A Christmas Miracle?

After so much partisan back and forth in Washington over the first two years of President Obama’s administration, it was amazing to realize just how much was accomplished considering all the road blocks and negative rhetoric. To name just a few, Congress has passed TARP stimulus programs, a Financial Reform Bill, including new consumer protection laws along with a national Healthcare Reform bill. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a true Christmas Miracle in the form of bipartisan support in the weeks just before Christmas. We saw Republicans break ranks from the “Party of No” and give us a Tax Cut deal and extension of Long Term Unemployment Benefits. We got the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the ratification of the START Treaty with Russia. And just in, it looks good for passage of the bill giving benefits to our first responders to the 9/11 Attack. All in all, it was a miraculous legislative performance by this “lame-duck” congress. They needed bipartisan support to get things done and they did it. Well done.


Of course, neither side got everything they wanted, but the fact that both sides compromised and moved ahead to get anything done was amazing. And yes, there are many things that were left undone like immigration reform, energy policies, environmental protections and rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, not to mention a national commitment to green technology and green jobs, but the politicians broke ranks and actually got things passed. That is what America has been calling for! Stop the political sabotage and name calling and get on with America’s business.

To my further amazement, I did some research and found that a number of lesser known legislation was passed by the Congress during Obama’s administration. They are:

The Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act - It provides for immediate reform of the foods students receive in schools with more nutritious food to help fight obesity.

Fairness for Farmers Legislation - It passed measures to pay long awaited settlements to Indian and African American farmers for past discrimination by the Department of Agriculture.

The U.S. Manufacturing Enhancement Act - It gives companies an incentive to manufacture and produce products right here in America.

The Plain Writing Act of 2010 - Its goal is to simplify government documents so that we the people can read and understand them.

The Race to the Top Grant Program - For the first time the program will use a point system to efficiently prioritize federal grant money for education to states with the highest marks.

Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 - It will cut out the profit taking “middle men” (large banks and financial institutions) and handle student loans directly. It provides for a more reasonable income-based repayment program making loans more affordable. The savings will be used to provide more Pell Grants.

Who knew?! (Source: AOL News)

Perhaps the new Republican/Tea Party dominated House of Representatives in January will bring back the “Party of No” and Washington will once again return to gridlock and partisan bickering. Perhaps Senator Mitch McConnell will continue his call to limit President Obama to one term by any means, even if it is at the expense of what America needs, but this little, bipartisan, Christmas miracle was so refreshing. Perhaps Congress will like the feeling of getting things accomplished so much that they will want to continue doing so… Na! Then what would I have to write about?

Food for THOUGHT…

A Prayer of Restoration to Mother Earth

Out of all the things I could have written about after weeks of partisan rhetoric and discord in Washington and around the world, this prayer was sent to me by a friend. In times of trouble, strife and fear, what better thing than to pray? And what better prayer than one that resonates with my Cherokee ancestry:

Prayer of restoration to Mother Earth (Chief Iktomi Sha)

prayed at the peace ceremony, Ieper (Belgium), 19th December 2010

We pray,

Mother Earth,

Forgive us,

Not only for the innocent blood we have spilled and let flown on you,

since the beginnings of time,

but also forgive us, for the dark secrets we have concealed and hidden in your lap,

since the beginnings of time.

We ask that the spirits and the souls of all who have been judged, tortured or killed,

in the name of forced beliefs or for any other reason,

that their spirits and souls may be freed,

and be free to go to their families in the spirit world, to their homelands.

That this may bring peace in the hearts of their relatives.

We ask the spirits of all who have gone before who have been silenced, suppressed or destroyed

in the name of power or forced beliefs,

we ask that their spirits, from this moment forward, may become strongly active to bring renewal,

that they may bring us back in contact with pure divine energy, with the pure essence of spirituality.

This renewal will help all people on earth to restore the balance that is necessary for all of us,

and for our children of the next seven generations and after.

It will allow the children of our children to live in harmony and wholeness, with a good heart.

We are all related.

Let it be.

May we all pray for this divided nation of ours, our leaders and our future leaders and for the world in which we now live. We can continue with our hatred, fear, mistrust, ignorance, prejudice and anger or we can realize that in the end… “We are all related.” We are one. And what we do to each other and to the World… we do to ourselves. Peace.

Food for THOUGHT…



And so it goes...

Today the Senate Republicans all voted in lock step, as they have these past two years of the Obama administration, to frustrate, lock up, embarrass and discredit any attempt to get things done. Republican leadership has openly vowed to make Obama a one term president. They vowed to block any piece of legislation until the Bush tax cuts for all Americans (including the wealthiest 2% of tax payers) are extended. This same Republican leadership also informed America that extending the long term unemployment bill for millions of Americans forced out of work by a recession caused by some of those wealthiest 2% of tax payers (the Wall Street million and billionaires) was not going to happen unless money was found to fund it. It would only add to our growing deficit.


So let me get this straight…Mr. “Sourpuss” and his side-kick, Mr. “Hell-No” are going to give everyone a big, fat tax increase starting next year and cut off the life-line to millions of out of work Americans who can’t find jobs because of the poor economy unless they get their way, unless their wealthy pals, the 2% of all taxpayers get a tax break that they neither need nor do they deserve. This tax break to the wealthiest 2% will cost our country $700 billion in lost revenue over 10 years that could go toward paying down the national debt or even extending the long term unemployment bill for millions of American families.

Hmmm… Helping a few wealthy pals or doing what’s right for millions of America’s middle class, working poor and those out of work with no hope of finding a job in this struggling economy. That’s a tough one! Well, apparently not for our Republican “Party of No” folks because today they ALL voted to block what would seem to be a most reasonable solution with time running out. It was back to Washington politics as usual.

Is it any surprise that our congress has the lowest approval rating in our nation’s history? Is it any wonder that Americans are angry and calling for change? And yet these political leaders continue to play their partisan games and “fiddle while Rome burns.” The good of this country and its people…be damned!

And so it goes…

Food for THOUGHT…

Thanksgiving

Me and my Grandpa Tipton.

Last week I survived my 59th birthday. It was quiet and peaceful. No big deal. Lisa and I spent an enjoyable day together in downtown San Antonio. It struck me that I’m on the last year of my 50’s and I’ve been having little flashbacks of my life. It’s like my brain is determined to play back little video clips all the way back to my early childhood. It’s almost like I’m watching another person’s memories because so much time has passed, so much has changed…except they are my memories from my life.


In one clip, I am back to the age of 14. It’s Christmas and my mother and father and my younger brother and sister are all living in our drafty old farmhouse in Central Illinois. My parents are young and I’ve never been married, never gone off to college, never started my first real job, and never started my own family. In this moment of time, THIS is my family…the five of us. It only lasted a second, but in that moment all the sights and sounds and smells of that Christmas came flooding back to me and I was there. But, just as quickly, I am back in my 59 year old body, living with my wife Lisa in San Antonio, Texas and both my parents have passed away. My brother and sister are in their 40’s and 50’s and I have 3 grandchildren with number 4 on the way.

When I am in these flashbacks, they seem so real. It’s a little like Kurt Vonnegut in his book, Slaughter House Five. In my case, I am zapping back and forth between past and present like some kind of time traveler, but only for a second or two at a time. I get a sense of how much I have changed over time, how different I am from who I was back then. In one moment, I am a child living with parents and siblings and the next, I am a husband, father and grandfather. There is a part of me that wants to linger as the child with my parents, but another part of me that can’t wait for the next chapter of my life to begin.

