Thought for the Day

Suffering for Others

This is Holy Week for Christians. It is the time the Bible tells us Jesus entered Jerusalem, met with his disciples for the last time at supper, was judged and crucified. His resurrection from the dead is the Easter message of hope by which God allowed his earthly flesh to be slain to demonstrate God’s forgiveness for mankind’s evil ways or sin.

In a nutshell that is the Christian message. It cannot be internalized without serious thought and meditation. Whether a person believes in every aspect of this message or not, the message is one of hope and contemplation.

We live life. We make mistakes. We make up for those mistakes because it makes us feel better. Meantime our mistakes caused others a problem or two, maybe even misery. They suffered. Because of me.

Atonement is the act of realizing our mistake, feeling sorry for what we have done and the difficulties it may have caused others. We reach out for forgiveness. We hope to feel such forgiveness. If we do we feel whole. Again.

This tradition is not only Christian. It is also Judaic. Both Christians and Jews share a common heredity, a common parentage. We share the Bible; at least the Old Testament.

Islam has a similar message. So too other religions through the ages. It is a tale of mankind’s learning to live life on planet Earth. Whether through faith or mythology we have a common yearning – peace within, peace without, peace throughout the world.

Suffering defines much of our life. Avoidance of suffering. Encountering suffering. Healing from suffering. Each of us knows these things.

May this weekend give you cause to contemplate and learn peace.

March 30, 2013

Local Political Issues - Part Two

Like pension funding capital expenses pose another long-term financial burden on the city. Replacing water and sewer infrastructure has been taken care of. The water and sewer rates cover the cost of building wells, pumping stations and water towers. Those rates also cover the costs of water mains and conduit connections throughout the city. The rates also support the cost of sewer pipes, pumping stations and sewage treatment by Naperville’s sewer treatment plant. Water and sewer rates in Warrenville not only pay current operating expenses they also accumulate in investment funds that will eventually pay for the replacement and/or major repair of existing infrastructure of the systems. If prevailing costs rise due to inflation, billings by Naperville, or more stringent EPA regulations, then our water and sewer rates will rise. Over time these costs will rise. Period. Fact of life. Faulting decision makers to fulfill their responsibilities is pure nonsense. We elect these people to do the right thing and they do.

Taxes. They go up. To pay for rising costs and obligations. The trick is to control the rise so they do not overwhelm the community. Economic development allows such costs to be spread over more entities and people so individual shares do not rise the full amount. Projecting revenues and expenses well into the future allows the city to prepare for major obligation shifts without ‘breaking the bank’ in any one year. Raising use taxes and fees for those who create the expense in the first place moderates tax burdens for everyone else. Sales taxes should be designed to cover the expense required by the business community. Target pays property taxes. But they also generate a lot of traffic that wears out roadways, requires police attention for traffic control and maintaining public safety. Their property taxes do not cover all of the expenses created by Target’s operation in town. Sales taxes help a great deal to pay for such costs. The entire TIF #1 was funded by the land owner and the city paid for by property and sales taxes set aside to reimburse all TIF partners for investment expenses to convert a quarry to a vibrant commercial center. Filling in the quarry. Constructing water, sewer and underground utilities for natural gas and electricity. Building roads, intersections, curbs, gutters and storm water retention, detention and management systems. Providing traffic lights and street lights, sidewalks and landscaping. Designing all of the above. Engineering all of the above. Creating expenses and investment funding years in advance of payback. This is a TIF in operation. These are the mechanics and the risks. And it paid off in huge numbers.

TIF #1 paid the city more than $75 million. Same for Amoco, then the owner of the property. These dollars paid the risk takers for taking the risk. The city got a new city hall, new recreation center, expanded and remodeled library, expanded fire department and new fire equipment, computer labs in the local schools, new city garage and public works center, new police station, new sidewalks, street lights, curbs/gutters and streets. Plus the city got a dynamic business center in Cantera that employs maybe as much as 20,000 people per day. Those folks come to Warrenville and pay for food in the restaurants and buy services and goods in local businesses and pay sales taxes that benefit the community. They pay those taxes not current resident property owners. The businesses pay their own way in property taxes. The quality of life in Warrenville has been boosted many times over simply because the TIF #1 was accomplished. And TIF #2 was very useful to the quality of life in Warrenville.

Our leaders took chances and made difficult decisions to make a difference over a long term time line. Rather than getting kicked for their efforts, they deserve our thanks and praise.

Complainers. There will always be complainers. They will distort the facts; sometimes not because they intend to but because they simply don’t understand the complexities of the issues they are jabbering about. Yet some do distort intentionally. Why? I’m not sure. Maybe because they get a sense of power or attention they need to feel good about themselves? Maybe they want political power? Maybe they just get a kick out of demeaning a public official. Sort of like a bully?

Warrenville is a microcosm of America. Only better. We will always have public issues to manage together as a community. If we do our work well these matters will be managed well for all of our benefit. If we don’t do our work our elected officials will be doing their work under a handicap. The least we can do is get out of their way so the work gets done. If you don’t trust that to be true, then get informed or better yet run for office and take on the responsibility.

Just remember, you’ll get kicked in the head by complainers. They evidently come with the territory. You should know. You were one of them!

March 29, 2013

Local Political Issues - Part One

I guess some people don’t trust others to do the public’s work without their direct input. Why else would they complain about just about everything? Somehow they make it sound like elected officials can’t make a good decision. Picking at their choices. Looking at the downside of every little thing.

This happens in our town. Without immersing themselves in all of the details of an issue, they cherry pick items they can highlight. Out of context the details don’t make sense. That doesn’t stop the complainer. Nope! He just keeps pushing with misinformation trying to make others look stupid.

Trouble is there are always some people who believe the complainer.

Buzz words or hot topics capture attention quickly: higher taxes is one; another is rising public debt; how about unfunded pensions? Or the biggest trap of all – change that isn’t good for us. Seems each of these topics is rooted in fear and fear is a commodity that can be manipulated.

If the chronic complainer means well he will join the effort to improve on problems. But he doesn’t. He’ll attend public meetings but only to raise doubts and more complaints. If public officials responded to all of these comments they would get little else done.

In the final analysis it is up to each member of the public to educate themselves on the issues and understand them. If they don’t they should seek more information and help others understand what they are learning. If the community is to move ahead with confidence citizens need to help elected officials rather than hinder them.

In our town we have these issues.

1. Struggling local economy; foreclosed homes and bank-owned homes standing empty; business properties changing hands; some vacant
2. Seasonal flooding threats
3. Dynamic surrounding environment competing with our businesses and land values; traffic congestion passing through town
4. Long term financial planning to meet the costs of government: maintenance and replacement of equipment and buildings; rising costs for police and public works operations; pension funding; economic development activities. 

There are other issues of course but these are the larger ones. Let’s take a look at some of them.

The national economy began its recession in 2007. Underpinnings of the recession occurred earlier in some areas but the national landscape for jobs, property values, mortgage melt down and business bankruptcies escalated as the recession took its toll throughout the nation. Warrenville, Illinois, was no different. Our people lost jobs. They found new work at much lower wages and grabbed onto second jobs to meet mortgages and family expenses. Standards of living dropped. Mortgages went delinquent. Medical expenses overwhelmed family budgets. Homes went into foreclosure and once proud owners were evicted or encouraged to leave.

