Busy

     My wife came into my office this morning and asked me what I was doing just sitting in front of my computer starring at the screen.  “I’m busy writing my blog post for today!”  I thought: how dare she ask what I was doing when it was very painfully clear that I was working on my blog.  I was BUSY!

     She gave me a smile, lightly tapped me on the shoulder (you guys know that easy pat), and said as she then left the room: “I’d think if you were working on the blog post your fingers would be moving across the keyboard and words would be appearing on the blank page of the screen.”

     People!  It’s amazing to me how some people cannot understand the process you have to go through to get the thoughts collected in your mind and then make the words flow into the tips of your fingers so you can type them onto the blank page.

     This is a very tiring and tedious process.  It takes much time and effort to work yourself through this process.  This is especially true when the words do not automatically come to your mind just by sitting in front of the computer.    

     So I thought for a moment and then it came to me: Why don’t I put my process down on “paper” and post it as one of my blogs?  That is what I am going to do today.  Now you may read over this process and think: That’s NOT the way I would do it!  That’s fine.  You’re not writing this blog and these are not the steps that you take to put your process into reality.  I’m just going to tell you how I do it!  You can modify the process to fit your style any way you’d like.

1.       I think of my subject.  What am I going to write about?  This almost sounds too simple, but in all honesty you can’t just start putting words on a page and hope they turn into a brilliant article that you can use on your blog.  Although this is exactly how some people do it and it seems to work for them.  But it doesn’t work for me!  I have to know what I’m going to write about and the subject has to hit my mind with WOW!  I like that!

2.      Next I would have to think of HOW am I going to approach the subject.  There could be some reasons to simply look at a subject from a review type situation.  Or perhaps I would want to consider doing an update on current information available about that subject.  It could be that I only want to give my opinion of that particular topic.  There are many ways that a subject could be approached.  You must give this consideration before you begin to words on your page.

3.      Dependent upon the results of the first two points I may have to do some research as my next consideration.  The subject may not be very familiar to me or it might be that the way I want to approach the subject needs some factual information to substantiate the points that I will be including in my blog article.  And it is very possible that after I do some of this research I may decide this is NOT a topic that I want to write about anyway!

4.      After reviewing the research you must determine what material you will keep and use and what material will be “thrown away”.  Actually I often decide to keep all the material because there may be some that I could use in a future article for the blog.

5.      Putting all the information in order.  You have the take the information you have and then develop a logical, coherent development process so that it all makes sense.  If your reader comes to the end of your discussion and (scratching their head) says:  “What the heck is this all about?”  Or maybe some other words that have the same meaning.  Then you have not done the job you are suppose to be doing when writing your article.

6.      After these items comes the really hard part:  REVIEW – REVIEW – REVIEW!  You have gone through these things over and over within your mind.  It all makes sense to you!  Who wouldn’t want to read this brilliant piece of literature that you have produced!   You have to remember that those reading your blog post (or article wherever it is published) are seeing it for the FIRST time!  They didn’t go through all this process with you.  You have to “take them by the hand” as it were and lead them to the conclusion that you are trying to make with your written words.  That’s not always easy to do.  Sometimes I find it better to write the article or post and set it aside for a few days and then pick it up and read it fresh.  You may be surprised at the different opinion you have of your article by doing this.  But if you’ve followed your process (whatever works for you) then you will find success at the end of the article.

     This is just a brief summation of how I write the posts for my blog.  Like I said, this works for some and others have their own method.  The point is to have a procedure in place that works for you and make sure you follow that procedure each time to completion.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Never be too busy to care for the

needs of those you love."

Injustice

       To make the comment that there are injustices in the world today is almost an understatement.  It doesn’t matter where you look they are occurring.  Sadly the injustice is “man-made” to serve the specific agenda of someone or some party so that they can gain the upper hand in a situation.

     Consider as one example the Roman Empire.  The influence of the Roman Empire on western civilization was profound in its lasting contributions to virtually every aspect of the western culture.  However to provide the vast expansion and development of the Empire the constant factor was the use of slavery.  Slavery was an ever-present feature of the Roman world. Slaves served in households, agriculture, mines, the military, manufacturing workshops, construction and a wide range of services within the city. As many as 1 in 3 of the population in Italy or 1 in 5 across the empire were slaves and upon this foundation of forced labor was built the entire complex system of beliefs of the Roman state and society.