Inside this 59 year old body, I’m still this young, strong, 17 year old boy thinking he is going to live forever until I look in the mirror, until my muscles ache and I feel like taking a nap. The 17 year old tells my body to plant some trees, dig a garden and chop firewood until the 59 year old says perhaps tomorrow. Inside there is this “core being” that never seems to age, but he takes notes on all the changes…and adjusts. Today, I’ll take a nap and perhaps tomorrow…I’ll move the world.

Approaching my sixth decade of life on this planet has made me introspective. You see, Life is all about change. We don’t stay children. We grow up. We don’t stay young forever. We eventually grow old and die. Life is constantly changing around us. People come into and out of our lives. We experience the good as well as the bad. We interact with Life and Life…interacts with us. We grow and we learn and…we adjust.

Each day should be a Thanksgiving for who we are and who we are… BECOMING.

Food for THOUGHT…

How to Fix Congress

A friend forwarded this idea for a congressional reform package from the Internet. I’m sure it is making the rounds and many of these ideas have been out there for quite some time and are not new. Take a minute and look over this proposal:




Congressional Reform Act of 2010

 


1. Term Limits.12 years only, one of the possible options below: 
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.
 A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.


I agree very much with the last statement. In our history, government has stopped being BY the people and FOR the people. It has become a government by the wealthy and powerful for the wealthy and powerful. Even if someone elected to congress does not go in wealthy, the majority seem to come out wealthy and set for life with government pensions, healthcare, perks and connections not available to the average citizen.

It takes a lot of money to be elected to national government and as we have just witnessed with the recent mid-term elections…MONEY talks. The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations and unions to funnel unlimited funds into campaigns and not have to disclose donors have left the door wide open to special interests with hidden agendas. Our election process is for sale to the highest bidder. Those with the most wealth, power and connections get to stay in power and consolidate even more power as they make politics a career, an unholy, but lucrative profession. Their goal is to keep being elected and enjoying the perks and power of their office. Their masters are no longer the people of America, but those special interests who funded their campaigns.

So again, how do we fix congress? We stop making it a career. We limit the amount of money that can be spent and shine a light on who is contributing to the campaign. Finally, we shorten the time they can campaign and make public debates mandatory for all candidates at taxpayer’s expense.

Just one fly in the ointment… to pass this legislative reform act, the people who would have the most to lose by passing it… would be the ones voting on it.

Food for THOUGHT…

Life's Blessings

I came across this picture of my granddaughter, Emma, giving me a big hug during our summer visit to Chicago. We flew there to attend our grandson, Nathan’s, baptism and see my family members. It made me think how blessed Lisa and I are. Can there be anything better than a hug from your grand kids?


I’ve been so wrapped up in politics, work and world affairs that sometimes life seems so full of frustrations and bad news…gloom and doom. But life is a mix. It is a big stew of good and bad, beautiful and ugly, sad and happy. Each day is an adventure.

It’s those hugs we get along the way that remind us of Life’s true blessings. Thanks Emma!

Food for THOUGHT…

I’ve Not Been a Good Buddhist

One of the ideas of Buddhism is letting go of your attachments in life. Holding on to those “attachments” leads to suffering. Well, during this political campaign especially, I have become attached to the outcome of this mid-term election. Will the Democrats retain control of the House and Senate or will those Republican/Tea Party “boogie” men & women take control. Will this country stay on the path of progress and reform or fall back into business as usual and gridlock. My shorts have been in a knot.

On the internet, the radio and especially the TV, I am reminded every day of the dangers we are facing from this Democrat or that Republican candidate. This one was a witch when they were younger and that one tied up women and worshiped false idols! It can almost get comical. And perhaps that is what we should be doing is laughing…laughing at all this craziness and the millions of dollars being spent on both sides trying to influence our vote.

Think about it. All this money being spent on these crazy attack ads being spewed back on forth on both sides could be going to fixing this country and solving our problems. Instead, it is being wasted on the pursuit of power and buying influence. It is maddening. My biggest fear is that too many voters have lost the ability to think for themselves, to reason, to evaluate the messages that are bombarding us day and night. How many no longer look for the truth or verify what they are being SOLD? Voters are being swept away in a sea of negativity and fear. In their anger and frustration, they rush to judgment only to awaken the next morning and realize they’ve hung an innocent man, they’ve bought the Brooklyn Bridge. There will be regret and sorrow for what they have done, but too late… the deed is done.

If I were a better Buddhist, I’d go vote and then sit back and laugh and let go. What will be will be. I would deal with the outcome and move on. Life is short. But like I said, I’ve not been a good Buddhist.

Food for THOUGHT…

Vote!




Are we to let the other side define this president and
 all that he has accomplished? Vote!

  With only a few weeks to go before the 2010 midterm elections, Americans have some important choices to make: The Tea Party, The Republicans, or The Democrats. Thanks to the recent Supreme Court ruling, corporations and unions can contribute unlimited funds under names like “Americans for Progress” to campaigns and they do NOT have to say where their money comes from. Karl Rove and Associates, the Koch brothers, Rupert Murdoch and others are busy raising money hand over fist for Republicans and Tea Party candidates and are targeting those races that will shift control of the U.S. Senate and possibly the House away from the reform minded Democrats that swept Barack Obama into office.


There is no denying the rage among voters in this country toward the negative, back-biting partisanship in our nation’s capitol. The economy’s slow recovery, continued high unemployment, rising national debt and foreclosures have fueled this anger. The Democratic Party’s message of reform pales against the onslaught of Right Wing and Tea Party rhetoric spewing forth from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and others. The government is too big! Privatize or do away with Social Security and Medicare! Repeal the new healthcare legislation! Drill baby, drill! Don’t tie the hands of business with needless taxes and regulations and environmental rules! Keep the tax cuts, especially for the wealthy! Let trickledown economics work! Voters are being bombarded with negative, fear-filled messages and calls to throw the bums out!

After 8 years of Neocon Republican control of this nation, ending in the near financial collapse of this country and the world, two unending wars, being the target of worldwide terrorists and losing the respect of our friends and allies, voters have to make some very important decisions in just a few weeks. Do we return control of our government to the right wing Party of No and assorted Tea Party radicals OR do we stay the course and continue on this path of continued reform and hope that things will improve and get better for the average American?

No, I don’t believe that Democrats have all the answers, but what alternatives do moderate Democrats, Republicans, Independents and those of us calling ourselves Progressives have against this onslaught of negative, fear, smears and lies? Where do we go in just a few weeks, if we don’t want this country to step backward, be dismantled, undone and handed over to big business, banks and power brokers? Under Obama, we have made some progress, not as much as I would like, but progress none the less. It has been a hard won progress against a foe that would rather destroy this once great nation rather than compromise or come up with workable solutions rather than anti-everything Obama rhetoric.

With all the money being raised to defeat Democratic candidates in the mid-term elections, there is one thing to keep in mind. The corporations don’t get to vote. They have millions of dollars to influence voters, but WE the people…get to vote! I urge all American voters to consider all the rhetoric, all the messages and all the claims being bought and sold by those special interests groups. Decide if you want America to go forward or backwards and then go vote. Get your friends and family to vote. What we the people decide will determine what we ALL live with.

