Utopia or Not?

Watched a documentary last night: “I Am.” It chronicles Tom Shadyac’s pursuit of asking this one question: What ails the world and how can we improve on it? Shadyac is the award winning comedy director of films such as “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.” Very successful and insightful director!

Shadyac suffered a serious injury from a bicycling accident. Although his wounds healed the pain and trauma triggered a long lasting depression and neurological upset. It took over two years for his return to health. Meanwhile he was moved to interview major thinkers around the globe to ask his question and to ponder their answers.

These thinkers included Noam Chomsky, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, historian Howard Zinn and many other academics, authors and luminaries. His travels were fascinating; the interviews fruitful.

This documentary is worth your time to view. We got it from Netflix and streamed it from the computer to the TV.

Some of the discussions were without guidance as to a positive end to Shadyac’s question. In other words the world does indeed ail; mankind is its nemesis – it creates earth’s troubles and it is in mankind’s DNA to not fix those troubles; the ailing earth will go on until its doom in this manner.

Swell! Nice vision. But the other thinkers said otherwise. Their take is that humans have been raised on competitive instincts, taught that way of thinking; it is that behavior in pursuit of the competition that brings the troubles. But that is not DNA; it is taught by family and tribe. What is learned can be unlearned and improved upon. So doom can be held at bay.

The global luminaries corralled by Tom Shadyac were mostly of the opinion that mankind’s social instinct is based on cooperation and collaboration. It is that behavior that brought revolutionary discoveries and inventions: fire; wheel, agriculture and animal husbandry; village design and defenses; hunting and subservience of the animal kingdom; healing arts; visual arts; performing arts.

The act of togetherness is more fundamental than competitive instincts to win, survive or best another person’s effort. Those instincts may be present, but the major, ruling need is to share life with another, and then others. Family. Friends. Tribe and nation. It is a good thing. And something that pleases my inner soul.

Sorry about that! But this documentary revived my hunt for things that matter to us all. That is the inner core that has driven me for decades. Although this bent of mine may appear foolish to others, it is what moves me. It is the inner voice that tells me that politics and its manipulation of our business and governance systems is wrong. That we can do better. And that we must do better for the benefit of us all.

The utopian pursuit is not the issue here. Critics may pounce on that theme but they would be wrong. That won’t stop them from their noise making, but it should not stop the rest of us in pursuit of what we believe is the higher good, the higher benefit.

Utopian dreams may be unrealized; but they do provide the motivation to pursue the common good. Even a partially acquired dream is better than none. And surely it is better than handing over sheer power to those who only want to wield it for their own good and enrichment. Sound familiar?

If we were to discuss economics and the partners who function within the entire economic system, I think we would find that benefits to all would enlighten the captains of industry and government. The knowledge gained would unleash the natural strengths of the ‘tribe’ within so that jobs, goods and services, and financial transactions would flow to the benefit of most of the people. This is a good result. It should be worked for. Not manipulated. And not enslaved to an ideology. The latter is for power alone. And not of public value.

The global scene of health and wealth and economic enhancement is a good teacher of what we can do. America victorious alone over industry and wealth would be a disaster both to our nation and the global community. It is our role to help others benefit from our discoveries and inventions.

So let us pursue that better role. Along the way the global family, the tribe, will work to defend us all for the common good. The old ideological enemies will shrink from such strength.

Utopia or reality? What do we have to lose in trying to best baser instincts?

Really!

June 30, 2012

Whaddyamean?

Affordable Health Care Act upheld by the Supreme Court.  Too bad it wasn’t unanimous but not much is these days. We can take comfort knowing that at least one hurdle has been overcome in this nasty fight. Thanks to Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts for moving beyond bitter partisan politics.

The Affordable Health Care Act is not Obamacare. That is a derisive title pasted on the issue by republicans, tea baggers and conservatives. They claim the act is dangerous to American health care and the nation’s constitutional framework of governance. Well, evidently not!

Health care is everyone’s business. When the law was written in a tumultuous clangor of bitter dispute, nearly 50 million countrymen were without health care insurance. In this day and age that is nearly the same as no medical care at all except emergency attention. And that comes with high cost to both the medical staff and clinics/hospitals that care for the patient. If the patient has no insurance and no money, the health care system eats it. Last I checked, that’s you and me. We all pay the bill in one way or another for those who cannot pay, or will not pay.

No politician or political party had answers to the problem. No president had been able to lead the congress through the thicket of ideological war to find a solution. But address the issue we did; through leadership of President Obama. And high political cost. To himself and to his party.  Someone had to do this. It was on his watch, so the President worked out the details as best could be. Compromise after compromise was made. Wheedling behind closed congressional doors. Warring factions were coddled and wooed. Finally a truce was made and the act moved forward to a successful vote. No one was happy then or now. But the act is law and working toward full implementation. It gets better phase after phase. No major negatives have been encountered so far.

And yet the act will need to be tweaked over the coming years to smooth out wrinkles and improve health care delivery and related finance. Hopefully without bankrupting anyone along the way: the federal government, state governments, insurers, taxpayers or patients. That’s the goal. So many people working toward that goal in good faith. Because it is what we all need.

Now. Ideology. Politics. Discord. Noise. Bitterness.

We have all that. When the Supreme Court decision was announced the airwaves were filled instantly with noise. Mostly partisan posturing. There were many reports that some politicians recorded TV ‘interviews’ and statements covering two or three possible scenarios depending on the court’s decision; anticipating a negative statement regardless of the decision. How manipulative of the public. How distrusting of the public.

The President represents each of us, and for our benefit. He does not have the luxury of working for only one group of Americans; his job description covers all contingencies in governing the entire nation. The needs of many have to be balanced across the board. It is the only way the whole can function.

Demanding the impossible from him while standing in the way of progress is an embarrassment to ‘we the people’. It is not a slap to the President. It is a self administered wound suffered by us all.

Funny thing. Thursday, June 28 witnessed a cacophony of sound by ~ politicians. Not citizens. Politicians. And of course news organizations covered the sound and fury. They actually added to the noise. They did not help anyone understand the issues. They just pointed out what one camp said, what another camp retorted to that statement, and so on. Noise begetting noise.

The job of the media is to state what is being said and done. The facts please. Then the media’s job is to sift through the facts for the meanings and conflicting meanings of the matter. Their job is to elucidate, not obfuscate. The latter has been their trademark for the past 15 years or so; probably longer.

If the media doesn’t understand what’s going on, then they owe it to the nation not to add to the problem. They are supposed to add to the understanding. It would be helpful if they actually enlisted the help of people who know the specific issues and ask their help to find solutions to the problems at hand. Blue ribbon panels. Research teams. Think tank operations. Do we see this happening? No.

Oh sure; there are such organizations in existence or forming, but they are mostly ideologically funded groups. The Heritage Foundation is an example.  The Heartland Institute is another example. Organizations formed specifically to press a point of view with strong partisan motives. And the public is left to discern the truth. And the media doesn’t help. And the politicians continue to obfuscate. Because it is in their interest to do this.

But it is not in the public’s interest. No. We are the ones left to pick up the pieces and live with the mess until our ‘leaders who do not lead’ either get out of the way or are outsmarted by their opposition. Like the Affordable Care Act.

Who’s the leader now, folks? You or me? Romney or Obama? Looks like the latter to me.

