I just happened to make a post on a friend's FaceBook wall about being a vegan, and I was fascinated, as I always am, by the rationalizations and defensive postures people assume, as soon as it is suggested that it might be morally wrong to murder innocent animals for our food, when it is not really necessary.
My post stated that animals are individuals; that they are conscious of their surroundings, and they have feelings and emotions, just like we do, and that therefore, they should be respected as individuals. I won't write much about this here, because I don't have time. But I just wanted to post a note here, so that it would remind me to revisit this subject in depth later.
Diet is very important to all of us, since that is what helps to maintain our bodies, but the fact is, that few Americans have healthy diets. Beyond the moral choice of whether to kill animals for food or not, one should consider the decisions that they should be making everyday regarding their own personal diet.
Eating animals is NOT healthy. Animals absorb toxins from their environment throughout their life, and those toxins become trapped in their tissues. So when you eat an animal, you are eating a higher level of toxic substances than you are when you eat a plant. Furthermore, the diets of factory farm animals are nothing that you will enjoy learning about when you study up on it.
Remember when they figured out what was causing Mad Cow disease? At the time, it seemed like common sense that one shouldn't grind up diseased animals and feed the remains to other animals, and yet it was that very procedure that had given rise to the disease.
And then there are many other toxins that one gets from eating slaughtered animals. There is just so much wrong with eating animals as they are bred and raised for slaughter, that many books have already been written about it.
Check out some of the books and websites, and I feel certain that without even making a moral choice, you will realize that you should try to eliminate as much meat as possible in your diet. And with the mercury levels in today's seafood, you don't want to eat too much of that either.
We largely perpetuate the practices of our parents with regard to eating, and society largely gravitates towards unhealthy, but tasty, fat-laden foods. In as much as we all only have one body to get us through this life, we should all try to take the best care possible of that wonderful machine that is carrying us around our personal universe. The moral choice needn't even be considered initially. Just do it for your health.
After study, you may come to appreciate the prescience of "Soylent Green".
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
What is an Artist?
I had a best friend who lasted longer than any set of tires, and we traveled together from the first grade of school until our late twenties. Many miles and years spent together, and many thoughts shared between us. He was an artist. That was how he defined himself, anyway. Once, when I asked him why he didn't complete a task, or why he wasn't more self-disciplined, he looked at me and smiled and said: "Mike, I am an artist. I have an artist's mentality."
So for him, (and he was very talented and very creative, and could sculpt and paint, and create just about any thing he could envision), there was a need to be spontaneous as part of his artistry. I saw it as a great excuse for procrastination and disorder, and acquiescing to the same basic weaknesses that I saw in myself. At that time, I was in college and pursuing a very vigorous set of courses and an extremely heavy course load, trying to make up for wasted years of loafing after high school. But his statement remained with me, because it defined him, as he defined himself. In order to maximize the beauty and thrill in his life, he required a certain disorder, and he allowed himself the luxury of lax discipline. This was what made him happiest. And since he lived with his mother, and had never had a job for more than about a week, and he knew he didn't have to ever worry about getting one, he was free to carve out his own special niche in the world.
My friend wasn't lazy by any means. In fact, he took on projects of gargantuan proportions, many of which were doomed to fail before the start, simply because only a highly disciplined mind could have stayed focused long enough to complete them. Mainly, I think he just wanted to prove to himself that he could do something, and as soon as he knew he could, the desire for completion escaped him. There were some very large projects that he did finish, and most of those were important to finally establish an income stream for himself, independent of his mother. He became successful as a businessman, and built his universe to suit his needs.
I came to believe that many artists were like my friend, and that they were disorganized misfits who just couldn't bear to get a job. So they labeled themselves artists, and they sang or danced or acted or wrote stories. I didn't have much respect for artists, as I saw them.
The label artist can be a derogatory term as it had come to be recognized by myself, but I have changed in my thoughts over the years, and I just realized this fact the other day, as I was writing an email to a friend. My friend had told me that she had made a few commercials, and that while doing them, she was a relentless perfectionist, and that she is normally not like that in her normal line of work, which is as an attorney. I told her: "That's because you are an artist, and an artist seeks perfection".