Food for THOUGHT…

On Being Adopted (Update)

Spike had been my cat for 17 years and Sylvie was Lisa’s cat for 20 years. They made the trip down to Texas together. Once we were in our house, Spike and Sylvie were joined by our foundling kitten, Babs, named after Lisa’s Aunt Barbara. Babs was only 7 weeks old when we heard her cries for help and found her stuck in our fence by the side of the house. To this day, we can’t imagine where she came from or how she got there, but we came to her rescue. After a bath and some food she was exhausted. We left her in the guest bathroom over night and I had decided that a third cat was too many so I had planned to take her to an animal shelter the next day. Fortunately for us, Babs had other plans.


The next morning found us staring at this little, tiny, fluffy charcoal kitten with a loud purr. She leaped and gave us head butts and rubbed against us and she had me hook line and sinker. We had been adopted. Babs immediately took over the house and the two older cats. Babs was fearless in the face of growls and hisses, mostly from Sylvie, who wanted nothing to do with this tiny upstart. On the other hand, Spike found the little kitten more of a curiosity and eventually bonded with Babs. He would let her curl up with him in a chair during cold winter months and the two would have a good snooze. I was astonished one time to see Spike, the old male cat, licking Babs like a mother cat during one of their get-togethers. Sylvie eventually came to tolerate Babs and they became the three cats I vowed we’d never have.

Lisa and I had decided to take our time selecting another cat or cats after the passing of our beloved Sylvie and Spike recently. We considered leaving Babs as our only cat, but we are both gone for long periods of time during the week. So the plan was to check out some of the animal shelters to find a companion for Babs. We thought we should get a kitten since they seem to adapt better than an older cat. But once again fate had other plans.

Calli started coming across the street in the evenings and into our back patio. She was a beautiful, little calico kitten about 5 months old. She had a fluffy tail and a black “mask around her eyes. From the very start she was a lover! She jumped into our laps and nuzzled us with loud purrs and head butts. She could not get enough attention. We suspected that she might belong to the old couple from across the street near the ally. She seemed healthy and well groomed, even though we knew the older couple had health problems. We figured that the nurse or caregiver might be taking care of her. We reluctantly left her outside at night, even though on one of Calli’s visits she went charging for the back door and would have run into our house before we caught her. She was trying folks! There are a lot of cats out at night in our neighborhood and that’s the problem. They get pregnant or worse.

On one of Calli’s visits, she brought a littermate, we named him Sammy. He was also in need of attention, but he turned out to be a bitter and a scratcher. The two of them curled up on our back steps that night much to the dismay of Babs who was looking out the back door window. Calli disappeared for a while after that, but one day while I was home, she came over in the middle of the day. She rubbed against my legs and began purring. We had only seen her at night. When she showed up again that night we suspected she had no home and had to make a decision. Soon, she would go into heat and wind up like so many of the cats in our neighborhood. We took her in.

Calli did not like being closed up in the kitchen at night. She wanted attention! The next morning we took her to our vet and had her tested to make sure she could be around Babs. We would get her shots and spayed at the Animal Defense League later. She checked out so we began what we thought would be a long, gradual process of introduction to Babs. Babs was curious, but she would hiss if Calli got too close. Babs’ whole personality began to change. She would not let either of us pet her and she was skittish. We were being snubbed! Babs resented the new cat big time.

We decided to keep Calli in the kitchen at night so that Babs would have some respite and come back and sleep with us again like the old days. By the second or third night in the kitchen, Calli was having none of it. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, “little miss Houdini” came trotting down the hall and into our bedroom and jumped up on the bed. Calli nuzzled into Lisa’s arm pit and wrapped her little paw around her arm and set to purring. (I wish I had had a camera.) We knew she was not going back to the kitchen.

It has been a week now and Babs is finally coming around. She is acting more like herself and even tried to play with Calli a few times. They both sleep with us at night without any growling or hissing. Calli loves to curl up with us and spread out. She is completely at home. I’ve never seen such an affectionate cat! She was one determined feline. She knew she was our new cat…well before we did.

Welcome to the family, Calli!

Food for THOUGHT…



Ten Years and More!

Lisa and I thought about going to New Orleans for our 10th wedding anniversary. Then we thought we might drive to Santa Fe, New Mexico or the Gulf Coast. Nothing seemed quite right. The more we talked about long drives or expensive air fares and hotels and eating out, the more our anniversary was becoming a big production when all we really wanted was to get away and have some peace and quiet. Lisa and I had rented a cabin last year and really enjoyed the solitude of the Texas Hill Country. She began a search of cabins within a reasonable drive from San Antonio. That’s how we found our “Tree House Cabin” near the tiny Texas town of Smithville along the Colorado River.


Picture a spacious one bedroom house with a full kitchen and bar-style counter top, stone fireplace, living room, dining room and wooden deck overlooking a wooded ravine all up on cement columns (hence the name). Below the house is a large open area with an outdoor grill, picnic tables and all kinds of seating. There is also an outdoor shower with hot and cold water. Off to the side, below the wooden deck is a fire pit stocked with plenty of firewood. We had a wonderful four days of hiking at Bastrop State Park, camp fires, wine, longhorn cattle, horses, historic sites and just plain peace and quiet to sit and read and talk. It was hard to come back to our busy world, but we vowed to do this cabin get-away thing more often.

I still can’t believe how quickly the years have gone by. Lisa and I met when she had moved to Chicago to take a corporate training job. I was working as a senior buyer for Motorola. I was also a long time volunteer at the Spring Valley Nature Sanctuary in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, when Lisa began volunteering there. We occasionally ran into each other, but one of us was either coming or going. It wasn’t until a hurricane cancelled Lisa’s travel plans and I showed up late for something at Spring Valley that fate finally threw us together. I caught up with her group of volunteers on their way back to the office. As things wrapped up, Lisa asked me if I “had a minute” and we sat down to talk. Bingo!

Before we met, I had vowed never to remarry. After two failed marriages, it was just going to be me and my cat, Spike, against the world. Lisa had never been married and had no thoughts of marriage. She was content to be on her own with her cat, Sylvie. Her life was just fine the way it was. But both of us were growing weary of the corporate world and there were holes in our plans to be single. There were forces at work. Forces that were about to change everything. Lisa talks about something telling her to take that job in Chicago. Her intuition is strong and has served her well over the years. I’ve come to trust it more than she does at times.

We began dating and talking about life and what we would like to do if we ever got the courage to leave the corporate world. Finally, we moved in together and merged our cats. Lisa finally quit her corporate job and pursued her creative muse in art which led her to design silk scarves and other items for shops. Then, I made the leap and left Motorola and tried my hand at freelance writing. We both had to get “real” jobs to pay the bills, but the die had been cast. I worked for a temp agency which led to a job writing a technical manual for an engineering firm. Finally, at Lisa’s urging, I began working as a tour guide at a historic mansion. Lisa began working at a scrapbooking store, a quilt shop and later for a home appraiser. Somehow, we managed to survive those early years.

Lisa and I finally “tied the knot” on September 12, 2000, just as the housing market began to go crazy. Things in Chicago were getting expensive so we tightened our belts and learned that we could live on a lot less than we were used to. We also learned that we could live in a way that was more environmentally friendly. Rising rents forced us into a small 600 sq.ft. one-bedroom apartment and our dream of owning a house was getting away from us. Owning and maintain two cars with long commutes was also getting expensive with gas prices rising.

