I Miss Going to Church

I’ll clarify that – I don’t miss church; I miss going to church.


First, church is everywhere. It is inside me and you and wherever the spirit lives. Today our church streams its worship services over Facebook, live and recorded. The ritual of church is available to us. Not the same, of course, during the pandemic. We don’t sing. We don’t mingle. We are not physically present in each other’s lives. Virtually, yes. Spiritually, also yes. Just not physically.


I miss the round table in Fellowship Hall where early birds for Sunday’s service sit and talk while stuffing bulletins, readying the sanctuary for services, and all the rest. When all is ready, we get down to jawing and laughing and just being folks. Enjoying one another’s company is what that’s about. It is a pure pleasure. In pandemic? No gathering.


I miss the services. Sitting near friends and family while focusing on the elements of the service. The music to settle jangled nerves. The prayers to center one’s mind on important matters of all time, not my own. Prayers to salve the troubles of others. Intercessions to reach out far from our own experience. Scripture readings that return to the bedrock of our value tradition to learn how basic and similar to our own they are. The sermon to translate to today the word we need to guide us toward peace and better outcomes. Action? Yes, for those who can. Fresh thought? Yes, for those who are willing.


Yes. I miss the gathering, the fellowship, the honest quest for answers in challenging times. I miss the music, the singing, too. Always a large part of my life, the music. It has always been the entry of choice to church for me. Maybe the backdoor for many, but a portal to personal introspection, learning, and realization for me.


It took a global pandemic to show me how church is its people, not a place. I still miss it though, the place with the people I have come to know and love. And the music. I miss the music in which we participate and become one.


June 30, 2020

Special Treatment

Generals, attorneys, personal pundits, supporters and flakes. As long as they prove loyal to the uncrowned king in the white house, they are spared, pardoned and commuted. They are treated to a better law than the rest of us. They cheated. They broke the law. Many even pled guilty. But now they are slipping out of confinement and sentence because the courts, the political wizards and the people without values allow this.


You and I of course are held to different standards. We also manage our own lives, pay our own taxes, raise our own kids to self-sustainability, support our charities and churches, schools and universities. We do the heavy lifting of the nation. We are the history of America. But we have no mention. We are the little people. Our backs are bowed from burden. Our bank accounts are near empty.


If scapegoats are needed, it is the little people who are anointed. They fill the prisons. They sweep the streets, paint the light posts, serve as cashiers at grocery stores and gas stations. They are the folks we rely on to do the work of society and keep it open even in pandemics.


The rich and infamous get away scot free. Evidently, they feel all is for them and no one else.


If this description is at all correct, America has a problem. The system of checks and balances in our governance system provided by the US Constitution, is being illtreated and unused. Evidently the constitution is null and void. The courts have said so. And congress does nothing to offset the calumny.


A clear and present danger has come and remains in place. We do nothing about it. Our representatives elected to work in our stead do nothing. The system is torn down and serves only the privileged. White, black, brown or whatever, they don’t matter. Only if you have connections and money. Power. That’s the coin of the realm today.


We have come far from our starting point.


Please tell me what I’ve written here is not so. Tell me things are better than this. Tell me this nightmare will be over soon. Please.


June 29, 2020

Ban Ammo?

Just a thought. America is rapidly approaching one gun for every person. That would be 330 million guns.


We know guns are used in many robberies, assaults and killings. They are tools of violence. That’s not what they were meant for; no, they were meant to protect safety and peace among those who could not protect themselves from stronger attackers.


The story of guns in America, however, is one of violence. Handguns, especially, are the center of the story. Long guns – rifles – are meant for hunting game to eat. Hunting remains a large sport and supports rifle sales. That’s OK by me. Sport yes; violence against others, no.


So, what about the title questioning ammunition?


I had a friend who recently died at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. His position on guns bounced between two actions. First was buy back every gun and destroy them. The second was controlling the sale and manufacture of ammunition.


His point was logical. If the gun buyback program doesn’t work to cut gun deaths by half each year, then restrict ammo sales. Make it so costly that gun use becomes prohibitive. Keep it loaded for immediate protection, but not for frequent use.


I think we should consider both of these programs. We don’t need vigilante justice in our nation. We don’t need runaway handgun violence. We need to do something about that.


The whole world is watching America act stupid on guns. Isn’t it time to end this tragedy?


June 28, 2020

Future of Covid

Hmm. COVID and its pathway through the global population. Arc of infection through the USA. Local infection rates and death. Infection patterns and spread. How selective is the virus for specific age groups, ethnicities, regions?


We don’t know a lot about the virus. We are learning, but don’t know everything. We experiment with methods to slow the infection rate. We try different treatment methods, too, including different meds, positions in bed, equipment and therapies. Treatments vary in degrees depending on patient age and their collection of health issues.


Avoiding the virus altogether has been a work in progress. We know distancing works. We know open air spaces help. We know face masks work. Even types of face masks have been tested for effectiveness. Washing hands frequently, not touching our face, and other small tips have lessened infection rates.


We even learned these avoidance methods serve two beneficiaries: the self and those nearby.


This is a community disease because it spreads among us. Therefore, it requires community action to lessen the disease’s impact and spread.


Wearing face masks work. Washing hands works. Distancing works. You and I must do these things. Together we protect ourselves and others. We protect the community.


Straightforward and factually true. The science says so. Doctors say so. Logic supports this.


It is up to us to make it work. Together in Illinois we have seen this work. Don’t ease up yet. COVID has a future.


We don’t understand what that future is. It may produce resurgence infections. It may be a repeat virus for the same patients. It may weaken infected patients years later with other diseases and organ failures. No one knows.


We watch other states and regions. Their experiences indicate lax actions and public policy increased vulnerability to infection. Resurgent infection patterns have occurred. These are areas where masks, distancing and hand washing were not done routinely. They are paying the price now.


Because of that, travel to those regions is not advised. Interaction with people who have traveled to those regions is not advised. Our future with this disease relies on our sticking with what we know works.


Don’t give up now. Keep up your guard. The life or health you protect may be your own. Most probably it will be the life of another. Both you and the other are important. It is what comprises community.


Community rules!


June 27, 2020

Free Speech

As long as the speech is peaceful and not inciting violence, the message should be allowed unfettered. Burning a flag, any flag, is speech. The courts ruled on this matter long ago. Burning the American flag is not an illegal act; it is speech.


Burning the confederate flag is also free speech. And other banners that are emblematic of a political commitment, value judgment, whatever. The Gay Flag is such a banner. So are many others.

Incinerating a symbol may cause emotional reaction. Burning the symbol is emotional. The two emotions – acts and reactions – are natural. Not helpful except for the individual involved. Venting.

That’s it. We have the right to do so in America.


Prayer is the same thing. Speech done privately where and whenever desired. It should be done safely (closing one’s eyes for prayer while driving a car is an example to avoid). Otherwise, do your thing. No one else needs to bother with it. It is a personal choice. No one has banned it. They cannot do so. Just don’t require me to do it because you tell me to, or want me to.


Social media is a platform for free speech. Reacting to that speech is OK as well. It should be respectful and logical. If it isn’t, it will not be read, heeded, attended to. If it is nasty and uncivil, reactions may be expected, but best to simply ignore the ignorance of the ‘speaker.’


Just because someone says something on social media is not cause for you to react in kind. You may do so, but it is likely not a good thing. I’ve witnessed many damaged family relationships because of this. Some people must have the last word. Their opinion is the most important. You know what I mean. Those same folks have problems you and I cannot solve.


