Truth or fiction...

   It was a bright yet very cold sunny day, In January. There was a swift breeze blowing in from the north, a warning of a an impending cold night and potential  frost. I walked the the streets of the neighborhood, taking Lucky out for his last walk before evening. 

   After a few minutes it was time to return to the house and to enjoy a glass or two of wine, to warm up of course. A glass of wine, some cheese and crackers and an interesting discussion with some neighbors who had stopped by unexpectedly. 

   The discussion focused on old wives tales and how true they may have been. I mean, how many times time did your mother warn you about something....like “stepping on crack will break your mother's back”. Was she really that worried?

   I can remember my grandmother looking out the window and if the leaves on the trees were turned up, she made sure she took an umbrella. Without a doubt, it was going to rain!

   There are old wives tales about all kinds of topics. Here are just a few of my favorites.

   “If the nose itches, company is coming. If the thumb itches, it will be unwelcome company. If your left hand itches, money is coming your way. If your ears are ringing, someone is talking about you. The right ear means they are saying good things. The left ear means they are criticizing you.” No wonder there are times that it is so noisy in my head!

   “Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning, Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.” But what's it mean if there is a re sky at noon time?

   “An apple a day keeps the doctor away. “

   Cat's have always held a special place in wives tale and folklore. For example...

   “If a black cat walks towards you, it brings good fortune, but if it walks away, it takes the good luck with it.”
   “Keep cats away from babies because they "suck the breath" out of the child.”
   “A cat on board a ship is considered to bring luck.” OK. Who takes a cat on a boat?

   I have spent years on my hands and knees looking for that lucky four leaf clover. Perhaps I would have better spent my time buying lottery tickets. The result would probably have been the same.

   This is one I had not heard before, but maybe does explain a thing or two.

   “To drop a comb while you are combing your hair is a sign of a coming disappointment.”

   And my disappointment, not having much hair to comb anymore!!

   I will often heat up a bit of milk on a cold winter night to make some hot chocolate. I can still remember my grandmother warning me to not let the milk boil over. It's bad luck.

Really?

   This is one I am not too sure about either.

“You sleep best with your head to the north and your feet to the south.”

   Truth is I can sleep regardless of which direction my head is pointing, whether it be north, south, east or west.

   Stars also seem to be a big topic for wives tales and folklore. What child has not been told that... “all wishes on shooting stars come true.” I'm, still waiting! Or, “star light, star bright. first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight.”

Unfortunately, it didn't work for me last night. Maybe for a wish to come true it needs to be both the first star and a shooting star. And the chances of that happening?

   It was time for another glass of wine and that was a 'wish' I could make come true. My hope was that when I got back from pouring myself another glass the discussion would have changed... and it did. But now everyone was talking about the Patriots and Tom Brady. I wonder if Tom has any old wives tales he would like to share? 

The cold within

   Every once and a while a book, article or poem crosses my path and attracts my attention. What I have come to appreciate since becoming part of a journalistic world is how difficult it sometimes can be to put thoughts down on paper and have them make sense to the reader. I know what I want to say, but the challenge becomes selecting the words so others understand my thoughts. It is easy to come up with words. Our vocabulary has too many of them. It is more difficult to choose the ones that express the emotion and passion I wish to share.

   I have come to admire those writers who make the art of writing seem so effortless. Whether it is a news story or one of these crazy columns, it has sharpened my writing skills and given me a new understanding of how difficult it can be to express oneself in written words.

   I am always on the lookout for something that causes me to pause, ponder the message and challenge my thinking. It is somewhat of an test for my personal grounding and values.

   Several years ago I came across a poem. I had all but forgotten about it until I found packed away in a folder with some meaningless piece of paper as I cleaned and straighten up the garage. So much for my appreciation of literature, right?

   As I read it again for the first time in many years, I was struck by its message, simple, yet a revelation about people and human behavior. A cold chill ran up and down my spine ,along with that “aha” moment, as I thought about the sticks of wood that I often hold in my hand.