The day before our first anniversary, 9/11/2001 happened. Suddenly the world had changed. It had become even more uncertain. Lisa and I had been married the year before in an outdoor ceremony in one of the county forest preserves. That evening of our first anniversary, we drove out to the spot and marveled at the night sky overlooking Chicago to our east. There were no planes in the sky. O’Hare International Airport was shut down as were all the airports across the nation. In 2003, we were visiting my brother and his family and my ailing mother who lived with them. While there, we watched in awe the invasion of Iraq on TV. My mother died that same year just before Christmas. My oldest daughter was out of college and getting married and my other daughter was getting ready to graduate. Things that had been holding me to Chicago were slowly letting go.

By 2004, we could barely afford to rent in the Chicago area. Even though Lisa was growing as a fiber artist, Chicago was a big, diverse market for struggling artists. Lisa had taken a class in San Antonio, a few years earlier. I flew down to meet her during the class and got a chance to see the historic city for myself. San Antonio has a thriving art community and it was also her old hometown. She had grown up there. The opportunities to take classes and grow as an artist were hard to pass up. My intuition began to tell me it was time to make a move and San Antonio was the place. Perhaps I could write and work at one of the museums or historical sites there. We took the leap. A big leap of faith so far from friends and family! We made inquiries, rented an apartment, packed up the cats and headed to Texas.

Today, Lisa is a well known fiber artist in San Antonio. She teaches and has exhibited her work as far away as London. She belongs to several professional artist organizations and has curated several local fiber art exhibitions. Lisa also has instructional DVD’s, magazine articles and possibly a book or two in the works. We found the perfect house and discovered that with the bus, we can get by with just one car. I have now worked at the Alamo for six years as a docent, historical interpreter and now supervisor for the education department. In 2007, I was given the opportunity to write a book about the Alamo. As if life couldn’t get any better for us, my daughters, Heather and Erin, have given us three wonderful grandchildren that we plan to visit as often as we can. All I can say is that Lisa and I are blessed.

We look forward to our NEXT ten years together …with more cats. (R.I.P. Spike and Sylvie. Perhaps you were the forces that brought us together?) Happy Anniversary Lisa!

Food for THOUGHT…

Saying Good-bye to the Princess

Sylvie was Lisa’s cat. She was called “The Princess” for good reason. She had a regal bearing and a big fluffy tail that she allowed her subjects to pet when she so deigned. She was demanding and smart. She usually got what she wanted one way or another. She was Lisa’s companion and friend for over 20 years. She allowed me into her circle of subjects more than 10 years ago, even though I brought that “heathen cat” Spike with me. I was privileged to know and love her as a treasured member of our family.


I first met Sylvie when I was entrusted with her care while Lisa attended her niece’s wedding in Australia. Lisa and I had been dating for a while and I had instructions to go to her apartment after work each day to feed Sylvie, but I was also to sit in the green chair and pet Sylvie until she jumped down. Then I could go home. It was a ritual Sylvie carried over even during our last cold Texas winter. She would demand my lap each morning as I sat down in the green chair to watch the morning news on TV. I had to learn how to eat with a cat nestled in my lap. Did I mention that Sylvie gets what she wants?

Where Spike was a fraidy cat around strangers, Sylvie was a social butterfly. She loved attention. She would waft around the chairs at dinner parties inviting people to pet her luxuriously fluffy tail. If no one was paying her proper attention she had ways to…get attention. Sylvie was happiest when she was laying on top of Lisa or by her side while she would read in bed at night. Despite her regalness, Sylvie would be the first to come and lay with us when we were sick. After all, as Princess it was her job to look after her family.

Both Spike and Sylvie made the trip with us almost 6 years ago when we moved to San Antonio, Texas. Sylvie was the real traveler though, following Lisa from Florida to Chicago to Texas. She was a trooper. Both cats took to their new home here in Texas, but time was taking its toll on both cats over the last few years. We noticed they were not as spry and spent a lot of time sleeping. Babs, our foundling kitten, came into their lives about 3 years ago and shook things up for awhile. Was there to be a challenge to the throne? No chance! Sylvie was still the Princess. Babs had to settle for snuggling with Spike on cold winter days. Sylvie would have none of it unless she was too snoozy to notice.

With Spike’s passing a little over a month ago, Sylvie grew more frail and had trouble walking. She was not eating as much and her fur was becoming matted since it had become hard for her to groom herself. Lisa would spend a lot of time cutting out her fur knots and brushing her. Sylvie loved this time and would purr softly in her lap. We knew her time was coming. But it was hard to think about saying good-bye to our dear old friend.

Today, with much sadness Lisa and I took the Princess for her last trip to the vet. Lisa and I both wept over Sylvie’s passing and after a little ceremony, we laid her to rest in our new flower bed in the backyard not far from Spike’s grave under the Loquat tree. In the spring, her grave will be covered with Texas wildfowers. We like that and she would too. The Princess will be missed.

Food for THOUGHT…

Meeting the Grand kids

Lisa and I made our long awaited trip to Chicago for our grandson’s baptism. We had yet to meet 2 of our three grandchildren and it had been a while since I talked to my brother and sister so the baptism was turning into a mini family reunion. We could not wait.
My daughter, Erin, picked us up at the airport and I got a chance meet our grandson, Nathan, from the back seat. What a baby! All the pictures we had received confirmed the image of a happy, smiling, baby boy. I think he hit it off with his grandpa…beard and all and he certainly hit off with his Gram. Lisa thoroughly enjoyed little Nathan and his winning smile. Once back at Erin’s house, Nathan took great delight in showing us his cache of toys and books.

While we were getting to know Nathan, my oldest daughter, Heather, and her family arrived. We last saw her oldest daughter, Emma, when Heather and family came down to San Antonio for a visit several years ago when Emma was almost 3. Now Emma was 5 years old and so tall. We had never met Emma’s younger sister, Ashlyn. Ashlyn with the curly hair, was more quiet, more intense. It took a little while to figure out just who Grandpa and Gram were, but she eventually allowed us to play with some of her toys. She wanted Gram to sit next to her at the table when we brought in lunch. She carried on quite the conversation with gram and Lisa was in. Ashlyn seemed to have a lot to say.

Sunday was the day for Nathan’s baptism, and I looked forward to seeing my brother, Jon, and my sister, Dawn, and their families at the church and the party after the ceremony. It’s funny how just a few years made all of us seem to look a little older, but it was so good see my family again. It was so funny that the deacon who married Nathan’s parents was the same man who performed Nathan’s baptism. The poor man for the life of me could not remember Nathan’s name to save his soul and he had trouble reading from his ceremonial book. Nathan was alternately known as “Andrew,” his middle name, and several other “designations” as the deacon struggled his way through the program.

Finally, it was time for family photos and a party back at Erin’s house. My sister-in-law, Donna, brought tons of wonderful food and took charge of the kitchen as children raced in and out of the house and the backyard. The adults gathered in clusters to get caught up on family news. The day was wonderful but exhausting. I wish I had even half the energy level of my grandchildren!

Our next day after the baptism was a little less hectic. Lisa and I decided to ship our presents for the grand kids by FedEx so they had a special box from Gramps and Gram to open. When it was opened there were puppets, modeling clay, stuffed animals, paints and a few other surprises. Right away newspaper was spread on the kitchen table and an art project was under way. The paints were for them to color their hand puppets. They could paint them any color they wanted… and did. There is nothing better than to see kids being creative. Even Nathan got into the act with strained…prunes. I think he had the best time of all.

