Today's posting may seem callous, callow, and, perhaps, insensitive, but I am going to ask the rhetorical question: Where is humanity's collective perspective?
As of late, the news' crawl has informed us that famous people have died, a jilted young woman has found romance....yet again, two selfish people with lots of children are taking a break, a white-collar thief received legal punishment, politicians have been unfaithful to their spouses and constituents, and Mr. and Mrs. Famous have had yet another spat.
And then there is the soldier in Iraq that is/was on his third tour of duty, recovered from a previous duty-related wound, proudly serving his country, whose vehicle was attacked and, it is reported, has lost both legs and, instead of fighting for his country is now fighting for his life. Sadly, this is an all-too-familiar story that we hear almost daily.
Has our collective consciousness become so immune to these stories that we, instead, focus more on the deaths (however sad and untimely) of famous people, their estate spats and will-searches? Or, is it that the stories and pictures of war are so horrific that we escape in the trivial news that is placed before us?
I certainly do not have an answer and I am most certainly not vaccinated against the pursuit of trivial information.
What I am, at this moment, is ashamed and embarrassed of myself. I need to examine my perspective with a different perspective.
Ancora imparo
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Just What Constitues A Problem?
Discussions, news programs and phone calls today prompted me to consider just what is a problem?
Periodically, it is most certainly 'human' to feel as if we are besieged with problems. I know I have succumbed to that feeling. Fortunately, as a rule, my problems are of an insignificant nature when I survey the grand scheme of life. Today was no exception. I realized, once again, that the issues I was considering as problematic were simply a blip on the problem horizon.
In less than twelve hours, here are life issues for others I learned about that put my life issues in perspective:
The inability to get in and out of a car without extreme pain.
The sudden loss of a job.
The planned departure of a job and accompanying loss of income.
A growing sense of isolation from others.
The loss of both legs.
A devastating change of heart from a 'birth mother'.
Even though the above list is relatively short, its import is not lost on me. I do have much to be thankful for, elated about, and grateful for.
I hope, on this day and every day, that you can say the same thing.
Ancora imparo
Periodically, it is most certainly 'human' to feel as if we are besieged with problems. I know I have succumbed to that feeling. Fortunately, as a rule, my problems are of an insignificant nature when I survey the grand scheme of life. Today was no exception. I realized, once again, that the issues I was considering as problematic were simply a blip on the problem horizon.
In less than twelve hours, here are life issues for others I learned about that put my life issues in perspective:
The inability to get in and out of a car without extreme pain.
The sudden loss of a job.
The planned departure of a job and accompanying loss of income.
A growing sense of isolation from others.
The loss of both legs.
A devastating change of heart from a 'birth mother'.
Even though the above list is relatively short, its import is not lost on me. I do have much to be thankful for, elated about, and grateful for.
I hope, on this day and every day, that you can say the same thing.
Ancora imparo
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Long and Winding Road
The past forty-eight hours has held so many different conversations in so many places that my head is spinning.
The long and winding road has taken us from the birth of a new grandchild (BCH), to a crowded grocery store filled with hurried, harried shoppers - all scurrying to get to their cars before the threatening-looking sky let loose, to a celebration of a ten-year ministry serving one congregation, to encounters with good friends, to the high school graduation open house for a young woman who has her life before her, to an hour-long chat with strangers who were surprisingly easy to visit with and, finally, back to home base where tasks were plentiful and abundant.
The weather has been just about as varied, with scorchingly hot temperatures accompanied by equally high humidity levels that made your air passages feel as if they had been attacked by cotton candy webs and now today's moderate temps with low humidity and brisk winds, giving the feeling of being lakeside at a cottage.
Conversations have run the gamut, too.
Discussions about diapers and bodily-waste elimination, to boating and the weather, to laundry methods and products, to a church mission trip and the intended recipients' desires to improve their surroundings, to post high school plans, to high school pranks and activities, to beer production, to home sales, to the sluggish economy's effect on the recreational-vehicle industry, to why a casserole took so long to cook in the oven, to why a married public official with children would take off for multiple days and not tell anyone where he was going, to how a fifty-year old was really old (ouch, that one hurt!). Whew!
My head is spinning, my heart is strangely warmed, my sinuses a bit clearer, my belly waaaaaaay to full, and my eyelids are becoming droopy.
It is a bit early. Maybe that remark about fifty-year olds wasn't that far off?