   I do not remember how the poem came into my possession or anything about the writer other than his name. I believe I was told it was written by a high school student. Whether that is true or not, I don't know. But regardless of his age, the message is insightful and packed with some powerful life lessons.

   So for your reading pleasure..............

                                      The Cold Within

Six humans trapped by happenstance, in bleak and bitter cold,

Each one possessed a stick of wood, or so the story's told.

Their dying fire in need of logs, the first man held his back,

For of the faces 'round the fire, he noticed one was black.

The next man looking cross the way, saw one not from his church,

And couldn't bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch.

The third one sat in tattered clothes, he gave his coat a hitch,

Why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich.

The rich man just sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store,

And how to keep what he had earned from lazy, shiftless poor.

The black man's face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from sight,

For all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the white.

The last man of this forlorn group did naught except for gain,

Giving only to those who gave was how he played the game.

Their logs held tight in death's still hand was proof of human sin,

They didn't die from the cold outside, they died from the the cold within.

                                                                Jay Patrick Kinney

The bully pulpit and other political devices.........

   Definition: According to Wikipedia, a “bully pulpit” is defined as a position sufficiently conspicuous to provide an opportunity to speak out and be listened to.

   I recently came across an article about Theodore Roosevelt, one of our more colorful American Presidents and remembered that he had coined the phrase “bully pulpit”, using the White House as his 'pulpit' from which he attempted to generate public support for his political policies and agendas. For sure, being President of the United States, today more commonly referred to as POTUS, is certainly a position of power and of potentially significant influence, a 'bully pulpit' for those who wish to be leaders. But along with that advantage of 'the pulpit' comes responsibility and a level of respect for the influence it yields. Perhaps local state houses also become 'bully pulpits' for governors or wanna be's and other local leaders as well.

   Before going on, however, let me add that in the days of President Roosevelt, the word 'bully' had a much different meaning than it does today, a more positive meaning. 'Bully' was an adjective meaning wonderful, superb, outstanding. When someone shouted “bully for you” it meant “good for you!”

   Today, however, the term 'bully' has a different meaning. A 'bully' is someone who uses 'negative tactics' as a way to force, intimidate or dominate others, bullying tactics.

   From a bit of my past, at a fairly young age, Timmy Barrett would attempt to bully me on the playground after school in an attempt to get me to give him my baseball glove. No way! Of course, my first name often contributed to taunts and name-calling as well from some of his friends.... until the day I picked up a stick and whacked Timmy across his forehead. From that point on and after a trip to the principal's office, Timmy never bothered me again.

   From the days of Teddy Roosevelt to 2017, being a bully has evolved from being “wonderful and superb” to being someone who uses force and coercion to get what they want. Sound familiar?

  Having been on the side of one who has been bullied, at the time I was too young to really understood the motivation and reasons. Yes, I had a nice baseball glove, lived in a home with a mother and father, did not live on the street or was not homeless as a child.

   I had goals and dreams. True. I came from a middle class family, although some thought my family was rich. I wanted to go on to college, become successful at a job and raise a family. I felt an obligation to give back to my country and community. I wasn't angry, didn't carry a chip on my shoulder because I had been forced out of my house to live on the street or feel the need to make fun of others others who I perceived as better than I was. I had the support of caring adults in my life, both family and friends.

   A person can not walk through any school hallway at any grade level in Maine without seeing the signs and posters about “bullying'. “Just Say No to Bullying.” This is a Bully-Free Zone.

   But I have come to the conclusion, over time and life experiences, that the key to whether someone becomes a bully or remains as one as an adult is rooted in role models and a feeling of being in control of one's life. The prerequisites for success are a matter of perception. If a person feels there is an imbalance is social or political power then that person will use the behaviors they feel necessary to either level the playing field or in some cases, even gain the upper hand. And often those behaviors will follow into adulthood.