Later in the day, Grandpa helped Ashlyn and Emma construct a tower of blocks…taller than Grandpa! Emma sat and read a book to Grandpa. She’s 5 years old and reading at at least a second grade level. I also helped my son-in-law, Dakota with a list of projects around the house that Erin had put together. I was glad to help. Nathan let Grandma feed him and he did real well. We ended the evening reading books with Nathan after his bath and before bedtime. Nathan gets to turn the pages and of course…he’s a speed reader, so we went through a lot of books…many times.

Like so many visits, time went by way too fast and it was time for us to fly back to San Antonio, Texas before we knew it. Saying good-bye to your adult children is never easy, but saying good-bye to grandchildren that you just got to meet for the first time was near impossible. There were hugs and kisses all around and promises to get together sooner…next time. After the good-byes, Lisa and I had enough time to visit Spring Valley Nature Center, where we first met as volunteers over 10 years ago. It was a hot day, but we made our way around trails that we had walked many times. It was a wonderful way to wind up our trip. I spent 15 years of my life volunteering at Spring Valley. It felt good to be back.

God Bless our families and keep them safe…until we meet again.

Food for THOUGHT…

Looking in the Mirror

I’m sitting here listening to some oldies but goodies from my high school and college days and memories come flooding back. I shake my head and wonder if I was ever that young and carefree. Old friends and carefree summer trips to Warren Dunes in Michigan float into my head. Isn’t it amazing what songs can trigger? When we are young we think we will go on forever. We think we are immortal!


I’ve had an interesting life after all is said and done. There have been good times and bad times so far, but life is always interesting. I grew up on a small chicken farm in Central Illinois and found my way to San Antonio, Texas. I’ve been married three times. I have two daughters and three grandchildren. I’ve travelled to Paris, Athens and Rome. I’ve flown over Pikes Peak, travelled cross country by train on the California Zephyr and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean in Cancun, Mexico. I’ve canoed across Canadian lakes with four best friends while watching eagles soar overhead. I’ve gathered eggs, pumped gas, worked for a newspaper, been an inside salesman for a scientific company, worked as a senior buyer for a telecommunication company, given tours in a historic mansion and worked as a historical interpreter for an internationally known historic sight. I’ve freelanced several magazine articles and written a book.

People and animals have come into and out of my life. Some have captured my heart while others have broken it to pieces. Some have inspired me and given me hope. Others have taught me lessons in love, patience and peace. But I’ve also had lessons on hatred, greed and fear. I have learned that I am a creative being and receive great energy from art. I have hurt on purpose and been hurt. I have been loved unconditionally. I have been loved in spite of…many things. I have laughed with friends and cried alone. I have watched people grow old and some have pass on. I have remembered the kitten while I stroked the head of an old friend as our vet ended his life before my eyes. I have missed and… been missed.

I was raised as a Presbyterian, was confirmed in the United Church of Christ, had my daughters baptized and confirmed as Catholics and served as an elder the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I have been married in the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church and the Unitarian Universalist Church. I have attended Quaker, B’hia, Baptist, Jewish and Unity Church services. I have studied and embraced much from the Buddhist faith and New Age thought. I have learned that the more I think I know, how little I really know. I have learned that we are one and that what we do to others…we do to ourselves. We sow what we reap. I have learned that Love can overcome Fear, but that Fear too often gets the best of us because we are human on a never ending path. I’ve learned that we create our own reality…good and bad. I’ve learned that we get chances…lot of chances…until we get it right. Learning is remembering what we already know…and have always known.

I looked into the mirror today and saw a 58 year old man staring back at me and realized that life goes on. Where we are… is where we are at.

Food for THOUGHT…

Confronting the Public

Dealing with the public is a double edged sword. At times, it can be very rewarding and other times it can be very frustrating and draining. At the Alamo, there is a long standing tradition that requires gentlemen to remove their hats upon entering the old Alamo Church, now called the Shrine. The Shrine is a place to honor the Alamo defenders who fought and died there on March 6, 1836, in the Battle of the Alamo. Over 200 defenders met their fate at the hands of Santa Anna’s overwhelming Mexican Army. But now this time honored tradition of men removing hats as a sign of respect is being questioned.


It is never fun confronting Alamo visitors about the rules on food, drink and photography, but it can get even more contentious when some men feel just as strongly about keeping their hats on. I’ve had men turn around and leave rather than remove their hats. Some men become irate and ask us why women are not required to remove their hats as well. Still others refuse outright or say nothing until we force the issue, often ending in bad feelings, vocal confrontations and sometimes expulsion.

To avoid a bad experience for our visitors, there is a growing feeling that we should ask once and then refrain from enforcing this time honored rule in the Shrine. While it seems like a solution to this occasional problem, it puts Alamo guides in an awkward position at the door. Under this non-enforcement idea, male visitors who are asked to remove their hats at the door will see those men who choose not to remove their hats walking around inside and they will question why THEY are being asked to remove their hats. Again, potential for more bad feelings?

So what should be done? Should we enforce the rule and risk an occasional confrontation or let the rule slide? Over 90% of the men asked to remove their hats do so with a quick apology and a hint of embarrassment. Many men just fail to see the large brass sign with the rules posted outside the front door of the Shrine. This one rule on hats, however, deals with forcing a sign of respect as opposed to other rules that deal with protecting the physical building and artifacts. We have always made allowances for wearing hats in the Shrine on religious grounds or medical reasons, but outright defiance becomes another issue.

Alamo guides have been witnessing less respect for the rules and poor behavior and attitudes on the part of visitors today. There is a growing sense of entitlement to be able to do whatever they want, regardless of posted rules. We see it not just in young adults, but in interactions between parents, their children and even teachers and school chaperones. So is this lack of respect and poor behavior just a sign of the times? Should we just go with the flow and let it slide? Or do we stick to the rules? Do we risk confronting the public?

Food for THOUGHT…

Farewell to Spike

Last Saturday, Lisa and I took our beloved cat, Spike, for his last trip to the vet. It was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do. For more than a year, we have watched Spike on a slow decline, but we felt that as long as his appetite was good, we would put up with his frequent messes outside of the litter box. Spike stopped grooming himself and his fur had become matted and his paws were always dirty. We tried to brush him and began giving him baths, but he still looked like hell. He was walking stiffly and spent most of the day sleeping under the dining room table, coming to life only when it was feeding time. When I came home from work Friday night, Spike could no longer stand and we knew his time had finally come.


Spike had never really recovered from our visit to see Lisa’s mother two Christmases ago. Our three cats were left for several days with plenty of food and water. Spike was confined to the kitchen and the other two cats were confined to the sun room. Upon our return, we found Sylvie and Babs were just fine, but Spike had gorged on all of his food and finished all of his water and was in bad shape, barely able to meow and unable to stand. We took him to the vet and his tests indicated that he had a number of health problems and probably would not make it through the night. Our vet offered to put Spike down, but I could not bring myself to do it. We took him home to die. That night, Lisa and I took turns holding him in an easy chair wrapped in towels and expecting the worst. He would not eat but would struggle to the floor and wobble to his water bowl for a drink and then fall over. We would pick him up and go back to the chair. This continued through the night and into the next morning and finally I had to leave for work. Miraculously, the next day Spike began to eat a little and slowly he rallied, but he was never the same. We knew from that point on that he was borrowing more than his 9 lives.

I began my 17 year relationship with Spikeminster T. Cat when my daughter, Erin, insisted that I needed a cat. I was divorced and living alone in a small one bedroom apartment, but I never thought of having a pet. Despite my protestations, my daughter prevailed and at the last animal shelter we visited, we found…Spike. He was about 6 months old with big paws and one pink ear. He had ear mites and right away I had to give this kitten medicine that he did not care to have. Eventually we made peace, and Spike made himself at home in my apartment.

