A Few Personal Comments

On October 3^rd this blog will be four years old. In that time 72,000 hits have been recorded. That does not count articles read, just the number of times people have entered the blog site to read something. Some people catch up after a week or two of absence, and read several items in one visit. I have no way of knowing who reads the blog, how they feel about it, or if they revisit often.

I do know I have a stalwart few who read the blog nearly every day. For that I am very grateful.

Google provides standard analytics for every blog site. So I know where people live who read the blog. Surprisingly Russia provides the most readers outside of the USA. Canada occasionally shows up on the reader list, but they are reluctant participants, same for United Kingdom readers. I have readers from Scotland, Ireland and England, but not very many, and not all the time.

European readers are fairly frequent – France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Scandinavian nations, too. But then there is China, Indonesia and Japan. Surprisingly Chinese readers increase in number as Russian readership dips, and vice versa. That always interests me! But then rarely do any readers join in from South America. Mostly Brazil, if any. Nothing from Africa.

At one point I thought of calling the FBI and telling them there are many readers paying attention to my blog from nations previously thought of as enemies. But then I thought that would be presumptuous of me. Instead, I often wrote intentionally to Mr. Putin and others in Russia, hoping my messages of peace and understanding would have an effect. Perhaps they have, most likely not. I will never really know, will I?

At any rate, I write this blog for my own peace of mind, not that of any particular other person. Yes. This is a selfish enterprise. It calms me. It is an outlet for my frustration over mindless public media rubbish. It lets me vent about politicians who misuse and abuse the American form of government for their own ends rather than for the good of the people.

Venting does me good. My blood pressure drops. Equanimity returns. Creativity is loosed upon many subjects I’d rather think about. And so I do. That alone is reward enough for doing this blog.

I’ve thought of taking a long break from blogging. But then I never have in the past. I’ve blogged from motel rooms, hotels and resorts while away on business, and from my sick bed, too. Blogging has been good for me. I am retired. I am not useless. Old yes, and of questionable health, but still able to get up and around.

And I have ideas. Ideas that others should be thinking about and need to. If we as a human race are to survive and do so well, then someone needs to take their ideas to fruition and implementation.

When I was a college student I felt the inner sense of taking on the world for our generation and doing the next chapter of work for the world. As our parents retired I knew we were now responsible for what they left behind. And now I do the same with my kids. They are the ones – they and their generation – who are left with the problems, challenges and horrors that my generation leaves behind. They will need fresh ideas and passions to motivate them toward new goals and achievements for the good of the world.

So in a sense I am speaking to them. Arise young people! Take on the yoke of leadership and achieve for your sakes, our sakes, and your kids’ sake. The world awaits your stewardship of all we hold dear.

And dear it is. For each nation and its people. For the memory of all that has occurred in the past, and the people who have lived and loved and propelled us toward this day.

I know; I know. I’m a romantic and fan of drama! But really! Isn’t this what life is all about? Our families, our loves and our close-up cultures? Getting along with each other and extending that outward to the rest of the globe is a natural thing to do. With modern communication and modes of transportation making the world smaller by the day, why don’t we all reach out and make good things happen? Why is this so difficult to do?

In a very small way I use this blog to publish my thoughts on these matters. I hope they do some good. I hope my efforts help others take a step toward freedom of thought and action and create new ideas and lives of quality for others.

After all is said and done, being of use to others is really the only enduring purpose for our lives, isn’t it?  Why fight that?

Whatever you do – write a blog, love a child, build a home, fight disease or a war – be of use so your life is complete.

September 3, 2015