Journaling

I went to bed last night (evening to some; it was 8:30 pm!) knowing I had not written a blog draft for the morning. And here I am at 5:55 am writing this for the blog. Most of the time I write the blog a day or two in advance, sometimes even a week ahead of schedule. I've never been at a loss for writing something! That may be a good thing or awful depending on your point of view!

I started the blog as a journal exercise. I needed to sort through a lot of ideas and important subjects. Developing a focus to daily living was the long term objective. I think I have found that over the past three and half years. Journaling has been fun to do. It has also helped me understand me. All of that has made the world a much more understandable milieu, too. Oh, there are plenty of surprises still. Crazy people make that so! Not so crazy people add their own spice to the stew as well. After all, crazy is not a requirement for happenings that surprise.

It just happened that for today I went to bed without an idea of what to say this morning. As I arose from bed, I had the single word in my head – ‘journaling’ – and so I decided to solo write this blog without any preparation. Sort of a stream of consciousness thing that creates itself moment by moment.

So. How am I doing so far? Perhaps that’s not an apt question as this is not a dialogue in real time. It is only real time for me as I pound away on the keyboard.

Journaling usually follows what is on the mind of the writer at the time he is writing it. Similar to a diary, it chronicles the doings of the person’s day, life story, developments, ups and downs, and challenges as well. Although most of us would prefer that we not admit that life is a struggle, it is very much that. We are free to make decisions, spend our time and resources any way we wish, provided we have resources in the first place. Thus, journaling reflects what we do for a living, how well we are doing that both in terms of financial and career objectives.

Journaling also reflects how we think on various subjects. Life experiences challenges our thinking from time to time. The eternal ‘why?’ is always with us. Normally the eternal ‘what?’ is not the problem. The ‘what’ is gathered from many sources quickly; the ‘why’ is the puzzle in need of solving. From this springs philosophy, ideology, historical scans and comparisons, and even theology. The ‘why’ has become, for me at least, the spice of life.

Journaling daily provides the opportunity to notice these things. Paying attention helps. Observing routines may seem boring but surprising thoughts are discovered often. And that happens in the privacy of my own head! Just imagine what might be discovered if we somehow managed to share all of this with each other all at the same time! It might be chaos to the power of infinity, but it might also help us invent sorting tools to make sense of it all.

An example might help here.

Our apartment building’s garage was being steam cleaned (a 2 or 3 day process done annually to remove the grime of winter tracked in by 40 cars daily). We all had to park in the outdoor lot and a vacant lot next door. Two handicapped parking slots are provided. Two of us in the building have handicapped parking privileges. But one resident frequently parks in one of the slots without handicapped license plates or placard.

So, I wrote a note to the offender to that effect and placed it on his windshield. I had warned him/her that this sort of parking violation carried a $250 fine in our town, plus $150 to $250 towing and impound fees should the town have to remove the car. I signed the note and indicated my apartment unit number.

Some hours later while walking the dog, Rocky noted the car had been removed but my note had been crumpled and tossed into the bushes. Whether that action was one of spite or anger at being reproved we will never know. Now that we all have returned to the garage we may never know if this person will again park illegally in handicapped slots. But if he/she does, I will call the police to ticket the offender.

I have not done this sort of thing before. Why now? I’m not sure. It just rankles me that some people live their lives merrily day to day unaware of the needs of other persons. The rules don’t apply to them. The social contract we have with one another only works if we all follow through in obeying modest rules. Doing otherwise creates a little bit of chaos. More chaos follows the more each of us ignores those same rules consistently.

No man is an island. Why is it that so many live otherwise?

Now that is a question that journaling helped me ask and seek answers to. The seeking continues. I’ll keep you informed what I discover.

April 30, 2015; 6:30 am

Bits and Pieces

Another blog on reactions to bits and pieces of news items.

First, Hostage Widow Lashes Out at Obama Policy Toward Captives: Warren Weinstein was a 73 year old American development expert killed in a drone attack by American military forces. The drone attack was aimed at Al Qaeda leaders and American forces were unaware that two hostages were present at the bombing site. Weinstein’s widow is unhappy with Obama’s policy regarding captives. She even paid ransom for her husband to Al Qaeda. Mrs. Weinstein feels America should take better care of captives with a design to return them safely to their families.

Comment: Hostage policy in these matters is a foreign policy of long standing of every American President going back many generations. This is not Obama’s policy. It is American policy. It is well founded and successful in more cases than in failed attempts to rescue hostages. Paying ransom encourages future taking of hostages. Ransom does not guarantee safe return of hostages. Negotiating with lawless thugs usually yields no results. It is understandable that Mrs. Weinstein is grief stricken. However, this does not make her a policy expert in this arena.

Second, Pope Francis’ Stance on Climate Change: Seems the Pope thinks the planet needs to be better cared for by mankind. His science advisers are clearly educating him on mankind’s practices that harm air, water and soil. Each is needed to support healthy living conditions on the planet. Furthermore, atmospheric calamities are clearly detected as a result of man’s destructive use of the planet’s riches. Global warming is measurable both short and long term. The effects of global warming are also now measurable. The pope will urge Catholics worldwide to support legislation that will protect Mother Earth. And further protect the world's poor who pay the highest price when natural disasters strike.

Comment: I like this guy Pope Francis! He has his head screwed on right and exercises common sense. This makes him vastly different from most elected legislators including those throughout America!

Third, Arizona Lawmaker Rips Defense Secretary for Remarks on Sexual Assault: Retired Air Force colonel Martha McSally is now a republican congresswoman from Arizona. While on active military duty, McSally was the first woman to fly in combat. She reacted to Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s comments on placing women in ground combat situations would increase their vulnerability to sexual assault. McSally attacked Carter’s views as placing the blame of sexual assault on women in the military.

Comment: The congresswoman seems to be too quick on laying blame on the new Defense Secretary. And she used her military career as the unofficial expertise for making her views known. First, Secretary Carter made his off the cuff comments in response to a student’s question following a speech at Georgetown University. The student’s concern was about placing women in combat where they may also be assaulted sexually. Carter agreed that might happen but has faith that sexual assault will become less a problem over time as men and women in combat learn better how to conduct themselves. This statement did not place sexual assault on women. McSally prefers to think otherwise. Methinks McSally needs to moderate her conservative attack mode and learn better research techniques before attacking others in the public domain.

Fourth, What Guys Really Want in a Partner is Super Depressing: Sarah Jacoby of Refinery29 writes there is a double standard employed by guys when defining what they want in a wife/partner as opposed to what they expect in a daughter. For both wives and daughters, the men want them to be intelligent. However, beyond that trait, independence and strength were valued in a daughter much higher than for a wife. Being principled was viewed as being more important in a daughter than in a wife/partner. To bring the matter home, Jacoby reports survey results as follows: 66% of men wanted independence in their daughters while only 34% valued that trait in their partner. Although men are comfortable with women taking on more responsibility outside the home, fully 30% feel this trend has had negative effects on the confidence of American men. This is further supported with men being very uncomfortable in having a female President of the United States.

Comment: I can partially understand men wanting their daughters to be independent. Such a trait is most likely seen as a strength the daughter can use to protect herself in the world. Less independence for a wife may reflect the male’s assumption that he already can protect his spouse. The question begged, of course, is why are men so threatened by independent, strong women? We need those traits in all women to unlock their impressive potential throughout all of society.

That’s enough for one day!