     You cannot deny that there were social injustices under the Nazi regime with the Holocaust but one often overlooks the impact that the Nazis had on German society.  Adolf Hitler and the Nazis left behind a stigma that is attached to German history and has an influence upon its people even today.  Nazism was terrible and left a “black mark” upon the history of Germany.  Many today are still appalled by the insinuation that even now they (as a person) may be defined by what happened in their country decades ago.

     Examples of injustice in the world today include the oppression of cultural and religious groups throughout the world, widespread economic and social inequality, the infanticide of baby girls in India and China, violence against women, and unequal access to medical care, legal protection, and education just to name a few.  We could all probably think of other things that are solely an injustice whether it affects us individually or as part of a group.

     Some of these matters could be corrected or at least reduced if only people could work together for the betterment of humankind.  But we don’t see that happening.  Take as another example people in various countries starving because of a lack of food.  However, in many of these areas like Ethiopia, Haiti, and India (as well as others) the food is there.  But it rots on the docks because of politics.  The people never get the food they need!

    This is a sad expression of man dominating his fellow man to his injury.  We make selections on various applications:  What race do you belong to?  There are many different possible choices; however, I never see the choice for being part of the HUMAN race!  When will we ever learn that we are ONE people?  We face the same problems, have the same joys, we look forward to the same chances for peace and happiness.  Why can’t we help each other and not become the very injustices that we deplore?

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"When one member of your body hurts, 

the entire body hurts.  Don't be the cause

of self-inflicted wounds."

The Question

     From the moment of our birth into this world we are a very curious creature.  We begin to explore our surroundings by the only means we know: feeling the textures of the substances around us.  And soon we want to know what everything tastes like.  All objects that we can grasp go right to our mouth.  This includes many things that we should never put into our mouths but they go there anyway.

     We are so inquisitive about our surroundings that soon we find ourselves capable of uttering speech and we begin to ask that parent terrifying question:  WHY?  We want to know.  Our parents begin to instruct us with information we will need as we progress in this growing pattern called life.  Do this --- WHY?  Don’t do that --- WHY?  Everything they put to us is questioned.

     In time as our vocabulary grows we find that we can structure more involved questions.  But they are still with the purpose of wanting to better understand ourselves and the surroundings that we are living in.  Why is the sky blue?  What are the lights in the sky at night?  Why is the grass green?  And many other such questions!

     As our youth continues we tend to ponder the universe around us with even more complex questions.  What is the sun?  How do the orbits of planets work?  Why do chemical reactions of items respond the way they do?  It seems like the questions will never end.

     When we begin to enter our adulthood the questions will often become more personal and again very complex.  Who am I?  Why am I here?  What is the purpose of life?  Why do we grow old?  Why do we die?  What happens after death?  And there are many more.  These are questions that we really need to know the answers to if our future is to have any real meaning.

     But what usually happens?  We get to the point where we can’t find satisfying answers to these questions.  Or by asking them we are told that we are not suppose to know the answers.  We are only to believe what we are told and to stop asking these difficult questions.  So in time most of us do just that!  We no longer ask questions.  Sometimes we don’t ask any questions at all but merely “go with the flow” as the expression goes.  We accept what we are told without any consideration that maybe there is a different answer:  An answer that we can find to satisfy the burning questions within our mind and heart.

     For many years people believed the world was flat (sadly many still do today).  But it was discovered that it is flat.  That discovery is most commonly ascribed to the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, while the credit for proving it is usually given to Aristotle.  So it was in 1519 that Magellan set sail from Spain in an effort to circumnavigate the globe and he is usually given credit for doing so.  However, Magellan died before the trip was completed.  So, in fact, he did not complete the intended voyage.  You may want to do a little more research on this subject.  But if these individuals didn’t question the current perceived notion of a flat earth we may never have known.

     You can imagine the same in other fields of science, medicine, space, travel, and so on.  Without those who would question the concepts of the day we may never be privy to many of the advances that we have today.

     All our lives we need to question. We need to reach out for the satisfying answers that we deserve to know.  We should never stop looking at situations and asking WHY?

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The only dumb question 

is the one you don't ask!"

