Reverse Evolution surrounds us

I recently had occasion to read some microfiche of newspaper articles from before and after the Civil War.  All but forgotten was the personal nature of attacks on politicians running for office and their families.  My High School classes (when High School actually taught you something instead of confining its activity to that of a badly run Day Care Center) had covered the lack of civility and the crass accusations that took over the newspapers of the day during the election season...and they were an embarrassment even to a bunch of cynical highschoolers.  More than 60 years ago we commented to ourselves and our teachers that such no longer happened and we were far more civilized now.  How presumptive were our assertions.

Today's electioneering and candidates actions and statements  make those ugly days of the past seem both civilized and moral by comparison.  Today's fellow citizens leave me embarrassed.  Why?

Somewhere in our inner selves...in  our minds, our souls and our very being...we know that attacks on family are just wrong.  At some basic level, we know that liars are not good leaders; we know that policy is fair game for comment and attack, but that personal attributes (other than truthfulness and moral behavior) mean nothing.  A handsome face does not guarantee anything but a good picture.  A less than handsome visage, with or without hair, or with a wig (good or bad), doesn't make a person a bad leader.

There was a time when bad language, baseless attacks, personal attacks, derogatory comments about family members, a reputation for falsehoods would render any person unqualified for public office.  There was a time when a person's policies would be demanded and then evaluated for effectiveness and sound financial base.  There was a time when the citizens of the United States of America wanted to vote for a person and policies, not against them; we wanted to be for something, not chose the lesser of two bad choices.

Apparently a majority of our citizens have replaced judgement with greed and narcissism; the impossible promise of "free" stuff is now sufficient to cause voters to forego an examination of whether a promise is possible to fulfill, whether a candidate is a liar, whether a candidate is the kind of person that we will be proud to say stands in our stead to the rest of the world.  How disgustingly and offensively cretin-like.  Our collective acceptance of , and dependence on, such behavior should leave us all ashamed.  But we clearly are not ashamed.

We make excuses for ourselves and for our candidates.  We say things like: "All politicians lie, so you have to put up with it."  You hear, "I wouldn't say it that way but what can you do?"  We nod when we hear, "Its about time someone running for office stopped 'pussyfooting' around and called it like it is!"  And yes, we do get angry with the failure of our leaders to keep their promises, and to solve problems.  Yet we also know that solving those problems will cost us money and now a majority of us don't want to hear that truth or contribute to the cost.  The result: we not only allow the lies...we condone them by electing those who lie to us.  And then complain about it...such hypocrisy!

So now we look to have three possible candidates, one of whom will be elected President of the United States: a liar, a vulgarian and a Socialist Septuagenarian with policies proven over the centuries not to work after the money of the rich has been spent.  Boy, do we know how to pick 'em!

I would not give any one of these people my power of attorney, yet our political system is about to give one of them far more power over each of us that would be granted by such a power-of-attorney.  We seem intent on proving to the world our collective stupidity and lack of caring for our country's and our own well-being.

Is life expectancy really getting greater?

I keep reading that people are living longer.  Do you think that is true?  Do statistics make the case?  I think that the numbers so support the concept...but I have a couple of questions.

If you contract or develop (I'm not sure of the right term) Alzheimers, does the rest of your live count?  I mean...if you don't know your past, do you get credit for the past years?  Or should your count start over...at one?  I don't know.

Does stress kill?  I ask this because if it does, it would suggest that smart, aware people suffer more of it...and probably die earlier.  If that is so, does that skew the value of the average age?  I don't know.  Do you?  Is it worth considering.

I once told my daughter that if my mind should fail, she should pay the vet whatever he wanted to come over an put me down in the backyard; I have no interest in "living" if my mind is not operating at least close to normal.  I don't care if I have senior moments; I just don't want them to connect.

She promised that she would...but if my mind is gone, how will I know?  I guess my point is that it isn't life that is so valuable; it is quality of life.  Now this might seem like a "puff" piece.  Not so.  

