OLD AGE

I walked by the mirror the other day and couldn’t help noticing a stranger looking back at me. He was an old man with gray hair and a wrinkled brow. I knew it could not be me because I haven’t aged a bit since I turned twenty. At least I think I haven’t aged, I seem to be forgetting things lately. Still there he was in my mirror pretending to be me.

OK I’ll admit that I might have aged a little bit, ok maybe a lot, alright enough that my warranty is running out. I need glasses to see, I can only hear half of what is said to me, and my knees are man made. I am at the point where family reunions are at funerals and all the important people in my world are children. I am at the point that if I’m going to bend down to tie my shoes I look around to see what else I can do while I’m down there.

The bad part about aging is that I can ramble on telling a story and no one knows what I’m talking about. The good part about aging is that no one knows what I’m talking about. I’ve reached the point where most of my audience weren’t born when the things I’m talking about happened. It is also the age that gives one the right to say “I remember when” and than tell about walking five miles through the snow to school.

There are two rules for life that I’ve learned recently. “Always eat your desert first” and “you have to get old, you just don’t have to act that way”. I have lived long enough to start enjoying life and not worrying about what others think.  It’s a right I’ve worked for, I’ve earned, and no one is going to deny me of it.

The Last Year

 

Christmas is over for another year and 2008 is almost gone. What will the year be remembered for? Will we even want to remember it? History was made with the election of an African American to the presidency but that was out shadowed by our economy falling apart. Everyday seemed to bring some new thrill on the rollercoaster ride. First gas prices went higher and higher than they began to dive, jobs began diapering, and no one seems to know what will happen next.

 The only sure thing is more and more people have less and less to spend. Like a spiral moving faster the larger it gets each job loss creates others causing still other jobs to be at risk. If you are not sure about your job you aren’t going to spend money on big ticket items like cars or run up new debits you might be able to payback. If people don’t buy the companies go under, more people loss jobs, there we go again.

I wish I had some bright spot or some light at the end of the tunnel, but there just isn’t a silver lining that I can see. Things are going to get worse before they get better. The only way to fix things is to reverse the spiral and find a way to get people back to work so they have money to spend. 

Snow

Help!
It's snowing again. It seems like it has been snowing all the time. We get a storm, have a day to dig out, and have another storm. I can't remember when we have had this much snow this early in the season.

The only good thing about all this white stuff is what it's doing for the economy. All the winter businesses are doing great. Skiing, snowmobiling, and winter festivals are bringing people into the area. 

Stores, Motels, Restaurants, the winter businesses are doing great and that means dollars coming into the local area.

As long as people want to come north to play in the stuff, let it snow. All I ask is a way to keep it from falling on my driveway.

Freedom Of Speech

Thank God we live in a country that guaranties us freedom of speech. A place where we can speak our minds without fear of reprisal. Yes a land where you can speak your mind as long as you don’t disagree. At least that seems to be the point of view of some people. They want to force others to see things their way. They will demand the right to be herd under the first amendment, but refuse to let you disagree with them. These are the groups who vandalize a business or burn down a subdivision that is being built. They will picket a funeral of brave young soldiers bringing added grief to those loved them. To them nothing is too outrageous or disruptive because they are only exercising their freedom to express themselves.

Their freedom to express themselves, I didn’t know there was one. I thought it was freedom of speech. You know the freedom to standup and tell others what we think as long as we don’t yell fire in a crowded room or incite a riot. If others disagree with your point of view you do not have a right to force them to do what you want. After all they also have a right to have an opinion and express it publicly.

Now don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying we should not protest when we see something that is wrong. That is what civil disobedience is all a about. When something is wrong or unjust we should protest it, but we must protest in a way that does not bring harm to our fellow man and we must be ready to except the consequences for our actions. You can hold protest marches just don’t set fires or loot stores along the way and when the police come be ready to pay your fine or go to jail.

Remember you can tell me what you believe you just can’t hold a gun to my head and make believe it too.

All I Want For Christmas

What do I want for Christmas? Peace on earth, goodwill towards men, the economy to get better, all my friends and family to be healthy and happy? How about an end to poverty and hunger? The list of altruistic desires could go on and on.

The truth of the matter is that as wonderful as all those things are what I really want is stuff and lots of it. I am as greedy as the next person and am willing to admit it.  A new 48 inch led HD TV, a blue ray player, a new computer, an I pod,  and a cell phone. In lieu of those things I’ll take cash and lots of it. Enough to let my wife and I move down south to someplace where they never heard on snow.

I took an honest look at myself and realized that I am tired of always giving. It may be better to give than receive, but as selfish as it might be I want to receive. I’ve spent years giving to others in need. I’ve cast my bread upon the waters and now I’m ready to have it return.  When we look at the tree Christmas morning there should be a great big pile of presents all addressed to me. I mean big, I want Santa to get a hernia carrying them.

Well maybe that isn’t quite the truth. If there is something there I’ll be thankful. Thankful for the love and caring the gift represents and grateful that I have family and friends that want to show me that they care.