One night, after I brought Spike home, I was awakened in the middle of the night. It was dark, perhaps about 3 am, and Spike was on my stomach. He dropped a wet ball of foil on my chest and meowed. It was time to play! It seems that my new kitty had a foil fetish. Spike had climbed into the recycle container and found just the right size ball of foil. Then he proceeded to dunk said foil in his water bowl. (Everything went into the water for a good float, you see.) So Spike and I bonded that night. Many mornings he would sleep with his head on the pillow next to mine and I would awake to his snoring.

This one on one bonding left Spike with very little tolerance for strangers. One night my friend, Bill, stopped by the apartment and for the first time Spike showed his now infamous “growl” so fierce that Bill thought his life was about to end. I could not calm Spike down so we had to leave. Spike continued to voice his hatred for Bill and displeasure for any stranger who happened into our territory. He sometimes tolerated women, but hated men with a passion. When Lisa and I started dating Spike would go into the kitchen, jump up on top of the cabinets and growl at her from above. Eventually, he would stay in the room but kept his distance in an uneasy truce. One night we were having ice cream on the couch and he climbed into her lap, trying to check out her bowl. From that point on, he allowed her to pet him in her lap and she was in. Spike had let another human into his family circle.

Lisa had her own cat, Sylvie, and when we decided to move in together, we had to figure out a way to integrate our two cats. Sylvie was very outgoing but demanding. She was the “Princess” and never let you forget it. I stopped by Lisa’s apartment, when we were dating, to care for Sylvie when Lisa went to Australia. After feeding her royal highness, I had to sit in a chair and pet Sylvie until she had had enough and jumped down. Then I could go home. So we decided to keep our cats separated for awhile and let them sniff each other through the bedroom door. Finally, the day came to introduce our cats to each other. Spike was sitting in my office. Sylvie came in the room, went right up to Spike and whopped him several times in the face and ran out of the room thereby establishing who was in charge. Poor Spike looked up at me as if to say…”WHAT was that!” What was that indeed. Spike had allowed another human into his life, but another creature? Over the years, Spike and Sylvie established an uneasy truce, but never were the best of friends. Sylvie always had a way to outsmart the unsuspecting Spike when she wanted something, like a nice spot in the sun.

Our cats had very different feeding habits. When we moved to Texas, over five years ago, we had to drug our two cats for the drive. That was a trip! We could crush the pill and mix it in Spike’s food bowl with no problem. He LOVED food. He packed on the pounds while we were living in Chicago and we had to put him on a diet. Sylvie, on the other hand, was more discriminating and stayed wafer thin with her big, wispy tail. She would eat around the pill fragments, no matter how small, and leave them in the bottom of her bowl or walk away from the food, pill and all. Sylvie liked to eat a little and come back later for more. Spike would often finish her food between tastings so this became a problem at feedings. In later years, Spike would have to be kept in the kitchen or another room so that Sylvie would not starve. Spike had a long love affair with his food.

After our move to Texas, we bought our house and Spike began licking his belly. Eventually, he licked the fur off and had open soars on his belly. We decided to find a vet to see what was going on. We suspected allergies, but we had no idea how to treat them. Given Spike’s dislike of strangers and men in particular…you can imagine how our quest went. One vet hid behind the door with his assistant and said, “That’s okay, you don’t have to bring him back!” because Spike was growling so ferociously. We went through several vets until we found The Alamo Dog and Cat Hospital on the south side. Spike was wearing his inflated blue collar to prevent his licking. The vet said, “Oh, he’s not so bad!” as Spike did his best to growl. The vet was unfazed and we knew we had found Spike’s vet at last. He prescribed more fish and fish oil in Spike’s diet and his licking eventually stopped.

The last member to join Spike’s family circle was Babs, our little, foundling cat. Babs was just 7 weeks old and caught in our fence by the AC unit at the side of our house. We were dealing with the death of Lisa’s Aunt Barbara and our upcoming trip to Chicago for a family reunion. Now, in the midst of all our chaos came this loud compelling meow. I decided to give up on our “only two cats” rule and we kept the little kitten that captured our hearts with her loud purring and tiny meow. We named her Babs after Lisa’s aunt. Babs took over our house immediately. She insisted on being wherever the other two cats were, but Sylvie wanted nothing to do with the newest member of our family. She would hiss and run out of the room. It was Spike, our long suffering male cat, that finally bonded with Babs. One day I looked over and found the two of them curled up together, sound asleep in a chair. Spike would sometimes lick Babs’ head like a mother cat. Only once did I see Babs curled up next to Sylvie and that was after she was already asleep.

The morning we took Spike in for his last visit to the vet was emotional. Spike was hobbling around the kitchen and I knelt down to pet him. He really enjoyed the attention. He had become so scruffy looking and frail that we often left him alone. I started crying uncontrollably knowing what was waiting for him at the vet’s office. At that moment, it was like Spike knew, too. He gave me head butts as if to let me know it was okay. At the vet’s office we took Spike out of the carrier and I held him for a while trying to remember all that we had been through in our 17 years together. I stoked his face as he was given the shot that would stop his heart. In just a minute, the vet said that he was gone.

Spike’s body was placed in a cardboard casket and we brought him home. I left the casket in the sun room until I could dig his grave in the backyard under a tree. Lisa had to go to work and we planned to do a little ceremony and burial that evening when she returned. Babs came into the room, walked all around sniffing the casket and then jumped down. Babs and Sylvie seemed restless all day. I was working on the computer when all of a sudden I had a wonderful vision of my late mother holding Spike. They were both young and healthy and she was laughing about Spike’s one pink ear. She was nuzzling and petting him and in that moment I knew Spike had crossed over and he was okay.

That evening, we opened the casket and placed…a foil ball next to him. Lisa placed the African Adinkra burial cloth she created for him on top of his body (see photos below). The fabric came from the “I Am Spirit“ cloth displayed in her England Exhibition and the symbols represented:

1) Moving from physical to Spirit
2) Perseverance
3) Harmony

We toasted Spike and we laid him to rest under the tree. It was hard to say good-bye to our dear friend and not know when or if we would meet again. It is a shame that only a few people ever got to see the real Spike for the sweet and gentle creature he was. He will be missed.

Food for THOUGHT.

Points of View

In the years that I have had the privilege to vote in our country I have voted as both a Republican and a Democrat by virtue of our two-party system. In my youth, I was certainly more of a conservative, voting for Ronald Reagan in the 1980’s. But as I grew older I began to lean more and more to the liberal side of things. In my time, I have watched the pendulum swing from big unions to big business. I have seen prosperity and financial decline. I have seen wars and short periods of peacetime. I have watched this battle of ideologies waged back and forth in this country and carried to extremes.


Given my current liberal/progressive biases, if I may, I’d like to outline the two points of view (as impartially as possible) that have driven this country to the brink:

Conservative Views

1) A belief in tickle-down economics where business is allowed to grow with minimal regulation by government and the benefits will eventually trickle-down to the society.

2) A belief that government (especially the federal government) is too big and too powerful, that state’s rights need to be protected.

3) A belief that higher taxes to pay for ever expanding social programs are wrong and needs to be reversed. Federal spending needs to be cut and controlled.

4) The family and family values are all important. Issues such as gay marriage are just wrong.

