Line of Sight Shopping

I had an interesting experience this past weekend. I got tangled-up in "Line of Sight Shopping!"

There we were--walking into Costco, for food.

But as we know, Costco is full of other distractions--clothing, books, CD, auto supplies.

So there we were in this target rich shopping environment--needing some meat and veggies.

And where did we go first?--to look at books for Jackson. Really? And then coats.

Line of sight shopping. if it is there, whether it is on the list or not, we need to shop it. Not necessarily buy it, but shop it. The object goes from not being on the list to suddenly becoming a decision point as to which book should we buy. Why?

Because, like the mountain in front of the mountain climber, it is there.

While it is a great way to support the economic recovery--it doesn't do much for the family budget.

Can You Go Back?

Sometimes I dream of going back.

Back to the way things were--the way relationships were.

In my mind I want to recapture the good things about the past and the people I was with.

There are places now, that sometimes I wish I could return to--but I know I cannot. I have changed and the people there have changed, too.

I think about summers growing up in Upstate New York. Running through the fields and riding my bike along the two-lane road that passed in front of my house. If only I knew then what I know now. I would hold fast to those hot, summer days and not wish I were anywhere else other than right there with the smells of the fields and the summer grasses and fruits and pines on the air.

While I wish it could be better than it was, I am sure it would be a catastrophe.

Last night, I was able to go back, briefly, as the member of a choir gathering to practice for a memorial service for a departed friend and the former Choir Director of the church I used to attend. It was good to see all of the other people who had left the church as well as those who still remain. I was nervous at the thought of returning because of the unresolved issues and broken relationships that contributed to my departure. But despite my concerns, the gathering was blessed, I could tell. There was a joyousness entwined within the sadness and grief of loss. We caught up with each others lives, and we smiled and we joked and we made music as a choir again all in memory of our friend. If only it could be now how it used to be . . .

And that really is the fallacy of trying to go back.

Nothing is ever the same--as much as we would like it to be perfect in our minds, it never really was perfect at that time and it is less so now that we know more.

So there is no going back! We move forward or not at all. But I am blessed with a warm memory rekindled by a reunion of sorts.

Veteran's Day

Do you get the day off today for Veteran's Day?

Did you even know today was a holiday--a very special celebration? Or has Veteran's Day become another of the forgotten remembrances of our past with no place in our entitled future?

This is a day remembered around the Western World. The remembrance of the armistice which ended WWI--although the formal treaty would not be signed until later. A day to remember the sacrifices of the men and women of our armed forces to secure and protect the freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted.

We are losing touch with our heritage and our history. As we become a people of the moment--we lose depth and a sense of purpose and history. We lose sight of the mission of America in the world. A noble calling for which many of our Veteran's have served and sacrificed.

I am a Cold War warrior. A real threat and a capable adversary. Fortunately, we did not actually employ many of the terrible weapons that were developed during that period--but, it was a war nonetheless. Two strong, determined adversaries staring at each other over a long stretch of Europe. Ready at a moments notice to obliterate mankind from the planet.

We won the Cold War.

Veterans of the U.S. helped win WWI and WWII, and served in many other conflicts (Korea, Vietnam, Haiti, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq 2X)--some remembered and others which have slipped into the fog of a hazy past.

Veteran's are our instruments of peace in this world. Of the four elements of national power (political, economic, psychological, and military)--it is the military which rides upon the dedication of the citizen soldiers of our nation to go to the front lines and be that force upon which all of us depend.

Remember the Veteran's today and God bless the USA!

Another Missing Holiday - Thanksgiving

I went into a Hallmark store over the weekend to try and find some Thanksgiving related decorations.

I have a fondness for animated seasonal toys--and I realized that I have many for Christmas and Halloween, and Valentines Day. But none, for what is one of my favorite holidays--Thanksgiving.

I was thinking of animated turkey which sings "Turkey in the Straw" or some equally folksy theme.

Do you know what I found?

Christmas!

The store was Christmas-heavy with only one small shelf unit adorned with some very weak Thanksgiving items.

