more

More.  Some of us are never satisfied.  Some of us always want more.  How can we do more though?  What can we do to make more of a difference in this world?  Where are the folks that already are doing more? Day after day I write here, but do I have all the answers?  Of course not!  Together we have a lot of answers though, certainly more of them.  On this Earth Day Weekend, it is important to have more answers and for us all to pitch in and do more.

 

So what do YOU think?  There are more ways of doing things than I have written about here.  Can you share some ideas?  The more who contribute here, there more answers we will have in the end.  Come!  Join in the discussion!

 

I want to change the world for the better and I am doing ________ to achieve this.  What would you put in the blank?  I hope we hear from many of you.  Share some more of your good ideas!

Fear Not

Reading through the Christian Bible, you will find a number of instances where people are going about their everyday activities, and suddenly and angel appears and says "Fear not." Really? Even another person appearing out of the middle of nowhere will startle you. An angel - a supernatural being, would seemingly create more fear. Calm down? No way!

Picture a man, driving with his young son, down a street and going about his everyday activities. Suddenly a police officer appears, and without any warning, shoots the man dead. The community leaders say "fear not," or another version of it. They appeal for calm. Really? A man shot to death in front of witnesses. That image will remain in their brains forever. Calm down? No way!

The amount of hate in the world seems to be rising by the minute. I'm particularly sad about the anti-Black, the anti-gay, the anti-poor, the anti-immigrant, the anti-trans, and the anti-women. (Oh, and there are other groups that are hated too, but you get the idea). There seems to be very little collective will for social justice in this land of "liberty and justice for all." We need to get rid of this hate. Seriously. What good is it? Folks, we created the problem. We criminalized black, brown, trans, and poor people. We looked down on others and said they weren't good enough. We were wrong though. Everyone has merit. We created the problem. We can fix the problem. We need to want to though and we need to do more than urge calm and tell people they have nothing to fear.

Video footage I saw of a man being shot to death, while being held down by a police officer, made me sick to my stomach. We need to hold EVERYONE accountable for murder, especially the ones who are supposedly protecting us from crime. Fear not? How can you not be scared after seeing something like that? Maybe I will be next. Maybe my boss or my friend or my sister will be shot and left to die.

People hold up signs saying Black Lives Matter, but I want to see proof! If any lives matter we need to wake up and end the hate and discrimination. If you agree with me, pick up your phone and call your neighbors, friends, relatives, co-workers, and anyone who will listen to you, and urge positive action. Let me be clear about what I am saying here. Our legislators need to pass laws that treat people equally and our courts need to prosecute offenders - ALL offenders, vigorously and to the full extent of the law. We cannot allow any lawlessness. Everyone needs to be accountable. If your senator or congressperson or local leaders cannot or will not work for positive change, then vote them out of office! Did you notice how many of the haters were just re-elected?

Don't forget the Black men killed in so many different places just because of who they were. Don't forget Orlando and the men and women killed in a gay club. Don't forget all who were shot in their schools and churches.  Don't forget all the instances of hate. Nobody should have to live in fear! Let's get going! Let's make a difference! This is our world, and it should not be filled with hate and fear. 

Lend a hand

Making a difference can take many forms. Lending a hand or an ear is just one way to help out - one way to connect with others and to be human. I don't take about me here, because my goal all along has been to encourage cooperation and hopefully to get those who read these words to want a better world and so to reach out to others. It's NOT about me - it's about all of us. Today though, for a change, it's a little more about me, and about an incredible person I am truly blessed to have in my life.

Every one of us will occasionally have a bad day.  Nothing seems to be going right and you feel like you don't want to even move.  Well, rare though it is, that was me this week.  I made a comment on social media, which probably hundreds of people saw, but there was someone out there who also acted.  Moments after my post, he was reaching out.  "Are you okay?" he asked.  A conversation - a very encouraging one, began.  He cared.

 

Now I'm not suggesting for a minute that nobody else cares.  This person did something though.  He reached out.  He lent a hand.  It made a world of difference and I will always remember the warmth of his friendship last night and his concern.  Today is a great day.  I feel fantastic.  Last week though was a great reminder of how wonderful it can be to lend a hand to someone who needs you.  How wonderful it is to care.

