2020, Post 183

Post #183 of 2020.
Well, this is it -- the long awaited final day of the year 2020.
The realist in me isn't expecting anything miraculous (or even different) from tomorrow. We'll throw out the old calendar and breakout a new one, but nothing else is going to change.

With the new calendar page, many will make short-term promises or resolutions and work on changing some habits, attitudes, or lifestyles, but change is difficult and old, familiar ways are easy so...
The truth is we have that same opportunity every single day -- set the past behind us and make changes for the future. What makes January 1st different from any other day?
Remember the old saying, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life?"

Go ahead and make those changes. Go for a run. Pass on the desserts and junk food snacks. Stop drinking. Stop swearing. Write a letter or send a card. Whatever your plans are for being a better you -- do that. 
And if you mess up, there's always the next day for starting over.

But we never really get a clean slate. The consequences of our past will follow us. On January first -- DJT will still be president, another 200,000+ people (in the US) will test positive for covid, 3,000+ more people will die from it, vaccine distribution will be stalled, and I'll still be a fat, curmudgeonly 60 year old man.
Change is slow, elusive, and often difficult, but we are an adaptive species and change will come a little at a time.

No real resolutions for me. However...
There's a saying -- When you know better, you do better.
That will be my goal for each day -- Know more. Be better.

Happy New Year!

John

Covid in 2021

If you listen to some of the predictions, the US will more than double the Covid death count in the coming months, even as the vaccines are making their way into the population. The poor public practices and timeline to herd immunity are still a very deadly combination.
I'm concerned that the poor practices will increase and many will over estimate what the vaccine alone can do to stop the spread of this virus. Please continue to be vigilant in your safe practices for the coming weeks and months.

In good news -- I found out that as a volunteer chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Aurora MO I am on the list and will be getting the vaccine soon. It's too bad that it is not transferable. I'd give it to Chris if I could, but this will definitely help and will (eventually) allow me to get back to doing more volunteering.

I started volunteering at an overnight shelter this week. The exposure/contact is relatively small -- twenty men, socially distant, masked away from their sleeping area. I was masked for the entire time, gloved while cleaning up at the end of the night. It was a little more close contact than I was expecting, but I think it's still doable for the time being. I was pretty careful and (for the most part) the guys were pretty compliant about their masks and I saw many of them using the offered hand sanitizer.
I think I'll continue for one night per week as the number of volunteers seems to be sufficient for that and it looks like the weather will be cold enough to keep the overnight shelters active in the coming week or so.

Stay healthy.

John

I wish was it was colder tonight.

Yeah, you read that right.
It's mid 30s, foggy, and it might rain before the night is over. Even so, for many in Springfield, it would be better if the temperature was forecast to be below freezing. The criteria for opening the cold weather shelters is something like the overnight forecast has to be below freezing for four hours. Tonight will be cold and wet; just not cold enough for the shelters to be open.

Understand that I am very grateful for the local churches that step up to help our unsheltered friends. I just feel for those that are going to be wet and cold tonight. The city really needs to look into a cold weather shelter that serves more as an all-weather shelter for men, women, youths, and families.

The churches that give their space, the merchants that provide cots and laundry service, the volunteers that prepare, staff, recruit, and clean -- all are heroes to the people that need the shelter. The City of Springfield does provide transportation to and from the shelters. I'm not certain they do much else for the unsheltered in the city. 

The pandemic has made it harder for people to get off of the street. In fact, the number of homeless in the city has greatly increased since last winter. We need to do better. 
Where ever you are, please consider making a donation of money, product or time to a local shelter or agency/organization that provides for the poor of your community. Blankets, coats, hats, gloves, socks, hot hands, or just cash gifts are great. Personal service and getting to interact with people has some pretty great rewards, as well. 

After spending the night in the shelter, there were several guys that made it a point to thanks the two of us that had spent the night with them. I'm not talking about the thanks from nearly everyone as they are leaving. These guys came up to me specifically to say thank you.

I'm thinking about them tonight and hoping that they are able to find a place to stay dry and warm.

John  

20 Lessons Learned in 2020 (Part 3)

Wrapping up with part 3 of 20 lessons.

15. People love to hate.
I'm not a very trusting person. There are a precious few people that I trust. For the most part, it has taken time for that trust to evolve. This year I have become even more distrustful of people. I have been greatly discouraged to find out just how quickly people judge large people groups and act dismissively or even hateful towards them. Maybe it's because hating is easier than loving. Loving requires a relationship investment. The outright racism and silently complicit racism that still exists boggles my mind. The hate that exists between political parties or between social classes has deepened in 2020. It is shameful.

16. Ignorant people think their opinion matters.
It's crazy that we will listen to and give credibility to people that don't know what the hell they're talking about while ignoring the voices of experts, but it seems to be pretty common. Every dumbass with a keyboard and Facebook account (or Twitter - wink, wink, nudge) thinks their opinion holds equal weight with those that have devoted decades of study, work, and research in a particular field.

17. We (as a society) do not value life.
No, we don't. We value our life, not the lives of others. We value our way of life, but not your right to your way of life. We (as individuals) are unbelievably selfish.

18. You get to choose who you love and how you love. You don't get to choose who loves you or how they love you.
I'm not sure what to say about this other than I know people that desperately want people to love them that seem incapable of doing so or feel the need to put conditions or limitations on their love. It isn't always romantic love (in can be). It is often family or friends, and usually someone they love.

19. Learning usually means changing your mind.
A recent twitter question asked about perceptions of politicians that change their minds. Flip-flopping for votes is one thing. Changing your mind because you have learned something new or gained a different perspective is something else. If we are always learning, then our beliefs might always be evolving. I understand some people's beliefs because I once shared them. Remembering that I used to be like them can be difficult. Sharing what I've learned and why I've changed is usually challenging. It's weird how learning can create such a negative perception for so many people.  

20. I have an incredibly privileged life.  
I have a decent retirement income, a nice home on five acres of land, an incredible family, and more opportunity to live well than most people. We are not wealthy, not even well off. We are pretty solidly middle class, but we are most definitely privileged.
And the privilege is not lost on me. Now I need to figure out what I'm supposed to do with it.

Maybe that will be lesson #1 for 2021.

That's my 20.
What did you learn in 2020?

John

20 Lessons Learned in 2020 (Part 2)

Continuing on my 20 in '20 lessons learned:

7. Touch matters.
I think there is some kind of life energy transfer that is expedited through touch. You can pick it up just from being around people (some, more than others), but there is something about physical contact -- a handshake, a hug, a hand on a shoulder -- that is both different and necessary to good relationships and good health.

8. Technology is a good thing.
Well, sometimes. It has been a good thing for meeting face to face from place to place, first for businesses and then for personal use. Online meetings and virtual family holiday gatherings have helped to ease the burden of remaining socially distant from one another. Most churches have added more in the way of online worship services and facilitated small group meetings via zoom or other virtual meeting rooms.

9. Technology is a bad thing.
Damn, there has been some real sinister bullshit type of advances in using social media and other online platforms for some evil purposes.

10. Books are your friends.
Late in 2019 I started reading fiction again. I mixed in several fiction books with my non-fiction reads this year. It was very enjoyable and I often found myself setting aside the non-fiction books until I finished whatever novel or series I was reading. A part of me still thinks that fiction books are kind of a waste of time, but retirement is teaching me that I have plenty of time to do the things that need to be done and still have time to read simply for the joy of reading. 

11. No, I don't need a hobby.
Wood working, gardening, crafting, motorcycling, running, exercise of any kind -- No, I really don't need a hobby. I like not feeling obligated to do or pursue anything in particular. I kind of like the daily plan of having no plan.

12. Good health is more than physical.
The non-fiction reading and almost daily meditation is really bringing about the awareness that mind-body-spirit balance is so much more important than our western world has led us to believe. The eastern practices of the ancient Asian world should be taught and practiced more in our western civilizations. Even the western versions of yoga and Tai Chi are so westernized that they barely resemble the full being (mind/body/spirit) practices of their origins. 

