Regeneration

The end of 2019 is the gateway to 2020. Out with the old and in with the new. Possibilities. Potential. Hopes and dreams for renewal in whatever makes good sense.


Personal issues exist for each of us. And for our families, close friends, and work colleagues. Organization members, too. We connect in so many ways, networks. Each connection is not just a transaction, but a site for relationship.


How healthy am I emotionally? How healthy are my relationships? Are others entering those relationships healthy, too? Or are we constantly challenged to wend our way through minefields of emotional battles?  If we are aware of these, how well do I navigate them?  What role is mine to do, and what role belongs to the other?


Relationships go awry from time to time. some never have a chance to survive and thrive. They seem marked for failure from the very beginning. Other relationships, however, are variable in their balance. Regenerating healthy relationships is an ongoing task. It is part of our ordinary, daily lives. Not attending to this leads to certain failure.


Renewal is necessary. In so many ways.

This year began with a key word in mind - Humor. As I look back on the year 2019, it was a very tough. Rocky's cancer was discovered. Then his surgery and recovery. The laryngectomy and its aftermath. The expansion of Rocky's Parkinson's Disease. In two words, 2019 was Rocky's Health.

But we got through it. We managed to do what was necessary, and with the enormous help from friends, family, doctors and nurses, and tons of prayers, we both survived. But humor was with us as well.

We laughed. Absurdities were recognized and we guffawed - well, I guffawed aloud, Rocky shook with a great smile on his face!

We laughed with friends and family. Yes 2019 was a hard one, but we came out whole in the end. In so many ways we regenerated ourselves.

I'm thinking 2020's key word for me will be renewal. It seems a natural, don't you think? And 2020 begins at midnight. So much to be explored! And experienced!

Happy New Year to you!

December 31, 2019

People in Our Lives

So many people in our lives at any given moment. New acquaintances enter, some leave our circle. Longtime friends drift off to the sidelines of our consciousness. Some disappear entirely. Same with family. Some family members go on to live very busy lives without a center of remembrance of our connection. Others drop away on purpose; they alone know the reason. That is true for me as well.


I remember a favored aunt who knew me to be gay. We had discussed it privately a few times. She knew I didn’t want my mother told (her sister). I wanted to do that myself when the time was right. But the aunt went ahead anyway. Whether that was purposeful or an accident is not known by me. Both Mom and aunt are now deceased. But they had a burr with one another about something buried far in the past. I don’t know what that was, but the suspicion is auntie wanted to hurt Mom by letting her know she knew something about me that she didn’t.


I never had a connection with that aunt again. Because of that distance, her daughters (my cousins) are distant, too. Letters and emails go unanswered. So, dropping away seems to be the conclusion. It is OK. This drama is very small and private. It is not known by any others. And, at our ages, the seniors deceased and the cousins in mid to late 70’s, it is hardly worth drama.


And so it goes. With some family and many once-friends, dropping off is common. Only those near and dear are kept in close emotional contact. And yes, there are friends close in heart who live far off that remain very close and dear to me. To us. This is a normal process of life. A winnowing of connection.


Some of this hurts. When offspring distance from parent, the pain is very real. Especially so when the cause of the exile is over misunderstandings or purposeful hurt. No language shared on this among the participants. No discussion entered for clarity. Just blame and bad feelings. Many families have this dysfunction. Whether it is parent or sibling affiliation troubles, the close bond that should be there is shattered and likely not to be healed. Alienation of spirit has taken hold. A bridge too far is not accessible.


This time of year brings family and friend problems to light. They mean more deep inside than admitted. But we must live on with or without them. They have made choices and we have no control over that. None. Whatsoever.


And we wonder why international relations is so difficult to manage?  We can’t even manage our own family connections!


Peace to everyone in this season to live beyond the alienated relationships we may have. My story is similar to yours but still very unique. The same with everyone else. The stories never seem to resolve.

That is OK. It is part of the journey of life. Accept and move on.


December 30, 2019

Brokenness

If Christmas is anything, it is a reminder and a loud clarion call that the world is broken and needs us to come to its aid. Faith in the God who made us; faith in his/her creation – the world (His/Her world!). If the world needs repair, God calls on us to do the heavy lifting. Because we are here on the scene. And because we are part of the problem to begin with. It follows that we are called on to do our part to fix it.


So here we are in 2019. The world community has trade, war, cultural, health and climate dangers galore. Poverty and illness lay low at least 25% of the world’s population. In America we are wealthy but over 60% of her people earn less than the minimum wage and have little or no health insurance.

Here in America, education is not equally accessible to those who need it or are able to make the most of it to advance the aims of humankind. We continue to view education as the passport to future earnings and wealth. Yet we keep that passport out of the hands of many.


Climate Change is a real problem. We may argue about its definition and scope; but it is real and we need to respond to lessen the damage done to our home planet. It is our life hanging in the balance. And the lives of our kids and their kids. What can each of us do to address this problem?


Healthcare in the end is palliative. We use it to soften suffering. We ought to be using it to prevent illness and premature death. But do we? Yes. We do. But normally as that last resort. The poor come to the emergency rooms for common treatment. They have nowhere else to go. And the hospitals do their best to ease suffering of all who present themselves. What can we do together to make this better?


Out of wedlock births by teenage girls is dramatically less today than it was 10 years ago. We are making progress here. But why can’t we do even better with better sex education and cultural tolerance? Why must this be a war on pregnancy or abortion? Why either?


Democracy is messy and chaotic. Not all the time. It is susceptible to manipulation by wealthy people and corporate interests. And ideologues when backed by wealth. The voice of each of us is easily erased with the lack of campaign finance reform, purging of voter rolls, difficult voter registration processes designed to thwart voter registration. Gerrymandering political districts to favor election of candidates of one party over another. These are the warps of our governance system and it demeans and devalues all of us. What can we do to regain control over our very own governance?


Our social discourse is mean, dispiriting and destructive. How do we restore civility among us? Who will step forward first? Who will suffer slings and arrows to begin the better conversation? Who will join in this crusade to be humble, loving creatures to and for each other?


All of the above are needs we have right now, this instant. All is manageable if we collaborate and cooperate with one another. Can we agree to strive in 2020 to do better?


Why not right now?


December 27, 2019

What’s Ahead?

A season of peace? A time of quiet? A pause to ponder blessings? A breather to restore balance and justice?


We are in a season for all those things. Chaos and busy-ness no doubt have crowded out the lofty goals! We face cleaning up the seasonal disorder, putting away gifts from yesterday, sorting through things we no longer need and putting them in the basement or garage for taking to the resale shop. Reorganizing the refrigerator is on our to do list, so the leftovers from recent feasts can be consumed in time and re-enjoy the spirit of when the first overs were shared.


Flights to and from family homes near and far will be negotiated. Packing and unpacking suitcases will be handled as well. Then there is the actual travel and finding the car and returning to our own home in one piece! So much to do. So much to think about.


Peace? Quiet? Ponder blessings? Restoration of balance and justice? Something tells me these will not be attended.


We live life on several planes. First is our own individual self. Second is close by family. Third is friends near and far. Fourth is work colleagues. Fifth is extended family. Sixth is career interest people and leaders. Seventh is associational groups. Eighth is region and nation personalities. Ninth is global relationships. There may be some subgroups not included in the above but meant to be embraced.


We split our focus over a sea of people, things and organizations. It is not easy being the self, the lover/loved one, the family standard bearer, the boss or employee, or anything else. Especially true when we consider all of the above exists simultaneously. All are important. All do not get the attention they need or deserve.


And there’s the rub! We cannot be all things to everyone and everything, least of all to our self. We must choose. We select the most important to our well-being and survivability. Do not fault yourself for letting others down. Praise and value those who do not let others down, and movements and ideas, and good works, too. Individually we cannot attend to everything equally. Or even well.


Through collaboration we can achieve more and spread our time, talents and resources to those things and people who need them the most. That is our way forward. We know of the problems. But what do we do about them? How can we when so much is at stake in so many sectors at the same time?


Divide and conquer the work load, the agenda. Cooperate with others so more gets done well and on time. collaboration is a gift of our potential. If we want this to work, it will.


First is the want to be a goal.


Are we there yet?