Those words rang in my ears and stayed with me for days, perhaps because subconsciously I had realized an important truth long ago, and it had finally risen to the surface in an innocent comment to a friend. An artist seeks perfection, but what is an artist? To answer that question, one must answer a broader one: "What is the nature of man?" (I use man synonymously with woman; a woman is just a special kind of man. But that is another blog entry entirely).
No one can describe the nature of man in less than a library, but I can reduce one aspect of man to a simple concept that allows me to explain my definition of an artist. Man is a social creature. From a zoological standpoint, this attribute gave him an advantage over fellow species of animals, because there was strength in numbers. Later, his cooperative nature allowed him to develop methods of communication and other skills, and again, he was elevated over his fellow animals, due to his social nature. Men want to share; it is inherent in their nature. They also, because of their intelligence, seek to order the universe in their minds, so that they can understand it and predict their own futures.
An artist is one who seeks perfection, I accidentally wrote to my friend. But more than that, he or she is someone who tries to share through whatever it is that they do as art. They may not realize this concept consciously, and many artists would probably decry it as a lie, but any fabrication of art is ultimately an attempt of understanding and indirectly, it is also one of sharing. You can describe many things as art, and I won't venture to be precise as to what is art and what is not. Anything that achieves a degree of perfection might be labeled as art, but that begs the question: "What is perfection?" We needn't concern ourselves with absolutes here.
I can look at a shirt that a native in Africa knitted and see great artistry in the maker's skills or beauty in its colors. Or I might look at the scribblings of a kindergarten student, and see abstract art in their renderings. But the person who is a true artist is never content. They strive to achieve perfection in whatever art project they take on. Their "perfection" is what works for them, and they might choose to stop before completion, just as my old friend, who let so many projects die. I label them artists not just because they chase their own private perfection, but because in so doing, it is their attempt to understand their universe and to share a particular point of view with others. It could be something as mundane as knitting a sweater, or as unusual as planting a row of yellow umbrellas across a mountaintop, but their creativity is a result of their humanity and their inbred desire to understand the universe and communicate their findings with others.
The best artists are those whose special talents help us to experience things that we might not be able to do on our own. They touch us on an emotional level and communicate directly with our soul. This could be from music, dance, painting, writing, or sculpture. It may be an architectural masterpiece or just a certain way a garden is planted, or how someone applies their makeup. They create a mood, an altered state of awareness for us, that we may never have experienced on our own. They open a window to their universe and invite us to experience what they are experiencing. It is a statement of themselves, and an affirmation of humanity and the uniqueness of the individual soul.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: "Every man is my superior in some way." I try to remember that and learn from everyone I meet. So far, I have never seen that principle proven wrong. Because each of us has our own unique talents, and each of us is an artist in our own way. We all seek understanding, and often, without even realizing it, we try to share. When you are dissatisfied with something that you have done, or even with the current state of your own life, just remember: It's the artist in you, seeking perfection.
So for him, (and he was very talented and very creative, and could sculpt and paint, and create just about any thing he could envision), there was a need to be spontaneous as part of his artistry. I saw it as a great excuse for procrastination and disorder, and acquiescing to the same basic weaknesses that I saw in myself. At that time, I was in college and pursuing a very vigorous set of courses and an extremely heavy course load, trying to make up for wasted years of loafing after high school. But his statement remained with me, because it defined him, as he defined himself. In order to maximize the beauty and thrill in his life, he required a certain disorder, and he allowed himself the luxury of lax discipline. This was what made him happiest. And since he lived with his mother, and had never had a job for more than about a week, and he knew he didn't have to ever worry about getting one, he was free to carve out his own special niche in the world.
