Disconnected

 

“We demand too much of life, too little of ourselves”

-Christopher Lasch, The Culture of Narcissism: An American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations.

I suppose every older generation worries about the younger one.  Certainly, my baby boomer generation was of great concern to our parents, our teachers and coaches, law enforcement, the government and business leaders facing the daunting challenge of employing these young rebels.  

Looking back, I think we were just at the beginning of the unraveling, the great disconnect.  Two world wars, industrialization and mobility had already chipped away at the connections of place and kinship. Radio, movies and television opened eyes and ears in ways that would have been unimaginable to our ancestors.  Higher education prompted us to question our values, challenge authorities and proceed to seriously doubt their motives as well as the promises they had made to us.

Then we sort of got over it, took our place at the wheel, started making money and got very comfortable. Certainly not all of us, there are plenty of broken people and shattered dreams among aging baby boomers.  And most of us were late getting back to the values and lessons we had rejected in our youth. While we indeed may have been late in returning to those “values and lessons”, they were there.  They were in our head and in our heart.  There was a foundation, overgrown and neglected perhaps, but still there.  We might not have been able to go home again, but we remembered what it was like and why it mattered.

That was then, this is now and everything has changed. Much has been said and written about the impact of political extremism, the failure of our educational institutions, inflation, the ever-increasing gap between the rich and the poor, the bane of social media, the failure of the church, unchecked immigration, inequalities, injustice and more “isms” to fret about every day.  All these things have contributed in significant ways to the angst, anger, frustration and ultimately, the nihilism of so many young people.

But I think there is a larger underlying problem, and it did not just happen overnight.  There is a reason why these social, cultural, political, technological and economic challenges are having such negative effects on young people.  And that reason is the lack of positive, meaningful connections with other people, people who are actually part of their lives not some photoshopped stranger on their smartphone.

In almost every area of their lives younger generations are missing the connections that benefited so many of us baby boomers.  The connections weren’t perfect and some benefited more than others, but overall, we were more personally connected back then.  More of us grew up in two parent households. Most of  had siblings around, some even in the same bedroom.  We tended to live closer to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  We went to church more regularly even if we didn’t want to go.  More of us attended smaller schools where there were not hundreds or even thousands of kids in our graduating class.  We were more likely to be around other kids in the neighborhood, free to wander and play and fall down.  We even learned the word no and suffered the consequences of disobedience at home or at school.  Sometimes we were made to feel bad or sad or angry, but there always seemed to be someone there to give us a hug.  We weren’t always happy or entertained and learned to live with that reality.  We even discovered early on and accepted that life is not fair.

As a society we must make some changes.  Young people need connections beyond just sharing grievances and bad ideas with other disconnected young people online.  They need families and friends who have families.  They need more discipline and even more love.  They need to be taught how to fly on their own and take responsibility even when it’s difficult or inconvenient.  They need more physical activity and less sugar.  Read books, book in hand and turning the pages. Learn to write in cursive, memorize poems and scripture and words of wisdom.  Learn to speak clearly and look people in the eye.  Think less of themselves and more of others treating them as they themselves would wish to be treated.  Listen more than talk.  Pay attention.  Accept that life is hard and at some point, they will endure pain and suffering.  Believe there is something more and better beyond this short life that we must live now in these bodies on this planet.  Always be thankful, don’t make excuses and never give up.  And stay connected...to real people. 

2026 Halftime Review

 

“I believe that everything happens for a reason.  People change so you can learn to let go, things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so eventually you learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

-Marilyn Monroe (born 100 years ago on June 1, 1926)

 

_IRAN

I predicted this would be more difficult than expected. Will it turn out to be more trouble than it was worth? Not if we achieve what we initially set out to do.  But I expect it to end with some sort of watered-down agreement that will be spun by both sides as a win. For as long as Islamic extremists remain in Iran and throughout the Middle East, and for that matter around the world; and as long as Western Civilization depends on oil, the blood feud will continue, unlikely to end well for either side.

_INFLATION

With the Iran conflict dragging on oil prices shot up almost 50% at one point only adding to the stubborn inflationary pressure Americans have been facing throughout most of this decade.  A reckoning is coming and it will not be pretty.

_TRUCKING

This subject means more to me because I am involved with it on a daily basis recruiting management, sales and executive talent for the industry.  It should mean a lot to everyone because certain truck drivers who had no business being on the road were having headline-making deadly accidents on a weekly basis.  Turns out that hundreds of thousands of truck drivers, most of those entering this country over the past 5 years, literally had no business driving 18-wheelers. The government crackdown is pulling thousands of these drivers (and trucks) off the road.  The result is rising freight rates and some relief for trucking companies that have suffered through a painful 3 year “freight recession”.  The downside is that those higher rates will end up adding to the cost of most everything. 

_FIFA World Cup

I really tried to watch it, but I fail to appreciate the “beautiful game”.  The athletes are exceptional and there are moments when the matches are as exciting as any sport one might watch.  I know this because I wait and watch those moments via recaps on You Tube.  I can see soccer being a great sport if you’re playing or your kids are playing.  But as a spectator sport, especially on television, it’s like spending two hours watching an ant farm.   For me the best thing coming out of the World Cup are the comments from our international visitors, in particular those from Europe.  Turns out that America is a great place after all despite what they have been fed by the media, entertainment and political elites.  Who knew? 

_DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM

Why not give it a try, right? There are plenty of reasons why some people are embracing it, most of them revolving around “affordability” and “equity” grievances.  But life is not fair and they will discover soon enough neither is Democratic Socialism. 

_ICE

The aggressive “catch and remove” approach has been toned down a bit, but this remains a hot-button issue that will get a lot of attention from both parties going into the mid-terms.

_250

OK, technically July 4^th is in the second half of the year, but America is 250 years old so I will include it in the first half, the second half and whenever the mood strikes me.  Happy Birthday to us.

Another Crossroad

 

It seems that with every holiday, we are told that America is “At A Crossroad”.  These “At A Crossroad” commentaries come in all shades and shapes.  Some are hopeful, some an urgent call for action.  Some are resentful, others regretful and at their worst declare that America was doomed from the start and the only answer is to wipe the slate clean and start over.

I take these “crossroad warnings” seriously but always with the belief that we Americans will figure it out.  It won’t be perfect.  It never is and never could be because human beings are involved.  The freedoms that allow some of us to take the wrong turn allow others to right the ship.

Our history is one of sins and salvation. If one chooses to obsess over the sins of the fathers, they will never see the good things, the confessions and self-corrections.  They will let their image of the nation’s dark past blind them to the progress we’ve made and the underlying goodness of America.  Those who choose to only celebrate our success and are unwilling to admit our failures are in danger of becoming like the parents of a child who “can do no wrong” remaining uncorrected and over-indulged.

America is changing.  It always has and always will because people are changing, some for better and some for worse.  The American system of government remains the best humans have come up with so far. But if by way of our freedoms or by force we abandon it, others will surely take our place.

The Verdict, The Sentence, The Aftermath

Considering that the crime and the trial took place less than an hour south of where I live, I have paid a fair amount of attention to the Karmelo Anthony-Austin Metcalf story;  from the time Karmelo stabbed and killed Austin right up through the trial, the guilty verdict, the 35-year prison sentence and the aftermath.

Most white folks feel that the verdict was right and the sentence was appropriate, if anything perhaps Anthony should have received a life sentence or worse.  And they are fed up with black politicians and activists playing the race card every time they don’t like the answer or the outcome.  I take it all with a grain of salt. This is just part of their job description.  It’s the way things work.

But at a deeper level I am guessing that a lot of blacks are once again having questions about our justice system.  While many, if not most blacks likely agree that Karmelo Anthony was guilty; they are asking themselves how this would have turned out if Karmelo had been a white kid represented by a blue-chip defense attorney.  Probably a guilty verdict of some sort, but perhaps to a lesser charge, maybe just manslaughter.  Even if he’d been found guilty of the same charge carrying the same range of sentencing, would he have gotten 35 years?

There remains in the black community a nagging sense that white people tend to get the benefit of the doubt.  When it’s between a 5 or a 99 year sentence the young white kid gets 10 or 15 tops, the black kid gets more, as in 35 years.  If there is potential for a lesser charge or a reduced sentence, the white guy is more likely to receive it or so it seems.

One may say that is no longer the way it works.  That these days the scales are balanced, maybe even tipping slightly in favor of non-whites.  I don’t think that is the case, but even if it were, it’s a recent development.  The black experience in America has seen enough injustice to last well beyond the lives of those who suffered the most from it.  Therefore, the questions and the doubts are never far away and tend to readily surface in cases such as this one.

 “Time heals all wounds, but it does not erase the scars.”- Jane Yolen

                                                            

Other Roads

 

Last week I made a quick trip down to Austin.  From Grayson County the most direct route takes one down 75 and somehow through Dallas; and if you’re lucky it spews the traveler on to I-35 South toward Waco and beyond.  Many years ago, within 15 minutes after clearing the Big D hurdle the traffic thinned out and it became an easy drive in the country.  But over the years it’s changed.  It’s more noticeable to old guys like me.  Now it’s essentially urban freeway traffic all the way only with more trucks.  And about the time you get to Round Rock it becomes an urban traffic jam, more like a “no way” than a freeway.  And during rush hour the highways in and around Austin are more stop than go. 

So, when I headed back north the next day, I took the scenic route, up 183 to Lampasas and 281 all the way to I-20 then to Weatherford and north on 51 up to Cook County and 82 back home.  It takes an hour longer to go that way but it’s time well spent.  Most of all, if you are Texas born and raised, it feels like it used to be or at least the way you thought it was.  You understand that it’s changed, but there are reminders. The land, the animals, the people; the well-kept farms and ranches, productive with tight fences, new metal barns standing beside what’s left of an old wooden one.  Healthy looking cattle and horses, even lambs and goats in some places.  The biggest and best-looking places are mostly owned by wealthy folks from the big cities. They hire locals to do the hard work but can still tell their business associates they’ll be at the ranch this weekend “doing some work around the place”.