I told a friend today that for the past seventy-two hours I had played like a three-year old but last night I slept like a one-hundred-and-three-year old.
Hmmm, Rip Van Winkle......................
Ancora imparo
The long and winding road has taken us from the birth of a new grandchild (BCH), to a crowded grocery store filled with hurried, harried shoppers - all scurrying to get to their cars before the threatening-looking sky let loose, to a celebration of a ten-year ministry serving one congregation, to encounters with good friends, to the high school graduation open house for a young woman who has her life before her, to an hour-long chat with strangers who were surprisingly easy to visit with and, finally, back to home base where tasks were plentiful and abundant.
The weather has been just about as varied, with scorchingly hot temperatures accompanied by equally high humidity levels that made your air passages feel as if they had been attacked by cotton candy webs and now today's moderate temps with low humidity and brisk winds, giving the feeling of being lakeside at a cottage.
Conversations have run the gamut, too.
Discussions about diapers and bodily-waste elimination, to boating and the weather, to laundry methods and products, to a church mission trip and the intended recipients' desires to improve their surroundings, to post high school plans, to high school pranks and activities, to beer production, to home sales, to the sluggish economy's effect on the recreational-vehicle industry, to why a casserole took so long to cook in the oven, to why a married public official with children would take off for multiple days and not tell anyone where he was going, to how a fifty-year old was really old (ouch, that one hurt!). Whew!
My head is spinning, my heart is strangely warmed, my sinuses a bit clearer, my belly waaaaaaay to full, and my eyelids are becoming droopy.
It is a bit early. Maybe that remark about fifty-year olds wasn't that far off?
I told a friend today that for the past seventy-two hours I had played like a three-year old but last night I slept like a one-hundred-and-three-year old.
Hmmm, Rip Van Winkle......................
Ancora imparo
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thoughts From the Garden
Over the past few days, I had the opportunity to spend a little time gardening, which is an activity I used to indulge in on a regular basis, years ago. This garden area was not large but had quite a few weeds that had taken up residence over the past weeks. Recent heavy rains had washed out some seeds and seedling plants but many tomato and pepper plants had survived. All that was needed was the removal of the weeds, a little working up of the soil and the fledgling plants would be able to thrive.
During the first weeding session I had some very pleasant company and conversation as two grandmas weeded together. We laughed, groaned a little and lamented that we didn't get up from a kneeling position as quickly as we once did. We attacked the weeds with fervor, enthusiasm and quite a bit of energy, considering the heat and humidity. Of the three descriptors, two remained and one ebbed.....just a bit. I'll leave it to the reader's imagination as to which one of the three disappeared faster than the others.
The next weeding session found my co-grandma busy inside helping out and I headed outside, determined to make a further dent in the weed population. I intended to only weed a short while but with the removal of each weed, I became possessed to eradicate all weeds from the face of the earth and became a weeding fiend. If the weed couldn't be pulled by hand then I chopped and chopped with a hoe-like instrument. Soon I discovered that hoeing and chopping at the hard earth was very therapeutic and I would chop with more determination. Even after I left the garden area, I could not walk past a weed anywhere on the property without bending over to pluck it from the ground.
Now, if you know anything about weeding and gardening, you will be aware that you spend a lot of time on your knees or possibly bending over at the waist for extended periods of time. Because it had been years since I had done any substantive gardening, my body was not quite used to the positions that I coaxed and cajoled it into. All I can say is that it seemed like a good idea at the time. In fact, I was quite proud of myself outside doing all those contortion moves......and at my age!
What I did discover is that there are muscles hidden deep within the body. Muscles that I have never heard of, cannot possibly pronounce, and never realized that my skeleton even had these muscles attached to it.
Here are some other points of self-discovery that came while in the garden:
I think Henry David Thoreau would be inspired by my garden-inspirations, don't you?
Ancora imparo
During the first weeding session I had some very pleasant company and conversation as two grandmas weeded together. We laughed, groaned a little and lamented that we didn't get up from a kneeling position as quickly as we once did. We attacked the weeds with fervor, enthusiasm and quite a bit of energy, considering the heat and humidity. Of the three descriptors, two remained and one ebbed.....just a bit. I'll leave it to the reader's imagination as to which one of the three disappeared faster than the others.