My friend wasn't lazy by any means. In fact, he took on projects of gargantuan proportions, many of which were doomed to fail before the start, simply because only a highly disciplined mind could have stayed focused long enough to complete them. Mainly, I think he just wanted to prove to himself that he could do something, and as soon as he knew he could, the desire for completion escaped him. There were some very large projects that he did finish, and most of those were important to finally establish an income stream for himself, independent of his mother. He became successful as a businessman, and built his universe to suit his needs.
I came to believe that many artists were like my friend, and that they were disorganized misfits who just couldn't bear to get a job. So they labeled themselves artists, and they sang or danced or acted or wrote stories. I didn't have much respect for artists, as I saw them.
The label artist can be a derogatory term as it had come to be recognized by myself, but I have changed in my thoughts over the years, and I just realized this fact the other day, as I was writing an email to a friend. My friend had told me that she had made a few commercials, and that while doing them, she was a relentless perfectionist, and that she is normally not like that in her normal line of work, which is as an attorney. I told her: "That's because you are an artist, and an artist seeks perfection".
Those words rang in my ears and stayed with me for days, perhaps because subconsciously I had realized an important truth long ago, and it had finally risen to the surface in an innocent comment to a friend. An artist seeks perfection, but what is an artist? To answer that question, one must answer a broader one: "What is the nature of man?" (I use man synonymously with woman; a woman is just a special kind of man. But that is another blog entry entirely).
No one can describe the nature of man in less than a library, but I can reduce one aspect of man to a simple concept that allows me to explain my definition of an artist. Man is a social creature. From a zoological standpoint, this attribute gave him an advantage over fellow species of animals, because there was strength in numbers. Later, his cooperative nature allowed him to develop methods of communication and other skills, and again, he was elevated over his fellow animals, due to his social nature. Men want to share; it is inherent in their nature. They also, because of their intelligence, seek to order the universe in their minds, so that they can understand it and predict their own futures.
An artist is one who seeks perfection, I accidentally wrote to my friend. But more than that, he or she is someone who tries to share through whatever it is that they do as art. They may not realize this concept consciously, and many artists would probably decry it as a lie, but any fabrication of art is ultimately an attempt of understanding and indirectly, it is also one of sharing. You can describe many things as art, and I won't venture to be precise as to what is art and what is not. Anything that achieves a degree of perfection might be labeled as art, but that begs the question: "What is perfection?" We needn't concern ourselves with absolutes here.
I can look at a shirt that a native in Africa knitted and see great artistry in the maker's skills or beauty in its colors. Or I might look at the scribblings of a kindergarten student, and see abstract art in their renderings. But the person who is a true artist is never content. They strive to achieve perfection in whatever art project they take on. Their "perfection" is what works for them, and they might choose to stop before completion, just as my old friend, who let so many projects die. I label them artists not just because they chase their own private perfection, but because in so doing, it is their attempt to understand their universe and to share a particular point of view with others. It could be something as mundane as knitting a sweater, or as unusual as planting a row of yellow umbrellas across a mountaintop, but their creativity is a result of their humanity and their inbred desire to understand the universe and communicate their findings with others.
The best artists are those whose special talents help us to experience things that we might not be able to do on our own. They touch us on an emotional level and communicate directly with our soul. This could be from music, dance, painting, writing, or sculpture. It may be an architectural masterpiece or just a certain way a garden is planted, or how someone applies their makeup. They create a mood, an altered state of awareness for us, that we may never have experienced on our own. They open a window to their universe and invite us to experience what they are experiencing. It is a statement of themselves, and an affirmation of humanity and the uniqueness of the individual soul.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: "Every man is my superior in some way." I try to remember that and learn from everyone I meet. So far, I have never seen that principle proven wrong. Because each of us has our own unique talents, and each of us is an artist in our own way. We all seek understanding, and often, without even realizing it, we try to share. When you are dissatisfied with something that you have done, or even with the current state of your own life, just remember: It's the artist in you, seeking perfection.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Rule of Law
My friend called me yesterday, very upset, and on the verge of committing violence. He had paid the taxes on his business property, but there was a shortfall, and without having received a notification of said shortfall, his property was about to be auctioned off. He had gone to pay the small shortfall (only a couple of hundred dollars), but there was a three-hour line out the door, and he feared he couldn't pay the taxes in time to avert the auction sale, which was to occur this coming Monday (this having been Friday afternoon).