December 26, 2019

Warm Christmas

This special day of 2019 will be remembered for being unseasonably warm. 50 degrees forecast. Full sun and then some cloud cover. Not in the single digits with snow covered landscapes.


A few times in the past, we shared Christmas with parents in California and Arizona. Those days were memorable and very odd for us. So used to Illinois Winter, especially surrounding the Holidays. Those trips were oddly percussive. Abundant warmth and sunlight. Smells of trees, plants and flowers abloom. Grass growing and being mowed. Fresh air off the desert and from the mountains. Spicy herbs and drought resistant plant life. Redolence of times from my youth, but not for my kids. Strange and fresh for them; for me a haunting reminder of so many years ago.


Christmas is a cultural phenomenon for us. It has special mysteries. We know it means something larger than ourselves, but what exactly is never fully known. It is a hope for the coming of time. The future entices but does not control the present. No; the present is very much in control of Christmas. What does it mean now? What will it bring? Who will be a part of that? and who will be absent from our gatherings?  


Time shifts all of these elements. It is kaleidoscopic, tumbling images, each with their own allure. Each with a beckoning to leave the past and the present for the future. Age plays its role, unfolding new awareness of both the old and the new. Perspectives change. The tots and young children are in their amazement age; elders are not. We note the chasms time brings. We ponder that. we wonder that. We appreciate the added timeline of experience.


So much we take for granted. And yet time moves on, gathering new bits and pieces that now are part of our story, our biography.


The wonders of the universe are many and joyous. This is a day to appreciate.


The worries and troubles will have their time tomorrow and the days after. Let this day be one of peace, quiet, and loving joy.


Merry Christmas.


December 25, 2019

Christmas Eve

So many memories. Of this time of year. Generations of memories. So many people involved, so many of them now gone from the present. Still remembered, still recalled and savored.


Other memories, too. Of place, smells, temperature, wind and breezes. And food, of course; of course!


The Christmas tree as symbol, reproduced each year in each of the living rooms I have inhabited. Each different but oh, so alike. The needles, the aroma, lights – first big, then smaller, then tiny – and the tinsel or not. Ornaments aplenty. Some themed, others family heirlooms.


As years ticked past, the ornaments and decorations collected over the years were given to the kids, and to parting spouses. And to the trash heap, at least for those unclaimed.


Traditions. Those last the longest. Going to church. Arranging the calendar for gatherings. Noticing the change in social interaction as the season approaches. The music shifts; lyrics mostly, but carols appear everywhere. Public decorations along streets and storefronts; restaurants, too. Everywhere reminders of the Holidays make us notice the time of the Yule.


Our family – wife and kids – built a tradition of Christmas Eve dinner - lasagna, salad, garlic bread and red wine -  wood fire crackling in the hearth, Christmas music during dinner, then a good seasonal movie. Later, church with full choir at 11 pm and, afterward, the walk out of the church with luminaria lining the sidewalks and paths. The neighborhoods lit by luminaria, too, all the way back to our home. And finally to bed.


Mom and dad arranged the living room for Christmas morning, put out the fire and prepped for the big day.


Next morning, bright and very early, the Christmas tree was alight, the room darkened, the wood fire started. Coffee was perked and lights kept dim throughout the house. The preparations were ready. The kids giggled down the stairs. Then squeals and oohs and aahs. Peeking and rummaging through the gifts under the tree was a part of the whole experience. And then, discipline allowed one gift to be opened for each child. Then to breakfast and a reminder of what the day ahead means.


Quickly past the egg casserole, pastries and orange juice, we returned to the tree and dwindling fire.

Now for the exciting part of Christmas!


Two hours or so later, exhausted by the attention, expectations, and surprises of what each gift contained, we were left with a mess to tidy up, stretch, and ponder what had just transpired. So much preparation. So much anticipation. So much fun and goodness. And certainly a little bit of disappointment. Things we got that we didn’t want. Things we wanted but didn’t get. And the speedy process spent undoing all the preparations of these moments.


Another Christmas under the belt. Yuletide survived, mostly intact. Happy but melancholy with memories of long ago; and knowing this day would add to the memories for future Christmases.


Sentiments run high at this time of year. Just because age tends to lessen the yuletide activity for some, doesn’t mean they don’t dwell on the meaning of the season.


Take time to pause and remember. Relax and enjoy the wholeness of these precious days. New memories add to the old, they don’t replace them. They refresh our readiness of what lies ahead.


December 24, 2019

Trial, Process, Justice

Both pro and anti-trump fans decry injustice, fairness, process, and transparency. They are both wrong.


Mr. trump came into the White House by unconventional means. He brow beat, insulted, sneered and mimicked disagreeable persons. Tthroughout his campaign. At times it seemed he was goading the public into not voting for him. His run was for the fun of it and TV ratings. He refused to bow to norms and politeness. No tax filings aired for public view. No background data shared with analysts for full disclosure on anything. He thumbed his nose at convention.  He gathered fans along the way, enough to make a win possible. So, he continued campaigning in an unorthodox manner. He won, partly because many voters were sick and tired of the dysfunction of Congress and the disingenuousness of pundits, elected officials, and questionable news coverage.


Most of that dysfunction and dishonesty remains. And the American public is disaffected. Hell, we are downright angry and frustrated. Trump supporters are not the only ones angry; most of us are.  However, non-trumpers are as angry with trump and the news industry covering him. He talks nonsense and reporters treat his words as news. It isn’t; it is proof of a parallel universe bedeviling the global village today.


Here is evidence of that:

a.      The House of Representatives has the responsibility of considering whether impeachable offenses are present. It is their duty to perform this function under the constitution. Republicans took their usual side in the matter and refused to support this check and balance. Democrats had no choice but to pursue a bill of particulars, an investigation that might lead to an indictment against the accused. In constitutional parlance that is ‘impeachment.’ At the end of a process similar to a grand jury in the court system, the House Committee voted to impeach. The matter went to the full house for consideration. It performed the process. None of this is a trial. 

b.      Section a, above, is being labeled by republicans as a faulty trial. We know it isn’t a trial, rather an indictment. That’s the first misstatement of fact by republicans.

c.      The next misstatement is Mitch McConnell’s assertion that the impeachment articles are so weak that the Speaker of the House is reluctant to present the articles to the Senate. Not true. The Speaker is timing submission of the Articles of Impeachment following an agreement by the Senate on the rules of the trial that will handle the impeachment. Mitch has indicated the possibility of no trial process whatsoever and replacing that with an up or down vote on the matter of impeachment. That vote would be a win for republicans because they have a supermajority in the Senate. Pure politics by the republicans again. No truth or facts discussed. Just empty, unsubstantiated opinion. The trial would not happen under this scenario.

d.      Recent republican presidencies have administered deficit spending sprees. Lower taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals reduces government revenues. Coupled with major new spending plans for defense systems, wars, and border walls and patrols, the deficit mounts annually. The national debt balloons. In between the republican regimes, Democrat presidencies reduced annual deficits and actually began paying off portions of the national debt.  At the time republicans demanded no new expenses without cutting other expenses or raising taxes to pay for them. When they are in the White House, just the opposite is the policy.

There are other examples as well. Under presidencies of both parties, campaign finance reforms have been scuttled. Lobbying and campaign connections have grown, not diminished. National Rifle Association has gained influence in Congress, not lessened. Unilateral tariff changes have turned many markets upsidedown, most damaging American farmers heavily.


Of course immigration reform has been discussed for generations with little done to solve problems.  This issue belongs squarely with the Congress. Both parties have kicked the can down the road for years. When pressed for solutions, they swoon toward inaction yet again. But beefed up border patrols and wall building? Somehow those get short term attention.


It appears dysfunction is rampant within the Executive and Legislative branches of government. The Judiciary is currently being packed with conservative ideologues and inexperienced judges; soon the Judicial branch will be as dysfunctional as the other two branches.


Fairness. Honesty. Transparent process and governance. All fail the American People. The government has failed on many fronts. Mainly, it has failed the American People.


Isn’t it time we the people did something about this? Where are the leaders who will help with this?


December 23, 2019

Life Goes On

Impeached one day. Finally. A concrete step taken in repudiation to all the bluster, bragging, empty threats, empty promises, strutting, nonsense claims, and self congratulations.  Also: no income tax records, failed donations to charities, propaganda and photo ops empty of meaning.


