News Unworthy

   Can you imagine any of today’s news or tweets moving along at the pace prior to having cable news or Twitter? Yeah, back in the old days, where people would have their dinner at 5:30 pm and then watch the evening news (for ½ hour) on one of three networks. Then perhaps read the evening paper. If something stood out (say, any tweet from the president these days) on the evening news, the outrage would have to take place in slow-motion!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dannysoar

   Sure one could rush to get the morning newspaper (home-delivered was better than having to walk down to a neighborhood store or news-rack (heavens, it could be sold out already!)

   But even then the responses in the morning paper to that which came out on the tv news last evening wouldn’t likely cover much.

   So all day one goes to work or cleans the house, waiting for time to rush by to get the evening paper (some were printed around 3:00 pm) to check on “the latest” (what we now have as constant “breaking news”).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rrenomeron

   OK. Maybe now we would get someone’s response (two or three maybe) to yesterday’s evening news. (By tweet today there could be millions of responses from not only American citizens but worldwide!)

   Hmmm...now what? Same thing, watch the evening newscast (remember it’s only ½ hour long); get morning newspaper, get afternoon newspaper, watch evening newscast…

   If only it were still that way. Then we wouldn’t have so many ridiculous presidential tweets and replying comments (yes, I’ve made a few myself) that just isn’t helpful or healthy in our everyday lives. As for cable news’ daily drama and critique, it wouldn’t hurt to see that go either. 

   Oh, well, That’s life. That’s the news for today. Theresa M.

PS - Here’s a shout-out to magazines that would publish a fuller story after about a month following such an event. Yeah, with pictures too!

https://pixabay.com/en/magazines by jackmac

Search for Truth

      “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” John 14:6

   As we search for a way to go in life, a career, a relationship, a purpose, we take with us who we are at each moment in time. We have, or may lack, characteristics and qualities that are helpful in promoting us forward. We may have learned skills, techniques, and have talents that work and weave through everyday activities to help bring us toward our goals.

   We have an image of ourselves - maybe looking successful, or maybe as a failure. What is behind the image is what we view with our idea of truth.

   But what is truth? Is it the actual evidence of our success or failure? Is it only a belief about ourselves or is the truth what we think others believe about us?

   Truth can be puzzling. Each person’s view of reality is in some ways different, depending on a number of factors, but the truth one believes in may be a positive or negative deciding factor.

   I believe in the sun - it shines, it warms, it’s up in the sky. Is it true it will eventually kill us? Some believe this is true, some don’t. This truth/non-truth here isn’t harmful.

   But what can be harmful in identifying some things as truth, is when people use their personal “truths” as a stance that they are right and all others are wrong, to the point of being arrogant, defiant, threatening, or taking violent actions.

   Some people simply can’t handle truth! Their fervent autocratic insistence can be destructive and dangerous if that person is in a position of power.

   But truth is more than what any one person believes. And to me the search for truth does begin with the Lord, seeking to find a better way to live life, by the fruits of the Spirit.      Theresa M.

pixabay.com

A Lie for A Lie

  A lie for a lie, a truth for a truth. I know, the saying doesn’t go like that, it’s eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.  But in this era of “America Reality TV that’s so Unreal” it could be said that way.

  Politicians were always known to lie - most Americans agree. But it seems to me that we’ve come to the age of constant lying, constant story-telling by our president. What is just as disgusting are the other staffers and congressmen who either back him up or don’t stand up to the lying. Added onto lies are the name-calling. How immature is that! On and on, day after day, tweet after tweet, our America’s institutions are being demoralized, debased, just down-right disrespected by someone who is supposed to lead us.

  Personally, I’m sick of it, thoroughly disgusted. Who in their right mind and heart can justify this crude, dishonest behavior? And why is it allowed to continue? How did we get someone so vulgar, dishonorable, and vindictive to lead this country?

  Stop a minute. Hate is all around. Blame is impulsively pointed out. To see the other side, I always think a good way to get another picture is to put someone else’s name in place of the person one is talking about. Since Trump hates Obama (and Hillary), replace their names and read. Read Trump’s tweets as if Obama himself were saying it. Wow! Trump followers would have a heart-attack on the spot!

  Go back even further to pre-2016 election times, continue through to today. All those tweets, all those speeches. Go ahead, replace the name of who said all that stuff. Man, unbelievable right?

  So what do we want for America? A lie for a lie, and another lie, plus all the rotten characteristics that come along with it - disrespect, vulgarity, vindictiveness? Or the truth to lead us to more truths, to bring honor, respect, dignity to America and its citizens and institutions?

  The choice belongs to each and every one of us. Really.       Theresa M

Apology...except...

   The “Facebook Apology Tour,” how Sen. Richard Blumenthal (at Congressional Hearings on April 10th, 2018) described Mark Zuckerberg’s frequent apologies for their company’s fallacies.

   “I apologize.” “I’m sorry.” I bet we’ve all said it more than once in our lives, whether we meant it or not!

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   Apology - per American Heritage Dictionary: n.,1. A statement expressing regret or asking pardon for a fault or offense. 2. A formal justification or defense.