Memories

     Now that the days are getting longer (and hotter!) you may find yourself with some extra hours left at the end of the day.  I know that seems a bit farfetched but it could happen.  What are you going to do with all that extra time?

     I’ve found that spending some of it just relaxing and reviewing your life might be very enjoyable.  You can think of many various things that have happened in your life and recall how you responded or how you felt about the situation.  What I find extremely relaxing is remembering old friends or family members that you haven’t seen in a long while or perhaps now they have died, but you can recall many pleasant moments with them while they were alive.

     What I’ve been trying to do lately is think back to the time of the oldest things I can recall in my life.  Perhaps it was a vacation, or other trip, or maybe some important event in your life.  You may be surprised at what you might remember.  Of course, it would later be nice if you had another person who shared that moment or event with you and see if they remember it the way that you do.  This too may be enjoyable as you “compare notes” on the matter.

     Sometimes you will find that there are certain events that you can recall with great detail and clarity and others you can barely remember at all.  Why our minds work that way is probably a mystery to most, but it does.  My wife and I find that she can recall certain events with much greater detail than I can.  She will describe a meal we had a restaurant many years ago.  She’ll name the restaurant, what she was wearing, what I was wearing, why we went to that place on that date, what she had to eat, what I had to eat, and so on:  I, on the other hand, kind of remember being at the restaurant!

     There’s a great song that highlights this very point.  It was entitled “I Remember It Well”.  The first performance of this song was in 1958 by Maurice Chevalier and Hermoine Gingold.  The first recording was by Hank Jones in 1958.  Many other performers did a rendition of this song, but the most popular version was done by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme in 1960.  The lyrics are included below, but if you’d like to hear them sing it do a “Google search” of “I Remember It Well” and you can find a selection.

Translation in progress. Please wait...

We met at nine, we met at eight, I was on time, no, you were late
Ah, yes, I remember it well
We dined with friends, we dined alone, a tenor sang, a baritone
Ah, yes, I remember it well

That dazzling April moon, there was none that night
And the month was June, that's right, that's right
It warms my heart to know that you remember still the way you do
Ah, yes, I remember it well

How often I've thought of that Friday, Monday night
When we had our last rendezvous
And somehow I foolishly wondered if you might
By some chance be thinking of it too?

That carriage ride, you walked me home
You lost a glove, aha, it was a comb
Ah, yes, I remember it well
That brilliant sky, we had some rain
Those Russian songs from sunny Spain
Ah, yes, I remember it well

You wore a gown of gold, I was all in blue
Am I getting old? Oh, no, not you
How strong you were, how young and gay
A prince of love in every way
Ah, yes, I remember it well

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QUOTE TO REMEMBER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"May our lives be more than they actually are

so that others will remember us as we hope to be."

Trying Times

     In today’s world it is hard to find someone who does not have to face some type of trying situation.  It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, male or female, “upper crust” of society or in the lower economic standings, whatever your position in this world or whatever standard you use to measure it, you have to face the trying circumstances of this system.

     If you are young there are difficulties in school that you must contend with.  Even the sad reality of not knowing if you attend classes on any given day if you will return home alive or be part of a school shooting!  You never truly know with complete assurance that the fellow student beside you in your class is not going to erupt into a nightmarish personality and begin doing unthinkable things.  And if things aren’t that bad at school many continue to deal with the “bully” problem.  This has led to more suicides in recent years than I would like to mention.  The young girls in particular have to deal with the “image” aspect from their peers as well as the whole of society that is placed upon them.  You MUST look a certain way or you are not considered “attractive” to anyone!  And the problems continue to mount in many different areas.

     Some might think that once you graduate from school and become an “adult” these problems will automatically disappear.  Some do.  But many are a lifetime problem that has to be dealt with on a daily basis.  And with adulthood there comes a new set of problems that must be confronted.  Think for a moment:  At your graduation you are told that you “are the future” of humankind.  That you are entering the world of great opportunities.  But in reality you find that many opportunities are not available to you for many varying number of reasons. Some leave the halls of their graduation and find that they cannot get any acceptance into college, that they are not even eligible for any consideration of economic assistance, and many cannot even find some type of meaningful employment.

     Many get involved in gangs, drugs, or some other illegal type of activities and then find that it is almost impossible to get themselves free some such involvement.  Some have unwanted pregnancies.  Some begin to feel that they can see no way to overcome the problems that they are facing.  The world begins to look very bleak for them.