It’s not all good though.  One can’t help but see the signs of poverty and decay.  Less so in the Hill Country where city money and the old German influence make a difference.  But elsewhere in rural Texas it’s there. Beat up cars and pick-ups parked on dirt yards in front of old farmhouses or mobile homes.  Maybe a few toys laying around. Always some old tires.  Maybe a lawnmower that no longer works.  A dog or two lying on the porch or under a piece of farm equipment, waiting for something or someone to chew on.  There aren’t many good jobs in these places.  And it’s impossible to make a living these days farming or ranching on a small scale.  But folks get by, legally or otherwise.  It’s not pretty, but it’s also part of Texas.

If you are a recent arrival to the Lone Star state maybe it’s what you thought Texas would be right up until you found yourself stuck in traffic or living in a suburban neighborhood that just looks like every other suburban neighborhood and not much at all like Texas.  But Texas is still out there.  You won’t find it from an Interstate highway.  Take some other roads. Have lunch at the “best” local restaurant wherever you happen to be at lunchtime.  Stop and read some historical markers.  You might come to understand how and why native Texans feel the way they do about this state.  Just don’t cross the yellow line and if a driver in an on-coming vehicle lifts a finger or two from the steering wheel, they are not flipping you off.  It’s just sign language for howdy.

The Sting

 

“It sometimes seems that every living thing can bite or poke or sting or shoot you.”-Lawrence Wright, from his book “God Save Texas”.

The other day I was taking an assortment of stuff from the garage over to the barn, part of the seasonal ritual of putting up some things and pulling out others.  I was in and out of the barn at least half a dozen times.  When I finally closed the side door and locked up, my left hand caught fire or so it seemed.  I looked down and just above the knuckle on my ring finger a huge red wasp was lodging a violent protest against my invasion of his space.  I knocked him off my hand and stepped back to see the nest of red wasps at the top of the door.  After getting stung by yellow jackets a few years ago that were nesting at the top of a garage door, I am usually more diligent in watching for wasps as well as most anything that flies, crawls, hops or has a tail.  

Rather than take them on empty-handed, I retreated over to the garage and armed myself with a can of wasp and hornet spray.  I returned and wiped out most of them.  Those who escaped buzzed me but were clearly unable to hit a fast-moving target.

I got back to the house and rubbed Benadryl cream on the red and swelling skin that ran from the middle of my finger, over the knuckle and the top of my hand.  Later on my wife cut a piece of aloe vera and told me to rub it on my hand and finger.  Eventually the pain went away and by bedtime it just itched. 

The interesting thing is that the next morning my hand not only felt better, it felt better than before the sting.  You see I have some arthritis in my hands as well as a condition called Dupuytren’s Contracture. Dupuytren’s is a genetic disorder that causes the tendons and ligaments in your hands and fingers to thicken and get stiff.  It can lead to locking “trigger” finger and when it’s bad enough it requires surgical release.  It’s also known as Viking’s Disease since it is so prominent in people with Scandinavian DNA (of which I have 20%).  Mine got bad enough in one finger a few years ago that I had to have the surgery.  It was for my left ring finger.  

The surgery fixed the trigger finger but it’s never felt quite right and there is arthritis to boot.  But after the wasp sting it feels great.  There has been considerable research done regarding the efficacy of bee and wasp venom for the treatment of arthritis.  The results have been promising, but so far as I can tell it’s not being prescribed yet.  Put me down as a yes for test trials.  Based on this one random sting, it seems to work.  Now if I could just figure out how to train the bees and wasps to sting me in the right places.

The Celestial City

 

As one whose “journey of faith” had been anything but clean and simple, now with the passing of time I can honestly proclaim there are evil forces at work here on planet earth and beyond.  These forces are powerful, well-organized and committed to their purpose.  They have a hierarchy and there is one at the top.  They exist to create chaos and confusion, to transform what was created as good in the beginning into something they can claim as their own.  Some say they know they will ultimately be defeated but in the time that is left are doing everything they can to make life worse and take as many souls with them as possible.

As a Christian I believe what the Bible says about this.  I have also noticed that many other religions and traditions acknowledge the existence of evil forces; spirits to be more precise.  And they have names.  Some of those named in the Bible are likely the same spiritual beings in other religions but with different names. 

But for now, sticking with the Bible there are over 300 passages of scripture referring to evil spirits, the devil, Satan, Lucifer, etc. If one professes to be a Christian, they would be hard-pressed to deny the reality of evil spirits and their leader.  And if one should consider what the Bible says about these evil spirits and their leader, they would know that these spirits do not come wearing a red jump suit with horns, a tail and a pitchfork. Most often they come as a thought or an idea.  Sometimes they are delivered intentionally or otherwise by someone who looks a lot like us. But most often they simply arrive at the door of our soul like a package we weren’t expecting and dare not to open.  Yet sometimes we do open the package and are seldom ever the same.

We are now in a time when the those who deliver evil are lined up at the door.  Content that would have been banned 50 years ago is now mainstream.  Words, images, music and what has come to represent news, opinion, influence and entertainment conspire to tempt us, teach us and lead us astray. We are told what is good and what is bad, what is permissible and that truth is our own, as long as we are tolerant, inclusive and kind.

