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Showing posts from October, 2024

We Aren't "Suckers and Losers".

  As I stood in line for early voting yesterday, a woman about my age was ahead of me. There were about 28 people in line ahead of me. I'd gotten there 30 minutes prior to the doors opening for the first day of early in-person voting. I found out that it was her first time doing early in-person voting, as was mine. We began to talk. We were both amazed at the crowds that gathered in line behind us, with still 20 minutes to go before the doors opened.  She and I had a few things in common. Being of similar age, having two adult children and never wanting to retire. She was a marketing agent for a large Physical Therapy corporation. As normal, especially at such a dicey time as this, I was prudent with my conversation. Then I heard her say, "I'm scared." I remarked, "Join the club. Alot of us are. I'm praying and voting." She nodded, "Yep." We agreed this wasn't normal. Yet, we were grateful for the availability of early in-person voting.  We...

It's Cyclical

Yesterday our oldest child called me, as she’d had some time in between work and classes. She asked me about the economy and my thoughts. I explained that I’d never imagined so many people going to college and having the availability to receive a higher education. It absolutely amazes me. It’s wonderful. The next thing I pointed out to her was that when I was growing up, many homes had a car, not many had more than one car in their driveway. [1] It was a lower to middle to upper-class blue/white collar town. My mother would get a used car, that didn’t cost my dad a dime   —   yet it needed an engine. Laugh now. The engine in one of the vehicles that lasted a bit cost $800. I heard the gripes from my dad for the longest period. Yesterday, I told our oldest that her car, our family car and dad’s car had nearly the same worth as years before when they were purchased as they are today, mileage and all. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, my dad did not want my mother to work. He did every...

Encounter, Before the Counter

  So, what was it about my standing on line at our local bank? I mean, how do people gravitate towards me? That's what I'd wondered many times in the past. However, this gravitational landing was just as weird, if not weirder than the ones before it. Here I was, still in my orange running shorts, and running shoes, as I couldn't remember what time our bank indoor operations with real people closed it's doors. I finished a late run, which was supposed to be my morning run.  Everything, including sleeping nearly three hours more than I'd expected, got in my way of timeliness for a Monday. How much editing and re-writing was I going to get done, now? I wondered, as I stripped off my two tank top shirts and toweled my upper body from the unusual amounts of sweat for a mid October run; as records highs had been predicted for the week, and so they were. Soon with two long sleeved shirts on, still wearing my running shorts and sneakers, I stood in line at the bank. I'...

What to do about underage murderers

  What to do about underage murderers In the recent Washington Post article, “Teen said she and 4 friends sought random victim before fatal beating”. [1]   Long title, I know. However, it moves the reader into a situation that has become more commonly reported. Part of that reason is because we now have approximately 8.1 billion people in the world: comparatively over half the population that existed in 1962 of 3.6 billion people. I’ll go out on a limb here and say, ‘Not much has changed in the dynamics of human behavior’, it’s just more reported, more revealed. The delivery of violence by teens and tweens may be disturbing. But what is more disturbing, is the lack of understanding of the psychological message that teens, and society have been receiving; as well as what to do with underaged offenders when found guilty of heinous assaults, and/or murders of others. The referenced article here, encompasses a few things: one, is complete disregard for human life; two, is vi...

UnHopeful

  UnHopeful I awoke this morning with the word ‘unhopeful’ coming through my mind, then my lips. As I have been taking this graduate writing course, I’ve learned that there are words that can be in literature that are not yet in the dictionary. Or would have been looked down upon as being used, such as undivorced , instead of remarried. After having this literary happening upon waking this morning; I expressed out loud to myself, “I wonder if unhopeful is a word?” Then thought either way it’s unique. And pray tell, why did that word come through me upon waking this morning? And of course, like a bad song from the 1980’s stuck in one’s head—here it lay persistent of it’s demand that I write about it, or else it would haunt me forever. The next thought with the unused word by me was, the hurricane threatening Florida once again—only this time I knew it was ever more deadly than the one just nine days prior. This coupled with the fact that there were still people missing in the ...

How does someone die of a broken heart?

  How does someone die of a broken heart? I told this story to a good friend on the phone yesterday. He's a worldly man, highly intelligent, never married, never fathered a child. And after knowing him now coming up on 26 years, I realize we are alot alike. We both understand loss, caring and quite a bit. He told me many years ago, when I complained my compassion was too much, so much it crushed my spirit quite often. I'd felt exhausted so often in my life. I knew some of the exhaustion was from traumas most people don't reckon with in their lives. He agreed; then added, "Yeah, Jody-Lynn. But the world needs more people having your level of compassion.  And yes, it does ruin the things you are passionate about. I know it wipes you out. However, your compassion is a good thing and it's needed in the world." And for some crazy reason that Thursday back in the autumn of 2008 I knew that was the answer. It held me bewildered. He has probably been one of the mo...