13. Becoming more aware of nature has been good for me.
It's weird. It's been gradual, but it seems to have accelerated in the past year or so. It's more than climate change and our impact on the world we live in. It's also about sensing nature's impact on me. I feel a sort of energy smoothing calmness and peace from being in physical contact with the earth. Even on cold days I am likely to be outside and barefooted for a few moments. It's almost like a compulsion or addiction. I capture moths, flies, even wasps and spiders, that find themselves trapped on our screened in deck and then set them free to fly about or spin their webs outside. I'm not real freaky weird about it, but I am moving in that direction.

14. Darkness is as important as light.
We always seem to emphasize the importance of light -- and I love spending time in the sun. But I think that darkness also has its place -- and we should cherish the darkness as well. We need sleep. We need rest. We need time away from the bright lights. As with all of life, it is about balance, yin and yang. 

That's it for today. After reading what I just wrote I realize that it might freak out some more conservative religious friends that might still be lurking in the shadows. Don't worry. I'm not being seduced by the pagan demons of a Far Eastern religion. I am expanding my knowledge of the world that God has given us and seeking to understand.
Remember lesson 5?
Understanding brings peace. 

John

20 Lessons Learned in 2020 (Part 1)

As a follow up to a previous post, I thought I'd take a look back at the year 2020 and see what I might have learned in what turned out to be a pretty crazy year. I am looking for twenty lessons learned and will break it into several posts because I have a personal thing about reading long posts (which is why I seldom write long posts).
These come in no particular order of importance. I'm just putting them down in the order that I think of them.

1. It doesn't take much to get by.
We started the year with most of our stuff packed away in three storage units while living in a 500 sqft, furnished apartment. It was small, we didn't have much space, but we managed the five months there just fine.

2. Recycling is a good thing.
I knew recycling was good before but we never really did much. With a recycling center just a mile away from the apartment, we started the habit and have continued it even though it is much less convenient now that we've moved into our new home and have to plan trips to a recycling center. (Rural recycling pick up isn't really a thing in Southwest Missouri.)

3. I'm way more of an introvert than I once believed.
The pandemic of 2020 has taught me that I'm perfectly comfortable not being around other people. While I always knew that, I didn't realize how much until this year. In fact, I'm a lit bit surprised and privately wonder if maybe I need counseling over just how much I like it that people stay the hell away from me.

4. People are easily manipulated by their fear.
This might be the biggie of the year. I am still baffled by the complete buy-in that people have to anything that appeals to their fears. We have seen it in race, politics, religion, and science (or more appropriately, science denial) this past year in ways that defy all logic and reason.

5. Contemplation is a good thing.
Think about it. (See what I did there?) The relative isolation of the pandemic and the time freedom of retirement have allowed me the luxury of being able to contemplate much of life's worries. There is peace in understanding. My advice for 2021 is seek to understand.

6. There are huge personal benefits to giving.
It's better to give than to receive is a saying that has real merit. The volunteer work that we began in 2019 is one of the things I have missed most in 2020. I still find a few ways to serve others without too much exposure during this pandemic, but much of the need requires more contact than I am willing to expose us to at this time. I am thankful for and try to be supportive of those that continue to meet the needs of the unsheltered community in Springfield, especially during these colder months.

I'm going to leave it at these six for today, but will be back with more in the coming days.
I hope that 2020 was more than just a year to survive for you. Perhaps there are lessons you learned that you'd be willing to share. Hit me up in the comments.

John

Christmas Eve 2020

It's weird.
It's Christmas Eve and I'm not really feeling Christmassy, if you know what I mean.
There's no in-person Christmas Eve service to go to, and I kind of doubt if I'll watch the online version.
We're going to adopt the Icelandic tradition of giving each other a book on Christmas Eve and then reading and eating chocolates. We may watch a stupid Christmas movie; we may not.

It will just be us for Christmas this year. Maybe we'll do a video Christmas at some point, but probably not on Christmas day. We don't usually buy much in the way of gifts for each other and we won't be fixing a big holiday meal, so...I think it will be pretty much like any other day.

And maybe that's the way it should be.

Let's face it. We all know that Jesus wasn't born on December 25th. And we all know that Christmas celebrations of family gatherings, gift exchanges, holiday cheer and all of the other trappings of the season have very little to do with the birth of Jesus anyway. Some quiet reflection on Emmanuel (God with us) is probably a much needed thing in our world right now. I'm all for peace on earth and men of good will, but we seem to be lacking in both of them.

It isn't supposed to make it out of the 30s tomorrow (a few degrees above freezing for my Celsius friends), but it is supposed to be sunny. I'm hoping that the afternoon will find me sitting in the sun and contemplating life while enjoying a good cigar and a decent whiskey. Or maybe I'll pickup an inexpensive bourbon to add to some coffee or eggnog. I know that others will be alone for the holiday, so I may be sending a few texts or messages to remind them that there are people who care. 
After all, it is Christmas.

Merry Christmas
John

2020 Lessons

The cover pic from my Facebook says:

The biggest lesson of 2019:
The further I got from religion
The closer I got to God

I guess it's getting time to change that cover pic and I'm wondering if I'll use an actual picture of something or someplace (previously I had pics of my bike and the bay at Zihuatanejo in Guerrero, Mexico), or a lesson learned in 2020.

Hmmm...
The further I got from people...
???

That's probably not a great idea since most of you readers are people and it would probably finish with something like "...the more I realized how much people suck." 
It's been a long year, to be sure, and I know that the whole social distancing thing (which will carry into '21) has been a pain in the keester for most people. Personally, I haven't really minded it.

Sure, there are people I miss seeing. I miss listening to live music (something we had just started doing in 2019) with friends and having a drink or dinner. Masks aren't really the pain that some people make them out to be, just an inconvenience. The social distancing is what is more difficult for such social beings.

The coronavirus and the election politics are the two things that have dominated everything in the US during 2020 and what I've learned from those two things is, "...I realized how much people suck."
sigh
I should probably just find a pretty picture.

What have you learned in 2020?
It may be that you've learned that John is an ass and it's been good not having him around so much. 
That's fair. After all, John is a people and well, "...people suck."

Help me out.
What should I have learned in 2020?

John

The Christmas Star (and other astronomical stuff)

Did you see it?
Did you see the close conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn?

I've been watching the two planets get closer together for some time, and will continue to keep an eye on them as they separate. Naked eye night sky viewing is a favorite pastime of mine. A simple pair of binoculars, a monocular, or a small telescope can make it even more interesting. Even a simple pair of binoculars can bring four of the moons of Jupiter into view or show the shadows cast from the mountains and crater walls on the moon.

I have a small, inexpensive telescope that I bought about thirty years ago. It's a 50mm refractor and I think I only paid around $60 dollars for it way back then. It's pretty basic and not easy to do much real deep sky viewing, but I was able to see both planets in the same small field of vision, along with the rings of Saturn and the four visible moons of Jupiter. Maybe I'll upgrade to a fancy, programmable scope one of these days -- eh, probably not.

If you missed them last night, they'll still be relatively close together tonight and you should check them out. They'll start to separate as they move to pass behind the sun and become visible in the morning sky later in the winter. While you're at it, you may as well look straight up to see Mars. It's the bright, reddish looking light almost directly overhead in the early evening.

Do you know where to find your Sun sign? Mine, Gemini, currently rises in the east shortly after sunset. Of course, the dates of the Zodiac have shifted since the 3000 year old dates were recently updated to allow for the slight variance over the millennia and it appears that I was actually born under the sign of Taurus. It's a good thing I don't put any stock in astrology or I might be devastated to know that I'd been living my life by the wrong sign's influence these past six decades. (Apparently, this was/is a pretty big deal in some astrological circles.) Scientists have to keep reminding followers of the Zodiac that astronomers don't concern themselves with astrology and it isn't a conspiracy to undermine their religion. It's just science. 

John

#WWFD -- What Would Fauci Do?

We are now several days into getting the first of the available Covid-19 vaccinations into our front line healthcare workers. The next priority will be nursing homes and senior citizens, followed by the rest of the population as determined by the CDC. Even though there is hope on the horizon, it will still be several months before a sufficient amount of the population has been vaccinated to resume a somewhat normal social lifestyle that is safe for everyone.

I am truly looking forward to that day!

