Comings and Goings

As I sit writing this post at my office window, I see and hear movements of Big Boy #4014. It arrived Friday at 2:15 pm in West Chicago. It was on public exhibit with its attendant cars for three full days. It leaves around 8 am this morning. It is now 6:40 am.


Big Boy is the world’s largest steam engine, as in railroad. It is 133 feet long, weighs a stunning 1.2 million pounds. Totally rebuilt from the ground up, this original behemoth was designed as a workhorse locomotive for grueling western mountains, high plains, deserts and such. It was last in service in 1959. Union Pacific brought it back to life for a national tour in commemoration of the 150^th anniversary of completion of the transcontinental rail line.


On this day it is preparing to move on out into Iowa and parts far west of Illinois. I suspect a few thousand will gather to watch her leave town. That will cap the throngs of 45,000 visitors in the past few days. Quite a gathering of train enthusiasts. Generations of families still in love with trains.


This is one of the comings and goings of life.


Another is Rocky’s leaving hospital this Friday, August 2. He came into the hospital system on July 6, stayed thru ER to a transfer to Chicago, surgery, recovery, then another ambulance ride to Wheaton and Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. Four weeks of intense nursing care and physical therapy, and Rocky prepares to come home for the long term. A coming, a going, a coming, a going, another going and yet another coming. Four weeks in strange surrounds, some of which will not be remembered.


On other fronts comings and goings are natural routines – commuting, grocery shopping, taking kids to and from school, church going, visiting family and friends – the many errand routines we have built into our lives. Comings and goings.


Institutions witness these as well. Leadership changes. Technology remakes. Product introductions and obsolescence. Comings and goings.


Government institutions, too. Even media institutions – new ones, new technologies, new talking heads, new methods – all coming and going at different times to really confuse the messages shared.

Will we protect those less fortunate than us? Will we preserve and protect the planet and her resources so vital to our well-being? Will we welcome new residents to our shores? Will we build strong relationships of caring and love and respect with other nations?


Will we be decent citizens of the world and neighborhood? Will these values come and go?


And why?


All I ask is why? Why must the good things go while lesser comes in its place? Have we no choice in this destiny?


July 31, 2019

Decency

“Thank you, Ma’am. Please, may I have a drink of water? I’m sorry, did I bump into you? Sir, did you know…?”


Holding the door open for the person following you; wiping up spills at the restaurant table or diner counter before you leave; smiling at strangers met in elevator; tipping my hat at women I pass on the sidewalk.


These and more are reminders of a polite and decent world I was raised in. Those were the 1940’s and ‘50’s. We continued using these manners through the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, too. In fact, I still use many of these behaviors today.


For those of us of an age, we recall these common manners of politeness. And decency. All the more reason why we are shocked by the callous manners of our surroundings. Impolite people hogging sidewalks, roadways and other public spaces. They act as though they have a right to all things at this very moment regardless of others in the same room. They speak loudly, guffaw, and demand attention from wait persons. They shout greetings to other friends upsetting the quiet of the public space.

Doors are not held open. People barge into elevators without allowing time for riders to exit. Public bathrooms are left in disarray and filth rather than tidying up after themselves. Litter is dropped on the public way as a common practice. Stony silence and face meet with strangers. No attempt to smile or greet others.


And then there is the public discussion of rape, racism, anti-immigrants, and other negatives too numerous to mention. The negative is focused on. Positive features of the day are left unmentioned.

This is the norm. We have slid into a misery of ill temper and indecency. Somehow it is the right of a person to display this attitude and behavior.


No wonder we have problems unattended. We are too busy finding fault than finding promise.


Can’t we simply agree that the world is not perfect, people are not perfect, and certainly, weather is not ideal most of the time?  Then, let’s just focus on what is good and a blessing. Use those resources to find common ground to actually invent solutions to common problems we agree need fixing.


Flip the coin. From indecent to decent; it is not impossible to do.


Be mindful of our blessings. They brighten and lighten our days – and nights. They hold promise of better things to come. The sorrows of today are often the foundation of tomorrow’s dreams. And an unfolding reality comes from such dreams.


May yours be bright and beautiful today!


That’s decency returning.


July 30, 2019

Months Ticking Away

Time happens. One nanosecond at a time. Tick, tick, tick. A moment passes, another arrives. Amassing, they form minutes, hours and days. Then weeks and months and years, decades, centuries and so on.


Time happens and marches on. Ready or not, we live through the time we are given.


We’ve been in hospital for three weeks now; one more to go, then home and frequent trips to doctors, clinics and therapists. For Rocky. Friday, August 2 he will be discharged from Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, Illinois.


Medically he is healed. Miraculous recovery. Now the physical and emotional needs mending. What is this new normal that is still so new? What will it become in the months ahead? Time will tell. Months have ticked by since we were first diagnosed on June 2^nd. Then into hospital on July 6^th, surgery on the 9^th. Off to Marianjoy on the 18^th, then discharge on August 2. Two months gone just like that. And life changed.


The 2016 Presidential Election was November 2016. Two years and 9 months later (almost) we have survived change in visible, top leadership of our nation. Visible is the word, because the entire leadership of our country is not of one voice. Much change has been thwarted. Still much change has been foisted on both the USA and her allies around the world. Bewildering change. Sometimes awful change. Consequences have lost us friends, allies and faith. Even we citizens have lost faith in the values we held dear.


Most of us still hold those values true. But the mirror of those values throughout our governing mechanisms has been blurred, distorted and yes, in some instances shattered.


This too will pass. We face another election in fall of 2020. The people will speak their truth in the ballot box and the miscreants will be shown the door. This result I am sure of. It will have taken four years to materialize. But its reality is certain.


Some say we should impeach the sitting president. I do not agree. Although I’d like this nightmare to be over, the process of impeachment is slow and certain. It takes time, money and attention. All these resources are needed to operate our nation as best we can in the interim. Forget impeachment. Save all the evidence of wrong-doing and then prosecute the men and women of the White House, executive branch, and Republican Party. Many will go to jail. Many will lose their livelihoods. Many will be shunted off to where they will do the least damage to the rest of us. This is the strategy of long-term gain. Be patient several more months. Let the machinery of justice do its work.


Meanwhile, ignore the buffoons. Give them no lip service or attention. They burn up our energy and focus needed to accomplish things we are prouder of. Ours is a democracy. Not a clean democracy. It has been twisted and morphed into a rude structure controlled by money, influencers and propagandists. They will pay for what they have done. We are the adults in the room needing to keep moving forward.


The future belongs to all of us who are prepared for it. There will be casualties. There will be those who simply don’t understand. All wars have the sufferers – both the innocent and guilty. It is a fact of life we must face.


I’m preparing for the day we get our nation back. Are you?


Don’t let the months ticking away become a waste of our time and values. We have a new normal to build.