The next weeding session found my co-grandma busy inside helping out and I headed outside, determined to make a further dent in the weed population. I intended to only weed a short while but with the removal of each weed, I became possessed to eradicate all weeds from the face of the earth and became a weeding fiend. If the weed couldn't be pulled by hand then I chopped and chopped with a hoe-like instrument. Soon I discovered that hoeing and chopping at the hard earth was very therapeutic and I would chop with more determination. Even after I left the garden area, I could not walk past a weed anywhere on the property without bending over to pluck it from the ground.
Now, if you know anything about weeding and gardening, you will be aware that you spend a lot of time on your knees or possibly bending over at the waist for extended periods of time. Because it had been years since I had done any substantive gardening, my body was not quite used to the positions that I coaxed and cajoled it into. All I can say is that it seemed like a good idea at the time. In fact, I was quite proud of myself outside doing all those contortion moves......and at my age!
What I did discover is that there are muscles hidden deep within the body. Muscles that I have never heard of, cannot possibly pronounce, and never realized that my skeleton even had these muscles attached to it.
Here are some other points of self-discovery that came while in the garden:
- I really enjoy weed removal.
- Removing weeds from the ground is symbolic for removing weeds from life.
- Whacking the ground with a hoe is fun.
- You should keep your toes a safe distance from the hoe.
- Flies bite through cloth.
- When you bend over most of the time there is one large part of the body readily available for flies to bite.
- Some spiders jump.
- Other spiders get in your hair.
- Ants crawl anywhere they like.
- Flannel works best for wiping sweat from your eyes.
- Grandsons like to spray grandmas with the hose.
- Grandmas like to be sprayed with the hose by their grandsons.
I think Henry David Thoreau would be inspired by my garden-inspirations, don't you?
Ancora imparo
Friday, June 26, 2009
Day Two Petting Zoo
TLV, I, and my SO took the morning off from Bahbee duties and went to a petting zoo sponsored by a local city park system. BCH, her mom and grandma went for a new bahbee check-up. Papa Bear biked off to his last day of class.
The petting zoo was a great adventure for TLV even though the temperature was beastly hot. The three of us sought shade at every opportunity, as did the animals. The donkey was the smartest. He found a slice of shade plus a fence to lean against as he rested from the heat wave. The water fowl were all in water - gee, what a surprise! The koi and goldfish had the perfect place to chill.
TLV made a horsey-face mask for his craft and was having great fun designing a second mask when the bell rang for treat time and he was off. Multi-colored, fish-shaped crackers were a hit and he went back for seconds and thirds. Story-time was a hoot as the reader began with an audience of about forty listeners and by the time she finished the second book, her audience had dwindled to zero.
The actual petting part of the zoo didn't quite go as planned because the young calf decided to become very frisky which, in turn, made the pygmy goats become frisky as well. The children had to leave the petting pen while the wayward calf was shepherded out for the safety of the children. Once the calf made his exit, the goats settled down and all was well.
We three left the petting-zoo park over-heated but happy. The automobile's air conditioning was a lifesaver as we went home to more air conditioning AND BCH.
Ah, a grand morning with a grandchild. Is there anything better?
Ancora imparo
The petting zoo was a great adventure for TLV even though the temperature was beastly hot. The three of us sought shade at every opportunity, as did the animals. The donkey was the smartest. He found a slice of shade plus a fence to lean against as he rested from the heat wave. The water fowl were all in water - gee, what a surprise! The koi and goldfish had the perfect place to chill.
TLV made a horsey-face mask for his craft and was having great fun designing a second mask when the bell rang for treat time and he was off. Multi-colored, fish-shaped crackers were a hit and he went back for seconds and thirds. Story-time was a hoot as the reader began with an audience of about forty listeners and by the time she finished the second book, her audience had dwindled to zero.
The actual petting part of the zoo didn't quite go as planned because the young calf decided to become very frisky which, in turn, made the pygmy goats become frisky as well. The children had to leave the petting pen while the wayward calf was shepherded out for the safety of the children. Once the calf made his exit, the goats settled down and all was well.
We three left the petting-zoo park over-heated but happy. The automobile's air conditioning was a lifesaver as we went home to more air conditioning AND BCH.
Ah, a grand morning with a grandchild. Is there anything better?
Ancora imparo
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Sheeeeeeeeee's Here!
Scene One of my screen play:
BGH has arrived, although her initials are now BCH. As I described in my earlier synopsis, she is a great beauty and all who see her are instantly smitten with her charm and personality. She spent a great deal of her visit with all this morning with her eyes open, watching everyone who held her very intently.
