The Best Medicine?

Not sure if this is a world wide phenomenon, or if it is just in the United States, but there has emerged a frowny sort of subcultural that just seems to love being angry.  Ouch!  It hurts to watch.  I have watched them swear -- cringe worthy. I have watched them sing - painful. Now I am watching them yell -- surprisingly odd. Sad really.  It seems to me that this disjointed, and often unkempt group, hardly notice anything but their own reflection in a mirror and they are getting better at being angry as each day passes.  Along with that is an increase in intolerance and hatefulness on their part toward others. They seem to have become their anger. That's what happens when you practice.  The question I keep asking myself is why? Are some of them paid to act this way and to incite others to behave so badly and sadly? I don't understand. There have been lots of Presidents in the past that I found insufferable, but I didn't let that cast a ugly angry spell over my entire life.  I didn't let that dissatisfaction make me destructive or intolerant of others.  Like I said before -- sad really.  

Here's the thing.  There are single moments in life that one comes to cherish. In contrast to the above, they are moments of pure joy. There is no way to explain these moments.  They just happen.  Some of them -- few and far between -- are moments of sudden and spontaneous bursts of laughter. You never forget them.  They are healthy and restorative. Laughter from deep inside -- maybe from the soul.  You are really fortunate if you share a moment like this with a friend(s).  Then you can both/all recapture that moment in memories shared.  Gifts all.  Rare gifts. Personally -- I love to laugh.  I find it healing...a blessing. I have even been known to laugh uncontrollably at a funeral -- spontaneously. That one is hard to explain -- you sort of had to be there. It was a long time ago.  My friend sang at his own funeral. How often do you hear of that happening?  True story....    

Laughter is contagious too.  Bonus. Then again sometimes you have to let it in. Give it permission. My wish is that some of these frowny faces could have such moments. Is it possible to shift gears in some way to be able to find something positive at least once in a while?  I have thought about asking a couple of these perpetually negative people that very question, but I really don't want to get my face bitten off. Oh how I wish I could make them laugh -- or at least smile. Positive is more constructive...always.  It's healthier as well.

Some really smart person once wrote  -- "We are all responsible for the energy we bring into a room."  I wish I could remember who it was and where I read it.  It sounds like something Joseph Campbell would say.  I do know it was long before Oprah made it a topic on one of her shows.  That I do remember.  Anyway - all this being said....

I wish you laughter... the kind that makes your stomach hurt for a moment as you continue to laugh.  That kind.

It's A Lot

There is a lot going on these days.  I have been thinking about this as I watch the world from the safety and comfort of my home. I don't know about you, but am hoping that you, too, feel like the United States of America is coming back and the world is a safer and better place because of American strength and ingenuity. It's is difficult to be patient until everything settles in,  but ... perhaps we are now somehow able to dream again.

• Artemis II.  Perfection. Americans are back in space and home again safely -- looking forward to future accomplishments beyond my imagination.
• Common Sense is attempting to make a comeback. There seems to be a return to valuing law and order that is spreading across the nation -- slowly, but there.  People's  demands for justice and incarceration of those who break our laws are being heard. Weaknesses in the judicial system are being exposed and remedied.  
• Corruption is being exposed across all political fronts. Slow but sure progress -- hopefully the positive direction will continue. One step at a time.
• Woke "stuff" has been sort of forced to go underground in many ways.  We need to keep an eye on that, but at least it isn't smacking us in the face and kicking us in the teeth all the time -- trying to limit free speech of those with differing opinions. Hopefully their 15 minutes is almost up. That world is so frowny and sad.  Negative...  They seem stuck to me.  Time to change. Hopefully.
• Then there is the fact that a country determined to kill all Americans and probably a good portion of the rest of the world seems to have been set back more than they want to admit.  Thankful for that. Keeping an eye on that as well. Yet they somehow seem farther away today -- less dangerous.

As I write today, I am thinking about the safety of the future of my children, grandchildren and on.  A strong and courageous America makes me feel safer about this for sure. Peace through strength....

2026 on Earth is a lot

                                                  How are you doing?  

Overthink Overthinking

 Someone invented the word “overthinking” for a reason.  It's apt.  I find myself doing it once in a while, I get stuck in my thought process and find it hard to get out.  I read a “meme” recently about overthinking that suggests that if you find yourself in that process,  count backwards from 100 in intervals of 7 and it will get you out of that loop you find yourself in.  Apparently the brain cannot overthink and do math at the same time.  Personally I cannot do anything while "mathing" including math itself.  

This notion is interesting to think about though.  It is also interesting to try to do.  I tried. I am not good at it at all. I am practicing.  Perhaps making a chart to memorize would help.  I could take a picture of said chart and have it handy on my phone.  Okay -- now I am overthinking about overthinking and am caught in some sort of irritating loop once again. Obviously even the idea of counting backwards by sevens from 100 makes me overthink. I do not do numbers well at all – especially the odd ones.  I am a word person.  Maybe I could try doing the alphabet backwards?   Give me a minute....