July 29, 2019

Big Boy 4014

Strange title but it has strong meaning. Big Boy 4014 is a railroad steam engine that last saw service 60 years ago.  Only 24 were built. Six remain in existence. Only one has been fully rebuilt and is operational.  That is Number 4014.


Cheyenne, Wyoming is the railyard where the restoration happened over three years.  Last May it fired up and backed out of the rail barn. It was tested and passed all challenges. The plan was laid to tour the Southern Pacific Railroad system to mark the 150^th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad track.


Big Boy 4014 is just that, big.  It is 133 feet long, weighs 1.2 million pounds and is the largest locomotive ever built and used consistently. Railroad enthusiasts are fanatic about this piece of railroad history.


Why am I writing about this?  Because Big Boy is leaving Wisconsin, coming to Chicago area on the 26^th of July – today – and parking for 3 days in West Chicago, Illinois. This will be the only stop in Illinois. We expect thousands of fans to appear to see it up close and tour the accompanying exhibition.


If you are a railroad buff, the train is due in at 2:30 pm in West Chicago on Friday the 26^th. It will be open to close inspection and tours starting at 8:30 am Saturday through Monday. Tuesday it journeys on to the wide open west. Come for a visit while you can.


By the way, the exhibit is just across the street from our condo building. West Chicago began its community life in 1835 as a railroad hub, repair yard, and switching yard. Today it straddles the tracks of perhaps the busiest working railroad lines in the nation. It gives retirees living nearby much to watch!


July 26, 2019

Parallels

We’ve been through a lot lately. Rocky and I. Mysterious symptoms of ill health. Several weeks of that. Then to the ER and finally a diagnosis of a mass in the throat. Biopsy taken. Cancer found. Surgeon from thyroidectomy of nearly 3 years ago contacted. A visit was arranged. That ER visit was June 2^nd. Two weeks later surgery was planned for July 9^th. Another ER visit before then, and Rocky was admitted to hospital in Chicago with an ambulance ride between CDH in Winfield and Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. A few days of stabilization, then the operation on July 9^th.


The rest you know. Recovery, recuperation, and now therapy in another hospital. Progress is noted. Adjustment to a new normal is on pace.


Through all of this meaning is drawn. For the now. But also to the past and a thrust into the future. Life is dynamic. It does not stand still. It moves ever forward through whatever is present or in the way.


We compare status of now with past experience. We wonder how this will define future. All we have is experience and present. We find meaning there. We steel ourselves for the unknown. We find solace in the familiar, but a thrill of expectation for the future. All is not lost. We have what we have. And it is good. Not perfect, but good.


The past is prologue. My mind has often returned to 1968 and the upheaval of that time. Assassinations, riots, burning neighborhoods, beatings in the street, looting, upraised angry fists. It was not easy. Change was everywhere.


We survived 1968. We will survive 2019 and 2020.


Our society is in turmoil. We are challenged to see the world as it is, not as we want it to be. What will be will result from what we do – each of us, all of us – together as a society, whether the actions are coordinated or not. The all-together-ness of our social order will inch forward in whatever fashion it takes. A new order will emerge. Slowly we shall see the new normal.


We hope the values held dear in the past still matter today. We hope those values will be kept for our future use. We will adopt diversity as a universal truth of what defines America. Multiple races, creeds, religions, cultures, cuisines, artistic expression, and colors. All together we have been and will be again. Education available for each person’s own discovery and development of life plan. Economic opportunity for all to sustain self and family. Justice for all in a society that respects and accepts differences. Who we are as a people is much more than just one. It is all of us.


As we encounter the future, I have to stand fast to what I believe. I must stand fast for your freedom to believe your truth. Together we will stand shoulder to shoulder in difference but in unity, too. That is America. It has not always been easy. But in the end we have survived. We have done well in new normals.


We will get through this.


July 25, 2019

Ups and Downs

Not all ups and downs are of equal temper. Or value.


Our building is a well designed affair that provides rock solid construction of steel and concrete. Dressed on the outside with an ‘olde English design,’ the building is only 10 years old or so and is packed with modern conveniences. Lots of storage. Living spaces all on one level. Four floors with the first floor a large, gang garage, then 3 floors of condos. Half the building is rented to people like us. But we are treated the same as owners.


Our unit has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, an eat-in kitchen, dining and living room, laundry, utility closet, and pantry/storage/guest closet room. Down the hall is our storage bin room, and of course the assigned parking space in the garage. The entire building is accessible without steps, although you can walk stairs if you wish!


An elevator is a key feature that settled our choice of abode.  It whisks us up and down at will.

Until it doesn’t.  sometimes it isn’t available due to power outages (not common). Occasionally it is out for inspection or maintenance (also rare). Currently it is down for repair.  Went out Saturday at noon and the repair crew diagnosed it and ordered parts. Those won’t be available until Monday. So, walking the dog is now a major issue.


Especially for me with bad knees, and emphysema. Stairs do not agree with my abilities or medical condition. Luckily I have wonderful neighbors who have insisted I stay put and let them do the walking. Pam has absorbed this duty bravely. We live on the fourth floor. It is no easy task to simply walk the dog. And Willow doesn’t walk down the stairs because she is going blind and cannot judge the distance of each step.  She will walk up the stairs!  So walking her means carrying her down four flights.  This is done four times each day.


Of course, I need the elevator to go to church, visit Rocky and do other routine errands.  This weekend I did manage to go down the stairs to get to church and visit Rocky. Climbing back up I realized I was there for the duration.


One solid benefit: I slept a great deal during the day. I then realized that I was still tired from hospital sitting and worrying about logistics of medical care for Rocky and maintaining home routines, too.  One upside of the elevator being down is I have time to recover from exhaustion I didn’t know I had.


So, there are the ups and downs of life all wrapped up in one tidy story!


July 24, 2019



 PS: The elevator saga is over. Repairs completed at 3 pm Tuesday. Freedom!

Quick Impressions

Nearly two weeks of sharing hospital time with Rocky. Hotel and a guest apartment. Cab rides and city walks. Hospital time: beeps, murmurs, steps and wheels in the hallway. Air conditioning background noise. All sounds constant and unfamiliar with our daily routine.


Home. The bed beckons. The apartment is clean as a whistle thanks to the energy and kindness of two neighbors. They scrubbed and neatened the place within a whisker of perfection! What a delight. The baseboards are not dusty, or dirty! The refrigerator is spotless inside and out. The encrusted oven door and window are sparkling. Magic of hours of scrubbing. I’ve often wondered how to get that oven window clean!!


My bathroom. Always clean. Always welcoming. Things in their place. Not temporary, but by my routine. The pills are where they always have been. So too the hair brush. The power toothbrush! How I missed you! The towels. The non-slip surfaces!


