Many people are experiencing hard times. Due to economic or other reasons, many have lost something. Might have been some of their "stuff". Might have been their jobs. Might have been everything. Maybe those times are looming around the corner. I've been there. I know the feeling. It can be daunting.
Five years ago this year, I turned my back on everything familiar - due to being victimized for many years. I left everything I knew and had, and proceeded to start a new life. I had close to nothing. My 4-cylinder S-10 truck, a couple changes of clothes (literally) and my computer. That's it, nothing else. For years prior to this, I had at least two, and as many as 3 new vehicles at a time, owned my land and home free and clear, had a job that paid over $25.00 an hour, had all the necessary tools of my trade as an industrial electrician, had some very expensive guns, a garage full of hand and power tools, you name it. I "had it all", including good credit. All of a sudden, I had none of it. Ya know what? All that stuff doesn't mean a thing. I don't miss it at all.
At the time I left my old world, I didn't know anything about my future. It could have been a really scary time. I didn't know where I would end up when I stopped driving. I didn't have a job, nor did I know if I could get one very soon. As overwhelming as it could have been, I stayed focused and listened to my heart. I felt that all would work out - in time. I kept my faith. I quickly learned what was important - and it isn't "things". The important things aren't what you can see on the outside, but what you have on the inside.
I was lucky enough to have real friends all across the country - from Connecticut to Alaska, from Southern Florida to Chicago, and points in between. Several of them offered to give me refuge until I could get on my feet. One offered financial help, but I refused. I chose to contact my friends closest to "as far as I could get, and that nobody would expect I would go there". They put me up, and made sure I had a roof over my head and food in my mouth until I got a job and started paying my own way. No, they weren't rich by any means. They were "just people" who sometimes struggled to make it month to month - people with good hearts and souls. (I thank God for them every day.)
In two weeks, I was working at a real job. Didn't pay much, but it was a job - income. As the years passed, I got "things" again, slowly but surely. Not the same kind of things I had before, but different kinds of things. I got craft things so I would have something constructive to utilize my free time. I enjoy leather crafting. I got photography things, cheap ones at first but it slowly became some fairly decent "stuff". After about three years, I had all I really wanted as far as "things" goes. I was even able to buy a new (used) car on my own credit. Now as of a little over a month ago, I have a beautiful wife whose wants and needs are the same as mine, someone to spend the rest of my life with in perfect harmony.
If you are among those having it rough economically now, who have lost your job or your "stuff", take heart. You will be fine. This too will pass. I have lost all of that and have emerged above it, and so can you. No, I don't have a $25.00 and hour job any more - less than half that, actually. I don't have all those new cars/trucks/4WD's. I don't have a garage full of tools. What I do have is all that is important - and it's inside me. Things didn't give it to me. I have the love of a wonderful wife. I have an inner peace that cannot be destroyed or lost. I am happy. You can have it all, too. Yes, that is "all". It's all that matters. If you have inner peace and count your blessings as you go you will come out on top.
Things are not important. They come and go all the time. They can't make you happy. You just think they can. What is important, is what lasts forever - it's what is (or should be) in your heart. Love.
Count your blessings.
.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Dr. Martin Luther King
Tomorrow we honor MLK with a national holiday. I've been wondering - how we are supposed to do it? It got me thinking. How can we truly honor him? We have yet to do it since his death. His dream has been a nightmare.
Dr. King dreamed that all should be judged on the content of their character, and not the color of their skin. He dreamed that all would have equal treatment in society. There has been none of it, except by those who would be branded as racists.
Can anybody tell me anything that has happened since Dr. King was murdered that would suggest that his dream was even slightly fulfilled? I can't honestly think of anything. All through the years, skin color has been mentioned constantly - even highlighted. No matter what is in the news, color has been pointed out - unless you are a white person. Whites have never been able to tell a "black" joke without being branded a racist, yet blacks can tell jokes with whites as the subject. Blacks can tell black jokes but whites can't. Mexicans can tell Mexican jokes, but whites cannot. You cannot dislike someone's actions because of those actions if you are white and they are non-white. If you want a gay/black/Mexican criminal to receive a harsh sentence, you will be branded as a gay/black/Mexican hater or racist. That is not equality. That is not judging people by their character.
We have a president-elect today - two days before his inauguration. People say that this is a historic time, because we will have our first black president. Should it be? What in his character is so remarkable? It is only because of his color. The emphasis has only been on one thing, and it's not any character trait. In fact, there are many questions that would cast doubt on his character. I have been dissatisfied with many presidents in the past, including Clinton and the Bushes. Never once was I or anybody else who expressed dissatisfaction been branded a racist. Since our election, one has to be careful to not make negative comments about our president-elect, lest you take the very real chance of being branded a racist. I suspect that this will continue throughout his term. Would Dr. King approve? I doubt it.
