Today my wife and I are celebrating 36 years of marriage.
Honestly, I didn’t think we’d make it this far.
As much as I tried to mess it up, God’s grace and my wife’s
committed stubbornness kept it going.
Now, we are doing pretty well and today is a real celebration.
Maybe Carrabba’s for dinner…
I’ve been away for a few days. Sometimes life happens and our nice routines get disrupted. Then, it takes awhile to adjust and get back into form, or maybe a different form. Over the past couple weeks my dad has been ill. As he has gotten older, as it is for all of us, the physical systems start to wear. This has been a source of concern for me and my family. We are trying to adjust to new demands and responsibilities, while maintaining all of the old ones. I’m sure that there are many others out there dealing with similar issues.
How do we make the transition to care givers for aging parents and other family? There are probably as many opinions about this as there are people living through the experience. There will be those who state that it is the childrens’ responsibility to return care to those who gave care for so many years. Others may have the opinion that professionals should be retained to help with care. After all, none of us are really trained in recognizing and meeting the needs of aging adults. I’m sure there are some who hold that the cycle of life simply requires that family care for family; it is the natural response.
I don’t know for sure. This is pretty new for me. I feel that I missed out on some of this while my mom was alive. She was cared for in a professional setting with my dad by her side all of the way. I did not feel it was necessary to watch her closely. Now, I do have some regrets that I was not more involved. Yet, another part of me wants to keep this mortality at arms’ length. I don’t want to get to close to the messiness that any relationship can bring, let alone that of someone nearing the finish line. (See, neat little metaphors rather than simply stating the reality.)
Anyway, it looks like things are changing. I guess that’s the way of it. Not always easy, but hey, no one every said it would be.
Well, it’s Super Tuesday for the GOP. I’m not all that politically minded. These elections generally turn me off. The endless ads for and against this or that candidate and the spins that each puts on their positions does little to kindle any interest. This year’s presidential election is especially, well, “Yawn.” The GOP has no one. Romney, who in all likelihood, will eventually win the nomination is simply not fit. His background in business is not enough to qualify him to stand at the fore and represent the U.S. in the world. The biggest hump to get over with him, though, is that he represents the continuation of white patriarchy at its worst. The statements that he has made regarding the poor are a huge red flag. Not only in this country, but the poor and oppressed around the world need a person in the White House with compassion and empathy. Neither of these appear to be in Mitt’s vocabulary. Romney brings an isolationism and extension of American Exclusiveness that cannot be healthy in the continuity diminution of the international stage. Again, I can’t stress it enough, Mitt’s Not Fit.
Leave a CommentI love reading the work of good scholars. Especially, journal articles. These folks are virtually always responding to someone else’s idea or positions. The most fun is when they disagree with one another. So and so is ‘contra’ the other so and so. And, they always have well thought our reasons why they are right and the other wrong. The banter between these will-trained professionals gives me hope that, like the blind squirrel, I may find an acorn once in a while.
The one missing element, however, is who is asking themselves, ‘What if I’m wrong’? The other person is assuredly wrong. But, what about me? Can I quickly back-pedal and make it look I was right, thus saving face? Or, can I say, “Yes, I was wrong. Thank you for helping me see that.” I would hope that I could.
But, I really hope that the Battle of the Ph.D keeps up…it’s more entertaining than the W.W.F.
Ok, so maybe I’m not very bright. But, in an interview with Soledad O’Brien after his primary victory in Florida, Mitt Romney made a statement that, if it’s truly how he feels, I hope will cost him any chance at becoming President. The statement, while qualified, was that he was not focused on the very poor or the very rich in this country. The reasons? The poor have a ‘safety net’ and the rich are just fine.
What safety net? Yes, there are government programs like medicaid and food stamps. But, they’re still poor with no realistic hope of ever becoming anything other than poor. This imaginary safety net idea reminds me of a scene in the movie “The Greatest Show on Earth” in which a flyer tries to show off and cuts the, yep, safety net down. He missed a grasp and fell, the imprint of the useless net embedded on his broken body.
Romney, while touting this ‘thing,’ stated that if it’s broken he’ll fix it. How, Mitt? You have stated that your focus is not on these people. Why should we believe that, as president, you will have any concern for them?