Let it shine

Everywhere I look, there is something that makes me happy. Yes, even now.   What about you? Do you see happiness in the most simple things? I look out the window at the sunrise and think of Barry Manilow's uptempo pop song from back in the mid-70s. Before you know it, I'm singing.

I'm singin' to the world,
it's time we let the spirit come in
Let it come on in

Those peppy lyrics, which Manilow wrote with Adrienne Anderson, are enough to get you bouncing, even if there isn't a gorgeous sun rising on your horizon. Put them both together though and it will keep shining all day long! Why frown first thing in the morning anyway? Start the day happy and you can stay that way all day long!

Yes, and it's daybreak
If you want to believe, it can be daybreak
Ain't no time to grieve
Said it's daybreak, if you'll only believe
And let it shine, shine, shine
All around the world

Let's keep believing! Let's keep letting it shine!


words from Daybreak by Barry Manilow and Adrienne Anderson © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

A Life-Changing Story

I have to tell you the words below today are not mine, but this story, which has been circulating on the internet, really touched me. I have no idea of the author, but I am so glad this was written. Please read on -

Her eyes met mine as she walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her need instantly and knew I had to help her.

 

I wagged my tail, not too exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid. As she stopped at my kennel I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the overworked shelter keepers get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.

 

As she read my kennel card I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.

 

She got down on her knees and made little kissy sounds at me. I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her. Gentle fingertips caressed my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.

 

Soon my kennel door opened and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her eyes.

 

I was so fortunate that she came down my corridor. So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors. So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.

 

I rescued a human today.

get out of that rut

Has your routine become boring and your daily existence rather humdrum?  Well, get out of that rut!  If you have been sheltering in place these past several months, it is easy to get bored.  Things can be changed!  You don't have to be a constantly turning hamster wheel, but it is up to YOU to do something about it.  First, know that things can change!

Sometimes you have to spice things up - do things a little differently.  Make good use of all your resources.  Set attainable goals.  You don't have to change every single thing you do, but some change can be quite stimulating and get the whole positive energy flowing.  Sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone, or at least know what your comfort zone is.

Regrets? Not always a good thing. Regret can bring our mood down and toss us into dead-end thinking where we can actually get stuck. Turn that regret around. What if I had done something differently?  Well then, actually DO IT differently!

There is no quick answer to getting out of a rut.  Things will be different for each person.  Know too that you might need help and don't hesitate to get it.  There is no shame at all in seeking help.  If addiction or depression is contributing to this rut, do indeed get someone to help you with it.  Just know that things CAN change.

Often is heard an encouraging word

Originally written by Dr Brewster M. Higley of Smith County, Kansas as part of a poem entitled My Western Home, back in the early 1870s, the line "Where seldom is heard a discouraging word," is familiar as part of the song Home On the Range. Around here we borrow from that idea but state it in the positive: Often is heard an encouraging word!

 

Why not?  It is so uplifting to raise others up too.  Speaking to cheer or to console or simply to refresh is such a positive experience - it warms your heart!  Besides, who needs all the negativity?  There is certainly enough of that in the news every day.  How much more rewarding it is to see the good in our world and to encourage more of it!

 

I really like looking our at the beauty and the positive energy in our world.  Dr Higley's poem has another very uplifting line later on too.  He writes

          "How often at night, when the heavens were bright,

                                                         With the light of the twinkling stars

Have I stood here amazed, and asked as I gazed,

If their glory exceed that of ours."

The Human Race

The human race, despite the way the name might sound is not about running.  It's not a contest of speed or to achieve superiority.  We can stop trying to show that we are better than the next person, because in reality, we are all equal. 

 

Now, don't get me wrong.  There are certainly people who do great things and we might not all do those things, but we all can aspire to greatness!  We all can make the attempt.  Along the way we can learn a lot from other people.  We can appreciate them and be inspired by them, but it is a complete waste of time for us to compete against them.

 

Now I am not talking about athletic contests here.  Sports are great, but we are not measuring if one person is better than another.  Competition is not a bad thing, but we should be competing against our self, or at least our younger self.  

Can I be a better person than I was yesterday and the day before?  The answer of course is yes and we can aim higher and higher each day.  An old slogan for the US Army said "Be all that you can be."  That should be the goal of all of us.  The human race is the course that each one of us travels in our quest to do good and to make a difference and to be the best we possibly can.

What is love?

