Freedom

In our culture, we often prattle on and onn about 'freedom' and we have no real idea what we talk about. Freedom comes with many definitions.
There is freedom to, the idea that you can do exactly what you want. There is a validity to this. If you wish to write, or become a dishwasher, or walk around the Country, no one can it should stop you. But, such freedom has a dark side and this is the realm of the many monsters that are loose in the World, There are those who rape women and those who rape the financial world and those who rape the Earth itself. Are they free to do so? In a sense, yes. Nothing can really be done to stop them from trying. Of course, the rest of us can try to stop them from continuing to do so. Sometimes, we do stop them, but we should get better at that.
Then, we have freedom from. This can take 2 forms. The first, physical, can be boiled down to freedom from want, the idea being that no one should go hungry or homeless. This is a profoundly noble idea and, while this will very likely never be fully achieved, it is a goal we must never lose sight of.
Then, there is the freedom from compulsions. If you are driven to do something and you cannot control these drives, you are not free. For example, if you cannot avoid chocolate ice cream and you are 80 pounds over weight and no that is killing you, you are trapped by your compulsions. You are not free. This is true of people with addictions to drugs, food, alcohol, sex work sports, money or anything that rules your life.  Now, not all of these compulsions are awful. If you are addicted to sex and confine your activity to relations with your spouse, that is not a great problem, although you will likely go through your days really, really tired. On the other hand, an addiction to amphetamines will kill you, but not before you go stark, raving mad. All of our addictions are to things that are pleasurable and, in and of themselves, not necessarily bad. It is the trap that the person finds themselves , their lack of freedom from the compulsions that is the problem.
Our Creator has been gracious in giving us a World  where we have great freedom and rarely does anything to curtail or freedoms, with the exception of the Natural laws of the physical World. But, we are not guaranteed freedom from consequence. Anything that takes away your freedom from is too be dealt with cautuosly or not at all.
The freedom to do as we please is fine withing limits. Those limits kick in at the point we start interfering with the freedom of others. The exceptio of course comes when we take away the rights of those who engage in blatant and damaging criminal activitie, ie those who step on the freedom of others. Remember, there are consequences.
But, far more important are the freedoms from. No one should be denied the necessities of life. That is to be assumed. The freedom from our various compulsions is where our true freedom lies and, when we deal with these issues, we find ourselves free of so many other troubles. Free at last. Those are fine words.

Guilt

Guilt is an odd topic to write about these days. Seems that the current trend is to ignore the subject to sweep past misbehavior under the rug. The past is past, move on. One problem with that. It is not the way things are. The past creates ripples in space-time. We all do wrong. We know it and feel bad about it, unless of course you are a pure psychopath and blessedly there are very few of those. This is guilt for you folks who don't know. It is a natural, human feeling. What you do with it is the key.
There are those who try to slough it off. 'Well, it's no big deal.' Sorry, often it is and it will come back to bite. Or, there is this.'Well, we;re all human and we're all just old sinners.'  Nope, that won't cut it. All of do wrong, but we are called om to try to do better and you cannot let your humanity excuse your sins.
Then, you have folks who go to the other extreme. They wallow in their guilt, bemoaning the fact  that they have done evil and  deserve a lifetime of punishment. That accomplishes nothing and causes huge damage. It freezes you and brings all hope of progress to a halt.
Built can, and should be, an energizer, driving a person to do better. If amends for the sin can be made, make them. Apologize to your Creator and try to make things right with the offended party. At the very least it should push you to do something positive. Move on, yes, but only after you have learned a lesson and only when you have an idea of how to move things on a positive direction.
An acceptance of the old idea of guilt would actually be a healthy thing. Just don't get buried in it.