In the mean time, perhaps asking "What would (Dr.) Fauci do?" would be a good practice for us to follow. I really do have concern for our nation's healthcare system as hospitals are reaching critical care capacity and the holiday season is just getting started. The Ozarks' big mega church has already made national news by hosting several super spreader Christmas worship programs. Next up -- family gatherings where some of those attendees will expose their family's non-attendees at holiday get togethers. 

Even though I spend most of my time in relative isolation, I'm certain that I have practices that Dr. Fauci would frown on. I don't use curbside shopping pick-up at grocery stores. I go in and shop. I do use the sanitizing wipe on my cart, wear my mask, and wipe everything down before shelving it at home, but I could avoid even more exposure by simply using the pick-up option.
Eating out is pretty much a thing of the past and we are even careful about our take-out options, choosing restaurants that we know practice masking in the kitchen as well as for the servers.

I did attend several church services since our church was pretty strict about masking and social distancing, but started back to watching online even before the church made the decision to (again) discontinue in person services and go to online services only.
I know that most people don't have the options that I have, but I'm pretty sure that we could all do better at reducing our own exposure and reducing the chance that we might unknowingly spread the virus to someone else. 

What are your practices? 
What are your safe practices?
What are your unavoidable exposures (work, school, family, etc.)?
What could you do better?

I'm glad there is hope for the future. A second vaccine will probably be approved in the US this weekend. Let's all do our part until it's safe to move about freely.
What would (Dr.) Fauci do?
#WWFD

John

The Circle of Life

I've mentioned that weird thoughts have a way of rolling around in my head. Here's the most recent:

I've been more concerned with the planet and how we are abusing it. Consequently, I've been reading about things that upset the natural balance of the ecosystems and how the earth resolves the imbalances. Occasionally humans will try to intervene and correct some of the problems we have caused, but our solutions often address the problems from our perspective, not from a save the earth perspective.

Anyway -- from somewhere came this thought about a scene in the Lion King. Mufasa is explaining to young Simba about the circle of life. He says that even though they (lions) eat the antelope, when they (again, lions) die their bodies turn to grass and the antelope eat the grass--or something like that.
But that doesn't happen in the human circle -- at least, not anymore.

Our bodies are not left to decompose and return minerals and nutrients to the soil. We pump them full of chemicals, seal them in a casket, seal the casket in a concrete burial vault, and finally buried in the earth where they will eventually decompose but still remain isolated from adding our basic elements back into the earth's ecosystem.

Weird, huh?

Burial vaults have only been used for a hundred years or so, and primarily serve to keep cemetery grounds level by not allowing the ground to collapse as the casket and body decay. I imagine that cremation has a negative impact on the atmosphere from the burning part, but at least the elements can be reintroduced into the environment in some fashion -- spreading or burying the ashes in some manner. There are now several companies that offer to make bio-pods from your ashes and create an urn with a tree or potted plant that can be replanted for a memorial. Or you can even have your ashes compressed into a diamond or jewel that can be worn or handed down for generations.

Personally, I kind of like the tree idea.
I mean, since dumping my corpse into a ditch or burying it in the backyard isn't really an option.
Anyway -- just another weird thought.

And since you're already singing the song in your head, here it is with the video intro to the animated movie version.

https://youtu.be/Zn_qirpdBag?t=35

John

Maybe I Should Get Out More -- Maybe Not

It's a bit before sunrise on Thursday morning and I'm looking out the front window. I see the garbage dumpster still sitting at the end of the driveway and realize that means that I didn't even make it to the end of the driveway yesterday. And it was a beautiful day!

I did manage a couple of hours laying on the hammock in the sun, so that's good. I didn't even make it down the road to the mailbox. This morning I'm reading that the US topped 3,000 Covid-19 related deaths yesterday, so I'm going to say staying at home is a good thing! I should probably get out for a walk or make it past the boundaries of our yard. It will be near 70f (21c) today before it turns cold again.

I will be out for a bit this morning. Someone donated a bunch of blankets to The Venues and they need someone to deliver them to The Connecting Grounds' Outreach Center. Making a pick-up and drop is something I can do in a world where my volunteering has been reduced to pretty much zero.
Local Covid-19 numbers continue their upward trend and hospitals are stretched to the max. Unnecessary exposure is just stupid.

The new vaccines offer hope for a better tomorrow, but that tomorrow is still a long ways off. A Monday article in the New York Times compared the vaccine to a fire hose that works well to put out a building fire, but not well in containing a forest fire. What we have is a forest fire and will continue to require masking, hand washing, and social distancing for some time along with significant participation in the vaccine. The analogy stated that a 50% effective vaccine at September's infection rate would have been more effective than the 95% effective vaccine at today's rate.
Damn.

In addition to that, we still face a critical shortage of available doses of vaccinations. The US Operation Warp Speed failed to secure adequate doses and placed the US around 32nd in per capita doses on a worldwide scale. While we will be able to vaccinate most of the higher risk citizens and healthcare workers soon, risk will continue for most of us for some time. There is a real danger that we forget to practice the necessary precautions in order to adequately suppress the spread while we wait for the magical numbers to end the pandemic.
In the meantime, we wait.

I know it's holiday season. Stay home.
I know you want to gather for Christmas parties and family gatherings. Stay home.
I know you want to celebrate the end to 2020 and party into 2021. Stay home.
Let's do what is necessary to end this thing.

Have hope, but continue in practicing safe socializing.

John

Wednesday Wisdom

 

Dinner Plans?

Just curious -- when do you plan for dinner? Or do you?
Do you make up a weekly menu and shop accordingly?
Do you put frozen meats in the fridge a couple of days early to thaw? Or maybe thaw on the counter same day? Microwave thaw just before cooking?
Maybe you don't make plans and just sort of wing it night after night?

We used to eat out quite a bit, but now (you know, pandemic) we stay home for dinner. The common afternoon question in our house is, "What are you making for dinner?"

It's forecast to be sunny and mid 50s in the Ozarks (12c) so I think I'll put some ribs on the grill along with a couple of baked potatoes. Maybe I can talk Chris into making a salad.

So -- What's for dinner at your house? 
And when did you decide that?

John

Monday Motivation

 

We Did a Thing...

It's been a few years since we've decorated for Christmas. We've never been the big Clark Griswold kind of Christmas people -- more a nativity scene, the tree, a Christmas village, stockings kind of folks. But for the past three years, we really haven't done anything. We we had a couple of post surgery holidays and last year we were in a tiny apartment, so...

In those light Christmas years and while packing to move, we got rid of a lot of our decorations so this year is still a pretty light year as far as decorations go -- a nativity set, a small tree, some figurines, stocking on the fireplace, etc. I even hung a small string of lights outside! 
And we mailed out a few Christmas cards! We didn't have a lot of addresses, but it was fun sending cards to the few that we had.

Covid-19 will see to it that we have a small Christmas again this year. I expect that we'll see our local kids (Hannah and Daniel) over the holidays, but know that our Chicago kids (Aaron and Jenny) won't be traveling to visit. That's pretty much life in the Covid era (at least for some of us).

Christmas will be very different for many people this year. Like Thanksgiving, I expect there will be a lot of virtual family get-togethers or perhaps just some lonely, isolated observances. Maybe if each of my 30 or so reader's (more if you share this) would pick one or two people that will be spending Christmas alone and call them on Christmas Day. Maybe one family member and one friend or family member of a friend -- anyone that might need a call on Christmas Day.
Many charitable organizations are having a difficult time meeting with the increased demand this year. The pandemic has both put more people in need and made it more difficult for organizations to reach out for help. If you don't have a place to give and would like to - here are a couple of my favorites:

The Venues Lights of Love
The Connecting Grounds

Merry Christmas,
John

Not a Fan of Winter -- or a Pandemic

Nor am I a fan of traveling during a pandemic.
So I guess I'll endure another Midwest winter as we wait for some relief from the coronavirus.

I know there are many that are traveling and our favorite spots in Mexico are among the few places that still allow US tourists, but I think we'll stay put for now. Morning coffee by the fireplace wouldn't be my first choice, but it's not a bad thing either. 