There is a definition in the dictionary for love, but I'm not sure it really it's it on the head. Making a difference in the world, giving back, helping to build a better tomorrow, all that we talk about here in this blog - THAT is what love is all about. It is pretty hard to describe though.

Saint Paul wrote, in his second letter to the Corinthians "If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

I mention this because it just might come closer to giving us a good picture, and because this particular passage from Scripture is so often read in churches. The Blessed Apostle has more on the subject though.

He continues "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."

It's interesting to me that in earlier translations it says charity, rather than love. When you think of charity - of giving, isn't that something we do out of love? We all need to have faith and we certainly need hope, but that third thing, that wonderful glorious make-the-whole-world-better thing we call love - oh my! Yeah, it's pretty special!

Expand your horizons!

Expanding our horizons is one fairly easy way to change the world. When we increase the range of things that we know about or have experienced, we open up so many new possibilities. Is trying something new every day a pretty tall order? Consider doing it every week with at least one bigger thing every month.

Now to make this work, it might help to write some things down on your calendar. Certainly you can leave some events to chance, but planning ahead will give you a much better chance of success. Begin with events that take place in or near your community such as concerts or parades or fairs. How may of them have you always said "someday I should do that"? Well, why not make the next event your someday?

 

It's amazing how rewarding it is to broaden your horizons!  You don't have to limit yourself to scheduled events too.  Go out and try new things like tutoring a student, serving food to the homeless, answering phones at your favorite non-profit, or maybe some daredevil idea like bungee jumping or skydiving.  Go on a retreat for a weekend, either with a group, or by yourself.  There are so many possibilities!  Oh and if you really want to benefit, share your experiences as well!

Starting young

Last night I was watching young Opie Taylor learn about sharing. You remember The Andy Griffith Show, don't you? It was about life in a small town, where Opie lived with his father - the town's sheriff, and his great aunt. There were laughs, but there were also a lot of life lessons.

In this episode, there was a collection for underprivileged children, and Opie only put in three cents, despite having a full piggy bank. His father tried to impress on him the importance of sharing and of helping out others. His father was also concerned about appearance.  How would it look for the son of the sheriff to be so stingy?

When was the first time you ever did something for somebody else? Do you remember? Do you remember anyone ever teaching you these values? Is it important to get this message at a young age?  Did you give out of generosity or because it would make you look good?

This show treated the subject well.  It wasn't a new concept. They told the story in a fairly straightforward manner. At the end though came a surprise: Opie wasn't being cheap. He was saving to get a coat for a little girl who would shiver come winter, because her family could not afford a new coat for her. Opie, it seems, already knew the importance of helping others!

how we paint it is up to us

For a number of years now I have profiled people and organizations who give back and really make a difference in our world and, when not doing that, have made suggestions about other ways we ALL can give back. Occasionally I get a bit ahead of myself and start doing multiple things at the same time. (Currently I am involved in several fundraisers for example and might not be giving fair attention to them all).

It is easy to spread yourself too thin. It is also easy for some folks to sit and do nothing. There is a halfway point though!  I don't think I am painting nearly as much as I want to.

What we do in life is of course up to us. We are given this broad canvas on which to paint, but the picture isn't known right away. Some of us might paint many pictures during our lifetime. We might get involved in many different things. Some of us will do less. Sadly, there will be some who do virtually nothing at all. The significant thing here is that how we paint, is up to us.

So, take that canvas, and make something really beautiful!

What is a hero?

I quoted these wonderful words of Jason Chu here before: "We become heroes because of what makes us human." I could easily go on and on about his lyrics, not just from Marvels, which he released ten years ago, but from all of his work. Jason is a hero of mine. Why? Well for one thing, he makes me think.

 

To me, a hero is someone who changes the world - for the better.  I've written here about all kinds of heroes over the years and about ways that we all might become heroes. Some of our heroes become well known and others are known only to themselves or to a few close friends.  My mom was a hero of mine.  She did so much for me and for my sister and for so many others that knew here.

 

How about the guy who regularly donates money to the poor anonymously - is he a hero?  What about the woman who goes to read to children at the library every week?  Do you think those people who fight so hard for equal rights are heroes?  Do you think the single father raising for brand new babies, after his wife died during childbirth, is a hero?  Just what is a hero?  There is no one answer.  Heroes come in all different shapes and sizes.