Cars were repossessed. Diets turned to cheap unhealthy foods. Clothing became threadbare. Home furnishings were not replaced or repaired on a current basis. Entertainment was done on the cheap. The weekly pizza at Al’s and the Towne Tap became the weekly frozen pizza at home. Netflix movie rentals replaced trips to the theater. Fast food outings replaced visits to favorite restaurants. And vacations? They disappeared. Even Sunday drives into the country were forgotten to save on gas.

This economic condition was caused by huge dislocations in the national economy by three industries run amok: investment banking, mortgage industry, real estate. Investment brokers were closely allied with much of the problems related to the first three industries. A perfect storm of mismanagement and greed toppled the American economy in quick order. Political games were played for power grab purposes and little good work was done by Congress to manage the economic meltdown.

Every city, state and town suffered in this recession. A city council does not have the influence to stem the tide on its own. A lot of people and levels of government have to get involved to solve these problems.

But Warrenville took these key steps:

1. Balanced its budget and brought it to year end each year with surpluses; avoided expenses where possible and boosted revenues when available
2. Set aside funds for future projected expenses especially for capital projects with known depreciation end dates (water, sewer, roads, storm water management, etc.)
3. Embraced strategic long range planning to prepare for the future 10 years out and more; identified necessary long term funding needs; prioritized capital project needs
4. Engaged in economic development activities and research; became willing to invest in the success of the local economy; purchased a vacant commercial property to save it for higher economic use in the future; borrowed existing capital fund balances to pay for the property until another buyer could be found
5. Continued to fund pension obligations on an actuarial basis
6. And much more. 

To address any of these issues in part does an injustice to the issue and to the public that is being served.  An example:

Police Pension Funds: the city has funded these obligations on a current basis from the beginning. As the police force ages pension obligations rise. As the force expands and hires younger officers average ages decline and obligations offset the aging officers. Investment pools fluctuate with national market conditions. The recession undercut pension fund balances significantly. Replacing those funds were calculated into city-paid pension payments; as investment markets regained values lost in recent years pension investment pools are growing again and do not require full pension payments as originally calculated. Meanwhile national and state pension funds were found to be underfunded by major amounts. Embarrassment over this level of public malfeasance caused overcorrection. State laws were written to include municipal pension funds whether they needed help or not. Wild calculations were mandated to safeguard public pension obligations. Most do not accurately reflect the actuarial reality.

Warrenville’s police pension fund shortfall is calculated at $5.5 million. However, if the city ceased operations at this moment, much of that $5.5 million is not needed because the officers haven’t yet earned the benefits based on years of service or attained age at time of retirement. No; the calculation is like telling us your mortgage is fully due in 14 years and you need to set aside all of those funds now or as soon as you can. In other words, prepay the expense. 

Why then have a mortgage? Why not just pay the full asking price of the home in cash? Can you do that? Can any one except the wealthy or those who, with age, have paid off their mortgage and can sell the property and use the lump sum cash to buy the replacement home?

Let’s get real. The pension problem at the state level in Illinois is very serious. It may be similar in larger towns and cities. But not in Warrenville. Retirement obligations have been well funded and have followed the plan requirements over the years scrupulously. There is no pension shortfall in Warrenville.

I’ll continue discussion other issues in tomorrow’s posting.

March 28, 2013

Changing Seasons

It is spring. Not winter. I know this is true.

It may be near the end of March, but I sense the shift taking place. Yes it is still freezing outdoors. Clouds still lay heavy in the sky, dark and gloomy even at midday. Wind ruffles the hair and swoops through leafless trees creating moans. Snow showers haze the road’s horizon. Snow piles still dot the edges of driveways and sidewalks. Each day starts in the dark and ends the same.

Wind chills, too, create doubts as to spring’s advent. But I have faith that spring is here. Today. Here is why I know:

• The birds are back. Some ugly and pushy for food scraps, elbowing their way through the backyard like bullies. But so are the Robins, and wrens. Song birds are reappearing with deep throat-ed warbles. Music to our ears! 

• The snow mounds dwindle and will soon disappear. With each sunrise they are lesser features of the landscape. Twigs and ground debris are drying out, pushed by breezes into their own drifts. 

• IRS tax filing is just around the corner! 

• The sun rises earlier and sets later; days are growing longer – at last! 

• Low temperatures at night are rising at least a little; daytime temps are cool but moderating; I can sense warmer air in future days, maybe by the weekend? 

• Winter wardrobe is too familiar and getting ratty; new shirts and jeans appeal to me 

• Clogged closets are itching me to clear them out; and sweep out the garage! 

• Under the leaves some grass blades are looking green, you know, the fresh green spring time hue! 

• I am more aware of my winter pallor; sunlight warms my skin makes for a glow, the yearning for a tan 

Well, that’s it. Or at least enough for now. These harbingers of spring never fail me. Spring is here, not around the corner. Soon it will be 65 degrees or warmer with the sun feeling much warmer than that.

Being hopeful of spring is one thing. Knowing it is spring is entirely another thing. And its real. Give it a moment. You will see what I mean.

March 27, 2013

Living in 3 Dimensions

The moments appear without warning. A smell or taste. A view spotted for just a bit. Music that juts into consciousness for a few seconds. Hints of broader significance.

I was at a meeting last night. Coffee was offered and we all said yes. The host rattled around the kitchen and produced small cups of the dark brew 15 minutes later. The first sip told the story.

Wow! Deep flavor. Aroma that filled the nostrils. A taste experience that beckoned dimensions of pleasure. Made me think of similar moments. My first taste of ganache; chocolate topping to a three-chocolate cake; rich flavor; deep sensations projecting outward. There was an instant gratification that bedazzled the tongue and mind.

Back to coffee. I’m used to good coffee. Pride myself in making a good cup of coffee. But something has been missing lately. Perhaps depth of aroma; taste that is a little flat. No spark.

Getting a cup of coffee from a diner or run of the mill restaurant. The beverage is taken for granted. It’s hot and dark in color. Might be a bit of aroma, but that gets lost in the environment of the restaurant. A lot of smells confusing the nose; coffee hard to separate from the other aromas.

Sip the diner coffee. Hot beverage entering the mouth, passing over the tongue, and down the throat. Gone. In a flash. No vibe of good or great. Two dimensions. A gulp, some heat, a swish in the mouth and gone. Nothing more.

But last night! The first sip bloomed. Into something quite large. Taste buds awakened. Hints of depth became more than rumors. A sensation of volume emerged. Not two dimensional but three dimensional. This was flavor that had depth, width and height. As I said – three-D.

Ganache is the same way. Not just chocolate. Not just a frosting or a glaze. But a taste explosion that bursts into meaning. Three dimensional flavor. An inescapable experience when taste and flavor are truly memorable.

Makes me think of how we live our lives. Do we seek the memorable? Do we make the common things in life special in some way? The music we listen to – background or main stage? The books we read – seminal or entertainment? The TV program – time consuming and passing of time or insightful and expansive?