Why is our president-elect being treated as if he was in office upon winning the election? Because of his color. (No other president-elect has ever been the object of overwhelming media coverage over the sitting president in such a way.)
Why is this a "historical" time for America? Because of our president-elect's color.
Our economy is pretty much in the tank. It's a real mess. Never before has such a hoopla and expenditure been made for an in-coming president. Why? We, the taxpayers, will be footing a huge bill for this, when frugality should be in order. Much more is being spent on this inauguration than any other. Why? Why is he so special that he needs to spend so much more of our money, just to take an oath of office? Sure, have parties and celebrations if you will, but take it easy on our money.
Can't we honor Dr. King by doing what he envisioned? Let's realize Dr. King's dream just once in our lifetimes. Let's come down to Earth and practice real equality. Call me a racist if you like, but I'm doing my part to fulfill Dr. King's dream. I do and will treat everybody the same, and you will be judged on your character. I don't care what you look like or what lifestyle you have.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Accusations of racism that lurk in the shadows do nothing to further Dr. King's dream. It is rooted in the bitterness and hatred of which he speaks.
The only way to further Dr. King's dream is to look upon another's skin with no more importance than the color of his hair or that of his eyes. Racism knows no bounds. All colors can be (and often are) victims of racism - black, brown, yellow, red, and white.
Dr. King, I salute you. I hope and pray that some day your dream will be realized for all mankind.
.
Dr. King dreamed that all should be judged on the content of their character, and not the color of their skin. He dreamed that all would have equal treatment in society. There has been none of it, except by those who would be branded as racists.
Can anybody tell me anything that has happened since Dr. King was murdered that would suggest that his dream was even slightly fulfilled? I can't honestly think of anything. All through the years, skin color has been mentioned constantly - even highlighted. No matter what is in the news, color has been pointed out - unless you are a white person. Whites have never been able to tell a "black" joke without being branded a racist, yet blacks can tell jokes with whites as the subject. Blacks can tell black jokes but whites can't. Mexicans can tell Mexican jokes, but whites cannot. You cannot dislike someone's actions because of those actions if you are white and they are non-white. If you want a gay/black/Mexican criminal to receive a harsh sentence, you will be branded as a gay/black/Mexican hater or racist. That is not equality. That is not judging people by their character.
We have a president-elect today - two days before his inauguration. People say that this is a historic time, because we will have our first black president. Should it be? What in his character is so remarkable? It is only because of his color. The emphasis has only been on one thing, and it's not any character trait. In fact, there are many questions that would cast doubt on his character. I have been dissatisfied with many presidents in the past, including Clinton and the Bushes. Never once was I or anybody else who expressed dissatisfaction been branded a racist. Since our election, one has to be careful to not make negative comments about our president-elect, lest you take the very real chance of being branded a racist. I suspect that this will continue throughout his term. Would Dr. King approve? I doubt it.
Why is our president-elect being treated as if he was in office upon winning the election? Because of his color. (No other president-elect has ever been the object of overwhelming media coverage over the sitting president in such a way.)
Why is this a "historical" time for America? Because of our president-elect's color.
Our economy is pretty much in the tank. It's a real mess. Never before has such a hoopla and expenditure been made for an in-coming president. Why? We, the taxpayers, will be footing a huge bill for this, when frugality should be in order. Much more is being spent on this inauguration than any other. Why? Why is he so special that he needs to spend so much more of our money, just to take an oath of office? Sure, have parties and celebrations if you will, but take it easy on our money.
Can't we honor Dr. King by doing what he envisioned? Let's realize Dr. King's dream just once in our lifetimes. Let's come down to Earth and practice real equality. Call me a racist if you like, but I'm doing my part to fulfill Dr. King's dream. I do and will treat everybody the same, and you will be judged on your character. I don't care what you look like or what lifestyle you have.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Accusations of racism that lurk in the shadows do nothing to further Dr. King's dream. It is rooted in the bitterness and hatred of which he speaks.
The only way to further Dr. King's dream is to look upon another's skin with no more importance than the color of his hair or that of his eyes. Racism knows no bounds. All colors can be (and often are) victims of racism - black, brown, yellow, red, and white.
Dr. King, I salute you. I hope and pray that some day your dream will be realized for all mankind.
.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year!
I'll be spending a quiet evening at home with my new wife, treating ourselves to some baked brie and enjoying a sip of wine. We might even ring in 2009.
The cardinal shot above is one of the many we got yesterday in Palo Duro Canyon. Below I've added a few more.