 

Don't think you have to do something huge to be a hero.  If we all do our part, there can be a ripple effect.  Actually, Jason Chu said it so very well, and if I may quote once more from his Marvels: "one small spark can light the whole night/So one small life can fight the good fight."

Kahil Gibran on true giving

Kahlil Gibran (writer, visual artist, philosopher and poet) said so many different inspiring things. He was also considered a philosopher, although I am told that he himself rejected that title, He is best known as the author of The Prophet, one of the best-selling books of all time. I was just looking over some of his thoughts on true giving.

"You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

For what are your possessions but things you keep

and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?"

These words were excerpted from Gibran's 1923 book which I mentioned, The Prophet. Something to think about on this Sunday morning.

Conversation On A Bench

Can you remember the film Forrest Gump, where Tom Hanks' character sat on a park bench and told his life story? Picture yourself doing the same thing. It's a beautiful day and you are sitting on a nice comfortable bench. Think about that for a moment.

Sometimes the stories we share can make a huge difference. Sometimes the people we interact with can make a huge difference too. If you could sit down on that bench with anyone at all, who would you choose? If you are picturing a large bench, perhaps you should choose two people to share your conversation with.

Now most of us don't have the luxury of sitting down to chat with whomever we might wish, but we do have the power to make a difference. The next stranger you encounter, just might be someone who has that special something to share. Don't be afraid to meet new folks and to say hello to strangers. You might end up in a life-changing conversation on a bench.

Do your best

When I was younger, I used to always hear people say, "you might not always have the results you wish, but make sure you do your best."  Oh course your best isn't going to stay the same.  Over time we are all expected to do better and better.  Occasionally we might do worse.

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter weighed in on the subject saying "You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you've tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try - you don't take the risk." I agree!

I don't have any idea how my day will go, but one thing I do know for certain - I am going to do my best!  That would be a great motto for all of us!

what can YOU do?

This isn't a new question.  I've asked it before and others certainly have as well.  You might have even asked this of yourself:  What can YOU do?  In keeping with the theme of this blog, the question really goes much farther.  How many different ways can you make a difference in this world of ours?

If you have absolutely no idea, you might want to read some of what we have written about here in the past.  Then, clear your mind and think about things important to you.  Do you care particularly about human rights or health care or fighting poverty or teaching language or protecting animals or any number of other things?  Is there a pet project you would like to work on?  Think about it.

We ALL can do wonderful things.  We ALL can make a difference.  It doesn't have to be just one thing either.  We can do many different things.  Some of this may involve your time or your abilities and some of this might involve your money.  Perhaps some of the things you might do involve organizing other people.  Whatever it is, figure it out and do it!

unwelcome

One of the most wonderful things we can experience is the feeling of belonging - the feeling that we are truly welcome.  The first day at a new school or a new job or a visit to a church you have never been to before or even a family reunion where most of the relatives are distant ones that you don't know, all have something in common.  You can feel alone and uncomfortable, like you don't belong there.  

There are many other situations where you can experience the same feeling.  It isn't nice at all.  In the midst of this pandemic there are so many places where we are not welcome in the usual sense, but does that mean we are not welcome at all?  Churches will sometimes say they are "welcoming," but are they really?  Do they make you feel comfortable?  Do people say hello and introduce themselves and make any kind of effort to make you feel welcome?

 

Did you ever go to a bar or restaurant where it seemed that everyone was a regular and that you were the odd one?  The employees were super friendly to all of them, but hardly even acknowledged that you were there.  Does that make you want to come back?  Of course not!  It is an easy thing to change though.  Making people feel welcome just involves caring and showing it.  Smile.  Be friendly.  Introduce yourself.  Make the visitor or the newcomer feel that they belong there.

One o the issues with hate is people get the idea that a certain neighborhood or bar or even a certain church, is theirs.  We have our own little group here and everyone else should stay away!  Is that healthy?  How might they feel if encounter this sort of unwelcoming atmosphere?

 

We all make a difference in the lives of others when we show them a friendly and welcoming attitude.  We all have the ability to get rid of that unwelcoming mat.