In John Bunyan’s classic Pilgrim's Progress, Christian and Faithful are on a treacherous journey to the Celestial City but must first pass through Vanity.  Here there is a Fair that goes on throughout the year.  Satanic personages identified as Beelzebub, Apollyon and Legion control Vanity and the Fair.  All the temptations of the world are in the marketplace.  Few of those who attempt to reach the Celestial City successfully pass through Vanity Fair without being drawn away.  

I’ll say no more lest I spoil the story.  It is enough to say that we are living in a modern day Vanity Fair where the marketplace of temptations has become omnipresent and inescapable.  And the question remains how does one reach the Celestial City?

“For to speak the truth, there are but few that care thus to spend their time, but choose rather to spend their time to be speaking of things to no profit.”- John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress

Notes and Quotes...Knowing When to Duck

 

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable.”- John F. Kennedy

I did the last “Notes and Quotes” back in January.  Much has transpired since then.

_In January I asked the question: “Who would dare stir up the Shiite hornet’s nests which are buzzing throughout the Middle East and around the world?” As it turns out Trump and Netanyahu took that dare.  Perhaps it was necessary.  We’ll never know, but who would dare to wait and find out? 

_I also commented about ICE; the ICE Enforcers vs the ICE Watchers. Turns out that the ICE Watchers may have influenced the ICE Enforcers to tone it down just a notch.  But the conflict continues and will likely go on until the Democrats are back in charge.

Now on to new topics.

_Those darn Supreme Court Justices just keep issuing rulings based on The United States Constitution. Clearly they must have slept through those law school classes on Judicial Activision. They just don’t understand that the laws of the land must be interpreted based on forward-thinking progressive ideas, not some worn out document written by a bunch of privileged old white guys in the 18^th Century.

_Chameleon Trucker Karma (SWIDT) is resulting in the removal of thousands of truck drivers from the nation’s highways.  The lesson here is that when you license unqualified people and then allow them to be hired for jobs that require qualified, well-trained, certification bad things happen.

_While the economy seems to be doing ok for now, I can’t imagine it can go on much longer if we continue to have $100+ a barrel oil prices. With mid-terms on the horizon Republicans are in trouble. At this point, the only thing that will save them is the Democrats’ race further to the radical left.

_Another day, another attempted assassination.  When a person or group has been repeatedly called Nazi, Fascist, (____)-Phobic, An Existential Threat to Democracy, etc. etc., who must be stopped “by any means necessary”; is it any wonder that violence is the ending result?

“The important thing to know about an assassination or attempted assassination is not who fired the shot, but who paid for the bullet.” – Eric Ambler

Alone Time

 

”I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion”

– Henry David Thoreau

 

I have always been a “loner”.  Perhaps it comes from being an only child or maybe it is just something buried deep in my DNA.  My parents and grandparents all grew up in large families where joys and fears were shared along with beds, food and clothing.  There you were whomever the clan said you were.  A loner might be just considered shy or quiet, one who “sorta keeps to he -sef”.  More negatively, a loner might be considered  “stand-offish” or “sull’d-up”.  Then one day, family members might begin to whisper…”well ya-know heez jes diff-urnt”.  And with that, when you were old enough you left and started over someplace else.  Or stayed put, likely unmarried; rusting out and taking care of the old folks.

In my case, I accepted that I had to be at least moderately sociable since I lacked the talent or skill to make a living otherwise.  Being sufficiently bright and reasonably well-spoken, I jumped in the pool and did my best to stay afloat.  And it’s worked out ok.  Had I been less of a loner, it might have been better for my career as well as my personal relationships.  But the stress of too much time around too many people would have put me in an early grave…or prison.   

Now well along and nearing the end of my second career I suppose I have become a bit more sociable. But I think it’s because headhunting allows me to compartmentalize relationships.  My interactions with people whether they are hiring authorities, candidates or references; tend to be brief and for a very specific purpose. In some cases, long-term relationships develop, but that doesn’t mean we are communicating with each other on a regular basis.  Rather contact tends to be on an as needed basis.  And I find those to be the best kind. I’ve never been one to hang over the fence and make small talk. If it’s important or you need my help, I’m there.  If you want to talk about the weather, what you had for breakfast or just gossip…I’m out.

All of this is to say you won’t find me in the crowd shaking hands and rubbing elbows. I will be one of those outside perhaps with another loner having a meaningful conversation or simply standing in silence respecting each other’s alone time. 

Promises, Promises....

 

There is a popular saying in business: “Under Promise, Over Deliver.”  As a bona fide pessimist, I tend to take this approach to most things in life, not just business relationships.  Experience has taught me that Murphy’s Law is real; as real as gravity, death and taxes.  If things can go wrong, they will go wrong.

What is often overlooked, even by pessimists like me, are the corollaries associated with Murphy’s Law. For example, when things go wrong, and they will; they usually go wrong at the worst possible moment. If there is a possibility that multiple things might go wrong, one can expect the one that will cause the most damage will be the one that goes wrong. If one prepares for multiple things to go wrong, there will always be something unexpected that goes wrong.  And when you come up with a way to handle it, the solution ends up creating some other problem. 

