Why is it as Americans we are so "attached to things"? Our life would be so much simplier if we just managed to pair down and be satisfied with a roof over our head, good health and a little food on the table. I'm reminded today after a conversation I had with a woman who remembered me when I lived in the Philippines...that you don't have to be rich to have a good heart -- in fact, most people who are very poor have very big hearts.
What matters in life are not the things that we have but rather our health. As I drag around "Jordan" my oxgen tank, here in the Denver Mile High City, I realize that I have always thought the richest people in the world are those with good health. I'm not religious but I do remember that Christ said, "take up your cross and follow me" and somehow, we as Americans are not really doing that at all because we are attached to "our things." Which one of us can be like Mother Theresa? Can we sell all that we have and unburden our souls with the weight of a wasteful life? Things just hold us down from becoming the best we can be....we are not measured by the material things we have but rather by what we do in life.
If you're attached to "things" let them go -- measure your worth by how much you can let go and how much you can "give". Life is truly about giving and I don't mean in the material sense. I work at the Department of Veterans Affairs, commonly referred to as the VA. The other day, a man came off the street and was homeless and he asked for me by name. I was surprised because he came looking for a job. He said he heard that I "helped" people and was wondering how much help I would be able to give him. I gave him my "time" and you know what -- time is precious and I think I did my good deed for the day when I spent time with this gentleman. In the end, I helped the man write a resume, showed him how to muddle through all the government forms (what a maze) and then I ran off copies for him to just fill in and apply for various jobs. You would have thought I just opened up the world to him but what I did was give him "Hope" -- so you see that's really what we "give" is "hope" and "encouragement" to our fellow human beings who may be struggling and are less off than we are.
For me - I opt to "stop being attached to things" and "give" "hope" and my time to my fellow human beings. In the end...I will have considered my life to be very successful as a result. In a sense, I have my cross...and for today, I have been a good and faithful servant. How about you? Are you "attached to things?"
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
It's No Party -- It's not even a Picnic!
We've just passed the Health Care Bill and while I agree we needed health care reform, I'm not so sure our congressional members went about it the right way. Half of the country is for it while the other half is against it -- we are such divided country yet there is one thing we know for sure in this country...we are slowly becoming the have's and the have nots! Without jobs people can't eat, they can't pay their bills and they can't enjoy a quality of life that affords them a simple stress free environment. Sure -- we don't have to all buy our dream cars, but we do need transportation to get to our jobs and we do need heat in the house and food on the table and when it comes to buying medications for our sick family members -- we need money!
What we have is a country of greedy business people -- loan sharkers who want to capitalize on interest rates when loaning money out to the poor or financing them for a car or any other purchase they deem necessary. We just need our people to have jobs -- men and women given equal opportunity to work for decent wages that will sustain a quality of life that every American so richly deserves. I read an article the other night where Dolly Parton took on one of the Senators from Tennessee -- saying it was just "un-American" to charge 400 percent interest rate at these pay day loan stores! 400% -- are you kidding me! I thought my credit card of 23% was horrible. I nearly fell out on the floor when I read it! Good for you Dolly -- take on the big guy because those senseless bastards in Washington are not listening to us little guys. They will though when every American goes to the Polls and forgets about being a divided country and unites to send them all packing! Republicans and Democrats better start working on industry and finding us jobs or they'll be finding themselves out of their jobs! The Tea Party, Coffee Party, Kool-Aid Party, --they all have it wrong -- it's no party -- it's no picnic out here for those who are struggling. We need to make it difficult for those in office now -- make them squirm and struggle a bit for their money -- they need to help the small businessmen and women create jobs, help industry keep jobs in the United States and work to make our country stronger. The only way to do that is to create more jobs -- not bigger government! We are heading down a very slippery slope because what government gives us -- they can take away!
What we have is a country of greedy business people -- loan sharkers who want to capitalize on interest rates when loaning money out to the poor or financing them for a car or any other purchase they deem necessary. We just need our people to have jobs -- men and women given equal opportunity to work for decent wages that will sustain a quality of life that every American so richly deserves. I read an article the other night where Dolly Parton took on one of the Senators from Tennessee -- saying it was just "un-American" to charge 400 percent interest rate at these pay day loan stores! 400% -- are you kidding me! I thought my credit card of 23% was horrible. I nearly fell out on the floor when I read it! Good for you Dolly -- take on the big guy because those senseless bastards in Washington are not listening to us little guys. They will though when every American goes to the Polls and forgets about being a divided country and unites to send them all packing! Republicans and Democrats better start working on industry and finding us jobs or they'll be finding themselves out of their jobs! The Tea Party, Coffee Party, Kool-Aid Party, --they all have it wrong -- it's no party -- it's no picnic out here for those who are struggling. We need to make it difficult for those in office now -- make them squirm and struggle a bit for their money -- they need to help the small businessmen and women create jobs, help industry keep jobs in the United States and work to make our country stronger. The only way to do that is to create more jobs -- not bigger government! We are heading down a very slippery slope because what government gives us -- they can take away!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Can It Be
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been completely oblivious to the world -- I'm not sure if it is because I purchased a new iphone or because I finally found out that you can teach an "old dog new tricks" after all. I stopped watching the news folks and the super sensation of the media and I feel wonderful, coupled with the fact that I replaced the news with an exercise program. I keep telling people that I have this new found energy and that I'm not certain where it comes from but -- hey, why look a gift horse in the mouth...or however that saying goes.
I'm not so sure people like this new energy level of mine though -- it's almost like they are jealous. Could that be because the rest of the world likes being depressed or is so caught up with their own problems and the sensational news of the day that they can't find time to "love life." I'm not casting stones because God knows, I spent the better part of 27 years being depressed and now all I want to do is "live and love life." I'm no longer waiting for the sky to fall, or hear the next bit of bad news in the morning before I go to work so I can obviously ruin the rest of my day...I want to get up, exercise, eat a wonderful morning breakfast and then watch the sunrise as I drive into Denver.
Can it be -- that depression has taken the world by surprise and so many people are just plain depressed, lacking sleep and actually unhappy? I remember a time when I left the military and first began working on a farm in Medon, Tennessee! All I did was feed the horses and the cattle and I watched over the cats and dogs. I learned alot from the animals...they led a simple life. I fed them -- and they appeared grateful!
Can it be -- we just need to learn to be grateful for what we do have and think less about what we don't have?
Thank you Bobby C -- for reminding me to be grateful for what I have and never stop writing! It is my what feeds my soul! Can it Be!
I'm not so sure people like this new energy level of mine though -- it's almost like they are jealous. Could that be because the rest of the world likes being depressed or is so caught up with their own problems and the sensational news of the day that they can't find time to "love life." I'm not casting stones because God knows, I spent the better part of 27 years being depressed and now all I want to do is "live and love life." I'm no longer waiting for the sky to fall, or hear the next bit of bad news in the morning before I go to work so I can obviously ruin the rest of my day...I want to get up, exercise, eat a wonderful morning breakfast and then watch the sunrise as I drive into Denver.
Can it be -- that depression has taken the world by surprise and so many people are just plain depressed, lacking sleep and actually unhappy? I remember a time when I left the military and first began working on a farm in Medon, Tennessee! All I did was feed the horses and the cattle and I watched over the cats and dogs. I learned alot from the animals...they led a simple life. I fed them -- and they appeared grateful!
Can it be -- we just need to learn to be grateful for what we do have and think less about what we don't have?
Thank you Bobby C -- for reminding me to be grateful for what I have and never stop writing! It is my what feeds my soul! Can it Be!
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