When we have a meal is it to maintain body weight and provide energy for daily living? Or is it a time to reflect on mental notes that are companionable to other thoughts? Are we challenging life in full dimension or keeping it simple and unexciting?

There are times that are flat; no reverberation of meaning or nuance. Then there are moments that beg reflection, expansion of ideas and echoes of whole chapters of meaning. These are rewards of living fully.

This reminds me of a concert experience I had a year or so ago. The music was stunning. But the acoustics of the hall were very special. Later in the evening we were surprised further as the building itself was tuned to sound production above, behind, beside, and under. The entire building had become an instrument and sounds poured forth magnifying the musical experience. Astounding really.

That’s what I’m getting at with the ganache and coffee. Flavors that stand on their own. Proud and resilient. Expressive and trumpeting. Singular in significance but multi-dimensional in effect and consequence.

Is your life like that? Do you seek its three dimensions? Or are we satisfied with flat sips of sustenance?

March 26, 2013

  

Dealing with Flaws

We are all imperfect. We’d like to think otherwise but when we’re honest we realize the truth. I have flaws. We are faulty human beings. It is a natural thing. I am flawed. You are flawed. Our heroes are flawed. Loved ones are flawed.

What to do about it? Well mostly we do nothing intentional. We tend to cover up our lesser features and boost our good qualities. We put our best face forward – don’t we?

I wonder how much time we spend improving our image to others. I’ve caught myself doing it many times. Suppose it is human nature. Doesn’t make it right, just normal.

Unfortunately, flaws tend to pop up when least convenient; old ones well practiced or new ones with fresh shock value. How could we have done that? Or said what we did? Did we just slip in our social graces or is this the way we really are? How permanent is this condition? Can we do something about it?

Depends on what’s on our plate at any given time. We have things to do that have an urgency all their own. They have to be done or else we go hungry, homeless or worse – embarrassed!

Yes. We do something about flaws. Just not always the right thing; or at the right time.

I was with a group of young adults the other day. They were struggling with dependency on others – things, people, family – or group dynamics. They seemed to be saying they had trouble dealing with people who don’t understand their circumstances. They didn’t know what to do about those folks.

Upon reflection I’m not sure our instincts work well when we most need them, but most of the time they do. I think it helps if we are aware of our own failings and able to forgive ourselves for them. That is the first step in living with others in peace. Self awareness.

Forgiving me for being incomplete and imperfect is a healthy move towards recognizing others exactly as they are – complete with their imperfections. Parents mean well but live their lives as best they can with or without self knowledge of flaws; with or without the confidence of their actions. They act, of course; often without conviction because they are not sure what to do or what is right.

They are not alone. We are not alone. It is part of the human condition. Wisdom comes with experience and pain.

Wisdom also comes with being vulnerable – open to life’s experiences in ways that help us understand those experiences. Without vulnerability we are cold, calculating and judgmental. We over think things; mostly we over think other people and their motives. In doing that we do not let them into our lives. In turn walls are built between persons so both do not let the other in. Oh they probably think otherwise! In reality they are acting on a stage without feeling or compassion.

Understanding other people begins with understanding self. Not easy. Especially in our society of surface beauty and social standing. There is so much more to me; and you. Are we paying attention? Do we want to understand? Do we let these things chance success?

March 25, 2013

Thought for the Day

Renewal

Each day is new and fresh as we awake. It is naturally so! Yet we greet each day with who and what we are of the moment. Will it be a good day of fresh starts? Or a day lingering over resentments and personal flaws glaringly present? Which mood will guide us through the day?

It is our choice if we give it a chance.

It may help if I give myself acceptance of my flaws so I can focus on the possible. We are all flawed. It is OK. It is part of life. Move on! Fresh starts will appear.

March 23, 2013 

Ego and Elections

I dreaded Tuesday evening. Candidates’ Night at City Hall sponsored by the Kiwanis. Great group of people helping voters meet and greet neighbors who have thrown their hats into the ring to be elected to local public office.

Ask anyone and they will say – ‘Aw, just a bunch of politicians wanting…’

Well that’s one way to see the big picture in a very narrow minded way!

No. Local elections attract people who see needs within the public sphere and want to get things done. The right way. The way that people can live with easily and affordably. Government of, by and for the people, paid for locally for local benefit.  Need a new bridge? How about an expanded school building? Or maybe you want to add planters to the community to hold beautiful flowers in season? Or perhaps new roads with gutters and curbs? How about some economic development work focused just on our own town?

Living in a community helps problems come into view. We can see what’s wrong – and right. We can determine what needs to be saved and what can be discarded. We can manage our own town’s process of change and adaptation without making a big deal out of it. Yes, the community is an important part of our life and it is fun to participate in the process.

Trouble is if you get involved you become suspect: are you or are you not a politician?  I should say politician? Let’s face it. People don’t like politicians very much. It’s not just a recent thing. This blighted view of people in public positions often assumes ‘such’ people are up to no good.

So a candidate’s night comes up and we have a chance to see and hear the candidates themselves. How do we react? How do the candidates place themselves in the public’s view? Naturally they tell the audience a little about themselves. Their educational background, their career achievements and why that may be a good thing for the public office they are seeking.  And their volunteer activities that may proclaim their leadership qualities. Is this sharing a resume? Their work history? Or is this EGO?

Hmmmm! Not sure. As an audience member you may not see it as ego. As a candidate you can’t help but feel odd sharing these personal bits about yourself. So do you? Share bits about yourself? Which bits do you share? Which ones do you avoid? Do you steer clear of these things because you don’t like to crow about yourself?

Well, I felt that way Tuesday night. Painfully so. I take it for granted that the audience knew that I and a few others in town felt the need for a newspaper and formed one. Been working that community asset for four years now. I’m the managing editor, columnist and beat reporter. Oh, and I also organize and often write the obituaries.

A few years ago while serving on the city council I was tapped to help form a better process for funding arts and tourism projects in town. We formed the Tourism and Arts Commission and an ordinance had to be outlined, policy documents were needed and political pitfalls needed to be avoided. We did that. Successfully. I was appointed to serve on the commission for the first two years. In that time we learned that the community didn’t have an organization that did much event production so I thought up the need for an arts council. After leaving the city council I worked up the arts council idea. A few years later I co-founded the organization. Am still on its board and we are in our fourth season of concerts and art programming.

Sixteen years ago or so I got involved with the local chamber of commerce to help produce a summer festival then in its 20^th year. Without planning it I became a member of the board of directors of the chamber. Still am. Grew the chamber, helped it adapt to a fluctuating local economy, helped design and manage a combination of three local chambers into one dynamic organization and still remain on the board. We needed a hospitality committee to join the hotels and restaurants into a team that would boost their businesses and assist development of the local economy. Saw other needs of the business community and spent time working on them.

Seeing needs and filling them. Working with others as individuals and groups to solve problems and fill needs. Noticing the Park District had lost two board members. Offered to lend them a hand if they needed it. They accept and appointed me to fill a vacancy. After the short term had expired, I ran for my own four year term and won. Now after five years of problem solving and participation it is time to run for re-election.