I assured him that the information he had been given was wrong; that we live in a land of laws; and that the individual's property rights are protected by those laws. But he was not consoled, because a city employee had assured him that his property would be auctioned off come Monday. I made a few calls, and he checked with a city lawyer across the street at city hall, and sure enough, he had been misinformed, and it was only the debt which was up for auction, and he had six months after that to pay off the debt.
Common sense would normally tell you that the government can't just confiscate one's personal property without recourse, but he had been given bad information by several sources and he was on the verge of flipping out. This is how crazy violent acts occur. Whenever I see where someone went into a courthouse with a gun, or made some crazy decision to commit a violent stupid act, my first thought is usually: "What was done to them to provoke them?"
Usually, individuals are relatively just, and it is a relatively safe assumption to say that we ALL want to be treated fairly and with respect. Luckily for us, we live in a country of laws that are among the best in the world to protect the individual.
We can all sleep comfortably, knowing that this is not Venezuela, and we will not wake up to find that the government has taken over our business, or confiscated our property, so long as we pay our bills. At least for the present, this is true.
However, there are always forces at work trying to steal your rights, and we must be ever vigilant against such people. I cite for example the recent misuses of the law of Eminent Domain, used to steal valuable waterfront property from lifelong residents, so that rich corporations could build more valuable malls and hotels there. This misuse is a great danger that is currently being fought in many courtrooms. I cite this recent online definition of Eminent Domain, which would allow for a much broader interpretation than has previously been assumed:
"The power to take private property for public use by a state, municipality, or private person or corporation authorized to exercise functions of public character, following the payment of just compensation to the owner of that property."
Heaven help the poor land owner if that definition is freely applied by the courts! There are many other recent abuses of our laws which have been enacted by the courts, of which most people are oblivious. In particular, I am thinking of how trial lawyers have ravaged the coffers of so many large companies using falsified claims and crooked witnesses. The tobacco companies, the asbestos manufacturers, and many others have been targeted successfully, and have had their rights violated by the scoundrels who perpetrated the raids, and the courts which enabled them and were complicit through their rulings. People have in the large thought not much about these abuses of the law, because they were hoodwinked into believing bogus data.
"Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee," are words as true today as when John Donne first penned them.
Our laws as written, give us many rights, but those rights are also subject to an ever-changing interpretation. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes believed that the law evolves with the society it serves, but that in itself can represent a danger. Some standards must not be changed, for some truths do not change. Society may just as easily devolve as evolve, such as in Nazi Germany.
Therefore, I suggest that the law and the U.S. Constitution alone is not enough of a standard to protect present and future generations of Americans. We need an interlocking "Constitution of Morality" that will specify the spirit and intent of the law for the maximum protection of the individual.
This Constitution of Morality would help prevent abuse by radical activist courts, over-zealous defenders, and marauding prosecutors run amok. It would take many years and heated debates to frame such a standard, but I think it would be a worthwhile project and should be pursued. It would be like backing our constitution by a "gold standard". There is far too much leeway in existing laws, and our constitution is rife with opportunity for abuse.
History proves that our government can perpetrate abuses that we, today, would not think possible. We should act sooner, rather than later, to clarify and protect our constitution, so that we might avoid violent upheavals in the future, as enraged citizens rise up against future injustices.
Of course, we might have to bust the heads of a lot of trial lawyers and activist judges along the way, who would stand in the way of all that. Those foxes know that such an interlocking document would take away their ability to cheat, rob, and steal. But we shouldn't let that deter us. There are many excellent judges, who even now are speaking out against such abuses.
My guess is that some character will come along one day, and see this potential vehicle to fame, and pick it up and ride with it on a bold white charger. I just hope that individual's heart is pure and just, because to do it right, will take another George Washington, or another John Adams.
