Control

Who is in control of YOUR life?  Most people may reason on that question as:   “That’s the dumbest question I’ve ever heard!  I’M in control of my life!”

     If we really spent the time necessary to consider our answer, is it REALLY true?  We would probably want to think that we make our own decisions.  NO ONE tells US what to do!  Hold on for a moment – we all know that probably isn’t true.  There is always SOMEONE who is influencing our thinking, our style of dress, or even our speech or other aspects of our lives.

     I am a child of the sixties.  That’s the 1960s if my grandchildren are reading this post, NOT the 1860s as they may want to think.  They believe I’m older than dirt, but that’s another story onto its self.

     In the sixties, we wanted to be radical – anti-establishment.  We wanted to dress a certain way and talk a certain way.  We even let our hair grow long in some type of protest.  The age of the flower child, drugs, rock n’ roll and who could forget Woodstock?

     However, we were all influenced by those FEW who were directing the strategies of the age.  And when we look at the young ones today: WHAT has changed?  There are those in sports and the entertainment industry who are still the major influencers on these young ones:  Who want to talk like them, dress like them and look like them.

     But us older ones can also be influenced.  Political and commercial elements of this world spend BILLIONS of dollars on advertising and other marketing strategies.  The means they use to influence the minds of people and to sway our lives as to how we spend our money or make decisions in other matters.

     No one can know for certain exactly what degree of influence is leveled upon us.  But it is probably more than we imagine, even more than we would admit.  It would perhaps be a surprise to each of us if we did know what amount of pressure was upon us each and every day!

     We should all work harder to make as sure as possible that WE control our own life.  But we will never know for a certainty if that is true or not!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The man who can control his tongue

can control ANYTHING!"

Fiction

“Fiction is the truth inside the lie.” ― Stephen King      

     Of course, Stephen King is one of the masters of horror writing.  He has to his credit more than 350 million copies which include: Salem's Lot, The Shining, Night Shift (stories), The Stand, The Dead Zone, Firestarter, Cujo, Danse Macabre (nonfiction about horror), Roadwork Creepshow (comic book, illustrated by Bernie Wrightson), The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger, Different Seasons (novellas), Christine, Pet Sematary, Cycle of the Werewolf, The Talisman (written with Peter Straub), Skeleton Crew (stories, including "The Mist"), The Bachman Books (novel collection), It, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three, The Tommyknockers, Nightmares in the Sky (Photo book with text by King), Dark Visions, The Dark Half, Dolan's Cadillac (limited edition), My Pretty Pony (limited edition), The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition, Four Past Midnight (stories), Needful Things, The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, Gerald's Game, Dolores Claiborne, Nightmares & Dreamscapes (stories) Insomnia, Rose Madder, Umney's Last Case, Desperation, Six Stories (stories), The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass,  Bag of Bones, Storm of the Century, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, The New Lieutenant's Rap (limited edition), Hearts in Atlantis, Blood and Smoke (audiobook), Secret Windows, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (nonfiction autobiography), Dreamcatcher, Black House (written with Peter Straub), From a Buick 8, Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales, The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (revised edition), The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla, The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower Faithful, The Colorado Kid, The Secretary of Dreams, Cell, Lisey's Story, The Mist, Duma Key, Stephen King Goes to the Movies, The Little Sisters of Eluria (limited edition), "Graduation Afternoon" (in PostScripts), "Throttle" (in He is Legend), Under the Dome, "A Good Marriage", "Big Driver", "1922", "Fair Extension", Full Dark, No Stars, The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, "The Dune",  11/22/63, The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole, Hard Listening (co-written with other authors in his author rock band), Joyland, The Dark Man, Doctor Sleep, Revival, Big Driver, A Good Marriage,  Mr. Mercedes, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, Finders Keepers , End of Watch, Sleeping Beauties (co-written with his son Owen King), The Outsider, and Elevation.

     You will recognize many of these titles even if you are not a reader of Stephen King as they have been made into movies for the big screen over the years.  King is a very prolific writer as you can see and will no doubt continue to do so as his life continues.

     I started with his quote above to show how “horror” is connected with the political arena.  I think every politician must have that phrase memorized and they attempt to live their political lives according to its meaning.  They seem to try and hide the truth within their lies and yet it all comes out as fiction!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"It's easy to tell when a politician is lying ---

their lips are moving!"