Thus the candidates night. But what could I say about myself that wouldn’t look like a huge ego bursting forth? How much of my background does the public know? Enough of them to win an election? Or is the public uninvolved and uninformed? Have my past efforts been a waste? Do people notice or don’t they, that you have been a reliable local resource to tend to needs and problems?

Guess we won’t know until election night. That’s when we will learn if people pay attention or don’t. After all local elections are not about politics. Or politicians. It is about finding people who can and do work for the benefit of the public. For free. Well, they do need your vote to make it happen. But otherwise free in the fullest sense.

Will low profile and low ego succeed? Or will self promotion do the trick?

We shall see.

March 22, 2013

Defining Failure

The argument could go in many directions. Only two count.  Either a person is a success or a failure. There may be middle ground that counts but most people chalk up life as a positive or a negative.

Missing is a ruling definition of either term.

If a great score card in the sky exists (it probably doesn’t!) there is a mid-point that stands for nil, or non-value. A little or a lot to one side or the other has to be in the plus or minus zone. Minus I guess means ‘failure’ while plus equates to success.

Of course degrees of both exist: fabulous success, dismal flop, you get the idea.

But how is it measured in the first place. Is success happiness while failure is unhappiness? Is a good turnout measured in dollars held in a bank account, or the size of the home or the value of the car driven? Is failure the opposite of these accounts? No money in the bank or large debt, hovel of a home or no car or a jalopy that often doesn’t start? What will it be? What is the measure of success or failure?

Every major religion I’m acquainted with avoids terms of wealth or material things. Rather they focus on spirit, mood, relationships, power or influence to help others, reduce  suffering among others, that sort of thing. Material things can make a difference and are marshaled to build homes for the poor, medical clinics for those without insurance or funds to pay for medical attention. Feed the hungry and teach people to fish so they can feed themselves and others. We remember the parables. We know the lessons of life.

What is important? What matters the most? Who can tell, or more importantly, who has the authority to sum up the value of another’s life?

Certainly disappointments in life happen. Things turn out differently than we had thought or hoped. Sometimes end results are grossly different than what we prepared for. And earned.

But the latter isn’t a good yardstick. What a person earns is not what they necessary get. No; they get what they can handle and that alone becomes a good measure of the stuff the person is made of. Can I handle adversity? Can I handle disappointment? What about poor health or periods of declining health? Disappearing bank accounts? Rusting aging autos?

In handling adversity do I avoid it? Or attempt to deflect its impact? Do I cover it up with false fronts or even use of alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, gambling, whatever is handy? Or do I face the perils and accept them as routine and live with them? Do I let them control my life? Or do I adopt lifestyles that cover my avoidance?

Either is fakery. Neither is honest. Facing the music and learning the lessons of life are healthy and bring riches and success of another variety. That’s when things of the spirit, the inner person, come to light. Philosophy and fresh expressions come to mind. Art forms bristle to the surface of consciousness.  We begin to appreciate the little things which turn out to be not so little. Things like birds flitting with freedom through tree limbs and bushes, from flower to flower. Birdsong that trills joy and celebration. Smells from the earth which define rebirth and plant growth. Colors of nature replace the winter drab and soon spring brings greens of many hues.

Poetry emerges from our pens and keyboards. New novels take shape. newspaper columns or scripts for TV programs or dramas take root and come into being. Fertile minds come from life lived not leisure. Ideas come from working the brain cells not letting them idle uselessly.

Money buys food and shelter and clothing. And of course medical care and health. But money does not feed the brain. Money can pay to support investment in the ideas of others. Money can build educational systems and new roadways, jobs and vocations for others. But money does not create from nothing. Only the mind does that.

So bricks and mortar can form an envelope which nurtures inhabitants. But the envelope itself does not create. The person makes what he will of his surroundings. If drab and uninspiring he takes a walk to a woods or park, or visits a museum or library. He walks among the environment and gathers inspiration. He does not lounge in his poor abode and think inward thoughts to inspire the world.

Rather he uses the little he has to make something more valuable. From within.

What value do we lend to this quality of living? What measure of success do we ascribe to this person? Is he – or she – of value to the rest of us?

Who is to say?

March 21, 2013

Looking for Roots

It can happen anytime. It did for me.

What does the future hold for our family unit? Where will we live as financial circumstances lessen and limit choice? Availability? Will we have choice? Or will someone or something decide for us?

Do alternatives even exist for people as they age and grow more limited in abilities? As the body encounters limits what about unlimited vistas for the mind? Will our ideas be valued? Will our life talents be welcome? Can we write and create and discuss things that matter? Will we feel at home?

How close will family be? Ours is scattered – Illinois, New York, Arizona – some of these attenuated in both miles and emotional connectedness. Waning relations. Uncaring roots. History unattended. Meaning…

I don’t wish to be depressing about this topic but it is naturally depressing. As health challenges absorb assets, as assets are exhausted and Medicare and programs for senior citizens take on more and more, choices become limited.

The family homestead has dropped in value by nearly a third. Existing mortgage now stands $30,000 above market value. Property taxes, maintenance, HOA fees, and utility costs have made living here impractical, indeed, impossible. Mortgage payments have ceased; HOA fees kept current, same for utilities. Maintenance expense is incurred to keep plumbing and mechanical systems working. We safe guard the property until it is sold on short sale. We await a new owner and a closing so we can move on to the next chapter of our lives.

What will that chapter hold? What can we reasonably expect? We are open to co-op living, co-housing, elder apartments, senior condo communities. We do not need assisted living. We need no nursing care. No medical landlord hovering overhead. No, we are still independent and wish to remain so.

Our home community has no elder housing programs at all. Our community is a family affair where the young come, have babies, raise kids retire and stay put. Some move to new career horizons from time to time. Some retire and return here. But only if they have the financial resources.

We don’t. One spouse lost his job and employer with the recession after 30 years of building a business. No retirement or medical benefits. The cost of recession. In human terms.

The other spouse was self employed and experienced health problems that made it impractical to continue the business. Paid down liabilities. Closed the business. Jumped onto Medicare and Social Security programs.

Adding our assets together, zero financial assets. Plenty of home goods to nest in future locations. Just no way to get there. What is needed is affordable rent or purchase options based on social security household income. It would be helpful if the home is located near services, amenities and medical facilities.

More important is the sense and feel of the new home. Does the new community welcome new people? Do they encourage sharing talents and skill sets? Do they nurture those personal assets? Do they want us?

How do you find a new home under these circumstances? How do we master the internet or social networks to find a way – our way – to a new home and all that means? And can we retain our family connections?

Just asking. We are not the only ones with this story in America. It has been happening for quite some time now. The recession has only made it more difficult, more apparent.

Does anyone have an answer to these questions? Or even care?

March 20, 2013

Nation Building

After 9/11 – the defining moment of national terrorism in American terms – public discussion came to consider nation building. There were problems in the Middle East and Africa, South America, and other regions.

In the Middle East of course we were concerned with Al Qaida in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq and Iran as well as many other countries – Egypt, Libya, Syria, etc.

African countries were struggling as well. So many small nations yearning to sustain their special way of life. Others failing massively on health concerns alone, let alone economic and political stability.

