Good News Weekly (28 Dec 13)

So it time for some good news.  We are all tired of bad news.  Opinions on stuff that doesn't need to be blurted out once much less a thousand times by our so called media.  Some good news comes from bad things happening first and that is okay.  But we tend to forget that good news can just come without karmic equality.  So I sought out from my facebook friends some good news.  They have been nice enough to share their happy times with me and I think it is time I share with everybody else.  So here goes.

Good News for the week of 28 Dec 13.

• Robert says: The Psycho's road to teenage violence has started forward with success. She got a wooden practice samuri sword for x-mas.
• Helen is running for GCA (Grand Collegiate Alchemist of Alpha Chi Sigma) again.
• Donna made it through the Christmas season successfully. 
• Cleo is going to have a baby around August of 2014.  Totally exciting.  (If it is a boy, Robert or Duff are good strong names.  Also, scientists have discovered what might cause these babies to happen.)
• Christina's nuke med schooling will be over in March.
• Maggie is happy to be the proud mom of me.  Mom you are sweet but you don't have to lie.  I am a Pain in the backside.
• Josie lost 47lbs in 6 months with diet and exercise only.  Now they are "just muscles."
• Donna came back and added that she had a good lunch with a good friend.  
• George says: long term good news=Kepler has found there are possibly 40 billion Habitable planets in our galaxy, short term=I'm 98% sure the McRib will be back at some point in 2014.
• Melissa says:  I was in a pretty foul mood until I read the McRib comment from my brother. Not that I would ever eat one, it just struck me as funny.
• Shannon became a grandmother this year and I cannot wait to meet the little sprog.

Well, that sums up a great bit of good news.  I know some of it seems trivial and small in the face of the large things that are going on in the world.  Those large scale things will always be there but we need to acknowledge the joys that are part of our lives so that we don't drown in the overwhelming media blitz of negativity. 

Thanks for the good news guys.  I hope to continue to get more good news from you in the future. 

The Day of the Trick

I have noticed a disturbing trend over the past decade or so. At first I thought it was the neighborhood I lived in because the apartment complex in Chicago and the east Cleveland suburb really weren't the best places for adults to walk around in during the daylight. Never mind going out after the sun hit the ground. There has been a distinct lack of participation during Halloween. I noticed it in Maple Heights where we were one of maybe five houses on the entire street that had candy available. I would see neighbors actively not participating. It was disheartening.

This most awesomest of all holidays over all cultures and all time. You get to dress up as what ever. You get to go around as a scary monster, super hero, sexy nurse or greek goddess. What ever you want. Then you get to go out to your neighbors and say, “Trick or Treat.” I remember in my day it really didn't mean much. It was just what you said at Halloween. You went up to the house with friends or kids you never saw before and rung the doorbell. When the door was opened it was always at least some courtesy and a piece of candy. There was that one person that gave out a toothbrush or some floss. Damn dentists. There were always a couple of houses that did not have the front light on. Having lived in a military house and area I understood that not everybody was available at night. But those houses were far and few between. I even remember the one house that had nobody their but they left the candy out on the honor system. It was the 80's and a different time.

In any case, it was in those days back in Norfolk that I was out trick or treating and I came upon this one house. The poor guy had his light on but was not prepared for Halloween. I went up to the door and started the process. It got rudely interrupted when he kindly apologized for not be ready. I am sure he had an amazing excuse that totally absolved him of the error but that did not matter to him. He explained to me that since he had no treat he would have to pick trick. Imagine my elementary age confusion and the look on my face must have been not only priceless but polymorphic.

It started to make sense as to what was going on. We younger kids (back then) only really wanted the treat and those older kids (now and then) may have tended to the trick. I was dumfounded at the time because I was not prepared for any answer. My thought was light on means candy. So in this particular moment I really did not have a trick available. On that day I got plenty of candy and the light to the front porch turned off shortly after I left that mans doorstep. I am not sure if I noticed any that year but over the years I saw a few tricks occur. Most of them were late in high school and college. They had nothing to do with not having candy but more to do with having good old dirty fun.

I can only assume that back in the day there were tricks on those houses that did not participate got something. Some good old fashion fun like shaving cream under the car door handles. How would we all like that on all saints day. I mean it could have been some good loud noises later at night. I can imagine that the neighborhood dentist would not have been so bold to give out toothpicks and Listerine. That kind of crap would have come with a good rolling of the every tree in the yard and possibly the front porch.

Back to today. Or ten years ago when the street lights seemed to be turned off. There seems to no consequence for ignoring such a wonderful holiday. The masses have forgotten that they had a choice and by not participating they had their choice made. Trick. I know there are those that say it is mean or it is wrong. Some might call it vandalism or hooliganism. There are those arseholes that will cry about how it is not funny or a game but a crime. To all of you poo poo heads out there I say. It is on like Donkey Kong. You chose trick and we who believe in the celebration of all hallows eve will be out there to help.