The highlight of the morning's tete a tete was her conversation with her brother, TLV, who delighted in holding her, showering her with kisses and singing to her. While he was crooning tunes, she returned the favor with vocalizations of her own. She never closed her eyes, preferring to look intently into the eyes of whomever was holding her, or looking over the room, taking in every detail.
Her mother and father have remained constantly at her side, monitoring her every need and desire. Soon she will leave the safety and quietude of the hospital and make the trip home to join the family, once a three-person unit, now a four.
Of course, she is perfect in every way and detail. Her new life has begun. May the wind be always at her back, the sun always in her face, the rain fall softly upon her fields, and may the good Lord always hold her safely in the palm of His hand.
Ancora imparo
BGH has arrived, although her initials are now BCH. As I described in my earlier synopsis, she is a great beauty and all who see her are instantly smitten with her charm and personality. She spent a great deal of her visit with all this morning with her eyes open, watching everyone who held her very intently.
The highlight of the morning's tete a tete was her conversation with her brother, TLV, who delighted in holding her, showering her with kisses and singing to her. While he was crooning tunes, she returned the favor with vocalizations of her own. She never closed her eyes, preferring to look intently into the eyes of whomever was holding her, or looking over the room, taking in every detail.
Her mother and father have remained constantly at her side, monitoring her every need and desire. Soon she will leave the safety and quietude of the hospital and make the trip home to join the family, once a three-person unit, now a four.
Of course, she is perfect in every way and detail. Her new life has begun. May the wind be always at her back, the sun always in her face, the rain fall softly upon her fields, and may the good Lord always hold her safely in the palm of His hand.
Ancora imparo
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Attempting Hospitality
My SO and I have an uninvited guest residing somewhere outdoors. I discovered 'it' last night when I was stepping in the bushes, pulling weeds, as I have been doing on a regular basis. Keeping this task in the present tense will be a challenge for a while.
You see, after I'd been wading about, here and there, happily reaching down into the soil, pulling weeds out by their roots, I heard a sudden rustling by my feet. Surprised, I immediately looked down to see the last foot and a half of a fairly wide-diameter snake slither by. His (I've decided it must be a he.) movement ceased when I stepped back or when he heard my sharp intake of air. I stood still and watched the snake for a few seconds. It moved a little more, then curled up in the density of the bushes. During the time I ran inside to tell my SO of our visitor, the snake had disappeared. We looked and looked but to no avail. Now we have a real snake in the grass.
I will attempt continued and cordial hospitality for this uninvited guest because I know the snake is not poisonous. Well, I'm fairly certain the snake is not poisonous???? and I know that snakes are helpful in terms of rodent control and heaven knows we have an over-abundance of ground squirrels and chipmunks. But - it does make me a bit more leery of simply walking about in my shrubs and idly pulling weeds. It also doesn't help that my SO first informed me that the type of snake we think it is will 'charge' after a person if it feels threatened. He later told me he was kidding but it is a thought I will keep parked in my cerebrum.
On the other hand, maybe I'll just let the weeds grow.
I think I'll slither out of my chair now and go hiss at someone or something.
Ancora imparo
You see, after I'd been wading about, here and there, happily reaching down into the soil, pulling weeds out by their roots, I heard a sudden rustling by my feet. Surprised, I immediately looked down to see the last foot and a half of a fairly wide-diameter snake slither by. His (I've decided it must be a he.) movement ceased when I stepped back or when he heard my sharp intake of air. I stood still and watched the snake for a few seconds. It moved a little more, then curled up in the density of the bushes. During the time I ran inside to tell my SO of our visitor, the snake had disappeared. We looked and looked but to no avail. Now we have a real snake in the grass.
I will attempt continued and cordial hospitality for this uninvited guest because I know the snake is not poisonous. Well, I'm fairly certain the snake is not poisonous???? and I know that snakes are helpful in terms of rodent control and heaven knows we have an over-abundance of ground squirrels and chipmunks. But - it does make me a bit more leery of simply walking about in my shrubs and idly pulling weeds. It also doesn't help that my SO first informed me that the type of snake we think it is will 'charge' after a person if it feels threatened. He later told me he was kidding but it is a thought I will keep parked in my cerebrum.
On the other hand, maybe I'll just let the weeds grow.
I think I'll slither out of my chair now and go hiss at someone or something.
Ancora imparo
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