All of these issues are interesting and should embrace public discussion. Public policy decisions, however, are not necessarily ripe to be made at this time. More discussion and research is needed before making long term policy.

Meanwhile it is our task – yours and mine – to remain informed.

Carry on!

April 29, 2015

Prozac Sunday

I’m on Prozac, or actually, Fluoxetine, a generic replacement for Prozac. I've been taking this antidepressant for 19 years to address mood swings generally induced by weather patterns; but not always! Not liking to take pills, I skip this prescription from time to time, usually only for a day or two at a time. The results are interesting.

Family members have long known when I skipped a dose! They picked up on my crotchety-ness and shortness of temper. Usually within 10 minutes of greeting me for the day.

This past Sunday was sunny and pleasant early in the morning. So I skipped taking the pill. Within moments of driving to church, I was cranky over traffic lights. Always red! With no cross traffic! Why have the light when no purpose is served? I thought that was logical, but no, Rocky immediately asked if I had taken my Prozac? And I was caught just like that.

I continued the entire day without the drug but the weather remained sunny and delightful so I was in good shape. I’ll take the pill this morning just to be sure! And to get back on track.

This incident reminds me of so many things. All are related to how I (and by extension, everyone else!) react to my surroundings. Am I automatically positive or negative?  What irritates me instantly? Why don’t all things affect me in that way all the time? Why am I able to pass off without thinking and reaction? What, if anything, causes me instant positive reaction?

I suppose some things are invisible to us under normal circumstances. Sunny pleasant days are taken for granted. It is much more difficult to ignore the negative aspects of a gloomy, wet and stormy day. Most of us I think react negatively to the bad weather days. Interestingly, some weather conditions spark our interests and cause fond feelings. A crisp wintry day with fresh snowfall is just such a one. Sometimes a misty, foggy day makes us feel cozy and snug, particularly welcoming of close family contact. That’s a good feeling.

Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD – has been under the microscope in psychology circles for many decades. Little definitive findings conclude SAD as a disease, disorder or nuisance social behavior. Serotonin and Melatonin additives via Prozac and other drugs seem to help, or at least moderate the effects of SAD. No one, however, has been able to label the cause of the behaviors let alone its connection to weather conditions! Science does have its limits. Check out SAD at Mayo Clinic’s website for more information. (Don’t you just love Google?)

This past Sunday the confirmation class students led the congregation in worship. They treated it as an educational exercise and asked each of us to fill out a form answering several questions. One question was identifying our personal mood as we entered worship. Later we were asked what our mood was as we left worship. Anxious at the beginning? Peaceful at the end? Which was a condition of life or of Prozac or lack of same? Which was the palliative effect of the act of worship?

Interesting experience and a job well done by the youth. They are explorers of what we take for granted. They are seekers of truth and limits of their personal theologies. And by extension they help us think through our own theologies.

I would prefer giving up Prozac entirely and allow theology to do the work. But faith and medicine compete closely! And for now I’ll stick with the pill. Oh, and I will continue to attend church regularly and explore faith issues. Who knows? Prozac and Fluoxetine may lose out one day!

April 28, 2015

The Basics

Just exactly what are the basics of living a decent life? I’m talking about what most of us need first of all, then what some of the qualitative wants are. Just a few. Luxuries are not included here. Just the basics.

I think the basic needs include these items:

• Shelter/housing/safety
• Food, nutritional support
• Clothing, body covering and protection against climate conditions
• Medical care, basic health attention
• Love, relationships with family and friends; belonging; social well-being
• Transportation

The second level of ‘needs’ are actually qualitative wants. This list will help understand what I mean:

• Education and training; to acquire skill sets to manage daily life requirements; later an expansion to intellectual interests and needs
• Career growth for both income sustainability and psycho/social enhancement
• Social/political knowledge for controlling and understanding social contract of governance
• Higher standard of living: housing quality, food quality, clothing style and fashion, pricier cars and travel accommodations, luxury goods and more of the same

Both lists could easily extend by a factor of 100! Just glance through the Yellow Pages for sellers of services and goods. The array is enormous. So much for wants and needs.

The more we have available and use, the more we get used to having. Simple wants turn into needs in a flash. Expectations grow and in a ‘free market’ environment, he who has the funds gets the goods he wants.

The trouble with this consumption pattern is its self indulgent nature. The consumer is encouraged to follow his interests thinking he is filling a need that is basic to him. The farther he follows the trail the more diverted he is from what is really important. It is hoped that one day he will awake to survey a pile of things that mean very little to him because what really matters was always there for him to see and with which to relate.

It has always interested me to hear stories of adventurers or explorers who came across small villages of primitive peoples in the wild. Those peoples, although shy and at first fearful, opened their arms and welcomed the strangers with a feast and celebration. The food and paraphernalia of the celebration taxed the village’s ability to feed themselves let alone strangers. Yet they did. From a community of poverty came goods of plenty to be shared. That was important to them. That was a central part of their identity of caring, welcoming people.

Embracing family, neighbors and the surrounds of broader community is a qualitative element most of us yearn for. This doesn't require fancy home, clothes, cars or any other show of wealth. It only rests on giving time and attention to one another. Belonging becomes the identified element. Belonging.

Intentionally exploring life and its meaning is another qualitative element. The acts of exploration and the rewards of discovery grow in importance. Without the roots of meaning these discoveries erect in our lives, we are easily distracted to follow other interests and dalliances of time and self pleasure.

Working at self discovery enlarges one’s world and enables more caring for others. This person discovers more than himself; he finds a world and his place within it.

America is a land of plenty. It is also a land of embarrassing riches. And ignorance. Too many of our fellows know less and less of themselves as they indulge in petty pleasures. They lose themselves in meaninglessness. Others with much less know more of life and value it differently.

Perhaps it is having less that teaches us what has more value?

For those who continue to want and splurge on self interest, they will know in time the emptiness of their yearning. All they really need to do is focus on their inner self and family and community. There they will find more bounty than they ever imagined.

Basics. Back to basics. And community with others.

April 27, 2015

Thought for the Day

Script Changers

Recognizing a problem and doing something about it are two different things. The problem will not go away by ignoring it. It will mutate into some kind of resolution or worse case scenario if we do nothing.

What society needs always are people who will work to change the script related to the problem.

Are you a script changer? Do you get involved? How? When?

Now is a good time.

April 25, 2015

Les Miserables

Victor Hugo wrote the book that was made into a musical drama of the same name. The book did well in its time and became a classic for literature classes. But the musical, ahhh, the musical!  It went over the top and still has the world mesmerized with its story line, music, colorful nod to history and drama. The romance! The melodic lines. What a show!

I would redirect your attention to the story line, though. Remember that Jean Val Jean is the hero of our tale. He broke the law when quite young stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. For that he was imprisoned for a few years at hard labor. The treatment was harsh and cruel. He resisted and was punished more severely including an extension of his prison term. Many years later, he escapes to small town life. There he blends in an establishes a new identity.

At first eking out a living, Jean Val Jean eventually rises to a business and factory owner. His success led to becoming the mayor of his town. He overcame his past. But wait, an overzealous policeman tracks him down over several years. Upon his discovery, Jean Val Jean escapes to Paris during the time of the French Revolution and the story line enters even more drama.

I want to stop the story there. A young felon (even the crime seems very ordinary and minimal) leads to the downfall of the youth. He then spends years building a life behind a new identity. He made a good life for himself. He did it on his own. Through entrepreneurial thought and energy he created something out of very little but the results fed a town, a family and fresh dreams for a better tomorrow. For a lot of people.