Here it is. Lets teach the best lesson of all from this day. Have fun. Forget all the rest. Pursue happiness and get it on. If you live in one of those neighborhoods that is mostly dark (front porches). If you see your neighbors being humbugs and thinking it is okay to be fun killers then help the kids out some more. Tell them that the dentist is immune because it is his job but then.... Give them some candy and a mini can of shaving cream. Or invest in a Sam's club package of toilet paper and unleash the kids. It is migration season for some areas of the country. Hand out some bags of bird seed for them to spread in the lawns of the trickees. Got something else. Use it. Suggest it. No flaming bags of dog stuff.

If you really want to have a good warm and fuzzy about all of this. Think of this a good social engineering. At some point businesses, the church, government or the king of gods Zeus has started to suck the fun out of life. We have fun but we are not really bringing fun into our lives and the lives around us. We have been pushed further and further toward misery. Our own misery has demanded company so why should anhybody get candy for those kids. We don't take time to ensure that others are feeling real joy. Hell it is so uncommon that not many even get to experience okay joy. Now it is time that we who are still acquainted with joy and our inner child bring it all back. Lets bring back the day of the Trick.

Plan for Inaction

      Today I had to take my car into the garage for some service. I had a check engine light that was telling me that my O2 sensor was bad and I had some suspension system work that needed to be done. It all got done and I got a call to come on down while the finishing touches were being put on the wheel alignment. I walked there and got all the details taken care of with the bill and work done. While I was waiting for the last bit and a test drive by the mechanic I was talking with the manager at the desk. Some simple chit chat then something came up and he started talking about how he met his wife. I really don't remember how it came up but some things came up that got me thinking. Actually, my illness came up and he told me about his proposed best man that had died after a long fight with cancer not two months before the wedding. Either way, let me continue.

      Lets start with he is a religious man with a strong community that has supported him and his family. He told me he was divorced with two older children (now adults). After his divorce he was at a church function where he was introduced to his wife. He told me about how they got along and how they had little issues because of him being divorced and having children. Evidently, she was not about dating or marrying anybody that was divorced and she did not want children. He said that they were smitten with each other. They had some awkward moments in the early days of their relationship. But in his heart he knew that God had a plan and somehow everything was working great. He was telling me the cute things that she put up with in those days and it was awesome. It was not but a few months later that he proposed.

      Of course, he wanted to get it right because it was not so perfect with his previous marriage. He wanted God's plan to work so he and his wife had sought out counseling and coaching through the church. Honestly, I am amazed by the support that he described during this whole thing. Still I got to get this story going. Things went well and years later he is very happily married with two more kids. So much for her plans. He was amazed by his two young children and how they are growing up. There is something special about a proud parent watching his children grow up. Then he got into his older kids.

      One ran off to middle of nowhere Illinois to live with a woman he met online. I guess he does not have a job and has no interest in getting one. In any case, the gentleman was obviously upset but hopeful that one day that son would wake up and fix his life. His other son is in college and wants to be a school guidance counselor. That is totally awesome. Then the bomb dropped. He told me that his son had disowned him. That his ex-wife had said some horrible things during and after the divorce which turned the kids against him. He told me that his son had not talked to him in years. But he was not going to press the issue and it was in God's plan that when it was time for him and his son to talk it would be time.

      Now I don't know what the details are and it may not be the best time to press a young adult to communicate when it is not the right time. I am sure this gentleman was hurting because of the situation with both of his sons. But I have a problem with the assumption that if there is a God's plan then that plan is to wait passively and let life happen to us. This guys idea of a plan is to do nothing and all will be right in the eyes of his god. If he goes to church and prays then that is all that needs to be done. Those that need help will get help. If only that were true.

      Why on earth would I let life happen. If there is a god of some sort and he/she has a plan then why can that plan not have me doing something. By this logic the guy with a sign that said “Need Food” should not have worried about holding up the sign and walking down the line of cars. The Back on My Feet guys would have received a message by burning bush e-mail that he was there and needed help. I don't get it. If God has a plan, how on earth are we to know what to do. We should be in absolute fear of doing anything. Perhaps we are going off plan. I know this is kind of the faith of having a god's plan but still in the mind of the kind gentleman that meant doing nothing in a very bad situation. It just seems like action it so much greater than inaction. Don't let life happen to you. It is better to have you happen to life and the lives of others.

How Great a Society

A few weeks ago I was driving home from downtown Philadelphia. I was forced to leave the highway because it was a parking lot and started off onto surface streets. At that point I was confronted with a situation which I did not hesitate to act upon. And by act, I mean, I did something not did nothing. There is a difference between doing something and doing nothing. Doing nothing is deciding to do something that is nothing. It sounds like double talk but it makes some sense. If my options were to turn right or go straight and I decided not to turn then I decided to go straight. So when I decided to do something and act it means that others may have decided to do something and that is nothing. I am beating around the bush but the point needs to be made.