But then the next day life goes on as usual.


Christmas preparations continue. Snow falls somewhere and shovels clear sidewalks and driveways. Bills are paid. Commuting to work and back home is accomplished yet again and again. Nothing much changes in the lives of ordinary people.


In Washington DC, however, courses are mapped and strategized. Political capital is weighed and bet on various tactics. Money is in the air. And power. Money, after all is said and done, is power in compact form. It is really is a means to an end.


That is the norm of DC. Power and money. Money and power. Power. Writ large – POWER.


Sad it is. People with power have to exercise it. They have to play with it like a child with a toy. Or people with money wanting more. Greed as vocation. Once we thought Wall Street was the center of attention and power. How wrong we were.


The little minds of politicos’ playact at governing without accomplishing anything. So devoid of meaning.


Well, embarrassment and historical footnotes are accomplishments, I suppose. But what of climate change, poverty, education, shared infrastructures, energy resources and access to healthcare? What about justice and fair play? What happens to those issues? And immigration, world trade, economic tasks, et. al.?


While the rest of us continue to support our families, raise children, support local communities, churches and charities, schools, and public institutions, what work outcomes are the DC folk producing? Not much of anything. this is what they have come to.


Yes, there was a public accounting of one man who has run afoul of our standards of fair play, so he has been impeached.  Without concurrence of the Senate, the accused will be acquitted and remain in office. The charade of governance will continue until his nightmare tenure has run its course. Those responsible will continue to accrue wealth and power while the rest of our nation suffers on.


One can only hope that our shared futility will one day be answered. I’m not holding my breath. I suggest you don’t either.


December 20, 2019

The Die Is Cast

The impeachment vote went as expected. Trump is now only the third president to be impeached. Now for the Senate and its inevitable repudiation of the impeachment. Sad but true.


The House put off this fractious debate long enough, but in the end, the target was just too emboldened and outrageous to leave him off the morality hook any longer. He literally begged to be impeached. And so he has that.


The last minute strong arming by republicans to scare off middle of the roaders, was interesting to watch. They came after me. I’m nobody. I’m a blogger keeping my mind clear and forward looking. But you know, there are those who promise retaliation and spooky things if I continue to voice my opinion. All this in a nation of freedom!  Makes you think, doesn’t it?


Trouble is, I’ve been thinking for a very long time. Truth and logic is natural when practiced for a very long time. That’s is the weakness of those who would have us think otherwise. The ideological war is about money and power. Ethics and morals evidently are inconvenient barriers to be destroyed while they gulp after their nirvana of power and money.


Guess what? Neither money or power is worth it. All wisdom knows that. All who seek truth and fairness know this.


The middle course is the proper road. Those in ‘power’ are voted in by We The People. Their power is actually ours. When we stand up to power and reclaim it for the people, the cowards will flee back to their white supremacy dens, their racist and anti-immigration caves. Hope they enjoy their meal of gristle and gruel. Caves don’t have running water or cookstoves. And the rock floor is cold and uncomfortable for sleeping.


It is time folks to unseat the Congress that does not represent our morality and values. That’s where the power lies. Not the White House or the Courts. The People’s House and Senate is the core of America. It’s about time it stood with her people and did right.


December 19, 2019

Rules & Following Them

In the ‘70’s, Nixon’s impeachment process advanced through several stages. The rules were researched and followed. The constitution sets out parameters, and Congressional protocols and rules have been adopted to manage the impeachment process squarely. In Nixon’s time, such was the case. It was so fair, Nixon resigned rather than face the certain knowledge he would be removed. Case closed. The impeachment vote was never taken.


In the ‘90’s, Clinton’s impeachment effort was led by political zealots out to get the guy out of office. That was the motive. The only motive. As shameful as a blow job may be to many, and in the Oval Office at that, it is not an impeachable offense. Embarrassing, yes. Impeachable, no. All the other noise surrounding republican attempts to hound the Clintons from the White House were just that; noise. Empty, annoying noise. The rules were reshaped by Henry Hyde and the republicans had a field day in the House of Representatives. The Senate, however, stuck to the rules and acquitted the sitting President. End of story.


Now comes 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; the sitting president is being impeached by the rules. The vote comes today. Then and only then, can we say he was impeached, and even then, only if the ayes have it.


The rest of the story is what happens in the Senate. The republican strangle hold on that legislative body has already proven their disdain for honest, fairness and truth. They will most likely gerrymander senate rules just like they gerrymander everything else to fit their purposes. Most likely (certainty!), the Senate will not vote to remove the accused. They will acquit along party lines. This is not a democratic outcome, but a republican one.


There lies the rub. Our legislative bodies have no backbone to deal forthrightly in fact and truth. They only vote their self interest while they ‘say’ they are doing the peoples’ will. Anyone believing otherwise believes in the tooth fairy. And Santa Claus.


The better way is to know the rules and follow them. Justice demand it. American politics doesn’t evidently. Our combined shame should lead to a return to moral high ground. We've been missing that in Congress for far too long.
 December 18, 2019

Party Sham

If we want a society of fairness, honesty and truth, we need people of independence. Party ties are the opposite. Party politics care about power, influence and self-interest. It is totally absorbing of party. Nothing much gets done without their winning something. Anything. And saving face.


In such an environment, compromise is not only rare, it is impossible to achieve. That’s a drop dead statement of truth.


Fifty years ago compromise was possible. It was not entirely about party. We experienced World War II and its heady victory. We were full of ourselves, yet humble enough to organize and pay for rebuilding the nations of our enemies. Japan and Germany were provided a helping hand to become successful, wealthy and healthy societies. They relied on us for that help and returned to normalcy. In return we grew to trust them and rely on them for collaborative benefits in industry, research, space exploration, and education. We have shared our cultures and benefited from it. They, too, have benefited. That’s how compromise works.


Compromise also blends thinking and process to gain progress while tempering the warp and distortion that change implants on people. Compromise is measured and helpful. It is a sharing of thinking, prowess and strengths. It is not built on weakness or shame.


Today is a far cry from yesteryear. You know that of course. But do you and I – we – really apply this realization in all we do? Do we insist our elected leaders do our bidding, not their own?  Do they know that we are intelligent and humble enough to understand their lack of progress on our behalf? Can they believe we are smarter than they?


Do we make this work for the common good of our nation? Or do we muddy the water to gain what we think would be better when, clearly someone is hurt by our ‘progress?’ We must think of others if we are sincere in our desire to repair problems and build a better world for tomorrow.


When I was 22, I ached for a chance to be involved in making the world safe, fair and just.  I was certain our generation would accomplish this. I was wrong. That is very apparent. I am shamed that my generation has let down subsequent generations. Those are comprised of our kids and their kids. My kids and grandkids.

The world is theirs now. But what a mess we have left for them to clean up.


Like us, they are educated, smart and aware of what is wrong. They know what needs fixing. They can do this. The only question is: Do they have enough time to fix the troubled world before it is consumed and ends? Climate change alone is a problem large enough to kill the planet no matter what we or they do.


Realistically, have we given heir to a world destined for hideous end? Taking the blame for this is not good enough for us. We need to help fix what we fucked up. But will our help be welcome by the younger generations? Afterall, we have poor credentials for them to believe in.


A good starting place is ridding our society of political parties. Focus on truth and compromise. If those are not present in a discussion, walk away. If leaders cannot handle truth and compromise, strip them of power. Elect those who can.


Clearly, the ins should be out. I’m not sure those who think they are out ought to be in. We need a reliable litmus test to find the best. Then rely on them to get things done.

December 17, 2019

Blithering Issues

A lot of things are on the minds of fellow citizens.  For some it is rent, or mortgage payments paid on time. For others it is car payments, insurance, grocery bills and utilities. Those are just the financials. Then there are doctor appointments, pharmacy pickups, cooking meals, packing school lunches, and getting the kids off to school on time. a host of duties and chores to do in a life already busy with jobs, commuting and planning for the future.