Now can’t we just get along? And get the work of the nation accomplished? Would that be asking too much? Really!?

June 29, 2012

The Other Side of Midnight

(With apologies to Sidney Sheldon)

What it means to love creativity while reacting to insensitivity and hate; what it means to be both optimistic and pessimistic at the same time. Being fully human: Knowing we can accomplish much; knowing to do that means we have to fight all the forces that keep us from achieving what we can!

Rishika Jain said: “Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life…”

If that is true, and I think it is, we shouldn’t waste time or energy but take advantage of the opportunities staring us in the face.

Johnny Depp said, “You can close your eyes to the things you don’t want to see, but you can’t close your heart to the things you don’t want to feel.”

I guess we can try to close the heart to feelings (and I know some people who seem to be doing this!) but I think we fool ourselves. At some point reality hits; we have turned our hearts to stone for however long, but eventually we become aware of the error in doing so. And we are ashamed. Embarrassed.

Being who I am is hard work. Kurt Cobain slammed this thought home: “I’d rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I am not.” Who I am is the real thing. I’m not faking it. And I don’t want to mislead anyone; that enslaves me to figuring out what you want me to be. It is so much easier to just be me. If that upsets you, that’s your problem.

And who am I, or you, to judge the other? I found this on the Internet the other day and think it fits exactly right here! “How many gay people does God have to make before we stop asking ourselves whether he wants them around or not?” I did not make myself gay, nor did I choose to be gay. I am gay. I fought it. I examined what it meant and came to terms with it. I did a lot more work doing this thinking than others have done to come to the conclusion that it is a sin or evil. Or that it is OK to be straight!

Remember Thomas Paine’s famous quote? I do: “To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” Such people made up their minds long ago on incomplete data but will not be deterred from their conclusions! Foolish, yes; but normal.

Another Internet jewel: “Life is too short to spend it with people who suck the happiness out of you.” And that’s the price we pay when we insist on doing the thinking for someone else. We often alienate them. We may not be aware of it at the time. But it’s there none the same. And we cut that person off by our own actions. Or they suck the happiness from us and we cut ourselves off from them.

Two halves of life. Your side and my side. How important is it to be right? How important is it to lose a friend over? Or a family member over? Why do we do this to each other? What base of resentment causes people to make these irrational choices of right and wrong as pressed onto others?  I doubt any of us will find an answer to that in our lifetime.  Pity, isn’t it? So much energy spent; so much love and respect tossed away.

The ‘other side of midnight’ is a smidgen away from our conscious self at all times. It can work for us or against us. I counsel inclusion and making room for others. Just don’t change who you are to do this. Open up. Feel. Think. Be real and caring. You just might come to some common conclusions!

June 28, 2012

Summer Busy

Nearly July now and times are busy around here! Same for you I bet!

We’ve already had Cinco de Mayo, Blooming Fest, and soon will have the 4^th of July well and roundly celebrated in our town and surrounding communities, too! So many parades, fireworks and festivals at this time of year.

Speaking of which we are preparing for the West Chicago (Ill.) Railroad Days to celebrate the key feature leading to the founding of the community back in the 1840’s. And then there are the Farmers Markets dotting our towns each summer, the marathon races, both running and bicycling, as well as garden walks, and auto shows, cruise nights and what all. In Winfield they celebrate the Good Old Days, and a string of dates for auto shows and cruise nights, too.  In Warrenville we have an August festival called Summer Daze replete with two days of live music, food galore and a major auto show. Then in fall we celebrate Art on the Prairie with two days of art, music and, what else, food, and more food!

By October Warrenville, Winfield and West Chicago, Illinois will have fully celebrated the summer months. We will be ready to button up for fall and soon-to-follow winter. But then the allure of the cold and snow are the favorite holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cold and blustery outside but warm and snuggly indoors. And with the people that matter the most to you.

Part of living in Illinois is looking forward to summer. As I’ve learned to weather the miserable winters I have come to love the nuances of spring – early, middle and late spring – and the gentle differences of early, middle and late summer. Then there are the very subtle attractions of the fall months – early, middle and late. Anything but cold, damp and miserable winter. So you see being adaptable makes for pleasant weather, even if it is only in the mind!

The tricks we play on ourselves. At least these do no harm. Now if we would do this with some of our heavy issues in need of resolution. Nuances. Perhaps we can think of some that will make a difference in the political arena? Soften the negativity. Create positive ideas? Maybe even constructive?

Just a thought.

June 27, 2013

Including Both Halves

Many years ago, 30 or 40 to be a little more precise, people did not understand that I was a feminist. They thought that I must not favor Women’s Liberation and that I would champion the position of males.  I had a tough time convincing them otherwise! Still do.

As a husband, father, son, nephew and brother, and grandfather I have a lot of women in my life! I honestly wanted the best for all of them. Career and education opportunities as a start, then equal pay, basic fairness and respect for their opinions. I couldn’t believe that activists actually felt that the female gender was the enemy!

Later as I came to the full realization of my being gay, and learned to deal with that, I still was a supporter of women. They have been the great justice partner in most social struggles: vote for women, anti slavery, civil rights movement, peace movement, gay rights, immigration rights,... and the list goes on! They were there when needed to be the voice of justice, fairness and reason. How could I ever be against them!?

Yet all these years later women’s rights issues continue in the news. Addressing the 2012 Women in the World Conference in New York City, Hillary Rodham Clinton said:

“Why extremists always focus on women remains a mystery to me, but they all seem to. It doesn’t matter what country they’re in or what religion they claim, they all want to control women. They want to control how we dress, they want to control how we act, they even want to control the decisions we make about or own health and our own bodies.

Yes, it is hard to believe but even here at home we have to stand up for women’s rights and reject efforts to marginalize any one of us because America needs to set an example for the entire world.”

Today discussions are hot and heavy about restricting abortions: whether health insurance can exclude treatment options for pregnant women, or if religious institutions can restrict employee benefits based on their theological beliefs.  Equal pay for equal work continues to be a needed discussion and solution. Churches meddling with political venues attempt to legislate their religious tenets to the population at large, especially those issues pertaining mainly to women.

The unfairness of these matters seem apparent to many people. Why then is their disagreement on the solutions? Butt out of women’s lives. Let them live their lives as they deem best. If they prefer to follow the dictates of their church or political party, fine; if not, leave them alone! We ought not have such power over such personal matters. Hillary Clinton has it exactly right.

To help make this happen, we need courage to talk about these issues wherever we are. All of us need to be open to differences of opinion and belief. Just because one person believes one thing, does not mean others need to live their live according to that belief. We live in a free country. We all can make decisions for ourselves. But it takes a step into the dark, a step of bravery, to raise these issues and talk about them. With love and care we need to engage people if the right things are to happen.

Yoga master Amrit Desai has said: “Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.”

Good words to ponder. Perhaps we can allow those words to guide us in delivering justice for women?

June 26, 2012

Opportunity?

Rocky found this quote on the Internet the other day of unknown source:

“Seriously, you are going to be outraged over ‘illegal aliens coming and taking all of the good American jobs’ but you don’t say a word about American corporations hiring people overseas? General Electric, Caterpillar, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Chevron, Cisco, Intel, Stanley Works, Merck, United Technologies, and Oracle cut their workforces by 2.9 million people over the last decade while hiring 2.4 million people overseas.”

