10.26.08
Posted in Opinion at 10:43 pm by Administrator
We all listen to advice via sound bites and maxims, and I am no different than the rest of the world. A while ago, the favorite saying of the day is that “Life is not a dress rehearsal.” In other words, life and our actions today are the only chance we have to “get it right.” We cannot back up the tapes of what we do, and reshoot them in real life. However, “bad” tapes can replay themselves in our heads, for years.
Some of us follow other people whom we consider to be role models. In so doing, we can become very disenchanted and discouraged, when they let us down. Think of all the young people who idolize pop stars and music video stars, only to find them to drink irresponsibly or be morally corrupt. Think of adults who put their trust in government leaders and may even wish that they, too, could serve in that capacity. Then it is observed that some legislator is doing something terribly unethical or just plain wrong. The public balks at the bad news. Remember this: Tomorrow, any bad news will just be accepted and swept under the rug, as if an event had never happened.
As a society, we seem to be suffering from collective memory loss because we tend to engage in the same lack of judgment, again and again. When I see grown men in camouflage attire, running around in a foreign country, with an imbedded reporter, and one of the men gets hit by mortar or gun fire, it is not surprising that it is immediately confirmed that the soldier will not be coming home, at least not alive. These men are not “playing war” for a TV special, rather, they are living a daily nightmare that their number will be up next, not to step up to the luncheon meat counter at the store, but to meet St. Peter. Let’s hope they pass through the Pearly Gates with ease.
On a daily basis, we all make mistakes. If you keep forgetting to kiss your wife goodbye, a word to the wise, don’t. If you have not locked up your firearms yet, to keep them safe from youngsters, take care of the situation. Don’t take anyone else for granted. It’s not that they might die, it is that they will die, and so will you. It’s all a matter of timing.
The importance of life in all of its forms is often, for me, a poignant consideration, as it would be for anyone who stops to think about it, and particularly anyone who has a life-threatening condition.
So, if life is not a dress rehearsal, it means that we have to maximize our chances of taking the right course of action for ourselves, today. If you have been postponing a hard decision, make it. If you love people in your life, but never see them, make the effort. We will never walk down this road again, in the same way. Think of today as special because every today is a building block for tomorrow. Play for keeps.
Patricia Cummings
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10.23.08
Posted in Opinion at 2:39 pm by Administrator
The rule of “status quo” is that there is no room for movement, growth, or change. The dictators of status quo would like everything to remain the same, with the same old rhetoric, the same old leaders (or those who agree with them), the same way of doing things.
Look to your own organizations. The leader of a group may be the best person for the job, and he/she remains in that post, sometimes until death. As a free society, we know that there are many groups and associations, most of them with a head honcho, grand “Poohbah,” or “great, white leader,” in an historical manner of speaking.
In societies, people are judged by their lineage, by the amount of money they have earned or inherited, and by the influence of their “clan.” In this age, we could construe the word “clan” to mean “extended family” that has been acquired because people substitute acquaintances for real family that has been “lost” in moves to distant states where money-making opportunities reside.
A lot of people might feel stuck in society’s overall view of who they are perceived to be. Education has always been a possibility for a step up the ladder. Historically, and I will use Spain as an example, one way to get ahead was to either become a priest, or join the military. And, the tradition of the latter has continued, there and here.
Young men are attracted to the military for many reasons. Some may join so that they can more easily get the training they need for the jobs they wish to hold, later in life, if they survive their tour(s) of duty. The military seems to be personally helpful to formerly undisciplined youth who never made a bed at home, but now MUST do so (at “work”). The military guarantees a paycheck, and work, unless someone makes some horrible mistake, is wounded, or fatally injured.
Where am I going with these thoughts? Well, let me back up a bit and mention a PBS special program called “Secrets of the Dead,” that I viewed last night. The show was about the fight by “the powers that be” to restrict the common man’s access to a version of the Bible in English, which was first written in Greek. The hour long show included a segment in which a dissenter and promoter of the English Bible was killed, but later exhumed, so that his body could be burned and his ashes spread in a non-Christian burial ground.