Maybe I spoke to Quickly

Recently, I conceded the Country to the Socialists. I may have been to hasty. Not because there are not a whole lot of them. The left wing may gain a bunch of seats in the mid term elections, but it may be very temporary. This will not be a political blog. It is more about our perceptions and about how things can change in an instant. And, about some surprising twists life can take.
In the wake of Florence, much aid is promised from the Feds and I am sure a lot of money will ve sent. But, so far, the emergency relief has been handled by local and state officials in conjunction with many wonderful volunteers, many from other states. The National Guard, military and FEMA are not doing the hard, quick work needed in disasters. They, no doubt, will get there and do good work, but so far, it is a local effort. A fine job is being dome without Washington. If folks are paying attention, they will see that the Feds are limited, both by circumstances and by their inherent incompetence. Corporate America, the other darlings of the left are impotent in such situations. Again, local residents and businesses are the heroes.
At the same time, reports on the economy are painting a far less rosy picture than the Administration. Things are somewhat better, but not that much, unless you are at the upper echelons of a large corporation. On top of all of that, the whole Washington power structure is teetering on collapse from the weight of its own bloated corruption. Spies and secret cabals, bribes and lies, double dealing and rampant sexual misbehavior, have all meshed together to paint a sleazy picture of power mad corruption and both sides are up to their necks in in the muck.
Now, many, especially among younger voters will turn up their noses and vote the party in power, Republicans, our, and turn to the rhetoric of the left. Not their fault. They have not been taught enough about how the World functions to know better and are being media led. Many will just skip the elections and I don't blame them. The left will make gains and the Federal mess will get bigger and worse. But, eventually, the disaster of the Feds and the efficiency of local and State governments, combined with the humanity and heroism of  what we , call ordinaty people( U hate that term, we are all extraordinary), may drive home the point that we must function locally and in a true free matket (By the way, our economy is now a cannibalistic, cut throat capitolism. We have not been a free market economy since before the Civil War. Sometime, read a bit about Lincoln's power grab whicj was followed soon by the rise of the great robber barons like Rockefeller, Carnegie, Morhan and a few others. They, in conjunction with old Abe, ruined this Country).
The left will likely have its day, but it will be a short one. The Federal Government will prove itself incapable of handling much of anything. Corporate America will price itself out of the US markets and concentrate on the World economy which will, in turn fuel a revival of small American businesses.
The final result will be a return to the idea of some of the Founding Fathers, The USA will become a loose confederation of States withe Federal Government being responsible only for defending us from foreign direct aggression and arbitrating  squabbles between the States. Sanity will be restored after a brief period of madness. Maybe. Hopefully. My advice is to keep yourself out of the way as musch as possible and pay attention. realize this. Perceptions determine reality and events, often unexpected, will change perceptions. Have a Blessed day.

Thoughts in Passing

Monday is here and I have nothing in particular that I feel like writing about. So, just some passing thoughts.
The Storm has devastated N. Carolina and their flooding has not peaked yet. I hope that a lesson is learned. Florence came ashore as a Category 2 and dropped to a 1 quickly. Yet, it has been catastrophic and the damage was not in the least confined to the eye wall area. As is usual, the wind is spectacular, but it is the water that does the worst damage. Do not concentrate on the exact strength and where landfall will be. The storms are horrific and a slow moving minimal hurricane or a tropical storm can be worse than a fast moving, strong storm., although both are fearsome.
Second, the Cavanaugh mess. Maybe the allegations are true and he was a bad boy. Maybe very bad. Bit, if so, why is this information coming out 35 years later.
The Manafort plea bargain seems to further confirm the fact that all of the sides in our political circus are  corrupt beyond what we might have suspected.
Much is being said about Obama;s reemergence into the political fray. Who cares? He only has the power that he is given by those who pay attention to him. I ignore him.
Personally, I would rather spend the day thinking of better things. The lovely, yellow flowers in the hedge next door are far more arresting than the mess we see daily on the news. I am looking forward to the upcoming baseball playoffs and the PGA finale on Atlanta this weekend.
I would rather spemd time contemplating the good fried chicken dinner we will have tonight or the coming of the crisp, cool days of autumn that are nearing. Most of all,  I am planning what we might do to celebrate my friend Deb's quickly arriving birthday.
Call me irresponsible. I do not care. I have at last reached the age when I feel justified in letting younger folks deal with running the World. After all, it is now theirs. I watch and have thoughts and make comments, but even those are growing less frequent. I am content to enjoy my life. I hope I am around for long years to come. I worked hard, very hard, throughout my life. I, like many my age, deserve the chance to just enjoy the World. At the same time, young people deserve their shot at running things. I do hope that they do a better job than we did. Have a Blessed day.