Understanding complex issues is a challenge. Just because you don’t understand all the ins and outs of the issue, however, does not give you credibility to oppose conclusions. That only demonstrates your ignorance. For example, wearing masks works during the COVID pandemic according to science. Not wearing masks during the pandemic spreads the disease. This is not a political issue. No one is telling you to give up your personal freedom. They are asking you to do the responsible thing and protect yourself and others. Not a comfortable thing. I don’t like wearing masks. But I do.


I just had to get these thoughts out of my head. Thanks for allowing my therapy!


June 26, 2020

Facebook Policy

Social media is a thing today. A really big thing. Billions of accounts across the globe. Billions of messages sent daily. Free speech supported and encouraged. This is the stuff that keeps democracies free and working.


Or maybe not.


When manipulators of truth, fact and logic post false information to affect elections and support for social issues, then something needs to be done. Facebook is the largest platform of this information. Creator Zuckerberg has decided on the policy of let liars lie and the consumer beware. I’m thinking that is too pat an answer.


It also eliminates an expensive editing and supervision role for Facebook. Newspapers and responsible journals assume both the risk and expense for reliable content. Quality and reliability of the information is the result. You may not like a point of view of a specific author, but his work has been vetted for correctness.


Not so on Facebook. The commenters and respondents for individual posts provide the only check and balance, and they do not have the known expertise or credibility to do the job. Their comments are as unedited and unverified as the original poster.


I realize this is a tall order to pursue. An open forum is just that. however, when that forum grows to the size and influence of Facebook, then something has to happen to balance the negative effects.

Not to do so is a complete diminution of the platform. Maybe that’s the answer? If Facebook is considered totally unreliable and incredible, then the only action is to ignore it. If a billion people did just that, the platform would disappear.


Maybe that’s what we need to do. Ignore and walk away. Shut it down.


When Zuckerberg realizes his wealth depends on truth, he may be moved to do something.
Meanwhile, what are we the people to do?


June 25, 2020

Reparations?

If the sins of a society are present, how do we handle that? Especially if the sins are hundreds of years old. That raises who receives the reparations, and who makes it happen? Does this action involve actual cash payments to individuals? If true, how are these financed? And to what end? For how long do we make such reparations?


These are weighty questions. Answers are not readily available, are they? An immediate reaction from many will be – “No! Absolutely not!” “What will ‘they’ do with extra income?” “Isn’t this just another entitlement program?” You get the idea.


In fact, someone on Facebook mentioned this, and the answers pretty much flooded the site as I predicted.


I am a supporter of reparations. I admit, however, I do not have a plan or design on how this would work. I suppose many options exist. I think it helps to accept the fact at the outset, that reparations are needed to counteract the negative effects of discrimination that exists now on others unlike ourselves (wittingly or not!), and the accumulated effects of actions performed by our forefathers.


The sin is a reality. We must admit it. We must admit that our society has damaged the lives of people. They didn’t invite it. And many innocents were unaware of such actions happening. In their name or not, however, damage was done to immigrants, Native Americans, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and so many other classes as well (disabled, disfigured, etc.). Admit the sin; its reality.


Now what’s left is doing something about it.


Fashioning opportunity that will help those in need is one way. Counseling, education, healthcare and a host of social programs that will help personal development take place. That’s what I think is needed most. Such programs will create self-esteem, uncovering native talents, and nurturing lives of hope and creation. Those are the things repressed, damaged or destroyed among the victims. How do we undo this?


My ideas at this point do not embrace cash reparations. What other forms can reparations take that will produce desired outcomes? Maybe we start with defining those outcomes? How do we make them happen?


This is a starting point of the discussion. Care to join in?


June 24, 2020

Differentness

“Better than” – each of us has muttered that phrase many times in our lives. I know I have. You know this about yourself, too. Admit it.


Maybe it was seeing a beggar on a downtown street, or a drunk reeling from light post to light post. Or maybe a homeless person pushing a dilapidated cart down the street stacked high with junk that was his entire estate. Part of us cringed a little in pity, then worry that this could happen to me. Then the words escape our mind’s lips – I’m better than that.


The ‘that’ is differentness.


That’s it. Different. Not like others. Somehow that thought makes me feel better. I could be worse off, I am better than him, or her, or them. What is the differentness in focus? Is it wealth, health, age, car, home, or something else? Does it focus on appearance? Beauty, ugly, fat or skinny? Or color of skin? Or perceived difference of politics, religion or culture?


Differentness is many things. External features are the shorthand of differentness. Skin color is an easy mark. Once engaged, the mind expands the differentness to other nooks and crannies of life of the other.


The flipside is diversity enriches. Sameness is boring and predictable. Diversity stirs the imagination and appreciation of ideas that are different than mine, maybe better, perhaps enlarging. The world expands through different eyes and experiences, other’s experiences. Why would I cut myself off from such bounty?


Maybe I lack confidence in understanding and appreciating what others have to offer? Maybe I will prove to be ignorant or stupid? If so, best I build a wall around myself to preserve my self-appreciation?


Is this racism? Is this hating differentness? Is this aversion to otherness?


I’m not sure it is, but I think it is a part of it. I shudder that I have felt some of these things. How else could I have written those words? I recognize ideas because of my own sensations. It is work to make it better, to make it positive. Once gained, the appreciation of diversity becomes such a blessing.


Yes, America is racist. Not because it wants to be, but because so many people are frightened of their own lacking and fear of the different. Simple, really; but not simple in working with it. Our history is racist. We came knowing others owned slaves or indentured servants. We looked the other way when slaves were mistreated, or at least our ancestors and fellow countrymen did. Those sins belong to us although we are far removed from them. But vestiges remain, don’t they? Vestiges of injustices unaddressed.


That is what we speak of today. Injustices unaddressed. We are the ones who can do something about that. We inhabit the now. It is our duty to do.


We must invest in diversity and reward the outcomes. It will enrich all of us.


This is so for our Black brothers and sisters. And for our Brown ones, too, and Asian and Native Americans. All have shaped our world deliciously. Admit this and move on to better living.

It is better for all of us.


June 24, 2020

Picking a Fight Over Masks

During the pandemic scientists have advised and cajoled the masses to distance themselves, stay home as much as possible, and wear masks in public. These simple actions curb the spread of the pandemic. Reduction of infection allows medical staff to care for those who get sick and safely manage the pandemic.


Ignoring these simple preventions is an act of ignorance, forgetfulness or intention.


The only intention possible for such action is political statement. For some reason wearing a mask for some people is akin to being told what to do and refusing to do so in the name of personal freedom.


Of course, personal freedom enters the equation. ‘Do this to achieve that,’ goes the thinking. The opposite is true, too – ‘don’t do this and achieve this.’ The this and that of the two statements are health on the one hand, and illness on the other. Infection or non-infection.


Who gets the infection is either you or the other. Also, pretty simple equation. Not giving someone an infection is a good thing. One wouldn’t do so intentionally unless they were a terrorist against society at large or a specific, targeted individual. Both of those intentions are a felony, intentionally delivering harm to another or others. There are laws against such.


There is the moral law, too. We do not harm the self or others. Most of us believe this.


All of this comes down to this: Wear a mask for self and others.


Those who believe wearing a mask is giving in to the authority of others have lost sight of their own common good. Making this issue a political purity test is nonsensical. Even perverse.