No, Mr. Romney. You can keep making your millions and remain isolated from the people of this country. I, for one, will not support you. I will do whatever I can to see you defeated.
For any who cares, here is a link to the interview:
http://cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2012/02/01/point-romney-poor-safety-net.cnn
Leave a CommentI found this letter in a news item from Yahoo. I have no idea if it’s authenticity has been determined. However, it does display the resilience and strength of people that were at one time treated as chattel. I especially appreciate the humor.
It’s important to note that at no time does the writer indicate that he wished to take retribution for the treatment inflicted on him and his family. This is one point that I have seen reiterated time and again by the womanists. While they have strong feelings about justice for everyone, there is never an indication that revenge is an option.
Please, take time to read the letter:
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html
It’s Friday. For many in the west Friday is a day of preparation. Preparation to kick back and enjoy the weekend. Songs that raise this day of the week to near holiday status have been sung by the working weary for ages. For me, it’s another day. Not because I have to work weekends. But, all of the days just kind of blur together. However, this Friday is a tad different. I will be flying to San Diego to help my daughter move. Now, going to southern California, where it’s forecast to be in the low 60’s sounds great to someone living where it’s currently about 17 degrees with a forecast high of about 21. Gotta luv winter…not.
Anyway, I will be away for several days traveling. If I can find a spot where there’s wifi I will try to get to this blog and update. But, if not, I will be back sometime next week.
To any who happen to actually visit here, God’s blessings on you!
Yesterday I got to go see my cardiologist. Heart attacks are no fun. He didn’t say much. I think he was having a rough day. One thing about having heart issues like this is that I have slowed down. I don’t move quite so fast because things that made me run around like an idiot just aren’t all that important. I have, so far, lost almost 30 lbs. That’s a good thing. I walk an hour each day, (at least I try). ;o)
I guess I’m doing all that I can right now. Part of the reason for that is that by all rights I should have died on Nov. 3. My LAD, the main artery supplying blood to my left ventricle was 100% blocked. They call that one the “widow maker.” Well, my wife is not a widow…yet. God, for whatever reason, saw fit to let me hang out on this rock for a little while longer. So, I figure I should do my part.
It’s been a slow day here at the old homestead. Usually, something throughout the day jumps at me and I reflect on it and write a quick blurb. Not so much today. I’m still mulling over material for more on the devil made me do it. That’s proving to be a fairly large undertaking. I’m not going to do a full-blown scholarly look at it. Mostly, it will be from first-hand experience of meeting this being in my own stroll through the desert. Not a fun time. But, enlightening nonetheless.
Besides, I had to go to the dentist today. I could think of about 200 things I would have rather done. Eating worms comes to mind.
A quick quote from Joyce Huggett in Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings on the Twelve Spiritual Disciplines. This is a book that I have found helpful for quiet time devoted to the Savior.
“We meditate to give God’s words the opportunity to penetrate, not just our minds, but our emotions – the places where we hurt – and our will – the place where we make choices and decisions. We meditate to encounter the Living Word, Jesus himself. We meditate so that every part of our being, our thoughts and our affections and our ambitions, are turned to face and honour and glorify him. Yet another reason for learning to meditate is so that we may become conversant with the will of God…”
Building the connections is how Brian McLaren puts it. We build connections of communication with the Source of our very lives through meditation and other disciplines. Yes, studying and the academy are important. However, it’s more important to have a living, vibrant relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite professors at Ashland, John Byron, posted the following: http://thebiblicalworld.blogspot.com/2011/12/peace-on-earth-good-will-towards-men.html
It seems that even in a sacred place, at a sacred time, those who have set themselves apart for a sacred duty cannot behave any differently than anyone else. It is sad, as well as telling. People are people, regardless of what their vocation. While some may state that hanging their dirty laundry out for the world to see is an embarrassment to the Church. I see it as an opportunity for people to reveal their humanity and humility. Like I wrote in an earlier post, Christ followers are no different than any other people. We still need to work to behave civilly. And, when we don’t, we need to apologize and make appropriate modifications to our behavior.
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