Which brings us to our 47^th President, Donald J. Trump.  I have already confessed that I voted for him, but with the disclaimer that the Democrats left me no choice other than to not vote at all.  With the exception of securing our southern border, most everything Trump has done has gone wrong.  And in every case, he said it would be “great” and remains in denial that it isn’t.  Trump not only OVER promises and UNDER delivers, he manages to make things worse than they would have been otherwise. 

Reducing government waste is a great idea.  Over promising how much and how soon and then turning Elon Musk and his Whiz Kids loose with an axe when a scalpel would have been more appropriate, is a classic move from the Trump playbook.

Addressing unfair trade practices needed to happen, especially with respect to China.  And we needed better deals with a number of other trading partners.  But across the board tariffs and threats of even more punitive tariff actions was a stupid move.  Even more so, given that it might well be ruled unconstitutional (and was in fact.)

Directing ICE to round up any and all undocumented persons was a fool’s errand. Did we need to focus on the criminals and welfare scammers?  Of course.  But we’ve allowed generations of people enter this country illegally or enter legally and subsequently fail to maintain legal immigration status.  They’ve worked, obeyed the law (other than immigration), raised families and on balance been a net positive for America.  And, now all at once, we’re going to treat them like criminals.  Technically they may be.  Morally, ethically and for that matter, pragmatically they are not.

And then there is Iran.  Dealing with Iran was long overdue.  But this has been a classic “Over Promise-Under Deliver” adventure.  It was never going to be easy.  There are reasons why the world has put up with Iran and their proxies.  Of course, it’s always about oil and here we are again. Then there is Iran’s radicalized version of Islam.  If only 1% of the world’s 2 Billion Muslims hold the most radical beliefs, that’s 20,000,000 people.  Some of those 20,000,000 will gladly give their life for jihad and a fair number of those jihadists are in the United States and Western Europe.  And there has always been the risk that China and or Russia will align themselves with Iran should it come to all-out war.  The truth of the matter is that most Americans and Europeans don’t want to fight that war.  They don’t think it’s worth it, may not be winnable and in the long run will only create more radicalized Muslims.

Too often our leaders Over-Promise and Under-Deliver.  To make it worse they don’t count the cost of things going wrong, and things always go wrong.  So best not to tell the people anything other than how necessary it is and how great it’s going to be.  Don’t mention what might go wrong or what it might cost.  Trump is not the first and he won’t be the last, but for now he is the poster boy for Over Promise-Under Deliver

Thus, history is littered with “Over Promises”.  Wars, Government Programs, Miracle Drugs, The Dallas Cowboys and The Golden Years….are but only a few.

 

 

Disappointment, Regret & Denial…Meet The American Voter

 

To the surprise and dismay of those who missed out on those Civics classes or slept through them, ours is NOT a “direct democracy”.  When one political party warns that the other party represents the “End of Democracy” they really mean the “End of Our Democracy”.  We may indeed be threatened by the “End of Our Democracy” which would result in “End of Our Republic”.  A “direct democracy” is a system where power ultimately resides with the people (which we tend to equate with American “democracy”).  On the other hand, a republic is a form of government where elected representatives govern under a constitution that protects individual and minority rights (whether you agree with them or not.)  Under a majority rule, direct democracy which is essentially “mob rule”, it is unlikely that individual or minority rights would be given much consideration.

Thus, when we vote, we are voting to elect people to represent us according to a constitution, a constitution which may be and has been amended; but only 27 times.  (Over 11000 amendments have been proposed and in a majority rule democracy it is quite likely that many of those would have been ratified…which should scare the hell out of anyone advocating such a system of governance.)

So, you may say, “Well we still vote to elect those who represent us. So ‘we the people’ have the power”.

“We the People” have the power to vote for those whom others allow us to vote for.  Make no mistake, at the national and state level, political parties and the big money behind those political parties select the candidates.  Even the candidates in certain local elections are bought and paid for to become candidates so we can “elect” them.

This is the system we have.  As designed, it’s the best one we civilized keepers of the planet have come up with thus far.  But even our system is victimized by the human lust for power.  Those with lots of money and power, want two things…more money and more power.  And they have found that “influencing” the political process is a great way to get what they want.  The game is rigged and the players like it that way.  Even the losers tend to come away with more money and power than they would have had they never played the game.

So, where does this leave the voters?  Those who take their “right to vote” sit in the upper deck and pick from who is available.  Whether they pick the winners or the losers, most voters end up disappointed, regretful or in denial.  That’s the primary reason politicians spend so much time and money trying to stay in office.  They know they aren’t getting the job done.  If they were in any other business or profession, they would fail very quickly simply based on their inability to deliver a quality product or service.  But that’s not how it works in our system.  And we wonder why so many Americans just don’t bother to vote.

From Beginning To End

 

He woke up and saw a face.

He looked down and saw two hands.

The face belonged to a giant.

The hands he saw were his.

He knew nothing of his life

As he looked into that face,

He screamed and cried for someone to save him from that place.

 

He woke up and saw a woman.

He looked down and saw a tray.

The woman seemed to love him

The tray was full of food.

He looked up and blinked at the woman

And ate most of what was there.

Then he cried again and shit himself, she didn’t seem to care.