I know they put a face of courage on their actions. ‘I am not afraid of the virus, the pandemic.’ They feel strong in saying that. I just hope that if they get infected and endanger their family and friends, they realize this outcome is on them. I get it that they don’t care about others beyond their circle. That is the America in which we live today. Selfish and righteous at the same moment.


One day when they are not strong but vulnerable, they will understand what that means in terms that directly affect them. The lesson will be learned, of that I am certain. Too bad so much suffering must be endured to learn it.


June 22, 2020

Balance is Natural

It must be worked for. Balance. It may come naturally, but it also comes at a price.


Witness the stock market. Housing prices. The value of money itself. Things are worth so many units of something – money, hours worked, things traded, etc. – based on what people think they are worth at any given moment. Supply and demand enters the equation. Opportunity to use something is part of the equation as well. If I don’t have the time to use or enjoy something, that something has little use or value to me at the moment. I will not buy it. It would be silly to have something I cannot use.


Balance is equilibrium. It is the sharing of space, forces and moment in time, like water seeking its own level, equilibrium happens.


But only for a moment. The market closes. The bank closes for the day. I’m at work and not present to buy your goods or services. Money is held by others someplace on the globe. Normally that money is denominated in US dollars; it is the standard of exchange among most people. Local currencies are used mostly, but in the main, those currencies are worth something expressed in dollars.


The dollar is worth whatever it will buy anywhere in the world. The value of the dollar fluctuates. So do oil, gold, precious gems, art works, an hour of labor, and so forth. Values shift moment by moment. What I think it is worth doesn’t matter unless I’m buying it, paying for it. What I am willing to give up to acquire the other thing, that establishes the value right then. The next person may not care as much as I do for the thing, so they wait fort he price to decline before buying it. The seller then sets the price by giving it up to the buyer for the agreed upon price.


Air, water and soil are not free. We think they are, but they are not. It takes a lot of work to keep water and air safe to consume. Someone has to pay for that effort, that processing, that guarding and supervision function. We the taxpayers of the world pay for that. we know it is not free because we pay for it to be consumable. Land is somewhat like that; however, social constructs allow ‘ownership’ of the land, and thus an artificial value is established for the land for all the reasons of supply, demand and subjective reasons encountered above.

Similarly, the free press is not free.


Balance is natural. It is a must. But finding the balance takes time and effort. That is what makes for value.


The same is true in politics and governance. Notice I say governance, not government. The latter is established order of goods and services provided by taxpayer supported functions. It is provided for in constitutions and laws. Governance, however, is what is thought governing ought to be like, what it includes, and how we acquire it. It is thought, opinion, and process of thinking that derives ideologies.


The balance among all ideologies at any given moment is another form of equilibrium. Black Lives Matter is more important today than it was a few weeks, months or years ago. Oh, it is still of value and important throughout time in a philosophical framework, but it is more timely today, right now.

Public sentiment sees, hears and understands better in this moment why Black Lives Matter is an issue. It is because we allowed the lives of our black brothers and sisters to be degraded and undervalued most of the time in the past, and yes, today. So we struggle to make it right.


In this day and age, we have a chance to get it right. We’ve been here before and let opportunity slip away. But, Pray God, let us not do so again.


Balance. It is ever present. It is always forming. Moment by moment. It changes position and value. But it balances.


This time let it fall squarely on liberty, fairness and equality.


June 21, 2020

Clear and Present Danger

I’ve written about this before. The sitting president in the White House is a clear and present danger to the safety and well-being of the American people as well as the sustainability of a peaceful world community. The US Constitution has remedies for individuals in powerful positions if and when they become a clear and present danger to the nation.


I am not a lawyer or a constitutional expert. Others are. Where are they today? Where have they been for the past 3+ years as the constitution and governance structure of the USA has been pummeled and ripped apart, skewed and warped to fit a demented vision?


We have remedies. Clear and present danger. Does anyone doubt that condition exists?


I’m asking for myself. Also, for my friends and family.


Please. Who are you? Where are you? Why haven’t you come to our rescue yet?


A clear and present danger exists. We must do something.


Now.


June 20, 2020

Covid-19 Spread and Testing

Logic, truth, fact. Three words that ground us. Consider –

·        Face masks curb the spread of coronavirus; this is proven, fact and truth

·        Wearing masks is a denial of freedom to some; opinion and emotion; not fact, truth or logic

·        They say they should be able to decide their own fate of being infected while not wearing a mask; that is not logical. The logic is they spread the virus by not wearing the mask, so their decision affects others, not just themselves; it removes freedom from others

·        Getting tested for Covid-19 is a duty; fact, truth

·        A person may have had Covid earlier without knowing it. They may even have it now without knowing it. Are they spreading the virus now, or have they in the past? Testing will provide needed answers

·        Testing also adds data to the epidemiological record. The more scientists know, the better they can devise means to manage the disease in the short term, and more importantly, vaccines the long term

·        If masks are mandated – required by law – not wearing the mask is a violation that could lead to arrest and imprisonment. That is not a fact. It is an opinion. Not wearing a mask may lead to fines, enforced quarantine or financial liabilities. Jail is not automatic. Besides, jailing a person only increases the risk of viral spread. Fact and truth. Also, logical.

Masks are now worn by most. How long they are worn, and how effective as they age, is an open question. Many masks have an hour rating on their longevity – say 8 or 12 hours. Then they should be trashed. Others can be washed and re-used for many days or a few weeks.

The truth is that all masks have a life beyond which they have little value. We need more education on this matter to help mask wearers effectiveness. This affects us all – the wearer of masks, and the rest of us.


Where can we get this information? Does it exist from an expert source? I just googled this topic and didn’t find everything I think I should know. Maybe an expert will step forward and write some guidelines for us all to follow?


I think my mask protocols have been mostly compromised! Oops.


June 19, 2020

Birthday #77

Intimation of limits become apparent as we age. 77 is not an extremely old number, but it is beyond mature! 77 informs the person of limits to movement, accomplishment and interaction with others.

The pandemic taught me many things.


An ad for a new car, one that I have favored for many years, is no longer a practical yearning. The expense is silly for a person of my age, and the luxury or sportiness or other features yearned for, are simply not necessary. Other things are more important.


A documentary showing travel to alluring places retains my interest but not my planning. I need not plan such a trip. I cannot navigate the landscape of the idylls of yesteryear. Beaches and sand are not easily walked upon at my age; neither are wooded mountain paths and aeries. Lush jungles of a level place are OK, but the growth and humidity may tax the respiratory system. Great food at superb restaurants have limits now; their fare taxes the digestive system. The taste buds function well, but not fully as before.


Music and other live performances are attractive but large crowds are not. Nor are auditoriums easily walked, sat in, and exited in a crowded venue. These are more difficult to navigate these days, and then there is the health precautions of pandemics.


The home remodeling and house hunter programs pose yet another reality: we no longer can picture ourselves in such surroundings. We cannot do the yard work, and even the housework is difficult. Amount of space becomes relevant only to needs and ability to care for it. Downsizing is very real and necessary. The views from the home, and the décor that embraces both body and mind, become much more important. Are our surroundings supportive of our interests? Do they motivate our thinking process? Creative urges? Ah, yes, these may be of limits, but they are important.


I now understand why the sages of history were old men. They had the power of focus and logic. Age did that, not experience.


Re-reading old novels – some for the third or fourth time – I encounter so many truths the author provided long ago that I simply didn’t see then. The truths, however, were there and still are. They are relevant throughout all ages. Truth is truth. Logic is logic. Fact is fact.