Think about that for a moment. The movement of jobs overseas is a response to two large developments, I think. First is tax policy set by congress. That policy rewards American firms to earn profits off-shore and reduce its employment rolls at home. Pure and simple.

And second, the flattening of global marketplaces requires businesses to adopt global investment and participation. There doing so is quite natural and appropriate.

A few other thoughts are apropos here:

1. Pushing ‘illegal immigrants’ from southern states [state laws in Alabama and Mississippi which demand ‘your papers or deportation’] resulted in many abandoned jobs for which no locals offered to fill. This suggests immigrants are not taking jobs from ‘legal citizens’.
2. The laws of economics suggest strongly that jobs replaced by cheaper labor overseas allows our firms to redeploy labor resources to higher economic tasks. If this is true (and I don’t doubt that it is) the problem is more the need of new investment by firms to quickly make good use of our well-trained and creative workforce. This is being done in many innovative industries, but not done in slow moving, non-adaptive industries. This is another way of spotting opportunity. Where are the American entrepreneurs? Where are the investors? Are they seeking government protection? Are they actually too risk averse?

 I’m sensing an oxymoron here! We tend to blame that which we are impatient to fix. Or we blame that which we do not understand. Alert persons can benefit from this vacuum. Where are these people?

Change is not all bad. Change requires adaptability. Adopting the right change is the job of the entrepreneur or investor. And where are these people?

A good question. I don’t hear this discussed on CNBC!

June 25, 2012

Governing then and now...

John Adams was the second President of the United States. He made this simple statement that, although humorous, is tantalizingly attractive today:

“I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is a disgrace, that two become a law firm, and that three or more become a congress.”

Way back in the early days of our nation; from one of its founding fathers; a short, direct statement that we could think was written today! I guess this governance business doesn’t change much. People give other people trouble. Minds are hard to match up to form agreement. The same is true today.

The dynamic is important. It causes our decisions to be well thought out before adopting into policy or law. These things should not be easy or our governance will be sloppy. Yet, it should not be impossible to perform. And today it appears so. Impossible.

I’m reminded of the illegal immigration issue that has plagued recent presidencies. Each incumbent has attempted to address the problem but with no success because congress has failed to make necessary compromises to effect policy. Some of you may remember George W. Bush tried to address the issue when he was new in the White House. As a former Texas governor he understood the heartache and drama of the issue. So his proposals were vetted through John McCain, who was also a border state politician who was sensitive to the issue. To the chagrin of both Bush and McCain, congress threw a fit and would not even consider discussing the proposals.

Then McCain became a presidential candidate and threw the same roadblocks in front of the issue as did his earlier opponents when confronting candidate Obama’s ideas for solving the dilemma. A no go if you recall! Slightly different time; same issue; same ideas; virulently opposed. Odd isn’t it?

Now Obama is President and he has tried for nearly four years to get this issue before congress for a reasoned solution. Another no go. So he makes an executive order to freeze deportment actions against illegal aliens brought to our nation when they were babies. And the opponent politicians in congress and candidate Romney are ridiculously opposed. Same old rot. Same old inaction. If it weren’t so funny, it would be tragic. Come to think of it, it is still a tragedy for all concerned. A major failure of the American system.

Buddha opined a long time ago:

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth. Not going all the way, and not starting.”

Both of these mistakes appear self evident in the public discussion and management of immigration policy. You would think that mature persons could come to an agreement for the good of the country and all its people. I don’t want a king in this situation, but it would be great if we had the wisdom of King Solomon! Or a culture of adulthood up to the task.

Under the banner “Choose your words wisely” from Facebook, comes this quote:

“It’s easier to build up a child than it is to repair an adult.”

This may be the operative dynamic today: Malfeasance in adulthood emanates from inattention when a child? Perhaps. Or maybe as a parent we didn’t get it then so we don’t understand how today’s adult came to be this way? Yet in the mirror it becomes more obvious.

Perhaps we need a better model to follow? To raise a child and find comity among individuals? A road to compromise that has integrity? A culture that values truth seeking?

Might this possibly result in a better governance process? Or are we just too impatient to let the logic seek its proper end? A riddle in need of a solution!

June 24, 2012

Truth Will Out

Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher (1788 to 1860) said:

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second, it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident.”

If we are intelligent we should be able to run through these phases quickly. It takes discipline. The self-evident stage can be acquired almost instantly if we pursue truth, research, read and do our homework. It is fun most of the time. It is hilarious when you meet someone not at your stage!

Sort of like the public’s current understanding of national economics. They keep confusing micro economics (personal, home, single business) with macro economics (national, international, central banking policy function). They also feel churches have the right to free speech as though it is freedom of religion; the two are not the same. Theology and the practice of it are free under our constitution. Exercising religion as politics is not protected under the religion clause. Violate this and pay taxes, people!

Think homosexuality is a sin; that’s religion. Think civil rights pertains to gay people? That’s truth and quite self evident. If you think otherwise, you are confounding religion with politics. Uh-uh! Our nation used to think women and blacks could not vote. How wrong we were then!

Global warming? Time will tell eventually. Yes this may be cyclical in thousands of years, but we can speed the cycle by polluting the air and upsetting nature’s balance.

Evolution or intelligent design? Religion again. Tread carefully. Believe as you will, and live as you will. But leave others alone while you are doing your thing.

President James A. Garfield said:

“The divorce between Church and State ought to be absolute. It ought to be so absolute that no church property anywhere, in any state or in the nation, should be exempt from equal taxation; for if you exempt the property of any church organization, to that extent you impose a tax upon the whole community.”

There are preachers and churches today which believe their voices should be heard on political matters. That’s fine provided their voices urge their followers to live as they believe and direct. It is not alright to lobby legislative bodies to make rules, regulations or laws that require others who do not believe to live as the lobbyists decree. That is clearly mixing religion with state. Our constitution and court rulings have kept this separate. The lines are blurred over time until core issues that matter are threatened. Such is the case today. We must ensure separation of church and state.  Both can exist peacefully side by side.

If not we could become a theocracy. Think Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and much of the Middle East. Is that what we want? Do we want an American Taliban? I think not.

So, preachers remain in your pulpits. Write your sermons for your flocks. But stay out of our state houses and Congress.

There are those who think I repeat myself. I admit that I do! Because the threat of slipping into state sponsored religion appears to be ever present. If the matter is settled, then why do we continue to jab at this truth?

The boundaries are clear. Truth will out!

June 23, 2012

Without Fear

A friend gave me an archive of weekly newspaper columns written by one of her friends. Witty. To the point. Published in a small local paper. The writing is erudite; piquant as well. Thought provoking.

I’d like to think these words describe what I write, but that would be folly for me to speculate! My friend gave me these records so I could value this writer’s work as she did. He published for nearly 10 years; weekly; 200 to 300 words in each column. Pithy. Terse, even.

I read maybe 9 months of columns so far. What strikes me is the cyclical nature of the times in which we live. Back then, 1982 and 1983, we were struggling with stagflation – falling productivity, inflationary prices, sky high interest rates, horrendous unemployment – and yet we the people elected a new president, senators, congressional representatives, state and local public servants. We also had political discourse based on ideology. Republicans and Democrats were at each others throats. Problem solving in the public sector was nowhere to be found. Energy costs were sky rocketing. There was fear in the land! Sound familiar?