In the America of today we have those same elements at work: entrepreneurship, business building, employment and careers for many others, financial success for families and yet new businesses fueling newer dreams. We also have youth, bad choices with drugs, alcohol and acting out on many levels of criminal behavior. We have the criminal justice system which attempts to save those youth but struggles with proportion as in all things. Some kids work through the system easily; others struggle with every turn and toughen into ill adjusted citizens to be handled in later years.

American prisons are filled to capacity in most cases. About half of the prison population are youthful offenders with star crossed experience with drugs, drug trafficking and related criminal behavior. Fixing the drug culture has led to creating a drug crime complex that consumes even more lives. Lives that are stunted in potential. Lives that are shortened. Education, careers and cultural lives that are driven off the tracks to even greater waste.

How to reverse that? That is the question!

Picking up the pieces of broken lives is a big task and often thankless. And costly. Rehab, court time, attorneys, judges and juries, social workers, jail and prison personnel and facilities, parole officers, the list goes on. And on! Later the cost continues for society: poverty, health issues, family dysfunction, and more crime. Angst that seemingly never ends.

Rehabilitating such a population, just the youth drug and alcohol abusers, is a mighty project. It will take magnanimous families filled with patience and love to mend broken lives and feelings. It will take caring institutions to support the mending as well. Such institutions are schools, colleges, healthcare facilities, churches and social welfare systems.

The payback for such work I think is huge. Individual lives are literally saved from the scrap heap. Talent and possible genius are preserved for the benefit of society and each of us in it. And the individuals saved are more likely to note their redemption with more gratitude and generosity than the rest of us. They know how special life is. They have learned not to take it for granted. Their adversity has uncovered the treasures life has to offer.

Today’s generation of youthful offenders need caring and thoughtful attention to restore their potential. This is a very personal thing for them. But they are not the only redeemed souls from such action. It is the rest of us who are redeemed, too.

Often they fight the cure! They do not identify with the crime. Later they are more likely to accept the inevitable and claw their way back to a new normal. Will they do this totally alone or within the embrace of understanding and loving people intent on their recovery?

Only time and practice will tell. For now we do what we can. And enlist others to the struggle.

April 24, 2015

Building Tomorrows

I met a new client yesterday. He has an interesting background which I suppose most people would find curious. But I think what is more interesting is what he wants to do with the rest of his life. Because of his background. Maybe for himself he will attempt to fulfill a dream, but the dream is all about making better outcomes a reality for a whole lot of people he doesn't know.

He knows what they have been through, so in that manner he does know them. But personally? No; he doesn't know them.

OK, I’ll back up.

Sam (an alias for this blog posting) got into trouble when he was a teenager. He experimented with drugs, marijuana mostly, but he went too far trying other drugs, and then got involved with selling/trafficking weed to earn money to pay for his habits. He was caught and churned through the criminal justice system. He did prison time. That’s not all of the consequences, however.

With a criminal record Sam is not a 'normal' citizen. It is hard for him to get a job. Harder to keep the job if the employer learns of his background. College studies are not supported by financial aid programs, either. He has to do it on his own, or attend low cost community colleges. He’s done that. Has the equivalent of an Associates Degree. Plus he has studied several courses to equip him with skills that increase his marketability for low paying jobs.

He has learned some trades and asked for help from unions. Those too are not always fruitful pursuits if employers and the union hall learns of his past transgressions. So he is stuck. Or is he?

Now 24 years old, Sam lives with his parents, attends church faithfully, and has found a community of supporters at the church. With a curious and bright mind, Sam has invented some interesting things that he could manufacture and start a business of his own. That would allow him to make a living better than the marginal work he has found to date. So Sam explored ways to begin a business of his own. He wants to bring his inventions to market. First he needs to patent them, expand their usefulness through unique designs and applications. So designs are being refined, manufacturing methods are under study, and patent protections are being pursued.

If successful, Sam will need employees to make the products, manage the operations of the business, and sell and distribute the products. He hopes this enterprise will make a difference in the lives of many.

A special target group he has in mind are low income youth whose lives have been shackled by criminal backgrounds like his own. He wants to rescue young men and women caught in the poverty of crime and rehabilitate them.  That’s the objective that moves him now. It is the energy that empowers his efforts to bring his invention to market.

I said Sam had found a spiritual home in a local church. It is that community which has pledged to help him with expertise, product development, design and engineering talent. From this church also comes patent attorney support. and encouragement to pursue a dream to help others in need.

I’m involved through SCORE. He has asked for help and mentoring from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), a volunteer subsidiary organization of the Federal Small Business Administration. SCORE helps small businesses form as well as assisting existing small businesses move to a higher plane of operation. In this way SCORE supports job creation and healthy business formations for the good of the economy and its people.

Sam reached out and asked for help. So far three mentors are assisting: one in patent law, another in manufacturing engineering, and yet another in business planning, non-profit agency operations and strategic planning. Where this small band of helpers and Sam go in the future is yet an open question.

But possibility exists that good things will happen that will touch the lives of many in a good and productive way.

The attempt to accomplish the dream is a good thing even if success does not come Sam’s way. Done for the right reasons and outcomes, I bet Sam succeeds. All I needed to believe was to see the intent in his eyes! He believes and will work hard to make the dream come alive.

That makes me a believer, too. Good things are happening in our nation. Believe it.

April 23, 2015

Employment Shifts and Expectations

It used to be one person in a household worked outside the home. That person earned enough income to pay for housing, food, clothing, entertainment, transportation, and healthcare. In addition that household managed to set aside enough to save for educating their children in college or trade school. In those days, too, householders set aside more savings to invest in their retirement plans.

Such was the case in the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. This was the norm for most families in America.

Standards of living became expansive in the 1960’s. New technologies were promising major changes in the standard of living. Houses grew larger. So did cars and the expectation that a second car was not only necessary, but a boost to the household’s pride.

Following those ‘improvements’ came nicer clothes (oh please, fashion!), travel, social mobility, expansive entertainment modes and an insatiable hunger for education, degrees and research and development. All of this fed a public sense of self much larger than what our society had once been satisfied.

In the 1970’s it was clear that two incomes in the home ensured that expectations regarding the kid’s education as well as family travel and life style were needed. Not only two incomes, but two significant incomes were the growing norm. Spousal income was based on meaningful careers outside the home based on education and management opportunities in expanding industries. Soon husbands and wives were earning similar incomes and benefit packages. Households were well funded. Homes became much larger (once the average was 1000 square feet, then 1800, 2200, and nearly 3000 became the standard). Two cars in the garage became three with special vehicles for sports or family vacation use.

By the 1990’s three car garages with homes of larger footprints became a burgeoning symbol of financial success. ‘Keeping up with the Jones’’ became an ever expanding theme. Travel grew quickly to exotic plans for annual journeys of discovery for the entire family. New industries popped up to attract household spending power. Day care, second homes, cooking and hobby interests soared.

There seemed no end to the bubble of expectations. Until 2001. The new millennia arrived on schedule and challenged old thinking. Although the world of possibility was still very much alive, the global community became much more real. The 9/11 terrorist attacks that year changed everything. America awoke on September 12, 2001 a different nation.

Introspection flooded the national consciousness. Who were we? Who attacked us? Why? What had we done to provoke such a vile attack? Were we vulnerable to more attacks?