The old know these things because they stand alone in their starkness. We can see them clearly now. We are not blinded by youth or wanting or pleasure. No, it is the mind that demands its pleasure of truth, logic and fact.


May that be accessible to all who pay attention, whatever their age. In these days of now, we need it.


June 18, 2020

Dealing with Isolation

Pandemics are rare. In my lifetime we had the polio epidemic. I’m not sure it was ever considered a pandemic, one that leapt across national boundaries and continents and swept diabolically throughout the populations. Polio did a lot of that, but the infection rates were small, and the disease trajectory slow. Of course there were epidemics of various flus, Ebola, and other odd and unknown viruses.


And then we dealt with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For some of us AIDS was personal and scary. For most, AIDS happened only ‘to those people’. And so, years later, 35 million deaths are not viewed by most as a pandemic. It is, though. Was and is. Over 70 million infected. Survival tenuous for many, 37 million survive today and are living with it. About 2 million new cases are diagnosed annually. With repercussions then and now. Life became new and different in so many ways.


And now COVID-19. Everyone is a potential target. The illness is unpleasant and for many horrific. Death stalks 5 or 6 percent of the patients. Travail visits all infected, and the stresses on family and friends. Hideous is the name of this disease and leaves survivors appreciative of the complexities of our healthcare system.


We are grateful for first responders, emergency room personnel, doctors, nurses, medical techs, and all other support staff. The lab workers, imaging and diagnostic support teams. 24/7 operations regardless of where the hands of the clock are poised. The system functions. At their personal peril, too, they labor for the patient’s well-being.


Yes, we are fortunate to have these passionate, trained people ready to serve the stranger among us within our social order.


For the rest of us sitting at home, working from home, surviving at home, we face isolation in degrees. People living alone have the toughest situation. Couples have each other; their relationships tested in odd ways unimagined before the pandemic! And yet they strengthened bonds and understanding. The pandemic threatened but didn’t destroy coupledom.


Other family units dealt with 4 or more people under the same roof 24/7. Young ones were cuddled, calmed, taught new learning routines on-line, parents learned new teaching skills, and appreciation for teachers. Older students learned about interdependencies we all share. They learned those lessons early; usually early adult years is the time for that. Even then, many adults do poorly on interdependencies.


But the self; how did it process isolation. Social only goes so far. What does the self do in isolation, with itself? Is this stressful? Is this enticing? Do new horizons beckon? Or, do we hunker down to preserve the old and familiar? Has this pandemic uncovered values we need to develop?


I think the answer is yes. It is for me, anyway. I have learned to see life more completely, in more detail, with reliance both on self and others. I am not an island. I know this intimately. But I am not afraid of being alone with myself, either.


In such moments we work at understanding the self and its potentials. We assess where we are and what is possible for the future. How much time do I have left to accomplish whatever it is that is my fate? How much energy and health do I have to expend on such matters?


These are worthy matters to think and write about. I will do so in this space.

What about you and your processing these matters?


June 17, 2020

Pandemic Lessons

It came without warning. No preparation made; none required.


An illness had entered our social order and it spread quickly to many. Infected ones were rushed to hospital. Emergency rooms soon learned that intensive care was required. Meeting immediate needs, many patients were intubated and placed on ventilators.


Ventilators are intrusive. They enter the mouth, throat and bronchial tube. Residing in the lungs, the ventilator breathes for the patient, insuring that oxygen rich air flows into the lungs under proper pressure, and the reverse flow of carbon dioxide exhausts well. Repeat the pulse of breathing to oxygenate the blood and feed the brain and heart with strong supply of oxygen.


Getting off the ventilator can be tricky. The body has become used to the violation of the equipment. The patient must adapt to the removal, and then self-ventilating to return to normal. Under anesthetic the whole while, the patient slowly rises from slumber to wakefulness. Muscles are sore. Lightheadedness present. Throat dry. Voice raspy. Sleepy. Groggy.


Survival. The disease has left the lungs. Recovering from the onslaught of debilitating effects, the patient slowly comes into his/her own focus. Days later, they are sitting up in bed, able to eat somewhat normally, and get out of bed for walking and some physical therapy. They are getting ready to go home. Time elapsed: 10 days. All in ICU. Maybe longer.


Healthcare workers still don’t know the cause, origin and trajectory of the disease. Only patient by patient do they learn what works and what doesn’t. Researchers are at work to learn more. Medications are tested for viable effectiveness. A vaccine is being worked on but won’t be available for many months or years. We work with what we know, with what is starkly in front of us.


Long term effects of the disease are not known. Those infected may live a normal lifespan, or not; we simply do not know this. Or if chronic lung or sinus illness lies ahead. What about vulnerability to other diseases? Will the immune system function well for all future attacks?


Much yet to know, learn and understand. The medical community will create proper protocols that speed their work and minimize patient harm. Time will be, as always, the prime asset in dealing with the virus. Pandemic management will move to the top of the agenda for proper preparation and management.


We learned also that state and local governments worked well together to do common battle against the virus and its deadly results. Some states and cities did better than others. They took the threat seriously from the onset. They built teams of experts in medicine, epidemiology, and organizational development to determine the best steps to follow. And how to do so.


The teams passed the baton to government authorities who communicated with the public clearly and created easy to understand actions each could and should perform to safeguard themselves, their families, and their communities. They monitored results. They urged and motivated the public to cooperate for their own good. And they diligently monitored the results: what was the infection rate and trajectory of the virus? Was it showing signs of being managed? Were infection rates and treatment successes yet apparent? Were patients survival rates improving or worsening? Were our efforts effective or not?


As days became weeks and then months, now almost 4 months of experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, lessons are emerging.


We learned a lot about the following: willingness to follow directions, social order versus political motivation, medical interdependencies, economic reliance on a healthy labor force, working from home, retail industry meltdown, cooperation among strangers, strength of social order, and resilience.

We have yet to learn about the psychological effects, the psycho-social stresses, the physiological effect of diet and lack of exercise, and so much more.


We will examine some of these going forward. Visit this site in coming days for more on these matters.


June 16, 2020

Rudderless?

No. I am not without a rudder. What I am without, is a current against which the rudder grabs traction.


In the time of COVID pandemic, we are sitting at home, many are twiddling their thumbs. A lot of us are busy doing what we have always done, busier than ever. There are others, and I am in this group, who have witnessed a slowdown of people willing to work on their problems during the pandemic. They have become inert, or afraid to address the issues in a state of isolation and worry.


I get it. I can think about something a long time, map out its causes, effects and results, and then plan how it ought to come out with the proper attention and effort. Only, we have limited actions available at this moment.


That may be true, but we still have options to pursue. One is planning – laying out the best course of action when we have the time, place and freedom of movement to implement the plan. Another, however, is finding helpers to believe in what we hope to accomplish and ask for their direct help. What are their ideas? What skillsets can they provide to help the team succeed. Discussing all of this and resulting issues is something we do have time for in the pandemic. We can enlarge team understanding of the tasks ahead and strengthen our resolve to get the work done.


Isolation is a problem. Our communication assets are large but we can work through the isolation via Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, phone, emails, and shared research readings. All of these make us stronger and more able.


Now is not the time to lament over what we have lost. Now is the time to plan what we can gain for the good.


In doubt? Call or text your mentor, advisor, soul mate or longtime friend. Together you will get through this. Because you do have a rudder.


It is passion and mission. Go for it!