No not able to do that well either.  I keep jumping ahead by three letters to remember what they are and then going backwards to continue. There must be another way.  I will think about it.

Theo of Golden

Recently a good friend recommended a novel to me. Since I have come to trust her recommendations without question over the years, I immediately found the book and began to read.  The title of the book is Theo of Golden.  The author is Allen Levi, an American writer.  I would enjoy a conversation over lunch with this person or even a chance to talk for a few moments over a cup of coffee. It is one of those books that will hang around in your thoughts and perhaps influence your perspective on life for a long time – maybe forever. It is a story of connection between and among human beings. 

Anyway ... I find this book to be remarkable on a couple of different levels.  I didn’t read anything about it before I started it, so I had to find my way through. The experience is beyond thought provoking.  I recommend that approach.  The process is similar to unwrapping a gift that has several layers of wrapping paper along with some annoying bubble wrap that is all stuck together with packing tape.  My interest grew as I peeled back each layer. It is one of those books that you want to read as slowly as possible so that you don't miss one single thing. It is a book of hints and suggestions. It encourages thinking and feeling really.  It is a mystery of mindfulness on an entirely different level  ... hard to explain.  

For the first time in my life I feel like sending a Thank You note to an author.  I may do that. I haven’t read much about him, but I do know that this is his first book.  I hope there will be another.   

I don't want to do anything to diminish the power of this book. To say more is to say too much. Anyone who reads it will find their own message. Theo of Golden has my highest recommendation.

We Can Do This!

Recently my son sent me a short video that made me stop and think ....  It reminded me to put things into a positive and proper perspective.  I found it intelligent and important.  Hope you do too.

The video described a psychology experiment from the 1970's that showed what I find to be remarkable results.  Five men in their 70's and early 80's were invited to a rather unusual retreat for one week.  While there they took care of themselves even to the point of carrying their own luggage and cleaning up after themselves.  

Shortly after their arrival, they realized that they had gone back in time.  They were to live as if they had returned to twenty years prior to their arrival. They were to talk in the present tense about their careers and  about the world news of years ago.   All the magazines lying around were from 1959.  The only music available was from the 1950's. The only TV shows they could access were in black and white.  

Time travel backwards.  What happened by the end of the week long experiment? Apparently without exception, these gentlemen stopped seeing themselves in decline.  Their bodies even changed.  Their vision and hearing improved as did the strength of their grip, memory, flexibility, and posture.  Even their symptoms of arthritis improved.  Impressive right?  The results showed the strength of Mind over Matter. It's worth repeating.... The results strongly illustrate, maybe even prove, that one's body listens to one's mind. 

The thing is... I think we all know this at some level.  It is just that we don't always behave as if we know it.  It's the self-fulfilling prophecy all over again.  If you believe you can do it, you can... and the opposite is also true.  So my vintage friends  and even ones not so vintage ... I am reminding myself that I need to stop "rehearsing the story of decline".  I need to stop thinking about what I cannot do anymore, perhaps with the exception of ice skating, and ask myself if there is a way that I could accept a reasonable challenge, and then give it a try. 

In a world that so values youth, I personally want to stand tall and do a good job of it. We also need to remember that there is often an esteemed value in vintage and antique. Are you with me?  We can do this!

Not For Everyone

Warning... this blog is not meant for everyone.  Woke folk and TDSers may want to pass. I make no apologies. 

I was writing a pleasant blog about approaching Spring that started with  --  Don't know where they went, but the crows that inhabit my pasture and yard are back. Actually I don't know if they are the same ones.  Doesn't matter.  I like them. Anyway -- this, to me, is a sure sign that Spring approaches, and I am hanging on to that hope tightly.  I have been trying now for a long time to make friends with these birds.  Maybe this is the year. 

Then things took a turn.  The world interrupted -- again.  And so...

I have a confession.  When I woke up that morning, I turned on the TV to see if the new leader of Iran, the son of the former Ayatollah Khomeini, was still alive.  Apparently he was elected by an 88 member group that they call The Assembly of Experts.  I think of them as a murderous hate group of nutcase religious fanatics who like to kill innocent people and tell their followers that they will go to Heaven if they kill all who disagree with them.  (Makes me curious about Sharia Law.)  Am confused about that group of Experts though – thought we or Israel had dropped a bomb on that 88 as well.  How many are there left over?  Hmmm….  Apparently Mojtaba, the newly elected, is injured from something already, but … there he was on TV looking as scary as ever. Now we find out that that was an old picture and there is speculation that he is in a coma somewhere -- perhaps missing a leg.  It's hard to get news out of Iran.  Personally I am not even sure he is alive.  Then just a couple of days ago  and after I started rewriting this blog -- those who were talking as leaders were killed.  Who is crawling out of the rubble now to lead Iran? It is complicated.