     They find that the corporate system is against them.  The legal system doesn’t really care that they can “correct” their situations.  The economic system becomes too much for them to bear.  Many find it time to look toward religious organizations, but these too prove to be a failing source of comfort.  They speak grandiose words of faith, but they prove false to the true power of religion by merely “feeding” on the depressions of those they get to follow them.  The combination of these areas to fail in providing the needed comfort and hope to people leads many to resort to the idea that they are truly unlovable and unneeded by human society, so they turn to the alternative of taking their own lives.

     Many can find that the truth of the Bible and God’s message of a wonderful future on a paradise Earth is a hope that is worth hanging on to and living for regardless of the present conditions that they have to face.  By understanding the real message that the pages of the Bible holds out can bring a true peace of heart and an earnest desire to continue to develop a real lasting personal relationship with God.  This counterbalances the trying times.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"When you are the No. 2 entry in a two man race,

second place is better than next to last!"

Pain

     There is probably no greater pain that we can suffer than the pain of losing a loved one in death.  With just a brief and non-exhaustive examination of pain we can gain a little insight with this fact.

     We will only consider a simple breakdown of pain that happens to us and pain that affects us due to the loss of something.  Consider for a moment the physical pain that we might have to endure.  We could hit our thumb with a hammer.  Or we could stub our toe on a piece of furniture.  These two examples of pain may be very uncomfortable for the moment, but with the passage of time we will recoup and the suffering from the pain will be forgotten.

     We could also have pain from some type of accident which may require us to undergo surgery or we may have some type of illness which also may cause us to have to have surgery.  In either case this type of pain will also pass in time.  We may have some type of scar that would constantly be a reminder of what we had to go through although this may also become part of our distant past and we may not give much additional thought to the pain we had gone through.  This situation may also be one where we will undergo some form of mental pain along with the other suffering.  This may require more time to pass by, if ever, we are to lose this suffering.

     These types of physical pain and many other forms can be things that we have to face throughout our entire life.  You’ve probably also noticed that some individuals are able to stand greater pain levels than others.  And you may find that with time, patience, and certain degrees of practice a person can condition themselves to increase the pain tolerance which they are able to bear.

     In the other direction we can consider the pain of losing something.  You’ve probably at one time or another lost your wallet or purse, or maybe you thought you did.  Such a loss can create great pain and suffering.  A lady that I used to work with lost her purse (well, actually it was stolen).  The pain and agony she went through for months getting her credit cards replaced, a new driver’s license and other things was almost unbelievable.

     Perhaps you’ve lost a job, or a promotion, or the car or house keys.  You know the pain you suffered and how you feel every time you thought about it.  And I can’t even begin to describe the situation of pain when we lose a pet.  A cat or dog or other pet that has become part of the family would leave a devastating empty spot in your heart if they were to be lost.

     However, the pain of the death of a loved one can only be described as pain that hits hard, goes deep, and can last for many years to come.  Perhaps never really subsiding at all.  But here is where we can have faith in God who says “death will be swallowed up forever” (Isa 25:8).  And by providing the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, who “might taste death for everyone” (Heb 2:15), we can look forward to a future where “death will be no more” (Re 21:4). 

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Death, where is your victory?

Death, where is your sting?"

1 Co 15:55

Too Late

            Have you ever had a good friend pass away and then thought about all the times you had wanted to call them or visit them, but never got around to having enough time?  It seems that we all have failed to plan for things within our lives that should be given more priority until it is too late.

            Then they are gone and all we do is think about the times past and what we had done or said and how wonderful it would have been to visit them one more time before they were gone.  If you have ever felt that way, and I’m sure you have at one time or another, why not begin to think about those who are still with us NOW and not have to feel that way about them at a later date.

            Life it just seems is too short for us to get anything done.  When we are younger we always feel that there will always be enough time so why worry about it now.  We also feel that we are invincible and that nothing bad is going to happen to us.  Before we are aware of it the years begin rolling past so quickly that they are almost like a blur before our eyes and then we are on “the downhill side” of life and barely have enough time to get the daily necessities taken care of before the next day is upon us.