June 15, 2020

Parallel Universes

Recently I have fielded Facebook comments complaining about what a sitting governor or mayor or congressperson has done or not done. Usually the comments are simple broadsides without any context or facts. Having recent experiences in the COVID social distancing and protests against police brutality, I have watched elected officials traverse a loaded minefield. The ones with power and authority are doing a fine job, at least the ones here in Illinois.


Our governor jumped right into the heavy task of protecting Illinois citizens from a pandemic with sketchy facts known. He erred on the side of caution. He dared to make the big decisions. He did so with a poor budget and economy. He did it with the upstate and downstate political war that seems to always be with us in this state. He did it while still trying to clean up government, budget problems, pension funding and a host of other issues that always bedevil a governor, especially here in Illinois.


Mayor Lightfoot of Chicago faced almost the exact same conditions as the governor. Bad economy, horrific history of racial unrest, poverty, deficit budget, pension funding problems, and tough police relations. She leapt into the work, juggled several issues simultaneously, and performed very well.


Both the governor and mayor did well. The COVID battle data is improving. The war appears to be shaping up as a win. Time will tell but both the state and the city have weathered tremendous difficulty in battling this health crisis. We have learned as a society how interdependent we all are in handling a pandemic. And we learned to rely on scientists and medical personnel for the facts.


And then the George Floyd killing by police in Minneapolis. The fire of unrest was lit. Protests appeared spontaneously, looters and rioters had a field day, but the political battle remained focused on racism and police brutality. In the end those are the two issues that need to be championed. Two very difficult topics no politician wants on their plate, but there they are.


And both the Chicago mayor and Illinois governor stepped up and handled them. Now and in coming months and years.


Of course, they do not have 100% backing by voters. That is to be expected. But the childish harping on Facebook for pure political purposes is embarrassing. We are better than that. We face serious issues and they deserve our attention and attempts of solution. Backstabbing elected officials only harms our progress forward.


Having been elected to two different positions in the past, I understand the electoral process, campaigning and then delivering once elected. I also understand the many divisions among voters who throw barriers in the way on most issues. Office holders have the duty to study the issues, be aware of the political climate of acceptance or resistance and find a way forward to protect the community and all of its people. That is not an easy job. It is an honorable one, however.


Most voters don’t see this side of the authority equation. Elected persons are at the mercy of the public doing its homework and understanding the opposing factors toward solving a problem. Politicians thus are attacked from many directions simultaneously. That is one reason commissions and task forces are a worthy solution. Get unelected leaders to study a problem and sort out the options to solve it. Then recommend it to the governing body and chances are improved for a reasoned and acceptable solution.


Sometimes conditions are such that this cannot be done. COVID and the recent protests and riots are such conditions.


Of longer duration are the problems that need solutions: police oversight and control to root out ‘bad apples’; policing design that improves public trust; COVID treatment drugs and vaccines to manage the long-term end of the pandemic; pension funding solutions; economic investment in our infrastructure, small businesses, public education systems, and a whole lot more. [What about climate change and protecting our planet!]


We either can be a part of the problem or a part of the solution. Now is a good time to use our heads for logical solutions, polite interrelationships, and positive politics. Anything short of this is a colossal waste of our time and resources.  


June 14, 2020

Could America Be In Decline?

So many signs show chaos, problems, public disagreements, economic issues and cliffhanger business and stock market data. Are we now in decline? Could we go over the top (or under the bottom) and lose it all? Is America doomed?


No, I think not. The proof of that is the open communications we have in our nation’s history, social makeup and open access. Do we have problems? Yes. Are they unsolvable? No. Have they been around a long time and immune to solution? Yes. Doesn’t that mean we are doomed to repeat the same over and over again? And doesn’t that spell doom?


No. And no again.


No one has claimed we are perfect. A lot of purists will disagree with me on that, but our history is an open book. We have written our history to learn from it. It has been misrepresented and miswritten for a long time. Academic historians, however, stick with the source material and continue to research the true tales of the past. Our history is continually updated and corrected. It is a never-finished-project.


Our social media is an open book. It is free for all to use. Even outsiders from other nations and cultures are free to roam our communication channels. They can write in it, re-direct it, propagandize it, and perform host of other negatives. But in the end, we parse, study and research those thoughts and uncover propaganda and deliberate misstatement. We come to know the false and home in on the true.


We critique ourselves. We hold ourselves accountable. We self-educate on many topics; in fact, that self-education makes it possible discern what’s true and what is not. So, if foreign entities are trying to destabilize America, they won’t succeed. Mainly because they don’t understand our open society.


If I have a complaint (and I do!), it is that my fellow Americans are stubborn and lazy. They don’t like change and are slow to recognize the need to change, and the opportunities change provides.


All futures come from change and adaptation to new realities. Always has been. Our systems are built for change. Will our police department design change? Yes, it will. It may take many years to accomplish, but a healthy re-design is in the making as we speak. That’s a good thing. Will public education methods shift?  Yes, they are already doing so as we speak. That, too, will take many years.

Change, after all, is a constant and the process demonstrates that.


Chaos? Sure. That’s the proof that we are changing. We have done it many times in the past, and adaptation is a cultural process. We know how to do it. It isn’t always pleasant, but it is necessary.


Doomed? Hardly! The future beckons us to better times and experiences. And quality of life.


Time to get to work on the opportunities. They start with problems to solve. We have many of those!


June 13,  2020

Holding Our COVID Breath

Illinois is doing well with managing the pandemic. Our testing continues to grow and identify current, active cases of the virus. Our number also show a declining number of new cases, and a gently falling death count from existing cases. Our hospital and ICU capacities are doing well.


Of course the Black Lives Matter protests and rioting caused tens of thousands of people to mingle closely for over two weeks and counting. The head count could be hundreds of thousands; I’m not sure who has data on such numbers for Illinois. The point is not the final count but rather the effect felt in COVID case management. Will there be a spike of infections? Will a second wave of the pandemic be ignited?


No one knows. We have to sit and let whatever happens happen. Like much of life, there is no crystal ball that tells the tale. Only actual statistics, and then with care to get it right.


It takes 6 to 14 days to measure a rise in infection rates. We have a few days yet to wait to determine if public protests and gatherings will have caused a spike in COVID cases.


Meanwhile, authorities have continued their well-honed routine of data gathering, checkpoints, social distancing, face masks, and research on treatment, vaccines and related medicines.


Our collective breath cannot be released until we are certain we have beat the monster. For the long term we really need a vaccine and more effective drugs for treatment. Then we will have defeated the virus and we can hope it will not morph into more and more exotic strains.


Now is not the time to let down our guard. Keep the faith. Keep doing what we have been doing. Contain the spread of the virus and watch out for each other. I have confidence good news will be ours soon!

This is not a political issue. It is a public policy health and safety issue.


June 12, 2020

Stock Market Performance

Out of kilter. Soaring stock prices without substantive backing. As social chaos reigns the stock markets are rising? Where is the logic of that?


I’ve heard the theory from rabid capitalists that the market is the harbinger of the future, not a rear view mirror. Nonsense and hogwash.


Market value is a measure of investor belief in how well a company or industry will perform based on current conditions. You’d think the current market values would be much lower based on these conditions:

·        Unemployment is near 20%; recent report was off by 5 percentage points; latest reports have been corrected to reflect that fact

·        Pandemic didn’t merely upset the employment market and business operations; it changed the normal. Each new normal will need to be accommodated in the economy over time. Included are:

o   Work From Home protocols; supervision changes; measurement of productivity changes; pay scales change

o   Employment hubs have been physical, usually in downtowns. Now those hubs are not as necessary; how will this affect commercial real estate values and investment?

o   What industries will phase out of existence? Changing standards affect all businesses.

o   What new industries and businesses will be invented because of the changes?

o   Think about restaurants and personal service businesses; how will these change?

