Bittersweet

Ah the coming of Christmas -  I would hope for most a day of peace and love.  Both items which appear to be in short supply.

Our world is faced with many crisis.  Those with money can survive.  The average person struggles.  There in lies the rub.

How many children I ask must die before we address the serious problems of paltry mental health services to those in serious need?  The more we avoid asking the question - the more violence has a perfect setting.  What we are doing is not working.  I pray we are able to become caring again.

And guns.  We must face the issue of guns.

I pray.

Hope

I was hoping that my blog, rooted in serious, would start conversation regarding issues others worry about, think of, ponder solutions.  All with a sense of humor.

Come on people ... suit up, show up and express an opinion!

Civil Rights.

Why is it that we need focus on civil rights?  Why is it as human beings we cannot be cognizant of, respectful of, full of agape love for our fellow human beings regardless of race, creed, or color?

Why is it that innocent children are immediately limited by their financial status in the world?  Why is it that these precious children, the future of our world, do not have equal access to the best education possible?

Why is it that we as a society are sending our precious resource out into the world without a fair chance of competing?

A person that makes the statement:  "If I can do it -- then, anyone can" is misinformed.  Why?  Because a child must be taught healthy discipline, the ability to fail and come to know that failure does not define you as a failure.  A child must be taught:  delayed gratification.  Isn't that what it takes to get through college?   Grad school?  To go from an entry level job, with a college education ... to pay "one's dues" as society seems so bent on demanding?

How is it that I presume to KNOW?  Well.  I have a master's degree.  I was an older student.  IT WAS REALLY HARD.  Coursework was easy -- professors most challenging.  I one wrote a paper, fifty pages, with 30+ resources.  My professor made me re-write it 4 times and then, quite cavalierly wrote on this paper:  "This is C work, but, out of the goodness of my heart I will give you a B."  And you know what?  This was quite normal in the everyday life of a grad student.  Demoralizing I tell you.  A student needs to learn the difference between being a "poor student" and a difficult professor.  Truly I would not have survived the experience without the dear friends who loved and supported me through the trauma of "higher education."

I tell you:  NOT EVERYONE CAN DO THAT!

Our world NEEDS to HONOR civil rights for all ... but more, much more for the lower socioeconomic child who begins with the deck stacked against them ... and that includes all races.  Personally ... I believe Martin Luther King, with all his areas of weakness was a hero!  He was a man of love for his fellow man!

Curious

I have been curious.  About what?  To see if others considered, thought about, or added to the posts I've made.

NO

Still, it's an avenue and I enjoy pondering.

Today news carried several deaths.  A crazy guy shot three people dead at a city council meeting in a small town outside of Philadelphia.  Or the article of the mother who chained her developmentally delayed daughter to furniture while she went to a wedding.  Or the guy who drove his car into a group of people in California.

We live in a crazy frightening world.

It makes present moments precious.

It makes us responsible to find the joy in our lives.

I find beauty helps remind me that despite the ugliness all around us - humankind still creates beauty.  And I for one am grateful for that!

Only you can do it.

My blog contains concerns about issues in our every day life.

It is only with age that I have begun to appreciate just what a huge role society plays in our choices.  From clothing, to food, to toothpaste -- even to the medications we think so important in our lives.

What do I mean?  Well, remember Vioxx?  What a miracle drug that was.  Only, wait, oh, sorry it caused heart attacks and death for some.  Did you know that every major corporation has an agolrythim number that is a cut off before they do a recall?  That they will pay off small claims first?  Did you know that MERCK KNEW about the heart attack issue and continued to  keep it on the market?  Do you know that Dr.'s continued to prescribe it?

Society.  Must haves.  Clothes, houses, cars, tv, phones, computers etc, etc, etc.

We let social media tell us what we want and need.

I bought a Sony tv in 1971.  I replaced that tv in 1999.  Yes!  It had a wonderful picture till it died.  TV's today at absolute most are expected to last a maximum of 7 years.  Wow!  That sure is progress.  Computers are outmoded the moment you buy.  If you want to stay on top you have to buy new ones every year.

Any more I ask myself:  is this a need or a want.  If it's a want, then, it's a luxury.  Plain and simple.  It's a thing.

Yet, as a young woman, a young wife ... I filled myself with all these concepts of "what my life should look like" ... nice china, silverware, a decorated home.  I think we all want that ... but, we don't need half of what all the ads make us hunger for.

I hate shopping any more.  Why?  B/c the big companies rake in money, don't pay a fair tax rate, but by God, they make their profit.  They bilk us of our money day in and day out with claims that aren't true, but, convince us we have to have them.  Example:  pasta.  Ever eat mac n cheese ... the cheapest kind by Kraft?  Look at those noodles:  they're a third the size they used to be ... but ... they charge more.  Potato Chips?  Lays Potato Chips ... looks like a large bag ... 5 inches are air, 3 inches of chips, and 2 inches of shattered chips.  But the price has risen.  Bushes bean.  Two years ago a can contain and inch of sauce and the rest were beans.  I bought a can a couple of weeks ago:  2.5 inches of sauce with less than half a can of beans.

We need to rebel.  We need to stop buying their products until they stop ripping us off.  Prepacked foods they say aren't good for you anyway ...

We don't need half of what we buy.  Only we can make a difference ... but we cannot do it alone.

Change

Complicated subject.

How do we determine the need for change?  Humans are complex but for most  people become willing to change only when the discomfort of where they are at is so great it overcomes the fear of change.

All change is frightening.  Why?  Because we don't know what the change will look like; feel like or even what all the change demands to unfold.

The Irish have a wonderful saying that shows what I mean:  "Better then devil you know than one you don't."

Change is demanding.  Non-change is safe and besides we human adapt even to pain and our coping skills will covertly make pain more manageable.

But, life happens.  Change is not optional  because at different points we all must change.

Better to lessen your fear of change and embrace possibility; not the devil you know!

What does it say?

President Bush shaves his head to support a two year old struggling with leukemia.  The kiddos dad is a secret service agent; employed full time, doing a dangerous job, and his healthcare program does not cover medical expenses.

What does this say?  Nothing good for sure.

Can you imagine your two year old child at death's door and having to rely on donations to pay for the proper medical care?  What a nightmare!  The parents have worked hard, done the right things and they cannot afford to pay for this kiddos medical care.

An Alexandria VA policeman, shot in the head on the job, has to have family members ask for donations to pay for his medical care.

These are but two examples.  I am sure if you looked across the United States you could find many, many more.

We can raise funds to build sports complexes, but, we won't invest in affordable health care.

Healthcare should not be a business.  It should be a part of life.  And our taxes should go to that ... not supporting the billions of dollars we spend every year in foreign countries.  What could we do with the 37 Billion dollars sent to Pakistan?  Take care of our own.

What does that say?

Who is on first?

When will we learn?