Wintertime

Wintertime is a rough time for many people. This winter has been particularly miserable for many with all the ice, snow, sub-zero wind chills, etc. These extremes in weather have caused a great many people to hibernate in their homes, many times against their better judgement. People are social and this weather doesn't encourage sociability. I've seen many folks--young and old and in-between--fall into a true case of the winter doldrums. It takes getting out, getting moving, and getting with others to turn this around. What to do in the meantime?
Remember all those lists compiled (either on paper or mentally) of things that we would be doing once we weren't out doing yard work, home repairs, vacations, etc.? How about tackling that list? Most people just look at the list and decide they're just not in the mood or don't have enough energy to do this. The truth of the matter is that we DO have just as much energy; our brains are just telling us otherwise. We're full of cobwebs this time of year. We need to feel a warm breeze, see a sprig of green, have a few more minutes of daylight. But we DO still have energy.
So...let's use that energy. Look at one item on the list. Re-arrange the photo albums? Clean out a closet and take the clothes to a local charity shop? Pick one job. DO IT. You'll feel great! Your energy will return, you'll turn the corner of cob-webbiness and, before you know it, you'll have many of these chores done just in time to step out into the first warm breeze and feel that spring sunlight on your face.
Have a fine day...

Why Reward the Expected?

I was reading an article the other day and found something to be somewhat surprising and, at the same time, odd. It was a discussion about school-age students and their behavior. It was actually being stressed that kids should be rewarded--and quite often-- for their good behavior.

When did this happen? Time warp...back some 30, 40+ years...we "middle agers" are kids. What on earth would have been thought of our parents if one of them suggested that we be rewarded for behaving? Right. After being laughed out of the room, they might have been shunned, at least for a time, for such an outlandish idea. And, as a result of being expected to behave, we grew up and learned to behave pretty well as adults. We knew we wouldn't always get our way, we knew we wouldn't win nearly every contest or competition, we knew that the world didn't revolve around us, and we knew that our parents truly loved us without the need to prove it in materialistic ways. We knew we were expected to behave--so we did. End of story.

I truly hope that this phenomena doesn't last much longer; it's not healthy for anyone. Not for the parents that become somewhat crazed by listening for every microbit of information that might present itself as a child not being told how wonderful he/she is on an hourly basis. Not for the kids that think that behaving is something that presents itself as a suggestion to be considered. Not for society that continually cleans up the messes of these fractured ways of thinking.

Guess what...no matter who you are, no matter what you are...you have to learn to behave. No rewards. No pats on the back. No atta-boys. Just plain behave.

Year-End Meandering

2010 will soon be a memory...or memories. As we sit here all cozy in our Highbanks nest on this New Year's Eve, we are watching a special on John Wooden, a man who graced this fine planet for close to 100 years. One rule that his father gave him as a young man was to "make each day your masterpiece". What a lovely thought. Upon waking each morning, rather than wondering what will be faced as a reaction to the world, we would awaken with a pro-active presence of mind of what we can do, be, or say to create a masterpiece of a day not only for ourselves, but for others as well.

Thinking back over the year, there are certainly more masterpieces that could've been created...perhaps 2011 will be the year of our best masterpieces. Happy New Year's Eve!

Keep It Simple, Turkey

As I was sipping a cup of coffee Sunday morning, I was listening to the morning news program on NPR. The topic was recipes for the Thanksgiving table and the guest was a cookbook critic. She was asked first what was the most elaborate recipe she’d found for turkey preparation. She sighed and then went into a long, somewhat laborious overview of a “project” that would take, in all reality, at least 72 hours to do well. Just like the first Thanksgiving, right? In a way, yes…

The Pilgrims, of course, didn’t have the stress of getting the bird thawed in time to make that little red button pop at just the right time for cooling and carving. They did, however, need to actually find the bird, kill it, pluck it, pick out the buckshot or arrow, etc. Then there was that issue of the heat for the cooking of said turkey. Cutting wood, building a fire, keeping it going (did it snow during the cooking process thus dampening the fire?)…misery, in a word. All this is the most extreme conditions.

And so, some 400+ years later, here we are “stalking” our birds still (some ordering from some far-away farm for the “just right” bird), brining, thawing, wringing our hands—the 21^st century version of extreme conditions. Just how often does the basic cook tackle cooking something that has 20 pounds of girth?

The best way to honor our ancestors is in gaining wisdom from their travails. So, let’s keep it simple this Thanksgiving. No orange/pomegranate/coconut/curry stuffing that 90 percent of the guests around the table will politely taste while secretly yearning for a taste of oyster, or sage ,or whatever simple dressing is made faithfully year after year after year.  Let’s save the extravagant and questionable recipes for a separate occasion. Thanksgiving is the one holiday that has probably been the least adulterated—let’s keep it simple, turkey.

Have a fine day.

The Mindlessness of the Big Box Stores of the World

The other evening we attended to one of my most dreaded trips--going to Walmart. I avoid it as much as any human can. However, when the only hardware store that's open is the size of three football fields and all we need from there is a light bulb, the thought of trekking through not one but two big box stores drives us to the process of elimination where we can get the light bulb and detergent--so Walmart it is.