Pertinent links: http://www.online-literature.com/donne/409/
http://www.expertlaw.com/library/real_estate/eminent_domain.html#7
I assured him that the information he had been given was wrong; that we live in a land of laws; and that the individual's property rights are protected by those laws. But he was not consoled, because a city employee had assured him that his property would be auctioned off come Monday. I made a few calls, and he checked with a city lawyer across the street at city hall, and sure enough, he had been misinformed, and it was only the debt which was up for auction, and he had six months after that to pay off the debt.
Common sense would normally tell you that the government can't just confiscate one's personal property without recourse, but he had been given bad information by several sources and he was on the verge of flipping out. This is how crazy violent acts occur. Whenever I see where someone went into a courthouse with a gun, or made some crazy decision to commit a violent stupid act, my first thought is usually: "What was done to them to provoke them?"
Usually, individuals are relatively just, and it is a relatively safe assumption to say that we ALL want to be treated fairly and with respect. Luckily for us, we live in a country of laws that are among the best in the world to protect the individual.
We can all sleep comfortably, knowing that this is not Venezuela, and we will not wake up to find that the government has taken over our business, or confiscated our property, so long as we pay our bills. At least for the present, this is true.
However, there are always forces at work trying to steal your rights, and we must be ever vigilant against such people. I cite for example the recent misuses of the law of Eminent Domain, used to steal valuable waterfront property from lifelong residents, so that rich corporations could build more valuable malls and hotels there. This misuse is a great danger that is currently being fought in many courtrooms. I cite this recent online definition of Eminent Domain, which would allow for a much broader interpretation than has previously been assumed:
"The power to take private property for public use by a state, municipality, or private person or corporation authorized to exercise functions of public character, following the payment of just compensation to the owner of that property."
Heaven help the poor land owner if that definition is freely applied by the courts! There are many other recent abuses of our laws which have been enacted by the courts, of which most people are oblivious. In particular, I am thinking of how trial lawyers have ravaged the coffers of so many large companies using falsified claims and crooked witnesses. The tobacco companies, the asbestos manufacturers, and many others have been targeted successfully, and have had their rights violated by the scoundrels who perpetrated the raids, and the courts which enabled them and were complicit through their rulings. People have in the large thought not much about these abuses of the law, because they were hoodwinked into believing bogus data.
"Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee," are words as true today as when John Donne first penned them.
Our laws as written, give us many rights, but those rights are also subject to an ever-changing interpretation. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes believed that the law evolves with the society it serves, but that in itself can represent a danger. Some standards must not be changed, for some truths do not change. Society may just as easily devolve as evolve, such as in Nazi Germany.
Therefore, I suggest that the law and the U.S. Constitution alone is not enough of a standard to protect present and future generations of Americans. We need an interlocking "Constitution of Morality" that will specify the spirit and intent of the law for the maximum protection of the individual.
This Constitution of Morality would help prevent abuse by radical activist courts, over-zealous defenders, and marauding prosecutors run amok. It would take many years and heated debates to frame such a standard, but I think it would be a worthwhile project and should be pursued. It would be like backing our constitution by a "gold standard". There is far too much leeway in existing laws, and our constitution is rife with opportunity for abuse.
History proves that our government can perpetrate abuses that we, today, would not think possible. We should act sooner, rather than later, to clarify and protect our constitution, so that we might avoid violent upheavals in the future, as enraged citizens rise up against future injustices.
Of course, we might have to bust the heads of a lot of trial lawyers and activist judges along the way, who would stand in the way of all that. Those foxes know that such an interlocking document would take away their ability to cheat, rob, and steal. But we shouldn't let that deter us. There are many excellent judges, who even now are speaking out against such abuses.
My guess is that some character will come along one day, and see this potential vehicle to fame, and pick it up and ride with it on a bold white charger. I just hope that individual's heart is pure and just, because to do it right, will take another George Washington, or another John Adams.
Pertinent links: http://www.online-literature.com/donne/409/
http://www.expertlaw.com/library/real_estate/eminent_domain.html#7
Thursday, May 14, 2009
How Many Calories Make a Thought?
