In Passing

I have a lot of respect for this man. It is sad to see him leave our world. I'm not a military guy, but integrity commands respect. The book he wrote was a chronicle of difficult times finishing in triumph. 
Grace under pressure is a mark of permanence. During a press conference in the Gulf War, with the eyes of the world on him, he made a very funny remark after a convoluted explanation. " I would love to see anyone diagram that sentence!"

What is Wealth?

The bottom of the step ladder believes that one day without food and water is the crucible. Yet, I have another idea.  Wealth is the knowledge that you have one song in your pocket that everyone loves and you can play it over and over as many times as you wish. It can't be worn out with your family and friends. 

Road Not Taken

        Tale of two Fieros and a like number of unfinished trips. When my oldest daughter graduated from AIT, I wanted to drive down with her mother and see the graduation. Without a doubt, I was very proud, but my Fiero at the time didn't appear to be in form for the journey, so I chose a different vehicle.
        When I retired, my friend Randy suggested that I do something special. The first thing that popped into my brain was a road trip in my newest, old Fiero. Again, age outdistanced dreams, and I didn't take the trip. 
         Road trips lurch to the fore. Ringed bologna, crackers, and a box set of cassettes could be the missing key for a journey of graduation. 
         

Line Survey

     When I returned from Keego-Tampa and Enterprise, a cursory inspection of my laundry equipment revealed a broken clothes line. Two trees had fallen on the stand up garden and ripped down my line too. Four days of rain delayed me, but a beautiful day created the working conditions to mend that little beggar.
      My arrival in Keego-Tampa prompted the remark, "You look like you just stepped out of a wind tunnel!" Well I know   by now that I also need a haircut. Again, I'm behind the eight ball, shaggy hair, dirty clothes, and a cupboard that's bare. 
     I get to the barber shop but it is closed for lunch. I return ten minutes before it is scheduled to reopen, and there are already two people ahead of me. Looks like a little waiting time is the order of the day.
     The barber asks me an immediate question. "I'm taking a survey. Did you watch the debate last night or the Tigers baseball game?" What an easy survey, only one question!
I already know the political stripe of the barber, but the other two guys are unknowns. My response is simple. "After all this time, I can believe that there are a group of undecided people still out there" The guy in the chair comments, "I'm for Obama because of the pell grants." The barber says, "I'm for freedom". I don't bite as I already know  this code reflects abstractions in the body politic.
       I voice my support for our President. The big guy across from me with the leather hat puts down the paper and walks out of the shop. The barber adds, "Well, I guess he doesn't like to talk politics." He never said a single word, but now I'm next in line.

     

     
     

Money Matters

     
     When Romney says what he thinks, journalist often say that he has stuck his foot in his mouth. I believe the problem is much bigger than foot and mouth disease.  The problem is where his brain resides unhinged most of the time. Unfettered from his handlers, he says precisely what he thinks. 
      For example, during the Republican primaries, he voiced one of his joys in the strangest way, "I like firing people!" It is impossible for me to imagine how a responsible person could even think this way, let alone voice his bias. Even if he never had to labor for a living, common sense would dictate that a "wanna be leader" not dis those of us who do work for a living.  
     Now, "There are 47% of the people..." comment illustrates his disdain for almost half of the country. This group includes the elderly, students, veterans and just plain poor people. For a candidate who has only released two years of his own tax returns, paid only thirteen percent income tax, and hid the rest of his money off shore, silence would make more sense.  
          With this view, if you don't have money,  you don't matter now, and you won't in the future. Sort it out, the elephant is in the room. One might say of him, "Politic, cautious, and meticulous: Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse." Is being extremely rich a qualification for leading this great nation?

      
       

A Visit

     Spring in Cherokee country. 

One Size Fits All

       
       I've heard from a number of my sisters who visited Ireland that a stock phrase used when difficulties are mentioned  "Sorry for you troubles". That really says it all. I don't have the power to fix it, but I care that you have the problems of life.
       So, I have a picture with no place and a piece that goes who knows where. 

Occupying Force

     I am baffled, disturbed, and  saddened by the recent killing of Americans in Libya. The cheap shot that the Republican candidate took on this tragedy only underscores the dismal political climate that presently exists. 
     The US attacked Iraq and then occupied the country for a number of years. Neither of these events set well with the Arab world. The U.S. hasn't been occupied by a foreign power since our revolution and we have little memory of what that would mean. To many Arabs occupation memory is still fresh. When our troops left, it didn't mean that it was all over yet.
        Recent Irish history gives at least one example to gain insight into this feeling. Bernadette Devlin was a member of Parliament from 1969-1974 for the Mid Ulster constituency. One of her statements caught the attention of some non-believers. "I can understand why a socialist might not want to be a Christian, but I can't understand why a Christian wouldn't want to be a socialist." 
     In 1981, she and her husband were shot by members of the Ulster Defense Association who broke into her house. Bernadette was shot seven times in front of her children. The British Army was occupying Ulster during this period, and in fact had her house under surveillance when the shootings occurred. When the army left the misery still didn't disappear with the troops.
     The role for the U.S.should be world community service which is much more in line with our values than the occupation/war in Afghanistan. Planet Earth would be a safer place for US all.

     
      

Cras

     
     One meaning of the prefix pro is to be in favor of something. Cras is a Latin adverb that means tomorrow. I suspect that it might be the root word for procrastination(put off for tomorrow).  My crude hammering on the word meaning then: (in favor of putting off for tomorrow).
     One meaning of the prefix con is to be against something. On a number of occasions in week 37, I haven't been procrastinating. My new word to describe this behavior is concrastination. A rather positive experience, but my spell checker wants to throw it out.

Predictable

Emerson believed, "Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." For a long time now, when I cook up  oatmeal in the morning, I use a glass pan and store it in glass containers in the refrigerator. Pretty consistent. Storage works great, but the cooking pan not so well. It is very hard to clean because protein must love glass for it clings to it like white on rice.  Yesterday, I bought a new cooking pan and broke the spell. Old dogs can learn new tricks.