The phrase"Old White Men" has become a popular and often used slur, in current politics. I am old, I am not a man, but never-the-less, I am grievously offended when folks throw the term around.
And, it's not just young or non-white people that toss that term. Some of the oldest and whitest politicos, are self-deprecatingly calling themselves "Old White Men" in an attempt to, I guess, to be politically correct or maybe cool and hip!
I don't want to hear it. It's mean and uncalled for!
Hear this! Almost half of old people I know, are "Old White (or black, brown, beige or tan) Men". And, all of those men, regardless of the color of their skin, have lives of worth and honor.
Many of these "old men" are military veterans. They defended our homes and our country. They owned businesses, toiled in factories, mined, farmed and delivered babies. The worked hard to support their families for 40, 50 and even 60 years. We have all gained, from the lives of these "old men".
They were and are our fathers and grandfathers. There is no need to heap shame on them, regardless of their skin color. If it weren't for "old Men" we wouldn't be here.
Maybe they drove "gas guzzlers" (but, they were driving us to school, church, and on vacations) and maybe they didn't recycle or God forbid, smoked cigarettes, but they did their best! Some of them had prejudices and maybe their politics were a little too far left or right, in today's culture, but at least they cared!
I will admit, there have been and there are some bad and evil men. But, anyone can name a few disgusting "old women", as well.
In recent years, we have all been urged to resist "labeling" and quit "name calling". Why can't we just stop it?
In defense of "old people", whatever your gender, I praise your long lives!
Holy Lord. Thank you for the people we love and honor. We are blessed to hear their stories and enjoy their acquaintance. Our lives are enriched with human contact. We thank You. Amen.
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Never Again!
Have you heard of the movie, "Snakes on a Plane"? Well, just the thought of even one snake bothers me, so I try my hardest not to think about them. I've seen "Raiders of the Lost Ark" with Harrison Ford dropping into a room, completely filled with asps. Frightening for sure. Elizabeth Taylor, in "Cleopatra", died with one in hand. Seeing snakes, on the big screen, is as close to a snake as I ever want to get to something slithering along. In my humble opinion, the only good snake is a dead snake.
Snakes belong out in the wild. And, I know, rationally, that they are part of the world's food chain, Snakes control the population of their prey. I also realize that some people keep snakes as pets. But I have a hard time wrapping (insert laughter) my mind around anyone actually liking snakes. Most sensible people avoid snakes, if they possibly can.
Well, I have found out, for sure, that snakes are not appreciated by senior citizens.
This week, one of our residents proudly brought her daughter's pet python, to my desk. Our resident was showing the snake off to the staff and other residents. The python was just visiting.
Now, as far as pythons go, it was smallish, but it looked pretty big to me! So, after the three of us (resident, snake and me) had our encounter, I began to wonder about the reaction of the other residents, to their reptilian visitor. Checking our the Dining Room, the unusual silence among the diners, was astonishing. It led me to assume that the snake and its handler had made an appearance, mid-lunchtime.
Oh, yes. Each and every stunned diner had seen the snake, and had a story to tell.
The heck with "Snakes on a Plane" We had a snake in our Dining Room!
We all survived. End of chapter.
Oh Lord. We are blessed. Our lives are full of experiences to treasure and enjoy. Your creations amaze us.We honor Your Holy Name.
Snakes belong out in the wild. And, I know, rationally, that they are part of the world's food chain, Snakes control the population of their prey. I also realize that some people keep snakes as pets. But I have a hard time wrapping (insert laughter) my mind around anyone actually liking snakes. Most sensible people avoid snakes, if they possibly can.
Well, I have found out, for sure, that snakes are not appreciated by senior citizens.
This week, one of our residents proudly brought her daughter's pet python, to my desk. Our resident was showing the snake off to the staff and other residents. The python was just visiting.
Now, as far as pythons go, it was smallish, but it looked pretty big to me! So, after the three of us (resident, snake and me) had our encounter, I began to wonder about the reaction of the other residents, to their reptilian visitor. Checking our the Dining Room, the unusual silence among the diners, was astonishing. It led me to assume that the snake and its handler had made an appearance, mid-lunchtime.
Oh, yes. Each and every stunned diner had seen the snake, and had a story to tell.
The heck with "Snakes on a Plane" We had a snake in our Dining Room!
We all survived. End of chapter.
Oh Lord. We are blessed. Our lives are full of experiences to treasure and enjoy. Your creations amaze us.We honor Your Holy Name.