People

     I’ve done a bit of traveling in my life.  I think I’ve been in almost 2/3 of the states within the continental United States plus Hawaii.  I’ve also been to five or six countries within the world, having lived in Turkey for almost two years.  And there is something I’ve found to be true about all these visits: If you smile at people and be friendly you get along a lot better than if you act like you’re superior to the locals.

     A friendly smile is not bound by the language of most countries.  If you treat people the way you’d like to be treated you’ll get along much better.  In illustration of this let me share the following story from my time in Turkey.

     I was there from 1971 through 1973 in the military. I served as a Sergeant assigned to the Hospital for preventative medicine purposes.  That’s kind of a BIG title basically meaning that I was trained to handle things that were medically based, but did not fall under someone else’s specific job duties.  Our department handled water samples, sound surveys, hearing tests and other such needs.  However, I digress from my story.

     While stationed there during this period of time many of the single GIs would get housing off base and then HIRE a local to do their cleaning, shopping, and other odd jobs for them.  They would pay this person about fifty dollars a month to all this work PLUS wait on them hand and foot.  A GOOD wage at that time was the equivalent of about $2 American money per day.  They would make these poor people treat them as if they were gods, when many of them were only making about $600-700 per month themselves!

     My point is that we should all strive to treat people as fellow humans.  And as humans they all deserve to be treated decently and with respect.  It’s hard to imagine, but the brief little story that I shared from years ago happened in many other locations around the world.  Today, it is probably worse.    

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Keep Smiling ---

You'll be surprised at how far it gets you!"

Example

     You would think that most adults, especially those who are parents, would understand that we are to be setting an example for the children we have and for those of others.  Of course, this example should be a good one and not one that we would not condone from our children.

     This continues to be a problem for some adults.  Especially is this true when we are attending or participating in some type of sporting event or other activity which involves our young ones.

     How bad is the situation really getting?

     “There is no youth problem in youth sports.  There is an adult problem in youth sports.”  So said Coaching School founder Gary Avischious.

     According to research by Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, more than 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by the age of 13.  One of the main reasons: ADULTS!

     I can understand a parent getting emotionally involved in their kid’s sports activities.  You want your son or daughter to be athletic and to be participating in sporting activities at their best level.  But you have to remember they also have to enjoy the sport.  This can’t really happen when they are embarrassed by YOUR activities.  It might even be possible that your child might perform better at their sporting event if YOU WEREN’T THERE! 

     I’m not saying that you should not be interested or involved in your child’s sports activities.  But you can still show interest even if you miss a game occasionally.  If your child knows that you trust that they will do their best you don’t have to be there yelling at them all the time: “Run faster!”  “Hit harder!”  Or whatever your usual comments are. 

     An article on huffpost.com by Linda Flanagan stated: Where she lives “The Summit Lacrosse Club’s code of conduct includes 14 specific directives for parents, including “I will tell my child that the official is human and sometimes makes mistakes,” and “I will not use foul language, ridicule or criticize the referee, coaches or other players, by yelling from the sidelines, or by making dramatic arm movements.” 

     This article was in 2011!  I hope that those parents took to heart the information that the Lacrosse Club was trying to provide them:  Information on how to be better FANS at their sporting events.  

     However, the situation in general across the United States hasn’t gotten any better.  The antics of many parents at their child’s sporting events only highlight the bad situation of parents’ actions.

     How can we expect our children and other youths to build within themselves a good moral standard of conduct when we give them such a poor example?  We CAN’T!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If everyone lived by the example WE set,

would the world be a better place?"

Laughter

     There are times when you find yourself in a very funny situation and you cannot hold back the laughter that it causes.  There are those who can make a situation funny and those who make fun of a situation.  The real fact of the matter is knowing when to do which!

     Within my life I have found some professional “funny men” (and women) who only need to walk upon the stage or scene of a play and I begin to laugh.  They haven’t done anything yet, but I know what they are about to do is going to be funny.  I’m going back a bit and there will be some of you who will have no idea who I am talking about, but a few of these people who come to mind are Jonathan Winters, Tim Conway, Carol Burnett, and Joan Rivers.

     These people were just funny!  It didn’t matter if they were telling funny stories or appearing in some type of skit:  they were JUST FUNNY!  And their humor was not vulgar or demeaning in any way.