I suggest that even when your are young, what is prime about life is living each day...not the goal, not tomorrow, and certainly never yesterday...in that day.  Appreciate the people around you, what they say, how they look, and remember to appreciate your family and every scene you pass as you walk, drive, fly or drive.  Because only today is within your grasp and appreciation.  Take the time.  Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come...but today is YOURS.  

The Smartest person I have ever known...

I have a University degree.  I have a Doctorate.  I have known many people with multiple degrees, as well as people who successfully ran large companies.  I have also known those in the Academic World, studying, ad nauseam, the intricacies of various parts of our world, both physical and mental.  I have also spoken to those who were homeless, those who begged on the street and at traffic lights.  Each and every one of those people taught me something that I had not known before speaking with them.  Everyone we meet has the potential to teach us something if we take the time to listen without pre-judging.  Yet they each pale in the mental presence of the smartest person I have ever met or known:  my father.

My father was born in Norway.  His father died in a mining accident when he was very young, leaving his mother and sister in very dire financial circumstances.  He had to quite school after the 6th grade in order to help earn money so the family would not starve.  That experience formed his attitude about life forever.  He had suffered poverty.  He grew into a man who was generous to a fault, yet very, very aware that one needs to be frugal and consider that you never looked at any opportunity with an eye to "what can I make?" but rather to first ask, "what can I lose?", followed by "Can  afford to lose it?".  Only then would he evaluate the possible gain.  When recessions hit, he saw them earlier than most around him and by the time it was obvious to all, he had explained that our family was going to have to do with less, that we were going to keep as much in savings as possible, cutting costs and doing everything possible to be ready if everything "went south."

My father came to this country in 1921, not speaking the language.  He could not tell anyone that he was trained as an electrician.  The saw that he was from Norway and assumed that he was a carpenter and offered him a job laying hardwood floors.  He worked hard, learned well, grew to be a foreman in the firm, stayed employed, albeit at a lower wage, through the depression.  He quickly agreed to take lower pay, understanding that some pay was better than no pay at all.  Again, the experience underscored and intensified his belief that he had to take responsibility for watching out for his own economic security.  He started his own business in the suburbs of New York City (actually, at that time it was "the country", before people started living outside the city and commuting...it was mostly farmland), and always lived within his means...and trained me to do the same.

I have survived pretty well over the years...mostly by applying the rules of life taught to me by my father.  I did this when I was young out of knee-jerk training, even as I thought my father was behind the times.  But as I grew older and saw the wisdom of being self-reliant wherever possible, I began consciously considering "what would Dad have said about this" whenever making decisions for me or for my family.  The only time I have ever been disappointed was whenever I failed to follow that remembered quiet voice in my mind.

Thank you, Dad.  You prove, as do so many who came to this country with real life experience rather than letters after your name, that being smart is not formal learning...it is application of the practical experiences in our lives, using them...even the failures...to make the future better.

Happy New Year

January 3, 2009. Feels funny to put that nine at the end...just when I was really comfortable with the eight. But, of course, I felt that way last year about this time about the relationship of the eight to the seven.

Just got back from a holiday trip back east to visit children, their spouses and my grandchildren. I love them all dearly and marvel at how each is so different one from the other but each is superb in some part of their life while being challenged in another. This awareness makes me really not want to look in the mirror...

And, as I get older (I swear, I heard a clump of dirt call me "kid" the other day) I really value the time in my cave. I enjoy pondering things as they come to me without the pressure of "duty" and "things to do" that used to make up my life's work. It is amazing how the absence of excuses require that you get honest with yourself about your actions, your thoughts and your purpose. It is ever so hard to blame others (people, things) when they are not there.

I'm beginning to think that everyone should be required to spend one month alone each year doing absolutely nothing that is "duty" or "obligation", with the only mandate being that you could not talk with others, "text", watch TV, listen to any radio, ipod or other artificial sound.

I believe we all would learn how to sleep well again, learn our own values (rather than others), re-evaluate the joy, pain and benefits of relationships and otherwise just become a more complete person.

It won't ever happen, I know, but I do believe there would be an immeasurable benefit...both individually and to civilized (now there is an abandoned concept) existence generally.