Here in Southwest Missouri, life goes on as usual for most people. While many still refuse to take the simple steps of wearing a mask or not gathering in groups, our local hospitals are filling up with covid19 patients and having to deny treatment or care for other health issues. 

Last week I noticed a number on my blog stats -- the number of views my blog has had since its beginning. Today that number is 275,164. 
I've been writing since July of 2006 and this is my 2,096th post. To be sure, my simple blog is not widely read, but it only took 10 months for the number of US deaths to surpass the number of views on a blog that I've been writing for more than 14 years! By March of 2021, the US deaths will probably be twice that amount. The death rate in the US is now about 1 death due to covid19 EVERY 30 DAMNED SECONDS!

I get it. You're tired of staying home. You're healthy and the virus isn't going to kill you. Let the people that are immuno-compromised take precautions. 
By now, we all know people that have tested positive and it was no big deal. Most of us also know someone that was very sick from the virus and may still be dealing with the after effects months later. I would think that there are very few of us that haven't personally known someone that has died from covid19 -- and yet, here we are.

Today and tomorrow will be around 50f (10c) in the Ozarks. I'll spend some time in the sun and maybe enjoy a cigar or two. I'll probably even take the motorcycle out for a little ride. I'll avoid people (I usually do, anyway) and wear a mask when I can't. If you know someone that shouldn't be out, perhaps you can offer to run errands for them. Or maybe you can just give them a call to let them know they're not alone. Winter has enough suck without the added isolation of a pandemic.

Be kind. 
Think of others.
Love your neighbor. (I read that "love your neighbor" thing in a book. It was a Good Book.)

John

Christmas is Coming

 I know that in the past I have read through the twenty-four chapters of The Gospel According to Luke during the December days preceding Christmas. It's a nice daily practice to read through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in the days leading up to Christmas. I hadn't really intended on doing it again this year, but I found out my mom is doing it and I have decided to join her. 

I read chapters 1 & 2 yesterday to get caught up and chapter 3 for this morning's reading. 
The first three chapters cover the birth of John the Baptist, the birth of Jesus, and John's ministry of baptizing in the Jordan river. 

I like Luke's Gospel. I don't think I'll be posting daily summaries of my thoughts about each chapter, but I wanted to share the idea while it's still pretty easy to get caught up in case anyone else would care to join in.

Earlier I wrote about December 25th being the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Since then I was thinking about that combined with the sentiment of putting Christ back in Christmas that is common during the season. Maybe we should (as Christians) consider putting Christ into every day.
That would be cool!

Even though it is past Giving Tuesday, there are still plenty of needs this holiday season. If you'd like to share your generosity with others but don't know where, let me offer this opportunity to you.
Each year The Venues Church partners with several community agencies to provide for people during the holiday season. This year's pandemic has presented challenges in getting the word out, even as needs are much greater. If you check out our Lights of Love page, you can help kids, seniors, families, unsheltered youths, unsheltered adults, even pets. The need is great. 

I would encourage you to contribute in your local community, but if you don't know where and just want to help someone in need through a trusted organization -- you are more than welcome to give a gift through my church community.

John

Trump Tweets While the World Burns

Yes, it's an awful, contemporary take on the old "Nero fiddled while Rome burned" but at least it is more accurate (fiddles weren't invented at the time of Nero's rule).

I know -- to many, the idea of climate change and global warming as a result of human action is still a hoax. But for those of us that do believe in science and the data that we have, the analogy is real. The past four years in the US have done great damage to the efforts to reduce our impact on climate change and to begin to repair the damage we have done to our home.
Well, at least the current Administration has. I do believe that many of us are still interested in reducing our own carbon footprints and are actively working at activities that can help.

Here's an article about the escalating crisis and the rising temperatures of our world's oceans.

Our 2020 pandemic controlled lives have greatly reduced our travels -- both in the way of leisure activity and local driving. We stay at home more, eat out less, and try to consolidate local errands to avoid covid exposure. I wonder how much we've saved this year on gas alone. I suppose some of that savings is offset by the five acres of land that I now have to mow, but I have plans to plant a few trees this year to contribute to our footprint reduction.
I know that "Giving Tuesday" has past, but I think that we will be making a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation and picking out some trees to plant on our property.

Did you know that conifers and deciduous trees of comparable sizes produce similar amounts of oxygen on an annual basis? However, it is believed that deciduous trees sequester more carbon in their much denser trunks and branches.  

I am glad that the coming Biden/Harris Administration will make addressing climate change a priority in the coming years. As a country, I believe it is important for us to do this and move away from fossil fuels.
As individuals, it is also important that we work to be more ecologically minded in our daily activities. We will continue to recycle and reduce our use of single use plastics. We will continue to consolidate errands (which is also necessary due to the distance we have to travel to get anywhere) and make fewer local trips. We will plant some trees and a small garden this year (not sure if that helps with climate change, but it sounds like it should). And I'm still hoping to do that beehive thing this year.
We're also looking into a solar grid, but I don't know if that's going to happen in '21.

What about you?
Will you fiddle while the world burns?
Or will you act to put out the fire and rebuild a better world community?
What are your green plans for 2021?

John

Things in my head this morning

Does anyone else ever wonder why the calendar year doesn't begin with an annual astronomical event?
Why doesn't the year begin or end with a solstice or equinox? 
Why not with the perihelion or aphelion of our orbit around the sun?
Both the winter solstice (summer solstice for the southern hemisphere) and the earth at perihelion occur within days of the beginning of the calendar year. If you're going to pick a mark to count the days around the sun, why not use something related to the actual journey around the sun?

I suppose if you're just going to pick a day and one of your months is named for a two-faced god that has a face looking backward and a face looking forward (Janus) -- well, that makes some kind of mythological sense.

Yeah, I think about weird things sometimes.

John

Facebook Memories & Monday Motivation

We've finally made it to the end of November's National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo).
As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, I'm not even sure if this is a thing anymore as more people move to podcasts or some other medium for sharing information. Nonetheless, this post successfully completes the month and removes the self-imposed pressure of coming up with a daily post.

Although I have managed to greatly reduce the time I spend scrolling through my Facebook feed, I do enjoy looking back at what shows up in my Facebook memories. Somethings are worth sharing again; others--not so much. And occasionally there are posts that you remember as encouraging and are still uplifting reminders of days past.

Today I saw this post from 10 years ago.

I have no idea what my message was, but I'm sure this was an encouraging post to receive. In fact, it is still encouraging today.
And it serves as a gentle reminder to be an encouragement to others. Here is a simple message that managed to reappear and offer encouragement ten years later!

Take a moment.
Think of somebody that you can encourage with a simple "thinking about you" kind of message.
Then send a text, post a message, mail a card, or make a call.
You'll both feel better for it!

John

A Better World

This is the post I wrote for this week's Student Venues. I thought I'd share it here for my Sunday morning post. The records of the kings of Israel (Kings and Chronicles) show that when the king of Israel followed the commandments of God and cared for the people of God they were blessed by God and prospered. When the kings were evil and sought power, wealth, and personal gain things didn’t go so well.

The prophet Jeremiah laments the change after King Josiah dies and his evil sons take over. Through Jeremiah God says that we know him when we take care of the poor and those in need. “He judged the cause of the poor and the needy; then it was well. ‘Is this not to know me?’ declares the Lord” Jer 22:16

Although I will never be a king or rule over a great number of people, I think that we can still learn from the experiences of these ancient rulers. God’s message of taking care of the oppressed is timeless and it is for us as individuals as well as for us as a church community, a city, or a nation (or even a school or a family). When we lift up those around us, we all benefit. Taking care of others not only benefits our world now, but Jesus says that it benefits us eternally, as well.

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Matt 25:34-36

In this crazy world of 2020, how do we deal with the challenges that face us? Do I take care of my needs, get what I want, go where I want to go, do what I want to do, and not worry about others or the consequences of my action? Why should I--a mostly white, 60 year old retired guy--concern myself with the injustices faced by people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, the unsheltered or anyone else that is oppressed or lives with injustice?