     But much of today’s humor has to be sexual, racists, or hurtful in many other aspects.  It attacks a person often in a very “put down” kind of way.  Just to get a “joke” or “poke” at a person or their reputation some comedians will say almost anything.  They may try to “apologize” later about it stating that they didn’t mean what they said to be so hurtful, but it has already been said.  They can’t reach up into the sky and drag the words back into their mouths and “erase” all the hearing of those whose ears had their words ringing within them.  No, they must try to make their statement become, as if, they had said something different!  Often that is impossible to do.

     We have enough bad, sad, and terrible things that are happening in the world.  We do not need to add to our suffering by making “jokes” about things that ARE NOT funny!  We need laughter to lighten our loads and make our hearts rejoice.  We need to learn to be more considerate of our fellow humans.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHFUL GEM

"Be willing to laugh at yourself.

It may not change your situation,

but it may help you deal with it better."

Every Day!

      When you awoke this morning how did you feel about the prospects that you were going to be facing?  All throughout the day you will be facing decisions:  small ones and large ones!  Some which would make very little difference in the scheme of things in the world at all.  Others that would cause major changes in the world that could lead to unbelievable results.  Let me give you an example of each:  First, you are an international hit man.  Today you wake up and decide to have eggs and sauage for breakfast.  Although you almost always have bacon with your breakfast, today you decide to have sauage instead of bacon.  The change this morning would probably make very little difference, if any, on the world scene.  On the other hand, suppose when you woke this morning it was revealed to you that your current assisgnment for the day was to assassinate a world leader.  However, you decide this morning you were NOT going to carry out your assingment but instead take the day to go fishing.  Thereby the world leader continues to live.  This decision could create major changes and ripples within the time line.

     In accord with this line of thinking there appears to be two additional aspects of these scenarios which must not only be considered, but must be understood to be able to project some type of future outcome.  One we must determine WHICH decisions are the critical ones that may  have a world shattering effect and which are only the "mundane" decisions that do not effect the "scales of balance."  The second point would be WHO are the people who would make the decisions that become major  changes and who are the ones that cannot make any major changes.

     Until we could decifer the correct answers to those two questions we would only be "taking a shot in the dark" as it were to obtaining the bullseye on a target designed to adjust the future as we felt it should be altered.

     Even if such capabilities were possible there is not one of us in a position to be worthy of caring for such a huge responsibility.  Due to our imperfections we could never know if our decisons could be the right ones.  We could never know if any of our decisions would be the one that would cause ultimate complete destruction.  We may think we could be wise enough to make it all work out, but we would only be wise in our own eyes.  It would be as if we traveled to the past and attempted to change a single event and thereby starting the "butterfly effect" that would cause untold catasthrophy in our present.

     I'm only suggesting that since we can't be sure of the outcome of our decisions, we need to use our best thinking ability and make the wisest decisions we can, because we're only human.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Every day I do my best

and leave the rest to God."

Why?

     It seems that for over a hundred years humans have sought peace and yet have been unable to obtain it.  Why?

     People pray for peace.  Governments have talks and sign agreement after agreement and yet peace does not exist.  I think the American Indians had a saying that has proved true for most cases:  "White man speaks with forked tongue."  For the most part this has always happened.  While sitting at the negotiating table and talking peace, at the same time plotting the next event of destruction upon their "enemy."

     Various governments of this world have understood the advantages that might be gained by knowing their enemies strengths and weaknesses.  They also promote, although usually covertly, the appearance of "cooperation" with guidelines to support and foster "goodwill" among their adversaries and at the same time laying plots to overthrow or subvert the actions of their comrads.

     The one against the other and so it continues month after month, year after year, and administration after administration.

     Such nations have the right plan of attack:  know your enemies and their tactics!    They fail to realize the problem is they have the WRONG enemy!

     The bible tells us that "the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." [1 John 5:19]  This "wicked one", Satan the Devil, sits behind the scenes, as it were, manipulating the affairs of human governments to his will and purpose.  It is his purpose to keep humans "busy."  Confussed so they pay no attention to what is happening as the "bigger" picture.

     His future of destruction has already been decreeded and he wants all whom he can take with him to have the same such future.  However, it is the will of God that we can gain salvation for a marvelous future prospect and He has already made the arrangements for us to take advantage of his offer.  But the decision is ours.  We must choose life and live, for the alternative is eternal destruction.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"We may never understand the reason why,

but can we not be obedient?"