Yes we were concerned about the status of many countries and we wondered aloud whether we should help these nations survive and succeed. Indeed there were many then and now which we knew were tottering toward oblivion. The concern was not just humane living conditions, but also for political stability of entire regions. Stability which safeguarded American interests globally and at home.

Did we have a responsibility to get involved? Did we have an imperative to be involved?

Many suggested not! Others said yes, do help these struggling nations along.

Trouble was we didn’t know who the good guys were. Still don’t. Situational elements inform us of needs and risks to the local population and what they produce for the world and America. Do we need their products? Do we need their stability? What will fill the voids should they fail. And will this risk our safety in geopolitical terms?

It became the aim of America during the George W. Bush presidency to build nations. For geopolitical purposes. And we did get involved. In many places, mostly the Middle East.

The record is not good. We bought time to strengthen our allies and self interests but we did little to build lasting national infrastructures. Observe if you kindly will, the condition of Iraq and Afghanistan. Both are not stable. Both are not at peace internally or externally. Global politics impact those regions daily. It is not just Middle Eastern politics but global politics which drive these concerns. Global economics is part of the formula. Human living conditions is another. The peril of the unknown future 30 or 50 years from now beckons our interest as well.

No; we have not done well building nations. Friendly ones like Egypt and Saudi Arabia turn out to be less friendly, less an ally to our interests. As well they should; they have their own internal interests to govern and support.

It seems to me nation building belongs to the people of the nation that is or will become, not America. We can build commercial networks. We can build human care supports for food, health and education. We can do these things because we care, because our philosophy and spiritual underpinnings require us to do so as fellow human beings.

But as political and ideological purveyors we ought not be involved.

Rather we have our own work to do. Right here at home. Generations of citizens needing our care and nurture.

Ought we tend our own gardens? Now?

March 19, 2013

Broken Homes

We should hold a national discussion on the state of homes in America. Not the broken homes of failed marriages or homes falling apart with bad roofs, broken down furnaces and air conditioning, or leaky plumbing and faulty electrical systems. No we need to talk about homes that are appropriate to the needs of the people living within the buildings.

Nor should this discussion focus on broken relationships and dysfunctional families, although there is much that could and should be talked about on this topic alone. No we need to talk about affordability of housing for people of all backgrounds throughout the nation.

Here’s what needs to be talked about: housing that is nurturing to its occupants.

When I think of this topic these elements come to mind:

• Space to allow free movement within rooms
• Room to decorate with ideas on the walls, colors that stimulate mood and mind
• Functionality to support bodily function – bathrooms for hygiene and health, kitchens for preparation of healthy diets
• Healthy air quality – temperature, fresh air, clean air
• Silence within which to think and ponder
• Comfort for repose, reading, sleeping and mental activity
• Nurture of inter-relations of occupants; privacy of both body and mind
• External views that inspire or calm rather than alarm or depress – landscaping that embraces lives rather than challenges them 

I think of the elements listed above as community within a home.

Another form of community is a large component of housing that nurtures occupants. It is the community external to home.

By that I refer to the natural connectedness of a home to its neighborhood and network of neighborhoods which collect as a town or village. The latter is the broader community which is formed as homes and neighborhoods collaborate into meaningful towns which function socially, politically, economically and psychologically, all to nurture the citizens within the community.

Service organizations and clubs pop to mind. So do churches and other social entities which develop spiritual and intellectual depths of their people. Collective citizenship of the community is a phrase that emerges in my sensibility. This is the sense of being well, accepted, nurtured and belonging to the larger community.

Daily routines build within such communities. Shopping for necessities is provided for. Occupations and hobbies and special interests are supported – art, education, human development and so much more. Music and drama are encouraged. Sports – both team and individual – are organized and developed for all who are interested. Safety and well-being is optimized.

A community that supports all of the above has dynamic public bodies such as city government, park districts, libraries, fire protection, police departments, water and sewer systems, and public works departments which provide roads, Stormwater management, and other quality of life supports.

So too these communities plan for diverse peoples living together with diverse needs respective of life phases – early childhood, middle childhood, adult education and development, economic and commercial development, phases of adult living needing special attention and support. Elderly and quality of end of life phases should be addressed as well.

In short community living that cares for one another and makes daily routines worthwhile in the main.

How does your community stack up to these elements? Do you have voids or does your village or town compare well with ideals? Is there work to be done? Are all segments of your population getting needed attention or are we mostly unaware of their separate needs? If not, ought we be concerned? Do we have a responsibility to be concerned?

I think we live busy lives always. When young we are preparing for life independent of parental supervision. When young adults we are forming our own core family units and reaching for careers to sustain our personal dreams. In full adulthood we are straining to complete the preparations of our own kids so they are sustainable adults – happy and productive in their own regeneration and family building. And in empty nest and pre-retirement phases we work toward end of career and meaningful lives in retirement.

Not a retirement of repose and uselessness but rather a time to reflect and teach future generations of what is possible for them well into the future. Retirement is only a phase of useful lives being useful to others. In doing that the doer nurtures self and community all in the same motion.

Are we paying attention to all of this in our lives? Are there homes and support networks that focus on all of these important citizen segments?

If we don’t someone is being left behind. Alone. Forgotten. Un-nurtured. Broken. Broken individuals and homes.

And our communities as well.

March 18, 2013

Thought for the Day

Saturday already! Time for another ‘thought for the day’. Here it is:

Being vulnerable. It’s OK to be vulnerable, in fact I think it should be a goal we all work on. Let it all hang out. Walk into each day open to what will greet you – good or bad, challenging or not.

Being open is the trick. It takes humility to be open to life, to what others think of you, to not let those things bother you. Allowing life to happen around you and drinking it in for whatever it is worth. And allowing others to see you for what you are – whatever it is worth.

Vulnerability allows promise to happen. Does this come easy to you? To anyone?

Maybe it should. It will take practice.

March 16, 2013

Getting Informed

Have you heard of TED? It is a national program of short televised speeches and conversations held regularly. The program’s purpose is simple: Ideas Worth Spreading.

Get on the internet and go to Ted.com. You will get the idea of what they are about.

Originally TED stood for: technology, entertainment, design. If you think about these three terms you will conclude eventually that all three are present in just about all other manmade elements of life. Whether medicine, technology, invention, housing, welfare or whatever, the convergence of technology with both entertainment and design – and vice versa – calls our brains into active creation and collaboration. We create ideas. We share those ideas. Others use those ideas. They create new things from those ideas. They share their work and new discoveries and inventions quickly follow.

In a nutshell that’s TED. Look it up on the internet. View some of the videos. Get a sense of how they organize the topics and supporting programs so you can follow any number of interests that are near and dear to your heart. You’ll be glad you did.

At our home we subscribe to Netflix and bought a video streamer which connects our TV with our computer. The Ted programs are downloaded from the computer to the streamer, and the streamer loads each program we wish to see to our TV. Endless streaming of TED speeches and presentations are thus available to us. And we view them with some regularity.