Heaped on top of those issues are these: coping with technology and both its gifts and headaches; global warming and climate change; immigration and all of its complexities; healthcare access and affordability; taxes, fees and government costs; elections and their attendant noise; education access and affordability; governance challenges and understanding a voter’s options; social issues and their impact on our lives; and so many more issues to track and understand.


Then there are the personal things that matter: social interaction, love life, relaxation, travel, reading for fun and inspiration, and music and the arts. Concerns over health, education and getting ahead in life, not just in career, these too, are personal burdens often pondered.


The mountain of important matters exists for all of us. We are not alone in this struggle. Each of us is on a personal journey of engagement and survival. We have much to think about, weigh and decide, moment by moment, what is most important and what lesser. The priorities often shift – deadlines near and passed for some, others have moments of importance thrust upon us. Wending our way through this minefield of life is daunting and exhausting.


That’s when the arts and relaxation come to our rescue, and our love life.


What is truly important and what not? What to spend time and attention on and what not? Which to spend resources on and which not? Choices. Always choices. Energy spent to make choices. If this one topic is attended to, which ones are not?


And so it goes. A blithering array of issues that constantly pull at us. We often don’t have the time, patience, knowledge or resources to handle these demands of life. We punt; put off; ignore; or make bad choices. The agenda is presented and we execute however we do. Consequences emerge eventually; sometimes quickly, other times slowly.


This is the business of our lives. We have no choice but to do what we can.


Into all of this we need to focus on the big issues that matter. Who we choose to handle the big issues for us is crucial if those issues are to be managed well. Electing informed, principled people to activate our governance system is vitally important. Do that well and much of our priorities will be accomplished appropriately.


Busy lives require attention to detail to get as much right as we can. Please take the time to fulfill civic duties well.

But remain balanced in all of the above to be happy. Live. Love. Laugh.


December 16, 2019

Connectedness

The phone rings. I answer it. Two people talk with each other and life goes on. An email chirps its presence and communication is shared. News is shared on the internet and Google searches begin explorating various topics. Our communication devices are marvels and we use them constantly 24/7/365. Without thinking about it. We connect with each other, organizations, businesses, government, whatever. We are linked to the world and it to us.


Until it isn’t. Connected, that is.


When the internet connection goes down, we quickly learn how helpless we are.


I’ve learned to replace computer connections with my smartphone. It receives email traffic and can do Google searches, get internet news and other benefits of connectedness. The images are small, of course, but at least the flow of information goes on.  


Just because I’m not connected by computer doesn’t mean the world stops. Knowing that frustrates me.  Here I am ready to participate but unable because something has barred me. The phone only goes so far.


A few weeks ago, I was having computer problems. I met a client at the local library and connected my laptop to its Wi-Fi server. Pow! The computer came alive and I suddenly knew that my computer wasn’t the culprit, my internet connection was. I called my provider and they uncovered their own engineering problem. It took several visits, but they finally restored our service.


Our server provides both Wi-Fi, Internet and cable TV. We thought the problem was cable TV. Instead it was their entire network. Once that was known, they could repair it.


Today we awoke to no internet connection. We patched things through the phone's Hot Spot feature. Today's work can progress. So what's the problem? Internet? Provider? Computer? What? [It turned out to be provider network issues they restored in three hours.]


All I know is my brain is not connected to others. The brain still operates. Without a connecting link, that means very little. Just like a stroke victim locked in his silent tomb.

Connections do matter.


December 13, 2019

Retirement?

As a young worker starting his career, I wondered about retirement and how to prepare for it.  I was 23.  My dad was facing retirement and I worried about him. I didn’t dwell on this, but all prospective hirers provided competitive benefit programs for me to consider. Over time, I didn’t worry about the far off years too much. I knew the benefits were well thought out and would protect me and add to my social security benefits.


That was 1965. Skip forward to 2019.  I'm retired now. I worked for several career employers and eventually opened my own consulting firm. Ran that for 20+ years. Self-employed, really, and winced over paying double for social security and Medicare. But I did it. And I always knew those two programs were my ace in the hole.


Politicians like to shake our confidence in government programs to earn votes.  I don’t listen to them. I vote for the best, most thoughtful candidate. I pay attention always to news about social security and Medicare. I know when politicians are trying to make changes. And they are defeated in such shenanigans.


Now that I’m retired, my company benefits (income) were awarded to my spouse in a divorce. I still receive insurance benefits, but that’s it. I live on social security and rely heavily on Medicare. Both are doing well by me.  I have no complaints.  Life’s experience is on me and I’ve learned to live on little. It’s OK.


Besides, the expensive extras in lifestyle have been mostly eliminated. Much of them due to health concerns and limited mobility.


Downsizing taught me a lot of things. Mainly, I learned that the little things in life are vastly more important than the visible consumption stuff. Truth is, I enjoy reading, listening to my music, relating with people, being active in worthwhile causes and keeping my brain keen.  


Interacting with people in need makes my life full. My challenges are: keeping up with technology and fixing it when it doesn’t work (Rocky does this for me!); drivers who don’t pay attention to others on the road and display incredible selfishness; lack of collaboration among too many people who expect a lot from others but don’t contribute their fair share.


When I hear someone complain, I wonder how much of the problem is of their own doing? I also wonder, if they are skipping over the marvelous fruits of life just sitting there waiting to be noticed?

I think most of us could use some retraining on dealing with silence and noticing the value of what we ignore. The universe is both large and small. The small is very accessible.

Make good use of it.


December 13, 2019

Being Heard

Some of you know Rocky had a laryngectomy in July. That is the full removal of his voice box. It’s a long story involving cancer, but it was necessary. Learning to live with it is another tale entirely.


For one, speaking in one’s own voice is not possible. To speak at all, Rocky must hold a thing to his throat. The thing is technically named an electrolarynx. I call it a buzzer box. It buzzes in various tones and loudness. When pressed against the side of the throat, it buzzes or hums. By opening the mouth and shaping words when he did have a voice box (larynx), words will 'sound.'


It is not quite that simple, but the mechanics are.  Getting the buzzer thingy placed right, and then shaping the mouth, lips and tongue right, creates articulate sounds. At least they can be articulate enough to pass as speech.


Well, that’s easier said than done, and Rocky is not yet expert at this practice!


The other day, he said he needed to go to the store. Inasmuch as he doesn’t drive anymore, I know how often we’ve been to the store in recent months. I’m pooped from driving everywhere. To the store, pharmacy, doctor’s office, church, hospital, gas station, cleaners and what not. Once we both drove. Now only I do. So, if the household needs something, I’m the driver and often the shopper.

Rocky likes to shop, especially groceries. He was raised by parents who ran a small Italian grocery. Rocky worked at the store for years, every day and for long hours. It has never quite left him. Today he walks thoughtfully through every grocery aisle scanning the merchandise and reading labels.  I mean, really! It takes him an hour and a half to shop for a few things.


So, today he said he had to go to the store. I said for what? And he (and his buzzer thingy) said ‘Jewish bread.’ I couldn’t believe it. Jewish bread. I never knew him to ask for Jewish bread. But he laughed (without sound, of course; that’s another topic to share with you another time). Obviously, I had decoded his buzzing incorrectly.  His laughing, however, kept him from correcting my misunderstanding. In fact, we both got to laughing.


Anyway, he dared to drive the car to the store. First time he got behind the wheel since early July (five months). I guess I’ll have to wait and see what ‘Jewish bread’ turns out to be! Meanwhile, I’ll worry about his driving and when I should expect his return.


December 11, 2019


PS: Well, he got back safely without mishap. It turned out he bought snacks of various kinds.  Nothing at all resembling ‘Jewish Bread.’ I suppose we’ll never know. By the way, his Parkinson’s Disease severely limits his handwriting, so he doesn’t do notes. Point and click on the computer and Facebook is as good as it gets. And hugs. Of course.

Waning Diversity?

Anyone who claims this is true is not paying close attention.


More women than men pursue higher education. More African Americans, Hispanics and Asians pursue higher education. Whites are in the minority on most urban university campuses.


Minorities and women voters outstrip white males. The entire society will be white minority by 2035 or earlier. If jobs, professions, achievements and candidacies for public office are underrepresented by minorities of any stripe, the problem is not in the white majority; it is among the minorities who may not be stepping up to the plate.