            We can complain all we want about life not being fair.  About it seeming that “all the good ones” are taken too quickly.  However, we don’t know when some accident or other event beyond our control is going to happen.  We don’t understand why some of us get the sicknesses we do or why others just seem to “fall apart” before our eyes!

            What we do know is that the time swiftly passes by and we are making excuses for ourselves and why we never did the things we should have been doing all those years before theses years of regret have reached us.  Remember there’s no better time to tell someone how you feel about them than NOW!  You may not have the chance to do it later.

            This hit home to me so well some years back when I was delivering commercial supplies for a company.  Every week I would stop at this little bar/lounge in town and the old couple who owned it was always giving each other a hard time with their comments.  After several years I came in one day and the wife was not there only the husband.  I inquired of him how he could let her have a day off during the week.  Those had always been there together.  His reply was: “She invited her relatives for a visit this week-end and I told her she had to stay home and clean the house.”

            The very NEXT week when I visited, she was there and he was not.  So I inquired:  “So, you took off last week and now he felt like HE should have a day off too!”

            Her reply came back sadly:  “He died!”

            Of course, I felt very ashamed about my comment.  But it goes to show you never know what is going to happen from day to day.

            We need to seize the moments within our lives and make the most of them that we can.  We never know when those precious moments may be the last ones we have. 

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you love someone, tell them.

You will never have this moment again."

Mindset

            You’ve heard it said “I’ve done this before!”  They made an expression for this:  It’s dejevu!”  But maybe the reality is you HAVE done it before!  Or maybe the events have been so close to the present one that it seems that you have done it before.

            What a marvelous organ we have in our brains.  We can relive all the wonderful moments in our lives whenever we want to.  We can experience things that we have never actually experienced ourselves.  Our minds can take us to places we’ve never been to or we can create places that don’t actually exist.

            Our minds have such tremendous creativity that it seems at times that we are only limited in its creativity by the boundaries that we ourselves put upon it.  Your thinking process can become so sensitive that we can include the small, sensations of touch and taste within our thoughts.

            Have you ever listened to a speaker describe the preparation of a meal so enjoyably that you begin to taste the various foods within your mouth?  Your pallet begins to savior them and then to anticipate your actually eating those foods.  I’m sure you have!  You begin to prepare yourself for an enjoyable meal, even if it is only presently in your mind.

            Your mind also makes you a more sympathetic person.  Many advertisers are counting on this ability of your mind.  You’ve seen those ads where the abandoned or mistreated animals are pictured in hopes that you will want to donate your funds for their care.  This ability is also what assists us in showing empathy for other humans and the varying circumstances that they face.

            With this same brain we can learn complex calculations and motor control abilities or the simplest of things like lifting our hand or foot.  We have the wonderful ability to look at situations and reason out a solution to very complicated scenarios.  And we can also look at these various situations and ponder “what if”!  We can change certain variables within the scenario and propound a different solution than the one that had been previously reached.

            Within our “mind’s eye” we can enjoy the beauty of art, music, sunsets and sunrises.  With many other activities we can ponder the past and the future.  Our mental capabilities seem to be limitless, although at the present we use a very small portion of our minds capabilities.

            We can make the decision to look upon our present conditions and resolve to have the determination to make changes for the better.  We should make all the efforts we can to do this if it is at all in our ability to do so.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Often the complexities of our situation

reside only in our mind."

Logical

     It seems in this world today that what used to be a simple and logical solution to many problems is not even considered.  Something like sitting down and talking things out just doesn’t come up in the conversation for bringing an end to conflicts:  And it doesn’t matter if the conflicts are small or large.  The answer is almost always the same:  Let’s fight!

    

     Years ago I heard a comedian who was discussing how the world’s conflicts should be resolved.  I understand that he was only making comments to gain the laughter of his hearers; however, when some of his suggestions are given a logical consideration maybe he had a valid point that was being made.

    

     Let’s consider a couple of the points he introduced.  First, do you recall seeing scenes on television or perhaps you have been within the United Nations Assembly Hall when a “discussion” is going on.  In either case you would often see one of the delegates holding his finger or hand to his ear as he adjusted or concentrated more fully on the translation he was receiving through his ear piece.  The comedian suggested that regardless of what a speaker was saying or how demonstrative a speaker was, the translator should be telling the delegate: “Everything is going to be fine.  We love each other.  Let’s just all get along in peace.”  And other such comments.  Besides isn’t the United Nations purpose to bring peace to the world of mankind?  Like we know that’s going to happen!

