behavioral underscore that the overtly logical Spock just didn’t understand – until near the end of the movie.
Spock, whom is a Vulcan – saves the day, when he enters an extremely high radioactive area to repair the ships engine. In doing so, he logically reasons and communicates while he is dying of radiation poisoning – that the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few (or the one).
This is a concept that he found illogical earlier in the movie when discussing the idea with Kirk, yet in the critical time for action in order to save the entire crew of the Enterprise – he chose to sacrifice his life for theirs.
In this stressful time we are all encountering, this act of selflessness, and message that it brings – seems so apropos. Shared sacrifice of the few, for the betterment of the larger populous.
But, even more importantly it also reminds me of my faithful belief in Jesus Christ. Who died on the cross, to take away the sins of the world. He sacrificed himself for everyone.
The movie ends with a burial scene and Spock is sent off in a capsule which is sent to a barren lifeless planet. The capsule also carries a new technology that will regenerate life to that planet, called the Genesis Device. The planet morphs into a flourishing planet filled with water, plants, and animals. The capsule is shown broken open and an infant emerges from within. Spock is reborn.
We too will emerge from the imposed lockdowns and restrictions soon. I dearly hope that most of us understand that he needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Live long and prosper…

 

The light at the end of the tunnel

I think that I have figured out what the source is, of that desperately needed light at the end of the tunnel is.
It is a combination of 3 groups of 2 elements.

Just like in science, when elements cling or bond together they become more than simple single elements, they become compounds.

Compounds are what we are all made up of.
The first compound is made up of the two elements Hope and Faith.

The light at the end of the tunnel relies on each individual to hopefully continue to follow the distancing guidelines until the all clear is given. Everyone has to have faith in each other that they will do whatever is necessary to stop the spread. Hope and Faith in each other are needed in order to reduce the chance that anyone and everyone gets, or gives, the sickness to each other.
The second compound is made up of respect and trust.

The light at the end of the tunnel relies on each other to trust each other and respect each other’s health and well-being. These 2 elements have sadly been in low supply lately, and now is our chance to demonstrate that we not only can, but also desire to exercise both.
The third compound is made up of common sense and commitment.

The light at the end of the tunnel relies on everyone to get back to just using good old common sense. Don’t do things that you know will jeopardize other people’s health and well-being. Stay committed to doing whatever is necessary to limit exposure, by following the guidelines for washing hands, wearing masks in public, staying home when feeling sick.
If we are diligent in doing the things that are in each person’s ability,

that light at the end of the tunnel will soon arrive.

That Friday

That Friday long ago,
The one which he knew how it would end, that was prophesized by others before him,
The one which left his friends scared, lost, and confused,
Even though he had foretold to them what would happen the night before.

That Friday long ago,
The one that wouldn’t be ignored, the one that couldn’t be denied,
The one that left a void, only to be filled 2 days later,
It changed the world, and will forever be remembered.

That Friday long ago,
The one that ended on the cross,
The one that paid the price for our transgressions,
The son of God, made flesh to walk among us, ended his time on earth.

That Friday long ago,
The one that John wrote of,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

That Friday long ago

I am truly struggling with something that I read about recently.

A person running for the highest office of the United States of America, suggested taxing a person at a rate which would reduce that persons wealth by half.

Isn’t one of the fundamental principles of living in this country, that if you work hard and take chances, and play by the rules – the sky is the limit. You get rewarded and get to enjoy your earnings.

Why would anyone think it is okay to take that away – just because they think it is excessive and isn’t fair to others?

I fear there are far too many people with the attitude that I classify as overt jealousy. Coveting what isn’t theirs and/or taking away what isn’t theirs to take.

It is one thing to expect free stuff, but an entirely different thing to take away something simply because – you don’t think the other person should have it.

What makes it okay to do this?

God help this country, if we ever get to the point that this happens.

 

Why is it that almost everyone seems to think that they have more time to say and do things – than they actually do?

So many folks take time for granite, meaning as though it is immensely abundant and unending. Procrastinating about sharing that precious commodity with loved ones, family, and or friends.

Time.

You cannot stop it, slow it down, or reverse its direction. (Regardless of what the Avengers did in the movie).

You do not appreciate it at all, when you are young. Seldom even thinking about it, unless you are going to be late to an event.

As you grow older, and start thinking about mortality, and how much time you might have left, or the terrible misfortune that some suffer from having it taken away so soon, it’s then that one begins to understand the importance of it.

We are all on the path, just at different points along the way.  There have been, and continue to be, good times and bad times.  There will remain long stretches of time that may even seem uneventful. There may be times when you wish you could do things over differently.

Ecclesiastes is identified with the following Chapter 3: Verses 1thru 8 –

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

 

It is wonderfully written, and yet lacks an important instruction relative to when?

Perhaps that is poetic in itself, and also instructional.

