This tiny town is different from most places I have lived. Each day when I walk, I pass people who smile and say "Good Morning." or "How are you today?". There is none of the hustle and bustle of most places I have lived.
I used to live in a town where most of the people were very well off financially. They would pass and say "How ARE you today?" which seemed simply obligatory for them and another chance to sound like Kathryn Hepburn. They spent their lives worrying about losing what they had instead of noticing what they had. They spent their time doing the right thing, saying the right thing, wearing the right thing, and being controlled by the modes of the day. They were no more in control of their lives than Howdy Doody was. They were Marionettes.
This little town has several monuments to those that served in all the conflicts this country has experienced, from the Revolution to the first Gulf conflict. The same last names are on all of them. A little tiny town, somewhat insulated from the modes of the day, just flows on and on, like the river that runs through it. There is a quietness and humility here that belies the strength that lies beneath it. It is not exciting, it is just the definition of nice.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunday
Dear Kristen,
Sunday is perfect. Please remember to bring the steamer insert. Spring is here, the robins are on the lawn, the squirrels are bustling all over the place, and the Red Sox won the opener. Life is good.
Sunday is perfect. Please remember to bring the steamer insert. Spring is here, the robins are on the lawn, the squirrels are bustling all over the place, and the Red Sox won the opener. Life is good.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Kristen
Sweetheart, next weekend would be wonderful. Please let me know which day. You have really brightened my day. Now I will be Ambrosius instead of Arthur. I already have the table.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Post posts
I woke up this morning, at 1:30 A.M., with an overpowering urge to delete the last two posts in this blog. There is a show on television, yes I am still watching television, about a man that drives a UPS truck. His father-in-law lives in his cellar. The father-in-law is as crazy as a loon, constantly raving about inequities and imagined slights. He is sure that the world is conspiring against him. His name is Arthur. I don't want to be like Arthur. My life is good. My children are healthy, I am free from pain, I have a full belly and a warm place to sleep. I have enough resources to make it through each month. Life is good.
There were times in my life when I was happier than I am now but I didn't realize it at the time. Life was too hectic and there was the constant desire to do better. I look back now and realize the high points of my life. The day I was wed, the days each of my children were born, and the day my brother became my friend. Each of these days have one thing in common. They are family related. I was raised in a community that stressed the acquisition of knowledge. I have lived most of my life surrounded by the Paradise of family and still sought out Knowledge. I think there is a book that addresses this issue.
There were times in my life when I was happier than I am now but I didn't realize it at the time. Life was too hectic and there was the constant desire to do better. I look back now and realize the high points of my life. The day I was wed, the days each of my children were born, and the day my brother became my friend. Each of these days have one thing in common. They are family related. I was raised in a community that stressed the acquisition of knowledge. I have lived most of my life surrounded by the Paradise of family and still sought out Knowledge. I think there is a book that addresses this issue.
One more resolution gone south
Once more a resolution I made withered on the vine. I was asked for help by my new dependent and gave it. I told him that this would be the last time and received a new litany of his new troubles and stories about the neighbors. He is very negative about the neighbors and seems overly involved in their lives. I have met all of the neighbors and they seem like nice people. If there is one thing that they have in common it is that they are all hard working people that are striving to survive in a world that constantly makes more demands on them. They all share the dream that I have always had. They have given up on getting ahead and dream of staying even. I pray each night, not for a blessing but just for no further disappointment. Becker's elastic is always watching.
The news of each day becomes more disturbing. The economy is in a shambles, the new elite of America are Hollywood stars and billionaires, and the simple moral values of this immigrant nation are rapidly becoming those that led to the downfall of ancient Rome and Greece. You can tell a lot about a society by how it spends its money. Care for widows, orphans, the elderly, and the disabled used to be high on our list of priorities. Now the top items are potato chips, bottled water, wars, and caring for investment bankers. The government seems to be caring for the voters of today but what about their children and grandchildren? The problem I see is that the government has a huge credit card, not a debit card. They make the minimum payment each month and the debt rises. I had hopes that a return to a Democratic regime would start rebuilding towards the surplus that was left by President Clinton. True to form, the Democrats seem to be self destructing. It would seem to be easy to find someone that could overcome the Republican administration, given their performance so far. We can't expect an F.D.R but a Truman or a Clinton would be nice. It is not going to happen. The republicans have a candidate that seems like O.D. O'Colgny who doesn't have to say anything nasty about the Democratic candidate. The Democrats are doing that themselves as they slowly self-destruct. The old adage rings true: " I am not a member of an organized political party, I am a Democrat.". Where is the old yellow dog when we need him? Can a person be President more than two terms if they are not consecutive? It would be nice to hear the soothing sounds of a saxophone emanating from the White House instead of the constant blaring of a bugle sounding the charge. President Bush is overseeing the bailout of the poor people that have mortgages of $700,000.00 while Jimmy Carter builds homes for the homeless. Bear Stearns and the savings and loan debacle come to us courtesy of Republican money experts that made their reputations using other people's money. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates made their fame using their own money and are using it to help the disadvantaged. Wouldn't it be nice to see one of them living in that big White public housing in Washington D.C.? I shuddered to read that the Bear Stearns loan may have to be adjusted in the future. Oh great, the government now has an ARM.