 

He woke up and saw a wall

He looked down and saw his desk

The wall contained much writing

The desk just held himself

He looked out the window

And then back at the wall.

He learned quite a lot there, but knew nothing much at all.

 

He woke up and heard people.

He looked down and saw water.

It was clear and up to his chest.

The people said amen, amen.

Buried sins and raised to life

But what life would he choose.

Was he really saved forever or was it something he could lose?

 

He woke up and he was running

He looked around at boys like himself

Running was all they had

And they were mostly happy with it.

But when the running stopped

They drank and then threw up.

They left the bread behind them and just consumed the cup.

 

He woke up and saw a girl.

He reached out and touched her face.

The girl belonged to herself,

Her face belonged to him.

And then he kissed her picture

Before he turned away.

Love is never certain, no matter what they say.

 

He woke up in small dark places.

He flew between each one.

Each place was like the others.

His best years left far behind.

Traveling with a memory,

And never going home.

It’s time that passes quickly, before one knows it’s gone.

 

He woke up in a chair.

He was rocking back and forth.

A dog lay there beside him,

The sun just going down.

A ghost called him for supper.

A shadow led him there.

The dog and man together, such a lonely pair.

 

He woke up and saw a face.

He looked down and saw his hands.

The face belonged to an angel,

Her hand held one of his.

He heard the machines, no voices.

And then he closed his eyes.

As he continued praying and crying as he died.

Notes and Quotes...May The Chaos Continue

 

“Honesty is not treated with empty hands.” Somali proverb

And so it goes thus far in 2026.

_At the top of list, the on-going battle between the I.C.E. Enforcers vs the I.C.E. Watchers.  With plenty of blame to go around, this was never going to end well.  The Watchers need to quit throwing bricks, cease spitting on LEO’s and stay out of the way.  The Enforcers need stop shooting annoying protestors and focus on the illegals who are engaged in serious criminal activity.  Baby steps.

_The Venezuelan “Extraction” was long over-due.  Kudos to the special forces who pulled that one off.

_May I suggest that the NFL owners simply agree that only those four head coaches whose teams get to Conference Championships be allowed to keep their jobs. 

_We can all sleep better now…Greenland has agreed to stop flirting with Russia and China, and allow us to do what we’ve been doing on their behalf for decades as long as we lower the tariffs on Danish clogs.

_Extreme cold weather (yawn) is, of course, being attributed to climate change (yawn).

_Hats off to the Iranian people who have risen up against the Ayatollah. Unfortunately, neither America nor anyone else is coming to save them.  Who would dare stir up the Shiite hornet’s nests which are buzzing throughout the Middle East and around the world?  

“If a battle cannot be won, do not fight it”. -Sun Tzu

_And one last thing…The Winter Olympics (yawn) are about to begin (yawn).  

Snark Hunting

 

In recent times, the word “Snarky” has become a very overused adjective.  Some folks have stopped using the word, opting to just verbally attack those whose sarcastic remarks they find to be offensive. But it’s still a pretty good word to describe much of the tit-for-tat social media commentary one observes.

Interestingly, once upon a time the word “snark” was used in a different context, and with a meaning that remains open to debate.  That mad genius 19^th century author of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, used the word in one of his less well-known works, “The Hunting of The Snark”.  “The Hunting of The Snark”, published in 1876, is a rather long narrative poem describing the voyage of an odd crew of characters who seek the elusive Snark.

The Snark is indeed a strange creature. It tastes “meager and hollow, but crisp”.  It sleeps late, sometimes eating breakfast at 5 pm.  The Snark is slow to “take a jest” and always looks “grave at a pun”.  The creature enjoys a good bath and is full of “ambition”.  Some have feathers and bite, others have whiskers and scratch.  But beware, some Snarks are Boojums. And if the Snark turns out to be a Boojum, the hunter who finds it will vanish, ceasing to exist

The crew may also encounter a Jubjub. The Jubjub is a desperate bird that lives in “perpetual passion”.  Its taste in costume is absurd, but only because it is ages ahead in fashion. It knows any friend even if met only once.  The Jubjub cannot be bribed and will always assist in charitable endeavors, but never actually makes a donation.  And the Jubjub is great to eat, tasting better than “mutton, oysters or eggs.”

It’s a long poem, but worth reading and full of symbolism if one is inclined to think so. What was Lewis Carroll thinking about when he wrote it? Considering Alice in Wonderland and poems like this one, there has always been speculation that he was on drugs. But there is no evidence to support that claim.  He was known to have a glass of sherry on occasion and perhaps like many in this time may have consumed laudanum now and then. Perhaps he was in fact loaded when he was writing. I tend to think not.

In my opinion he was using outrageous characters and wonderful alliteration both satirically and seriously to entertain as well as to make his readers think about life in the British Empire at that time. The age of discovery was coming to an end.  Most of the planet was known and mapped, albeit with some errors and omissions. British aristocrats, wealthy merchants, brave missionaries and hardy adventurers fortunate enough to have sponsors were intent on exploration and fame. Intellectuals were challenging The Church and The Crown with new ideas. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing uplifting some while exploiting others.