   Justification!? - same dictionary: n., 1. The act of justifying or the condition of being justified.

   Justify - same dictionary: v., 1. to demonstrate to be just, right, or valid. 2. to declare free of blame; absolve.

   This puts things in a whole new perspective, if you didn’t see it before.

   An apology is just a statement - a self-serving one at that. The person is likely trying to justify their behaviors. No wonder so many public apologies have been trashed by others, saying things like “it isn’t sincere,” or even denying it is an apology.

   Regardless of sincerity, it is still only a statement. There is no action involved here. In order to show that one is apologizing to “express regret” or asking “pardon for a fault or offense,” there needs to be subsequent action.

   Twelve-step programs refer to this as making amends - actually changing one’s previous behavior “to improve, to remove the errors in, correct” (American Heritage Dictionary description of the verb “amend.”) Thus making amends is “recompense for grievance or injury” (described in same dictionary).

   So if someone apologizes, sure, go ahead and accept their statement. But it takes time to prove their sincerity.  It takes subsequent action; it takes amends.

   Alas, time will tell if their apology is justified!         Theresa M.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinmic

   No dogs are included in the aforementioned essay.                     Gotta forgive 'em!

                             

Hurry Up and Read This!

   Patience is not something I’ve been very good at. I don’t like to wait, never liked to do that. Don’t usually care for long movies or long books (if the ending sucks - what a waste of time it’s been). Yet why the rush for things to happen? What’s the hurry?

   I notice that through the years many inventions are made to “save time,” which in many cases is fine. I appreciate being able to go get groceries rather than have to do all the farming myself. I really like computers where you don’t have to use old typewriters with carbon copies (uh-oh, remember when you made a mistake on those!). 

   But otherwise what is all this “time” we are saving? What are we really doing with it? Are we careful as we rush through work or are we likely to make more mistakes? Are we honking for someone to move now because hey, cars are meant to drive not sit?

  In my mind I get this picture that all this time we’re saving is mostly going into using our (smart) phones. Yeah, that’s it. All this constant texting, photo-taking, sending. Our focus boils down to this fast little electronic gadget where we virtually live our lives. (If you’re reading this on one-thanks-I won’t keep you too long!)

   This constant drive (not in the car) to save time, then fill up that time with doing something else (actually something else that saves time) seems a frantic way to live. Rushing through time brings us that much closer to the end of our own time on earth. Are we secretly hoping to get there? Or are we too afraid to slow down and just live in the moment looking at one’s own strengths and weaknesses, taking an honest assessment of self?

   We only move forward in time (except of course during the autumn “fall back an hour” for ‘standard time’). So what’s the hurry? Relax, enjoy life!      Theresa M

It's About Time - Theresa M

    "The principal part of faith is patience."  George MacDonald

Belongings

   A homeless man’s possessions were all thrown away, along with other people’s belongings in a “tent” camp in a West Virginia city. “They just don’t care,” said the man. “It’s all a misunderstanding,” said officials because that camp was ransacked recently and the city thought they were just tossing away “leftover garbage.”

   Well, maybe, maybe not. But that homeless fellow lost everything he had near and dear to him, especially, he said, pictures of his family. He had no home to store his belongings. No fire destroyed it, no flood, nor other disaster. Just city officials assuming it was garbage sitting out in the camp.

   I don’t know how this could have been avoided. There are agencies who help the homeless, advocates who could have been sought to find out about this tent-camp. That homeless man now only has his memories, if nothing else.

   So many belongings we gather through the years are maybe not so important. What we received as a child- toys, bikes and such - we’ve likely thrown away. But they sure were important back then. We grow up here in America where consumerism is enveloped around us, ensnaring us, insisting we buy “the latest,” the “new-improved,’ the “most popular.” And with our ever-growing egotism we fall for it. But how important is “it?”

   There are material things that are important to an individual, I understand. Part of these things are like part of our self, our identity, like a cherished heirloom handed down a family line. The letter of a loved one. The medals of a soldier. The pictures - like the homeless man cited - dear pictures. Even though cyberspace can store modern-day ones, those from long ago could be forever lost. These things do have meaning - and we try to keep them throughout our lives. But as with everything else they have a temporary status.

   I often think how, after I die, much of what I owned materially will mean nothing to anyone. Maybe a few odds and ends here and there for family members still living. But overall it will likely be trashed, maybe distributed to Goodwill. The little silver rocking horse my nephew gave me when he was a child; the rosary Pope Francis blessed that one of my sisters gave me; the various knick-knacks both my sisters gave me through the years; the pictures. Things like these matter to me. After me, they won’t matter.

   “It’s all junk,” some might say. No, not really. Each person has material things that are important. We should all respect that. Now I’m not advocating for hoarding! (that’s a serious matter on a whole different level!) But respecting others, not only as people, but respecting what they own is important.

   Everything has meaning to someone, somewhere for some time. And when these things are gone, we have our memories, which hopefully will be forever with us.          Theresa M.
     

Theresa M

                                     

"The stuff in our lives shouldn't get in the way of our lives - they should augment the experience of our lives."    @TheMinimalists