The laundry at my fingertips. Two loads immediately loaded. I’ll sort it out tomorrow.

Dog Willow excited, attentive but still wondering where Rocky is. Why is he not here?


TV controls I understand. Program selections that interest me. The familiar. The known.


A quick dinner out. No lunch. A distant breakfast. Now a familiar restaurant with a familiar favorite dinner item. Driving the car there and back. Familiar controls and feel. Imagine having control over where the vehicle goes? Such power. Such convenience. No waiting for cab, limo or Uber. Or walking. Just get in and go. Wow!


Then home. My chair. The known settings and comfort.


The quiet. No hospital beeps or buzzes. No swishing of foot steps or nurses/doctors/techs clothing, rushing in, out and by. Quiet. No humming. No droning. Just quiet.


The bed. The great matress. The oxygen machine. The CPAP. Easy breathing. Good breathing. The pillow.


In bed at 8:15 pm. Awake at 6. 10 hours of solid rest. No bathroom breaks. Nothing but sleep and matress support.


Wow! Just Wow!


So good to be home. Tomorrow is another day. Laundry. Sorting clothes. Checking out bills and checking balance. Then gathering wanted items for Rocky. A visit to Marianjoy. A busy day. I can already imagine my nap just a few miles away in my chair, with my dog, in my own place.


And the quiet.


July 23, 2019


PS: This was written on Friday following my coming home. Rocky is in Marianjoy. We've had adventures since then, including living on the fourth floor with the elevator not working. More habits changed temporarily. But all is good.

A Story

So, I’m near the end of hospital sitting with Rocky. This is the eve of the 13^th day. I spent 9 days in a hotel (dreary, poor air quality, even worse bed, and groady bathroom), then moved to a free guest apartment in a lovely high rise building near the hospital.  As is normal these days, I slept soundly for 5 hours, awoke for a bathroom break at 1:07 AM. Upon rising from the commode, my left leg gave way and I fell. Flailing backward, I fell onto the toilet with a resounding thud. Part of me was on the floor, but then the water tank broke and doused me with 4 gallons of water.


Realizing what had just happened, I turned off the water to the toilet, then surveyed the mess. Water everywhere. I grabbed towels and throw rug to soak up the water. Wringing water into the wash basin, I gradually removed the water from the floor and kept if from moving out of the bathroom into the hallway, carpeting and hardwoods.


Small shards of porcelain remained on the floor and wringing out the rug and larger towels in the bathtub, I realized the morning shower was not to be. So, I went back to bed for a nap, planning, and a bit of reading.


Next time I awoke I washed my face, shampooed my hair in the sink, and freshened up as best I could. I dressed, packed and texted the building manager to explain what had happened.


I did not get cut or injured. Just some bruises to both my knee, buttock, and elbow. The ego sustained heavy bruises, too; perhaps that was the worst of the incident personally. Lord knows the cost to clean up the mess and repair the toilet.


Just an embarrassing incident. Is this karma, chance, age or what?  I doubt anyone has the answer to that question. I am trying to put this behind me. I will never get up from a toilet again without thinking of this event. I flush with the memory!


July 18, 2019

Sounds - Memories

When I was a fresh new resident of the Chicago area, I was 22 years old, fresh college grad and starting my first full time job. I was a native Californian (Pasadena), transplant to Massachusetts (Pittsfield), another transplant to Upstate New York (Syracuse), and then to Illinois (Galesburg) for college (Knox College). Thinking my degree would be more recognizable in Illinois, I started my career with Illinois Bell in Chicago.


I had my car (1965 Mustang), an efficiency apartment in the suburbs near the ‘L’, no family but some college friends living in the metro area. I had to learn my way around the city. I had to learn commuting patterns. My Bell job required frequent work assignment changes in order to learn more about the company. Every few weeks I worked at a different office site throughout the large metro area. I usually scouted out driving or public transportation routes on the Sunday prior to a site change. I even drove the route so I didn’t get lost the next day. This is how I was introduced to Chicago and its massive urban presence and population.


Next came knowing my home neighborhood. I learned the local stores, joined a church, and built a social life one tiny bit at a time. I was lonely for longtime friends, and of course my family. Work colleagues were not core friends for some time because that first year kept me moving to countless company sites, each time with an entirely new cast of colleagues to know.


On weekends, I drove all over the Northeastern Illinois region. My car had an AM radio and that didn’t carry the music I grew up with – classical. So, I bought an FM radio and had it installed below the dashboard. Suddenly I was reunited with my classical music. I listened to it during all my drive times. WFMT was the best classical music station, but there were two other such stations (I don’t remember their call letters, but over time they disappeared from the dial).


I especially remember listening to Bach, Beethoven and Mozart compositions. A lot of string ensembles. Often such music is unappreciated by many, but for me, it was pure heaven!  It was orderly. It stimulated thinking and feeling. It calmed my anxiety and loneliness. It was connection to my previous life.


I still listen to this music, especially in the car. It reminds me of those early days in Chicago for me.

Yesterday morning I was in Au Bon Pain for a quick breakfast in the hospital’s food court. Being here 12 days for Rocky’s pre-op, surgery and post op stay, I have felt alone and similar to the days I first stepped on Chicago’s scene. Suddenly Au Bon Pain’s sound system pushed forth some Beethoven string quartets. Sonorous. Sweeping. Full tonal ranges. Rhythmic. I was transported to another time. Suddenly it was 1965. The smells and feelings of those days rushed to mind.

All from sounds associated with a specific time. Like aroma, sound triggers memories complete with a range of feelings.


The string quartets soothed my frazzled nerves and sense of being alone. I was myself again. I was confident. I knew who I was and what was happening. All from sounds familiar and appreciated. Known and comfortable.


I associate those musical tones with many places, but this morning it was the City of Chicago. Home for the past 54 years. Yikes!

July 19, 2019


PS: Rocky is now at Marianjoy in Wheaton. More convalescence and much needed physical therapy.

Transitions - Rocky

Rocky was discharged today from Northwestern Hospital – Chicago. He was transferred by Medicar to Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton. I rode with him to see him admitted to his room. Then I will be picked up and taken home by our neighbor Pam. Home, after nearly two weeks, for a nap in my own bed and to see our dog Willow.  Happy reunion!


Rocky will be in Marianjoy for 2 or 3 weeks getting his mojo back. Walking, sitting, standing and moving about on his own is critical if he is to be self-sustaining in all things once home. I will be there to supervise, aid and fill in as necessary with Rocky’s care going forward. But he will be expected to do most everything himself. That is important for his own health, both physical and mental.


Rocky’s health is quite good. Much better than the medical team expected. They are very happy with the outcomes so far. Tests are being done and plans are for radioactive iodine to be administered in three or four weeks.  Six months or so in the future a radiation therapy regime may be initiated. This is designed to keep him cancer free for the long haul.