 

End discrimination

When I was little I witnessed so much prejudice and hate. I can remember the "Whites Only" signs and the separate drinking fountains and I remember all the hateful things that were broadcast on television. Most of the obvious prejudice was racial. Later I became aware of the prejudice that existed based on sex, religion, age, gender identity, and prejudice based on sexual orientation.  

 

There are some people who think that such discrimination has ended. How wrong they are!  We have seen so many examples this year.  While there are indeed better protections under the law, and while many attitudes have gotten better, we still have a very long way to go.  This includes privilege and preferential treatment.  When a missing white woman is trending for days on social media and the lead story on tv news, but missing people of color are ignored, that is discrimination.

Will it EVER end? This is one of those things that we really can do something about. We have the power! We can make things better. These days things seem to be getting worse.  Why do we tolerate so much hate speech? Why do we remain silent when people are discriminated against right in our midst? If we all spoke up and if we all decided to say No! to discrimination, it would end immediately. Do we really want a world of hate?

What do YOU think?

Remembering

It has been 24 years since our country changed forever following the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the selfless acts of the brave souls on United Flight 93 which prevented another assault on Washington, D.C. The memories of that fateful day will always remain vivid in our minds and hearts.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes, two of which were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, a third into the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed in a rural Pennsylvania field during a passenger revolt. 

Today, we pause to honor the memory of those we lost, pay tribute to the resiliency of survivors, and extend our gratitude to the courageous members of the military, police, fire, and healthcare professionals who responded on that tragic day and have continued their unwavering service for nearly a quarter of a century. Heroes, all of them. The impact of 9/11 will forever be etched in our memory, a testament to the spirit of our nation.

There are many who were not alive back then in 2001 and so it is so important that we teach the new generations of what happened and work to see that nothing like this ever happens again. Just yesterday there were more hateful shootings. Let us remember our past and all resolve to put an end to hate.

Preventing Suicide

We hear about the death of a favorite performer and then hear that they died at their own hand. A friend or relative dies suddenly and there are whispers that he took his life, but shh don't talk about it. Well we need to talk about it and that is what today is about.

Every September, the month is used to focus on prevention and awareness and World Suicide Prevention Day is a special awareness day observed on September 10th every year. It should not just be when a friend or famous person dies. We need to remember that it can happen any time to any person. Males make up 50% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides.

Life is precious. We need to put an end to suicide. We CAN do it. Putting an end to hate and bullying is a great place to start. Openly talking about our feelings is important too. Nobody should ever feel like they are alone. Reach out. Be present. Get involved. Talk to professionals. I also invite you to go to https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/playbook/ for some excellent resources.

Looking the other way

Quoting the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr, is an easy task, because this great man said so many wonderful and inspiring things. This morning I was thinking about one particular quote, where he mentions looking the other way.  As always, he got me thinking about the importance of doing the right thing.

All too often these days it seems that folks aren't getting involved. Closing your eyes to the injustice around us, doesn't make it go away.   You can't change the world, unless you are willing to roll up your sleeves and do some good. The head in the sand mentality just doesn't work. Looking the other way, accomplishes nothing.

Dr King said "Never, never, be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."

May we listen to this wisdom.  May we always be willing to do what is right.

I could use a hand

When I first started writing this blog way back in 2008, I lived in a major city and was involved in numerous community activities.  I was also a media person and had access to a lot of daily information.  I posted here initially every single day instead of just on weekdays.  These days I live in a smaller town, away from a lot of the things I write about and often don't hear about things in a timely manner.  Although I have no intention of stopping this blog, it has become a bit more difficult and I sure could use a hand!

 

Who is making a difference in this world besides all the major names we hear about in the national media?  How are the heroes who are giving back?  What stories am I missing?  Is there a hero in YOUR life?  Making our world a better place is something very important to me and I want to continue telling about folks who do that and offer suggestions about how we all can make a difference, but I am not the ultimate authority.  There is so much to say that just isn't occurring to me, so can you help?

 

Right below these posts every day is a comments section and you are always welcome to write something there, but right now I am especially asking for a word or two about the stories I am missing.  Take a moment and tell me some stories.  I am very interested in knowing about those hometown heroes who are doing good things and helping to make our world better, so let me know a little bit about them.  Thanks so much, and thanks for reading!

The Wish

When you were little, did you ever make a wish and then blow on the dandelion to see if your wish would come true?  Perhaps you looked up at the night sky and made a wish on the first star you saw or before blowing out the candles on your birthday cake, hoped for something.  We have all made wishes at some time or another.  Some of us spend our whole lives wishing.