The news of each day becomes more disturbing. The economy is in a shambles, the new elite of America are Hollywood stars and billionaires, and the simple moral values of this immigrant nation are rapidly becoming those that led to the downfall of ancient Rome and Greece. You can tell a lot about a society by how it spends its money. Care for widows, orphans, the elderly, and the disabled used to be high on our list of priorities. Now the top items are potato chips, bottled water, wars, and caring for investment bankers. The government seems to be caring for the voters of today but what about their children and grandchildren? The problem I see is that the government has a huge credit card, not a debit card. They make the minimum payment each month and the debt rises. I had hopes that a return to a Democratic regime would start rebuilding towards the surplus that was left by President Clinton. True to form, the Democrats seem to be self destructing. It would seem to be easy to find someone that could overcome the Republican administration, given their performance so far. We can't expect an F.D.R but a Truman or a Clinton would be nice. It is not going to happen. The republicans have a candidate that seems like O.D. O'Colgny who doesn't have to say anything nasty about the Democratic candidate. The Democrats are doing that themselves as they slowly self-destruct. The old adage rings true: " I am not a member of an organized political party, I am a Democrat.". Where is the old yellow dog when we need him? Can a person be President more than two terms if they are not consecutive? It would be nice to hear the soothing sounds of a saxophone emanating from the White House instead of the constant blaring of a bugle sounding the charge. President Bush is overseeing the bailout of the poor people that have mortgages of $700,000.00 while Jimmy Carter builds homes for the homeless. Bear Stearns and the savings and loan debacle come to us courtesy of Republican money experts that made their reputations using other people's money. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates made their fame using their own money and are using it to help the disadvantaged. Wouldn't it be nice to see one of them living in that big White public housing in Washington D.C.? I shuddered to read that the Bear Stearns loan may have to be adjusted in the future. Oh great, the government now has an ARM.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Guten tag
Yesterday was a good day. Nothing alarming happened and a few good things did happen. A minor foreboding was averted. I was able to help out another human being in a small way. Helping that individual has become a daily occurance. It is time to suggest to him that he should probably get a job. He is about forty years old and his eighty six year old Father is his sole source of support and shelter. I mentioned this to him once before and the litany of troubles that unleashed was endless. He was in an automobile accident about ten years ago and can't seem to get motivated since. He got a substantial settlement from the accident which he spent on a boat. His ex-wife now has the boat. The story goes on and on. When he got to the part about hearing voices and having evil dreams, I helped him out, literally and figuratively. He comes knocking at the door each day. I am torn between empathy and foreboding. He wants to get a job as a tree remover but he is afraid of heights. I can empathize with that. When I was a boy I wanted to be a cowboy. When I was in Texas I tried but had a major disqualification. It didn't seem fair. I am not afraid of cows and they don't call them horseboys, so I don't think it was fair. Life isn't fair, it is just gloriously wonderful. I have lived longer than Alexander the Great did, longer than President Kennedy did, and longer than Chance Vought Jr. did. Life has been and is Wonderful!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Mr. Rapunzel
Spring approaches on soft, dew laden feet. It is a time of newness and growth. I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this while walking yesterday. A flock of goldfinches started the process. They have endured the paltry resources of Winter and now proudly display their golden promise of new life to come. I wondered how they will survive until the seeds appear. That was when I noticed a small bug flying by me. The intricate web of life begins again. It is a time for renewal and growth. The Lad of Shalott is making plans. I only hope that the breaking of the mirror will not portend seven years into the future.
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