    

     His second point was also very interesting.  If nations were determined to have conflicts between themselves maybe there should be a more simple way to resolve these issues.  The leader of each of the conflicting nations should put on a pair of boxing gloves and “duke it out” for ten rounds or whoever wins by knock out first.  There should be an agreed concession to be forfeited or lost by each party prior to the fight beginning.  And the losing party must be willing to accept this loss as a finale to the agreement.

    

     Think of all the lives, the property, the time, and the money that would be saved by proposing such an arrangement!  Millions of young people would no longer be sacrificed to the ravages of war.  Millions of dollars could be saved on not needing such expensive military weapons.  Communities and innocent people in many lands of the world would no longer be subjected to the horrors and disasters of war.  And although it was not available at the time, a lot of money could probably be made by broadcasting the event on “pay-for-view”.

   

     I’m not suggesting any of the above recommendations for a way to resolve the conflicts of human nations today, but it does seem to be that the search for a more peaceful means is often perhaps considered as a last resort.  With the costs of property, lives, and so many other considerations at stake does it really seem logical to bypass a peaceful solution?

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"It seems that the simplest solution to a problem

would be the most logical one!

But that's not often the case."

Abuse

     One of the things I’ve never been able to understand is child abuse.  This is a great problem and concern today and has been growing in severity over the past few years.  With the recent two incidents of parents in California (USA) horribly mistreating their children, that situation is unbelievable.  I was born into a family that wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we cared for each other when it counted.  I had two older sisters (one has passed away) and a younger brother, being somewhat saddled in the middle.  So I know what it is like when you’re too young to be doing the things that your older siblings would do and I was too old to get the attention at times that my “baby’ brother got.  We had our differences of opinions when we were growing up, we still do.  The same was true with our parents.  I can’t say we were the closest of families, but we had vacation times and other family times when we got together.  But even when we would disagree with our parents or vice-versa never did the situation reach the level of violence that can be seen today.  We were disciplined when we were growing up when it was needed.  But that didn’t mean we were beat all the time.  Sometimes a good stern talk or spending some time in your room was all that was needed.

     Of course, sending a child to their room today would probably not be viewed as punishment.  The child’s room probably has a television, a VCR or DVD player, a stereo system, computer, games, toys, books and almost any other thing you can imagine.

     Maybe the problem stems from a basic lack of love.  Today many parents have children that they don’t want.  They feel they just get in the way.  They leave them alone at home when it’s not necessary.  HOW can you possibly “forget” that you have a baby in the back seat of your vehicle?  They make them grow up fending for themselves.  Parents today will not apply necessary counsel, discipline, and direction that are needed in the lives of their children.  Some feel there is justification for abortions, but in many cases that is only another cop-out --- not wanting to shoulder the responsibility for their actions and raise a child that they never should have had in the first place!

     But often children themselves add to the problem.  They reject authority of any kind.  They seek out their own choice of peers and support their actions by condemning the actions (or lack thereof) of their parents.  They get a chip on their shoulders thinking their parents “owe” them because they never “asked” to be born.  Instead of viewing life as a precious gift, given to them, they waste it and let it fall apart.  Yes, child abuse (actually human abuse) is a problem that everyone should look at more seriously.  And I’m not prepared in this blog to start a discussion of sexual child abuse or the abuse of our older generation. 

     At times it seems that our HUMAN tendencies are not to act very human at all!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You NEVER harm those you love."

Relative

     What would happen if we all woke up tomorrow and everything was doubled in size?  We wouldn’t really notice anything different.  The same would stand true with any other thing we would want to consider if we keep the same relative perspective.  This doesn’t work in the real world, however.  No two things are truly fluctuating in the same relative positioning.

    Take the economic condition as the most flagrant example.  When the cost of housing increases five percent or the cost of groceries, or gas, or clothing, or entertainment, or ANYTHING else --- do your wages increase five percent?  Certainly not!  But we never seem to look at the economy in the same relative terms.  How many times have you heard someone say (or perhaps you’ve said it yourself):  “I can’t believe it costs that much for (whatever)!  I can remember when that was only (so many) cents a gallon, or (so many) cents a loaf, or a pound, or a package!”  Have you ever noticed that when people say these kinds of things and “long for the good old days”, they mention that when things were that price your income was next to nothing?  Maybe $5 a week or $2 a day for long hard hours.