Meanwhile, speech therapy will be conducted downtown Chicago to teach Rocky to speak with the buzzer box (I know there’s a formal name for this, but I don’t remember it!). It takes practice to speak with the buzzer box. Also, shortcut communication methods will be included as we go along. Other therapies include cleaning and maintenance of the Larytube insert to his trachea, and daily replacement of the HME filter cap for the stoma. The Larytube needs cleaning three times each day. Another therapy is re-learning how to physically eat: chew, swallow and maintain a healthy diet.  Cuisine options and preparations are yet another world of learning ahead.

The journey we began 13 days ago has only just begun. Months lie ahead, and then hopefully years of enjoyment of a new lifestyle. Stay tuned for outcomes as they appear.


Meanwhile, know that our thanks and gratitude for all your support is deeply appreciated. Now all we have to do is figure out how to pay for all of this!


July 18, 2019





 

Challenges

Coping skills. When do they kick in? Why are they needed? Are these skills up to the task? When do we know when we need help with them?


All good questions. I bet you and I don’t usually think of them. Only when we are challenged by something. The car breaks down. It won’t start. Worse, it stops working while on a highway far from home. Or the refrigerator loses its cool and the freezer begins thawing. The furnace quits on a very cold day, or the air conditioning conks out during a hot and humid weather.


What do you do in the instant? Anything?  How does your mind work through solutions or possible actions? Is there a panic at first, resignation later, or an active solving process engaged? Do you have a cell phone handy? If so, who do you call? What do you need from them?


Years ago, I had four cars in the household. It was great. If one of the cars didn’t work, or was tied up in a repair shop, we had options. Later, when there were only two of us in the household and we each had a car, we relied on the other to come retrieve us and help supervise getting help. Cell phones made the emergency much more manageable.


Coming home from a 9-day trip, I returned to a widespread power outage during a hot streak of weather. Storms had roared through and the power company was still working to restore power. It took two days. Meanwhile, what did we do? We went to a local hotel, and luckily personal relationships in the Chamber of Commerce snagged us a good room at a discount.


Ill health is a challenge not easily handled, especially if no fix is available, or if the fix requires major surgery and lifelong changes we adapt to. Ageing is a challenge. We change to fit circumstances. It is that simple. These challenges are special; they provide a specter of ongoing troubles leading to an unhappy future. How do we cope with all of this?


Social issues affecting us personally, or people close to us among our family or friends, have special meaning for us. We follow those issues in the press. We think of solutions and ideal outcomes over time. We may even become activists in a cause to urge positive change. Without those actions, how would we cope?


Self-image is a challenge. Are we attractive to others or not? Is our personality engaging and pleasant? Am I viewed as a push-over or a harsh person to deal with? Do people readily trust me? Like me? Whatever? Is this important? Am I creating a problem that doesn’t exist? Why do I care?


Coping skills steer our way through difficulties. We find ways to make the best of negative situations. Later we even learn to laugh about them. Working through the problems and challenges positively takes discipline and flexibility. We do not control the future. We don’t have all the answers. We live and learn. Sometimes our journeys are long and very complicated. In those very hard times we usually have help from family and friends.


It is times such as those we realize we are not alone, and community embraces us. If it doesn’t, perhaps we didn’t let others know of our needs? Perhaps we haven’t been engaged in the community to be known? Whatever, humankind is a social context. Best we develop coping skills worthy of that lifesaving context.


July 17, 2019

Representation

So, the House of Representatives change from republican to democrat in the last election. Many women were elected to the House and replaced a lot of men. This happened because the women had something to say that resonated with the electorate. Now in the House, they are speaking up. Instead of being greeted with enthusiasm, the House party structure is pushing them back. He Who Shall Not Be Named has even suggested the women should return to where they came from.  He should talk!


I think it is fair to say that most Americans are not happy with the current state of the US government. Haven’t been for some time. It is not responsive to the needs of the people, is archaic in its workings, moves slowly, costs trillions, and self serves the people in Congress and the Executive Branch.

Common sense seems to be lacking. Forthright discussion of issues is not accomplished within government. Clear actions are not formed quickly to address the problems we all know are staring us in the face. The American people have had enough. They want change.


The face of change requires government to look different, act different, be different and think different.


I think that will happen when the full diversity of the American people is present and represented in the halls of government in all three branches and ar all levels. Inclusivity is not a present feature of our government. We need diversity of age, skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, educational background, cultural and religious heritages, and so much more.  Proportional and representative of our entire American family, not just the financed favored few.


Women are more than 50 % of the population. There should be 50+% of House and Senate members who are women. Across the board, the demographics of our nation should be reflected in our government. The truth has finally been made clear: elected representatives do not do a good job for people who do not look, think or understand the world as they do.


We must make changes to get us to a truly representative government.


If we want to look like and be representative of our nation, then our government must look like we the people. A microcosm please. Of the real world. So the real work of this country has a chance to be discussed and legislated accordingly.


About time!


July 16, 2019

Wistful

Wistful about what? Well, for one thing, normal. That would be nice. Trouble is that is still forming and will be for the next several months; how startling the new will be is the big question.


We are a gay couple, married over 3  years now, had a commitment ceremony in public over 14 years ago. We have been together nearly 20 years. Only 5% of Americans identify as gay. There are other categories of non-straight that can be added to the count, taken together it might approach 8% of America’s population. That’s a small group. Not normal to the rest of society, but a new normal for all of us in this day and age.


We are also elder: 74 and 76. Over 65’s total about 16% of the population. That’s normal; young folk have some dissonance with elders, but they realize their folks will soon be in that category. That makes it personal and understandable. Besides, the personal telegraphs the realization that they too, will one day be an elder. Or so they expect and hope.


We are both retired. That is, from work, not life. We have many interests and involvements. We pursue them and delight in them. It gives us focus and vitality. The days speed by. We are hopeful this will last for a long time.


One of us is pretty well educated. Formally so, expanded by a full life experience in professional careers, inventiveness, entrepreneurialism, and intellectual pursuits.  Working in nonprofits provided another dimension of experience.


The other of us doe not have much formal education. However, the intelligence and expressive talents are superior. A quiet warrior in thinking and learning. No slouch, this guy is one smart cookie. Each of us do not have to have diplomas to live smart and be so.


The other of the twosome is overweight, has AFib, emphysema, sleep apnea and creeping arthritis. Lots of meds to moderate all of this. Balance and walking stamina are not high. Nightly oxygen coupled with a CPAP gadget are required. That limits mobility, travels and stamina. But no limit of interest in those things!


Rocky was an accomplished artist in ceramics, art woodworking and lapidary. He is talented in electronics, too (thank God!).


I’m a retired strategic planner, editor, writer and economist.