Well, not everything is the same. But fear in the land is. Especially when warring politicos are mouthing solutions with words they cannot spell. Bureaucracies become faint at heart just dreaming of the new jobs they will have to implement the new rules, regulations and laws being spouted by vote seekers. Who will win? Who will lose? More importantly, who will pay?

Seems to me this is an age old repeat – over and over again. Endlessly regurgitating the same old things as though they were new. And yet those we elect to manage these matters continue to do little. The problems continue to multiply as the ‘leaders’ snuffle in the public trough for answers. Hell! They mostly created these problems. Solving them would reduce the need for their jobs. And maybe, just maybe, that is a solution we should explore!

1983 or 2012. What goes around comes around. Stupid phrase but true nonetheless. Because we allow it. Because we can’t seem to control our elected officials enough to demand and get solutions.

I don’t really care how big or small the government is. I just care that our society works well and humanely. It doesn’t have to be the end-all and be-all. But it does have to have common sense. And be fair. 

Why do I have an awful feeling that we’ve been here before? And will continue on this path? Because fear is a constant in American politics. “Do this or else! We will surely reap what we have sowed!” – or similar dire warnings. Notice how often these sound biblical? That’s another problem we have yet to deal with.

It seems to me that our best times as a nation have been when we were tested, pulled together and focused on getting things done. I believe we are facing just such a time.

The world has changed in many ways. Global communications, travel and economics have leveled the playing field. Cultures are fascinatingly different; so are their religions. But getting along in a diverse world has huge rewards. Those who travel know this. Those who study history and anthropology know this. And sociology. And medicine.

Where we make rivalry we build distrust. Fear and resentment surely follows. The old game continues for no positive end.

I think it is time to skip that last paragraph. Drop the fear. End the rivalry. Get to know these people and get along. Work for common goals that benefit most of the world’s population. As we do this our own economies will do just fine. Standards of living across the globe will improve. That includes our own.

Without fear we can accomplish much. Shouldn’t we at least attempt this?

June 22, 2012

Gratitude

Driving west in early morning to another suburb, to visit the granddaughters, the air is getting heavy with humidity. Temps are in the mid 70’s. Going to be a hot day – 95 degrees or so, and growing humidity. We haven’t had much of that this season. Been unusually dry, almost desert like air. Wafting breezes and lots of sun; deep blue skies with a few passing cumulus clouds.

The light at 6 am in mid June is diffuse. It catches the haze from the humidity and spreads light in subtle patterns. Green leaves are tinged with a little yellow or gold from the sun. Birds are chirping with gusto. Traffic is light going away from the city. Life is orderly, almost calm. Refreshing.

At the kids’ home; girls still asleep. Dog is companionable and attentive. I have time to write my news article on last night’s city council meeting. Also an outline of a writing project with a close friend of mine. And of course a draft or two for the blog. The moment is kind and easy. Good feelings.

Have lots to do today. Need to work with the bank who holds my mortgage and file for another modification. Not too hopeful that will be possible, but it is a step we have to take to either remain in our home, or let it go so we can move on to another abode. Orderly. Negotiated. Logical. Steps to take. Not always pleasant, but necessary.

IRS is at bay. Paid their invoice so we should be good for another year. Gives me time and focus to work on the housing issue.

Meanwhile there is so much more going on. The newspaper continues to grow; can’t say prosper yet but there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel! The blog has caught on with more people. Traffic is up. This tells me I’m not whistling in the dark. My thoughts are not at a loss; there is rhyme and reason to them.

I am grateful for calm. And stable health. And home and Rocky. They anchor me so I can explore other things. The dog is a blessing. Willow is our rock and comfort. She graces our days and nights so beautifully.

I’m grateful for an understanding and loving family. I’m grateful for the opportunity to witness young generations ply the world from within our family. The granddaughters, my own kids, Rocky’s family and extended family.

I’m grateful for Warrenville, Illinois. It is a small town of 13,000 30 miles west of Chicago. It is diverse culturally and its people seek connection with one another. A strong volunteer spirit runs through our community. The energy and creativity of our neighborhoods makes Warrenville a small town that works very well. It is a joy to live in.

I am grateful for our newspaper. A total volunteer effort; so the citizens know what’s going on. They needed it so they created it. All volunteer writers and photographers. All free and paid for by donations and advertisers. A community project with an impact.

I’m grateful for my church, Trinity Lutheran of Warrenville, the little church that does. It is involved in a number of programs in the community. It is home for a number of doers and shakers in town. None of it for ego; just for service. A great congregation to be a part of; one that let’s you explore and build your own spirituality at your own speed. How refreshing!

I’m grateful for my AA groups. We help each other develop our sobriety steadily and carefully. We rely on self and others to do this. It works. It also teaches us how to be of service in ways that really matter. The program is a blessing in so many ways. It empowers the inner self. It allows positive strengths and character traits to blossom and lead through the challenges of life’s journey.

I’m grateful for my family, my kids and granddaughters, their families and in-laws. How rich they make life for each one of them. So many more people than our original small family! My kids married into large families with even larger extended families! Each gathering is nearly a convention! So much life.

And I am so grateful for Rocky who has blessed my life for over 12 years now. His calm open manner. He quiets my excitable nature. He helps me focus on things that matter in life. He partners in all of life’s chores. And what a great cook! No wonder I’m overweight; that and my not pushing the plate away!

So much to be grateful for. So much joy and potential for more joy. We often do not think on these things. They tend to get lost in the busy-ness of life. But it is a reward to think on these things. Take the time. Count your blessings. Know that you have much to be grateful for.

June 21, 2012

Communication Family-Style

Talk with family members. Listen to them. Clarify what they say so you are sure you understand their message. By doing so you demonstrate to them you are paying attention.  You don’t have to agree with what they are saying; just understand their point.

When it’s your turn, state your thoughts on the topic. Be sure they are listening to you and understanding your point. They don’t have to agree with you. But if they take the conversation elsewhere, controlling it, maybe even arguing about it, change to safer topics. Do not talk further about the issue at hand unless the other person demonstrates a willingness to proceed calmly.

If no alternative discussion is possible, leave the room, the building, whatever. Nothing you say will register with the other party and both of you will become frustrated and angry.

Communication can be face to face, over the phone, in print by letter or email. The same rules apply. Someone makes a statement. You indicate you understand and feed back a little to demonstrate your understanding. The other party does the same when you make a statement. If there is an argument or hassle in place of communication, cut off the talk immediately. Nothing will be accomplished; only resentment and a platform for future disagreement and argument.

Family members seem to have the most trouble with this. Emotions run close to the surface. Why?  Don’t know, but probably because there is an assumption of understanding and support; when that is absent there is hurt and the need to express it. The fight comes unless the respondent absorbs the attack and deflects it, calms the waters, and continues to discuss the matter logically. Still, emotions can and usually do disrupt the communication.

I’ve watched these interchanges up close for many years. It is easier when the family is not directly yours by blood; there is more room for perspective. There is a chance to understand the players and why they are acting up with each other.

Some families are feisty. They interact with gusto and brashness. For those not used to this style, it is upsetting and disrupting. Good humor usually saves the day, but sometimes that is not possible.

I’ve watched in-law relationships and am stunned at the level of hurt hurled at each other. And at times I’ve been dragged into the fray unwillingly. Still my perspective is probably more realistic than theirs. The older I get, the more I withdraw from the fight unless I’m engaged in making peace between a few combatants.