Friday, March 22, 2019
No Rhyme or Reason
I used to be under the impression that teenagers were the largest "risk taking" age group. That was before I started working with octogenarians. My 80-100 year old friends make most teens look like wimps.
Today, for example, I encountered a smallish lady attempting to open her mailbox, which was located over her head. She had her mailbox key on a lanyard, which remained hanging on her neck. "Wait", I said, "let me help you. You are going to hang yourself, in this very mail room." She didn't respond, so I told her not to worry. I would be happy to cut down her body.
And, this morning, a man was pushing his wife, who was seated on her walker, backwards, down the hall. There is a sign, posted on every walker, do not use this device for transportation. But, he was doing it anyway. Having warned him of the danger, previously, I just shook my head, in disbelief.
Oh, and every day, I observe people who cannot see and cannot hear, yet they continue to believe that they are perfectly able to drive a car!
Then, there are the folks who carry canes. They don't actually use them, they just carry them in case they need them. Apparently, on the way down to the ground, as they fall face first, my elderly friends will just stick out that cane and keep themselves upright! Delusional!
The only way that I can possibly justify such risky behavior, is that older folks are no longer fearful, so they will do anything, regardless of the consequences.
I do my best to keep them safe, but I'm only a youngster, in my seventies. What do I know?
Dear Lord. Keep us safe and watch over us, in spite of our stupid behavior. We can still learn from Your words and examples. Guide our feet. We ask these things in Your Holy Name.
Today, for example, I encountered a smallish lady attempting to open her mailbox, which was located over her head. She had her mailbox key on a lanyard, which remained hanging on her neck. "Wait", I said, "let me help you. You are going to hang yourself, in this very mail room." She didn't respond, so I told her not to worry. I would be happy to cut down her body.
And, this morning, a man was pushing his wife, who was seated on her walker, backwards, down the hall. There is a sign, posted on every walker, do not use this device for transportation. But, he was doing it anyway. Having warned him of the danger, previously, I just shook my head, in disbelief.
Oh, and every day, I observe people who cannot see and cannot hear, yet they continue to believe that they are perfectly able to drive a car!
Then, there are the folks who carry canes. They don't actually use them, they just carry them in case they need them. Apparently, on the way down to the ground, as they fall face first, my elderly friends will just stick out that cane and keep themselves upright! Delusional!
The only way that I can possibly justify such risky behavior, is that older folks are no longer fearful, so they will do anything, regardless of the consequences.
I do my best to keep them safe, but I'm only a youngster, in my seventies. What do I know?
Dear Lord. Keep us safe and watch over us, in spite of our stupid behavior. We can still learn from Your words and examples. Guide our feet. We ask these things in Your Holy Name.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Deer Ones......
When I start to worry a bit too much, I try to remind myself about the "lilies". You know the ones. We are called to remember them, their beauty and the fact that they neither toil nor worry. They are happy and content with their existence and are admired for what they are, not what they are striving to be.
( Luke 12:27)
Whilst (a borrowed word from my Brit friend) cleaning up after dinner, last evening, right out my window, I observed 3 deer. Then, I looked again and there were 6 deer. All in all, the total of deer munching grass and other goodies from our lawn, was eleven.
As I watched the herd, and surely eleven deer would be considered a herd, I noticed their beauty, their quiet and calm resolve and their sense of peace. At times, a couple of the younger ones would nip at each other or push one another a bit, in play, but for the most part, they contentedly ate away.
And, when they were satisfied, they strolled away.
Like the lilies of the field, they weren't worried about anything. They weren't concerned about what was going to happen to them, in the next minute, hour or even next year. And, they weren't stressed about yesterday or tomorrow. In the moment, they were content.
I long to be more like those deer.
Dear Lord. Remind us to be satisfied. To be content and to live in the moment, whenever we can. We are truly blessed.
( Luke 12:27)
Whilst (a borrowed word from my Brit friend) cleaning up after dinner, last evening, right out my window, I observed 3 deer. Then, I looked again and there were 6 deer. All in all, the total of deer munching grass and other goodies from our lawn, was eleven.
As I watched the herd, and surely eleven deer would be considered a herd, I noticed their beauty, their quiet and calm resolve and their sense of peace. At times, a couple of the younger ones would nip at each other or push one another a bit, in play, but for the most part, they contentedly ate away.
And, when they were satisfied, they strolled away.
Like the lilies of the field, they weren't worried about anything. They weren't concerned about what was going to happen to them, in the next minute, hour or even next year. And, they weren't stressed about yesterday or tomorrow. In the moment, they were content.
I long to be more like those deer.
