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 |  I've maxed out. Closed this blog. |
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This is a way of making myself write something coherent and grammatically correct almost every day. I'm opinionated and need an outlet. I'm also prone to flights of fancy. Thanks for stopping by. |
| To one and all, happy holidays. May you savor every day, the weather whatever it may be, the hustle and bustle, the chores, the music-good or bad. It's all tradition. It reminds us of our past, our roots, and it stirs up deep feelings. No matter what your beliefs or experience, you can have peace and enjoy all of it. Take the bad with the good, and let peace really be a part of who you are. To all you writers and wordsmiths out there, best wishes for putting on paper what most people can't but wish they could. You encourage, uplift, educate, stimulate, and prod your readers. Enjoy this gift of language. |
| Working in retail can disillusion a person. Thievery is rampant. Customers and employees alike believe it is okay to take what isn't theirs and what they won't pay for. Evidence is all around us, empty wrappers, old clothes in packages where new ones used to be. You can study the tapes--every store has them--you see regular customers walking out while the clerks are distracted or putting clothes on their kids. And why do people walk into stores wearing backpacks or carrying totes, refusing to deposit them with the front desk? Who pays for the stolen merchandise? You do. It's added into every price hike as part of the overhead. Last week, two women waited until all the clerks were busy and walked out the front door of my store with two display TVs, no remotes or paperwork of course. A few days earlier a mother and grown son separately returned electronic accessories, exactly alike, with no receipts. Why would anyone who is not an electronics geek buy 3 or 4 of the same part at $30 each and then return them unopened? And have another family member return a similar number of similar or same product unopened? They knew the policy is even exchange without a receipt. If you guessed the merchandise was stolen, you are probably correct. What did they get in exchange? More electronic parts, supposedly the correct parts? No, two carts full of toys. They stole merchandise, brought it back on a different shift or day, redeemed it for their children's Christmas presents. I feel sorry for the kids being brought up by a conniving, dishonest father and grandmother. They could have been refused, but how would the store lose the most money--the mark-up on electronics which is small, or the mark-up on toys? If the electronics cost more wholesale, then they lost less taking the accessories back. Internally, we have an employee with some rank pilfering cash, a little here, a little there, making others look guilty. This really burns me. It's not enough to be dishonest, to steal, but to set up other people, to lie, to be deceptive, to not care which innocent person may lose a job or reputation, that's unforgivable. That's a dangerous, destructive person. Honest people have a hard time figuring this stuff out, how they do it, how they hide it. We aren't trained to think that way. It's unfathomable to us that they can let someone else take the blame and not feel guilty about it. It's hard to say "peace and good-will" in light of this, but I remind myself that the majority of people are honest. If 90% or more of people are honest, then we have to emphasize that. We can't let the dishonest ones destroy everything, our spirits, our trusting nature, our sense of well-being. Teach your children and grand-children to be honest, to do right, to be just. Continue to do those things yourself. But be alert, and don't let the wrong ones hurt you or your family. Maybe being a peacemaker means to be a little wary and vigilant about upholding community values. |
| Everyone knows the song of Rudolf, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. As a faithful customer of Montgomery Wards until they shut down their last and most successful store, I know his story well. He was created for and promoted by the company. Every Christmas, Montgomery Wards gave away free coloring books. They bought the books from another company, but decided that in 1939, they would give their own books, exclusively designed for them. Robert L May created the character and story, although he did it in a style more like The Night Before Christmas than the song we know. He was moved by his own childhood to create a character who had been picked on but turned out to be a hero. He was smaller than the other kids and knew first hand the pain of name-calling and exclusion.He knew that children would respond to the story. He was right. It was so successful, Wards marketed Rudolf every year. Later Johnny Marks, a Jewish radio producer, changed the story and set it to music. The basic elements stayed the same, but Santa never met Rudolf until Christmas Eve by accident in the original version. He peeked in a window to see what the red light was in the blinding snow. Parents would not be keen on peeking toms, or children going to help strangers on big missions. Having Santa and Rudolf acquainted in advance eliminated the negative possibilities. (Marks also wrote "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas", and "Rudolf Run".) The song was presented to Gene Autry, who thought it was stupid and rejected it. Mrs. Autry loved it and suggested he do it anyway. He appeased her and history was made. It was a number one song in December 1949. The following week, it wasn't even on the charts, the only song in history to go from #1 to completely drop off the charts in one week (January) . Every year after that, Wards did something to promote Rudolf. They printed books, made ornaments, stuffed Rudolf dolls, and sold records, then tapes. Now Rudolf has been recorded by many artists and is available on CD's and You-Tube. In the sixties, the story was embellished into a TV show and new generations have grown up with this annual show, as well as the song. Without Wards to promote him, Rudolf still lives and reigns with children and adults alike. |