·        Commuting patterns have changed, too; how will this affect public transportation, automobile sales, services, etc.?

·        Fear of international markets and import/export operations may create isolationist trends. How will this affect our economy and its performance? What then will corporations do to safeguard their value in the market?

Returning to work after the pandemic has yet to occur broadly. There are signs this will happen throughout the nation in fits and starts. Reopening the door, however, is not a return to normal. No one knows what normal is anymore. It will be defined by reality as we conform to new conditions. That is not an indicator of strong financial performance.


Current stock values were grossly overvalued before the pandemic. Returning to those values today is without merit.


Investing is a good thing overall. But it should never be a crap game. Today’s action is just that and the odds do not favor the bettor. Beware.


June 11, 2020

Politics and Public Policy

A lot of slander and misinformation floating through social media these days. Ideologies mostly are the motivator. Some are bald political party propaganda. Emotional appeals are the usual ploy; seeing through the scrim to bare facts normally tells you what you are reading or listening to.


There is a way to wade through the junk to get to the gold.


The way is a lot of work but worth the effort. Here are the primary means to getting the good information:

1.      Look for facts in the posts. If they are not clearly identified, then the piece is opinion

2.      Read backup material and source citations. These usually lead you to fact-based information

3.      Plan to vote in all elections. Study the candidates. If you don’t know much about them, research them. A vote for a bad candidate is easy to do but the responsibility is yours to know beforehand

4.      Study the issue papers to determine if their position is supportable to your thinking. If you disagree, know why this is so. Vote for the person who you think will protect, serve and make a difference once in elected office

5.      After an election, research the official’s record of achievement based on their campaign promises. If divergent, understand why that is so. Reality of office is often different than what was expected. It takes time to make a difference

6.      Study the down ballot candidates. This is a good indication of who and what is supported by that party in that location

7.      Local and national politics is vastly different. Local is more controllable by the electorate. The farther away the government entity involved in the election, the more difficult it is to control by the voters.

Democracy is not about party selection. It is about the candidates and what their skill sets and mindsets are about. Power and money are often in the kettle, but not always. Know the difference. Ideology tends to cloud presentation of facts.


Also, trust is an issue. If you don’t trust something, learn why. You may be onto something others have missed. But losing trust in our form of government means we the people have not done our duty. Elected officials get away with things because we let them. After all, we elected them.


No one promised democracy is easy. It isn’t. It takes commitment to do the work to make it function well for the common good. That means you and I need to do our homework. We can disagree all we want but knowing why and who will represent our point of view when elected is our choice.


Defunding police? I have no idea what that fully means. What will be proposed to protect public safety? How is this managed? What evidence supports this sort of change? Guess we all have some reading and study ahead. Please; no shortcuts. Duty is onerous but worth it in the end.


June 10, 2020

I Don’t Have the Answer

Black lives do matter. Police brutality does exist. Injustice and racism not only exist, they comingle to make a deadly brew.


Those of us not counted in a racial minority, are duty bound to change the course of history. Our history. All of ours.


We say we are one thing, but actions done in our name belong to us. Whether we agree with it or not, injustice has a target but no clear owner. That’s when we have to step up to change it.


My ancestors came from England. They were protestants and escaped the king’s state religion. They came, too, with anti-slavery sentiment. Once in the colonies, they became abolitionists. Yes, they fought against slavery in the early days of the 1600’s. You know their names – Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, and many others.


Northerners in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New York (New Amsterdam in those days), family helped shape an open society that came to be heralded in the new constitution. But slavery reigned in the southern regions, and the economic goods of that area fueled the growth of our new nation. Abolitionist or not, slavery benefited everyone but the slaves.


And we own it because of that.


What we do about that today I don’t know. Certainly, change of laws and institutions must be made to undo the bad that has been done. Native Americans and Black Americans are owed not only our apologies, but our commitment to make life fuller. Now. Maybe those actions include reparations in the form of cash or something else. I don’t know. I am open to workable suggestions.


One thing that must change, however, is our heart. We must know, feel and act differently than we have in the past. Regardless of your heritage or your good intentions, we must all be a part of the change and fresh investment in Black Lives Matter, and Native America reparations as well.


At the very least, let’s begin this conversation. Much healing needs doing.


June 9, 2020

Supporting Nonprofits

A poll appeared on my internet feed this morning. It asked how I preferred to support a nonprofit. The choices were – donate cash, volunteer, or other. I naturally selected volunteer. The answer by far? Donate money. Volunteering was selected by only 16% of respondents.


I’m still scratching my head over this. I’ve always donated time and effort to the organizations I support. That way I learn more about the intricacies of the issues, the responses, what works and what doesn’t. I also get to know the people involved and see for myself that what I believe and feel is actually the right thing getting done.


Donating money I’ve done in the past. No longer; I’m retired and have more time now than money. You see the issue! But even when I had more disposable cash, I donated my time and effort because of the reasons stated above.


I still support nonprofits. They do a lot of heavy lifting in our society. They are the carers and servers of our communities. They are the group conscience of our society. And they see the problems up close and personal. They invent new and effective means to address our common problems. They are a force of good.


They are a force to reckon with!


Of course, nonprofits are limited by their resources, mostly cash. But then, cash only begets the tools, skills and facilities needed to accomplish tasks. That means more cash is always welcome. Public agencies funded by taxpayers can do only so much; they are limited by their budgets. Nonprofits, however, can and do go the extra mile in meeting the needs of their clients. Political ideologies play a large part in shaping public budgets. The Children and Family Services agencies throughout the nation are only ineffective to the extent their budgets are limited. Ten and 12 hour days can only be survived by staff for so long. Their caseloads are horrific. And the service organizations they refer cases to are almost always nonprofits.


There is a partnership between public and private agencies, the latter almost always being nonprofits.

Know this. Please. The nonprofits need BOTH your dollars and your time and energy to succeed at what binds us all together.


So be generous. Come and join forces with others who are committed to values you share. But also bring your checkbook if you can afford it. These are the invisible ‘taxes’ we pay to keep America strong and true to its values.


June 8, 2020

Memories…

So many memories flood the mind. Times of childhood triggered by smells, touch, wafting breezes. Sounds also cause recalls. Taste, too. First time seeing – really seeing a mountain. First time hearing the layers of tones in a chord that unlocked a symphony. A play that awakened the mind and the power of its logic.


Classrooms remembered, complete with some of the students, but certainly the teachers. Fondly remembering them. Their names are a bit cloudy now, but their faces, their attentive responses to questions, and their feeling knowing our pain and frustrations.


School years mush toward college and beyond. Then grad school with jobs in between degrees. But jobs, many and ever so different. Differing skills called upon, some hastily created! We built relationships in those days, relationships which enabled work to get done. On a university campus we sorted out what the students needed while they expressed their outrage against sexism, racism and unwanted wars in Southeast Asia. Yes, those were the days. Protests and riots, on campus and off. Police missteps, too. Not a tidy time in America.


Nor today. Social change is so similar from age to age yet we do not feel it is. No, this riot is different from yesteryears. This issue is more pressing than the one we championed in 1968, or 1969, or 1972. Fervent then as fervent today. Righteous, too, then and now. Hurtful and dangerous, expensive damage to persons and property. All part of the whole. All necessary to feel the weight of seriousness of the time.