There's just something about a store this size that seems to exemplify all the worst we have come to be as consumers. Aisle after aisle of items that are of limited use, of limited quality, and limited value. Do we really need plastic everything in every color?

The public has been in an out-cry about spending hard-earned lottery dollars ever since it came to the state of Indiana. The ruination of the family; the creation of a great number of working poor; people will spend mindlessly on tickets when they need to buy bread. Is anyone seeing a similarity here?

Look at the average shopping cart at Walmart when you enter the store--they're massive! Think about the size of a "normal" grocery store shopping cart...then look at these behemoths. They're big for a purpose; they're scaled with the enormity of the store just like Vegas scales their signs on their casinos. Now look at the people coming out of Walmart--90% of those carts are filled to the absolute brim with items. Needed items? And all these items in under-sized plastic bags with the Walmart advertising emblazoned--free advertising all around--it's mind-boggling.

The holidays will soon be upon us; the economy isn't growing at nearly enough of a pace to be pronounced healthy. The Christmas trees were already appearing at Walmart--and doesn't everyone need a blue or pink or purple Christmas tree? (I actually saw those when I was on this dreaded trek.) Christmas music will soon be playing, and the prices will soon be artificially falling. And people will buy and buy and buy for whatever reason. The massive carts will continue to spill over with merchandise; then the bills will come.

I have nothing against the Walmarts of the world in general. I question many of their economic principles, but this could be any big box store doing the same damage to the general public. Walmart just seems to enjoy the forefront status, so they're the biggest of the big.

My concern does lie with the idea that we're in a lower-middle class to middle class rut that isn't very pretty from an economic or sociological standpoint. We're buying odd things at an odd time. We're not living below our means and trying to be conservative. We feel deserving. We feel that large amounts of "stuff" will make us feel better. Unfortunately, like a house of cards, it's going to fall...yet again. The economic turn isn't done with us yet. But we can certainly soften the blow by THINKING.

This season let's think out each purchase and teach our kids and grandkids valuable lessons in life along the way. Buy one good, sturdy gift--not 9 things that will fall apart by spring. And, for every gift bought, give something to someone who truly needs it. Allow your kids to see that they are a part of that sacrifice for their brothers and sisters around the world and in their own back yards. What better "gift" can we give to our offspring than the gift of high principles that involves loving our neighbors as ourselves?

Have a fine day.

Sunrise/Sunset

In the past two weekends, we have celebrated the wedding of a great-nephew and welcomed his lovely wife into our family; we have also bid tearful good-byes to the mother of a very dear friend. Sunrise/sunset.

The song by the same name is sung at many weddings, including my own. As a younger person, we're captivated by the verses marveling over the young girl and the young man as they grow swiftly into adulthood. It is a most appropriate song to usher in parents of the bride and groom.

Thinking about the same song, it is also a beautiful tribute to the "sunset" of life. "One season following another, laden with happiness and tears." This is the balance of life--happiness and tears, one season flowing into the next.


My fondest thoughts and prayers go out to both groups. We know that  there will be tears along the path of the happily married couple. We pray for them to have the strength it will take to endure. We also pray for them to celebrate all the happy moments, whether small or large. We also know that the lovely family who said an earthly good-bye to their mother this week have endured those tears along the path of her illness. We also know that the release from a frail and withered earthly body is a time of celebration when the spirit is free to soar.

Sunrise...sunset...

Have a fine day.

See the Divine in Simplicity

Keep it simple, stupid. The not to soothing--albeit effective--way of reminding us that as humans we have a terrific way of making the simplest of tasks complex beyond belief. There's an old joke passed through the education community about a dead horse and how the issue would be handled. As imagined, the suggestions range from hiring an outside committee to do an investigational study of the dead horse to putting a lighter rider on the dead horse. Of course, the simple answer--it's a dead horse; dismount--is never discovered since it's just too easy of an answer.

Lately I've been reading a book on our styles of embracing theology. The author brought up an interesting term: functional theology. I like this. It causes me to think about how my theology literally functions in the day-to-day world. I also like simplicity. When I cobble these two together, I allow myself to blessedly see the Divine in Simplicity.

 When we look at the world, we have two choices: to see it in all its messiness with hassles to the left and hassles to the right. In looking at this angle, things seem convoluted at best and hopeless at worst. We never get to see a glimpse of the world and its problems beyond the surface. And the surface is where the "ick" of life tends to rise to the top.

If we choose the second option--looking and searching for the Divine in Simplicity--we start to see the underpinnings of our foundations of the meaning of life for us: faith, love, a spirit of undying and unyielding support for one another. We can see through the "ick" and recognize that there is good. We can be a part of that deeper good.

As we wake up each morning, three things should simply happen: a smile, a stretch, and a prayer of thanks. This is a day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

As we go to sleep at night, three things should simply happen: a smile, a stretch, and a prayer of thanks for being given the chance once again to love one another.

The Divine in Simplicity...

Have a fine day.