If that is a problem, there are plenty of people of diversity willing and able to teach and coach the underrepresented to step forward successfully. I’m one. I’m 76, white, male and gay. If that doesn’t define me as a minority, then I don’t know what does. And soon the white  will be the definition of minority.


Now that you know this, why haven’t you called?


The current Democrat cohort of presidential candidates is diverse.  By color, gender, gender orientation, age and nationality. In the end only one candidate will win the nomination. It may not be a minority representative. If so, that is by chance, not by design or encouragement.


Furthermore, running mate selection will likely round out the diversity of the ticket as well. I think a Warren/Buttigieg or Buttigieg/Booker ticket is enticing. Both of them!


So now, instead of complaining, let’s get down to the task of selecting the best candidates, encourage the drop-offs to form a team and work for the success of the winning ticket, and move beyond the trump folly. There is much to do and the time is now.

And it has nothing and everything to do with diversity!!


December 10, 2019

Adaption

We talk about truth speaking to power. We have an image of that in our mind, don’t we? The defense attorney speaking to the jury, summarizing the truth of the accused, wrongly accuse we feel (know?). Or the young lad speaking to his state legislature about the injustices of judging his two lesbian moms, or the… You know the rest. Our sense of right wins over the wrong. Our hearts trump our minds.


Somehow that image is more real in other ways.


We chat with friends about seeing a homeless man on the local street. We discover he is a veteran. The shock turns to shame. How did this happen? Why didn’t he get the help he needed – needs – to show we honor his service? And now we want his life to mean whatever he/she deserves?


Soon a local group organizes to find a solution to his needs, and anyone else caught up in a similar plight. That group finds options. They explore them. They opt for a tiny house community with shared community house for education, shared help and education. And social interaction with others in the same situation. Solutions are designed. Now to implement them.


Another group ages into the middle of life. They wonder what the other half will be. They note millions of displaced careerists shoved into unemployment by economic forces or market shifts that demand other skills. Millions of Walmart Greeters, shelf stockers, hall monitors at the local high school, or Uber and Lyft drivers. Jobs they hold and perform, and even may enjoy, but at a third the pay and respect they once had. A loss of enormous potential to society.


That group wonders how to offer something better. Something that will utilize the skillsets, mature judgment and professional depth newer and younger workers have yet to learn. What unseen benefits are still needed the older talent pool can offer?


Society changes it business operations, its economic functioning, career demands, technology and so much more. New science changes old thinking. New partnerships in multiple disciplines create cross-thought dynamics. Discoveries are made. They are applied to current needs. New careers are created, new thoughts, new processes, entirely new industries.


Universities and colleges notice. They begin intentional examination into changing how students learn, how they apply what they learn to real life. They discover multi-disciplinary applications, processes. They allow students to explore their interests in conjunction with talents and education. Whole new futures are born – for the students, the educational institution and society. Those new futures permeate industry, commerce and most all institutions.


This is change. This is adaptation. This is the new barging into our lives.


Who does this? Who thinks this way? Who makes these things happen?


You. And I. So many others who see the need. Feel the need.


Living outside the box of conventionality requires thinking outside the box. That is where discovery lies. It takes courage, curiosity and resolve to do this sort of thing. Thank God there are people who have these traits.


In my experience they are the people who care and feel and have to make a difference in life. They are the volunteers and doers of things often ignored by the masses. They are also the people who drive nonprofits to accomplish things individuals and government cannot. So they do.


And society adapts to what is needed to do.


Let us give thanks for them all! Think on the possibilities.


December 9, 2019

Ugly Truths

The season of hope and joy is here. It is Christmas Time 2019. There is much to be grateful for. There are great reasons to smile. At the same time, however, ugly lives among us.


Here are some examples of the point:

1.      Half of all Americans work at low income wage jobs

2.      Poverty among children is growing

3.      Household incomes have stagnated for more than 20 years when accounting for inflation

4.      College students are 60% females; where have the males gone?

5.      Higher education is denigrated increasingly

6.      Human trafficking is real and growing; it is not all about sexual predation, either

7.      The wealthiest 1 % increase their wealth while the other 99% suffer wealth declines

8.      Healthcare access is not equal; the poor suffer disproportionately

9.      Healthy diets are related to income; food finds the money and the poor are left behind

10.   Facts are not received fairly; opinion and emotion gain most attention

11.   Politics is not governance; process and clear thinking lead to fair governance

12.   What we say we believe does not match our behavior. We often do not do for others what we wish they would do for us. The dichotomy of intentions and actions speak truth loudly.

That’s enough for now. Read the twelve uglies above. Think on each of them. Discern whether each is true or not. What are your observations and experiences? What outcomes do you think we should strive toward? What priorities do each have in relation to the others?  Which ugly truths are not on the list that should be? Which are on the list that should be removed?


Each of us is accountable for all of these in some manner or other. How much of this are we aware? Do we care? Care enough to make a difference and act differently?


These are immoral times in which we live. That doesn’t mean we can avoid living morally.


What is right? What is wrong? What needs to change?


December 6, 2019

Knowing What it Means

On the first Tuesday of each month, a small band of west suburban DuPage County citizens sit down and discuss issues that matter. One issue at a time. Like racism, climate change, immigration policy, equal access to healthcare, education, and a host of other life quality resources.


Like salons of Paris, London and New York in bygone eras, people gather to learn and discern. The tiny Warrenville, Illinois group has no purpose other than to share ideas and help others understand the many issues faced daily. The goal is not to change minds. The goal is to re-learn the skills of civil discourse at a time when shrill voices pass as news.


Sharing ideas. Discerning meaning. In an environment of trust and acceptance.


In our social context today, the loudest voices are heard. Over time their pronouncements become remembered scripts in our mind. We are influenced in subtle ways and may get sloppy enough to accept some of this noise as truth, as fact.


Newscasts and press reports are not homogenous. They report differing views. Some with light bias; some with heavy shading of truth. The consuming public tires of the confusion. News becomes labor intensive to produce and to consume. We tend to shortcut the chaos, even avoid turning on the programs or reading the newspapers.


Internet browsing adds to the chaos. So much available. So many sources. Who is honest? Who is propagandist? Who is aligned with which political party or candidate, ideology or nationality?


Who indeed!


I yearn for a quiet room with friends and neighbors. I want to know what they think. If different from my view, I want to understand the difference, first of all, and secondly, a clue to how they came to their conclusion and me mine. The process of understanding is vital in knowing an issue inside out. That is a process I can understand and value. I can make up my own mind. The question is if the best inputs are entering the process in the first place.


Friendly discussion is helpful. Angry exchanges complete with shouting and finger pointing are not helpful; they only bar assessment and careful weighing of facts and logic.


Knowing what things mean is a worthy expenditure of time. Conclusions are not readily available all the time; but  process should always be available. Process requires openness, honesty, approachability. A little laughter helps, too.


It isn’t necessary for everyone to beat a path to Nexus each First Tuesday of the Month. It is important that others start their own groups to discuss and explore issues that matter. Meanwhile, if you are in the neighborhood (Warrenville, Illinois), join us on first Tuesdays at 6:30 pm at Towne Tap and Al’s Pizza. They are located at Warrenville and River Roads.


December 5, 2019

Dark Days, Long Nights

Fifty one years ago I prepped for a wedding, mine/ours. It was cold. I was an impoverished seminary student. My parents were wending their way from Connecticut to be a part of our festivities. Ann was a far south suburban girl so her folks were right handy. The ladies planned the special day with nearness of Christmas. Our date was December 21^st. I remember it well.


I found a barbershop near campus in Hyde Park. Told the shearer that my wedding day was near so ‘don’t make me look like a chopped chicken.’ He did well. I was neat and trim, not shaggy or skinned.


I packed my bag for the honeymoon and made certain the car was washed and fueled. I joined my folks at their hotel near the wedding site. And then the festivities began. First the rehearsal and then the dinner. And then the big event, reception and fond farewells as we left for our scoot to Connecticut for Christmas and a reunion with other family who couldn’t make it to the wedding.


The days were short and nights long. The winter solstice was December 21^st. The longest night of the year. That accompanies the shortest day and in winter, the sun is far away and usually cloud covered.