And the truth was that America had become numb to its own cost to the world. Our standard of living was ridiculously out of step with that of the rest of the world. We were wasteful, domineering in attitude and expectation, and users of economic systems throughout the world. Oh, we thought this was our making and doing. But we did not build, manufacture or invent all the goodies in the world. Other nation’s provided much of the raw materials, labor and intelligence to make American wants possible.

I’m speaking here of consumer wants, individuals seeking to satisfy an inner hunger for consuming things and services. Increasingly, we consumers were demanding much more than what we manufactured in our own country. We relied on the world markets to satisfy our needs and wants. And wants is the operable term, here.

As American standards of living soared, they fell in many places elsewhere globally. Forests were despoiled, soils were mined voraciously for minerals and raw materials, and air and water pollution grew in places already unhealthy for local inhabitants. Industrial plundering might be a useful term here.

By 2009 the American economy was in deep trouble and unsustainable. Its plight infected the global economy in a huge swath that destroyed national economies world wide. Along with sagging production, incomes and standards of living came the awareness of sizable government overhead costs that were no longer sustainable.

Economic imbalance was everywhere. Disequilibrium is the term in economics. Supply and demand were grossly out of whack with one another, so too manufacturing, services, markets and expectations. Nothing seemed to be in balance.

Job markets were thrown into a tizzy. Housing markets collapsed. Financial markets followed suit quickly in step with the mortgage market meltdown. In 2015 we are still recovering from this horrendous mess. And lives have been affected.

Employment is slowly recovering but it is a buyers’ market. He who is hiring names the tune. Salaries are down, benefits have dwindled and many disappeared entirely. Entire industries have renamed themselves and are in the midst of reinventing themselves as well. There is a new normal taking shape. Until it matures we are all in a state of flux.

Bringing home the bacon is back to the original challenge. Someone in the home goes out into the world, does work for pay, and brings back an income that supports the basic needs. Not wants.

No, not wants. We have a long way to go yet before wants become a ready market for the masses. Needs continue to be shelter, food, clothing, healthcare, and transportation. Closely thereafter are education, retirement and travel.

Only in a market of plenty do wants become needs. And our journey to that market may forever be in want of discovery. Such are the new realities of America’s citizenship in the world community.

We may be strong, endowed with an irrepressible spirit and proud history. But that will no longer be enough. We must work hard and long for the right things. Only then will we find a sustainable model to fuel new futures. And keep our minds and tastes in balance with reality.

April 22, 2015

Snowball’s Chances

In warm climates ice and snow melt quickly if they even form at all. Like Phoenix, Arizona, snow rarely appears; when it does it melts quickly making for short, almost fairy-like memories for the very young.

Elsewhere throughout the globe, climates are more variable and rarely warm enough to preclude snow, ice and accompanying thaws. So it is with seasons. Some are primarily hot while others cold. Still different zones of the globe have three seasons, and still others have four. Hot and cold with two intervening periods of warm to mark transitions.

Now there are those who believe in heaven and hell. One wonders if you can indulge in only one, or if both must be experienced to make the other possible. But that is a debate for another day.

Lindsay Graham, Senator from South Carolina, fashions himself a climatologist, a political ideologue, a foreign affairs specialist, a conservative, a republican, and evidently many other ‘things’. He recently mixed all of his roles together when he exclaimed: “Obama’s Iran deal has the same chance of being approved by Congress as a snowball’s chance in hell.”

I must admit admiring Graham’s stubbornness. He is a man with a mission. He denies global warming. He asserts oil is the province of America and thus Middle Eastern politics is left only to America to broker so oil flows freely to feed American interests. He also believes in the holy writ of nuclear weapons, military might, and the eternal truth that only war settles issues among nations.

Now, perhaps I paint him too rigidly, too pejoratively. Recall this is the man who singlehandedly advised John McCain on international affairs while he pursued the presidency two elections ago. Even then the two old men were viewed often whispering in each other’s ears the script of the moment in the Middle East. John got it wrong then. Because he uttered the words told him by Graham. Yes, Lindsay got it wrong and slipped it to McCain who then got it wrong. One plus one does equal two. The math works out.

Today the guru Graham feels the world runs the way his own mind runs. In the rut of war and mighty weapons, Graham seems to think that no logic will ever penetrate the minds of those he defines as his enemies.

And so, breakthrough thinking has no roost for Lindsay. No negotiations are ever trustworthy. Foreign affairs must be viewed by him as ‘you do as we say or we don’t pay you.’

I think the peoples of the world have a different take on this issue. I think they have faith and trust in others and the logic of life. I think people believe in possibility. And that makes peace possible.

America is not the judge and jury of global disagreements. It is not the sole protector of peace or even the image of what that peace looks like. That is the province of everyone else on the face of the planet.

That is why I think the script has changed. And that is why I feel certain that republicans have lost their way and will continue to lose national elections.

Iran has stated it is negotiating with world powers, not Congress. Amen to that. Iran has paid a dear price for going its own way too long. The world community has moved on and advanced. Iran has stagnated in all matters. They wish to return to global citizenship. They want to resume a life with promise and peace. The same goes for the far east, China, Russia and all of Europe.

I wonder why McCain and Lindsay remain so mired in their musty reveries. The boat has already left the harbor. No train will catch up with it. Nor an airplane land on its decks.

The good senators need a wake up call lest they miss the next chapter of history’s storyline.

April 21, 2015

Changing the Script

Times are changing. Although they may seem the same – celebrity news, weather, sports, music industry, entertainment news, scrubby politicians, corrupt politics, nasty business exposed everywhere – one might think that nothing much has changed.

I think those thinkers would be wrong. Are wrong.

Here are some tell tale signs that things are different.

~Food kitchens are multiplying; Americans can now see hungry people who need help; and they are responding

~Schools are in the news because of what the community wants as results; not worn out complaints of lackluster teachers, bored classrooms filled with underachieving kids; no, schools are in the news that demonstrate what can be done with new models of education centered on student interests and dreams of the future

~Nuclear weapons globally are declining in number; it has taken some generations but the statistics are finally showing the desired results. Steadily

~Middle Eastern nations are joining forces to protect themselves and their oil fields from rebel forces; regardless of tribes, religions, royal or commoner class, they are joining hands to manage toward peace

~Scientific discovery is multinational. In America Argonne Lab, Fermilab, and many university campuses have joined in mutual exploration of science unknowns and reveled in the joint discovery of new facts and futures. The Cern Super Collider lab is a global joint venture in harnessing science for the good of the global community

~More new car models are all-electric or super efficient hybrids. The eventual demise of the internal combustion engine and its terrible pollution and energy waste is dimly seen in our future

~Addictions are seen as undesirable results of causes that can be addressed. We do not have to write off generations of our youth to the scourge of drug or alcohol self-abuse

~Community life is generally understood today to be the result of people sharing their lives and activities and working toward common goals. Fewer communities are allowing their futures to be left in the hands of self-interested politicians and business interests

~Economics belongs to investors, managers and laborers. It is the combine of their value that makes good things happen. Jobs, standards of living and the yearning of future dreams finally are coming together as they should

~Housing is not viewed as a commodity as it once was. It is a product/service model that flexes with time and human need. This alone will redefine real estate sales, product development, land use, and infrastructure design for generations to come

~Global peace is building, hopefully toward an unstoppable future. Bad guys and nations still exist but they are more and more isolated. The larger family of nations works together toward global goals of peace and achievement for shared standards of living. Decency is building.