I have noticed, many times, that after being engaged in deep thought, especially deeply creative thought, that I would sometimes feel very fatigued. It occurs to me, that from an energy standpoint, our bodies are only able to generate a certain number of calories of energy per day. So therefore, we can only think so much in a day; we can only create so much in a day. And beyond that, all thoughts are not equal. A deeply complex thought that calls all one's experience and knowledge into play, must certainly burn more calories than a simple thought of recognition such as: "This is cheese," or, "This is water."
But when one realizes a revelation, such as suddenly understanding the principle of the speed of light, there is not only expended the caloric energy of thought to reach that realization, but there is often a corresponding surge of energy due to elation. Thus, life-changing thoughts and experiences must truly burn the most calories and therefore be the most taxing.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons that many great thinkers have been very lean. They not only aren't concerned with pleasing themselves through the sense of taste, but they also are burning more calories by thinking vigorously.
Voltaire immediately springs to mind, and the unbelievable number of manuscripts which he produced. "Voltaire left behind him over fourteen thousand known letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets." I can't even begin to imagine how anyone could write so profusely. (see link below)
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/voltaire.htm
But when one realizes a revelation, such as suddenly understanding the principle of the speed of light, there is not only expended the caloric energy of thought to reach that realization, but there is often a corresponding surge of energy due to elation. Thus, life-changing thoughts and experiences must truly burn the most calories and therefore be the most taxing.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons that many great thinkers have been very lean. They not only aren't concerned with pleasing themselves through the sense of taste, but they also are burning more calories by thinking vigorously.
Voltaire immediately springs to mind, and the unbelievable number of manuscripts which he produced. "Voltaire left behind him over fourteen thousand known letters and over two thousand books and pamphlets." I can't even begin to imagine how anyone could write so profusely. (see link below)
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/voltaire.htm
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Commutative Property of Math Does Not Apply to Life
The commutative property of math: A+B=B+A does not apply to life. Lost and found, is not the same as found and lost. For if something lost is found, there is joy, but if something found is lost, there is sadness.
I only mention it in passing.
I found a tree of shade in an open field, and I used to go there to sit and think. The tree gave me thoughts that I had never had before. One day, it was gone. Someone came and took the tree away, and there was only an empty field. At first, I felt quite empty, as if I had lost a valued friend, but then I realized that someone had removed that tree for a reason, just as surely as it had been placed there.
Like a flower that blooms and shares its beauty, only to quickly wilt and fade, my secret spot had been taken from me, but it's memory remains. A wise hiker learns that there are many hills and pastures, and many sights beyond his favorite destination. But still, I am reminded of Robert Frost's poem, "Reluctance".
From which, my favorite part is:
Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?
I stand in an empty field, lacking the desire momentarily, to hike further. I remember that beautiful tree, and reminisce my moments there, embraced in the thoughts which it shared with me. And I wonder, did the tree ever sense that I was there? Would it have shared its thoughts so freely if it had? I think the tree shared, hoping that someone was there, but never really knowing.
And in that respect, I shared its prayers.
I sat beneath a tree and shared its thoughts, and I was made the more for it, unbeknown and unknowing.
Trees yield their fruits so that their seeds may be propagated and live on. Those thoughts from the tree are now in me, and they live and travel with me. If fertile ground is found, I will plant them elsewhere.
A tree shared its secret thoughts with me and I will carry them forward.
I only mention it in passing.
I found a tree of shade in an open field, and I used to go there to sit and think. The tree gave me thoughts that I had never had before. One day, it was gone. Someone came and took the tree away, and there was only an empty field. At first, I felt quite empty, as if I had lost a valued friend, but then I realized that someone had removed that tree for a reason, just as surely as it had been placed there.
Like a flower that blooms and shares its beauty, only to quickly wilt and fade, my secret spot had been taken from me, but it's memory remains. A wise hiker learns that there are many hills and pastures, and many sights beyond his favorite destination. But still, I am reminded of Robert Frost's poem, "Reluctance".