   I often wonder what motivates someone to run for a political office. Is it a desire to serve, to give back in some way to those who had been a positive impact on a life or is it driven by the need to gain or regain control over something which there is little or no control. Is it to gain the advantage of having a 'bully pulpit' in order to be heard?

   It was easy for me to pick up the stick and hit Timmy in the forehead. It felt good! And although I was frustrated at the time with Timmy's constant bullying me, standing up to the bullying may have turned out to be a good thing. I proved to myself and others at a young age that I could take on the bully and win.

   In its original definition, a 'bully pulpit ' was a position of conspicuous opportunity to speak out and be listened to. But that definition has changed. What happens when a 'bully pulpit' becomes nothing more than a present day 'bully'? Is that effective leadership? And what happens when the bully realizes that no one is listening or cares any more?

The Twelve Days of Christmas revisited.......

   I am so excited that the President of the United States has given his permission for us to say "Merry Christmas" again that I thought I would celebrate his personal holiday generosity by updating some of  my favorite holiday carols...oops...I meant to say Christmas carols.
 
  So for starters, I thought I might start with the 12 Days of Christmas. You all know how the tune goes, so feel free to sing along.
                 
                                                                                               
                                                                        😃😃😃😃😃


   On the 1st of Christmas my President gave to me......a "yuge" income tax increase to offset the decrease he gave to himself, his family and the others living in the swamp.

   On the 2nd of Christmas, my President gave to me....cuts to my medicare (as a retiree so I would have to pay more out of pocket ) and with it a guarantee  to increase  my health insurance premiums.

   On the 3d of Christmas my President gave to me..... three chants of "lock her up"

   On the 4th of Christmas my President gave to me.... four different lies about Russia and his non-involvement in collusion.

   On the 5th day of Christmas my President gave to me..... five new tweets about Jim Comey. He just can't let this go!!

   On the 6th day of Christmas my President gave to me....  a complete 'unedited', edited set of Sarah Huckaby Sanders' White House daily briefings dating back to her first day on the job, along with a signed copy of her promise not to lie to the press.

   On the 7th day  of Christmas my President gave to me....all of his excuses and denials that he has done nothing to obstruct justice, at least in the past week.

   On the 8th day of Christmas my President gave to me.... eight denials that he ever touched or attempted to  mistreat maids a milking.

   On the 9th day of Christmas my President gave to me....nine drummers drumming with a list of all he has accomplished since he took office in January.     
 
   On the 10th day of Christmas my President gave to me....a year's free subscription to Fox News so that I can get the real news and not that fake 'stuff' the others  report out about him.

   On the 11th day of Christmas my President gave to me....eleven Big Macs, , 5 chocolate milk shakes and a bottle of antacid tablets.

   On the 12th day of Christmas my President gave me a list of everyone he has or will fire before the end of the year

   And on 13th day of Christmas  ( oh my, one too many),  my President gave to me......his official letter of resignation, resigning from the position of President, because he found it interfered with his golf schedule and his overseas trips to check on his new hotels in Russia!

   And with that......I wish you all a Merry Christmas and maybe something to look forward to next year
 

Tired of it!!!!! Just plain tired

Perhaps the time has come to reread Henry David Thoreau"s Civil Disobedience.

What if...............

There is a commercial on television where the word 'life' is part of a product name and as part of the advertisement, they highlight the word 'if' within the word 'life'. Very clever, and very true. Life  holds a series of 'ifs' for us and it is up to us to do what we will when confronted with those 'ifs'. How many times have you heard someone say...”what if I don't pass the test” or “what if I am late to the appointment.”

What if people said... “may I, please, and thank you?” Would it be a kinder world? Would people be more polite toward each other? Would there be less violence. Interesting to think about!

Baseball caps have become part of a wardrobe and a culture. But what if... a young man took off his cap upon entering a room or restaurant. What would happen if the young man removed his cap upon meeting someone new. Would that person thing more highly of the young man?