These are a few things to ponder. Each has a story, a history line. These are the news items that are building weight and trajectory. Each alone is a powerful and good thing. But taken together there is a pulse of common interest that is pulling us onto a new path.

Where that path leads is yet unknown. Hope, however, beckons that the path is a healthy one we can nurture to health and fullness.

This is the change in script we all need. It is real. It is building. It brings its own possibilities that we can all identify with. And work for.

If we focus on these things, the script will be well written by all of us. And the naysayers will be a persistent noise in the background but lessening hour by hour. They will be drowned out, muffled, by the masses who yearn for a better tomorrow.

Working together we can make good things happen. Yes. The script has changed. Because you wanted it. We wanted it.

April 20, 2015

Thought for the Day

Maya Angelou’s commemorative postage stamp was messed up by the US Postal Service. Sad but true. The stamp was designed using a quote from another thinker. It was passed off as a Maya original.

Fans of Angelou are not easily misled. They Google her writings everyday for a fresh reminder of her genius. And beauty.

She will be long remembered as a true asset of our nation’s culture.

April 18, 2015

Stories that Teach

Every now and then (rarely) the pastor of my church asks me to deliver a sermon. Well, we will call it a sermon but it probably isn't truly a sermon as most of us have come to know that term. Roman Catholics are familiar with homilies – a short message by the priest that lifts up the biblical message of the day and brings it home to the modern day.

In protestant churches sermons serve the same purpose as a homily but often are invested with deeper meaning and scholarship. This is the time, after all, when the church intends to teach the congregation fuller aspects of the faith. Many ministers see the sermon as ‘bringing home the bacon’ for the congregation. Indeed, there are those among the older and wiser members, who grade the church on the variety, intent and intellectual content of the sermons. I don’t think I want to be a congregant there!

Our pastor is down to earth and preaches logically and earnestly. She demonstrates her humanity easily and thus burnishes her message with the common touch of today,  and its surrounding culture. The pastor delivers her sermons well: thought out, easy to understand language, humor, some dramatic flourishes and so on. Job well done!

When lay members are asked to do the sermon she advises them simply – ‘people like stories’. Keep it simple and focus on a story that delivers the message you intend for the day. We are not required to follow the lectionary readings and themes. No; we are free to speak from the heart on something that matters. And we usually do!

I’m thinking of writing a book. Actually I've thought of this for several years now, and friends and blog followers have expressed support that I work on a book. So I am now committed to doing so!

The immediate issue, of course, is finding the focal point of such a project, and the topical content, over all organizational structure of the project, and so on. I keep coming back to stories. Perhaps stories will be a good organizing means to writing a book?

I have a lot of content. Nearly 1200 daily blogs amounting to probably 700,000 words, maybe more. No, content and volume of same, is not the problem. Organizing the mass into a meaningful message is. What’s my main point? How will I deliver on the point in a way that people will remember, oh heck, even be willing to read the contents? What do I have to say that is important enough for others to want to read let alone buy a book containing it?

I’m not alone with this mystery of course. All authors struggle with this phase of the project until they arrive one day with the magical organizing method and topical focus. I’m still thinking about stories and story lines. Let me demonstrate what I’m thinking of.

The Bible has its parables. Stories if you will. Stories demonstrating what the writers of the Bible wanted to say but in simple form. Some of the parables were cryptic, easily misunderstood. But the tale was told so listeners to biblical readings would think about the points made, and their complexity in the ocean of simplicity. They could ask their leaders, ‘what does this mean, master?’ And then be taught the lesson. In those days few could read. Very few books (scrolls, tablets, memory recitations) were in existence.

So stories were a tool to discuss and teach groups of people. In this way the storyline of entire cultures and religions were passed down through time to the present day. Much like American Indian lore of which little is preserved in literary/symbolic form, oral history was provided, enacted in drama art, visual arts and cultural rites. History has a way to make its presence known. In one form or another a storyline is used to do this.

Perhaps that is the way I will impart my message. Using illustrative stories to do my bidding. We shall see. A return to old ways may be the gateway to the new tomorrows.

April 17, 2015

One Upsmanship?

I know the pain – the American Presidential 2016 election campaign is underway. What a royal bore. We are about to have dumped on us tons of dribble and fact-less talking points without any redeeming value. It will amount to a lot of noise.

This routine visits us every four years. Unfortunately, the ideologues think we need to have a long training period to warm up to the campaign. Like two years worth of early noise. So, the 2016 campaign begins in 2014 (check!) and gets into it in earnest in 2015 (check!) and so it goes. Every newspaper, magazine, special interest publication, TV newscast, radio newscast and cable network will be alive with sound bites regarding the approaching election.

We cannot avoid it unless we unplug the TV and listen to arts-only radio with few ads. Or maybe satellite radio without any ads. Of course, avoiding the noise will extend to internet, email and Facebook where we will need to be vigilant about turning off the sound and quickly skimming past the graphic election images.

The conservative wingnuts are spouting their dribble but that is only normal. They do so continually anyway, and have been doing it nonstop without regard to election schedules. Theirs is not an election behavior; it is an ideological behavior focused on losing their marbles and votes.

Alert voters already know this. It is part of the entertainment value that has accrued to political conversation. Like the palms waving in a southern California landscape, one accepts that the wingnuts will be spouting in the background of nearly every cultural landscape these days in America. Hopefully other nations don’t have to put up with this nonsense, but I would not know about that. Right now it is about poor us!

Yes, we have conservatives who claim a vote for Hillary is a vote to return to the 1950’s. That assertion is odd given the fact that the 1950’s has been owned for decades by the wingnuts of the republican party here in America. They want the two cars, husband breadwinner, home based mother not working outside the home, single story ranch house with super green lawn and one dog and two kids in the picture. The church is right down the street where the family worships weekly on Sunday. The newspaper is seen on the lawn early in the morning so the family can catch up on the news. No drugs are evident in this picture perfect scene. And no abortion clinics, of course.

What the picture doesn't show is a growing diversity of our nation with tens of millions of new residents born here and immigrating here annually. New faces, cultures, educations and religions are blending in with the existing culture. Two-income homes is the norm now. So is advanced education – college degrees, masters and even more PhD's – so the new technology is both invented and acculturated properly. The 1950’s gave way to the 60’s, 70’s, thank God the 80’s and 90’s. We are well settled in the 2000’s with 2020 approaching.

The only importance of the 2016 elections is that it is prelude to the 2020’s and 2030’s. It is the long term we are focused on. All issues of importance today are only short term concerns as we manage toward the 20-year future. Focusing on that will place today’s issues into perspective and free us up to solve what really is important.

World peace is one of those big issues. Social and cultural diversity is another biggie. Why is this so hard for people to accept?

The real issue is CHANGE and what it requires of each of us. Change is constant. It is always churning in our lives. It is not all bad. Most, in fact, is good. And the bad we can improve upon given fertile minds and a dash of creativity.

I believe that mankind can and will make the best of times. All it takes is a commitment to reach out and help each other as we all experience change. A good sense of humor will help the process!

Life is not meant to be lived in a cocoon. Nor is it meant to be lived in fear. Just the opposite is intended. Now isn't that exciting?

Perhaps if we focus on these issues the noise of 2016 will pass us by without any bruises or damage. Well maybe that’s a bit much to hope for; perhaps developing some good laugh lines will help?

April 16, 2016

Politics of Awful

It started with Bill Clinton’s run for president back in the 1990’s. For some reason republicans felt it was their duty to besmirch the candidate before he was nominated. And they did. They opened a war against Clinton. Sued in federal court and state court. Harassed him until they were blue in the face. And then for good measure, they sued him again. And again.