Could the answer be as simple as -- Because it’s the right thing to do? Would the world be a better place with less injustice and more equality? Over and over, Jesus teaches that we should love our neighbor, love each other, care for those less fortunate. Perhaps a good beginning would be for us to simply acknowledge the injustice around us.

The bible says that Jesus looked on the people that followed him with compassion (Matt 9:36) Compassion literally means with (com) suffering (passion). When we see others, do we see their suffering? Can we feel their pain? Can we do anything to relieve them of their burden?

It’s been about three years since my wife and I have been coming to The Venues. The biggest factor in our choice to continue to come here was (and still is) the way The Venues actively pursues serving and helping those in need. It seems that there are always places that we can join our church community in service.

But I also know that sometimes life can overwhelm us and it feels as if there is nothing that we, as individuals can do to help someone. Sometimes just acknowledging their needs, letting them know that they are not alone, letting them know they are loved is enough. And that’s something we can all do -- make the world feel a little more loved, one person at a time. A little more love seems like a good place to start in making a better world.

2020 and Changing Perspective

If you were to think back to December 2019, how many of us would have imagined a toilet paper shortage in just a couple of months? 2020 has managed to change how we think about everything from toilet paper to essential workers. We've realized that more jobs can be done remotely and that everything from tonight's dinner to the dining room table can be bought online.
We can buy groceries online and have them delivered or just pull up to the store and have them loaded into our vehicle.

We have had fewer personal interactions because of church on Facebook Live or other streaming services and even us retired folks have used Zoom or Webex Meet for online meetings or small group chats. Virtual family holiday gatherings is a reality this year as fewer people are traveling or willing to expose vulnerable family members to the coronavirus. 

While many people still enjoy their favorite sports teams, professional sports have certainly had to make some changes to continue to make money. I think that professional athletes have lost some of their celebrity shine as we realize they are not nearly as necessary to life as the healthcare worker or grocery store worker. 

How has 2020 reshaped your opinions of others or changed your shopping habits and activities?
I only watched a couple of baseball games in 2020. I do watch MMA events on a pretty regular basis, but sometimes wonder why.
How have your 2020 holiday plans changed? 
Are there 2020 practices that you will carry forward in a post pandemic world?
Where will you go when traveling becomes safe from coronavirus spread and other countries are more open to tourism again?
Who are you waiting to visit? Waiting to hug?
Has 2020 changed who you are? How?

Just wondering...

John

Discombobulated

Discombobulated is a weird word. It's also a weird feeling. Retired life often finds me unsure of what day it is, and that's become a pretty normal feeling. But it is weird when it feels like it should be a certain day and it isn't. 
Like today.

Today feels like Monday. I guess it's because of the midweek holiday. Mondays aren't really any different than any other day so I guess it doesn't really matter.
It's just weird.

John

A Different Thanksgiving Day

I kind of like it -- the smaller holiday version.
Our day isn't going to be that much different than normal. We'll have a Thanksgiving Day meal at our daughter's and son in law's house. No travel for us, just a drive into Springfield. I am a little surprised at the number of people that are traveling and still planning larger gatherings, but pleased that many others are restricting their contacts with family.

I think Thanksgiving is a weird holiday. It's weird that we have a day set aside to be thankful. It's weird that we need to be reminded to be thankful. It's weird that we can be thankful for so much and yet still covet so much more and go right back to being the greedy, competitive society that we normally are on Friday.
Even the holiday origins in the US are pretty weird. Celebrating a re-creation of an initial Thanksgiving feast with natives of the land would be way cooler if the early settlers hadn't gone on to massacre the same natives just a couple of years later.

sigh

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we shouldn't be thankful. I just think we should be thankful as a part of everyday life. And I know that many of you are and so the day is typically an opportunity to gather together as family and friends to feast and overindulge.

I hope that Thanksgiving 2020 is not too depressing for you. I hope that you will find that gratitude can be found even in these difficult times. Be safe. Be responsible. Be thankful.

John

Thankful

Four years ago, on the day before Thanksgiving, we got the test results -- Chris had breast cancer.
The days, the weeks, the months that followed were hard. The lasting effects, the scars of treatment (both surgery and chemo) are still with us today. So is Chris.

We are thankful.

That was our world as we headed into the holiday season four years ago.
This year--2020--has been another trying year and we head into the holiday season knowing that the family gatherings and holiday Christmas parties aren't going to happen for many of us.

Still, we are thankful.

It's still dark out. The eastern sky is showing that the sun is about to rise. The fireplace is warming the house and I am enjoying my morning coffee in comfort while Chris sleeps peacefully in the bedroom. Today we will make some preparations for tomorrow's Thanksgiving dinner at our daughter's house. I'm looking forward to the smoked turkey our son-in-law will be preparing. 

We have so many reasons to be thankful.

Contemplate. Consider where you are. Think about how far you've come. Imagine the future, but still remain rooted in the present. 

And be thankful.

John

Bah! Humbug!

I'm not sure when I became such a Scrooge about Christmas time, but it has been some time since I've really felt like celebrating the season of Christmas. Due to financial losses from a pandemic year, retailers have been having "Black Friday" sales for several weeks already. Although I'm not a big fan of Christmas shopping I do enjoy giving gifts. 
As far as receiving gifts goes, I'm the easy guy. A bag of good coffee beans, a decent cigar, a few minutes spent over a beer or cup of coffee--these are the things that make me happy. 

I guess I'm just not a fan of a Christmas that hasn't really been about Christ for a long time. I know that we say it is and we make our efforts at remembering the birth of Jesus, but face it -- Christmas without all of the pageantry and parties would be a far greater travesty than a Christmas without the religious part. And I think that's true for most hard core Christians, too. 
Even for the people that say it's about family and getting together with loved ones -- well, that's kind of in the crapper this year, right?

I'm also curious how we're going to handle this year's War on Christmas. With Donnie's defeat in the election, do liberals have to wait until next year or can they start now? Or does Melania's "fuck Christmas" quote put an end to it and we can all agree that too much forced decoration and celebration is deserving of such a sentiment. 

If you are surprised at my ambivalence towards the coming season, you don't know me well. 
If this facet of the curmudgeonly old man disturbs you, then send some Christmas cheer my way (bourbon would be nice, cookies are acceptable).
I hope your holiday season is one of celebration, reflection, or misery -- whatever you want it to be.
As for me, I hope to spend some quiet afternoons on the deck with a cigar, a drink, a book, and some peaceful contemplation about where I fit into the Universe.

John

Monday Meditation

 

Church in the COVID Era

In a few minutes I'll be watching The Venues' Sunday service online. They have pretty strict protocols in place for live, in person church and we've been there a few times, but I mostly just watch it online these days. I have been going to our Thursday night barchurch at 425 (also has COVID protocols in place), but am thinking I may need to reconsider as our local numbers are on the rise.

I would say that (pre-COVID) we were more than casual church goers. And although I generally watch online, there isn't the same attachment to the service or connection with the people. I know there are many churches that meet with fewer restrictions than The Venues and some that have struggled to adapt to a technical alternative to meeting in large groups. I'm wondering if overall church attendance is getting back to more normal numbers or if has leveled off at a much lower number. I doubt that many churches are growing at this time, even though it seems like it would be a time when many people might be looking for the comfort that can often be found in God. 

I do miss the the personal connections from a weekly gathering of friends. I miss the handshakes, hugs, and happy greetings. There is a good energy in gathering with friends that are good at loving people. But I've also grown dangerously comfortable in my isolation. While many people are desperate to resume life as usual, I am happy to now have an acceptable excuse to continue in a contemplative life apart from people. 
The online version of church works well for me. I'm going to have to be careful that it doesn't keep me isolated as life moves forward and we soon move into a post-COVID era.

John

Riding Season

Typically I haven't been one to store my motorcycle for the winter. Dress for the cold and ride anyway has been how I've dealt with winter. I'll have to see how it goes this year.
 
Getting suited up for a long cold ride isn't too bad. I've ridden for several hours in near freezing temps. Dressing that warmly for a short ride is a bit of a pain since you find yourself having to peel off layers in a pretty short time only to have to repeat the process for the short return trip. Last winter I rode in Springfield many times at or around freezing. Long johns, heavy jeans, double gloves, and a good coat were enough for city streets and a short ride.