So, it is today. Now 51 years later, we plan Blue Christmas church services to remember our losses and plan it for December 21^st. All these decades later, we live differently yet the same. Our marriage of yore has been over for 25 years, now. Other marriages for both have occurred. An expanded family in ways unthought of back then.


The days are short and the nights long. The seasons have come and gone and will yet again. The pattern of days. The pattern of years echoing the tempo of life. The good side is dark is replaced by light. On December 22^nd the days begin to lengthen, and the nights shorten. Until summer solstice when the ebb and flow switches direction once again.


Dark is not dreary. Light is not always happy. The mood implants itself on whatever hour. It is up to us to make of it what we can. Happy or sad; hopeful or lost; the days will mirror our resolve to do the best we can with the opportunity we see and make.


Generation after generation we march forward into the unknown with whatever we have to make whatever will be.


And light shall replace the dark. And dark shall provide respite for the next light.


December 4, 2019

Becoming

Always changing. You. Me. Others. Time. Events. Facts butting against other facts.


Changing. Morphing. Becoming.


This is what we do. This is what our surroundings do. Each with its own timeline. During our time, and the universe’s, everything is changing.


We make sense of it what we can. It is a struggle. We strain to see, peek, and understand. Making sense of the connections. What have I seen? What difference does it make in my understanding of the world, of me in the world, of me?


My sense of the world becomes mine own. Same with my sense of me. Definitions. Wondering how others define themselves and their world. Chatting with others. Questioning them on things of common interest. Gently asking questions that will help me know them, understand them.


Perhaps they will do the same and come to know me. As we tip toe through this delicacy of getting to know someone else, we glimpse other dimensions of their thinking. Might they think similar thoughts as I? How different are we? How similar?


Those two questions – how different, similar – are time limited. Change quickly shifts facts and reality of context. We know things in context. We know things from experience. We know things from interactions with other people. Each of these things change, too. What was clear yesterday, is not clear in this moment. The then, now and future are always in context of themselves. That changes, too.


Progressions of change produce our becoming whoever and whatever we were, are and will be.

Heavy stuff. Utterly true, nonetheless.


Constantly becoming makes each of us moving targets. It is worth contemplating. It will produce interest in talking with others. Nothing stays the same. Either it changes, or circumstances change, place changes, or time passes. Nothing is truly stable or the same.


This makes judging others or the way they think perilous. Good reason to be open minded and non-judgmental. It is also why public policy is so difficult to create and administer. Nothing remains the same for totally equal application to everyone.


The only thing we can agree on is the definition of what we would like to see come about around us. Working toward those common goals takes courage and resolve. First, we must agree on the ends. The means are always a resource issue to be lived with. That is clerical. The ends, are tactical and strategic.


Let us hope for the future by knowing our true selves and letting others be themselves. Meanwhile, forgive yourself as you become more each day.


December 3, 2019

I’ll Be Seeing Yule

Christmastide is here. The march from Thanksgiving to Christmas and the New Year. Doesn’t seem possible that another holiday season is in full swing. But it is.


Generations come and go. Perhaps that is what Thanksgiving gives pause to consider. The grandparents are here now, their parents – the great grands – not far removed. Remembered still but their images fade. Today there are the young tots, the high schoolers, the middle aged marrieds, the singles – both middle aged and young.


Tales are shared of current games and toys, classroom escapades, college sagas unfolding anew, and parenting tips proven and unproven. The generational talking points are mumbled, the food is savored and over eaten. Satisfied grins all around the table, ages noting timelines mixed and varied. But all in the family.


Plans are made for Christmas. Who is buying for who, who is hosting the festive day, what time to arrive and how to synchronize with all the other family ties. They abound. Weddings do that; in-laws and out-laws extend the family in all directions. Our nuclear family was small. Two small families joined. Each of the kids married into large teeming families that extend well beyond their homes, too. Lots of people. Diverse as well. Enriched families tasting of the global village.


This is who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going toward. Diversity begets diversity begets a community of strong and talented people. And beautiful, too.


Ours is a nation of such diversity and joining of cultures. It has been gradual at times, and quick at others. It has been smooth rarely and disjointed most of the time. Each generation has its tale of blending and merging with people different from themselves. The tribal intersection of America is made of legend. It too often describes a joyous union; that would be a fairytale. The unions have been hard fought for and won. Couples have defined their futures to make today’s generation a reality.


Those results are wonders to behold. New tribes emerging and understanding each other. Different cultures holding up while in union with one another. Cultures enriched and made welcome. Fits and starts are experienced. Confusion sometimes reigns while tastes shift, spices tempt and tried. We come together to build a new order for a new future.


Constant change. Constant blending. Different parts but whole at the same time.


This is the face of America. Always has been. Hopefully always will be.


We translate for all generations the hope and promise of futures unimagined. But hopefully with peace and joy for all. It is the outcome ideal. It will come with effort and invention. We grow from different root stocks to make it all happen. Generation after generation after generation.


The supremacy of one seems utterly ridiculous. Viva le differences!


December 2, 2019

What Do the Little Folk Do?

This is the title of a song from Camelot, the Broadway musical. In the original cast, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet sing this duet. Charming to witness this royal couple finding love and wondering what other people do in life. So they sing about it and think of themselves, of course, as royal and elite. Everyone else are the ‘little folk’ and they wonder what they do?


This is a favorite ditty in my memory. I saw Goulet in the role on Broadway way back when, but not Julie Andrews. That song and its light, airy melody comes back to me often in the shower. A good way to awaken the vocal chords!


The song, however, is a reminder that differences among us – whether of class, wealth, education, birth, nationality – do not lessen us. We live, love and laugh. All of us. Some more often than others, but life is filled with wonders whether rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, smart or dumb.


Truth be told, the little folk are all of us. What we do is the duty we accept day by day, moment by moment. Currently, we folks man the cash registers, cook the meals, swab the restaurant floor, vacuum public carpeting, run the hotels, the schools, the businesses, and what all else. We research, operate laboratories, engineer new gadgets and whole technologies. We test them and teach others about them. We help society adapt to new things – ways of doing things, thinking and behaving.

We live with problems and find solutions to them. We help new generations understand their new circumstances and how to adapt to them well enough to evolve a better template for them to use in the future; and subsequent generations as well.


We experiment with art forms. We write plays and movie scripts. We envision story lines and character roles. We even act in those roles and bring them to life for others to experience. In doing so, we expand the experience of discovery of ideas and follow-on conclusions. We feel. Sense. And better understand what is difficult to put into words.


We play instruments, not because they are there, but because they become a voice of our inner selves. We now can express ourselves in manners unimagined before. Even recreating the music of Mozart or Beethoven, or Bach or thousands of other geniuses. We are able to feel and wonder at the intellectual process that created the music. Not just the notes or the tempo; but of the sounds, the chords, the blending of instrumental voices. The vibrations and nuance of emotions are present. Glorious. Mysterious. Experienced so as to discover more.


We little folk think. We organize our households, our businesses, our social interactions, and our reading and understanding of our universe however large or small. It is a personal life that thrusts dimensions outward and large.


The elites are little folk, too. They decide and cause things to happen. But someone must do what follows. That is for the rest of us. Our roles are varied and often unwritten. We create the answers to all that happens. We live the details.


In all of that we live, love and laugh. Just like Sir Lancelot and Guinevere.  


Imagine.


November 29, 2019

Happy Birthday

Rocky is 75 today. On Thanksgiving Day. No need for a huge party because the entire nation is celebrating by gathering over a festive meal. Mostly that is turkey and all the trimmings, but some will have beef roasts, pastas of all kinds, or ham, fish or lamb. All are good as long as they are in keeping with the family traditions and culture. Ours will be turkey.


Looking back, Rocky’s journey has been rough of late and likely will continue so. The dreaded cancer surgery was successfully survived. Gaining expertise to speak with the electro laynx is an uphill battle, but the medical side of things is super good. Tests continue to indicate he is cancer free.

The continuing challenge – other than the electro larynx skill – is the advance of Parkinson’s Disease.

That enemy continues to sap Rocky’s balance, gait, and range of motion. Tremors are an annoyance, but swinging the arms and legs in walking is hampered. Shuffling, lurching and falling are common. That is what we both live with in battling his disease.