Vacation

     When you retire and just “work” when you want to, it’s kind of hard to get yourself worked up for a vacation.  However, next week my wife and I will be taking a week off.  My son and his family along with one of my granddaughters and her husband are taking us to Branson, Missouri as part of our 50^th wedding anniversary.

    Actually our anniversary was back in April.  Then they gave us a nice party with many of our friends being invited to attend and share the moment with us.  At that time they informed us about taking us on a trip.  Over the next few months details of the trip got finalized and now we are excitingly getting prepared

     Neither my wife nor I have been to Branson so we are anticipating what is going to be involved.  My daughter-in-law has laid out all the details and provided us with a daily itinerary of our activities.  There’s going to be shows, swimming, boating, museums, and sight-seeing in various areas around Branson.

     We feel that the most important part of this entire trip is the fact that we will be sharing it with our family.  Together over the years we have done many things and shared many various experiences, but the fact that we can continue to experience these things together adds a greater and more fulfilling experience to the entire adventure.

     I forgot to mention that we will be taking this trip together by van!  It’s only about an 8-9 hour driving time, but we’re going to take two days going there and two days to return.  There are places along the route that my daughter-in-law wants us to visit.  Again it will be because we are sharing this journey together that is going to make it most enjoyable.

     As I mentioned we don’t really consider ourselves at a point in our lives where we take “vacations.”  But we are really looking forward to spending this time together with our family.  And who knows, if it works out the way we are thinking it will, “vacation” may be something we begin to look at more seriously.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"A vacation is a time to get away from the stress,

but that's hard to do when you 

carry your worries in your mind."

Suicide

     It’s almost impossible for me to imagine but suicide is the 10^th leading cause of death overall in the United States.  When you add to that statement this point from the National Institute of Mental Health:  “Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54”; the stats on this are staggering to say the least.  In 2016 almost 45,000 suicides were reported.  Add to this figure the sad reality that for every suicide committed approximately 25 attempts are made.

     Here are some additional facts according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

The annual age-adjusted suicide rate is 13.42 per 100,000 individuals.

Men die by suicide 3.53x more often than women.

On average, there are 123 suicides per day.

White males accounted for 7 of 10 suicides in 2016.

Firearms account for 51% of all suicides in 2016.

The rate of suicide is highest in middle age — white men in particular.

     I was really saddened to see that for the State of Colorado (for 2016) the rate per 100,000 individuals was 20.47: approximately 7 more individuals than the nation’s annual rate!

     What is the cause of these horrific figures?  People may consider suicide when they are hopeless and can't see any other solution to their problems. Often it's related to serious depression, alcohol or substance abuse, or a major stressful event in their life.

     Is there any help for such individuals?  Therapy and medicines can help most people who have suicidal thoughts. Treating mental illnesses and substance abuse can reduce the risk of suicide.  If someone talks to you about suicide, you should take it seriously. Urge them to get help from their doctor or the emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). It is available 24/7.

     We are only human and can only help in a limited way, but we can look forward to the time mentioned in Isaiah 33:24 “And no resident will say: “I am sick.””  Until that time let us all continue to pray for one another and help as our circumstances permit.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Enjoy your life now, 

and look forward to enjoying it forever."

Happiness

     Some people seem to work all their lives and find it.  Others seem to drift aimlessly through life and have it all around them.  What am I talking about?  Happiness!

     It has been said that happiness is as elusive as trying to catch a butterfly.  The harder you try to obtain it the more it escapes your grasp.  If you forget about the search, it will light upon your shoulder.

     I’m not sure if that is a true analogy of happiness, but it certainly does evade the lives of many people.  But, I think there is a more plausible understanding to the matter.  I feel that the reason so many have not been able to find happiness in their lives is because they have the wrong definition of what happiness really is.

    One definition of happiness provided by Merriam-Webster is a state of well-being and contentment.  Therein lies the problem for so many.  They are never content with what they have.  Even when they say that “this or that” level of attainment will make them happy, when they achieve that level they are no longer satisfied with it and want to have something more!

     We have all done that type of thing before.  I recall after I graduated from High School and had a nice government job my thoughts were “if I could only make $10,000 per year I would have it made.”  Of course, for some of you that type of thinking will only be giving away my age.  But that is what I thought.  Many years later my thoughts were “if I only made $10,000 per month I would have it made!”  Certainly that shows the change in my view of what would bring happiness.