Patience

We humans are a hasty, impatient lot. That is quite understandable since we know we have limited time on this Earth. But we must temper this with wisdom. You cannot do everything at once and, somethings must wait. Sorry. That's just the way it is.
Haste makes waste goes the old saying and that is true because when you hurry, you often get sloppy and make poor choices.
Nature ,obes in cycles. Modern humans, especially Americans, do not accept that. For example. Most folkks love melons. Melons come into season in the summer and early fall in most of the Country. Well, Americans want melons whenever they get the taste. As a result, we pay huge sums to have melons shipped across the Country from California. They are picked green and are nearly tasteless, b ut we get them. They cost a lot in terms of gas usage, traffic, pollution, man hours and they are sorry excuses for melons, but we get them.
But, there are times of year when even our Western lands cannot grow them. Do we patiently wait the next season. anticipating the next, sweet batch of goodness? No. We start shipping them in from Guatemala. More cost, because they now are bringing them in on ships and then trucking them across the land. And, the quality is just as poor, if not worse.
Time was, we waited with anticipation for the year's first melons, usually around the Fourth of July. It was fun to wait and then have that waiting justified and satisfied. This is called delayed gratification and it is a fine thing Now, we damage the environment and the economy in hour list for instant satisfaction.
This is just one example of our impatience and admittedly, it is a somewhat trivial one, but I think it makes my point. Yes, there are emergency situations, but, by definition of the word emergency, they are rare.
I bring this subject up because a great many Americans are about to get a sharp lesson in patience. Hurricane Florence is passing, very slowly. Already I hear reporters asking officials about damage reports and repair status. The storm is not over, but they want answers now. Sorry. Cannot do that,
 And the residents are going to find themselves in a situation that will be unpleasant at best. No power. No cable or internet. Water everywhere. Automobile traffic nearly impossible. Food deliveries to stores will be slow and sporadic if stores are even able to open.
And, what will be the worst for them all, there is not one thing they can do to solve the problems.  I have seen this before and have been in it. It is so hard to deal with, but you must and the only path is patience. Americans do not like having to be patient, but that is all you can do. There is one plus in that. You will learn a great deal about who you are as a person.
Stay calm and help your neighbors. That is how you get through. The rest of us, those not in the storm need to pray for those who are about to suffer.

Time

Time is perhaps the greatest mystery. St. Augustine said that when he didn't think about it, he understood it. But, when he thought about it, he realized that he had no way to discuss it, Einstein called it a persistently stubborn illusion. You can even make a case that past, present and future are all happening at once.
Bur let's not get all scientific here. On a day to day level, we all know how slippery time is.  Days can fly by in a blur and, here and there, days can seem to drag on for months. The mind can seem to crawl through data and sometimes process input in a blink.
New Age types often prattle on about staying in the 'now.' You cannot do this. There is something called the Hallusian gap. The fastest we can process sensory input is about a thirtieth of a second
In essence, we are always watching a movie of our lives. We see what just happened.
That aside (okay, I have o get a little scientific) the smallest unit of time we can measure is called Plank's time, about 6 times 10 to the negative 25 power, and unthinkably runt number, but a number nonetheless. Before that, the laws of physics break down (this is a singularity). What exists then, if anything, id unknown. But it does mean that in the purest sense, there is no 'now.'
I gave no idea why I am writing this. Maybe, as I get older, I am trying to find a way to stretch the days, but any such effort is doomed to failure. Time will do what it does and pass. Shakespeare wrote that 'the days creep by at a petty pace." He mist have written that when young, because as you age, they fly (my Daddy told me that and I laughed at such foolish talk. He was right.).
What to do with time? Nothing, Don't drive yourself crazy. Time is an interesting topic to think about, but all you can do is follow the advice of the great band Little Feat and "roll with it."
Have a great 'Time' today. And, please, say a few prayers for the folks in the path of Hurricane Florence. God bless all of you.