Both of us are engaged in current events and pay attention. We communicate our views often and freely. To anyone willing to listen. Even those who are not!


I talked with a young man who is a struggling writer. He knows the craft, but he is light on life experience to draw on in his communications. Both Rocky and I have life experience that allows us thoughts to share. I rarely have trouble jumping on an idea to write about. Many times it is hard to select from many topic options. Rocky, too.


So, wistfulness is more a mood that desires connection with meaningful content of life: to live fully, to continue experiencing all the sensations we have in the past. The present is more limited in those sensations; that too is life. The future will witness more dilution of those sensations. Memories remain, and they are quite vivid. That is the experience mentioned before. It is gained over lifetimes. It is built day after day, layer upon layer. This is the birthplace of wisdom if we allow it. Perhaps that is the goal of wistfulness? Continual learning and enrichment. The education that never ends. The future that will be for others even if we are no longer around.


Wistful is OK. It is a part of life and necessary. This is not a complaint.


It is gratitude.

July 15, 2019

Pastiche

Early sunlight filters through the leaves. Young trees planted along urban streets. Maybe five years old or more. Thin foliage to allow ample air movement but still provide welcome shade. Plant life in the city. Flower beds are provided. Well-used by landlords and building owners, especially downtown Chicago. A city garden abloom. It is July. Hot. Wednesday was nearly 100 and high humidity. The view from the ICU room was spectacular. Lake views, deep blue and plenty of water glints. Sail boats far out; horizon blurred by blue sky meeting blue water in a haze of moisture.


Nuances of nature with a backdrop of urban reality. This pastiche of urbanity – colors, movement, shapes, people and things. The city. Art and design, architecture, drama, literature, dance and all the other languages of humankind all taken as one while the city itself lives with real people. Their stories, dramas, languages and actions are the real thing, but together they form an artistic presence.


Thousands of people walk the sidewalks. Not strolling, but purposeful strides to work or appointments or an eatery for a quick bite. Clothing multi-colored. Fewer suits and dresses than yesteryear. More slacks, pant suits, and lots of shorts. Athletic shoes, too. Socks or no socks, footwear is sturdy and comfortable.


Ages are so much more variable today than when I was first introduced to Chicago in 1965. Most people were commuters and more formally attired. Today the youth stand out; I wonder if I did in my early days? I didn’t think so at the time. Millennial explosion here at the moment. Young people going to plentiful jobs. Many are in medical attire (we are near Northwestern Medical Hospital complex). Twenty-four hour population surrounds the hospital complex. But then there must be clinics and support offices of all varieties nearby as well. Private ones, independent of Northwestern.
Michigan Avenue is steps away.


Traffic is more than congested. At times it is standstill in all directions. Reminds me of a visit to Manhattan in 1955. Then I was amazed at the traffic jam of buses, cars, cabs, trucks and emergency vehicles. We watched in fascination as fire trucks and ambulances attempted to get through the bogged mess. Yesterday I witnessed the same at rush hour, buses battling firetrucks and ambulances. Took me back to 1955 in New York.


The whir of machinery – air conditioning, auto traffic, construction crews – is a constant background of sound. It blends seamlessly with punctuated sounds of life up close. Constant sound, all with purpose, making the heartbeat of life in the city.


These are all parts of the whole. Alone or together, they form the pastiche of modern life in the city.


It holds excitement. It contains possibility. It challenges, and yes, browbeats many. Together this environment produces new life and history. It calls forth inovations to carry us forward. Ever unfolding is our story on this planet.


We are not alone. Nor ought we be. May this pastiche speak to us all.


July 12, 2019

When It Matters

There are times when a small fact means something enormous. It pops up in context. Suddenly it means something huge when otherwise it would be overlooked. The desiderata of life is much like this. So much content we don’t keep track of it. Bits and pieces meaning little or nothing.


But then they do. Mean something. Like a thunderbolt the tiny bit or bob makes an impact totally out of proportion of our experience.


Buy a life insurance policy and you don’t really focus much on the death that makes the policy worth something. Let that event occur, and the money will be helpful at some point, but not when the death occurs. So much more meaning comes from the death. Lost companionship. Lost income. Continuation of expenses with less resources to pay for them. The smile that has been a constant is no longer there. The puns and chuckles are missing. The presence that is now absent. Like the pet that graced our lives for over 10 years, the slight movement noticed is no longer a tail, or a yawn, or scratching of the carpet. The pet is not there. The movement was something else, maybe a phantom of our imagination.


Absence of usual. Warmth of a sleeping companion. The habits that made noise, vibration, flickers of light. Routines now with less content. Missing the person. Missing the personality and mindfulness that formed so much of our own life experience.


Sitting in the surgery family waiting area waiting for Rocky’s surgery to be over, so many thoughts entered the mind. Together nearly 20 years. A lifestyle that is counter to 95% of normal American family life. Friends we made together. Employee colleagues that enter our common life together. Blending two families, now with adult children and 11 grandchildren. The mind begins to reel with possibilities of disappointing surgery outcomes.


Then the mind jumps to what life will become if surgery is successful. In our case, life will change greatly. Cuisine will be different. Who eats what, and when; and what about the other person in the household?  Both of us surely will not be eating smoothies as a staple? The absence of steaks and cheese burgers for one will dictate the same for both? Maintaining daily health will be different. Learning to speak and hear differently now that one has no voice but only a buzzer gadget hand held to the neck, coupled with exaggerated mouthing of words. That makes a sound that you and I can hear. Not a normal sound but a practical one.


Talking is natural to us. Forming sounds that uniquely combine to form dialects, languages, inflections, and special meaning and emphasis. I take that for granted. Do you?  But now Rocky will work to replace that with something entirely new to him. It will take practice on his part, and us. His part is to make intelligible sounds. Our part is to translate that readily into meaning, especially the meaning he intends for us. That’s a pretty good summary of communication, isn’t it?  Think about it.

Bottom line, much of what we call life is the result of complex actions, biology and emotions. Upset those patterns a bunch, and consider the effects. Thunderous, eh?


July 11, 2019

PS: This was written before surgery results were known; now they are. Surgery was a success. Now the healing. Much of the above is still happening as massive change in routines and wondering how they will settle into patterns. They will. We know they will. Love will make it so.

Church Attendance Declines

In 60 years of regular and involved church life, I’ve watched congregations come and go. Mostly go, as in attendance. Down, down, down.


Every group has attendance fluctuations; that’s normal. Trends up or down tell part of the story; movement of data doesn’t explain the why or what to do about it. For churches – whether Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Jewish Synagogues, Muslim or protestant Christian denominations, attendance has been down.


Ask a cross section of individuals if they are currently regularly attending church, you will likely find them not. Less than 30% attend regularly. In fact, the number is more like 23%.  This figure is much different if you asked the same cross section of individuals if they consider themselves a believer in a specific religious tradition, and the results would soar to 60% or higher. Ask those same people if they are spiritual rather than religious, and you would get even higher participation.