Addressing the risks, as well as the opportunities, that came with all of this may well be the point of Carroll’s writing.  And it’s not a far reach to find application in our world today.  There seems to be a good bit of Snark hunting going on and millions of Jubjubs standing behind the ropes waiting to be devoured.  And those on the hunt for a Snark best pray they don’t end up with a Boojum.

“They hunted till darkness came on, but they found

Not a button, or feather, or mark,

By which they could tell that they stood on the ground

Where the Baker had met with the Snark.

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,

In the midst of his laughter and glee,

He had softly and suddenly vanished away…

For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.”

-Lewis Carroll, from “The Hunting of the Snark”

Wrong Place, Right Time

 

Recently I had something happen that left me asking questions for which there are no answers this side of heaven. 

I was driving into Dallas for a routine follow-up appointment with a doctor; nothing life threatening other than driving in Dallas traffic.  I’m in the inside lane southbound on 75 in McKinney and going about 80 MPH which is the minimum for inside lane travel on 75.  A Prius (yes a Prius) blows by me on the right side going at least 100, dodging in and out of traffic.  They cut in front of a car ahead of me, almost clipping the front bumper. 

A few minutes later the crazy Prius is back in the middle lane and decides to jump back to the inside lane this time causing the car in front of me to slam on their brakes and swerve.  At this point they lost control and the car went all over the place almost flipping over completely.  Somehow the driver regained control and ended up at a dead stop sideways across the inside lane.  This all happened in a matter of seconds.

I came to a stop less than 10 feet from the driver’s passenger door.  A young woman was watching the big black Ram pickup to see if it was going to plow into her vehicle.  When I stopped she looked down, still clutching the steering wheel.  The cars behind me had stopped…those in the lanes to the right were still slowly rolling by.  I was about to get out and check on her when I saw she gathered herself and started looking to see what she needed to do to get turned back around.  Fortunately, a car in the lane next to us stopped traffic allowing her to back up and get going.  Then the wave of cars seemed to part. She was able to cross all the way over and safely exit.   

 So why do I say I was in the wrong place?  It turned out that I had screwed up on the time for my appointment.  I was an hour early.  Otherwise, I would not have been behind this young woman.  She might have had someone else like me behind her who maintains a safe distance and isn’t texting or eating breakfast as they speed down the highway.   But more than likely, she would have had someone following too close and not paying attention until it was too late.  I was pumping my brakes to get the attention of those behind me and doing everything I could to stop before running into her; or perhaps worse yet swerving into the lane to my right and setting off an even larger chain reaction accident.

Someone else could have been there.  But I was.  And this time it worked out.  I am no hero, just an old man driving too fast but paying attention.  I said a special prayer that night for the young woman who was, in fact, a hero; and one helluva of a driver.  I am further convinced that someone else was with her that day….and I suppose with me as well.  

Metanoia

 

It’s that time of year when resolutions are made.  When we make commitments to do better and be better.  Workout, eat healthy, lose weight, get more sleep, reduce time spent scrolling on the smart phone, read books, listen more, talk less, go to church, study the bible, pray, mend fences, save money, stop cursing, give up alcohol, learn a new language, clean up the garage, say you’re sorry and mean it. 

Pick one or more of these and just do it, right? This year it’s going to be different, you’re serious. But in a matter of weeks, or in a couple of months if you were really serious, old habits and patterns of behavior creep back into your life. Resolutions are revised, goalposts get moved and motivation fades.

Often Christians treat repentance like resolutions.  We feel guilty about something bad we’ve been doing or something good left undone.   As with resolutions, repentance tends to be pretty much hit or miss, mostly miss.  But ultimately our sins will find us out and betray us. We might claim to “hate” sin, but mostly we hate other peoples’ sins. We may even claim to “hate” some of our own sins.  But until we see them clearly and completely, we will keep going back for more.  Even after our sins have harmed us or the people we love, we make excuses and drift back into them.

The Greek word “metanoia” is found throughout the New Testament. It translates as repent or repentance and literally means “a change of mind”.  Christians tend to find themselves in a vicious cycle of changing their minds: turning away from sin and then returning to it. Even the great Apostle Paul found himself struggling: “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7: 18b-19

He then goes on to say, “But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is the sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7: 20

While it may sound like Paul is letting himself off the hook, he’s actually making the point that as long as we are in these earthly bodies we will forever struggle with sin. He goes on to say, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” Romans 7: 25.

What Paul is not saying is to just give up and give in to your sinful nature. It is a war that we’ll be fighting as long as we live. But we can win a few more battles if we are honest about our sins and, more importantly, the consequences of those sins. By the grace of God, we have eternal salvation but make no mistake our sins are still doing damage in the here and now and will be judged in the hereafter.  So perhaps it’s never too late to try a bit of “metanoia.”…and mean it this time.

It's Another Brown Christmas in Texas

(TO THE TUNE OF WHITE CHRISTMAS...I CAN HEAR BING CROSBY NOW)

 

I’m dreading a Brown Christmas

Just like the ones all Texans know.

Where the wind is blowin’

But it ain’t snowin’…

Just one big turd wrapped in a bow.

 

I’m dreading a Brown Christmas

With every gift card that I send.

I will go where snow can be found,

For this Christmas here in Texas will be Brown.