| You already know this. I don't need to tell you. Stop often and "save and edit". A call came in as I neared the end of a long blog. I have satellite connection for the web, but sometimes the phone interferes. ( know there shouldn't be any problem without dial-up, but reality says differently.) You guessed it. By the time I thought of saving while on the phone, my connection was lost and so was a lot of time, thought and facts. Stop and save. |
| Now that the weeks of planning and coordinating a large family gathering for Thanksgiving is over in a flash, and all the attention to detail went unnoticed, and the hours of cleaning turned to disaster, it's time to start the next holiday. It's time to change the fall decor and the table linens, put away the good dishes for a few weeks, and to plan a new menu.There's also the shopping, the wrapping, the hanging of lights, placing a tree, coordinating everyone's schedule again, and getting the Christmas decorations out of the attic. My mother used to bring a lot of tension and need for perfection to Christmas. We've all tried to tone it down and be more mellow, but it's lost the excitement, too. Without her, it's just not as much fun. We still try to carry on the same traditions, to be together, to sing and clown around, and embarrass the younger generations with our antics. But it's not the same. It's not just that we miss her. We do, of course, but we miss the joy that she brought to the season. We participate in church activities, we give to charities, and donate food, we invite lonely people to come share with us in our meals and visits.We know the reason for the season, yet somehow the burden of budgets, work, health issues, and chores weigh us down. Sometimes, it feels like we're going through the motions without emotion. I'm going to try to get more exercise, lots of daylight, and make myself act joyful. Maybe the feelings will follow. |
| "People who cope best with the ups and downs of life are the ones who regularly practice gratitude." So true. A positive outlook always helps get us through the valleys and shadows. So, I'm listing things for which I am thankful. Tastebuds. How dreary life would be without them. Colors: we live in a kodachrome world. Fingers. Eyesight. Hearing. Water. Clean water. Mountain springs. The roar of the ocean. Waterfalls. Rain. Dew. Autumn colors. Flowers. Onions. Hamburgers. Crabmeat. Dairy products. Extra sharp cheddar cheese. Shoes. Gloves. Fireplaces and wood stoves. Memories. The memory of my mother's smile. Ancestors. A good education. Family. Thanksgiving dinner. Christmas trees. Bells. Poetry. Music. Bach. Cameras. Photographs. Art. Maps. Books. The Bible. Friends. Honesty. Honest business people. Modern medicine. Pain relievers. Coffee. Sugar. Homemade fudge. Pumpkin pie. Babies. Transportation. A roof over my head. Blankets. Starlit skies. Moon cycles. Clouds. Roses. Butterflies. Robins. Cardinals. Humingbirds. Shade trees. Boxwoods. Blueberries. Watermelon. Canteloupe. Soy milk. Heaven.Healthy hair. A clear conscience. A burden for others. Time. My great-niece. The ability to be thankful. Language. The written word. |
| I read an interesting statement today, supposedly an old adage, but it was new to me. In every avalanche, there is a little snowflake saying softly, "Not guilty". How striking! A beautiful, tiny, delicate snowflake, so innocent and so appealing. Yet with millions of others like it, under the right circumstances, how terrifying! Most of us like the idea of peace on earth, non-violence, and loving kindness. We acknowledge that our earth is dangerous, unfriendly, rank with criminals and terrorists. What can we do about it? We're just individuals with no wealth or armies at our command, no heads of state to dial up. But we can make a difference in our own small way. First, we can practice the golden rule. Remember the childhood teaching to treat others the way we want to be treated, with civility and patience? Treating people in our homes, in our communities, our nation, and our world with respect and dignity goes a long way toward keeping the peace. We can also turn the other cheek, refusing to seek revenge or get even, another familiar teaching to all of us. That would include traffic, rush hour, and shopping. It doesn't mean playing a victim or succumbing to bullying. Gandhi set some good examples for us. We can forgive others when we have been wronged. That doesn't mean pretending nothing happened. But we can release the anger and let it go. It's good for us when we're not steaming under the collar and holding a grudge. But it may also lead the other person(s) to have a change of heart. We can work for justice, near and far. The less fortunate, the recovering addicts, ex-offenders, the refugees, the oppressed, the abused, and many others all need advocates. We can address social ills and take a stand for those in need. Acts of charity are acts of peace and set an example for others to follow. We also can teach young people, and older people, too, non-violent ways to resolve conflict. Humans always will have conflict, but we don't have to resort to swearing, bullying, insults, gangs, bombs, or road rage. Too many children, teens, and young adults do not know how to deal with feelings of anger and hurt and pride. Many parents don't know either from the reports of violence by parents at kids' sports. We can also encourage them to meet people of other backgrounds and ethnicity. We ourselves can have compassion for those who don't look like us, or live like we do. Listening to other people, instead of always talking, is an act of peace. Each of us has the power in our daily lives to practice peace, to teach it and to lead others to work for it. We can resolve not to ignore injustice and violence around us, but to take a bold stand against strife,discord, racism, violence, and abuse. We won't win any prizes. We may experience self-denial, disappointment, and sacrifice. We'll have to exercise self-control and go out of our way. But our small acts of peace may begin a movement. Good will and peace to you. |