5) A belief that a Christian God guides this nation and any attempt to remove or separate that faith in God from our government is also wrong.

6) A belief that a strong U.S. military presence is needed to defeat the forces of evil in this world, that might makes right and protects us all.

7) U.S. borders should be protected from illegal aliens. The U.S. should deport all who live in this country without proper documentation to preserve our jobs, keep from bankrupting our social services and fight the drug traffickers not to mention terrorists after 9/11.

8) The environment is important, but it should never get in the way of what our nation needs. Compromises have to be made from time to time.

9) A good education and hard work are the keys to success.

10) The American flag and our patriotism are what bind this nation. There should be no room for disrespect.

I probably missed some other points, but I hope I fairly captured the essence of conservative American views, thoughts and beliefs.

Liberal Views

1) A belief that the economy does not trickle-down, but comes from a solid middle class with decent jobs, affordable housing, and innovation to create more jobs that fuel and stimulate the economy, more of a trickle-up or a trickle-out theory.

2) A belief that American society is made up of many people of different races, religion and beliefs as well as many social and economic classes. It has always been a melting pot, open to those seeking hope, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness.

3) The government’s job is to help and protect the least advantaged of our society by raising taxes for programs that achieve the growth, protection and health of our society.

4) States rights must be superseded by federal rights under the Constitution of the United States of America. If each state is allowed to contradict the Constitution then the union it protects would be null and void.

5) U.S. military force should be used along with diplomacy and in conjunction with our allies to promote peace and understanding (not necessarily our style of democracy). Yes, it should be there to protect this nation’s interests around the world, but we should be more the example and less the policemen of the world.

6) The environment is important and should never be compromised by business or political interests. The environment sustains us and should be protected and improved at all costs.

7) There should be a separation of church and state, realizing that America is a nation of many religions. Persons of different faiths should have equal protection under the law by a secular government.

8) U.S. borders should be protected from illegal aliens no matter where they come from, but there must also be a corresponding plan to provide a pathway to citizenship for the 12 million illegal aliens already here, many living as good productive citizens and paying taxes.

9) A good education and hard work are the keys to success, but the government has the responsibility to insure the quality, continuity and accessibility of that education to all citizens.

10) The government needs to regulate big business and the banking industry to prevent abuse and excess that could bring our economy to its knees.

11) Not just family rights and values, but human rights must also be respected. As definitions of family and human relationships change (i.e. gay marriage), rights and protections under the law also need to expand to meet these changes just as it did to protect interracial marriage.

12) The American flag and patriotism are very real and very precious, but should never be used to disenfranchise Americans with dissenting voices on current government policy created by one political party or the other.

Again, I am sure I missed some liberal points of view or injected my own personal biases, but I hope I gave some measure of liberal thinking and belief.

So now, which view is correct? There seem to be such large gaps between these ideologies. They are causing a growing political divide in this country. They have caused our nation’s government to gridlock and voices of dissent to grow ever more vitriolic. Politicians are digging in their heels and voting in lock-step along party lines. Civil discourse and debate have been lost in favor of party loyalty on both sides.

I can understand the fear and concerns of conservatives. They don’t want big government. They don’t want more taxes, higher taxes. Who does? Not me. They do not want massive debt and unfunded mandates. They don’t want to see “In God We Trust” removed from our currency, our courts and our government. They abhor the idea of gay marriage and abortion and any thought of family values crumbling around them. They can’t abide a federal government that seems unable to stop the flow of illegal aliens and drug runners across our borders and yet wants to place new restrictions on big business and our nation’s banks. They don’t want national healthcare forced down their throats. I understand them wanting less government and more freedom. People should work hard for what they get. That’s what our nation was founded on, right? Things are changing in this country and it’s scary. We are no longer that peaceful, quaint Norman Rockwell painting of America. There are brown faces, black faces and oriental faces. There are Muslims, Jews and Buddhists all calling themselves Americans. There are men marrying men and women marrying women and they, too, are calling themselves Americans. I get it, but we can’t go back to the time when white, Christian men defined the face of America. We can’t go back to the time when blacks are turned away from lunch counters. At the same time, we must meet our country’s growing social needs, but we must also find a way to pay for programs and a massive debt…and yes, cut Federal spending in the process.

I can understand the fears and concerns of the liberals. Who wants our government and our elections influenced and run by oligarchs, corporations and banks? With the BP oil spill and the near collapse of our financial system, more government regulation must be on the table. Liberals cannot trust in trickle-down and self regulation. It does not work! People cannot afford the rising cost of healthcare and medicine. Leaving it to private medical insurers is not working. They see jobs going overseas as American factories close. With their jobs, so go their homes as mortgage foreclosures continue to climb and more houses go “under water”. Liberals see the need to do something more than “drill, baby drill” to meet the nation’s energy needs. They see the need for new industry and new technology here at home to create those jobs, to replace our nation’s dependency on oil, but they grow frustrated by politics and business as usual. Liberals are tired of funding two wars and the loss of life that have gone on far too long. Liberals cry out for more funding and more government programs and healthcare to meet the needs of a growing and diverse society, but we can’t go back to the old tax and spend mentality that has generated an unbelievable amount of debt for our nation. We cannot keep borrowing from countries Like China. Liberals are finding it hard to see beyond their own wants and needs. They, too, dig in their heels and leadership and compromise seem in short supply.

So again, which view is right and which view is wrong? Should we continue to fear change and cling to the old ways of doing things? Perhaps both sides are right and both sides are wrong. Perhaps there is another way, a third way, a Progressive way. More on that later…

Food for THOUGHT.

Tea Party Denies Racism

At their recent convention in Kansas City, the NAACP denounced the Tea Party leadership for not rejecting racial rhetoric, signs and actions at their rallies. Tea Party leaders were quick to attack the NAACP. Local Tea Party organizers rejected claims of racism and called on the NAACP to withdraw their resolution.


Just as this was hitting the press, organizers of the North Iowa Tea Party found themselves in hot water over a billboard they erected in Mason City Iowa comparing President Obama to Hitler and Lenin. They were requested to remove the billboard by other leaders of the Tea Party movement. John White, an Iowa coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots, said "I fear they may end up in some kind of trouble over it because it's basically slanderous. I don't know that it's the message we want to send. I'd much rather see billboards that say, 'Remember in November. Get Out and Vote.' At our last rally we saw some people with those kinds of signs and asked people to put them down, It's borderline hate crime" (source: www.politicsdaily.com)

Fear, anger and frustration at the path America seems to be taking is understandable. Our country is facing massive debt. Our economy is struggling back from the brink of collapse. The ecology and economy along the Gulf of Mexico may be damaged permanently because of unregulated corporate greed and a national addiction to oil. We need to fix healthcare, social security, education and the nation’s infrastructure. We are spending billions, trillions on two wars on the other side of the world. Things need to get done and partisanship has ultimately superseded problem solving. Scapegoating, name calling, political and racial slurs have become all too common on the American political scene. Politics has become a battle over ideologies, winners and losers and who has the power. What is getting lost is…us. America is becoming fragmented. Each group being more and more angry and suspicious of the other.