Worth Reading Again

 

“To believe in personal responsibility would be to destroy the whole special role of the anointed, whose vision cast them in the role of rescuers of people treated unfairly by “society”. – Thomas Sowell, The Vision of the Anointed” - 1995

“Today it is the elites…those who control the international flow of money and information, preside over philanthropic foundations and institutions of higher learning, manage the instruments of cultural production and thus set the terms of public debate—that have lost faith in the values, or what remains of them, of the West.”- Christopher Lasch, “Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy” - 1995

Thomas Sowell’s “The Vision of the Anointed” and Christopher Lasch’s “The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy” were both published in 1995.  If you have never read them, you should.  If you have read them, you should read them again.  What they wrote in 1995 was true then and even more so now.

Lasch describes the Elites (whom Sowell calls the “Anointed”) as “rootless” world citizens with no sense of responsibility or commitment to their communities. He suggested that globalization had resulted in an “elite class” having little or no engagement with local communities, focused more on personal gain and power. He argues that the Elites had abandoned moral values; relying more on a “self-esteem” rooted in higher education and wealth.  

In “The Vision of the Anointed”, Thomas Sowell describes the Anointed as the intellectuals, politicians and activists who believe they know what’s best for society, but whose policies tend to ignore real-world evidence and result in negative outcomes.  He provides specific examples of policies promoted by the “Anointed” which have made things worse for families, lowered the quality of education and increased criminal activity.

In different ways, both Lasch and Sowell warned us in 1995 that Western Civilization in general and America in particular were headed in the wrong direction. Now some thirty years on, their warnings ignored, we have continued the steady march downhill.  Christopher Lasch is long passed on, sadly dying before the “Revolt” was published.  Thomas Sowell, now in his late 90’s, remains sharp of mind and wit but no doubt has grown tired of saying I told you so.

The Can Kicks Back

 

Politicians love slogans and one-liners.  “It’s the economy, stupid.” “Make America Great Again.”  “Hope and Change”.  “Don’t Stop Believin’”.  “No Kings.”  “(blank) is a Threat to Democracy”.  “Ask not what your country can do for you…”  “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”.  And it goes on and on as far back as one chooses to go.

 

However, these politicians who love slogans don’t care much about reality. Confronting real problems and what it’s going to take to solve them may not keep them in office very long.  So, they make sure they say and do whatever it takes to stay in office; assuring us that one of these days they will get around to solving problems.   

 

Up until now this song and dance has worked pretty well for many of our politicians.  But eventually the problems become overwhelming.  People begin to realize that the government cannot or will not solve them. And no matter whom they vote for things keep getting worse.  

 

The most pressing problems for most Americans are Housing, Healthcare and Education. These are so upside down it will take years, certainly more years than an election cycle, to set right.  And that’s a big problem in itself.  Politicians live for the next election. They are reluctant to risk their careers on programs that are likely to alienate lobbyists and special interests; especially when the beneficial outcomes of those programs are both uncertain and more than a year or two away.

 

In other words, it’s going to take courage and sacrifice to properly address the crises in Housing, Healthcare and Education.  At this point the only people displaying any courage and sacrifice are those who cannot afford these things. Those with the money, position and power to solve the problems are likely to continue kicking the can down the road until the can kicks back.  Indeed we seem to be getting very close to that point.

Commentarii et Sententiae IV...I’ll Take Cleveland.

 

_When one thought the bar could not get much lower, the United States Congress has managed to lower it even further by digging a deeper hole.  The record-breaking shutdown of our federal government is just another sad chapter in the story of an ever- failing legislative body. The latest survey shows the country is divided (no surprise) on who to blame for the shutdown.  35% blame Republicans, 32% blame Democrats, 28% blame both parties and 5% blame “Other”.  I’m in the 5%.  I blame “we the people”.  We voted for these yahoos and those who don’t vote are no less guilty.

 

_Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming the 21^st Century’s “Easy Button”.  Much has been written about the impact AI will have on how we work, how we solve problems, how we communicate and perhaps most ominously, how we think. Every major step forward comes with both a blessing and a curse.  The Reformation and the printing press totally disrupted and transformed Christian Europe.  It spawned wars and revivals; and played no small part in the migration of millions of Europeans to the Americas.  The Industrial Revolution transformed manufacturing, agriculture and how we do battle.  It also elevated the power of capital and drove labor to organize in self-defense.  Without the Industrial Revolution there likely would have been no World Wars, no Holocaust and certainly no weapons of mass destruction. The Digital Revolution was another leap forward, totally transforming how we live today from the way things were when us older folks were growing up. The Digital Revolution opened the door to AI and now there is no turning back.  It is up to us to adapt, adjust and overcome.

 

_And finally, there is New York, New York.  I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.  So now New York City has a Social Democrat (in reality a Marxist) mayor.  It will be interesting to see how Mr. Mamdani runs New York City.  It will be even more interesting to see how many other Mamdani-like candidates run for other offices around the country. And there are several other cities, congressional districts and perhaps even a state or two where a Mamdani could win. Tennessee Williams, the great American playwright and screenwriter once said America has only three great cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans; and everything else is just Cleveland.  These days, I’ll take Cleveland.