There are no city streets or town roads around here. Even a short trip requires getting on a rural two lane highway and that means riding at speeds where more cold weather gear is necessary. I have a feeling the bike will be parked more this winter than it has been in the past.

As it is,  haven't been riding as much as I used to. I've become more aware of how I consume the earth's resources and have been more reluctant to just hop on the bike for a long pleasure ride. I enjoy riding it for small errands when I can, but it doesn't work well to pick up groceries or anything that needs more room than the saddlebags can handle. And I haven't done much meeting friends for breakfast or lunch this year. 

The bike's in the shop for some regular maintenance and tire repair right now. I'm still hoping for the occasional winter ride, but I think I'll have to rearrange the garage to make my car the easy access instead of the bike -- at least for a few months.

John

A Place of Peace; A Time of Rest

I'm feeling a sense of peacefulness this morning.
The fact that I am privileged to be able to sit on my deck, enjoy the morning sun on my face, listen to the background noise of civilization (a nearby highway) and the foreground noise of the nearby birds is not lost on me. Even as I scroll through my news feeds and read of the chaotic world around me, I am experiencing this inner calm. 

Honestly, some of that calm comes from the posts and tweets of other peaceful persons that I follow or read about. There are voices of reason in the cacophony of chaos, and genuinely kind and loving people among the self-centered ego driven masses. Those voices, those people help to keep me centered in my peaceful place. 

I know that I could shut out all of the noise - the angry voices and the calming ones - and live peacefully alone, but I'm not sure that I'm ready for that extreme isolation just yet.

Where do you find inner peace? Is there a physical place that you visit or are you able to find a mental space no matter where your body is? Is it more of a spiritual thing?

Maybe I should first ask if you even have a place of peace in your world. I fear that most of us do not. I fear that many have given up on finding even a moment of rest for their mind and spirit, let alone physical rest for their body. I think resting is fast becoming a lost art and one that has been looked down on by the go-getters of society. We have forgotten the value of restfulness. 

Mind
Body 
Spirit

All aspects of our existence need a place and a time of rest.
I hope you find a few moments today.
Peacefulness and resting are disciplines that take practice. Set aside a few moments and rest.

John

Still Doing Old School

I'm kind of looking forward to teaching at barchurch tonight. I guess that's an evolution of sorts since I've been a little uncomfortable in the past. I still worry that my storytelling style is far different from what everyone is used to, but I am trying to adapt as I go -- except tonight. There isn't going to be a whole lot of adapting going on; just me telling a story and sharing a few thoughts on it. There won't be any slides, no power point stuff, nor cute memes. It'll just be some old guy telling an ancient story and trying to figure out what it might mean for us today.
If you're up for it, we'll be live here at 6:30 (CST) tonight (Thursday), or you can find us on Facebook where we'll also be live. Drop in, grab a drink, enjoy some music, listen to an old story.

John

May the Force be with You

It's mid-afternoon and I'm just now getting around to posting today to keep the NaBloPoMo streak alive. This morning's routine was a little unusual as we made our way into the pandemic world and had breakfast out. Now I'm enjoying the sunshine, an inexpensive Nicaraguan cigar, and a Winter Grind coffee stout.
It's not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Over on Facebook, Pastor of Stoke Ben Stinger asked the question, "How does being a Christian change the way you live?"
I am really impressed with the responses he's received.

I think for most of my life Christianity motivated my behavior with fear -- not wanting to face the consequences of sin by angering a mean, judgmental God. Or perhaps by the idea that I could curry God's favor by doing good things.
Today I would say that Christianity offers me a connection to all things. Through Christ I feel connected to God, to other people, and to all of creation. When you feel a connection to people or things, you tend to treat them better. They are a part of you. If religion literally means to re-connect (think re-ligament), then what Christ brings to us is connection to God and all of God's creation. The contemplative part of me is typically at peace with my surroundings. The reactive part of me still wants to lash out due to current circumstances, but I'm working on that self control bit. I'm trying to remember to extend grace to myself as well as to others. 

I know I have readers that are not Christian so I won't ask the same question. I'll simply ask -- What influences you to act (or live) the way you do? Do you feel a connection to nature or to others? 

I'm curious.

John

Learning Stuff

I'm wondering if any of my readers have used The Great Courses to learn a new hobby, craft, art, or maybe just to delve into a new area of history or knowledge. It looks like most courses are available in DVD format or online and there appears to be a great variety of subjects. The slogan "The World's Professors at Your Fingertips" makes it sound a bit like homeschooling for adults. I imagine business has been good during the pandemic as people look for things to do in isolation.

What would you be interested in?
Science? Music? Learning a new language?
Browse through the courses and tell me what catches your interest.

I think the full prices are way too high for me to consider and the sale prices make them look even more ridiculous. But if you just look at what you'll actually pay, it doesn't look too bad for many of them -- especially if it's an area of interest.

Thoughts?

John

Monday Motivation

COVID in the United States:

We've gone from 10 million cases to over 11 million in just one week. 

Before this week is over there will be more than 250,000 (a quarter of a million) deaths.

More on Storytime with John

It's been a few years ago that I was preaching (about this time of year) at a rural church here in Missouri. It was a pretty informal Sunday night setting and I was just sharing a few thoughts about reading the bible. I asked the question of the small congregation -- What's your favorite bible story and why?
I enjoy hearing the whys and will usually offer my own reasons for liking a mentioned story. On this particular night, one of the women said her favorite story was the story of Ruth. Ruth was my chosen story for that night. 

The Old Testament story of Ruth is an unusual story to use as an introduction to the liturgical season of Advent. In fact, I don't know of anyone else that has done that. I don't generally use a lot of notes when story telling, and if I do, I rarely keep them. So on Thursday evening when I share this story as a pre-Christmas kind of story, it will be like telling an old story with a fresh outlook. 

If you'd like to join us for a little music and a story, we'll be here at 6:30 on Thursday night. You might want to re-familiarize yourself with the story of Ruth. It's only four chapters long and you can probably finish it in 15-20 minutes. If you happen to be in the Springfield area and want to join us in person, be sure to bring your mask. The bar is open.

John

Earworm

I was contemplating what to write about this morning and considering how small the pandemic has made my world. It's a Small World popped into my head for a moment and kind of made me chuckle. I'm not one to generally get a song stuck in my head, but Chris is. She listens to music often and has a bunch of old songs drifting around in her head. Mentioning a lyric from one of those songs or singing a line or two can bring it to the forefront of her mind and it quickly becomes the dreaded earworm.

"Why do you do this to me?" seems to be a familiar lament from her.
Occasionally I'll hit on a song that she likes and doesn't mind for the first couple of times through, but then she's ready to move on -- and can't.

Are you one of those people that are susceptible to the dreaded earworm?
Are there songs that regularly get stuck in your head?
Listening to music seems to help in getting rid of stubborn songs, but some have a way of quietly creeping back into your thoughts, don't they?

What are the songs that you know are going to be stuck in your head for a time? The moment you hear the first line you think, "Oh crap! Now I'm going to be singing this all day!"

I guess I'll have to write about that small world thing another day.

John 

An Empath?

I've never really considered that I might be an empath -- until recently.
When I look at the characteristics of an empath and examine myself through that lens, I actually have more of them than I would have guessed. I wonder if they've always been there and I've just ignored them or hidden them, or if maybe I'm growing into those characteristics as I age -- kind of a gentler, wiser, old man kind of thing.

I feel like I need to examine this a bit more carefully and I'm not sure why. My current reading/learning focus is more introspective. Perhaps that is what has me thinking about this. I'm certainly not someone that feels (literally) another's physical pain, but I've noticed more of an awareness of the energy of other people and the effect that being in their presence has on me. It could be that being aware of that energy as well as the motives and attitudes of others is more of a defensive, self-preservation skill than an empathetic one. 

Because this is pretty new to me, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with it. I'm certainly past the point of looking for a career where being an empath would serve me (or others) well. I don't really know how being an empath (or just being aware of it) might change how I interact with people. I don't know if being an empath is just a characteristic that one has like having brown eyes or a dark complexion. 