There is more interest in spiritual matters and general religion than there is in church attendance. Why that is so remains an open question in need of more research.


I know my kids were raised in a protestant church tradition. So was I. And the kids witnessed my church activities through the years. We asked them to attend church and Sunday school as regularly as possible up to the age of 13 or 14. After that they were on their own to decide if they wished to retain a relationship with the congregation. In college, I suspect they ceased all church connections.

But that’s my family – white Anglo-Saxon protestant. I think both Catholics and Jews have better attendance and participation rates. They too, however, have the same drop-off of young adults from high school through college. In the past young families returned to church when babies arrived. Not so much today.


What else is happening in modern churches?  It is easier to say what is not happening. As America’s demographics shift to more diversity, churchgoers are more diverse but separated. Ethnic churches remain ethnic; white congregations remain white. Economic groupings keep to themselves. Educated groupings remain close to one another. In short, we are self-selecting ourselves into ghettoes of similarity.


As a society we are more diverse. As social associations, we are segregated.


If we pride ourselves being diverse in so many ways, then why are our special associations not as diverse?  This conclusion is fairly made with churches. If churches wish to grow and prosper in their interests and accompanying finances, then they must grow in diversity to mirror society’s growth in diversity.


Period. If your church is not a cross section of your community or your county, then you are not welcoming those different from yourselves. How do we claim to be relevant to our society when we are not representative of our own national diversity?


Diversity. Inclusivity. Of all God’s people: ethnicities, genders, gender identities, ages, skin colors – all of these things. And yes, socio-economic diversity as well as educational experience.


How can we be relevant when we don’t even know people different from us?  How is that relevant?

Transitioning to relevancy via full diversity will not be easy. Ask the southern states how easily they accommodated integrated public schools? Ask Kansas City how they managed finally to gain integrate public schools. How did California, New York, and major cities throughout the nation handle integrated public education?  You know this was difficult. Proof is the present state of segregation and unequal schools within most communities of America.


If public accommodations are difficult to integrate, how will churches accomplish it?


I don’t have answers to this. I do have a question: if we claim to be inclusive churches, where are the membership and attendance data to support such claims?


If we want this to be the outcome, how do we make it happen?


July 10, 2019

Surgery Day

Rocky undergoes surgery today. We are told this will take 10 to 12 hours. At least 6 surgeries are programmed together to accomplish the desired outcome. I’ve been over this before, so I will only summarized what they will do: remove the tumor; install a permanent stoma in the trachea for breathing; remove part of, and close off the windpipe above the stoma; remove damaged esophagus and rebuild it with tissue from his thigh; remove larynx/voicebox; install temporary feeding tube directly to the stomach until esophagus is ready for use. Two days in ICU, then 5 days in a regular room if everything goes well. If not, more OR and ICU time; then more recuperation before being sent home.


Speech and feeding therapies will begin before being discharged. Then the work really begins.


OK, we’ve been thru these preparations before. We know the drill. What we don’t know are the routines and struggles to adapt to them,  and learn them. What will it take from both of us to follow the script towards wellness?  And acceptance?


Both are unknowns; both represent challenges to be surmounted. Work and discipline are needed.

And a lot of resolve.


It is times such as these we reflect on the meaning of life and the blessings we take for granted. The taste of a fresh apple, the aromas from a cooling apple pie fresh from the oven; a favorite casserole bubbling away in the oven; or simply buttered toast or English muffin. Taste. Aroma. The marriage of the two that enhances taste buds and pleasure.


Breathing through nose, mouth and sinuses, free and easy without burden. Those will not be in Rocky’s future. No, they will be cut off with only the stoma. Care, cleaning and maintenance of the stoma and its related workings will be daily and done with special care. Illness, infection and the common cold are now the enemy. Spitting up phlegm is easy now. It will be a production in the future.


And speaking will be a newly learned function with gadgets and talents assumed. That comes later with beeps, squeaks and electronic rasps. No singing!  But then Rocky was not a singer!!


Well, those are the tasks ahead. They are the new to replace what has been lost. But life will remain to live and enjoy. That is the good news. It is also the challenge, to recall what we took for granted all these years.



It is worthwhile to reflect on the value of life and what makes it special. One leg or two, or none at all? Or one or both arms? And what of the stroke victim who lies in bed for endless days unable to speak or write? To express themselves of the thoughts they still have in their minds. They are whole within, but bear silent witness.



We complain of the headache, the sprained ankle, the sore throat and the gimpy knee or shoulder. The aging body makes known the parts no longer working, or at least not as well. Rather than complain, think of circumstances more dire. Welcome and celebrate what we have when we have it. Enjoy it fully. We will lose such amenities eventually.



Today we smile our thanks. We feel our gratitude. We know what makes us whole. So many others cannot.

For ourselves we find strength.



July 9, 2019



PS: we have hope for good outcomes from today’s procedures. I will share actual results when we know them. Patience is a virtue, not a talent of ours presently!

Protecting What From Whom?

When it comes right down to it, what are we protecting with nearly $800 billion dollars annually?  This is the military budget absent the cost of the CIA and many other agencies charged with the task of gathering intelligence for our country. And the costs of war are off the books, not included in the defense budget. With research contracts continuing throughout the years added into this mix, we most likely spend over $1 trillion each year on military preparedness and operations.


That’s a lot of money.


The inevitable question is: What are we protecting ourselves from?  I know the answers are multiple and serious. I know they are real threats, too, but I wonder if we don’t make more out of threats than we need to.


I ask this question to raise a point.  People are people the world over. We all struggle to live a routine life with adequate food, water, shelter, clothing, services and medical care. Enough of all these things so we can pursue whatever it is we define as happiness. Every person is engaged in this pursuit.

If that is so, why are we assuming people other than ourselves want what we have bad enough to take it away from us? Aren’t their people struggling along just like us?  Do they want our people to suffer?  Why is that?  What proof this is so?


I am a realist. But I am also an optimist. I am an optimist because in meeting, talking with and getting to know strangers, I find they are very similar to me. Our differences are cultural, maybe even theological. Both of those features make each of us strong, not weak. They are part of our identity.

These values do not preach destruction of the other. Rather, our values teach us to accept strangers, even enemies, and help them in times of sorrow and disaster. We are asked to share our humanness.

That is when I realize the stranger means me no harm. It gives me hope that people to people will bring world peace one day.