     I think maybe we should not be worrying so much about finding that elusive happiness in our lives as we should be more concerned with understanding the word contentment better and how we can infuse that concept into our life.  The problem we always run into is that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Happiness is knowing how to be content 

regardless of the present circumstances."

The Manual

     I can’t speak for everybody, but having spent almost thirty years in the automobile industry, I’ve come to realize that when most people purchase a new vehicle one item they always want to receive is the owner’s manual.  This is a publication which explains all the operating systems of the vehicle.  It describes for you how everything is suppose to operate and it explains the necessary maintenance required to keep the vehicle running in its tip top state of condition.

     This is not a unique situation to the automobile industry.  Practically every product manufactured comes with an operation or owner’s manual.  People want to know how to keep their purchases in “like new” condition for as long as they can.  And considering most of these products come with some type of warranty one is expected to follow the maintenance requirements to keep the warranty validated.  If you misuse the product, don’t keep it properly maintained, or fail to follow all the required actions, your warranty will be void or perhaps worse, your product will cease to function at all.

     Why am I discussing owner’s manuals and warranties on products?  Because in the beginning of creation when the first humans, Adam and Eve, were on the planet they were given oral instructions on how they should live their lives and obey the requirements that were placed upon them by God.  Of course, we know they failed in their properly using their “products”, their lives, the way which was intended for them.  They lost perfection not only for themselves but for all their descendents after them.

     That’s why we find ourselves in the sad predicament that we are in today.  Not only did our first parents fail to follow the instructions they were given, but many today continue to abuse the precious property that we were given, our lives.  It simply comes down to the fact that many people today are not following the instructions, the owner’s manual, that we have available to us.

     As sad as the conditions appear today, the manual offers us a wonderful hope for the future:  A future were we can be “upgraded” to a new and improved model of our old selves.  We only have to follow the instructions within that manual to gain those marvelous benefits.  The choice to obey or not belongs to each one of us.  What will you do?          

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"To obey is better

than a sacrifice."

1 Samuel 15:22

Employment

     I heard an interesting comment today about employment.  It basically stated that there are no jobs where an individual should be looked down upon.  Any good, honest employment is fitting for some human to receive recognition for doing and if they are doing it they should be treated as fairly and decently as you would treat anyone else.

     It’s true that some jobs or careers may have a more prestigious title or may be looked upon by some as being more desirable.  However, the truth is that all types of honest, hard work should be viewed by everyone as a means for someone to make a living for themselves and their families.

     That is usually the difference between some people.  They try to determine WHO you are by WHAT you do.  They don’t want to consider that there are so many jobs in the market place that have to be done or other things couldn’t get accomplished.  Think of something simple: buying food at the grocery store.

     Of course, we think of the farmer who grows the food, or the manufacturer who cans or processes the food.  We think of the store where we make the purchase.  But look at all the in between jobs.  We have people who test the food, people who do the paperwork for the process (in every situation), we have the truck drivers or the rail workers, and we have the “stock boys” and all the clerks working at the grocery.  And there are many others “behind the scenes” who are making the process work out to its completion.  And not a single one of them have a job that is less important than any of the others.

     Let us not be labeled by WHAT we do for a living, but HOW we treat those who live around us.  Try not to look at a person’s outward appearance, but look at the person they are on the inside.  Be willing to treat all people as if they are better than you are and you will find that your relationships with others will be greatly improved.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Most people who get a job

want a title or a position,

but they don't want to work."

Think About It!

     We are a strange bunch of creatures, us humans.  We say and do things that make very little sense at times, but we continue to do them anyway.  I’ve just thought about it today and I’ve decided to list a few of the things I am talking about.

     Think about it:  We complain week-end after week-end that we have to get out in the yard, go to our storage sheds and remove the lawn mower.  We have to make sure it has gas and is well prepared so that we can cut the grass.  We complain week after week.  Yet, as soon as we have cut the grass what do we do?  We get out the hose or sprinkler and water the lawn so that it will grow!  We are truly a strange bunch.

     Here’s a little quick one to think about:  We are constantly getting the proper use of our words into situations that should be just the opposite.  Consider:  We DRIVE on the PARK way and we PARK on the DRIVE way!  Why couldn’t we get the word and the usage to make more sense?