My own sibling relationships have been frayed for years. Not much direct talk has been engaged to dispel the upset. So it brews beneath the surface for decades. That’s how my family handles it. Very little direct discussion of the topics. Keep the surface calm and mask the disruption to keep the waters calm. Trouble is: rancor and resentment have fertile ground in which to grow and multiply!

My siblings and I were raised as critical thinkers. That should mean that we are able to think on various topics and make reasonable conclusions about their truth and honesty; their representativeness of reality. It does not mean that we are supposed to criticize everyone and everything.

As I get older I fume less. I still fume and rant occasionally but I don’t fly off the handle as quickly as I once did. I also learned that if my siblings aren’t willing to talk calmly about something then it is best to leave it alone. Over the years, we discuss weather in great detail! Not much else of value is talked about. Pity.

I see the same in other families. It’s a pity because they need each other. They care about each other. If they didn’t they would walk away. Completely. At some point, however, building bridges is fruitless. I don’t know who gets to decide that but it may be you if the toll on your serenity is disruptive with no gain toward peace.

The Hatfields and the McCoys is a good model to avoid.

June 20, 2012

Authentic Happiness

Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD is a psychologist of long standing and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. A past president of the American Psychology Association, Seligman has spent decades teaching, doing and researching abnormal psychology. In fact that is what the field was expected to do, address abnormal psychology in order to help people deal with their situations.

However, Dr. Seligman grew uncomfortable with this assignment of role for his field over a number of years. His focus increasingly fell on what makes people happy, and what elements of psychology are responsible for that? After years of probing and research Seligman published a book in 2002 entitled Authentic Happiness.

Seligman ends his book with this paragraph:

The good life consists in deriving happiness by using your signature strengths every day in the main realms of living. The meaningful life adds one more component: using these same strengths to forward knowledge, power, or goodness. A life that does this is pregnant with meaning and if God comes at the end, such a life is sacred.”

The yin and yang of life provide both positive and negative elements of our personhood. Good and bad comes from these elements. Over time the bad may lead to poor mental health; but the opposite is true as well: strong positive mental health is the norm. Rather than always focusing on poor mental health, why not use the positive elements intentionally to elevate successful lives? In a nutshell that is the message of the book.

Interestingly, there are many positive programs that do just this. Most 12-step programs do this.  As practitioners of Alcoholics Anonymous come out of the fog of addiction to the brighter space of possibility and potential, happiness emerges; joy happens. It is a remarkable turnaround. Focus on the positive and explore personal strengths. The addictions ebb and strength prevails. Battling resentments to the background so the creative energy can shine, makes all the difference.

Optimism is its own reward. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Keep moving. No one will do it for you. Each of us needs to do this work ourselves. It builds strength, resilience and the realization that we can do things we otherwise doubted we could. As Anonymous said:

“Anyone can give up; it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.”

It’s your life. What do you want to make of it? What are your passions to follow? What’s your dream for the long term future? Are you willing to work at it to make it come true? The Blogging for Change website offers this advice:

“A person’s most useful asset is not the head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, and ear ready to listen, and a hand willing to help.”

And if each of us can do this with our own lives, just think what we can do together for our city, county, neighborhood, state and nation? The possibilities are endless. Each chooses what matters the most to them. Others focus on their primary issues. Together our work connects in the future somewhere distant in time, but still positively present in all of our lives. Utopia? Far from it! But something better than the problems we deal with now. Doing something about them is good for us. It builds strong mental health. And all from focusing on the positive rather than the negative.

How refreshing!

A final quote from the Internet:

“Three simple rules in life:

1.      If you do not go after what you want, you’ll never have it.

2.      If you do not ask, the answer will always be no.

3.      If you do not step forward, you will always be in the same place.”

June 19, 2012

NRA, Mitt, Homophobia and More

Some brief commentaries:

~From the Internet come some more quotes I found interesting, intriguing. Among them are:

“In one year guns murdered

            17 people in Finland

            35 in Australia

            39 in England and Wales

            60 in Spain

            194 in Germany

            200 in Canada

And 9,484 in the United States.

God Bless America.”

                        ~Brady Campaign

Apart from the statistical difference related to the US’s larger population, why do Americans allow the National Rifle Association to control Congress’ legislation or lack thereof pertaining to use of guns? Surely most of the fatalities shown above did not involve rifles; these crimes were committed with hand guns. Guns may be agents of defense but too often are used as tools of fear. Why does this travesty continue? Can’t we collaborate on a solution that meets most of our needs?

~Elizabeth Warren, Democrat candidate for Senate, Massachusetts

“Mitt Romney said corporations are people. No, Mitt, corporations are not people.

People have hearts, they have kids, they get jobs, they get sick, they love, cry, dance.

They live and they die.

Learn the difference. We don’t run this country for corporations. We run it for people.”

Corporations have voices. They have needs. They create jobs and are valuable partners in our society. They should not have the right to control elections, lobby our legislators endlessly or buy their votes. If our elected reps don’t understand that, we need to replace them.

~Amy S. from ‘hagd’ stated this on the Internet:

“Homophobia is the irrational fear that two gay men will break into your home and redecorate it without your knowledge.”

I cannot conceive of another reason why they would fear gay people. And perhaps they should redecorate the homes of others; many are in need!

~Anonymous from the Internet:

“Love means that you accept a person with all their failures, stupidities, ugly points,

And nonetheless, you see perfection in imperfection itself.”

Ah love! You meet the most wonderful people! Love makes much possible. Let it happen.

~Another unknown author emblazoned on the Internet:

“90 people have swine flu and everyone wants to wear a mask.

A million people have AIDS and nobody wants to wear a condom.”

There is no accounting for prejudice or lack of common sense. Or stigma.

If everyone wore a condom during sex except for the express purpose of conceiving a baby, no one would have AIDS. If everyone were tested for HIV/AIDS, they would know there status. If they knew they had HIV, wouldn’t they then know not to spread the disease? What’s the problem here? Stigma? Ignorance? Lack of common sense? What?

~Photo of a black man holding a placard standing in front of the US Capitol Building; the placard states:

“I want you to stop being afraid of other Americans,

            Of other religions

            Of other classes

            Of other nations

            Of speaking out.

You’re Americans. Act like it!

If you don’t get it, ask an American who does.

Our nation fought this battle against slavery and racial prejudice for generations. It dawdled on through a lot of our history. The prejudice remains but lesser so. Still it remains. Why? And the placard could carry the addition of gays, immigrants and Muslims and carry the same meaty message. Why are we Americans so resistant to understand these things? Freedom. Pursuit of happiness. My happiness does not remove your happiness. Hmmmm.

~And finally, Walt Whitman said:

“Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul.”

Really think about that statement. If you are insulted by corporations buying elections and votes in our houses of legislation, then it is wrong and the problem needs to be corrected. How do we do that? How do we get Congress to agree to do something about it?

Thanks for listening, er reading!

June 18, 2012

Exxon Mobil

Something to think about:

In 2009 Exxon Mobil made $19 billion in profits. Not only did Exxon not pay federal income taxes, they actually received a $156 million rebate from the IRS, according to their SEC filings.  (This factoid came from the Internet)

By the way, most major oil companies each have been making close to $19 billion each quarter in 2011 and 2012. Not per year, quarter!