The realist in me admits history and its tales of conquest, mean spirits, destruction and behavior unfit for mankind. Yes, we have waged wars. We continue to do so. For ideological reasons more than practical ones. That is our weakness. To get mad enough to shoot rifles, bombs and missiles at someone labeled an enemy. I know that the North Koreas of the world think other nations are out to get them. I understand the Putins of the world must upset the equilibrium of his people to gain the power to control international relationships with Russia. I get it.  I think he is wrong. I think he is self-focused, not nation-focused. I think he invents strategy and tactics with a larger than life chess game. It is about saving face, being proud, and being seen as strong.


Americans want to feel strong, be proud, and save face among those who wish us ill. Beyond that level, however, Americans want peace. We do not want hegemony over the world. We do not want control over the riches of the world. We just want our place secure and safe, our loved ones happy and safe. I want my family safe. And friends. And I want the Russian people to share in these positives, too.


That point – right there – is the basis of optimism meeting realism and demonstrating that peace is possible.


Same is true within a culture. You are Catholic, I am protestant. Others I know are Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Taoist, and atheist. Many of my friends I am unaware of their belief systems. It doesn’t matter. It is not political. It is value oriented. It is personal. It is no reason for a fight among nations or peoples.

I find differences among all of us to be exciting. The world is filled with different values among its many peoples. That’s a good thing, not bad. We are different and unique unto very selves. That’s a good thing. It is not a reason to label others ‘different’ as an enemy or threat.


Yes, bad people exist. That’s why we have first responders and police departments. And yes, when times are bad, we have armies to protect and preserve the peace unto our own nation. We will even help a friend in need of support by our military to protect and preserve peaceful peoples outside our borders. Mutual defense is what this is called.


The United Nations was created to build peace; protect and preserve peace. It has accomplished it many times. It has been the place where combatant nations can air their complaints before hostilities arise. It is not a perfect institution. It is called upon to do much with a dizzying array of cultures and belief systems. It takes time to build working relationships with all those players. Sometimes peace is a needle in a haystack. The search for it is mutual and constant.


At momentous moments we need to recall what it is we are protecting and preserving. What I want for our nation is not power and riches. I want peace and community among all nations. If we truly work toward this, we might just save trillions of dollars that can be spent on other matters much more important to mankind.


Building future, not destroying it.


July 8, 2019

Another Rocky Update

We received word Tuesday that Rocky’s surgery will be performed on Tuesday, July 9^th at the Northwestern Hospital in downtown Chicago. We were told to be there by 5:30 am. Rocky will be in the operating room for 10 to 12 hours. He will recuperate for two days in ICU, then on to a regular room for another 5 days. Longer if blips occur. We were advised his stay will be 7 to 12 days.


Then the convalescence begins. Speech therapy to learn communications without a voice box. Breathing lessons with a permanent stoma through the trachea. Eating practice with a reconstructed esophagus, a new diet of soft foods, then graduating to solids well chewed. A new life routine to be learned and perfected. This is what we do to preserve life and happy futures.


I will stay at a nearby hotel to be close to Rocky. Friends and family have donated funds to make this happen, and to transport two old guys through unimaginable traffic in one of the most congested neighborhoods in the city. With such support we are encouraged that all efforts will succeed. We have high spirits and hope.


And gratitude for a caring, loving family and community.


More news will be shared in this space as it happens. Meanwhile, thank you all for your prayers and warm thoughts. All are appreciated at times such as these.


July 5, 2019

Death Among Friends

Tuesday began with a bang. A Facebook announcement that a friend had died, Peter Dudak.


I worked with Peter for at least 5 years in founding the Warrenville (Ill.) Arts Council. And operating the organization. Peter was a board member, volunteer and tireless. His ideas were solid, delivered with a calm demeanor and smile.


Peter’s wife Betsy is an involved citizen. I’ve known her longer than Peter. Betsy was behind the scenes in starting up our local newspaper. Originally slated to be our Managing Editor, she demurred, and I was named in her place. She went on to author four books, one just about to be published. She now leads the Warrenville Writers Connection, which she founded.


Both Peter and Betsy are engaged citizens of Warrenville, Illinois. A small town of 14,000 souls, the community is known for its active, giving and creative people. Want a newspaper? Start one. Want to produce a parade? Create an organization, recruit plenty of volunteers, and ask for money from everyone. Then stage the parade. Repeat year after year until the tradition is indelible with the community. Want good local government? Volunteer for boards and commissions, better yet, run for the City Council, or Mayor, or whatever. Then spend years doing the town’s work.


Yes, Peter and Betsy are the soul and sinew of Warrenville. Like many others, they see a need and step in to find a solution. Along the way they gather others. The contagion to get involved and accomplish what’s good for the community. That’s them, Peter and Betsy.


And now Peter is gone. Suddenly gone. In an accident involving his motorcycle. Doing something he loved.


The trouble with getting involved is the sudden empty space left when you are no longer there. The loss is felt. Over and over again. Something missing. Something very dear.


Death among friends is very real. A loss. Emptiness. A vacuum needing to be filled.


Farewell Peter. Hugs and tears for your family. They will miss you always. As will we.


July 4, 2019

Migration

Putin made comments at the G 20 Summit Monday.  He asserted that migrant shifts in the world are wrong and hurt the people already living in their own nation. He claims it is unfair that newcomers arrive and consume resources, jobs and upset existing balances. He claimed that support for migration is mere propaganda created by elites in those nations. The elites are protected from ‘damage.’ The rest of the people are left to deal with rebalancing their lives, property, economic and social relations.


What a crock! And from him!


He does not speak of why the migration occurs in the first place. People living in abject poverty is one reason. Another is tyrannical leaders who kill, torture and abuse a class of people in their homeland; the victims choose to leave their homes for a safer, better life elsewhere. Almost any place will do. So, they grab some possession and their family members and set out to save their own lives.


This has happened in Libya. Syria. Sudan. Countless nations in Africa. South America, Central America, too; refugees from chaos. Refugees from despots, crime, poverty. Soullessness. They escape for anything better than what they have at home. Their very lives are threatened.


Putin knows this. So, do all the dictators. They seek wealth, land and power. They take it from the weak. They create the weak, so they can be strong. That’s what is happening in Syria. Lebanon. Egypt. So many Middle Eastern countries are bedeviled by these developments. Africa, too. All throughout Asia we witness similar happenings.


Even in nations at peace, despotic leaders create class warfare so their own people fight one another, choose ‘sides,’ and do the dirty work for the ‘leader.’ The haves and have nots; the educated and less educated; the super wealthy and the middle class; the poverty class versus the middle class.


Differences. Nationalities. Ethnicities. Ages. Genders. Gay. Straight. White. Black. Brown. Foreign language speaking. Differing customs, cuisines, attire.  Differences. You are not like me. I am better than you.


You are not allowed.


That is not liberal. That is not conservative. That is not communist, socialist, or any other ‘ist.’


That is discrimination. That is name calling. That is trouble making for another purpose. Putin knows the purpose. So, do other leaders who are not taking care of their own peoples. They are after something else. We know what it is: influence, power, wealth.