     I think all of us could relate to this when we were growing up.  I’m sure this never happened to you, but you’ve done something to make you Mother REALLY mad at you.  She has you sitting or standing in front of her while she is trying to explain the situation to you and why you were wrong and are now getting this verbal scolding.  Then the words come out of her mouth: “Don’t say a word while I’m talking to you!”  Do you remember that?  Any yet only a moment later she looks at you with THAT look.  You know the look I’m talking about and she says:  “Why don’t you answer me when I ask you a question?”  You begin to explain and then she fires back:  “Don’t you say a word!”  You remember the situations.

    Yes, we are simply a funny lot!  But then again we’re only human.

    

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Think of every moment of your life 

as a teaching experience.

Some moments teach us what to do or say,

others teach us what not to!"

Value

     When I was a younger person I used to act as such and I thought as such.  I’m sure you probably did the same.  At a very young age you are not experienced enough or knowledgeable enough to truly understand the concept of the value of some things its hard to make good choices.

     As a young child I recall being offered the choice of having a shiny new dime or a larger nickel.  Of course I chose the nickel because it was much bigger.  I was too young to understand the “value” of money.  I thought it would be better to have the larger coin instead of the smaller one.

     There are some such circumstances today which present a similar dilemma.  Consider in many countries the enormous annual expenditures for military armaments!  In the United States alone hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars are spent as part of the military budget.  Large sums of financial aid are spent in other countries as well.  Now whether such expenditures are justifiable is not the purpose of this post, but it certainly shows that with what is normally received in return by such expenditures it is normally NOT something of equal or greater value.

     However, as consideration of expenditures made in another area, look at the education program.  Here individuals could be receiving the schooling and training needed to improve their minds and elevate their thinking ability.  Governments seem to consider the killing and destruction of human lives as a more important value on return instead of improving minds of their young citizens.  They appear to be looking at the “large coin” and not the true “value” of their perceived returns.

     Yet this has always been the thinking of those in positions of decision making within higher levels governmental.  The years I was in the Air Force demonstrated the reality of this.  Whenever a situation would develope that created a “fix or repair” decision, it was always decided to repair.  I recall one specific situation which would have cost approximately $150,000 to fix the situation or approximately $35-40,000 each year to “repair” the situation.  The government chose the “repair” option!

     Personally I have known that most governments have no real concept of value.  They almost always want to get a project approved, knowing that during the three, five, or ten years needed to complete the project the cost is going to escalate the final billing several times its original projected expense.  This is part of the reason that some projects never get started and why all things associated with government are complicated to say the least.  It's hard for them to comprehend the true "value" of their actions when they feel if someone else is voted into office later they will have to deal with the problems that have been created.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Get the project started,

you can justify the cost later."

A Thought

     It seems that today many crimes and vicious acts are committed and the perpetrator goes, for the most part, unpunished.  Often the public has to “care for” those you are in prisons for years.  This is all at the expense of the taxpayers.

     First, let me explain I’m not talking about those who have been unjustly tried and have been spending their lives behind bars due to no fault of their own.  There are some that we are learning about today who have themselves become victims of the legal system.  I’m referring to those individuals who are known to have committed crimes and now sit within jail cells waiting to find out if they are “competent” enough to stand trial.

     There are some individuals who have been “waiting” for years and yet are no closer to being held accountable for their crimes than they were on the day they committed them!  The only persons having any real benefit from such situations are the lawyers.  The families of those who were killed are certainly not gaining any closer or peace of mind!

     I’m not purposing this as the only reason, but let’s consider the situation today for some.  With economic conditions as they are it’s hard to find work for many.  The costs of housing, food, medical care, insurance, etc. have continued to climb out of the reach of many.  Perhaps for some the easier way is to commit some type of crime and let the “state” take care of you.

     Consider this:  If you are sent to prison your housing is cared for, you have good meals every day, you get medical care provided to you, there are no worries about insurance and you can even be given some type of work to do for pay!  You can also avail yourself of educational training and in some cases individuals have gotten college degrees while they were in prison.

     It would seem that everything would be better for you by committing a crime and getting all your needs cared for by the “state”.  However, I am NOT recommending that you follow this plan.  Things may not work out for you for many other reasons.  But again we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Many are prisoners, not of bars,

but within their own minds."