The bout with cancer was unknown for a long time and affected the efficacy of the drugs prescribed for PD. With that behind us, the regime of prescription drugs will be adjusted to find a better balance to push back the disease. This process takes patience and close observation to discern what works. Nothing is every clear enough, but we accept all victories however small.


Meanwhile, Rocky’s life goes forth with vigor and resolve to make the best of the time we have now and in the future. That is as it should be.


And we are grateful for that. Thankful on Thanksgiving Day.


Happy Birthday, Rocky!


November 28, 2019

Why Bloomberg?

My personal rule is not to vote for a presidential candidate over the age of 70. Why? Two reasons standout: first, age is a factor in longevity of the person in office; the older they are, the higher the odds they will die in office, or become unable to perform their full duties; second, younger voices and perspectives are valuable to the body politic; these voices keep the social order fresh, vibrant and relevant to what’s happening in the lives of the electorate.


So, what do I think of Michael Bloomberg’s entry to the presidential primaries?


Here are some of my thoughts that readily come to mind:

1.      He is experienced in complex governance demands that leap from local to national scope; New York City is a place that demands attention to every detail. Voter blocs, population diversity, international relations and national policy implications are all involved in being mayor of the Big Apple

2.      He speaks truth to power. No compromise is possible unless the parties are conversant and knowledgeable of the details and then speak those to others involved in decisions. That is how compromise comes about fully. If debates are cautious, they omit too much detail. If debates are over-the-top emotionally, and demanding, too much irrelevancy and drama is included; that clouds the discussions. Compromise comes from truths honestly shared and weighed

3.      The election is about removing the trumpster. Bloomberg clearly has targeted that goal. The other candidates assume the people know this of them, and quickly poke at each other for votes. No; how are you going to win an election with the incumbent? That is the primary reason for your candidacy

4.      Beating fellow Democrats in the primary is not the goal. Laying out the issues for debate and popular support is an educational process. It does not need to be solved in the campaign. Do I want Medicare for All? Maybe; but I really want equal access to excellent healthcare. Whether that is Medicare or something else has yet to be determined. Please don’t weigh down the primary elections with such heavy details

Enough said in this respect. What needs to be added is this: all Democrat candidates need to weigh in with their ideas on vanquishing the donald. Help discuss important issues that separate Democrats from the republicans. Agenda items of hoped-for programs are premature in a primary. The national election is when the programs and policies need to be presented. And then, only if compromise is coalescing among the electorate. The rest of the agenda is exploratory on possible solutions of worthy topics.


Once the primary is past, the losing candidates must gather round the chosen standard bearer to help build a winning campaign to remove ‘he who shall not be named.’


We know impeachment will be supported in the House. We also know the Senate will not go along with that. In the end mr. trump will only be removed from office by losing an election, one he should not have won in the first place.


Right now, however, our job is clear. Find the best candidate who can beat the incumbent. That may be Mr. Bloomberg, or Pete Buttigieg or Elizabeth Warren. But only if they learn to beat trump, not each other.


November 27, 2019

Oh Please!

I remember the ramp up to the impeachment of Richard Nixon. I was fascinated by the process and the content of that process. It was deliberate. It was accumulative. It was logical. It was stolidly progressing toward an end.


And then Nixon resigned. Certain of his fate and not wanting to be removed from office, he resigned and left the office to be filled by his Vice President. The nightmare was over. Long and grueling, the end of Nixon’s presidency was thankfully over. And for good reason.


Then Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Not at all like Nixon’s, the Clinton impeachment was done by a thousand howling dogs bent on removing the sitting president by hook or by crook. And embarrassment. They achieved the latter. The hook or crook, too. After all was said and done, the president had received a blow job in the Oval Office. That was not an impeachable offense. It is an offense of our public civility, but not of law and governance standards.


Now we have an impeachment of a sitting president who has done just about everything to be impeached. And yet he denies it. Wait a few minutes and he tweets the opposite. He is a victim of his own techno-quirks. And his ego.


The impeachment process advances steadily toward its conclusion. The crimes were political. They were also not allowed under the US Constitution. And so, the process is implemented to remove a person unfit for office as described in the Constitution.


Yet, his political supporters obfuscate and block all progress toward the impeachment. They claim it is political. Well, it is; he has violated the spirit and the law regulating political process. That’s why he is being impeached. The process, however, is not political. Only the republican party has defined it as such. They have done everything they can to cloud the process, scoff at clear evidence, and attempt to redefine the meaning of common words. Their efforts are political. The Democrats’ efforts are not. Their efforts are clearly directed by the Constitution.


Meanwhile, nothing much gets done by the Congress. They are blocking each other’s work. That too, is Constitutional. For all to see: the inmates of the institution of Congress are running amok and accomplishing nothing.


Impeachment will occur. The House will vote for it. It will become the indictment – bill of particulars – that will be sent to the Senate for trial. And that trial will take place. The trial’s end, sadly, will end badly for all. The impeachment will fail in the Senate because it is politically in control of the republicans. But then the Senate will have failed both the Constitution and the People of the US.


All because of political gamesmanship. Nonsense rules the affairs of humankind.


It is a wonder that the good of our nation continues in spite of its leadership. But then, that is what America is all about. Its people is the heart and soul of the nation, not its leaders. Those have failed their people.


It will thus be time for the people to speak again and set matters aright.


Time will bring justice. Time will heal a broken nation. It is up to all of us to make this a reality.


November 26, 2019

Thankful

This is the week for thankfulness. Thanksgiving Day is this Thursday. A day for gathering those closest to us. Not all can join the grouping, but they are with the rest in thought. Separation by space is not always solvable, but we can call, email, write or in some way connect with the other. That is a snap these days; not so in years gone by.


I remember the $5 long distance phone call, if not more! Writing took several days for the letter or card to reach the intended party. A telegram seemed idiotic when a phone call was faster and more certain.


Getting in the car and driving 5, 50 or 500 miles was an option. Often that was preferred. To be with one another. That was the goal.


When I was in college, I was 1000 miles from home. Thanksgiving Day was thus spent with others who became very close – college roommate and his family 100 miles from campus. The long four-day weekend provided time for us to meet other college mates in Chicago and explore the city. We attended the symphony, Broadway musicals traveling the country, museums and theaters. Always we met for dinners in special restaurants. We had a great time and spread our wings.


My family, though, was in New York. My brother, too, and my sister in California. Spread out in those days, like today. We still reside far from each other. Sister is in Phoenix. Brother is in Rochester, New York. I’m here in Chicago area. Mom and dad are gone now. So too, all of the grandparents, aunts and uncles. Our cousins are old like us and distant in both space and relationship. Those ties have grown dusty and nearly forgotten. Too many unshared life experiences. Not quite strangers, but certainly not close.


Friends now have become like family. We choose them often with which to dine, talk, commune. Life experiences determined by our ages often define our ready closeness. We have shared the comings and goings of historical change. We understand the present with common sight of the past. We also can envision the future with similar experiences intact.

We can view news together and recall where we each were at critical times. Recently, John F. Kennedy's assassination was 56 years ago. That not only reminds us of days long gone by, but the 'when' of our lives at that time. Our budding awareness of the possibilities of our lives yet ahead. Our yearning for connecting with those possibilities and to try our hand at doing better than current leadership. Our hopes for professionals, study, research, extending knowledge, teaching and building a wholesome future.

We remind ourselves of 9/11 and what it meant to us then and today. We are reminded of the three impeachment efforts of presidents in our lifetimes. What is similar; what is not.

We are thankful for perspective. And wisdom; somehow we have garnered that. Like old pooh-bahs of earlier times, we remember elders sharing their perspective with us. Then we didn't appreciate it. Now it is ours to appreciate and understand.

Perhaps we can be thankful to listen to one another this week to find the wisdom we can share. And value one another. And be thankful for all of that.

November 25, 2019

The Beat Goes On

The beat is the rhythm of life. In public matters, in private, too. Things happen. Frequency shifts to up or down repeats. Phone calls dribble in or pour in. Email traffic is constant, falters, or comes in torrents. Same with Facebook, mail and happenings in the news.


I might add that medical appointments multiply with age!  And when you are the coordinator for self and one other, wow! Lots of appointments, tests, drug store visits and all the rest.