And then they sued Hillary. After that, they sued Hillary and Bill, then Bill and Hillary.

By the end of the unstoppable Clinton 8 years of amazing advancement on many national fronts, the Clinton's were bankrupt and $8 million in debt. This didn’t stop the republicans. They sued some more. Soon the Clinton’s were $16 million in debt.

But Bill wrote a book. Then Hillary. Combined, they earned more than $16 million, and began to amass a small asset base that would carry them through retirement and many active years to come. Bill’s speech fees helped, and his writing, and his books. So did Hillary’s talents in similar veins. Of course the retirement benefits of a President are nothing to scoff at. So, as it happens, the Clinton’s are sitting very well financially compared with most citizens.

They have earned every penny. They have survived the scorn – real and imagined – by their enemies. And furthermore, they have thrived. Their accomplishments have become legion. The American people are the beneficiaries of their hard work. History, too.

So much so is this true that the republicans began a reign of terror against all middle-of-the-roaders and Democrats. Simply put, if you were not a republican, you were distrusted and belittled. Worse still, if you were not a conservative, you were a traitor to America.

They believe this. And the only people who can battle that ridiculous position are you and I.

The battle cry to ‘get the Clinton's’ has already been sounded targeting Hillary. Too bad it won’t work this time.

I don’t think that conclusion is wishful thinking on my part. In my bones I feel the American people have had quite enough negativism.

Nothing good comes from negativity. Worry, fear and dread cause the body and mind to cringe into a ball and go into hiding. Bomb shelters were a minor industry in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Fear created it and conservatives heralding nuclear annihilation were the cheer leading section. They were wrong then. They are wrong now. But they built an industry of celebrity politicians and tearing the same down into bits of fire wood.

By accident they co-developed the national ache over celebrity news as well. Today we have entire newscasts devoted to following celebrities in their daily lives, then reporting on them as though they are the primary news of the day. The secondary feature of this industry is the news making efforts to belittle and destroy the celebrities. I guess they do this because they feel room must be made for still more celebrities!

So now we have celebrity entertainers, fake celebrities (Kardashians and Jenners), sports celebs and all the rest in addition to politicians.

Overkill. Plain and simple. Life ought not be about personalities but actual news of events, movements, understandings, discoveries, and the story of mankind surviving the many slings and arrows of life. That’s news. That’s history in the making. Individual celebrities are not news. nor should they.

However we look at it, the political hacks in the republican party have destroyed their own party and their own ideology with hideous human behavior. The sideline industry of celebrity news is finally outpacing that of the celebrity politicians. And in that is the downfall of the republican attacks on enemy politicians. They have spawned so many haters of other people that their hate of specific politicians has been diluted.

Hillary will survive the wingnuts because they have over played their hand.

Besides, Hillary and Bill have been through this before. A replay is not in the cards. America has other things to mind.

That’s just too, too bad!

April 15, 2015

Nuclear Peace?

It is too early to tell but it looks promising that the world powers may finally have a means to craft nuclear peace with Iran. That is something to celebrate. The deed is not done. But the thinking has made a great breakthrough.

Why is this so important? For two reasons that pop to mind:

First, Iran has suffered long enough from economic sanctions imposed by the global community for acts committed in the name of their sovereignty and religion without regard to the sovereignty and religion of the rest of the world community. That is a stark fact. It has to be recognized to understand what has happened over the past 30 years.

Second, the global community – as diverse and divisive as it is – was able to keep a unified voice in dealing with Iran in this matter.

Of course there are other points to make. One would be the global community accepting the fact that nuclear power is important and vital for energy generation without water and fossil fuels heading into the future. For me this is a valuable given. Of course safer nuclear power generation needs to be invented, secured and implemented. Spent fuel rods will poison the planet forever if we don’t find a solution to using those fuel rods completely.

Another point would be this: in the land of oil, nuclear energy generation is vitally important. Oil and natural gas are finite. They will one day be extinct. Mankind needs to replace this energy source with another one. Hopefully the new one will be infinite, plentiful and not injurious to the planet’s health! Our physicists need to continue researching solutions. And the engineers, too! Get at it boys and girls. Our future depends on you.

Still another point: without the politics of oil world peace has a stunning chance to succeed. It is time we all get this point.

With nuclear peace and energy solutions I think the world community can finally sit down in clusters of knowledgeable people and discuss other big issues that lie before us:

• Religious freedom and getting along in a world of cultural diversity
• Clean drinking water supplies for the entire people of the world
• Clean and productive soils worldwide for the growth and sustenance of the world’s peoples
• Access to health services to enable all peoples to live out their potential
• Access to education and research for everyone able so that we can continue to live in sustainable peace.

So many barriers we have had to deal with. Each and every one of them have been manmade. Each was manageable. Each can be put behind us so that we can move forward in time, all of us together. No nation should be pre-eminent. No religion should be the ‘one and only’. No race shall outshine all others.

It is time to awaken to our potential and make it happen. Those of ill will and bad playing habits will need rehabilitation services. Any volunteers for that duty?

April 14, 2015

Filling Holes

You buy a new home. You assess the exterior to be sure it is weather tight. You gaze on the property’s curb appeal and wonder how it can be improved. Once weather tight, what should I tackle next? The lawn, shrubs, tree trimming, flower planting, overall design of the landscaping? How about the driveway? Does it need patching or replacement?

These are the concerns outdoors, but the indoors, now that’s a whole other topic. Before moving in what flooring needs replacement or at least deep cleaning? And the paint; are the colors right for us and our décor? What about rooms in which the walls are dirty and scarred by previous residents? Are repairs needed?

Of course the status of the kitchen and bathrooms need to be assessed. Before long we may have some projects to take on to make the place our own, and to update common conveniences.

That leads to an inspection of plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning. Are all of these systems whole and working properly? Might they need preventive maintenance soon, or even replacement? So much to think about and plan. And of course we need to time the expenses for times we are most likely to have the funds to pursue these projects.

Holes. Holes in our home – the gaps between what we expect and what we have.

Similar to our lives, too. What we expect from life, and in life, compared with what actually exists. Are things working out as expected from past dreams? Or are there glaring gaps? And if the latter, what do we do about it?

There are many tactics to examine. We can determine just how important our dreams and expectations were and whether they were important at all. We adapt to circumstances fairly easily most of the time. When it comes to dreams being fulfilled, however, the adjustment is a bit more difficult.

In my own life I had dreams of owning a big home sustained by a magically huge income from investments and brilliant business careers!  Of course I would dream of that, in the days when still a teenager filled with wonder at what lay ahead. That’s what those years are for. A teenager thinks about what interests him/her. What might that interest importune as a way of living, or a career, or financial success? At that time of life all things are possible.

Even kids living in poverty are able to scan the news stories based on kids striking it rich in the entertainment industry, or the technology field. There are magical stories readily available to fuel the belief that anyone can get rich if they play their cards right, or if they are very lucky at just the right time!

Sure. Anything is possible. But as we grow older, as we deal with the day to day living details we mature our thinking and focus on what most important: food, shelter, clothing, health and relationships. Safety first; happiness second. The basics of life. Learned the hard way with a helping hand from time to time from family and friends.

Help from the family is not guaranteed. Many families live lives of diverse expectations. College education is not a given in most families. High school graduation, yes, college degree no. In such families the depth of a person’s life is not computed with educational achievement. Somehow they are kept separate.