What to do? What we always have to do with life. In the words of the great band :ittle Feat, "Roll with it."

Homeless

1. Feeling alone, the army's up the road
   Salvation a la mode and a cup of tea
   Aqualung my friend don't you start away uneasy
   You poor old sod, you see it's only me Jethro Tull, Aqyalung
2. Ever been homeless" I have. Ne and my friend Deb were for 4 days in  Ft. Lauderdale, Fl in 2002. Just bad luck and a bad economy in a bad spot. No drufs or alcohol. We had both been clean for years.
3. It is a nightmare. If you want to get in a shelter, you have to register about sun up and, then, you cannot stay there in  the daytime. That didn't matter because we were not going to one. They are more dangerous than the streets. The daylight hours aren't too bad/ You can walk around and hang out in malls or parks. Then comes dark.
4. You cannot stay still fir long. Coos will move you along or try to arrest you. Not their fault, just their job. There is no place to get indoors. If it;s cold or rainy, you just have to do your best and get under a tree or behind a wall to break the wind and rain. When the weather breaks, you walk.
5. Sleep is the real issue. It is far too dangerous to sleep on the street sides or any open grounds. Even if it were safe, the street noise is constant. If you find a quiet place, out of sight, it is even more dangerous because, if you find it, so will others.
6. There are people out there, at night who are dangerous,, mean, crazy or both. Of course, alcohol and drugs are often their fuel, but nit always. Sometimes, the sober ones are the worst.
7. Then are the scenes that break your heart. Women with little kids, Physically handicapped people. Old folks, some very old.
8. Again, sleep is the problem. You catch naps. 10 minutes here, 20 there. And it is not really sleep. more of a light doze. By the end of the 3rd day, I was hallucinating lightly. By the 4th, it was fairly intense. Blessedly, a few things went our way and some nice folks helped and we got out of it. Things were touch and go for a spell, but they did get better.
9. Right now, in America, there are many, many homeless. About a quarter of the m are children. I cannot imagine what this does to them. Something must be done, but what?
10. Government, on all levels, seems to have no clue. Churches, some of them, do help a bit. The problem is that there are just so many to help.
11. It is almost impossible to find work when you have no home. You need to be in a reasonably stable environment to make any headway. If you get a little money, there are extended stay hotels and thatr is a whole lot better than nothing, but they take most of a week's wages to stay in and you can never seem to get ahead enough to get a real place. Also, apartment agents do not look kindlt on such places when they start checking you rebtal history. And while those hotels are better than nothing, they are not places that you want to stay at for ling. They are costly and many of the folks there are none too stable.
12. The only solution I can think of is for Governments to but abandoned properties and renovate them to house the homeless. The cost would be extremely high, but something must be dome if we are to continue to call ourselves a civilized land
13. Truth is, nothing will be done anytime soon. There is no will to do this. Instead, most people will just go about their business and, when they see a homeless person, just shake their heads and say'what a pity.' Or they will grow hostile. I have seen this. They want such folks rounded up and hauled away. Where" they don't car e as long as they don't have to see them.
14. But see them is assured.  Again, what will the children going through such nightmares grow up to be. I can promise you that it will nit be pretty.
15. I will leave you with a thought from Steely Dan's song Razor Boy. "Will you still have that song to sing, when the Razor Boy comes and takes your fancy things away." Always in this World, the chickens come home to roost..