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse
Female Cardinal
Golden-Fronted Woodpecker
Male CardinalSaturday, December 27, 2008
Hairy Woodpecker
Here is a new one for me. This Hairy Woodpecker paid our back yard a visit after I filled our feeder up with sunflower seeds. He might have been checking it out. Might have just been there coincidentally. The hairy woodpecker is nearly identical in appearance to the Downy Woodpecker, but the hairy is larger, with a longer beak. The downy is the size of a sparrow, whereas the hairy is the size of a robin.
I've also been playing around with manual focus, trying to get good, clear shots of birds back in the array of branches of a bush. This sparrow was one of my successes.
I've also been playing around with manual focus, trying to get good, clear shots of birds back in the array of branches of a bush. This sparrow was one of my successes.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Bitter/Sweet
This last week has been both sweet and a little bitter. Saturday, I received the perfect wife as a gift from God. That was "sweet". For our wedding, my son couldn't make it, nor could he apparently send a card or anything. That was a little on the "bitter" side. Admittedly, he lives quite a ways away and genuinely might not be able to make the trip. However, simply acknowledging the event would be nice. Am I petty for wanting to see something in the mail (electronic or regular mail) from him? Is 42 cents too much to spend to send a 50 cent card from the Dollar Tree? Or even a quick note by Email?
Today is Christmas Day. We had a nice quiet Christmas dinner with all the trimmings - just my wife and I. It was great! We gave each other some awesome gifts and had a great time. I've gotten something from most of my family - be it a just a card, or a package in the mail. That was "sweet". I got nothing from my son. He didn't even call. I called him a little while ago. He seemed a little preoccupied, but that was kind of understandable I guess - being Christmas and all. One of the things that bothered me is that he didn't say anything about the 11x14 photos I sent them in a 16x20 frame. No mention if it got there in one piece or not. I had to ask. When I did, he offered that he really liked one of them, but never once did I hear the words "thank you". Not even the one word "thanks". Nothing. Will something show up late? Maybe. The number of disappointments of the past indicate that there will be nothing.
I try to go out of my way to make sure I catch every special day in their family - birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc. I've never missed one. I try to send gifts, but can't always. I always send cards, regardless. I let them know I think of them.
Am I wrong to feel the disappointment, and a little hurt to boot? It's not easy to fight off encroaching bitterness. Maybe he harbors some resentment towards me for leaving him to put up with his mentally ill mother. If he does, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about that. It's up to him to clear that hurdle. I have every right to be alive and happy.
Today is Christmas Day. We had a nice quiet Christmas dinner with all the trimmings - just my wife and I. It was great! We gave each other some awesome gifts and had a great time. I've gotten something from most of my family - be it a just a card, or a package in the mail. That was "sweet". I got nothing from my son. He didn't even call. I called him a little while ago. He seemed a little preoccupied, but that was kind of understandable I guess - being Christmas and all. One of the things that bothered me is that he didn't say anything about the 11x14 photos I sent them in a 16x20 frame. No mention if it got there in one piece or not. I had to ask. When I did, he offered that he really liked one of them, but never once did I hear the words "thank you". Not even the one word "thanks". Nothing. Will something show up late? Maybe. The number of disappointments of the past indicate that there will be nothing.
I try to go out of my way to make sure I catch every special day in their family - birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc. I've never missed one. I try to send gifts, but can't always. I always send cards, regardless. I let them know I think of them.
Am I wrong to feel the disappointment, and a little hurt to boot? It's not easy to fight off encroaching bitterness. Maybe he harbors some resentment towards me for leaving him to put up with his mentally ill mother. If he does, I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about that. It's up to him to clear that hurdle. I have every right to be alive and happy.
The Best Christmas Gift of All!
Here is my best Christmas gift. Nothing can out-do this one. I received it early - on the 20th. This gift came from God Himself.
(Photo by Steve Douglass)
.
(Photo by Steve Douglass)
.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wedding Day - IMG_2080
This morning I was greeted with a gift when I looked out our front door. It only lasted moments, but enough of those moments to allow me to capture some of it before it vanished. As photography goes, it isn't much. It marks the beginning of a very special day.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Hope and Emotion
Hope
I am hoping that some of my family will be able to make it down for our wedding. I communicated with my brother today, and although things are not really rosy in their part of the country, they may be able to come down. Hopefully, at least 5 of them (mother & husband, brother & wife, sister) will be able to car pool and split expenses and make the 12-14 hour trip.