Some days it is an avalanche of details to manage. They are manageable. Somehow the rhythm calls us to attention and things get done in rapid fire. Other days the rhythm is irregular and the traffic light. It seems to take ages to manage the details on those days.  Yes; busy-ness helps us get things done well and in proper time sequence.


The irregular is more a problem.


There are backdrop environments to deal with as well. Weather is one. We get things done pretty much on schedule even though a snow storm rages outdoors. Hurricanes and tornadoes pretty much stop us in our tracks. That is their power over us. But most weather is livable. It accompanies us in daily routines. We live with it.


Family obligations is another backdrop. Some families live with constant drama and trauma. It is their personality or ethos. Other families are downright boring; nothing much of significance happens that demands attention or emotional investment. Our lives are humdrum. We do what comes our way. We live with the consequences and move on to the next challenge. Isn’t it interesting that not all families are like that? Like us?


On closer inspection big things do happen in our lives. We learn to live with them if they are upsetting. Each challenge prepares our sinew for the next one. Maybe that’s how old people get old? Their mettle strengthens with each challenge?  I think of my dad dealing with his own decline. He did so quietly and with resolve. It was pretty much hopeless, but then each day brought its own reward and he survived big odds until the very end.


May we all be able to live with the tempo of our lives. It is a challenge, but it is the spice, too. And from that we gain mighty tastes of what it means to be alive.


Joy to you this day. It is there to savor. First we have to see it!


November 22, 2019

Middle East Policy Shifts

Israel now has America’s blessing to build settlements in the Gaza Strip.


This is a policy change torpedoing 40+ years of American foreign policy. If peace is to be brokered in the Middle East, someone with power and influence has to give both parties to the conflict something to negotiate with. For Israel, it was a combination of military and financial aid from America. Billions of dollars annually. Israel as subsidized nation. Israel as love child protected by America to keep Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabi and the rest of the Middle East from attacking Israel. Meanwhile, the Palestinians had America’s pledge to bar Israel from building lasting settlements in Gaza. And a few other things, too.


Israel broke the rules over and over again. Then Netanyahu would abandon settlements in some areas, bulldoze them, and a while later sponsor building new settlements somewhere else in Gaza. This is foreign affairs by bullying. On again, off again, constantly changing tactics. Israel is good at it.


Unfortunately, Israel also is good at fomenting violence in their region all the while play-acting as the big brother of peace. America usually has bridled at these practices; under trump, however, Israel has finally received what it has demanded for years: freedom to develop the conquered areas of Gaza anyway they wish.


There is a problem in all of this: peace is only earned by all parties by compromising what they don’t want to do. It is this mutual discomfort that builds peaceful solutions. One state or two state architecture? Whichever works. Or not. Evidently not. No one will agree. And so Israel continues to bully its way around the region saying it gets no respect.


Sure, it is respected. And feared. That is respect in a different color.


The problem grows with this tactic, however; fear expands discomfort to the point that violence is preferred to doing nothing. Risks are viewed as worth it by those in Gaza living on little and starving more each day. Poke them in the eye often enough and they will lob missiles into Israel. Israel relies on this reaction and claims provocation so they retaliate by firing guided missiles into Gaza.


The stalemate continues. Perhaps America should withdraw its protections of all parties and let them slug it out? Why not? Energy supplies? At this point in world history, who cares? Fossil fuels are killing the planet. Shouldn’t we reduce fossil fuel usage by 50% or more to save the planet’s ecosystem?  We have means to replace fossil fuels in the main; and we now have technology to reduce use with improved efficiencies at the same time.


Fossil fuels are passé. So is Middle East peace paid for by the global community. What would happen if we all walked away and left the killing field to the residents of the region? Think about that long enough and we may learn that they would find peace with little violence because that would be in their best interest. Stark but true.


Israel is not in the right in much of this. Neither are their enemies in the region. Nor is America in the right, either. We all play a role to keep this struggle alive and divisive.


Isn’t it time we changed this up? International leadership has played this game of safety too long. And badly. Something needs to change. And quickly.

America has been playing her cards badly in recent years. Today it is downright stupid.


November 21, 2019

Impact of Nonprofits

A quick rummage through some government labor data suggests nonprofit organizations account for 14 to 15% of all economic activity in the United States. That conclusion only deals with employment. What about accumulated assets on their books? What of their activities and the lasting value created among their beneficiaries? What downstream impact do nonprofits have in our economy?


Indeed! The nature of nonprofits is investment in people – education, healthcare, rescue of unfortunates (animals and humans!), housing, music and all the other arts, social services and so many other ‘causes’ with value to our communities. The latter certainly includes environmental protection, beautification, and so much more.


Our society invests in people. We help educate citizens from pre-school through higher education. That benefits not just the individuals involved, but society at large. New technologies are not just discovered, invented and brought into the full light of day, but people are taught how to use, benefit from and advance the same technology.


Housing the homeless or marginalized, we focus on people in trouble. Helping them with immediate shelter is stop gap. What follows are social services that may rescue a person from certain death back to healthy self-sufficiency. Turning an unproductive, troubled life into a valued contributor to community is a worthy goal.


Helping people with addictions find a new way forward without the drugs or booze, builds a better future for the community one life at a time.


Helping a homeless teen mother protects her and her child for a better future benefitting the rest of us.

Providing education for those without resources discovers playwrights, poets, engineers and inventors we otherwise would have lost.


There are those among us who declaim nonprofits as feeders at the public trough. Such complaints discount the work done that we the people don’t do otherwise. Government may have the financial resources, but it doesn’t have the people power or organizational structure to get the job done. Nonprofits are the engines working the streets and producing the results.


I’ve spent most of my career working in and for nonprofits. I didn’t consciously do this, but one day after 50+ years, it was pointed out to me that I had spent my adult life in the nonprofit world. You know what? It has been a wonderful ride! The rewards are tremendous. Satisfaction is but one of those.


The impact of most nonprofit organizations is terrific. In fact, it is so huge, we often don’t recognize it. Take the output of colleges and universities. They produce immediate economic value in operations, salaries, services and physical structures. A university often is worth $1 billion in buildings and equipment. It may spend another billion on operations annually. That money works into the surrounding economy immediately. But then comes the impact of its students working and growing into mature careers and economic activity in the broader economy for generations to come.

And that is only the impact of one sector of our society.


Nonprofits may start small, but they end up large enough to make a difference in our economic life. What they do to make that happen, impacts our values, our senses and so much more.


Today I am thankful for all the nonprofits among us making America strong and purposeful. That’s a worthy impact to cherish.


November 20, 2019

Evidence Mounts

You can tell the impeachment inquiry is stacking up against the president. Evidence continues to flow. One revelation after another, even with the closed door hearings used to vet witnesses, new allegations continue to appear. Witnesses that are credible. Their demeanor representative of what we grew up knowing about our government – quiet, resolute, polite, careful wording, respectful of the past, the present and the future that we all must prepare for. That’s how it was.


Nice to watch the impeachment hearings and see such adult conduct.


The newscasts are anything but. The president and his administration reps speak continually of how poorly the proceedings are going - "the Dem's case is falling apart. No impeachable offense is yet visible." And so on and so on. They speak the words they want us to believe.


But we can’t. Their words are empty signals of political bias for the man who has given them much – fancy salaries and benefits, gamesmanship aplenty, and ideological skews that make grown men cry. Embarrassing, really. Simply embarrassing that these people exist in their bubble and do not believe facts of history, facts of science, logic of math, or common decency of humankind.


Their mission is different from everyone else’s.


What that mission is remains a mystery. Not transparent. Not logical. Benefitting whom, you ask? I ask as well but know no answer. Nor do they. Empty. Illogical. So much so, it is scary.


No, the impeachment inquiry and related hearings are going quite well. The constitutional process is open, transparent, and filled with due process. It is not a court of law and does not contain the same process, but it maintains fairness and openness. Just like the impeachment preparations for Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. The same process. The same diligence of detail. hard work. Logical and factual.


Our times are not of old. They are of new. Divisive, nasty, personal. The ends justify the means.

Really? Are we going to let that hatefulness rule our nation? And that shallowness?

We can do much better. We will. Time is on the side of truth.


November 19, 2019