     Yes, all things are relative to something.  But we never want to compare apples to apples or oranges to oranges.  That’s only human nature.  We have to minimize the contrast by exaggerating the differences.

     Now don’t get me wrong.  I’d like to see things cost less.  I’d like to have nicer clothes and bigger cars and money left in my pocket at the end of the month.  But I have to recognize that I can’t ask everyone to lower THEIR prices to aide my situation and not be willing to make sacrifices myself.

     And yet this is what people are constantly doing.  They want better roads, better medical care, more police protection or firemen.  They want everything better but they don’t want to pay more for anything.  This can be seen so plainly when politicians are running for office.  They promise so many GREAT benefits, but they also promise to LOWER taxes.  How do people think the cost of all these additional benefits are going to covered?

     And have you ever noticed that in that extremely rare event when things do seem to go right for you and you get a little ahead financial, then you have these long lost cousins, or brother or sister or niece or nephew or SOMEONE showing up with their hand out?  Well --- I guess it is ALL only relative after all.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"You can choose those you want to be around,

you can pick those you wish to call friend,

but you are stuck with your relatives!"

Just Pause

     Are you one of those people who are always so busy that you never have time to stop and enjoy what you have?

     I can remember when I was a young teenager.  I used to think that if I only had a part time job I’d have some money to do things with my friends.  They’d go out driving, stopping occasionally at the Dairy Queen for a snack.   Then Friday or Saturday nights it was off to the drive-in.  Some of you may not even know what that is, but if you ask your parents or grandparents they’d be able to tell you.  Maybe there’d be a chance during the summer to go out to the swimming pool or even better go for a drive to the river and find a nice tree with a rope tie-off.  Then you could swing out like Tarzan and make a great splash into the river.  But I never had enough money to do all those things with my friends.  That part-time job would be the answer to my prayers.  Well, I got the job and the money was great.  I’d make $90-$100 a week PLUS any tips I could accumulate.  For a 16 year old I was making really good money (especially at that time).  But then I realized I no longer had the free time to go to the show, or the pool, or the river, or out “cruising” with the guys, or do anything else for that matter.  I had lost sight of what my true objective had been.

     Does this sound a little familiar?  We constantly want to do better or get more, and we lose track of what is really important.  Sometimes life forces us to slow down even when we don’t want to.  A few years ago I began having severe pains in my chest.  Fortunately it wasn’t a heart attack.  But, I wound up having to spend four days in the hospital while they ran some test.  While I lay there in the hospital room bed I had time to contemplate various aspects of my life. That was better than trying to count those little holes in the ceiling tiles!  I’ve come to better appreciate the things that most people don’t consider very important.  When was the last time you lay out in the grass on a beautiful summer day and watched the clouds roll by?  Remember making those clouds become faces, cars, trains, various creatures, or anything that your mind could conceive.

     Today our lives are more motivated by panic response.  We react to situations.  We respond to stimuli.  But occasionally we need to stop the runaway frantic life and smell the flowers, hear the birds sing and take a moment to laugh.  Yes laugh at our lives at times and at ourselves more often.  We probably need to learn to look at the world and at ourselves through the eyes of a child.  We need to re-examine from time to time what are really the important things in our life.  We might find there is a tremendous need to step back for a moment and readjust some priorities.  Besides, if we find ourselves in a medical disaster or some terrible accident that suddenly brings our life to an end, think of all the things we would have missed.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"It's better to pause and play in the grass

before you are placed UNDER the grass!"

Don't Give Up!

     Have you ever noticed that in an office or plant or company of any size it seems that two to five percent of the employees do ninety to ninety-five percent of the work?  But it’s the larger percentage (the part that is hardly ever doing anything) that seems to get all the praise and the higher salaries.

     It would probably be no surprise to most people, but those few who are doing most of the work, are usually living payday to payday, struggling to make ends meet.  And they’re always having some month left over when they run out of money.  Sadly these are also the few that always are afraid to take the chance on something new.  They are always just a few hundred dollars away from having things fairly comfortable each month.  These are the people who should find a part-time income.  Something that doesn’t cost them much to get started.  Something, perhaps, that isn’t going to make them over-night millionaires (what really does?), but can be run as a sideline business 10-20 hours or so a month and provide that extra few hundred dollars per month which is so badly needed.