Want to discover how to cook nutritious meals for four people for less than 10 dollars in less than 10 minutes? Look up Shawna Coronado. She’ll tell you how to do it. We were present for her taping. And she has a complete series of programs to help you plant home gardens to feed the family and the hungry. And how to use the produce from the garden to be practical and useful.

Want to understand the latest discussion on quarks, or muons or any number of particle physics topics? Tune in to TED. How about how to think with more clarity using technology and entertainment standards? Or how about realizing that educational process moves in a molecular fashion from song lyrics and imagery to electronic art?

Do you imagine things? How do you communicate those imaginings? How are others to understand your ideas, and you theirs? Art. Technology. Music. Drama settings. Movies. Poetry, visual arts and performing arts. Synapses in the brain. Synapses communicating with other synapses. Brains to brains. People to people. Intercultural communities with others who don’t speak the same language. How do they pass understanding among them?

TED knows. You need to know about TED. Check out the website and get started. You’ll be amazed. We were. Still are.

March 15, 2013

Stuck in Traffic

Had an early morning dog grooming appointment. 8 am to be exact. Set off for a 3 mile trip. Encountered backed up traffic. That turned into a nightmare. Traffic backed up for miles. As far as the eye could see. This on suburban country roads. Traffic lights working. Cars not moving. Then large semis were spotted on lightweight rural lanes. Something was not right!

Inch by inch we moved toward the unknown. As miles ticked off and minutes evaporated, it became apparent that a serious auto accident had occurred in our region that caused closure of several streets. In rush hour any shut down creates a massive tie up. And this one was a beaut.

Sure enough. A sheriff’s squad blocked a major artery. Southbound traffic was allowed out of the impacted area. North bound had to turn onto a narrow lane either east or west. Traffic already on the lanes could only creep along or escape south at the only major intersection.  All other north south and east west routes were closed.

So we sat. Inch by inch we moved forward to a deeper calamity of stalled traffic. We knew not the extent of all this. After 35 minutes of this cell phones alerted us to the cause: a regional accident blocking a major intersection of major arterial roads. The secondary and tertiary routes were jammed to a stand still. Because the infrastructure of these secondary roadways lead to very few escape routes designed to carry heavy traffic, we all came to a standstill.

This county is one of the wealthiest in the nation. It is home to 1 million people living in well educated homes with fancy incomes. But policy by most governments in the county is not to build any road or traffic plan that would attract more population.

The result: gridlock on a massive scale for all of us who already live here, some of us for 40 or 60 years. This problem has grown steadily worse without improvement of any kind. All solutions are 25 to 30 years behind a reasonable schedule. Relief is always 10 years behind the problem.

Yet conservative voters protecting their own life styles and greedily elevating their own sense of self, elect into office people who do not solve problems. They just monitor those problems and figure out ways to avoid doing anything positive with them.

I’ve watched this approach to public policy for 42 years. I’ve attempted to do something about it. All efforts have fallen on deaf ears. All workable solutions are nixed because of greed or fear of change. The result? The County of DuPage Illinois was not ready to cope with massive unemployment of the latest recession, the loss of billions of dollars in property values, the jump in need for social services or a clear headed plan to move smoothly into the new century.

The county cut its own budget to curry favor with voters. They scotched economic development plans and new highways. They continued to short change social services and reduce staff of social workers, the very people needed to help citizens in need cope with the recession, loss of homes, loss of work, loss of health…you name it and you’ll find a program shut down or paralyzed for lack of resources.

The county talks a good game but delivers little. Oh they blame the problems on the state and federal governments. Yet they alone sit at the intersection of the needs and delivery of the solutions. They chose to ignore all of these opportunities to make a difference in favor of letting someone else do the hard work on somebody else’s dollar.

For Shame. For Shame. The very people claiming the wisdom of smaller government at federal and state levels find out they need help from them to do the local job they failed to prepare for.

Government is not the problem. The attitude of governance avoidance is the problem.

When do you suppose voters will learn this lesson?  Ever?  I’ve watched this develop for 42 years. I’ve talked about it. I’ve written about it. I’ve helped create groups and programs and a newspaper to enhance the conversation about these matters. Still little gets done.

When will America step up and do what is required. This begins in towns and villages and counties and states. It is not all the responsibility of the federal government. But it is the responsibility of all of us.

After all, we are America, aren’t we?

March 14, 2013

Local Elections

As I think about local elections I remind myself that this is all about local people caring enough about their community to get involved and take an active role for the benefit of the community. We may not fully understand what they think about all of the issues we face together, but then they don’t understand what I think and feel about those same issues. Actually, we are in this governance thing together. We rely on each other to get things done for the benefit of the community. And we rely on the good will and sense of our elected representatives that they will do the right thing.

The right thing. It is not always well understood by any of the participants. The right thing emerges out of a hail of data and needs and moving targets of other public business all needing to be done at this very same moment. The right thing takes shape before our eyes, the same way it takes shape before the eyes of our elected officials.

I think we need to give them space on this. We want the best from them. We have to give them time and data to determine what best is. And when to deliver it.

When I served on local City Council I was surprised by a few things. First, that the work unfolded very slowly. Inch by inch agenda items arose, were discussed, staff directed to do something about it, then more feedback from staff, and more definition of the agenda item. Still more discussion. Reading and writing about that discussion. Finally an agenda item that posed a question for us to decide on. What did we think about that issue at that exact time? And would we think differently later on?

Second, I remember citizens loudly demanding why we were in such a hurry to change the town? In reality we were not in a hurry. And changing the town was a given. It is constantly changing. The real question: what change do we want and what change do we hope to deny from happening? If change is to be managed we have to get our hands dirty and wrestle for changes that are more desirable than others.

Nothing was hurried then or now. In four years we developed good policies and took action that would be helpful in future decision making. But quick happenings? Not at all. Slow. Maddeningly slow.

Today we talk about a roundabout at a busy intersection. It is a new idea for our town. NOT! Roundabouts were talked about in 2005, 2006, and 2007 from my memory. Imponderable questions were posed and discussed. No decisions made then. Still not today. But the nearby bridge over the river is going to be replaced by the county. Why? Because the bridge is dragging its bottom in the river’s water when water levels are high. And that drag causes water flow sluggishness and upstream backing up a bit and rising water levels along the banks of the river. In times of high water. Action is needed to attend to those high water moments.

And the bridge is one of those matters requiring action. The county asked for bond money, got it, and the bridge will be replaced. Within two years.

With this bridge comes height over the river; height means bridge approach roadways that are longer than what we have today. Higher bridge and longer approaches means it will be difficult to get into the auto repair shop, the auto body service center,  the storied local bar, the pizza joint and the gas station. The intersection of will need to be different.

How can we adapt to these changes in the best manner? Three options exist: do nothing and let the compressed space struggle with growing traffic; align the roadways into a four-way intersection; or blend them altogether in some sort of roundabout design.

To do anything means land has to be used differently. The gas station land will be needed for a roundabout or a four-way intersection. No four-way or roundabout means a local art co-op is cut off from the world; so too Al’s Pizza parking lot. Phoenix Auto Body won’t be visible let alone accessible. Voegtele’s repair shop access will be different but manageable.

