Category: Change

In the News...

4/25/2015

Spring Greetings, Readers!
Believe it or not, I have emerged from my seeming hibernated state. Winter was long and harsh in my neck of the woods, some having called it 'a good old-fashioned winter.' I love snow; however, even I grew weary of the continuing frigid temperatures and ongoing icing problems.
I digress.
Spring is here and with it a wee bit of snow on the daffodils. Warming temperatures and sunshine are putting smiles back on the people I see in stores, at work, in passing, and on myself! Hopefully you are cheering up and ready to move forward with 2015.
In the news. So many things have been happening. This list is the short list:

Presidential candidates for 2016 are emerging.
ISIS/ISIL is continuing to behead, slaughter, rape, and perform other horrific acts on Christians and anyone who doesn't behave and believe as its members do.
California is running out of water.
A much beloved world-class Olympic Champion has 'come out' by announcing he is transitioning into the woman he has always felt he was inside.
Allegedly, one Democratic Presidential candidate has been involved in some inappropriate behavior and is being called to testify regarding missing emails, and much more.
The USA finally has a new Attorney General.
A volcano erupted in Chile, many many evacuated.
An earthquake occurred today in Nepal and the death toll continues to rise.
Britain and the world await news of a new royal baby. (I'm sure Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge are the most anxious to have the little one arrive.)
Soldiers are dying everyday. Veterans are dying everyday. Veterans are committing suicide at an alarming rate.
Volunteer organizations of all types need volunteers.

What is YOUR news? Do you make fun of stories and people in the news? Do you scoff at political candidates, yet do not become politically active yourself? Do you volunteer in any way? What do you do to make your own newsworthy stories, even if shared with just family and friends?
Get out there and do something, American citizens!! Volunteer, speak out, and VOTE!!

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Holidays - Equality - Children

11/1/2014

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Happy HalloThankHanuKwanChristmas! Well, that's what commercialism has done to the 4th quarter holiday season. Autumn arrives in late September and here come Christmas Carols, Halloween decorations on sale at 50% off as soon as they hit the store shelves and somewhere in the middle you find things like Halloween, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Veterans Day and others thrown in.
Thank you, thank you retail industry. Is it the retail industry.....or is it more??
I shall spare each of you my definitions of the holidays, they are subject to interpretation anyway. If you're Jewish, you'll prefer Hanukkah. If you're Christian you may be pro-Christmas and anti-Halloween. If you're a citizen of the USA, you'll relish over-eating, parades, and football games on Thanksgiving Day. If you're of African-American descent, you will cherish your heritage at the celebration of Kwanzaa. If you're a veteran in the USA, Veterans Day will be held near and dear to your heart.
Guess what? I bet I just missed a bunch of other holidays and someone out there will call me on it. We all do the best we can to celebrate our heritage, our religious faith, our communities, and having fun for the sake of having fun.
Sometimes we get very outspoken against something we do not understand. Just because we don't understand someone other people's reason for joy is no reason to be mean and verbally or physically attack them.
That said; however, when people pervert their faith and use it for evil/generally bad purposes, then we have the right to call them out on it and put a stop to it.
I read an article recently in which reference was made to atheists and satanists promoting practices to children and asking a school board to approve of materials for distribution. If you don't want religion in the schools, then you must not permit anti-religion either. It has to be equal both ways. If for example, you don't allow the Bible and Christianity in school materials, then Islam cannot be taught either. If you won't allow religion, you can't have anti-religion (e.g. atheism) in the school
If you believe in good, you must believe in evil.
If you believe in God, you must believe in the devil.
If you believe in heaven, you must believe in hell.
Every action incurs and equal and opposite reaction.
Look at our schools today. They are a jumbled mess. Took Christianity out but put pure evolution in. They do not permit the discussion of the beliefs of Christianity even though Christianity exists. They do not permit prayer. All of a sudden lately, though, there is a huge push to permit the teaching of Islamic beliefs, atheistic beliefs, and even satanic beliefs. If you're going to teach one, you must teach them all, equally.
And we wonder why our youth are confused, depressed, angry, and getting into trouble. WE are confusing them by our very lack to teach them with fare and true content. WE are allowing our government-influenced educators and school boards to be bullied further and further into teaching our children a bunch of confused and partial belief systems.
(Don't even get me started on the Common Core system that is completely degrading mathematics among other courses.)
How have we gone from celebrating each holiday for its own worth and respecting others' celebrations to demoralizing our children with conflicting belief systems? Do we blame the greed of the retail industry? Do we blame teachers or school boards? Do we blame various religious and anti-religious groups? Do we blame ourselves? Do we blame our own faith? Do we blame each other? Do we blame the leaders of our country?
Something to consider: we elect our leaders (either by voting or failing to vote and allowing bad leaders into power), we elect our school boards who hire the teachers of our young people. We choose where to attend church, if we attend church. We allow bullying of our educational system and our young people on the largest scale possible and yet we do nothing about it.
We see parents run to the schools and complain if Suzi Q or John Doe get insulted and we complain bitterly because the school didn't protect our child. BUT GUESS WHAT FOLKS?? Life is mean. Life is not easy. If it were pleasant and easy all the time, we'd most likely be in heaven (for those who believe it exists.
I'm not saying not to stand up for your children when there is a serious problem, which can include bullying. We do need to teach our children to stand up for themselves too.
We are setting the poorest of examples in this country in the current era. We allow small sub-groups to bully our educational system instead of standing up and saying this isn't good stuff/good curriculum. Do not misunderstand me, I am all for adding new and good things. I have no problem teaching all about all religions and anti-religions, let's be equal. Equal is the component. Give our children and grandchildren an equal balance of knowledge so they don't continue growing up confused, needing more and more chemical medications pumped into them to help them cope with the lack of mental tools we failed to provide them.
Back to the holidays......enjoy each one. Play, celebrate, pray, and savor. Enjoy each one in its own time, not in one jumbled mess.
From my faith to yours, may you be blessed.