I do want to explain myself a little or explain others more. I am liberal. I am a bleeding heart tree hugging liberal. In Washington D.C. and other places there are Republicans and Democrats. In reality they represent the conservative and the less conservative, respectively, sides of the vast majority of issues. Democrats are thought of as liberal and to most they are. If you stand them up next to me they may as well be Republicans. My views just don't compare to theirs and quite honestly I wish we could get to some actual parity in the world. At least I would not feel like the inmates are running the asylums. Some might say I am the one taking crazy pills but reality is just too much stranger than fiction. I have gotten way off the topic that needs to be discussed though I do believe the above is a necessary preface to all that follows.

There I was somewhere near the Franklin Institute trying to make my way home by the surface streets. I was at a stop light about three cars back. There he was. He was in wrinkled clothing but not ragged. He had a nice piece of cardboard that had written on it, “Need Food, God Bless.” He started at the first care and without a word and only the slightest of pauses at each driver window to see if there was a reaction did he work his way down the line. He didn't say anything. He stayed on the sidewalk. There was a warm smile that didn't say he was happy but one that conveyed appreciation for just considering to help. Like I said before, I did not hesitate to act. My first thought was I have some Stinger Energy Blocks in the back. Not the food he would have expected but it would have been amazingly helpful. I thought I had one up front so I looked real quick. When that failed, I reached into my change cup and grabbed a handful and held it out. I even apologized because I knew it was not much. I really don't carry much cash so there was nothing in my pocket and at the moment I was disappointed in myself for not having anything on me besides the coinage.

The light turned green and it was not further on before my disappointment shifted from myself to others. Not just the other car drivers around me but just in general. Lets start with this. I do believe that the car in front of me was BMW and I am not sure what the car in front of the line was but that did not matter. There were plenty of cars before ours and plenty of cars after. How much success would that guy have gotten before or after I came around? My guess is not much. But here I was an nearly broke unemployed cancer patient driving down the street and I don't even hesitate to give the guy a little change. What is wrong with me? I cannot afford to be so charitable. I should be able to drive on without a guilty conscience for not giving a little change. Instead I feel bad for not giving enough.

What was his story? It could be something tragic. I take that back. It is something tragic. The details of his story or any of the others has to be. Here he is homeless and hungry. He may find some place to rest at a shelter or a bit to eat from a food bank. Those aren't guarantees. Hells bells, he may be addicted to something that keeps him away from those charities. That doesn't matter. The fact is that he needs help. He needs help and we as a society are not willing to help. Two cars drove by. As I said earlier, the probability was that not many more reached into that cup.

Sure there are those excuses out there:

He may only use the money for drugs or alcohol. - So what.

Others will help. - But they don't seem to be.

He's dirty or could be diseased. - Really? We could actually use a little more dirt and disease in our life.

I give to the (name your charity) at the office. - Good for you

And more and more. Excuses are like assholes. Everybody has one.

I have heard from plenty of others in person and on social media that we have homeless and hungry in america why are we sending so much aid to all of these other countries? I'm not saying that those others are not in need. I know that they are. But lets get this straight. Our government does the things for the public that we might not necessarily do on our own. This is us in our home. Why is it we think we can ignore others around us? I of all people know just how cluttered an inner monologue can get. I can just imagine the inner complaining about the vagrants or the run down part of town or what was seen under the overpass. In fact there are those that voice those complaints. Sometimes it is to themselves, to their friends and family or even worse, to the public.

To the public. Some have said that those that are down, poor, homeless, hungry, jobless and/or just vagrants are in the wrong. That if they cannot help themselves then they cannot be helped. Perhaps they don't deserve our help because they will just waste it. Maybe if they wanted better they should try harder. In reality, it is damn tough to get life back in order if you are just having a bad day, week, month. Things we may think are hardships like a car repair or back to school shopping would seem like winning the lottery to those that don't have a car or cannot feed themselves much less their children. Car repairs and back to school shopping are important and can be expensive. Trust me I have an 11 year old daughter. Again, it pails in comparison to not having the choice to eat.

Maybe there seems like too many of the needy out there to help. This a math issue. If we think somebody else will take care of a problem then nobody will take care of the problem. If you flip this and everybody chips in to take care of a problem, no matter what their means, then the problem gets taken care of. A great example of this is Social Security. There was a problem where those like the elderly and the ill, were not able to take care of themselves and their working years were over. The solution came in what amounted to an insurance system where everybody that has an income pays into it and when that day comes they start getting it back. It isn't much but it helps. In the case of those that are on the sidewalk with their cardboard signs, if we all pitched in a little it would add up and then there would be less. More would be able to dig out of the deep hole and less would fall into another so deep.

Back to the original story and how this episode kind of ended. I have to be a little honest. This did not end as badly as it could have. Sure I was the only one to grab a few quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies from the cup. But a few blocks down the road at the Philly Art Museum was the encampment for the Back on My Feet (BOMF) 20 in 24 charity race. BOMF is an organization dedicated to helping “...those who are experiencing homelessness change the way they see themselves so they can make a real change in their lives that results in employment and independent living.” They are an amazing organization with real goals, interesting strategies and real results. They are not alone. There are other organizations that help in so many different ways. I was happy that I saw the encampment but was real sad that I did not know about it a few minutes prior.

In conclusion, just this. How great a society is can be is measured by how it treats its most unfortunate.