So what to do? I think the process of citizens inputting, and elected officials thinking, and consultants posing technical solutions, will all come together to construct a solution that will work out for all of our benefit.

It’s what this crazy thing called democracy is all about. It isn’t always pleasant or smooth. But it is wise. It does manage change. It requires our involvement. I have faith the right thing will happen. Whatever that is.

Remember that as we approach elections. And hope that good people get involved. That means you, too! To be a candidate or a knowledgeable voter. This is our community. Let’s all take responsibility for it.

March 13, 2013

Running for Office

Actually I’m running for re-election to the Board of Commissioners, Warrenville Park District. I was appointed to serve the remaining year of an unexpired term, then ran for the position outright and won a four year term. Five years has gone by quickly. I am now the Vice President of the board and enjoying the work. So I have chosen to run for re-election.

Now you say, “So what?” Well here is some of my baggage:

            -I am a recovering alcoholic; nearly 7 years sober; doing quite well thank you!

            -I am a converted smoker; been smoke-free over 7 years; again, doing quite well!

            -I write this blog, a journal really of my life, warts and all for all to see

            -I write a bi-weekly column in the local newspaper and am the beat reporter for

            City Hall

-I am openly gay in a very conservative county of Illinois; live openly with Rocky

            for nearly 13 years

In short I’m on full display for all to see and object to. Although they rarely say anything I hear or read, I do learn of the negative comments, usually through back channels at the paper. Trouble is it is not about smoking, alcohol, blogger or newspaper. It is solely about being gay.

That’s what I wish to write about today. I don’t know who authored this quote, but Rocky found it on the internet the other day:

“The secrets to a long lasting relationship: two people working, standing, wanting, being together and seeing the future together.”

Oh so very true! Especially seeing the future together. That is the profound secret that holds everything else together. Two different people learning to live together despite differentness and oddities! And finding common ground that anchors both souls together. Most marriages strive for this; but do they succeed in finding it? For those marriages or relationships that last, I think they do. Those relationships which fail did not find the elusive element.

Nicholas Sparks of The Notebook, shares this thought with us:

“I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am common man with common thoughts and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.”

Pretty powerful statement. Humble. Reaches deep inside of the self. Exposes raw human quality. The individual making the statement for him or herself is announcing the freedom to be a natural person. In a relationship that matters. That completes him.

There are those who pick at differences as though they define the person. You and I know they do not succeed. Jimmy Carter even places it in religious context:

“Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things – he never said that gay people should be condemned.”

As I read and study theologians dissecting the history and etymology of languages found in the original texts of the Bible, I have learned the Bible does not mean what a lot of politicians and big-church pastors claim. Those are false prophet people. Take this citation:

“Think Sodom was destroyed because of homosexuals?” Here’s what Ezekiel states:

“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” ~Ezekiel 16:49

Like much of the Bible the text is about love and peace. It is about forgiveness not judgment. Romans and Leviticus are about hospitality. About looking out for the well-being of others. The Bible is not to be taken literally. It is too complex for that. And much of the delicate meanings are lost in eons of cultural change which alters language and symbols.

In the words of the great philosopher George Carlin(!):

“If you take the Bible literally and Mary is the mother of Jesus and Jesus is the lamb of God, does that mean Mary had a little lamb?”

Humorous, yes. But profound as well.

I’m hoping the good voters of Warrenville, Illinois will have the good sense to elect people of goodwill and intelligence to guide their government entities into the future, not the past of meanness and discrimination. We shall see in April how they fared.

March 12, 2013

                                                                                   

The Devil you Say!

The West Wing television series was 156 episodes back in the early 2000’s. It ran for seven seasons. We are viewing reruns of the entire series. We finished episode 127 yesterday. (Note: on Sunday evening, March 10^th we completed viewing the entire series.)

This project of remembering yesterday has been more than a little interesting. I invite you to do what we did. In the doing you will learn that political parties remain stubborn – even stupid – and very tricky. People with great ideas are ignored today as much as they were yesteryear. Good ideas are plentiful; they just don’t enjoy the right timing to be adopted. We have solved today’s problems yesterday many times over. Yet the same problems prevail.  It all boils down to…who…gets…credit…for the good things. Inversely, finger pointing rights belong to both sides because they both get things right…and wrong.

Budget fights loom impenetrable. Economic policies battle one another. Scandal and shame visits both parties equally. Foreign and domestic issues fight for equal time but rarely are of equal stature.

How hideous of us to allow this fakery to continue. How disgusting the waste. And the loss of life and career and self esteem – all by-products of a system of good intentions gone awry because of human nature.

Why can’t we get this right? We have practice with it; nearly 300 years. Yet the same old arguments are heard day in and day out on CNN, NBC, Fox News, and so forth. Endless rehash of the same old stuff,

Here’s an example referenced on the internet the other day:

“If you want government based on a religious book, move to Iran. Otherwise, read the Constitution and shut the hell up.”

Let’s see, that book would be the Koran, eh? Here we have the Bible among others. Yet the Constitution makes clear we will not show fealty to any such book. The Constitution recognizes religion within our culture and among our people. It does not identify which religion. It states it doesn’t care. That’s up to the people, not the government. And the government shall not make any laws respective of religion. The two realms do not mix. Got it?

Well evidently there are those who do not get it. The Bible may hint at a definition of marriage but it doesn’t make it law. And government in the states define marriage as a union of two people to make a household, to make a family. One is religion. One is law. The federal government recognizes neither.

That hasn’t stopped narrow minded people to avow the opposite. Whether God or Devil, who has the authority to claim pure knowledge and right about either? Certainly not the Federal government. And not the US Constitution.

So, the churches, followers and religions claim what they will. They do not have legal right over any one person.

The US Constitution says it is so.  Read it and weep. Or let the Devil have his say!

So view reruns of West Wing and see how far we’ve gone to get nowhere. Same-o, same-o. The Devil you say!

March 11, 2013

Thought for the Day

Leo Buscaglia was a well-read author on motivational themes. He was a speaker with a huge following thanks to PBS specials. He was known as Dr. Love. And he was in turn loved. He died at 74 years of age in 1998. One of his quotes has stuck with me:

            “Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.”

Think of bullies. They are not strong. They are weak and need to feel power over others. So they pick on those weaker still and lord it over them. They turn ugly, cruel, nasty. And we cower in the face of such perfidy.

Those who accomplish things, even great things, are calm, peaceful and gentle. They are strong. They are not cruel. They do not need to be.

Power is not of me or you. It is of us all working together on common goals.

All in all this is a good thought to think upon this weekend. Enjoy!

March 9, 2013

Things Aren't Always What They Seem

After the recent snow storm – I find it a little weird thinking of this storm as a storm! – the winter wonderland provided some beautiful scenes. One was a swirl on our patio between the grill and a chair. Looking like a Dairy Queen cone topping, a perfect swirl of snow rose from the patio. A small fir tree nearby looked like an old, fat man elbowing his way through a storm. Perhaps you noted other sights of nature’s wonder?

Now a few days later, the fir tree is still a fir; no old fat man in view! And the Dairy Queen snow swirl turned out to be a solar ground lamp just off the patio, with snow topping it above surrounding surfaces; then the wind did a little trick and it looked like….