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April Showers

4/22/2014

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April Showers......spring cleaning....primary elections.....new life......religious holidays......Earth Day......mud......high school proms......planting gardens........picnics......summer.....

What do we 'older' folks think of as spring arrives? What do 'kids' think of during this same season?
In a way, I surmise we all share similar thoughts even if in different scenarios, much like my tulips which share the same lawn yet bloom in different colors.

Indulge me for a moment, as you so often do, take the scenario of spring a bit further than my tulip bed. Our beloved country: different colors, shades, viewpoints, yet we are the United States of America. We forget that sometimes and hyper-focus on the colors within, on the differing viewpoints, the negative instead of the good. If we could just savor the shades of our fellow American stems and roots and delight in the way we bloom in the same lawn, wouldn't it be just grand?

I may not always agree with the way you blow in the breeze or let your petals fall, but that is your life, not mine. By the same token, if your bulb develops disease, hopefully we can cure it and ease your suffering. Further yet, if your bulb turns into a parasite choking the life out of all the others in the lawn, then we must, for the preservation of the lawn and all life therein, find a way to contain and make safe the parasite rather than encouraging parasitic behavior.

I can only imagine some eyes rolling by now and challenging the paragraph preceding this one. What am I saying? I am saying: Encourage beauty, Encourage life, Encourage health. Discourage laziness, Discourage ugliness of heart, Discourage abuse of others. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't try to read between the lines further than what I just stated.

Bloom where you are planted. If the wind moves you along, then prepare for an adventure. If it is your calling to care for others, do so. If it is your calling to lead and make the world a safer better place in which to live, do so. If it is your calling to entertain, do so. For heaven's sake, above all else, LIVE. LOVE. LAUGH. If you happen to live in the good ol' US of A, then be a GOOD CITIZEN and VOTE. THINK. PARTICIPATE.

As a good citizen, if you need to spring clean by voting some out of office, then do so. If you need to plant a garden of fresh-thinking folks in political office, do so. If you need to wash the mud out of the government's back porch and living room, do so. If you need to celebrate rebirth and your religion, do so, but respect others' right to do so as well. If you need to dress up your young folks celebrating youthful activities, do so, but let them live; do not live through them. Live your life and teach them to live theirs. Please.

Happy Spring, USA!!

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Lamb or Lion

3/1/2014

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Do you dread March, the ides of March, the possibility that spring may not arrive on its appointed date in March?
The old thought of March arriving like a lamb meant that it would end like a lion. Likewise, if arrives like a lion, it will exit like a lamb.
Wouldn't you rather have it arrive like a lion and leave like a lamb in the freshness of spring and all that is reborn?
Today is a mystery. Calm weather, warmer temps in my locale, clear roadways, and an approaching winter storm named Titan. Titan.

(The following definition courtesy of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary)
ti·tan noun \ˈtī-tən\ Titan : one of a family of giants in Greek mythology
: an extremely large and powerful person, company, etc.
Full Definition of TITAN1 capitalized : any of a family of giants in Greek mythology born of Uranus and Gaea and ruling the earth until overthrown by the Olympian gods 2 : one that is gigantic in size or power : one that stands out for greatness of achievement

Titan is on its way to parts of the USA. Frightened of this giant? Nope. Not this chic. Storms happen. Life happens. It goes on. Weather occurs. We deal with it. If you're used to weather changes, you're prepared. If you live in a utopian climate-controlled bubble somewhere, then this storm might frighten you. Good luck.

What I'm wondering, since Titan was predicted to arrive tonight, the evening of March 1st, does that mean March is entering like a giant lion and the end of the month will have sweet innocent lamb-like weather? Where does one draw the line on time-held hearsay of weather predictions? Most of today has been calm. What if Titan waits to arrive until March 2nd? Does that count as the beginning of the month?