Not in our family. Education and happiness were equated. A person in the family simply kept going to school until they felt they were ready to go out on their own. A bachelor’s degree at the time was the primary marker to begin life on one’s own. But more study beckoned and I returned twice to higher education, earning a master’s degree in the early 1980’s. That was my normal. Others stopped at the four-year degree, still others went on to a PhD and even post doctoral study.

It mattered to many that career challenges begged for more education. That is how entire industries move forward to develop new technology, new services and products. We, the people, participate in this movement with our curiosity, intellect, training and education. We search for new things and make them real. We who are alert and willing will make this happen. All others will have to follow or fall by the wayside. Theirs is not an owner’s role – part and parcel of what is happening. They are just there, users and takers, not givers and creators.

Although America is a consumer’s culture, it has also been a makers culture. What is real, shared and used, is what we make and create. And that is the business of recognizing holes and filling them intelligently. Finding the holes and filling them.

It works in personal lives, too. As we move beyond one phase change to another we discover holes and will work to fill them. The question is: How well will we fill the holes? How serious will our efforts be in learning about the holes and what is truly needed to fill them?

Time, honesty and self awareness -- the magical ingredients to doing this work. Will we be up to the task? Well now, that's the real question isn't it?

April 13, 2015

Thought for the Day

Seasons’ Change

As we experience spring’s budding we are reminded of winter’s passing. As well we are mindful of summer’s approach.

Having been born to a two-season climate (southern California) while spending the vast majority of my life in four-season climates, I can recall how different life is in the two different weather zones. One simple, the other complex, yet richer in the nuance of passing time. The days are each so different. Not all are good for a picnic spontaneously planned! And many a walk in the woods was spoiled by rain but never a sudden thunderstorm! Or a walk in the park during a light snow fall. Each has its allure.

Spring or winter. Four seasons or two. Each has its purpose, its value.

Best we give this some thought as we anxiously await warmer weather and green growing things.

April 11, 2015

Wanting or Needing?

At the teen group meeting the other night we went around the room asking what was the best thing that happened this week for them and what was the worst thing. The usual sorts of things came out, some funny some not so funny. One girl expressed anger that her parents think she has demonstrated high risk behavior but denied it vigorously. When asked to expand on her comments, she claimed her folks examined her phone data and learned she had been texting and querying various topics that indicated her interest in topics that were drug related or plot-based planning. The word terrorist jumped into the conversation, from where I’m not sure.

The group commented that some of her queries would be easily misunderstood by anyone scanning her texts. She was asked why she had done this and was it really a tease to her parents?

She became quite distressed and accused us of telling her what to do. Combative. Emotional. Without warning or build-up. Obviously some subtext was present of which we were unaware. Others in the room became uneasy. Soon our hour was over and with relief we ended the session and made our exit. I suspect most of us were glad the hour was over.

On the drive home I thought and rethought the exchanges with this girl. The illogical, irrational turn of the discussion’s trajectory was very odd. Eventually it alarmed me. Had I been trained in this I think I would have reported the incident to the program staff and suggested an intervention and possibly a hospitalization. Her parents were already considering moving her into a residential rehab facility and this had scared the girl. Perhaps the parents’ instincts were spot on?

We won’t know for another week or so what if anything came of this incident. It does serve to illustrate what issues we encounter in this drug/alcohol abuse rehab program we are involved in. Although we come to it from an Alcoholics Anonymous perspective, we are embedded in the substance abuse program. Ours is a means to get the kids to discuss their issues and move forward toward a life without substance abuse be it alcohol or drugs. Just the talking about these matters is a positive step. You might be surprised at how difficult it is to get these young people to talk about their issues, however. They will talk about anything but.

Of course there is group sharing with gales of laughter and gossipy sniggers all about their use patterns and how they went over the top on such and such a date. Or event, or circumstance…blah, blah, blah. A lot of blah! It is maddening to me to watch them avoid the hard work of facing their problems. They say they don’t have a problem! That others are projecting on them the ‘problem’. But we all know they are afflicted.

With what, you say? With the illusion that they are fully responsible adults and can do as they wish. These are kids of 13 to 17 years of age. Most are not even able to discuss post puberty issues yet. And even then with smirks and feigned sophistication. No they are mostly immature and unwilling to say that word, let alone be willing to discuss the issues for which they have been forced to enroll in the program. They are in full denial of their problems.

A few of the older kids have come to their own awareness of this and you can read it in their eyes. They ‘get it’ and they seem embarrassed that we adult volunteers have to witness the silliness of their peers. Because of their reaction I know the program works. It just takes time and individual participants react in their own time to deal with the reality.

I will see them tonight and it will be interesting to learn if anything came from last week’s incident. It is not always easy to keep such momentum on track or follow it; two or three new kids join the group each week while others are graduating or disappearing. We don’t always know why they disappear. Some are in resident treatment centers. Others are in jail. A very few wind up in prison. It all depends on how honest the kids are with their inner selves and with each other.

The more open ones graduate to a life of self control and unfolding potential. The less open ones repeat their behaviors over and over again and sink below the waves of society never to be seen again. One always wonders how much potential is lost to this disease of substance abuse. And why it goes on and on.

It is a medical and psychological condition. Not a criminal one. Yet that is the ultimate treatment, isn't it? I wonder how we can save them from this fruitless, painful devolution?

April 10, 2015

Election Day Afterthoughts

I've lost track of the years I've served as an election judge. It must be at least six years, probably more. Of course some years there is no election held, but in most years at least one election is scheduled and sometimes two. One doesn't make a living from this work; I think the most I earned from the election commission was $364 for a two-election year. Still there are rewards.

Like Tuesday's election. It was a municipal election in the main. Two of our town’s aldermen were running in contested elections; one won, the other lost. All four of the candidates I know. Of course I had my favorites: one lost, one prevailed. And so it goes.

Yesterday’s post made a claim that some would think bold. I said the story of the election would not be who won or lost, but rather who didn’t bother to vote. In our polling place four precincts were served with about 2700 eligible voters. Only 459 of them bothered to turn out. Not even 20%; barely 17%! That is a blotch on the voters in Warrenville, Illinois. At least 25% ought to have turned out. Better if 55% or more had turned out.

The story in America is citizen involvement and active understanding of their government. The issues are often tiny but taken as a whole make up large principles that matter in the long run. Governance is about the long term. It’s about building long term futures for generations of citizens now alive and yet to come. Building blocks of decisions are made one at a time. Sometimes these seem insignificant but that would be in error.

Democracy is a labor intensive deal. We, the citizens, have the authority and responsibility to know the issues, understand them well, and know and trust candidates we will select to do our business. Sometimes we volunteer to be that candidate; mostly we support others in that role. But in all instances it is our duty to know, study, spend time and energy, and then take action to vote and to urge others to vote. That behavior will maintain our democracy in good health. Ignoring our democracy and not participating in it will surely lead to its death.

In most of our communities there are citizens who talk, teach, write and report on civic matters so others will have the opportunity to understand the issues. The tragedy in most of these communities is the general public doesn't pay attention, is easily led by nonsense chatter about some issues, and then doesn't bother to vote. Such is/was the case in Warrenville, Illinois on April 7, 2015.

The further tragedy is/was that most communities in the USA suffer from the same ailment.