Maybe leaving off “when” to love, hate, embrace, keep, throw away, weep, laugh, dance, plant, heal, build, search …

Maybe, it isn’t relevant or necessary to be told “when”.

Just knowing that there IS a time for everything is comforting enough, as long as you trust in the word.

Embrace the gift provided to you, and make the most of it.

 

We live in unbelievably repugnant times. Political leadership today sickens me to the core. Let me rephrase that, Politicians today – there is no leadership evident in most politicians behavior.

The divisiveness in politics is at an all-time high. Compromise is non-existent. Those people have no clue, and only say that they care when it’s time to convince you to vote for them.

The elected officials in leadership positions of BOTH parties, act like children. One of them, most likely, never had to play “nice” with other children – based on his stubborn temper tantrums. The others in leadership position are so afraid of being seen as “caving in”, that they don’t know how to compromise on anything.

Guess what? The world is NOT just black and white, right or wrong, conservative or liberal.

Each of them took an oath of office, stating that they would represent EVERYONE, not just those in their elected party, the same gender or race, or political party. Each of them should be held in contempt, for breaking that oath.

But, the big special interests don’t care about that – as long as they get what they want.

Our wonderful republic is being torn apart from within.

Yes, the United States of America is a Republic, not a Democracy.  It was built that way by our founding fathers, to assure a multi-dimensional governance – not just based on whatever the majority wanted.  Protection for the minority, from the majority, meant that the founding fathers understood how detrimental this government would be if the majority had free run of anything that they wanted to do.

Imagine the majority deciding to eliminated anything and everything associated with the minority. Imagine what would happen if the majority made all the laws, elected the judges and legislative representatives. Imagine, if only the majority could own land or businesses, could farm, hunt, fish, or sell to others. How long would you support that thinking, if you suddenly found yourself in the minority?

Majority rule is not all that it’s cut out to be. If left untethered, some in the minority would simply quit trying, leave, or fight back.  Civil unrest would be almost guaranteed – without hope for anything, except violence. Those in the majority would be eliminated, to the point that they would be the new minority.  Eventually, only a limited few would have all the power.

The founding fathers knew this, and used history to formulate their concept for our newly formed republic. I feel badly for those founding fathers, because I think that they would be so terribly disappointed with what we have made of their dream.

Unfortunately, the founding fathers left far too much open to interpretation. Much of what was relevant then, isn’t now. Times change and the world isn’t the same, as it was over 200 years ago.

It just might be time for a Constitutional Convention.  Changes are needed, and since all normalcy in legislating has gone completely awry – drastic measures are in order.

As I sit and ponder the past year, I can’t help but wonder what the next one will bring.

Another one behind us. Another 365 days in the books. Gone, but not forgotten.

I try not to dwell too much on the past, because about the only thing that is useful about doing that is to learn from your mistakes.  You can’t change the past, but you can use those lessons and try to apply what worked, and what didn’t work, in the future.

With so much bad news and divisiveness in the world today, it would be easy to say good riddance to the past year.  Last years burden really isn’t any different than the one before it, or the one before that one too – or, any really.

Every year is full of both ups and downs. To many people, the downs out number the ups, – so, the year is labeled a “bad” year. To some, the year is a “good” or “great” year – as perhaps that person had achieved a milestone or goal that they had been trying to achieve.

In reality, the year most likely was a mix of ups and downs, with a bunch of mediocre times folded in between.

We seem to focus on the emotional highs and lows, and forget the in-betweens. That’s a normal thing to do, right? The in-between times, tween the weekends, holidays, and special days.

To me, the times where living a normal life, day to day, is the true measure of a year. It’s in the day to day moments of living that a person often takes for granite all the wonderful gifts that they have been provided.

It’s in the day to day living that you have more opportunities that you can count, to be kind to others.

And, I’m betting that if you were to add up all the positive experiences that occurred in your life this year, that they would vastly outweigh the bad ones. It’s just that the bad ones seem to stick longer in the memories, and the good ones are too often forgotten.

The new year also brings a whole batch of new choices and opportunities.

The start of each new year is welcomed with tremendous excitement and hope. New goals and aspirations. A fresh start. Not a do over.

My wishes for everyone this coming year, is to continue to try to choose wisely. Time will measure the effectiveness of your decisions. Don’t dwell on the past. The past cannot be redone, like a mulligan on the 4th hole of a golf course.

May your new year be filled with successful opportunities, and wonderful in betweens.

Sometimes it’s just nice to sit, and do nothing but enjoy the peace and quiet, before the craziness of  the holidays begins.

Today, I will try to make that happen. So far, so good – but it’s only 5.32am, and “not a creature is stirring, not even a  mouse”.  Pretty cool that the loudest sound is me pecking away at the keyboard – while typing this one.

Anyways, as the furnace just kicked on thanks to the setback thermostat programming of our chosen “awake” time, it reminds me of how lucky we are to have a home. I am so very grateful for that because, sadly, not everyone can enjoy the holidays, or a family gathering, in the warmth of a place they call home.