What is that all about, you say? Why would anyone do that? Seems radical. “The powers that be” had to make a further example of the man in hopes of dissuading anyone else from doing the things he had done, in life, that were considered to be so wrong. Power is at the root of the action.
Money, greed, and dominance equal power. The debates about power, and the misuse of it, probably reach back to a time we can only imagine: pre-recorded history. The debates and the struggles of man are often unchanged from century to century: the rights of self-governance, the right to make war, and what sacrifices will be required before we can make peace.
Yet, in our hearts, we all long for peace … except for the annoying neighbor, except for the co-worker who pulls our chain, except for the rest of our “enemies.” No, we speak of peace, but our tongues are swords, ready to go into action at the slightest hint of trespass of what we believe should be the maintained status quo. In other words, people are fine, as long as others go along with our set program, or follow (us) along like sheep going into the slaughter.
There may come a time of peace in the future. That may be when a nuclear holocaust has arrived, the war engine turbines have been silenced, and only ants continue to walk the earth. In the meantime, we live with our own delusions that everything is ok and will be ok. With any luck, we will continue to make some beautiful quilts to comfort our bodies and our souls, practically and visually, while we wait for the Generals and soldiers alike to put down their armaments that maim and kill living things.
Peacefully piece.
Pat
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10.16.08
Posted in Opinion at 12:52 pm by Administrator
I have been listening to politicians again and a recurrent theme is the idea that if you throw money at a problem, (read the statement as “throw money down the tubes), then all will be well. I am here to tell you that there is no amount of money that can be spent in any educational system that will prevent “unwanted pregnancies.” Kids are foolish. It will never happen to them … they won’t get “caught.” In this case, raging hormones prevail. Teenagers should know better, but in the heat of the moment, they don’t act better.
We have all these buzz words swirling around Washington. One phrase, “No child left behind,” is a nightmare of a concept, in the opinions of most teachers who would rather teach content, than to teach to the test.
“Pork barrel spending” is another concept. The idea is to propose as much expensive legislation as possible, and then accuse your cohorts of too much involvement with spending that involves cronyism.
Like not being about to see the forest for the trees, we don’t examine the small impact of many interventions (questionable solutions?), that lead to a large impact.
And, women! I can’t tell you how many women I know who are indifferent to the political process and are not even registered voters. These people are casual acquaintances or I would read them the riot act about the fact that women did not gain the right to vote until 1920 and they should take advantage of the Right of Suffrage. Women can bring sensibility to the political process, as well as a sensitivity and accountability.
No, money is not the entire answer to any problem. For example, money will not bring better teachers into our schools. Teachers are either well-schooled, astute, and have the temperament for dealing with children, or they don’t. More money cannot change someone’s basic personality, nor their own responsibility for pursuing classes that will improve their professional functioning.
Last night’s debate made me nervous. Somehow, it struck me as disingenuous. McCain seemed to be glaring, seemingly in the attack mode. At times, Obama seemed to be broadly smiling for no particular reason, and hopefully not in derision of his opponent. He also did not answer a direction question about spending … at all. I was left with the wish that Mrs. Clinton had been given her party’s nomination, and I have the same sadness as I did when Al Gore did not win. The most able people are sometimes shoved aside in politics, perhaps never to run again.
I was more confident and hopeful before watching the last of the debates, last night. Like everyone else, we will have to wait and see, hope and pray, that the process will even out and the best man will remain standing. As for money being an answer for anything … ever … I believe that is a false notion. Having more money only makes the affluent more greedy and does nothing for the “little guy.” The politicians are right! There are no “trickle down” economics, unless you count a few more pennies in tips for restaurant workers. We continue to count down to November 4, and in the meantime, hope for the best.
Patricia Cummings
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