Merry Christmas 2017

There were times I wondered if I would get to this date. But I did. Our household is still a bit scattered. I’m home with bronchitis still overlaying emphysema. Rocky remains in a local nursing home recovering from flu, sinus infection and lung infection. He is improving. He is under nursing care because he is too weakened to walk on his own power, or even get up from a chair or take a seat without falling down. Physical therapy is truly helping him. We hope he will come home this Friday, December 29^th.

While he is recuperating, I am using a nebulizer every 6 hours to clear my lungs and sinuses. That seems to work well. Three times a day allows me to rest, nap and sleep the night through (kind of).

So here we are, two old guys trying to make sense of something very different from the norm. One of those differences is being away from family on Christmas. I traveled one holiday to spend with my parents in Arizona. The kids made me promise never to do that again! So, I didn’t; this year, however, is different; it is a matter of health. Something tells me we will encounter this again in the future. It is the way of life.

Although 2017 has been a challenging year for our family, we take comfort in knowing the American people suffer along with us. The vast majority of Americans do not like donald trump. They do not accept him as their president. He is, in fact, an anti-Christ of the political world.

This is a good thing in this sense: Americans are awakening to a new era of activism. They are not idly sitting back and letting trump and his minions take over the country. Instead, they are preparing for the time after trump. He will finish his term, or be impeached, or die. One of the three. “This, too, shall pass.” We need to be prepared for the time when the passing is over with and we get back to business.

Here are some elements to keep an eye on:

a.       Media

b.      Higher education

c.       Science and research

d.      Economics and business development

e.       Healthcare delivery industry

f.        Governance standards

g.      Immigration management

h.      Religions

Let’s look at each a little bit.

I’ll start with the last item. Religion is a deeply personal matter. At its core is personal faith and belief. It cannot be proven; that’s what makes it a matter of faith. In my studies of religion in general, I learned that each has common roots with one another. That is because mankind has struggled with the meaning of life from the very first day of the universe. How natural is this?

I also learned that my religious beliefs do not rely on yours or anyone else’s. You are free to follow your beliefs; so too, for me. And everyone else. That’s the way life is.

If any religion teaches supremacy over another, that faith is bogus. No religion detracts from another. We are all in this together and must bond together to build peace on earth, goodwill toward all men.

Yes, there are those who are misguided and think their religion is better or more true than another faith. They are wrong. No God would accept such judgment. That is the litmus test of truth: if a faith preaches power over others, it is a false religion. Simple but direct.

Second topic, immigration. I speak as an American. We sound like we don’t agree on much; that is the nature of our democracy. It is noisy and clumsy. Out of this chaos emerges consensus of thought. And that is what we need to focus on.

We agree on more than what we disagree.

America was built by immigrants for immigrants. It is a society of, for and by the people. That is our brand of democracy. And our birthright. No one can take that away from us. He who came here first has no more right than the last immigrant over the border. Indeed, each has the same right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in America. That is our truth as a nation.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply wrong. The strength of America is its open borders. Yes, some newcomers are nasty and threatening. But we take them in stride along with all of the other wonderful, good people. The melting pot will solve the quirks and chaos of clashing cultures. In the end we will have a strong and purposeful community. In the meanwhile we have governance and law and order to maintain. It is the price of our freedom.

Third topic, governance standards. But I’ll save those thoughts for the next blog posting.

Meanwhile, a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Keep your spirits up!  This too shall pass. Amen!

December 25, 2017