What if...politicians kept the promises they made during the campaign and worked as hard after the election as they did to get themselves elected. Now I know promises are hard to keep  and as a result, some might decide to make fewer promises or at least make ones they know they can keep.

What if, on a given day, no one used a cell phone or a blackberry and just went about life as it used to be. A person was recently interviewed on his way from an eye exam. He was concerned that his sight was failing. He reported that he texts someone about every forty to fifty seconds. No wonder his eyesight is going bad. His texting  may have been preventing him from a daily schedule of personal hygiene as it appeared he needed a shower, a shave, and a comb. Come on, every forty seconds???

What if... everyone stayed within the speed limits on the highways? Would there be fewer accidents and could money be saved with fewer police and lower insurance rates? So what if it took a bit longer to get to where your were going. Leave earlier.

What if... a law were passed to force families  to sit down and have dinner together once a week? Before someone comes unglued with my suggestion of government interference into everyday life, I know the law would never pass. I mean, look at the biker helmet law. And that one is designed to help save lives. Think about the potential positive outcomes of sitting down together as a family or with friends (for those who do not have families). You wouldn't have to text them for at least an hour!

What if... stores were not allowed to be open on Sundays? Is it really necessary to  shop seven days a week? There once was a time when.........I think it was called the 1950's and most of us grew up OK!

And what if, just for a minute each day, we stopped to think about how fortunate we are to be able to live and move about freely, wear what we want, think what we want, eat what we like and read what we enjoy.

Please feel free to send me your “what if”...........

Life begins at 40 and other 'pearls of wisdom' for living....

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Each morning we get up and navigate our way through another day of work or play. But what really drives our actions, those beliefs that serve as our guide post and inspiration? Are they taught to us by our our parents, our religious or spiritual beliefs or are they some common sense set of standards that become part of our every day life?

Each day we are bombarded with 'pearls of wisdom' from those around us, those brief one liners that sometimes brings a smile to our face or a message to the heart. Here are  a few  that you may have heard.

I begin with a Maine  classic. “If it aint't broke, don't fix it!” It is quite apparent that this old adage has been rejected by many who run our government as it appears their primary purpose is to find something to fix, and if they can't, they make something up.

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Well of course it is! If it were not, it would be yesterday. Right?

When my daughters were younger and dating, prior to leaving the house I would warn them “ the night has a thousand eyes.” Very simple. “There could be someone out there who knows who you are.” There were times I knew about things even before they got home.

“It's not over 'til the fat lady sings'. Now I know there is a musical reference here, probably the opera. But I think the meaning  is that it's not over until it's over. Sounds a bit like Yogi Berra, don't you think?

Many people get very upset when they make  mistakes. “Making mistakes can mean that you are learning faster.” The key here, however, is that we learn from  mistakes. The definition of stupidity is said to be “ doing the same thing over and over the same way, hoping for a different result.”

There are several 'pearls' that fall into a common category. “Into one's life some rain must fall.”  Each day does not always begin sunny and warm. Once and a while we may be given  a bowl of lemons. What to do? “Make lemonade!” Life gives us choices and opportunities. We can either choose to act or not.  Remember, however, that by not making a choice, in reality, you are making a choice.... not to choose.

I overheard some recent high school graduates talking. One commented that he wished he could predict the future,  then he would know what courses to take in college. To my surprise, the other responded by saying that the best way the predict the future was to create it!” Wow, I was impressed. Now there was a true young philosopher or maybe he remembered what his mother had told him..

So if life truly begins at 40, were the first 39 years just practice?  Is the beginning of wisdom really 'silence'? Should you listen before you speak? Is it sometimes better to “do nothing''? Is 'true wealth not how much money you have, but how you live your life'?

By stringing some of these pearls together, you can make yourself a very nice necklace and in the process, live a pretty good life.