All the more money for them to lobby with and campaign for their favorite politicians who will do their bidding. Shameful. Not a person. Not a taxpayer either. But man do they buy power!

Shameful to the third power.

June 17, 2012

Taxpayer Emasculation

At some time in our future history America will figure out how to celebrate its people and nurture the loyalty which already floods the nation. Ours is a society of volunteers; we give our ideas and labor and energy and love freely. Oh sure there are the darker souls who take. But they are more than compensated by the givers.

Problem is there are those in policy positions in our government who don’t believe any of this. Take the IRS for example.  It’s pretty basic: they don’t trust American citizens, the taxpayer.  They assume each of us is trying to cheat the government.

I think they are wrong. I think most taxpayers pay their taxes with a certain amount of pride. Oh sure, they see the rules and procedures as unfriendly. The tax forms have a demanding tone to them. They word things oddly, even arcane, making clear meaning difficult. They may feel uneasy as they work their way through the prodigious numbers, inching toward the bottom line – the amount they owe!

But once that figure is on paper, most of us sit back and mutter – “that’s not so bad.” And I’ll bet most also ponder the value of the taxes paid and what we get for them.  Pretty good value, really. One of the best countries in history; inventive, innovative, generous, brave and principled. We get good education, strong national defense, and usually an economy that is resilient to change. Nope; good value. Free people. Freedom of choice. Freedom to pursue happiness wherever it may be found.

Until, that is, you run into the IRS in a technicality even they cannot explain.

The problem, I think, is the taxing authority granted to Congress. They balance the budget and make the tax laws to generate the revenue to pay the bills of the US government. Unfortunately Congress cannot administer its own affairs, let alone something as complicated as the IRS Tax Code. So they assign administrative authority to the IRS and allow them to make the rules and regulations and procedures needed to collect the taxes.

Along the way Congress has weakened its thoughts about the tax code and adjusts it. Tweaks it. Adds loop holes to aid friends. Protect favored industries. Fund pet projects. Whatever. They muddy the waters and make the complex hellishly more so. And the IRS is asked – assumed, demanded – to carry out the onerous task of making sense of the hell hole of regulation and tax forms.

Trouble is the taxpayer has been forgotten in all of this. To be sure the taxpayer has not been forgotten as the payer of taxes, no; just forgotten on being able to understand the tax forms and the mental gymnastics needed to figure out how to pay the taxes.

Today if you earn wages or salary from a single employer it’s pretty straightforward; withholding accumulated, and automated payroll and tax collections via FICA are forwarded for you; you are reasonably OK.  But if you are an entrepreneur and run your own business, or are self employed, or have any other investments of note from which you garner a portion of your living, watch out!  Life has become very much out of the ordinary.

Funny. A nation that prides itself on entrepreneurialism. A nation that prides itself on take charge individualism. Does not know how to deal with taxation fairly and simply. Doesn’t know how to trust those folks. Makes the tax paying process horrid.

And who has the authority to accept the interpreted facts of your case? The IRS whose sole purpose is to collect as much money as they can from as many people as they can. And simplicity foils this goal. Their answer is to make the process so complex that only they can figure it out. They don’t even allow court cases. They are the adjudicator of their own web!

I know this from personal experience. And I’m open enough and humble enough to let it all hang out if you care to learn more. But here’s the short version:

I got sick: heart, lung, smoking and alcohol cessation. Very sick. Carried on my business. Activity and revenue down. Large medical costs. Funded my disability and unemployment without help from state and federal programs. Health prognosis was not good and I simplified my affairs. I paid down debts so I could live on a small income. Filed for social Security Benefits and Medicare.

I survived a five year period.  That’s longer than I thought I had left. Had neglected to file taxes during this period because I couldn’t handle the stress and didn’t have money to pay for professional taxpayer help. But I  notified IRS and worked out the details, filed all five years of taxes, paid what was owed for all tax years.  Unfortunately, the SEP-IRA cash-in was taxable even though I had paid more of my disability and unemployment costs than the taxes I owed on the SEP-IRA.  That didn’t matter to the IRS. They still wanted their money.

I agreed to pay them $50 per month for the rest of my life to pay something I didn’t owe in principle.  The IRS will get their money at the time of my death from the equity in my car and home although both are valued less than the outstanding loan balances. They will lose in the long run unless the real estate market makes a stunning recovery before I die.

Now skip to 2010 tax year: I owed very little in taxes because I earned a pittance from my dying business and the rest from Social Security. For 2011 I paid less on less income. But the IRS claims I miscalculated and owe more on self employment income – a figure half of the previous year. So less income, more tax. Doesn’t compute in my mind. But this is the IRS. And they say, I have to pay up before 30 days or my previous tax agreement is caput!

So the power play.  Of course I paid what they claimed. I don’t have funds to hire someone to fight it. The amount they want is the equivalent of one month’s food budget. In a stalled economy. But hey, this is the IRS, not Congress. The two do not speak to one another or monitor the fall-out of their decisions.

I’ll pay for two reasons. First, it manages my stress to a tolerable level. Second, I support my nation right or wrong. I just don’t have to be silent about it.

Sometime in the future, you and I will band together and make Congress simplify the tax code so it can be paid easily and fairly. And reasonably. With the reduced middle class standard of living, this needs to be done sooner rather than later. Or there won’t be anyone at home to pay. An emasculated taxpayer nation.

Sooner rather than later? When will Washington DC get the message?

June 17, 2012

Winning Strategy

News reports indicate Mitt Romney will ‘run out the clock’ during the remaining five months of the campaign. Political strategists state this is a tactic that minimizes his risks while keeping the pressure on Obama. Here’s how it works: Romney makes statements “of fact’ about joblessness and slow economic recovery; blames Obama’s policy. No discussion offered. No questions taken. No solutions offered. Just a claim. Then duck and cover.

This method leaves the negative message out there hanging in midair to be rejected if you are from the opposing camp, or accepted as fact if you are a Romney fan. Everyone in the middle is left to decide on their own what is fact; what is fair.

Hot heads from Obama’s team might respond but this is defensiveness; in America that’s a sign of weakness. So the Obama team says very little about these attacks.

Is there another way to do this? Yes. And I think it is obvious. A person doesn’t even have to play the blame game: who created this mess and why?

Doesn’t matter. The who and the why are for history to sort out. Besides, most people who do research and serious analysis know what happened, who did it, and why. That doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?  No, what matters is fixing what’s broken. So here’s my tactic that should be pursued by the Obama campaign.

Every day list a problem that needs to be fixed. Define that problem briefly and report on what’s been done to address the problem. Going forward what is the Obama solution and who has to help make this happen?

Every day do this. Every day provide a solution. Every day report achievements. The record is clear: Obama has a track record of identifying problems, and taking action to soften their effect while engineering long-term solutions; unfortunately the record of congressional support action is dismal. Republicans have blocked remedial action nearly every time.

This tactic requires voters and candidates alike to think. It requires answers not claims. It requires brains and creativity to address the complex issues facing the nation. And it keeps the President on the offensive in the campaign. Hopefully it will place Mitt on the defensive and demonstrate his inability to produce independent thought and action.