What does all this matter? Lions. Lambs. Titans. Giants. Weather.
Life happens with or without lion/lamb-like weather. Life goes on.

Big things happen. Small things happen. Do we take stock of the big and the little things in life? The rescue of your neighbor's when their house caught fire? The whisper in your ear of your child's scary nightmare with arms tight around your neck? The first spring flower you spot by your door or along the highway on your way to work? The reality of the store being sold out of toilet paper and milk/water just before a big storm hits?

Are you prepared for the storms? Are you prepared for the renewed sensation of good days? Are you prepared for changes in your life? Are you ready for children in your family? Are you ready for divorce? Are you battening hatches against political oppression? Are you stocking up for a lack of electricity and heat? Are ready to grow up and get a job? Are you ready to say 'good-bye' to your parents, a child, a grandchild?

Are you, are any of us ever ready for big storms and small changes? We try to be. We think we are.
In reality, no one human person is ever ready for such changes. We can prepare. We can stock up. We can think it through. Truly, though, the day of change arrives and we want one more second of sunshine, one more breath, one more second being single, another year of school, and so on.

The only thing that makes us ready is stepping into the moment. We face that moment and rise to the occasion. Perhaps we do not succeed as we thought we would, or perhaps we second-guess our preparations, our words, our decisions. Either way, the moment arrives like a winter storm, at a given moment in time that we cannot change. It is up to each of us to weather the storm, to adapt, to become who we are meant to be.

Lion or lamb? Which will you be? A giant, prepared and strong, or a lamb, gentle and adapting?

Didn't know you could be likened to a winter storm, did you? Your life compared to the seasons? Oh sure, we've all heard about May-December romances and the winter of our lives when we get 'old,' but from my humble perspective, our lives mirror the weather, the climate, the change of seasons. Do we mature, do we wither? Do we blossom? Do we allow ourselves to create fruitful lives?

We make choices everyday. The weather happens. Do we live as the weather, just letting life happen or do we utilize our ability to make changes in our personal weather patterns?

Do we allow ourselves to walk as thunderclouds, scaring those around us or do we walk in the light, spreading the seeds of good will to strangers as well as those we hold dear.

Our personal weather patterns are up to us. Titan-like lions or Lamb-like souls......or lambs who know when to growl like lions? Are you a giant of person? The choice is yours. Human life is short and fragile. Make the best of it. Shout your love like a lion and swallow your anger like a lamb. Choose wisely. You won't get a do-over on those final good-byes.

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RNC & DNC short post

9/6/2012

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What's to be said about the RNC or the DNC? (You know, Republican and Democratic National Conventions.)

Turmoil. Smashing of opposing party ideas and candidates. Build 'em up speeches. Delegates vote as expected based on primary ballot results. Oh, I guess a couple surprises this year: Clint Eastwood gave 'em hell this year at the RNC with and empty chair interview of the President (the Pres clearly wasn't present - it was the RNC after all!) Talk of the DNC grandstanding with Bettty White as a speaker........Not. Oh wait, the DNC did banish God and Jerusalem, Israel from recognition until the Pres wanted them included, and then, get this.......the crowd "boo-ed" God!!! They boo-ed Jerusalem. Glad I wasn't there! Glad I haven't heard of any fatalities from clear-day lightning strikes! But, heaven help those who boo-ed. Talk about disrespect of the beliefs and Judeo-Christian foundation of this country. Never mind, insulting the Big Guy Himself. Not for me.

I can do without all that fuss and disrespect. If you're a candidate, just tell me why you're better. Don't point fingers. Don't tell me how bad the other guy is. Currently, I've figured out what a poor leader the current Pres is, but don't point it out. I already know. And don't tell me how awful the contender is, I'm not impressed with him either, but he's worth a try. And can all the convention crap. That money would be better used feeding the hungry who are waiting on their "entitlements." Or for new self-help programs (which I think a lot of the delegates need!).

If the primary says you're the candidate, then why all this fuss? Really. Save the money.

And the day and age of needing the Electoral College. Well, that's just passe. When it was created a good portion of the population was illiterate and scattered far from each other with slow forms of communication. Oh wait, a good portion of the population is still illiterate. And....even though we are overflowing our borders with population and technology, we are still far apart. Maybe the Electors are still important. Why then, do we hear no campaign information on the Electors?? That needs revamped.

Oh wait, the government needs revamped. Silly me. Time for change. We cannot continue on the downward slide we've been on for quite some time. Time for change. (Not me, not yet. Just saying.)

Be prepared for the highways and byways to soon be very cluttered with campaign signs my friends. The flowers of autumn that are more litter than beauty.

Time for change.

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In the News...

Holidays - Equality - Children

April Showers

Lamb or Lion

RNC & DNC short post

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