*****************
Emotion
I've been thinking about our stock market lately. We've had some wild swings in its prices for a while. The conclusion I've come to is that the market is run by emotion: fear that [something] will happen, fear that housing will do [whatever], fear that oil will do [whatever]. If fear consumes the investors, they will sell and prices will drop. The media will confirm this. Pay attention to market reports. Listen for words like "fear", "worry", etc. If hope or elation fills them, they will buy and prices go up. It seems that very little has to do with actual business conditions or a tangible belief that a company has a future by virtue of its product or service.
Ideally (IMO), investors should invest in (and support) businesses/corporations that they believe can be successful on the merits of the respective business. Must they engage in emotional buying and selling in a desperate attempt to make a lot of money? The stock market was never intended to be a short-term money-making endeavor. It was never intended as a vehicle for high-stress panic buying and selling. Its reason for being is to help a business grow by allowing investors to help supply capital towards that end. If our markets were to return to its roots and not run by an emotional crap-shoot, it would be in much better shape. But then, our government would have to get out of the way and not force businesses to make stupid decisions, and at the same time allow irresponsible ones to fail.
*****
Emotion is the fuel for another of our country's engines: Politics and political elections. I don't recall any election (and I've seen quite a few) that wasn't run like the stock market - on emotion. Far too many people fail to vote with their brains. They vote with their hearts, according to what "feels good". Candidates always try to appeal to emotion, because that is what voters use most. Because it's driven on emotion just like the stock market, its results are just as shaky.
We need to start fueling our nation's engines with brain power, not emotion. It's very similar to drugs. People do drugs because they make them "feel good". They become trapped by them, enslaved by them - all for the desire to feel good. The same is true for the market and the government. Invest and vote with your emotions, and they will bite you.
As a nation, let's let our brains be the driving force, not our emotions.
.
I am hoping that some of my family will be able to make it down for our wedding. I communicated with my brother today, and although things are not really rosy in their part of the country, they may be able to come down. Hopefully, at least 5 of them (mother & husband, brother & wife, sister) will be able to car pool and split expenses and make the 12-14 hour trip.
*****************
Emotion
I've been thinking about our stock market lately. We've had some wild swings in its prices for a while. The conclusion I've come to is that the market is run by emotion: fear that [something] will happen, fear that housing will do [whatever], fear that oil will do [whatever]. If fear consumes the investors, they will sell and prices will drop. The media will confirm this. Pay attention to market reports. Listen for words like "fear", "worry", etc. If hope or elation fills them, they will buy and prices go up. It seems that very little has to do with actual business conditions or a tangible belief that a company has a future by virtue of its product or service.
Ideally (IMO), investors should invest in (and support) businesses/corporations that they believe can be successful on the merits of the respective business. Must they engage in emotional buying and selling in a desperate attempt to make a lot of money? The stock market was never intended to be a short-term money-making endeavor. It was never intended as a vehicle for high-stress panic buying and selling. Its reason for being is to help a business grow by allowing investors to help supply capital towards that end. If our markets were to return to its roots and not run by an emotional crap-shoot, it would be in much better shape. But then, our government would have to get out of the way and not force businesses to make stupid decisions, and at the same time allow irresponsible ones to fail.
*****
Emotion is the fuel for another of our country's engines: Politics and political elections. I don't recall any election (and I've seen quite a few) that wasn't run like the stock market - on emotion. Far too many people fail to vote with their brains. They vote with their hearts, according to what "feels good". Candidates always try to appeal to emotion, because that is what voters use most. Because it's driven on emotion just like the stock market, its results are just as shaky.
We need to start fueling our nation's engines with brain power, not emotion. It's very similar to drugs. People do drugs because they make them "feel good". They become trapped by them, enslaved by them - all for the desire to feel good. The same is true for the market and the government. Invest and vote with your emotions, and they will bite you.
As a nation, let's let our brains be the driving force, not our emotions.
.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Overcharged
One day last week, I took Shelley to a nice local restaurant. We got some really good service and the food was great - as it always is at this particular place. Had a great time.
This evening, I checked my bank account against my check register and found a discrepancy. The entry for our night out was $10 too high. Thirty five dollars was all of a sudden $45. I called the restaurant and talked to the manager, and he told me to come down to get it straightened out. He said if one of his people are stealing, he'd fire 'em. When I got there, he went into his office and made a print-out of the credit card transactions that day. The entry for our meal showed a $14 tip! I have never, ever left a tip that high. That was almost the price of one meal! As it turned out, a $4 tip somehow came across as much more - as if somebody "accidentally" put a "1" in front of the 4.
I told the manager that I would hate to see anybody get fired, and asked that if this employee has never been a problem before, to show some mercy - but at the same time, I understood that he had to do what's best for his company. I am convinced that he will check it out before taking action, as it could have been an honest error/type-o, or whatever.