Truth

     According to a New York Post article “Rudy Giuliani declared “truth isn’t truth” on Sunday while expressing his concerns over having President Trump sit down for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller as part of the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.”

     I don’t like politics and don’t really care how these individuals feel about each other or the various situations that they talk about.  However, “truth isn’t truth” has got to be the dumbest statement I have ever heard an “educated” individual utter!

     In believing that you can say what you want and then subject your comments to no rational reality, that doesn’t make your statement true!  If that were the case you could argue that whenever a person wanted to go against the “value of society” or “norm” he or she could make any statement they wanted and then justify it to be true.

     Just because you want something to be true doesn’t make it truth.  That is easily proved.  Just go to the top of any building and make the statement: “I am going to step off the edge of this building and I WILL NOT fall but walk straight across the open parking lot to the other buildings rooftop.”  Now that you have made that statement do you really believe it to be true?  Could you step off the edge of the rooftop and NOT fall to the ground?  I don’t think so!  By making the statement it has not become truth.

     That having been said leads me to the thought that most people rationalize that truth is the opposite of a lie.  We are given this rational thinking from early in our schooling.  Many tests are only true-false questions.  Many people have trouble with having to “write out” an answer to a question where you have to consider many variables and make conclusions based on different assumptions.  Then a true-false scenario becomes cloudy.

     This relates to our thinking abilities.  We may KNOW something is true.  We may THINK something is true.  We may PERSUME something is true.  Or we may HOPE something is true.  However in the BIG picture we can only base truth on a “touch stone”.  That is we must have a good, reliable source upon which to gage other statements, events, etc. against in determining if something is true or not.

     Often we try to justify our “true” statements by making the assumption that based upon what others have said or done, our statement is the most ACCURATE!  So in an attempt to “clarify” his comments, Mr. Giuliani made the following statement as reported in the Los Angeles Times: "My statement was not meant as a pontification on moral theology but one referring to the situation where two people make precisely contradictory statements, the classic 'he said she said' puzzle," Giuliani said. "Sometimes further inquiry can reveal the truth other times it doesn't."

     It just goes to show that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The truth can be concealed from the uninformed,

but it will always be exposed to those who seek it."

Another "DEEP"

     It’s time to go deep into my mysterious mind again and try to do some thinking on one of those topics that most people don’t want to think about: Aliens!

     Now I’m not talking about the word as some may apply it to individuals who enter a certain country from another and are referred to by this term.  I’m talking about those beings that some say are visiting this planet from another planet, or from another dimension, or from the future, or as some suppose from within this planet itself!

     It will usually depend on who you speak to as to which possible location the origination of these visitors may be.  It will also depend upon whom you talk to as to what these visitors look like also.  And don’t begin to discuss with some people as to WHY these visitors are here.  You will get a great array of reasons as to why they are here.  Or as to why they are coming back.

     When you try to put together some type of scenario, some people will pull into the equation other mysterious creatures: Bigfoot, the monster of Loch Ness, the New Jersey devil, and other such creatures.  So the alien question becomes even more difficult to discuss or even begin to unravel.  Of course, part of the problem of having a credible discussion on this topic is that there are a number of people who just plain think you are “nuts” if you voice your belief in even the possibility that aliens even exist!

     This is one of the big barriers to having a legitimate discussion of the subject.  You can’t have an open dialog on something that you have already determined in your mind cannot be true!  It is just NOT going to happen.

     So if you are one of those individuals: The person who has determined in your mind that it is totally impossible for any “being” to have visited our planet from a location that is not of this Earth I want you to think about this.

     If we use the term “extra-terrestrial” instead of alien: That is someone who IS NOT of this Earth.  If we tell ourselves and others that we believe in the Bible, we must recognize and acknowledge that angels and even Jesus himself are not of this Earth.  They are “extra-terrestrials” who have made visits to this planet.  They have also had great influence to the humans of this world.  Some, the Devil and his demons, have had a very corruptive influence.  Jesus on the other hand has had an uplifting affect upon all those willing to live their lives in harmony with his teachings. 

     When the discussion comes up in the future as to a topic that may or may not seem possible, perhaps you should keep an open mind until you get enough facts to make your own decision.  However, some people will always want to “straddle the fence” as it is said and not make any decision.  As always this is probably the case because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"A mystery is only the unknown

before we have all the facts."