From which, my favorite part is:
Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?
I stand in an empty field, lacking the desire momentarily, to hike further. I remember that beautiful tree, and reminisce my moments there, embraced in the thoughts which it shared with me. And I wonder, did the tree ever sense that I was there? Would it have shared its thoughts so freely if it had? I think the tree shared, hoping that someone was there, but never really knowing.
And in that respect, I shared its prayers.
I sat beneath a tree and shared its thoughts, and I was made the more for it, unbeknown and unknowing.
Trees yield their fruits so that their seeds may be propagated and live on. Those thoughts from the tree are now in me, and they live and travel with me. If fertile ground is found, I will plant them elsewhere.
A tree shared its secret thoughts with me and I will carry them forward.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Father's Day
I have mixed emotions about both Father's Day and Mother's day. In fact, I have the same mixed emotions about celebrating birthdays. Sure, it's a great opportunity for retailers to sell more stuff, and it seems like a good idea to set aside a day to honor one's father or mother, or to wish someone you care about a happy birthday, and let those same people know that they are important to you and that you are glad that they are a part of your life. It all sounds like a good idea. But is it really?
People start to have expectations then. "Oh, you forgot my birthday! You must not care about me very much." Or parents get hurt when their children are too busy in their everyday lives to make time for them. Or maybe they just forget all about it. Then the parents are hurt and feel unloved or disrespected, and they either sulk about it, or try to make the kids pay for it by admonishing them and telling them that they are ungrateful children.
I would just advise all people to never fall into any of those types of traps. It is a great waste of emotion and largely meaningless. You don't judge your children by what they do on Father's Day or Mother's Day, and you should never expect any acknowledgement from anybody on your birthday.
I for one was not a model son. I loved my parents a great deal, but I was always preoccupied with my own life, and many times I remember rushing at the last minute to buy my mother flowers and a card; arriving late at the house; signing her card while parked in the driveway; then rushing in giving some excuse as to why I was so late. My mother was easy. Anything I gave her she praised and was happy. My father on the other hand actually punished me once for not buying him a Father's day card. Nevermind that I had spent all of my allowance for two weeks on his present. He said I was a selfish, ungrateful son and grounded me for a week for not also giving him a card. I thought it was very silly at the time, and it caused me to feel less respect for him. In fact, I thought he was being childish and I was in the sixth grade at the time. Nevertheless, it was a source of friction and no good ever seemed to come of such holidays. Those days always seemed like just another chance to screw up and get a lot of grief from whomever's birthday or special day it was.
Therefore, my advice to one and all is this: Expect nothing and you will never be disappointed. You will never be disappointed by a friend or lover or son or daughter, or any other poor soul who might just have forgotten that it was your special day. Or if they were just too busy, or they didn't think you rated any special effort, you will never really care.
On the other hand, if they do take the time and effort to remember you, you can still be delighted by their good will. And you will never feel you have to chastise a son or daughter, brother, sister, or lover for forgetting you.
Hold yourself to a higher standard. Try diligently to honor your father and mother every chance you get. Try to let your friends know just how much you care about them. Nowadays, with all the computer software available, it is much easier to keep track of all those special days. But only hold yourself to that higher standard, and never try to make anyone feel bad if they have done less than you hoped for. If you don't hope or expect, you will be more godly.
After all is said and done, the real joy in this world is giving, not receiving.
People start to have expectations then. "Oh, you forgot my birthday! You must not care about me very much." Or parents get hurt when their children are too busy in their everyday lives to make time for them. Or maybe they just forget all about it. Then the parents are hurt and feel unloved or disrespected, and they either sulk about it, or try to make the kids pay for it by admonishing them and telling them that they are ungrateful children.
I would just advise all people to never fall into any of those types of traps. It is a great waste of emotion and largely meaningless. You don't judge your children by what they do on Father's Day or Mother's Day, and you should never expect any acknowledgement from anybody on your birthday.