Oh, people will say they can’t trust the politicians. But who made the politicians in the first place? Those who don’t vote truly make politicians possible. Now, I’m using a negative definition of the term ‘politician’. My definition is: ‘A person who intentionally misleads others in order to gain elected office and maintain that position for his/her own self interest or gain.’ I know that is a cynical view. But having been an elected official and knowing what my intentions were and how irrelevant they were treated by voters taught me that my efforts were not appreciated in the main. My decisions were well thought out and focused on the long term. Such decisions are often misunderstood by the non-involved. So they vote against you. This happens a lot in most communities. And it produces local governments that do not work effectively in managing the long term affairs of the community. In Warrenville we are most fortunate. Long term concerns rule the daily routines. The community is successful. But it will remain so only if the electorate fulfills its duty by knowing and understanding the issues before it and open to elections.

Such is the tenuous nature of any democracy. It is healthy only as long as its people work hard to make it so. Knowledge is power. Ignorance breeds corruption and loss of power except for those stealing it for their own gain.

Which is our type of democracy? Tenuous and in danger? Or healthy and vibrant. Only the voters have the power to make that decision. Where do you stand with your duty?

April 9, 2015

Power Within

The waitress walked with some difficulty. Her shoes were over-sized around her toes, and the crepe soles hinted the shoes were orthotically designed to fit just her feet. Her eyes were large and extended, walleyed. Her complexion was mottled and lined. I guessed her age to be 60-ish. Gnarled hands and knuckles informed the world this was a sufferer of arthritis. Yet she waitressed, carrying heavy platters, trays of hot food to far off tables and booths. Countless trips to and from the beverage center added to her agonies.

Yet when she approached me for my order, her mouth formed a smile as big as the restaurant. Hospitality was her middle name yet her body was not designed for this job. Clearly she labored through her shift in pain and physical awkwardness.

I ate at this restaurant nearly every day, sometimes twice a day. It was half way between my apartment and the L station in Oak Park, Illinois. I knew the owners – Carol and George – who were hard task masters on themselves and their hired help. Barking orders to them, they were not friendly employers. They were wonderfully welcoming to their customers, however. That’s why I came back over and over.

The waitress didn’t last long in this atmosphere. Carol chided her on being slow and not very attractive. But then the work didn’t require attractive, did it? No, just diligence, tolerance, and a high threshold for pain.

I remember being impressed by this waitress the first time I met her. So impressed I wrote a poem about her spirit and inner beauty. In those days I wrote some poetry; I was a new college grad, commuting to the Loop in Chicago. Living alone with my family in New York, I was lonely. And ungainly in my youth. Unknowing, too, in my understanding of the world. But I was aware of beauty in places, things and people.

A short time later Martin Luther King. Jr. would be assassinated and I would be moved to enter seminary. It was 1968 and America was deeply disturbed by civil strive over civil rights as well as broad unrest over the war in Viet Nam. Flower Power and Hippies, pot and free sex, Haight-Ashbury and Woodstock – those were the names in the news in those days. Turmoil and smiles, however. Question marks everywhere and lively chats at the water cooler and cocktail lounge.

Unrest may describe a person or an era or a clash of movements and ideology. But unrest is also a clue to an inner person wanting to emerge. Some power tingles and twinges the consciousness and the individual begins to express feelings and ideas. From this inner sense comes a power to say, think or do something different than what he has experienced in the past.

This emergent inner person is the power within each of us. We become aware we can do more than what we have been doing. We stretch and move in ways unfamiliar.

Such is the way we slowly grow into mature, conscious persons. We begin to think in ways that push forward ideas and commitment to action. We realize the world is a place, that people fill the places, and people make things happen.  News is mostly made by people acting within their spaces. Those acts gather into movements as more people join in similar actions. A trend line forms and history takes a shape.

Thus people, individuals and groups, do things and develop a form of power from those actions. They are expressing a power from within. They are doing, thinking, acting. The world is changed a little bit from this. And later, probably much later, a historical note documents the happening.

Such is the power of an individual. Such is the power within each of us. To do the work of the world, form communities, help one another, support causes large and small, and support governments and national actions. We make a difference. More so if we are aware we are doing so.

Education comes from this inner power. so too, charity, church, entrepreneurial risk taking, writing, artistic expression and so much more.

When asked ‘what can I do?’ Much. From the inner person, the person within, the power within. Each of us.

The meaning and worth of life is often found only from the power within. It deserves exploration and discovery.

How well is your power within?

April 8, 2015

Election Day

Today is Election Day. Municipal elections, local governing districts, too, give voters the opportunity to select the volunteers willing to do the public’s work for the next four years or so. Fire districts, park districts, too, are elected at this time. So too the boards of trustees of local community colleges, and libraries, and township boards, and oh so many other bodies we rely on but know so little about.

It may be the lack of our knowing that is the story of today’s elections. As a prominent democracy America’s elections are almost sacred proof that ordinary citizens have the combined intelligence to make good decisions on who will represent them in the halls of governance. And advice on referenda as well. Today’s elections will help form public policy as we go forward together.

The story of today’s elections…must include the lack of participation. Local elections garner less than 25% of voters’ attention. So much is decided by so few. And from that public policy becomes distorted, misunderstood, miscreated. Out of tune with what the people truly want for their community.

Lack of participation is not the only ailment. Another is lack of familiarity with the issues. Do we really know what is meant by deficit spending? Tax levies and equalized property valuations? Tax rates and sinking funds? How much policing is a good thing? And fire protection designs that protect our lives and our property? What are optimal issues for us to understand? And what are the issues best left to the elected officials and their professional support staff? Those are the people who study the issues in fine print so the best decisions can be made for the long term protection of public interests.

In our small town of Warrenville, Illinois, there are citizens who feel that building a traffic circle in place of a complicated ill aligned intersection is an expensive folly. They deem their local officials incapable of making this sort of decision in the best interests of the community. So they have built a political campaign to stop the roundabout. They have built an image around this issue as though the city fathers must be stupid and insensitive to the public if the roundabout continues to be an agenda item. Even so the roundabout issue has not been decided and is most unlikely to be built anytime soon. If ever.

Trouble is this. Warrenville is a community that has no debt. All of its infrastructure is up to date and paid for. All of the community’s public buildings are new or nearly new and built to high quality standards for long-term reliability, low cost maintenance, and energy efficiency. Even the infrastructure’s future replacement and major maintenance costs have been handled via an accruing sinking fund so the community can continue its reliability without accruing major future debt.

Warrenville also relies on shared revenues from federal, state and county governments for replacements of bridges, flood abatement structures, and the like. We have learned to live cooperatively among ourselves and among other communities to be strong and self reliant. We come to the aid of other communities when they need it as well. We are not an island self centered on our narrow interests.

No we are a well managed community well partnered with other local government entities who are also well managed.

But is this what a narrow interest group of wannabe politicians focus on? No; it is a roundabout ‘traffic circle’ they focus on as though this oddity ought not have a presence in our corporate lives. An alien concept like this, after all, should not be considered or discussed?

What hooey! Don’t focus on what is right and well with the community. Don’t focus on the problems that might be forming on our horizon for which we need to be prepared. No; focus on a truly meaningless issue, blow it out of all proportion, and then hope the election balances on this ill conceived business.

It is enough to shame us all.

And thus, in a democracy, nutty issues will emerge. It is up to the rest of us to restore sanity and proportion to the reality. And vote accordingly.

Do your duty America. Vote. Vote intelligently. Act and be responsible. Our future depends on it.

April 7, 2015