Mitt is a sniper. He dodges issues rather than embracing them. He addressed medical care in Massachusetts and won. Obama used Mitt’s basic idea and applied it to the nation. He won. Mitt realizes his backers don’t support Obama’s health plan. But it is his own design. And Massachusetts did not suffer negative effects from his program; nor has the nation suffered under Obama’s health plan. But now it is in Mitt’s tactical interest to disassociate from this issue. Duck and cover. No suggestions on how to fix the problems.

Joblessness solutions? Don’t focus on private sector job creation which is the sector needed to recover the most. Just watch the incomplete numbers. Government jobs have shrunk under Obama. That’s what the republicans say they want. But lost government jobs are subtracted from new jobs created in the private sector. Result? Dampened job creation data. No mystery. Normal and logical. Shouldn’t be a problem except a politician says it is. Is the problem getting fixed? Yes. Is the problem getting worse? No. So the point is…….?

The housing crisis continues. The bubble was more enormous than anyone truly thought. But there it is. What to do? Modify loans; check! Urge lenders to write down loans; check! Encourage lenders to lend with more guarantees; check! Bail out banks as needed, get them over the hump; check! Encourage inventive programs in housing the low income and elderly via vacant foreclosed homes; check! To do more requires congressional support and innovation; both are not likely based on historical track records.

European economy holding America back? We can’t do much about that but help in G8 collaboration and we have done that. We could also support World Bank initiatives; done that too. We could jaw bone large corporations to help European employers and entrepreneurs but we already have done that. We don’t run Europe; and they don’t run the USA. Cooperate yes; accountable for? No. So although Europe is a major product market for American business, it is also a huge competitor for world trade. If they are a little down, we can capitalize on that and prosper competitively, innovatively. Are we doing that? Yes but you wouldn’t know that from Wall Street pundits! And if they are right, what’s their solution? Mitt? Not aware Mitt has ever discussed this issue openly.

Look; it’s pretty basic. Our nation has problems. We know it. We also know solutions are available but political dogma is the sticking point in congress. The time to be innovative is now. We have the track record. We have the brain power. We have the assets. Why aren’t these being applied?

Ask Mitt. In fact, demand it of him. Please do that before you decide on who you vote for! Let him catch up to Obama in this department.

Thank you very much.

June 16, 2012

Reading to the Girls

My girls are Lindsay and Kira, granddaughters who are 11 and 8 respectively. They live in suburban Chicago about 10 miles from our home. Over the past two years or so I’ve visited them on Saturday mornings to read to them. The age difference (theirs to each other, not mine!) has kept me reading two different books each week.

Lindsay and I have read Wind in the Willows, Dandelion Cottage, The Dutch Twins, and the first five Anne of Green Gables books (there are eight in the series and we just began book 6!). Kira and I have read about Willie Wonka, Little Women (the hideously abridged edition!), and several other tomes. Kira started my reading with the Book of Genesis, yes the Bible! That didn’t last long; perhaps because I wasn’t sure she understood much of what I was reading; so I gave a running commentary when I felt knowledgeable enough. I don’t know if she tired of the Bible, or of my commentary! All I know I was probably more bored than she. With relief we went on to other literature. Today we began the Nancy Drew series to see if she will retain interest. I bet she does.

As I grew up, the youngest of three, I remember my mother reading to the three of us at bedtime. Every now and then she would find a special time to read to us in the living room on a Sunday evening. The soothing sound of her voice, the inflected reading of the books, and the constantly unfolding story lines kept me rapt. It was fun; never boring. And it opened me to the world of literature and the love of reading which I pursue to this day.

Lindsay is an avid reader already. She is working on The Hunger Games, has finished all of the Harry Potter books, but reads ravenously. Her teachers suggest authors and titles to feed her interests. Next will be the library. She already has a habit there. And that is all very promising.

Reading is a life skill. It not only helps build a strong working vocabulary, but it develops a nuanced understanding of language. That skill alone aids the process of thinking. Ideation, conceptual development, logical thinking and expression go hand in hand. From early age to late retirement, the brain develops; and reading abets the effort always!

Getting children started on reading also gives them self empowerment. They choose subject matter and authors. They bounce around to literature that intrigues them and feeds their imagination. Refreshing independent thinking comes from reading as broadly as they wish. This is also the stuff of conversation. Talk? About what? What do kids talk about? Well, the things that interest them! And the world is available to explore whether through books with paper pages, or electronic readers with finger flick control!

I don’t listen in to their private conversations, but I do know they talk with me about topics I know they have been reading about. That helps build their perceptions of the world. They come to understandings bit by bit. Like we all have done. They too will form a sense of what is going on around them. Best that they get that sense early, often and freely. They will create with it, now or years later. But it will remain a part of their brain matter for a lifetime.

Forming personhood. One book at a time. One page at a time. Good to know this hasn’t changed since I was a kid.

June 15, 2012

Making Sense

Awoke early this morning with a recurring thought: absorbing, absorption, accumulating, absorbing…..over and over again.

It finally dawned on me that the theme was gathering the realities of life and making sense of them. My idea seemed to say, as you age your acquire more experience and perspective and combined, how these all relate to one another helps build an understanding of my world.

Well, Duh, you say! Think I would say the same depending on my age at the time I heard this conclusion! But think about it. Ask someone to spit out rapidly a succession of topics; best if the topics are one to three words, or names of persons you might know. Write down some of these topics; again, this should be done in rapid fire.

Now, quickly rattle off something about the topic, just off the top of your head. Don’t obsess over this. What I’m asking you to do is recall the general topic and state something you remember about it.

My guess is your memory will spew forth more the older you are. You have absorbed more information about the topic as the years passed. You will think about the topic differently as well as time goes by.

For example, react to these topics:

1. Tylenol
2. 9/11
3. white wall tires
4. open concept floor plan
5. parenting, roles
6. careers
7. education
8. art
9. music
10. literature 

No go back and scribble down a phrase or sentence on each.  Such as:

1. product tampering, sealed medical packages
2. foreign attack, on American soil; terrorism
3. stupid fad for cars; hardly available now
4. modern housing floor plan; not chopped up
5. nurturing my kids and helping them build self reliance
6. how I spend my life making money to support my family; successive careers
7. learning who I am and how to succeed in dealing with the rest of the world
8. inner expression of a person seeking to communicate with others; visual, performing, creative
9. an art form that forms emotional responses, ideas
10. printed language that informs, educates and nurtures intellectual growth 

Try this with other people. Intentionally seek people of different ages. Study how they expressed themselves; first the common expressions used by others; then the divergence of answers. Be sure to mark the age of each respondent.

If my hunch is correct responses will be richer and more diverse among the older persons.

Why is this important? Not sure it is, but the thought is that we constantly absorb more experience, information and feeling about matters around us without realizing we grow in perspective. Some responses may surprise you. Some will be predictable. But others will veer off into a meaning you might not have thought about.

View a DVD of the movie Moneyball with Brad Pitt. Tell me what it is about. Younger people will likely say this is a movie about baseball. Is it? If not, what is it about? Or in addition to baseball, what is it about.

Similarly, the movie Tree of Life, again starring Brad Pitt, is about what? What is the message of the movie? We had trouble with this film until we saw it a second time. The artistry is stunning. Imagery is fluid, constantly shifting. Parables of parables maybe.

At any rate these two movies might spark some interesting discussions among your friends or family. I think the older audience members will have a vastly different take on each movie. It takes more life experience to understand some topics. Not always clearly, but at least a different perspective.