We have allowed the retailers to take control. We are losing contact with our past and with a holiday which should unite all Americans--from a purely American perspective devoid of religion--although the holiday was based upon religious precepts. Thanksgiving provides a time where we can gather to give thanks for what we have and what has been provided to us as a result of those who have gone on before.

But, as a society, I worry we have lost our sense of history--and our recognition of the struggles and victories of our forefathers, their hard earned victories are now seen as our entitlements--something we no longer really think about. We don't give thanks because we do not recognize how we became such an entitled people.

It has already happened to other holidays--Columbus Day and Veteran's Day to name two. Days when even the schools--which are government institutions fail to take time to teach the students, who are our future, to remember our past (good and bad) and the sacrifices of those deserving to be remembered. It is our past which brings us to where we are today and serves as the springboard for the future.


Happy Thanksgiving! It is coming. And while you are at it, don't forget Veteran's Day--it is tomorrow.

Monday Musings - November 9, 2009

1. The headlines (newspaper and electronic) this week were really downers. Tragedy everywhere, it seemed. Why can't we behave as adults in our world and help others out? Here is a sample from Friday:

- U.S. unemployment rate hits 10.2 percent in October, the highest rate since April, 1983. Job losses total 190,000.
- 12 die in Army rampage (now 13)
- Waiting to learn who pays Dixon's legal bills. (Baltimore City Mayor)
- Health battle nears fever pitch (we know what happened here!)
- At least eight people have been shot in an Orlando, Florida, high-rise office building, CNN affiliates report.

2. Another football weekend is over--I did pretty bad--again. All of my teams were in the losing column: Maryland, Syracuse, and the Baltimore Ravens. Remind me why I watch football again? Oh yeah--because baseball season is over.

3. God provided a stunning weekend weather-wise. I am glad that I could enjoy it and be outside in the sun. It was great--the sun was so bright that I could not read the Sunday paper while sitting outdoors. So, at Chris' suggestion, I took off my shirt and just sat there enjoying the warm rays. Was it really November?

4. What is the primary rule of computers? Back-up, back-up, back-up.

5. There are about 27 million people around the world living as slaves! If you are interested in learning more--follow the link to the International Justice Mission. I was shocked to learn this. We think we live in a kinder gentler world--but reality is anything but kind and gentle.

6. Sunny Sunday autumn mornings, crisp and clear bring cheer to dreary, weather challenged souls.

7. Looking forward to the week ahead, I have strategically positioned a day off on Thursday to have new windows installed at the house. It does two important things--improves the house while qualifying for a tax credit AND gives me essentially a mid-week weekend since I have Wednesday off to celebrate Veteran's Day.

8. So the first stew of the season is history--yes--it is the time of the year for heavy, hot, stews. Chris made a fabulous one for Sunday, only, fortunately, the weather did not cooperate and it was warm and nice--definitely not stew weather. Can you spell leftovers???

9. We drove Kitty to church Sunday. It was good to have her out on the road for a bit. I've started calling her the "old lady" and Chris rankles at that. Maybe she want me to call her "my old lady?" Probably not.

Jobs

I received this news alert from CNN--

"U.S. unemployment rate hits 10.2 percent in October, the highest rate since April, 1983. Job losses total 190,000."

I thought the government just said that we saved over 265,000 jobs?

Don't the 190,000 people who lost their jobs know that their jobs were really saved? If we save 265,000 but lose 190,000 jobs does that mean we really saved 75,000 jobs--or does it mean we really lost 455,000 jobs?

I'm so confused!

Does Congress have any idea that we are talking about real people and families here and not monthly numbers on a spreadsheet report?

Each job has a face--and possibly many faces attached to it.

The Congress is talking about a health care reform package which we cannot afford while the people who need it the most are losing their jobs and won't be able to get health care in any form.

2010 is an election year!

Right now my vote is for anyone but the incumbent! We need to restore accountability to Congress.

Question:

And who is the Congress accountable to? "We, the People . . ."