I for one was not a model son. I loved my parents a great deal, but I was always preoccupied with my own life, and many times I remember rushing at the last minute to buy my mother flowers and a card; arriving late at the house; signing her card while parked in the driveway; then rushing in giving some excuse as to why I was so late. My mother was easy. Anything I gave her she praised and was happy. My father on the other hand actually punished me once for not buying him a Father's day card. Nevermind that I had spent all of my allowance for two weeks on his present. He said I was a selfish, ungrateful son and grounded me for a week for not also giving him a card. I thought it was very silly at the time, and it caused me to feel less respect for him. In fact, I thought he was being childish and I was in the sixth grade at the time. Nevertheless, it was a source of friction and no good ever seemed to come of such holidays. Those days always seemed like just another chance to screw up and get a lot of grief from whomever's birthday or special day it was.
Therefore, my advice to one and all is this: Expect nothing and you will never be disappointed. You will never be disappointed by a friend or lover or son or daughter, or any other poor soul who might just have forgotten that it was your special day. Or if they were just too busy, or they didn't think you rated any special effort, you will never really care.
On the other hand, if they do take the time and effort to remember you, you can still be delighted by their good will. And you will never feel you have to chastise a son or daughter, brother, sister, or lover for forgetting you.
Hold yourself to a higher standard. Try diligently to honor your father and mother every chance you get. Try to let your friends know just how much you care about them. Nowadays, with all the computer software available, it is much easier to keep track of all those special days. But only hold yourself to that higher standard, and never try to make anyone feel bad if they have done less than you hoped for. If you don't hope or expect, you will be more godly.
After all is said and done, the real joy in this world is giving, not receiving.
The American Pricetag of Citizenship
How can anyone with a grain of sense in their head think that a proposed immigration law that effectively grants amnesty for illegal immigrants based on a five thousand dollar entree fee makes any sense? Okay, you give us five thousand bucks, then go back home for a year, and we will re-admit you legally. Are our lawmakers all nuts? Are they that far removed from reality as to think this would ever work?
When I hear our president praise this as landmark legislation for immigration, I finally must admit to myself: "He must be stupid." I voted for Bush, both times, and I am a registered Democrat. I know this administration has been plagued with many a bone-headed move, but this is just so outrageous to me, so egregious and frustrating, that it is almost laughable.
I say almost laughable, because it is not funny at all. This is a very serious issue, and it involves millions of potential new citizens; tens of millions if one extrapolates into the future. Since when has it been considered remotely acceptable to put a price tag on citizenship? On the large, illegal immigrants come here to get a better life, chasing the hope of riches and an all-inclusive society. A large number of these people are illegal because they don't want to wait for the long process of legal entry. This proposed new legislation, directed primarily at illegals from Mexico, hasn't a glimmer of a hope of solving the illegal issues. An illegal already here and working, is not very likely to be willing to cough up five grand and then go home for a year. It's ridiculous.
What would make sense, is legislation to increase across the border temporary workers. That part of the legislation is good and fair and should be enacted immediately. The illegals are a more difficult issue, especially those who have become established here and have proven themselves to be law-abiding participants in our society. It is difficult to decide how to make them legal. This really needs a lot more thought, but since they did break the law and enter illegally, asking them to pay a fee might not be an unfair thing to do. Maybe it could be paid over a long period as an extra tax against their wages. Many options could be palatable in asking for what constitutes a fine. But to ask them to voluntarily come forward, pay, and then go home for awhile is ridiculous.
Far worse, are the implications of what admission to our country is going to take in the future. Already, Europeans have to pay a non-refundable 100 dollar application fee for visas to come here. Why not just say okay, there is a large admission price if you want to come here. Throw a sign across the Statue of Liberty proclaiming it.
Perhaps what is more obvious than immigration reform is that we need change in our government. We need qualified people who think, statesmen that serve the betterment of our society and not self-serving, narrow-minded, partisans who seek only their own betterment and re-election. Until such stupidity is singled out and the perpetrators are publicly ostracized, we will continue to see such ridiculous legislation that carries no hope of bettering the country.
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