The end result is that they take care of their customers. They made it right with me, at a generous rate of twice the error. I put up a little bit of argument, as it was not necessary to refund more than the erroneous amount. He insisted because of my inconvenience and having to make the trip, etc.
Always be sure to keep accurate records when using a credit/debit card for purchases. Up until now, I have shredded all my card receipts to prevent ID theft. Now I will keep them until I confirm the amount with my bank. Online banking is a blessing.
.
This evening, I checked my bank account against my check register and found a discrepancy. The entry for our night out was $10 too high. Thirty five dollars was all of a sudden $45. I called the restaurant and talked to the manager, and he told me to come down to get it straightened out. He said if one of his people are stealing, he'd fire 'em. When I got there, he went into his office and made a print-out of the credit card transactions that day. The entry for our meal showed a $14 tip! I have never, ever left a tip that high. That was almost the price of one meal! As it turned out, a $4 tip somehow came across as much more - as if somebody "accidentally" put a "1" in front of the 4.
I told the manager that I would hate to see anybody get fired, and asked that if this employee has never been a problem before, to show some mercy - but at the same time, I understood that he had to do what's best for his company. I am convinced that he will check it out before taking action, as it could have been an honest error/type-o, or whatever.
The end result is that they take care of their customers. They made it right with me, at a generous rate of twice the error. I put up a little bit of argument, as it was not necessary to refund more than the erroneous amount. He insisted because of my inconvenience and having to make the trip, etc.
Always be sure to keep accurate records when using a credit/debit card for purchases. Up until now, I have shredded all my card receipts to prevent ID theft. Now I will keep them until I confirm the amount with my bank. Online banking is a blessing.
.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
President-Elect Obama
Election 2008 is over. Obama has won. Now all we can do is wait to see what he will do for (or to) America and its citizens.
Many say that this is a historic time - and it is in a sense. It is only historic in the sense that he is the first black President that we've ever had. That's where it stops. He is no god, nothing really remarkable. His qualifications and accomplishments are actually quite unremarkable - unless being a "community organizer" is all it takes to be the leader of the Free World. It sounds like an extremely lackluster qualification to me. Even one who incites a riot can be considered to be a "community organizer". The term has no meaning. Be that as it may, we now have a black president-elect - regardless of how or why he received so many votes. But should it be a historic moment?
If we were truly color-blind as Dr. Martin Luther King wished, and didn't judge people by the color of their skin, he would be "just" another president-elect. This should not be anything "historic" because he is just another man. His skin color should not enter into it. Why so much emphasis on it? It doesn't make sense.
This Republican does as Dr. King wished. I judge people by the content of their character, and not by the color of their skin. I have seen little in the content of Obama's character that gives me the warm fuzzies. I have trouble trusting him. However, we have no choice at this time but to give him a chance. Admit it or not, he will be the President of The United States of America. If this is your country, he will be your President - the leader of our Country.
I personally have little faith in his ability, but I am willing to give him a chance. As I said above, we have no choice at this time. If he fails us, we have telephones to contact Washington with. We have Email. We have Congressmen. We have mouths. We need to use them. We have the power. Washington gets their power from us, not the other way around. The only power they have, is what we allow them to have.
.
Many say that this is a historic time - and it is in a sense. It is only historic in the sense that he is the first black President that we've ever had. That's where it stops. He is no god, nothing really remarkable. His qualifications and accomplishments are actually quite unremarkable - unless being a "community organizer" is all it takes to be the leader of the Free World. It sounds like an extremely lackluster qualification to me. Even one who incites a riot can be considered to be a "community organizer". The term has no meaning. Be that as it may, we now have a black president-elect - regardless of how or why he received so many votes. But should it be a historic moment?
If we were truly color-blind as Dr. Martin Luther King wished, and didn't judge people by the color of their skin, he would be "just" another president-elect. This should not be anything "historic" because he is just another man. His skin color should not enter into it. Why so much emphasis on it? It doesn't make sense.
This Republican does as Dr. King wished. I judge people by the content of their character, and not by the color of their skin. I have seen little in the content of Obama's character that gives me the warm fuzzies. I have trouble trusting him. However, we have no choice at this time but to give him a chance. Admit it or not, he will be the President of The United States of America. If this is your country, he will be your President - the leader of our Country.
I personally have little faith in his ability, but I am willing to give him a chance. As I said above, we have no choice at this time. If he fails us, we have telephones to contact Washington with. We have Email. We have Congressmen. We have mouths. We need to use them. We have the power. Washington gets their power from us, not the other way around. The only power they have, is what we allow them to have.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