Soon, the holiday parties will begin. Family party on Sunday, another on Monday , which is Christmas Eve, and then again on Tuesday – Christmas Day, followed by another on Wednesday with our dear friends and their families. The quiet and relaxed sounds are about to get cranked up, and the pace will steadily increase.  The shopping and decorating is complete, so now is the time to rest and prepare for all that is ahead.

Christmas is a time of joy. I enjoy, seeing all the family – everyone that is so dear to me. I love getting a chance to see how all the kids have grown, and talk to them about what they are doing, offering my “sage” advice, as all good members of our family so often do.

The noise level goes up exponentially with the entrance of every family and person attending the gathering. So, with my family it gets pretty loud – simply due to the fact that we are a big family. I feel bad for folks that don’t have anyone to enjoy the company with. I am so grateful to have a loving & caring family – especially at this time of the year.

Every year, when we gather as a family – we try to do something fun. To laugh and enjoy the time we have together. In our clan, we don’t “require” participation – so, you are welcome to join in if you want to, and if you don’t – that’s okay too.  We do the typical adult gift exchange – thank goodness it’s not the white elepahnt type where the same gift gets wrapped and shipped off to the next unsuspecting sole year after year – I’m not a big fan of that one, as you can see.

And, we will have cards and games for entertainment purposes for anyone that wants to do that. A couple years ago, we had a blast with a game which may or may not smash whipped cream in your face called Pie in the Face.  It was so much fun watching the little ones laugh so hard at seeing the Aunts, Uncles, Moms, Dads, Sisters and Brothers – get a pie in the face! The sound of the laughter of children is sooo infectious and wonderful to hear. I am grateful to be able to laugh and have fun with the kids.

I haven’t always enjoyed the hustle bustle of the holiday season. The stress and lack of time to do everything that was needed and planned – took its toll – and diminished the happiness that should have been felt.  Now that I’m older, circumstances are different and far less stressful – I look forward to the season. It is a time filled with fun, laughter, and enjoyment. I feel bad for anyone that doesn’t have the opportunity to feel this way, and I am grateful for our continued good health and well being.

I highly suggest before the craziness begins in the next few days, find a place where you can enjoy the quietness – take a moment for yourself – contemplate the wonderful life, friends, and family that you will soon be surrounded by.  Give Thanks to God for all you have, and pray for the less fortunate.

The silence is once again broken by a high pitched beeping, signaling that the coffee maker has finished dripping 12 cups of water through the machine. Thus signaling that day has officially begun.

Well…

Enough of this. Silence is over rated, anyways.

Time to go get this day started.

There isn’t much that is as disappointing as a broken promise.  It just plain sucks when that happens. Too bad people don’t take promises more seriously, or bother to think about the ramifications if they brake the promise.

It happens in our personal lives, and it happens, in business, and it even happens in friendship, and just about anywhere that 2 parties make agreements.

Seems lately, well I guess not really just lately – that people, corporations, and our government all want to bail out of promises that they made in the past to other people and communities. Many of those promises were made involved perceived long term commitments, which ultimately favored both parties – as long as the promises were kept.

Its very disheartening to read and hear about these incidents, where at one time an agreement is struck, only later to have one party or the other (and sometimes both) decide to break the promise.

Almost always innocent people get hurt, because the promises made are broken, and it really makes me upset. I don’t like it, or agree with that as a solution – most of the time.

People working for long periods of time promised pensions when they retire, only to see the promise broken, and the payout reduced or changed from what was promised is not right.

Companies that get major tax relief in the form of abatements, then later close the plant – should be billed for the lost taxes that they only got, because of a promise or agreement that was broken.

In this crazy world of litigation that we live in, those broken promises often result in lawsuits – where we expect a judge and/or jury to determine when the “law” is broken.

The law looks at promises as though they were “contracts” (verbal or written) -agreements all the same. Unfortunately, lawsuits isn’t always in the best interest of the people involved and rulings resulting from the lawsuits don’t often occur until years later. The legal manipulation by the litigants, can tie the court cases up for years and years, and cost lots and lots of money. Promises broken have a price and the parties involved have to decide what the promise is worth. Is the litigation and time and bad feelings and cost – worth pursuing? Sadly, often times it is not.

The sad thing is that the reason behind a broken promise isn’t really that hard to figure out. The reality is that the party braking the promise simply just doesn’t care. More often than not, they get away without remorse, or retribution.

To far too many people, its just words (written or spoken) – and they didn’t really mean them. They just used them to get what they wanted – at the time.  That seems so selfish and unethical to me.

If a promise must be broken, at least have the guts to admit that you are doing it – and that you are willing to help make it right – as best that you can.

I realize that this is often impossible, in some folks minds – but without even trying is worse – in my mind.

After all – a promise is a promise.