Maybe somebody that is an empath or has some more information on it can offer some counsel to a guy that is still trying to figure out who he is and how he fits (or why he often doesn't fit) into society.

Just some random thoughts on a Saturday morning...

John

Frosty Friday

It's a frosty Friday here in the Ozarks. I just turned off the fireplace after it brought the house temperature up to a balmy 67f (19.4c). Coffee and computer at the kitchen island counter this morning.

I'm looking for something to make me feel good on this Friday the 13th. What have you got?
A good story of something nice that happened to you? A story of how you helped someone else? Some plans or activity that you're looking forward to? A good meal that you fixed?

What is making you feel good today?
Share your joy with the rest of us!

John

This I Know -- there's a lot of stuff I don't know!

It is a cool, but sunny morning in the Ozarks. The current temperature is 39f (3.8c). I debated between coffee in front of the fireplace (it's 64f, 17.8c in the house) or out on the sunny deck. The deck won. Sweat pants, a long sleeved shirt, sweater, and socks. I'm a bit chilled but the sun feels good.

One of the areas of my personal growth is in recognizing how little I truly know. We all like to think that we are smart and know stuff, and we all do know some stuff. But there is a world of stuff that I don't know and I keep finding out that some of the stuff I know (knew) is wrong. Letting go and unlearning is hard.

I'm trying to read more and seek out certain areas of knowledge. I guess that's a pretty common approach -- find an interest, seek out information about it. Right now I'm keeping it pretty basic -- mind, body, spirit stuff. I figure I need to learn more about me before I explore other areas of knowledge. I'm looking at some pretty ancient teachings from the Far East and am finding them to be quite fascinating. I'm also realizing that my brain needs to re-adapt itself to learning from reading. I'm finding it difficult to read for learning for longer periods of time. I can read for pleasure (novels) for much longer than I can read for learning. Even reading for pleasure is more difficult than it used to be.  It could be that learning is just more difficult and I need to exercise my neuroplasticity. 
God forbid that I would ever want to stop learning or stop being able to learn!

I wonder what I'll learn today.

John  

Social Media -- Old School

I'm noticing a bit of a shift on social media. While many still use different social media platforms to connect and share news (both personal and business), many others are looking to abandon it or are in search of newer, less populated forums. They mention political division or privacy as their main reasons for wanting to leave their current forums. I know that some have already left, some will leave, and still others will continue on because they crave the connection and drama that social media allows them. It seems that they enjoy sharing their views as much as they distain the views of others.

Personally, I'm more in favor of the personal discipline of choosing who to follow and when to respond to or ignore certain posts, although I think I'd get along quite well without most of what is published. I have around 300 followers on two of the platforms I use -- Facebook and Twitter, and just over 200 on Instagram. I follow more accounts on Twitter and Instagram than I have followers. 
My Facebook followers have increased (much to my dismay) over the past couple of years, mostly from being a part of The Venues Church. There are a number of friends that I enjoying hearing from, but I mostly stay on for the forums on motorcycles, cigars, retirement, community activity, and the live video streams from The Venues.
My Instagram account has a bunch of bot followers and I should probably change my privacy settings.
I probably use my Twitter account the most. I use it for news and to follow authors, pastors, politicians, news personalities, athletes, etc. I also subscribe to a number of news outlets and get more news through those connections than from watching TV news.

In so many ways social media has seemed to drive us farther apart rather than bringing us together. We substitute a post on Facebook for a conversation with a friend. We say things on online forums that we would never say in person and we use forums to bully and criticize people we don't even know.
As much as social media has helped us stay in touch during this pandemic, it has also isolated us from many of the personal contacts that were once important to us. 

I will continue to hold on to my current forums (although I have already made changes in how I use them and how often I use them), but for today I think I'll go old school -- I think I'll make a phone call or two and maybe even write a letter. That's more my social speed, anyway.

John

Party Politics

This isn't a post about Democrat vs Republican party politics. It's about political divisions within each party. While many Democrats wonder why today's Republican leadership won't step up and congratulate President Elect Biden, the answer is pretty simple -- they can't afford to anger the Trump base. Although they may not agree with Trump policies or condone his behaviors, they need the support of his base. His base represents more than half of the overall republican voters.

The Democratic party has a similar kind of divide between its far left side (think Bernie Sanders) and its more moderate side. I fully expect a more liberal Speaker of the House than Pelosi when January rolls around. 

President Elect Biden keeps saying that he'll be a President for all of America. Truthfully, he isn't even representative of all of the Democratic party. Sure, the party united against President Trump, but they didn't really unify in their support of Joe Biden.

I see the divide within the Republican party much more disturbing than the divide in the Democratic party. Denying science, denying truth, and being racist and hateful are far different from differing policies on healthcare and climate change, but they are still dividing the parties and potential voters. Losing potential party voters is a pretty big deal for Republicans in Georgia right now.

I'd say that I don't have the answer, but the answer isn't a big secret. We all know the answer. 
We have to start listening to each other and finding ways to address each other's concerns. What is so frustrating is that so many voices are speaking and so few ears are listening. I am not very hopeful that we will be able to come together as a country. I am not very hopeful that people will be concerned with the needs of others rather than looking to guard their own stuff and prosper themselves. 

sigh
Maybe tomorrow's post will have more hope.

John

Monday Motivation

 

Perspective

It's been a week!
It's now Saturday evening and I'm enjoying a cigar, the fights are on, and I'm reflecting on the day. I thought I'd write some thoughts down for Sunday morning's post.

This afternoon (Saturday) I had just left the house to meet our daughter for a post-election celebratory drink. I was only about a mile from the house when my phone rang. It was the ER at the hospital where I am on call as chaplain this week. They told me they were moving a patient to the OB ward for post event observation after what they called fetal demise. She was 22 weeks pregnant and had just lost the baby. Although they hadn't requested a chaplain, the ER nurse called me.

I made the course correction and headed to the hospital. On the 30+ minute drive I was thinking about how small the world can seem at times. 
For the past several days, much of the world was watching as the results of our (the US) presidential election slowly came in. Here in the States, there were demonstrations, a fair amount of hand wringing, and much speculation on the future of the government's make up. We have been concerned with state elections, national elections, and international impact. This election had the greatest citizen participation with millions of more voters participating and having their voices heard at every level of government.

But in that moment, none of that mattered.

Nobody asked or cared if the young couple was Trump supporters, Biden supporters, or if they even voted. It didn't matter if they favored universal health care, were prolife or pro-choice, or what religion they practiced (if any). The medical staff at the hospital did what they were trained to do and then called me to come and minister to them in their very small world. 
On Saturday morning this young woman woke up expecting to be a mommy in a few months. By Saturday afternoon, that wasn't going to happen. That was their whole world.

Perspective.

There are millions of others that live in pretty small worlds. Around 600 people in Springfield MO are more concerned with finding a warm, safe place to sleep -- tonight. Many more than that don't know how they will feed their kids -- tonight. There are people in my community that are suffering physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Families are separated and dealing with pandemic issues -- on this very night. 
I'm not saying that we shouldn't be concerned with the big picture. But we also need to bring our focus in and look around us, at the people and the needs around us. We need to know that we can make a difference in their small world -- in our small world, and we can do it today.
You probably know somebody that could use a phone call. Call them.
You might know somebody that really needs a visit. Visit them.
Maybe you know somebody that needs a meal. Fix them a meal, buy them a gift card, or take them out if you can. 
Not sure who to help or how to help. Visit a thrift store or discount store and buy as many cheap warm coats as you can and donate them to a shelter. You can make a difference in your world. 

Without the labels -- red, blue, conservative, liberal, Christian, Muslim, atheist, etc. -- we are all just human beings trying to make it through the day. Why not help each other?
Life doesn't have to be a competition. It isn't that important that you finish the day with more stuff than me or somehow ahead of me or anyone else. We can finish together. 

My heart breaks for the young couple that I prayed with today. I know that their world is ugly today. I don't know that I was able to offer them any comfort because they were truly devastated when I saw them. You may feel like that, too. Do what you can. Keep things in perspective. Share some love. 

John  

Call the Election: It's time to stop the dying

It's hard to believe that the 2020 United States Presidential Election is yet to be decided.
It's Saturday for crying out loud!