This too shall pass, we murmur, only we are not sure it will. We hope that passing does not cover up what is needed. Will time muffle our current passion for change and allow the old to continue unchanged? I hope not. We need something different. We need justice. We need change. And we need it with good humor and generosity of spirit.


We white people have had a good run at privilege. It is time we shared that with everyone else. We will be better for it. And the others? They should prosper and soar like eagles.


That’s what investing in others accomplishes. Eagles. Achievements. Soaring new heights.


Sounds good to me. Good for all of us.


June 7, 2020

A Breather for Community

Today I pause for a short break. It is June 6th, the 76th anniversary of D-Day. It is also my ex-wife's 75th Birthday. A time to remember and appreciate people and a bit of history.

I also need to catch my breath. 10 weeks of pandemic, social distancing, wearing face masks, limiting driving and mingling and eating countless snacks! Then a public execution of an innocent black man in Minneapolis. What followed were days of protests, looting, violence and highly questionable policing decisions. Public unrest unsettled the entire nation, even while dealing with the pandemic.

In 1968, Chicago police rioted against protestors of the Viet Nam War. It was well documented. This time, Chicago police did not riot, but a few overstepped their authority and injured innocent citizens. Buffalo police did the same. Again in many cities across the nation police were the problem, not the solution.

In Washington DC police and military units were used inappropriately to 'control' protestors. Peaceful protestors, by the way. But then we know why they were used in this way. Political calculations are not appropriate in place of public safety. Enough said.

I sense a change in public sentiment. Communities are beginning to reimagine themselves. We mean a lot to the community, and the community is the result of our caring and engagement in public matters. As long as we keep our good manners and express our opinions honestly, the community should thrive. Authority within the community comes from the community, we the people. Together we raise generations of children and safeguard the elderly. Together we nurture our local institutions and businesses.

Together we build voice and identity of the community. Together we heal from pandemics and social injustices. As a community we build the future for each and every one of us. Times such as these teach us a lot about ourselves.

That's a good thing. Revel in our community's strength.

June 6, 2020

Turning the Corner?

Change happens constantly. Some welcome. Some not. History is made of change. Happy or sad, history tells a story of a people over time. Time moves forward; it does not stand still. Nor does it move backwards. The story of a people – its history – does move forward, sideways, backward and stalls.


The story is not the dynamic. Time and change is.


We are living at a time of change. How momentous is yet to be evident. But here are a few changes that suggest we as a people are changing our story in important ways:

1.      George Floyd’s murder is having an effect. The nation has awakened to the face of racism in a way that makes it clear that something has to be done. The protests have been major and nationwide. The depth of despair is real for all to see. Our national conscience has been pricked. Resolve has emerged to make this incident the engine of change. Why not all the earlier similar events? I don’t know. Maybe it was the COVID-19 pandemic that exhausted us and made us able to see and hear?

2.      Pandemic is easing. We have much yet to learn and experience. Treatment drugs must be found and proven safe; a vaccine must be found and proven safe; the trajectory of infection must continue its controlled downward trend; the second or third wave of infection must yet be survived. But progress is being made. The authorities and scientists have been proven right yet again. 

3.      Trust in our institutions and government authorities has a chance to rebuild what it has lost in recent years. A long way to go, but a corner has been turned? This is still in its infancy. We could mess this up yet. Keep your fingers crossed.

4.      Social stress of a pandemic and an unjust police action resulting in the death of a fellow citizen on racist terms, have come together to lay bare the raw political hypocrisy of a sitting president. His effectiveness is now known by a large majority to be absent. Will this lead to electoral change in November? We can hope. And we shall see.

History is slow to write itself. Fits and starts are often present. But, and this is a large but, this is the first time I’ve been able to write something positive happening in a number of years. It is enough to make me hopeful.


Don’t let up the pressure now. Keep it going. Authorities will eventually do the right thing if the public keeps them focused.


This is exhausting business. I think I need a nap.


June 5, 2020

Doing it Over Again

If you were given the chance to live your life over again, would you? No rules attached, just freedom to start fresh? If I am allowed to live the new life with knowledge that I now have, I think this would be a pleasure. For example, here are the top elements I would hopefully remember to include.

1.      Invest in myself with as much education as I can stand and afford; if that means a PhD in an academic field of interest, so be it. If that means exposure to as much training in a skill field like electrician or construction, then let that be so. My life’s journey will be only as great as my willingness to learn and invest time and effort in equipping myself with the right tools.

2.      Take risks. Experience more of life. Don’t be foolish about safety and health but dare to be embarrassed by failure; it is by making mistakes that we learn the most. Seek the limits of a situation and focus work on those. Playing safe earns little advance in knowledge, experience or ground covered.

3.      Learn to love myself unabashedly. This is not hubris; it is the raw material that enables me to love another fully. They win and I win from this magic. Fearing reaction of others hindered my growth in love. Such a waste of time!

4.      Experiment with expressing myself via art – music, visual, three dimensional shapes and textures. Learning to communicate through art is a thrill and joy I wish I had learned many years earlier. Appreciating the messages of artists is a double pleasure – knowing them in their complexity, and training my mind to think outside of itself.

5.      Enjoy nature often. It is our natural nest of life. Smelling it, feeling it, seeing it, tasting it and hearing it makes it so real. Embracing it embraces the self, too. It is a connection to the spiritual world. 

6.      Allow the brain to consider broad issues of theology and philosophy. Think on these things. Do not rush to conclusions. Let my mind and senses percolate and appreciate the breadth and importance of such matters. Likewise, appreciate these issues in the life of others. Do not judge others by what we do not understand.

7.      Truly focus on what I would like the future to hold for me. Define that future as fully as possible. Think of ways to make it happen. Play with those ideas until a core of them seem logical to work well towards building the desired future.

8.      Trust more in others. Hope they will come to trust me. Build collaborative relationships with others in community and career fields.

9.      Balance my life among family, self, community and career. Wholeness is the healthy goal.

10.   Schedule quiet time at the start and end of each day. Calmly consider what is ahead for the day and assess its outcomes. Quietly think on these matters without fretting.

That’s it. I’m sure there are other elements I could and should include, but these ten should cover most elements and allow others to emerge as needed. In retirement I have learned the above. What might have been the results of my life’s work had I applied these lessons throughout my time on earth?


Good question. No crying over lost opportunity. But now I can take the time to mentor others to improve their outcomes.

I wonder if they will listen and learn?


June 4, 2020

In Need Of…?

Violence. Hatred. Racism. Homophobia. Xenophobia. Anti-intellectualism. Envy. Sexism. Egotism. White supremacy. Lack of self-esteem. These are the problems. The opposite is fixing each and every one of them.


So, what is your need? Mine? All of them?


I’ve thought about social issues most of my life. I remember group discussions with friends when I was in my early teens. I’m now just about to celebrate my 77^th birthday. That’s a span of over 60 years of thinking seriously about serious issues. It is a thing with me. I’m not proud of it or ashamed of it. It is just me.


Yes, I’m probably too serious. But at least I spend my time thinking about things that truly matter. When I pick up a newspaper or watch a TV news report, I understand the issue and its context. I am not stymied or buffaloed by the report. I can fit it in with the other issues of the day and consider what is more important, or not, and what we ought to do about it.


Trouble is, we end up doing nothing.