Still, I am at a loss to understand the level of absolute hate and disgust toward President Obama by the conservative right, especially by the Tea Party movement. We have the first black president in our nation’s history. He was elected on the platform of CHANGE and yet when he took on the challenges of those things that need changing (created over many decades by Republicans and Democrats alike)…he has been thwarted and vilified every step of the way. He is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. His birthplace, his religion and his race have been questioned by those who seek his downfall. Even those of us who still support his efforts to deal with our many problems have become disheartened by the tenor of the opposition. I have to fight the tendency to wonder if the same vitriolics would be directed toward a white man from a more privileged background. I wonder if there would be more respect for the office, more cooperation… or have we passed the point of no return?

Food for THOUGHT.

Arizona Immigration Law

I live in Texas and, like Arizona, we also share a border with Mexico. There are strong issues in both states with illegal immigration and our government’s inability to stop it. Farmers and ranchers are suffering along our borders. Safety and damage to private property are their primary concerns as Mexican drug cartels and human traffickers called “coyotes” continue to cross into the United States. The issues of having so many undocumented aliens in this country and their affect on our nation’s economy and healthcare are well known. I don’t believe many would feel our current immigration policy is working nor would they feel our borders with Mexico are secure.

So what do we do about it? Some feel it makes sense to let each border state make up their own laws to deal with their particular problems like Arizona. But is that the best way to deal with a problem that affects not only Arizona but the Nation as a whole? In a sense, it would be like bringing back vigilante justice when a well trained and organized police force is called for. In the old days, citizen soldiers would organize and ride off to deal with frontier problems, then return to their farms and ranches. That frontier justice led to many abuses. Many innocent Indians and Mexicans were slaughtered because of disputes or simply because they were in the way.

I think we should support the existing federal laws yes, but clearly under our Constitution it is the Federal Government that must create and enforce those laws. Do we need an overhaul of Immigration Policy? Certainly, but again Congress is the body of our government charged with making those changes. However, given the partisanship in Washington these days (ON EVERYTHING!!!!!), I'm not holding my breath. So God help this nation, if we are EVER to get anything done! But as a nation we need to put our Washington politicians’ feet to the fire. We cannot let them keep sweeping this issue off to the side. Our nation’s security and its sovereignty are at stake.

Here are some thoughts to consider:

1) Enforce our laws and secure our borders. JOB ONE!!!

2) Then deal with the 12 million aliens already here. You can't deport them all so give them some sort of documentation so we know who they are and where they are.

3) Once they are OFFERED documentation (to determine their status...are they established and productive?) then send back the ones who refuse to be documented as they are caught.

4) It might take several years to document 12 million people, so turn our post offices into documentation centers. Post offices are becoming obsolete with the internet and they are hurting for money. Why not use them for this documentation process?

5) Those documented aliens can be offered a path to citizenship, if they can meet certain requirements such as having a job, learning English, have an establish home, business, and a family. They must be able to prove that they are productive members of society.

6) If they just want to work in this country, issue them a temporary work visa with a tamper proof photo ID with biometrics. Their status should be updated every year or 6 months. If not renewed…they go home.

7) No hospitalization (other than emergency treatment) unless they can pay. No documentation... no money…no work… they go back.

8) Businesses should be required to check against an official documented database before they can hire anyone. Businesses who can NOT verify that they checked their employee's documentation should be fined or sued by the Taxpayers.

9) Change the law that says the child of illegal parents born in this country is automatically a citizen.

We must start a national dialogue on immigration policy and force Washington to give it the attention it deserves.

Food for THOUGHT.

A Woman and a Cat on a Bus

A few mornings ago, I took the bus into work. I settled into my seat and began to read my book. All of a sudden I heard a cat’s meow. Thinking I was hearing things, I looked up and around the bus to see where the meow was coming from. I’m not even sure pets are allowed, but there it was, a cat in a blue plastic carrier, very similar to the one Lisa and I have for our cats. Next to the cat in the carrier was a thin, poorly dressed woman. She had a large bandage on the opposite side of her face that partially covered her left eye. Her right hand was covering her face and she was looking down as if she might be feeling ill.


I thought it was strange that I had not noticed the woman with her cat when I boarded the bus and took my seat, but then I rarely look at my fellow passengers when I’m riding the bus. I normally just want to read or listen to my MP3 player for the 18 minutes it takes to get downtown, but the cat’s meowing got my attention. Now, I could not help focusing on the woman. Immediately, a scenario of pain, grief and sorrow came to me. Without knowing why, a story began playing out in my head. The woman never looked up, but I could FEEL it was her story.

The story went like this: She was alone, except for her cat. She had lost her job and then she was diagnosed with cancer. The prognosis was not good. Perhaps she had only a few weeks or months. She was about to lose her home. Her one last thing was to find a new home for her beloved cat. She was taking it to the City Shelter in hopes that someone would take her cat and care for it. Soon, she would no longer be able to provide for it. She had no one, no friend she could trust, so it had come to this. She was feeling tired and ill. Her head hurt and she could not bear to see the other passengers staring at her bandaged face and her meowing cat in the blue carrier.

I still don’t know why I was given that impression. Perhaps she wasn’t dying of cancer. Perhaps she just had a headache or she was in pain from the recent surgery. Perhaps she was just taking the cat to a vet for a checkup. I see women and small kids loaded with strollers and bags of groceries get on and off the bus all the time. I had to finally realize that not everyone has a car. So why was this woman and her cat so heavy on my mind? Why that particular scenario? Why so personal and why was it directed toward me?

As I sat there in my seat, I was flooded with images of my three cats, Spike, Sylvie and Babs. My heart ached at the thought of ever having to give them up because I was alone and dying. I have my wife, our house and a wonderful life. Life is good for us. I suddenly felt very thankful for my many blessings. I realized in that moment that the life we have is so fragile and our time on this earth is so short. One illness, the death of a spouse, the loss of a job and I could be that person sitting across from me.

My stop was next and as I got up to leave the bus, I looked back one last time. I’ll never know her story for sure, but it made me feel so grateful for all that I have and how insignificant my problems now seemed.

Perhaps that was the point. We only have the day…this moment…this NOW.

Food for THOUGHT…

To Readers of My THOUGHTS Blog:

I started writing this column in 2002 and it became an online blog in 2008 (?), I guess. It is hard to believe that it has been almost 8 years. For many of those years, I wrote my column and emailed it out every Monday, but lately I have gotten lazy and I send it out whenever I have something to say. It has been a wonderful vehicle to express and share feelings, concerns and ideas...FOOD for THOUGHT, as my tag line states.

I have always welcomed your thoughtful comments and looked forward to your reaction to my blog, even when we did not always see eye to eye on things, especially then, because then I knew that you read it and it stirred something in you. It provided food for thought. But, I always learn something, too. I always get a different perspective, another view. By now, those of you who read my blog, know that I am certainly more left of center than many of my readers. I have been just as vitriolic and partisan as some of my more conservative friends on the right when it comes to politics. (I get that from my late mother, I suppose.) It has led to some interesting and at times...frustrating debates. But again, I always learn something from my readers. It has been most rewarding.

So after almost 8 years, I want to thank YOU, my readers. I want you to hang in there and please, please, please ...continue to COMMENT on my blog. You can either leave your comments on the blog or e-mail me at sortman808@aol.com. There is nothing worse for a writer than to receive no feedback from his readers. One of the nice things about Blogspot.com is that you can get reports on how many hits a column generates and from where. I am just amazed that my blog is read by people in Brazil, Russia, England, Australia, India and other places around the world. I also link my blog on my Facebook account for all my friends there as well. It's a big world out there. Let's hear from you!

Thank you, my friends! Keep reading and commenting!

Stephen Ortman
San Antonio, Texas