As the election continues to dominate the news, the US has faced a growing and spreading pandemic. We have set records on daily new infections. The national death total is climbing towards a quarter of a million dead Americans. As the election dominates the news, I wonder if anything is being done (at any level) to address our woeful handling of the pandemic.

I don't expect there to be any quick change in policy concerning the pandemic. There needs to be a change in the national attitude toward the pandemic and efforts to stop its spread. We need to start doing the right things concerning hand washing, social distancing, and masking -- All of us!

I really don't expect the science denying followers of Trump to all of a sudden believe that wearing a mask will help, but maybe they will at least recognize the foolishness of claiming it to be a democratic hoax.
Maybe.

I expect that the rank and file Trump supporters of southwest Missouri to continue with life as usual -- large family holiday gatherings, community and work holiday parties and celebrations, big church sponsored Christmas pageants, etc. Without some serious behavioral changes, I fully expect to see a half million dead by the time we hit the one year mark since the first big shutdown. I am hopeful that we will soon (before Jan 20) see more science information from the CDC experts.

I fully realize the negative economic impact of a shutdown. It may be necessary for another brief amount of time. If secondary protocols had been enforced after the early shutdown, we wouldn't be where we are today. Maybe just an enforcement of those protocols now would prove to be a positive move in reducing the spread and easing the burdens on our hospitals and local healthcare facilities.

For local friends, do your part. Encourage others to do their part. Stay safe. Stay healthy.
I'll be back tomorrow.

John

50/50: It shouldn't be a bad thing

The problem isn't that we are divided to a nearly 50% blue vs nearly 50% red nation. The problem is the divisive polarity between the two. If our elected representatives truly represented the citizens of the country they would work together for the good of all of us rather than fighting for what they perceive to be their half of the country.

It appears that we will have a President that says he will be the President for all Americans and a Senate Majority Leader that says he will do whatever is necessary to oppose everything that President wants to do -- even in opposing potential cabinet nominations.

Choosing which party leads the country forward should be just that. We still need to move forward. 
If we were a football team, it would be like the offensive line refusing to block because they want the 2nd string quarterback on the field. We are still supposed to be on the same team, still working towards the same goals. Priorities and methods may be different under different leadership, but we shouldn't be working against each other. Republicans and democrats are not supposed to be enemies, just different voices on the same team.
This is also true within the parties. The moderate factions are not the enemies of the more progressive or more conservative factions. In fact, the more moderate factions should be the bridges to reaching across the aisle to the other party. We have truly lost sight of the simple fact that we are citizens of the same country.

Just some Friday moment post-election thoughts.
I have more. Maybe tomorrow.
Maybe not.

John  

Thankful

We took some time away from checking on the status of the few remaining states last night and had our daughter and son-in-law over for dinner. It was a late birthday dinner for Hannah.

I was doing dishes after they left and mentioned to Chris how thankful I am that our kids have turned out to be pretty wonderful adults and have also managed to pick pretty wonderful spouses. 

We had a very enjoyable evening just visiting over dinner and for quite awhile afterwards. Although part of the conversation was about the election and the pandemic, for the most part the evening was a respite from the worries of the world. It was a time of just hanging out with the kids.

I've only noticed a few people doing the daily thankful-for posts on Facebook this year during the month of November. I haven't been participating in that and probably won't, but that doesn't mean that I don't have plenty of things for which I am truly thankful. My daily quiet time and added hours of pandemic solitude have given me many hours of reflection on the blessings of my life (including added hours of solitude!).

I know that there are a number of you that are struggling with how to handle typically large family gatherings for this year's Thanksgiving celebration. I have no advice for you other than to be thoughtful as you make those decisions and encourage everyone to be graceful as they recognize their thoughts and feelings might be different than others. That gracefulness in differences is something I'm working on.

Be well.
Be thankful.
Be gracious.

John

Here We Are

Wednesday morning.
Not much has changed.

Results are not finalized in the US election. It will be close -- again. Once again the popular vote will go to the Democratic candidate. The electoral vote will be close. The few states that remain in play are so close that even with 95% of the vote counted, they are too close to call.

I'm disappointed.
I'm also pretty privileged in that my life will not change much. I live in a deeply red part of the country. The pandemic is denied and slowly spreading, so we will stay at home. Our state government will continue to be red and will continue to oppress the marginalized segments of the population.

I will do what I've been doing.
I will help others when and where I can.  
I will encourage others to help when and where they can.
I will struggle to love those that oppose my efforts to love the people that they do not love.

Everybody wants to be on the winning team. But my recent life struggle has been in moving away from the binary systems of winners and losers, rich and poor, right and left, conservatives and liberals, good and evil, straight and queer, black and white.
Most of life happens in the grey, in-between areas of life. I live between liberal and conservative. I live in the grey. From the middle you can see that the sides do not communicate with each other -- they yell at each other. I think that the majority of us live in the middle with tendencies toward one side or the other. I don't think that the middle is represented very well in our government.

I'll take care of the people that I can.
Today I am going to send a glass tubed, bourbon infused cigar to a Vietnam vet so that he can have it to smoke on November 10th, the birthday of the US Marine Corps. An annual cigar is his way of celebration and remembrance; his way of honoring his fellow vets that are no longer with us. Sharing a decent cigar from my humidor allows me to honor his service.

Do something kind for someone today. Add a little good to your area of the world -- today.
Share something good. Go ahead -- brag on yourself a little. Tell me something -- big or small -- that you did or are doing for someone else.
Lift my spirits. Restore my faith n humanity. Tell me something good.

John

Two-fer Tuesday--Election Day evening thoughts

It's Tuesday evening and polls on the east coast are still open for a couple of hours. As I said this morning -- today has been pretty much like any other day. I've been busy enough that I haven't checked any news sources, nor have I spent much time on social media. In the few moments that I've scrolled through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter I have been encouraged by the relatively calm encouragement that we will go on tomorrow with calm encouragement.

While there is a certainty that we all want our side to win, there also seems to be a confidence that things will be okay no matter the outcome of the election. The losing parties will continue to fight the injustices they see and begin to form plans for midterm elections in '22. The winners will layout their plans for the new legislature in 2021 and how to work with or oppose the White House strategies.

I'm feeling a reserved, but calm energy. We will see if that changes throughout the night.
Sleep well, my friends. The sun is still planning on rising in the morning. 
And there will still be work to do.

John

A Day Like Any Other

Okay, so it's not exactly like any other day. It is Election Day in the United States.

But for the most part...
It's morning coffee on the sunny (but cool) deck.
I'm doing the daily blog thing and listening to some morning news.
I'll do a little internet surfing and maybe a little devotional reading.
After a little morning exercise (emphasis on little), I'll head out to do the volunteer chaplain thing at Mercy Hospital in Aurora.
I cast my ballot last week, so today will be pretty much like every other day.

I imagine that I'll be watching news coverage tonight -- which is not like any other day.

Tomorrow morning I expect to have my coffee on a sunny, but cool deck. I'll do the daily blogging thing and listen to some morning news. I'll do a little internet surfing and a little devotional reading, etc., etc.

I don't want to minimize the impact of today's election.
Neither do I want to pretend that there will not be some negative (possibly violent) reaction to the results from today's election. 
But regardless of the presidential winner and the legislative winners, The United States will continue on. The peaceful transfer (or continuation) of power is a hallmark of the US. In spite of words that have been spoken to the contrary, the people of the US still speak and our voices will still be heard and recognized. We may witness a child-like tantrum. There may not be a cordial letter left in the Resolute Desk, but there will be a transfer of power if that's the way the election goes. 

If you have followed me for very long or know my heart and character, you know how I voted and what my hopes are for this country. You also know that next week, next month, next year will find me still looking for ways to serve during the pandemic, smoking an occasional cigar, and working on making my little corner of the world a welcome place for anyone that drops in. 
If you will work on your little corner of the world in a similar manner, we can make that welcome feeling available to more people in more places around the globe. 

If you are a reader in the US, my hope for you today is peace.
If you are a friend in another country, my hope for you is peace.
And for all of you -- I wish you love.

John