Dear Lord. Remind us to be satisfied. To be content and to live in the moment, whenever we can. We are truly blessed.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Doris and Rock
Pillow Talk! Have you succumbed to the decorative pillow craze? You know the one. Everyone is doing it. It can best be described as................ pillows, pillows everywhere and not a place to sleep or sit!
We have 8 pillows on our Queen Sized bed. We each sleep with one, so there are 6 extra. On the guest bedroom bed, there are 6, also. It's always a hassle trying to locate an out of the way place to store all of those lovely, pretty pillows, when we sleep. No one wants to fall over a pillow, in the middle of the night.
Our couch has 4 little pillows, plus the two giant ones, that sit on each end. That's a total of six, unless a special holiday is near. Because, I have numerous holiday pillows (Christmas, Fall, Valentine's Day, and July 4th). After all, I feel like it's my duty to celebrate every holiday with the appropriate decor.
It is almost a full time job, managing my pillow stash.
Two of the four chairs, in my living room, have extra pillows. They have cute "sayings" on them, which praise good friends and glorify grandchildren. The grandchildren, by the way, enjoy throwing those same pillows!
My home pillow problem is probably much like yours. And, it's not only homes. Hotels are pillow crazy, too. There is even less room in a tiny hotel room to stack a six-pack of decorative pillows. Where can you put them? Our last hotel stay became a slalom course, after the lights went out!
So, every night here at home, I continue to rearrange and stack those 6 extra pillows. Furthermore, I imagine that I will continue to do it until the style changes or I break a leg. Wish me luck.
Oh Lord. We are such a goofy species. Our everyday actions make very little sense. Show us how to not only improve our lives, but turn our inward thoughts toward the lives of others. These things we pray in Your Holy Name.
We have 8 pillows on our Queen Sized bed. We each sleep with one, so there are 6 extra. On the guest bedroom bed, there are 6, also. It's always a hassle trying to locate an out of the way place to store all of those lovely, pretty pillows, when we sleep. No one wants to fall over a pillow, in the middle of the night.
Our couch has 4 little pillows, plus the two giant ones, that sit on each end. That's a total of six, unless a special holiday is near. Because, I have numerous holiday pillows (Christmas, Fall, Valentine's Day, and July 4th). After all, I feel like it's my duty to celebrate every holiday with the appropriate decor.
It is almost a full time job, managing my pillow stash.
Two of the four chairs, in my living room, have extra pillows. They have cute "sayings" on them, which praise good friends and glorify grandchildren. The grandchildren, by the way, enjoy throwing those same pillows!
My home pillow problem is probably much like yours. And, it's not only homes. Hotels are pillow crazy, too. There is even less room in a tiny hotel room to stack a six-pack of decorative pillows. Where can you put them? Our last hotel stay became a slalom course, after the lights went out!
So, every night here at home, I continue to rearrange and stack those 6 extra pillows. Furthermore, I imagine that I will continue to do it until the style changes or I break a leg. Wish me luck.
Oh Lord. We are such a goofy species. Our everyday actions make very little sense. Show us how to not only improve our lives, but turn our inward thoughts toward the lives of others. These things we pray in Your Holy Name.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Deja vu all over again!
Loosely quoted from the book of Ecclesiastes, is the well known phrase...."There is nothing new under the sun". The older I get, the more I believe the Bible is exactly right.
Take literature, for instance. I am a fan of the works of the Jane Austen. Austen was born in 1775, wrote less than a dozen well known novels and died in her 40's. She was not famous in her lifetime, but since her demise, many folks, including me, have read her novels numerous times.
She is such a great author, that in the past several decades, numerous authors have written period sequels, contemporary adaptations and even Made-for TV Movies. So many, if fact, that in the past month, I have read one novel "Death comes to Pemberley", and seen two Hallmark movies that feature characters, Darcy and Elizabeth, who appeared in her best known novel, Pride and Prejudice. Several years ago, I saw the movie (based on the novel of the same name), "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". I have friends, who could never in a million years, come to an agreement over which movie adaptation of the novel, Pride and Prejudice, they prefer. Some like the Kiera Knightly (with Donald Sutherland and Dame Judi Dench) version and others prefer Colin Firth and his "shirt"!
Are you a fan of musicals? Do you like "West Side Story"? It is a 1960's version of William Shakespeare tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. How about "My Fair Lady"? George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.
I could go on and on. I mean, how many more times is Hollywood going to remake, "A Star Is Born"? Of course it wins Oscars. It's a great story and like my Jane Austen examples........a winner is always a winner!
Dear Lord. You are an Original. I thank You, for your steadfast love and care.
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