So... as for Sharia Law ... a set of rules derived from Islamic teachings that deal with moral and ethical behaviors.... Don't all religions have their rules? I am thinking that the problem lies in the extremes. I have done a bit of reading and I think it is fair to say that there are extremes in other religions' doctrines and histories as well. Unfortunately we apparently have one of these extremes currently in power in Iran. These extremes give this branch of the Muslim religion an ugly and well-founded basis for criticism. The horror lies partly in the brutal methods of punishment for "sins".  There are beatings,  beheadings, the removal of limbs, etc.  Such punishments are alive and well in modern day Iran.  Apparently so are mass shootings of those who would like to oust those currently in power.  The current regime recently shot tens of thousands of innocents. Women are not treated at all well either (huge understatement), but that is another whole issue. Members of the LBGTQ Community don't stand a chance. The beliefs of this sect are beyond my understanding. The thing is that those currently in power in Iran go beyond  their own and seem to want to control anyone in the world who does not agree with them. There is no tolerance for coexistence. I am especially focused on the situation because they have been getting away with torturing and killing innocents, including thousands of Americans, for almost fifty years.  Enough now. We finally have a leader with the courage to take a stand.

Further in thinking about the hateful leadership of Iran --  I simply don't like bullies. I am a "live and let live" kind of person. I, for example, would never dream of trying to force anyone to take an experimental drug by calling it a vaccine. I was raised in a free America where people have Rights -- like the freedoms of speech and of religion. I was raised in an America that respects tolerance for the beliefs of others (unless you are a current day, narrow minded, leftist, elitist Democrat with control issues and a hunger for power and the spotlight or if you are an American who suffers from TDS or anti-Semitism. Then, of course as such, you want to stifle and cancel any opposing views. BTW -- that's not working.) Ah... life in 2026 is complicated on many levels.

I just have to leave it for now and go back to watching the crows ... ever thankful that I live in this country. This Iranian "thing" is a problem that is beyond me. I am hoping for the best for people who live in this horrific situation. I regret that it is totally beyond my control.  Wish I could fix it, but I don't have a magic wand.  Fortunately I live in a country, though, that has an elected leader who can help out. He has long-sighted intelligence, courage... and a powerful team all of whom also have that kind of smarts and guts.  No short-sighted, namby pambies or pearl clutchers in the bunch. Terrorists will not be tolerated on any level, not when they endanger Americans or our allies  - even the ungrateful so-called friends.

In an attempt to eliminate any potential confusion on my point of view ... I am on the side of America and Democracy.  I am totally in support of President Donald J. Trump, his remarkable team and of every soldier and member of any law enforcement agency who work so hard to protect our way of life. That includes DHS. I think that all fraudsters should be punished and have to pay back what they have stolen. I say this just so everyone who reads this is clear on that.  Further -- I am totally bored with the feeble arguments of those who disagree with me and whose only options appear to be to run away and hide, to blame others, or to tear down rather than build up. Spare me. Where were you the entire time the Democrats were giving away our country? Where are you now while those in control of the Democratic party continue to name call,  fear monger, and look you in the eye and lie as they try to cause chaos?  

One last thing... I simply must say that I am totally in support of our troops having the occasional surf and turf. Personally I would prefer a cheese burger, but you get my drift.  If one is concerned about the cost -- he/she should go demand their money back from Democrat Minnesotan or Californian fraudsters.  That would be a good place to start. 

Cringe Worthy

 In what has, unfortunately, become typical of those in leadership positions of today's Democratic Party, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and to a lesser degree Bill Clinton demonstrated a serious lack of respect in their focus at the funeral of Jesse Jackson.  (I wonder. Did they invite themselves to speak at his funeral?  Did they find this remarkable man's life of lesser importance than their blatant attention seeking?) Barack couldn't resist figuratively punching the current President in the face.  Kamala just had to cackle laugh at her own jokes and then bumble through one of her word salads. Joe felt it necessary to tell everyone there that he is smarter than they are. It was obvious that Bill was not a close friend.  They certainly tried to make it about themselves. Cringe worthy. Pathetic. Obviously they are clueless and cannot read a room. They do not/can not see that sometimes they are not the most important people in attendance. I wonder, really, if any of them have a positive way forward...a constructive idea of any sort.  

The family of Jesse Jackson had made a point that it was their wish that politics be left at the door.  They welcomed all. Instead of honoring the wishes of the family, with what has become typical insensitivity or lack of awareness of anything but their own sense of self-importance, each burst to the podium to try to turn the spotlight on him or herself. It was appalling to watch really.  Further... not only were they disrespectful to the Jackson family and their loved ones, they were painfully disrespectful to everyone in attendance and to the entire country really.  Most importantly though-- they were disrespectful to Jesse Jackson and to his memory.

The thing is -- also typical of those in leadership of today's Democratic Party, they had nothing to offer but criticism of those currently in power. They never miss an opportunity. Aren't we sick and tired of it?  It goes nowhere.  It has, actually, become fundamentally anti-American.  In what has become a boring, repetitive anti-Trump rant with all the short-sightedness, ignorance and hatred that festers within the currently out of power, they spoke against the message of Jesse Jackson who so wished to unite the American people.

They had nothing positive to offer.

They had no shame. 

I am ashamed of them.  

Personally I don't care if I ever hear from them again ... but ...  at the very least, they owe an apology to the family of Jesse Jackson.