A lot of nothing over the span of 60+ years. Here we are, a large, prosperous nation which thinks highly of itself as consequential, inventive, progressive, brilliant, and capable of great things. I think we have missed the boat in a very big way.


First off, we do little to ensure justice is served in the lives of all our people. Second, racism is a cancer that has been allowed to fester for hundreds of years. Third, the economy does not reward fairly the contributions of all people. The enormous imbalance of wealth among our people is a sin. Fourth, our morals are mouthed only, not lived.  We say we are Christian but don’t know the first thing what that means. Fifth, we say we believe in equal access to education but don’t want to pay for it, won’t sacrifice for it, and expect someone else to foot the bill. We don’t really get why education is an investment in ourselves and each other.


And sexism? Or genderism? Why aren’t all people equal, period? Why don’t we celebrate each person’s uniqueness and contribution to our society? What does it matter to you that I’m gay, or you are a man, or a woman, and why should that indicate what we are capable of or not? It doesn’t make any sense. Glass ceiling for women? Why? How did that ever come about. Why hasn’t it been destroyed before now? And equal pay for equal work?


While we are at it, why are police unions in a power orientation on how police departments function? If the unions are so good at their job, why haven’t they been able to root out the bad apples that give the entire profession a bad name? George Floyd and his family would like to know the answer to that question, and the hundreds or thousands of other black and brown citizens killed by inappropriate police action. Just saying. This is the time to ask that question.


And get an answer to it.


If I sound testy, I am. A lot testy. I’m frustrated by the lack of action to make our country, city, state, county, better than it is. We are capable of so much more. And no, government doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting. Churches and nonprofits have been lifting a lot of weight for generations too numerous to count. They just don’t get credit for what they do.


We can do more. We can lift up the downtrodden. We can help the elderly, the poor, the disabled. God knows we subsidize the rich and powerful at every turn. But the rest of society shares crumbs.


I’m mad. I’ve been involved in solution-making most of my life. I hear others complain but don’t see their contribution to making things better. How do we get everyone to participate and be a part of the solution and not part of the problem?


We know the problems. We have accurate studies on the issues and the potential solutions. All we need is the will to get things done. And then do it.


Just do it! Now!


June 3, 2020

ANTIFA

Anti fascist pseudo organization. A pretend group trying to act frightening. More words than actions, but that’s OK. Rather they use words we can ignore than actions we can’t.


I wrote a long time ago that the far right and far left become the same thing when taken to the ultimate extremes. They both become fascist – over using anarchical methods to control lives of others with whom they disagree. It is an ideological war. Too much government or too little? Which is your poison?


I’ve been a centrist for most of my life. I’ve dabbled in far right (first) and far left (second) and gravitated to the center a long time ago. I respect government and the work they do for all of us. I lament when only the government can get things done that the rest of us ought to be able to do, but don’t, or won’t.


That’s the rub. We can do so much more individually and acting together. We could do this without a government agency being assigned the task, but we don’t because there are risks related to this action we are unwilling to take. So, if it is to be done, we let the government do it. Yes, we ‘let’ the government do it because we want it done but we don’t want to dirty our hands.


While we have slipped this responsibility off on the government, we also tell our ideologically elected officials to underfund the same agency just to be certain that we are not building an overreaching bureaucracy.


The result of that underfunding is an agency crippled in its ability to truly make a difference with the social problem assigned to it. Like Youth and Family Services. Wonder why abused kids continue to be abused? Because the agency assigned to this important work doesn’t have a realistic budget to hire the best trained people, and enough of them, to do the work. This is not country club work. This is hard, slogging work with disintegrating families where violence is an everyday occurrence. It takes trained and sensitive people to work with both the miscreants and the victims to sort out the good and bad, and arrive at a workable solution.


Instead, attention for the victim is often too late. Either death, crippling injuries, or drug addiction result. Or maybe all three. Tragic and avoidable.


The same agency woes are felt in the IRS, Housing, Health and Education, EPA, FDA, NIH and countless others.


We know we need this work done. And done right. But we allow others to play ideological games with the supervision, budgeting and oversight. These agencies are crippled by design. Talk about the ‘deep state?’ That’s the other side we don’t see.


Health, education and housing. These are the big three service areas all of our citizens deserve. Education is the primary investment that will help alleviate the other two needs, but all three need help if social justice is to prevail in America.


That is the face of justice. We want this for ourselves. we want this for our needy brothers and sisters. Why is this so underfunded and messed up when it is done in our name because we can’t or won’t do it for ourselves?


That’s part of the sickness America needs to tend to. And it speaks loudly to us today.


June 2, 2020

Letter to My Grandkids

This is for all of my grandkids, but two in particular, Kira and Lindsay Drozdik.


I remember visiting with you shortly after the 2016 presidential election. It was a Saturday morning. You were crying. Your mom was crying. Hillary had lost and donald j trump had won.


I tried to comfort you and told you it would be alright. America has an ability to shrug off big things, enormous problems, challenges that would suffocate other nations. The rule of law would prevail. The institutions of our tri-partite government would sort out the problems. We would be OK and move on with life mostly unchanged.


Well. I was wrong; about that, and many things, actually.


I am sorry about that. Truly. I had thought your generation would have a healthy, vibrant nation handed over to you so you could unveil fresh new horizons of possibility in the future. You may still do that, but the nation you inherit is not healthy. It is a misogynistic, racist mess.


We tend to ignore these two issues. They are uncomfortable truths. They inform us of our own flaws. We don’t want to be reminded we are not perfect, lovable. And so we hide from them and try to live as though they don’t exist.


But they do exist. The ticklish issue is we need to love ourselves. Ticklish because we mistakenly think we have to feel better than someone else to be lovable. That isn’t true, of course; we are lovable because we are. We exist and are loved because we exist. That helps us love others. People loving each other builds society.


But feeling better about our self causes a focus on differentness. That becomes the problem. We fear different. We don’t easily feel what others feel. Diversity is differentness. Instead of pulling the richness from diversity, we allow it to divide us. That illogical step causes problems.


White privilege in America is a problem. It is an assertion that we are better than others. We white people aren’t better than others. Deep down we know this, but most of the time we don’t know we feel privileged.


Learning to live with reality is difficult. Your reality is your inheritance of a flawed society and nation. Generations have had hundreds of years to get it right, but they and we didn’t. I’m deeply sorry about that. I had hoped for so much more for you. But my generation flubbed it.


For the record, we tried to do the right thing. We learned from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, John Kennedy, Maya Angelou, Barack Obama and so many others, that mankind is capable of beauty, justice and honor. Those are the high points. Unfortunately, they come mixed with the flaws mentioned before.


To do better, you will have to fix this. We didn’t. The difficult task is yours now.


The work starts with understanding these basics. They will help you deal with the tough work.

1.      Making the world better is your job as an individual; you set a standard to stand up and be counted, to take responsibility for the world as it is

2.      Understand the world as best you can. This takes education, curiosity and disciplined attention focused on facts and values

3.      Rejoice in the world’s diversity. It tells the story of many cultures and how they serve their people and make them whole. Diversity brings resources to the workplace and sensory world that enriches our understanding of life lived together

4.      Believe in possibility. Potential always begs discovery and solution. It rewards us with new futures unfolding 

5.      Truly live this truth: do unto others as you wish them to do unto you

I learned these things over a very long time through many trials and errors. Hopefully you will come to know their truth as I have. I mention them to give you a heads up to what’s ahead for you.


Know that you are loved and we trust you will do your best.


With gratitude,


Grandpa George


June 1, 2020