Try this exercise and see for yourself what develops.  Who knows? You may be a budding film critique!!

June 14, 2012         

If we are to succeed...

The we is you or your family, or it could be all of us, our nation or region or state, or it could be all of us globally, the human race.

Which will it be?

I suppose we should start with the human race because it will do the most good. Besides, if we are successful, all of us benefit. That’s how thinking big, or long term works. The bigger the idea, the better the benefit for the most people. Getting there forces us to do things, spend time thinking or acting, on ideas of shorter term; because we know they serve the long term aims, too. Think long term, act short term; let it all work together.

Doing so brings rewards to each of us now. We have purpose. We feel good about ourself, our family and our friends. Our co workers get it too; we work better together and are more productive as a team. We share our good ideas (and our bad, but those we dump quickly in the light of day!). We share our strengths and weaknesses, magnifying the best and minimizing the least. We can do this because the least of our ideas or our faults, are overcome by better ideas from the group. And strength of muscle and will.

While we are doing these things our living standards are stabilized, even improved. We can focus on other needs or yearnings because shelter, safety, food, clothing and health are being cared for. Next come ideas, intellect, pleasure and gratification. We can work on those because the basics are being cared for. We are able to create, communicate and educate. We have energy and stamina for this because we don’t have to worry or slave to obtain the basics. Those are in place.

As we strive for larger good, bigger ideas, and expansive benefits for the many, we recognize our place in life. We are not alone. We are not all powerful. We are not all ego. We are humble and reaching forward toward enlightenment. Expansiveness of life. Of value for life. For value of each other.

We can afford to become less greedy, selfish, and self centered. We don’t need to be otherwise.

This may sound a little utopian. Perhaps it is. But the opposite is what? Do we really want more of that? More of the same? Ugh!

No. I suspect most of us want the good. And we can have it if we want it; truly want it. And trust that working together we can achieve it.

Or else we are stuck where we are: suspicious of others; mistrustful; careful and guarded; short on joy; fearful; non participative in social life; closed in. And suffering. Unhappy.

Why would we choose that? Why would we live for that? Why not the better?

Why not indeed!

June 13, 2012

Once Upon a Time...

That title could begin many a blog. Especially if it is like this one, a daily journal of life meeting life…a journal documenting the search for meaning as it unfolds. The title could summon memories of very young youth, or early smites of love, or career moments of clarity; you get the idea. A look into the past.

Or the title could conjure views at laying out a story of exemplary meaning. Totally made up to illustrate a point.

But there is a third way of using the title. This is the one I choose to use today.

Once upon a time we saw the world directly and simply. We did not construct diabolical plot lines suggesting vast enemy forces pitted against us personally or our way of life. As time edged forward, and as we exited each of the world wars in the last century, Americans began to understand the world as dangerous.  Pitfalls were many. We built defenses against each of them, or at least as many as we could handle.

Over time these pitfalls took on heroic plotlines that engineered fascinating sci-fi novels and movies. The Bourne Identity is one such story line made into a successful line of novels and an even more successful series of thriller movies. We became enamored with ‘mission impossible’ themes. We identified with the hero. We assumed the mantle of righteousness and victory over evil. It birthed the whole America as Superhero persona.

Now where are we? Where do we see ourselves fitting in? Do we believe the hype that the world awaits our savior act? That failure to take action in the face of evil is a sign of weakness?

Or do we follow a path which will actualize international forces to act in unison against evil?

The 1950’s are long gone. They are part of our past and the foundation in believing in ourselves as heroes. Superman comics came not only of age, but of TV fame as Clark Kent and Lois Lane lived in the real world, saw the evil, and called upon Superman to fix things; miraculously, but predictably. All was well after just 29 minutes of story and ads.

But those days were unsophisticated. Dawning chic maybe, but still quite unsophisticated. As we learned more about our enemies, their cultures and belief systems, their personalities and strengths, we grew in diplomacy. The British had taught the world a lot about international relationships and how an ambassador was to perform his/her duties. But as we learned more we also came to the realization that diplomacy serves the nation of action, not the nation of targeted interest. The Brits wanted oil supplies, or strategic transportation and trade routes. They sought countervailing political strengths that would avoid war or instigate it for specific purposes. They became world actors with ulterior motives. And the British suspense novel became a genre on its own!

Later as the United Nations was formed and peace became the number one goal of the organization, world regimes and diplomats had to contend with a vast learning curve.  Who were we individually on this stage of influence? What roles were we expected to play? How could we manipulate our roles to achieve desired outcomes? Both for our nation and allies? As well as for magnifying the world’s view of our prestige and future influence?

How much was the UN focused on peace? How much was it aimed at prevailing influence and amalgamation of power? How much of the organization was, in fact, perverted to evil purposes? If any? Indeed?

There are those throughout the world and among our own countrymen that argue vehemently that the UN has become not only perverted, but promiscuous! That it is evil and working at cross purposes to the USA. There are many who point to the UN as an enemy force within our borders and that we should resign our membership. After all our dues pays the majority of the UN’s operating budget. But then we would be slipping into a very tired and worn argument.

The UN is not about America. It isn’t about China, or Russia or Germany or the Middle East or even of Africa. No. The UN is about peace. Defining it. Finding it. Working towards it. In a sea of immense distrust and cultural mismatching. The odds are stacked against the world in regards to peace. It is an enormous task to find, nurture and keep it.

Yes, peace is a universal good. Only very good things come from Peace. The opposite is also true. During periods of no peace, evil struggles into view. It does what it will for the selfish ends of a few powers or ideologies. Chaos is the devil’s workshop, they say. And one can see how that would work.

Operating from our own camp, as one does in most nations, it is easy to wonder what others think of our nation, what it might be up to, what designs it may have on you. The mind works up many scenarios. Eventually one either has to believe the theme of fear, or sets out to learn the facts. Diplomacy does that, or is supposed to.  If successful most emissaries will learn these startling facts:

• People around the globe seek harmony for themselves and their families
• People seek food, shelter and safety for themselves and their families
• When basic needs are met, higher aims are pursued
• Health care and healthy life styles are pursued
• Education is engaged and lives are broadened along with minds
• Cultures are plumbed for meaning and cogency
• Artistic expressions are encountered, embraced and meaning sought
• Understanding between two or more cultures and their peoples grows
• Both of these yearn for shared understanding and life experiences
• Sharing of assets for common goals emerge
• Peace spontaneously has a chance to break out!

Well this may be a little rosy but you see where this is going. Staying alone and apart in our own neighborhood makes us edgy and fearful and maybe a little paranoid. Encountering people where they live in their neighborhood tears down barriers to understanding. The journey itself helps build commonality and peace results.

The UN is a useful organization. Its role is idealistically purposeful and good. Maintaining that role is the important message here. We must stay engaged in the world. We must help it be all that it can be. Not for ulterior motives, but for peace. Peace that we all can enjoy and prosper in.

Peace is not the only reward. Common understanding and strivings worked on among the global community brings maximum benefits. We learn to enjoy the little things; and the big ones, too. Most importantly we learn to value each other and what we can do for each other. Sharing leads to peace, I think. But first we must remain engaged. No big sticks please. Leave them at home. Just bring your open mind and your goodwill.

And hope. It begets peace nicely. It’s worth our continuing efforts.

June 12, 2012