So. Things are not always what they seem. Freak of nature or not.

Like the old guy who listed his gripes about his community. No local doctors or clinics nearby. No convenient small town medical community to rely on. When you write a local village paper you get all kinds of notes and messages. I set out to see what this guy was talking about.  Here’s what I found.

We have the county’s finest cancer clinic in our town. In fact it may be one of the best in the state of Illinois, or one of the best ten in the nation.  Next door to that is the ninth proton beam cancer treatment center in the nation. When it was in planning it was the fifth one to be built; but the other eight quickly filled in. still, one of nine in the country.

On each of several blocks are new buildings. One is the DuPage Medical Group clinic. Another is the Edward Hospital Sleep Center, the Edward Neurology Center complete with its own MRI. Still another facility boasts the DuPage Hospital Medical Group, now named Cadence Health. A grouping of new buildings houses the Cadence Orthopedic Center.

In small clusters we found doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, psychologists, podiatrists and a host of other specialties. All in a town of 13,000 people. We have a major regional hospital 2 miles from town. Another major regional health center and hospital is 4 miles from town. We are blessed with medical resources. In our own backyard. Blessed.

Odd isn’t it? From none to a plethora. In the same moment. Just different sets of eyes.

When I reported back to the old guy with the complaint, he mumbled something about having to go through new doctors to get access to the new facilities! I told him my doctor is 6 miles away; I’ve gone to him for nearly 40 years. In Glen Ellyn. Now he refers me to all of the aforementioned facilities. He is my entre.

The old guy has a doctor in a faraway suburb where he first came to know the doctor. He didn’t change doctors when he moved to our town to retire. He still goes back to the old doctor’s office. He didn’t move his medical association to local people, all of whom populate our area plentifully.

The complainer is 93. He remains active and blustery. Seeing what he wishes. Complaining about what doesn’t penetrate his line of vision.

Such is life. Things are not always what they seem.

March 8, 2013

Getting Started

Writing has been easy for me. Always has been. Take an idea, clarify it, say something about it. Observe a happening or news report and feel it; then write about it. Sense what’s wrong in contemporary culture and write about that, or what would make it better.

Always something to say. Sometimes the piece wrote itself; quickly. Just like that! Very little effort.

Other times the logic would get tangled and time was needed to sort things out. When that was done, the article flowed quickly onto the page.

Not this week. No, not this week.

Rather several pages have been marked #1 and then left alone for hours. Sometimes a title sat precariously atop the page. Now and again only partial title adorned a blank page.

A nap was taken. A brief errand or chore. Someone needing a ride called and that took me away from my ambivalence. Or torpor?

Began reading a book. That’s always a good time filler. Sometimes a topic pops up from those pages and fuels my next article.

Not this time. No, not this time.

A day becomes two, then three and finally 6. A week of blogging. Nothing new to publish. Just a few items written in advance when the mind was fertile. But a week has formed with not much to show for it.

It crossed my mind to take a vacation from the blog. It also crossed my mind to quit the blog entirely. But that felt too final. Evidently I wasn’t ready to retire the blog and walk away. Too much like quitting a major portion of my mind. And then what? What would take its place?

This is what depression does. I don’t know if it is elder depression or medical blahs, or aging, or whatever. But it is part of real life; certainly mine, maybe yours. Because this is a personal journal and commentary on today’s issues I decided to write on this personal issue – depression.

You’ve seen the TV ads for anti-depression drugs. Vignettes of gloomy looking people sitting in a room alone, mooning over a static setting or maybe staring out the window to a mostly immovable scene. Boredom and ennui. Quiet. Solitude. Loneliness and pain. Deep pain. You can see it on their faces. And you remember your own.

A chemical imbalance accompanies depression. Serotonin. Neurotransmitters, tryptophan, and related chemicals in the brain either are slow to reproduce and cause depression events or depression causes a dip in the production of the chemicals. No one knows for sure. But replacing the serotonin helps ease the depression and pull the brain up and out of the low mood.   

Although unpleasant depression also fuels thinking processes that may lead to observations and intellectual discovery. Creative juices flow. Surprise conclusions and ‘aha’ moments may actually end the depression and cause a leap of consciousness that propels writing for weeks and weeks.

So, not all depressions are negative. They are periods when a person gets better grounded to reality. No pain, no gain. Depression is necessary suffering for insight. And so I have used it many times.

This time was a little different. It came on slowly with many mood dips. A busy schedule kept me productive for weeks but finally the mind succumbed to the blues. A vast sense of emptiness, vacuous space in dark corners emerged and embraced the day’s light.

Those who experience depression acutely know what I’m talking about. Probably most people on the planet. I just don’t read about it to know how many people have this condition. I know I am not alone. Although it feels that way. Very alone.

Well this journal has shared this with you today. Read it or not. Remember it or dump it. It is part of the routine of life. And so it is here because it is.

Carry on!

March 7, 2013

  

Foundations

Depression visits periodically. It counterpoints optimism.

Spirituality is a blessing easing the heavy moods of life.

Using one against the other works some of the time. Depression has its own pathway of course. It usually wends its way among the better feelings and moods. Navigating out of those lows takes time, work and patience. The work part is usually exercise, meditation, and getting involved with other people.

The Dalai Lama has said:

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” 

Simple indeed. So simple that some would argue that no religion is included, or embraced! Think of it. No doctrine, dogma, ritual. No buildings. Music of course is in your own mind and will fit your mood. Bible or Koran, or Torah, or any other book from the ages that gives humankind insight.

I like the Dalai Lama’s concept. It allows me to focus on what matters. My God and I are in singular dialogue. We are focusing on what he intends and wants done. Not me. “Make me a channel…” and so forth. Perfect setting for that prayer from St. Francis Assisi. Forget understanding me, help me understand others and their needs. Peace and calm is the venue and in it much is to be discovered.

No costly cathedrals. No enormously complex and expensive pipe organs. Yet we are free to play that music, on our own instruments or in our mind’s ear. We are free to really think our theology and put it to use. No intermediaries to cloud the actions.

There is a well known prayer known as the Serenity Prayer. It is simple and goes like this:  “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I don’t know who wrote this prayer but it is a beauty! Short and to the point. Challenging. Humorous, too.

Think about it. No way can we change everything, so seek serenity to simply accept those things. On the matters we can change, grab the courage to initiate those needed changes for the sake of others. Hopefully we will have the necessary wisdom, smarts, analytic moxie to discern what is changeable and what is not. Such are the challenges of life – especially a life well lived!

I’m reminded of a quote from Steve Jobs. Perhaps you’d appreciate seeing it at this point:

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

Doing what I love to do. That’s when work ceases being work. The mind is focused and the efforts are fruitful. My mood is contagious and attracts positive support. Others cooperate with the task and objective. The motivation is not troubled, but spontaneous.

Also, change that is manageable becomes possible. The Serenity Prayer is given a chance without our thinking of it.

So if I’m stymied today, refocus and fight depression. Fight feelings of helplessness or even hopelessness. Move on to the task that is doable. Find others to help with the task. And enjoy labors of love.

The Dalai Lama would be pleased!

March 6, 2013