| I haven't given up blogging or writing. I've just been really busy. I think of things to write while driving, or working, or trying to fall asleep, but have little time to sit down and write. Typical, I suppose of most writers. As soon as I sit down, I feel guilty about other things that need to be done, like pay bills, or clean house. I will get back to this, I really will. (Notes to self.) |
| Juan Williams is a good guy. He's willing to talk with his adversaries in a calm and reasonable manner. He uses good sense and seems to have solid values. NPR is giving him a raw deal. NPR is proving to be narrow minded, not open to discussion, and more interested in political correctness than truth or value. Mr. Williams was fired by NPR after some remarks made on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News, where he actually was calling O'Reilly to task for his attitudes and generalizations. Williams was telling a personal fear that most people have in one form or another, but are too chicken to admit. If we all didn't have feelings similar to his, we'd be vulnerable and at risk all the time. But his fear mentioned a specific group in the news recently and ruffled a lot of feathers. Now if I, being a white person of light coloring, blue eyes, etc., admitted that when I'm around certain other white people who appear to be rednecks, I'm a little weary and cautious of being robbed or accosted, no one would shout in outrage that I am prejudiced or stereotyping. After all the people in question might have way more income that me, live in better neighborhoods, drive more expensive vehicles, and have higher credit scores. But a certain way they dress or act or speak may cause me to associate them with outlaw types, so I hold my purse a little tighter, tense up, and move a little faster. People of other races or ethnic backgrounds might also have individuals capable of theft, drunkenness, of fits of rage. Believe it or not, criminals come in all ethnic backgrounds, America. But apparently if you admit that certain factors frighten you, in any groups other than rednecks, you are politically incorrect and racist, particularly if they are Muslim. At least the media requires that you act trusting of all Muslims, all Hispanics, all blacks, and so forth, and leave yourself wide open to terrorism or personal crime. You are allowed only to suspect rednecks. I believe it is in our best interest to be cautious of certain behaviors and attitudes for our own personal safety, as long as we don't cross the line regarding others' rights and safety. Most people in reality have some of those cautions activated, but they don't admit them. The only thing Juan Williams did was admit out loud what most people think, including the people who became alarmed at his comments. The ones who fired him probably feel the same way, but were afraid of what viewers said in response. And those viewers are dishonest if they can't identify in some way themselves, but like causing a controversy. NPR was wrong in its action. They had only to issue a statement that Mr. Williams spoke for himself and not their agency. Freedom of speech is a good thing, and all sources of news should continue to stand up for it. Good luck, Mr. Williams. We need to keep your voice in the public. Let's hope this will help your career instead of hurting it. |
| I was asked to write a short devotional for a local Advent booklet. Thought I'd see if anyone would care to comment on the following. Psalm 97:1-6 Sometimes the world can seem overwhelming and frightening. Wars wage on, governments are corrupt, and politics are dishonest and self-serving. Nuclear weapons, terrorism, and drug cartels make us anxious. While people lose their homes, their jobs, and their savings, costs--including health care costs--and crime go up. Technology makes the invasion of our privacy a fact of life. Our personal lives change, too, as we grow older and see our families struggle in an increasingly immoral, fast-paced world. Yet, the psalmist reminds us that our God is an awesome God! He is the Almighty, the Creator! He is the One and Only true God, and He is still in charge. Nature itself gives testimony to His greatness and to His glory and righteousness. His foes cannot stand up to His power. He is steadfast and unchanging. Though everything else may change, He stays the same. This knowledge comforts us and gives us peace in a turbulent world. Are you weary today? Do you feel anxious? Does the news depress you or the future worry you? Take time to praise God. Focus on His greatness and let His peace enfold you. Almighty God, Everlasting Father, I lift your holy name in worship. You are worthy of praise and adoration. Thank you for your steadfast love and unchanging nature. Fill me with trust and faith in You. I rejoice that my God rules! Amen Word Count: 235 (300max) For Dec. 20 |
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