Are we really so dumb as to believe what Putin said?


America is a land of mixed nationalities and cultures. Always has been. People emigrated from their homes for something better. They came to America. They mixed with one another and built a nation. E Pluribus Unum. One from Many.


We intermarry. We have babies. We build melting pot social orders. We educate one another. We build industries and commerce. We earn our living. We propagate the land and produce wealth for our families. We welcome others to do the same. They refresh our stock of humanity. They bring new ideas, talents and skills.


Wisdom is not made in a vacuum; it is created through engagement of what is different.


That statement may be the secret of success of America. We break equilibrium to find a new, fresh equilibrium. Like the economy, equilibrium of price, value and commerce is a constantly moving statistic. It is always seeking balance, one second or minute at a time.


So, too, our social order, our society, our nation. Our peoples are all different, unique and free to find themselves. They refresh themselves. They reach out and achieve. They are in a social order that allows this and encourages it. Happiness, like success, is the product of hard work. America is a model of this.


Not perfect. Not always in perfect equilibrium, but always moving towards it. Natural rhythm. Each person engaged in their own journey toward their dream. Let it go? The dream evaporates, replaced by something else. Unhappy with that? Work toward a better solution.


If we follow Putin’s advice, we become insular, narrow and self-absorbed. And then we grumble about what we don’t have. The perfect soil to roil trouble. Sound familiar?


It should. This is tRump’s message. Over and over again. Replaying moments of victory from the past, does not make America great. What makes us great is we the people striving for something better for ourselves, our families and each other. That’s the greatness.


That’s why we celebrate the 4^th of July.


Question: are we singing from the same sheet of music? Or are we being divided by a con-man and his minions? Just how mis-leadable are we?


July 3, 2019

Meaning of the 4th

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. It was not always that, but became my favorite after I gave up on the mystery of Christmas. I guess it is an adult thing. The mythology surrounding Christmas, Santa Claus, the Elves and all, became a burden. Once relegated to the attic of memories, adult thinking took over.


Thanksgiving is about relationships, primarily family. Then close friends who are very much like family.


Relationships. Interaction of people one at a time, and then in small groups. The growing reality of networked relationships. More and more people drawn into the circle of relationship.


Let’s see, New Years is a fond farewell to a year just completed, and a joyous welcome to a new year of opportunity and fresh starts. Easter is a time we encounter new beginnings, but from a much more personal space. The meaning of life is begged at Easter. What’s it all about? Why are we here on this planet? The struggle is proof of existence, but the why eludes us.


Memorial Day recalls the sacrifice of those who gave their all for the safety and well-being of others, known and unknown. The Fourth of July celebrates our independence as a nation, our striking out alone to build a future nation jointly envisioned by so many. Those founding fathers labored intently to get it right. The Declaration of Independence gave birth to the US Constitution. It took 11 years to get it right. Even then amendments were begged. The Bill of Rights came later, the first 10 amendments. And then other additions and shifts occurred yet later.


The 4^th of July, however, was the point of action, the decision to make our nation whole and separate.

This was done in the name of all Americans at a time when resources and population were scant. This was a time of hope. Of vision. Of dreams.


What followed was hard work. More sacrifice. More wars. Yet more dreaming and reaching for larger outcomes. We stretched our minds and our muscles. We worked toward something in need of belief and support. A new way of living was birthed. Not all pretty and perfect, but good bones to build a sound, workable future.


That future has unfolded pretty well. We are a beacon of hope and freedom to billions of people on this planet. It hasn’t always been a perfect future, but it is an unfinished project. We continue to reach for a more perfect union, a more perfect future. Seeking the better outcome is an ever present challenge.

The 4^th of July is my second favorite holiday. Thanksgiving shows gratefulness for each other in our close relationships. The 4^th of July celebrates our collaboration as fellow citizens to build a better future for all of us. The two holidays are linked. One is close and now; the other far reaching and hoping for what we can produce together.


Togetherness is not always smooth. Struggle marks our progress. Relationships are built and compromised enough to secure progress. Together, though, we plod toward our combined hope of a better world of opportunity and justice for all of us.


Our own wants and yearnings blind us to those of others. We compete for survival of body and mind. The struggle uncovers poor relationships and obstacles to progress. But the 4^th of July reminds us that we can be better than our divisions and seek the wholeness of promise.


Happy 4^th of July. Ponder the greater meaning of this holiday in America.


July 2, 2019

How Can I Do That?

Remember John F. Kennedy’s challenge?  “Put a man on the moon before the close of this decade.” That was 1961 or 1962. He didn’t worry about how we would do it, the tasks and science, engineering and all the rest. He focused on the desired end result. The wheels of government and society turned in the direction he urged, and we found the means and ways to accomplish the task in July 1969. On schedule or slightly ahead of it!


Nathaniel Hill and W. Clement Stone preached, “The mind achieves what it can conceive.”


The message is clear, if we notice problems or crises bedeviling us personally or as a society, we really need to back off and think about it more.  What are the causes of the problems? What resources are we already committing to managing and solving the problems?  How well are those efforts working?  Are we effectively fixing the problem or making busy work serving the problem?


Enough of this. It wastes time and energy. Worse, it shuts down creativity. What we need to be doing is envisioning the outcome we hope for. In 7 years, or 10, I want our society to have an immigration policy and system that integrates newcomers to our nation in safety, health and psycho-social balance.  How else would the outcome of a healthy and successful immigration program be described?  Don’t take my words for it, add your own. That becomes your dream, and mine.


Knowing the objective well is the largest part of determining how to achieve it. What we know and what we don’t. The Space Program had to invent its way to the moon. It had to invent a way to transport a man to the moon and keep him alive. It had to carry that man off the moon and bring him back to Earth. Alive. And repeat it. And learn from it. So we could do other work in space at greater distance.


If we want an education system that will train each person to learn for themselves what interests them the most, and how to integrate that student and millions more into a society that collaborates on achieving more, all the while being healthy and happy, then let’s invent an educational system that will do that. This sort of educational system will continue to educate people of all ages as they need booster lessons. Training for new careers as old ones become obsolete will be a continuing future of my dream education system. What features do you especially hope for?


Once we have thought this through – what the objective truly is – then we can work backwards in finding the way forward to making it a reality. Just like the Moon Shot!


Outcomes matter. Dreams matter. Realizing that what we dream about is dissonant with reality informs us that a problem or challenge is present. It needs to be solved. This is what human activity should be about. This is what humankind is capable of.


Instead we have a political system that focuses on problems, ineffective solutions, and differences.

To change that failed system, let’s focus on what we dream of achieving. Let’s forget the problems of what is, and replace them with achieving the possible. We can work on the impossible later.

For now, let’s focus on the possible.


July 1, 2019