     Setting up a part-time business may also give you various tax incentives that may help in your over-all financial condition.  I’m not going to try and explain these in this blog because of space and individual circumstance, but it would well be worth your wild to consider the possibilities with a tax professional.

     What type of business should you run?  This too is a very personal question to consider.  But, if you browse through various income opportunity magazines, tabloids and mail offers, or even spend some time on the internet, I’m sure you’ll find something that will interest you and fit your particular needs.

     The problem seems to be that most people --- those who are hard workers and who really need to start a part-time business --- are those who spend those extra 10-20 hours each month complaining about not being able to make ends meet.  Now’s the time to stop complaining and start changing your situation.  To say the least, it will take time and constant effort to make your part-time business a success.  But that is how anything is accomplished.  Pace yourself---continue to move forward with your plans and efforts.  And most importantly DON’T GIVE UP!

     You may find, in time, that an enjoyable part-time business, one that you truly enjoy working may begin to produce a really nice income for you.  An income that will become of itself enough to sustain you and your family during the month.  You may be able to make your business your full-time employment and have the additional freedom of being your own boss.  This would be a great goal to achieve; however, in the mean time the additional income from the part-time business is going to be a great addition to your monthly financial needs.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Take the parts you know,

Learn the parts you don't know,

and you will become completely successful."

Computers

     Well, the article today is really hitting home --- COMPUTERS!  It seems today they’re everywhere.  You can’t buy groceries, shoes, clothes, or just about anything without having it rung up by a computerized terminal.  And have you been to a fast food restaurant lately?  I mean INSIDE, not through the drive-thru, and watched them take your order?  They don’t even have to ring it up!  They push the button that says HAMBURGER and it registers, along with the price.  They press the button SMALL DRINK, FRIES, whatever!  It all registers.  They don’t even have to know the prices on anything.  Then they press another button and BINGO here’s your tendered cash and then your correct change. 

     Kids are getting jobs today --- while they are in school --- and they can’t make change for a dollar!  I’m not jumping the educational system at this point (although we all know there are considerable changes that could be made).  What I am hinting at is:  it seems to me that the computerized age is swiftly carrying our youth in that direction.  Young people are growing up without the benefit (or evidently the NEED) to THINK!  Everything is pushing a button, getting results --- DON’T THINK!

     Many of you probably remember growing up without television (heaven forbid!) and listening to radio programs or playing games as a family.  Things that made you THINK and get involved with others.  Today kids respond negatively if they are told to read a book.  READ!  “Why not wait for the movie (or video)?”is their response.  The avenue of using our brains by means of reading --- imagination --- has almost disappeared.  Do you know what one of the fastest growing areas of education is today?  Computer training: NO not the understanding of computers and how and why they work, but specialized training in specific PROGRAMS, so they will know the right buttons to push.

     I remember having individuals come into my office to apply for a job and one of the first things out of their mouths was that they knew how to program a computer.  That was great!  But I would have to tell them that we don’t do ANY programs with our office operations, but could they follow directions and push the right buttons?  Believe it or not that was sometimes more of a problem than you might think.

     I’d be the first to admit I’m not ready to give up my computer or my other computerized gadgets, but I think we ought to look closer at some of these aspects.  I recall a “picture of the future” I saw in a magazine years ago.  The human was one big round body with a single L-O-N-G arm and ONE finger.  That’s all he needed to push the right button.  Sobering thought isn’t it?

     Yet, some of the very interesting things that many enjoy today are movies.  Have people forgotten where these movies come from?  There are creative imaginations of the people who can THINK beyond just pushing some buttons.  The minds of some of these writers are almost impossible to conceive where they could have possibly “thought up” the stories that we watch as movies on the big screens, but we are willing to pay MILLIONS, sometimes BILLIONS to enjoy watching them.

     What about the new products and processes that are becoming available for us to use each day?  People with marvelous thinking abilities are needed to continue to provide these wonderful things.  We must prepare our young people today to be able to THINK in aspirations of reaching the stars of the future!  We don’t want to create a long armed, one fingered generation for the future.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you learn the simple, basic things,

the more complicated will become easier."