Do you wish that wars would disappear?  We ALL do!  Do you wish there was an easy solution?  Do you wish for different leaders?  Do you wish things were being handled differently?  Make a wish, and then make it happen.  We all can do our part.
 

Tossing a coin into a fountain or breaking the wishbone of a cooked turkey may be fun to do, but I happen to think that wishes are good things and that they all can come true, wish a little help.  That's the important part - the little help.  Sometimes we help ourselves fulfill our dreams and our hopes - you might actually think of them as goals.  Sometimes we can help others with their wishes like when you donate to charities.  The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps make some wishes come true, but I'm really talking about dreams we ALL have.  We wish and then sit back doing nothing more sometimes.  What we need to do is wish and then make that wish a reality.

 

Difficult?  Well yes.  Sometimes it is difficult.  Life isn't always easy, but anything really worth having is worth working for!  So, don't give up on that wish.  Make it come true!

Too busy to be a Good Samaritan?

I'm sure you have all heard the term Good Samaritan before.  It is used as a common metaphor, applying to any charitable person, especially one who rescues or helps out a needy stranger as in the Biblical parable.  (Luke 10:29-37).  How many of us have it in us to truly be good Samaritans?  How many of us are too busy with our daily lives to even take a second to help?

As I have written here over the years, there are many different ways of helping out people in need.  Yes, sometimes we don't have a lot of money to give, but it isn't always about money.  There are certainly other things we can do.  Give a little time.  Give a little thought. Look at your neighborhood with fresh eyes. Where are the needs? What do you see, hear, smell, touch? What is it that YOU can do?

 

Feeding the hungry might seem huge, but how about bringing an extra sandwich in  your lunch and giving it to the first person you see who is hungry?  You can also buy fast food gift cards to give out to people you see who need a meal.  (These generally range in price from ten dollars up).  Eating out?  Pack up what you didn't finish and give it to someone on the street.  Volunteer at a soup kitchen or food pantry.  Donate canned goods.  What else?  Be creative!  Share some ideas with us.

 

Being a good Samaritan is something we can all make time for and there are many ways to do this.  Will YOU find the time, or are you too busy?

Friday

Everybody gets excited about Friday.  Of course, the reason is because many folks don't work on the weekend and for those going to school, that is almost always a Monday through Friday situation.  Yeah!  Friday is here!  I'm so happy!  Oh course it's Friday the thirteenth, so many won't be happy.  Oh my!  Don't be fooled.  There are no unlucky days.

 

Well I'm always ready for a good celebration and being happy for two days off from work is certainly not a bad thing, but shouldn't we be happy EVERY day?

 

Don't like going to school?  Perhaps you are not taking the right classes.  Hate your job or unhappy with the way things are right now at work?  Do something about it.  Perhaps it's time for a change.  Instead of rejoicing when Friday arrives, we should celebrate every single day of the week.  Mondays don't have to be a dreaded day.  We can have our Friday kind of happiness every single day of he year.

 

Happy days are upon us.  Let's see that they are ALL happy!

Be Yourself

Be yourself.  That might seem like a tall order, or it might seem pretty simple.  At least you have something to think about today.

The great poet, essayist, and lecturer Ralph Waldo Emerson said "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." Indeed.

His words seem to ring even more true these days.  We all can resist though, what others may want us to do.  It shouldn't really be that difficult to simply be ourselves!

Grassroots campaigns work

Do you like what is going on in Washington, DC these days? Are you happy with the workings in your own state or local governments? How many of you can name your mayor or your representatives in Congress? When things are going like the people want them to, and when justice and equality fly out the window, it's time to get involved!

 

I actually think it is ALWAYS good to be involved. An example: where I live there are a couple of county officials that have recently made some outrageous statements. One was very racist, the other anti-gay. Some folks did turn out to protest, but only a few. We ALL need to keep up with these things. it matters. Turn on the evening tv news or pick up the morning newspaper. Stay aware, and then get involved.

 

It's amazing what a simple grassroots campaign can do. Seriously. The folks who say "You can't fight City Hall" are wrong. You can write letters, send emails, make phone calls and you can make a difference. To begin though, you need to know what you are doing. Inform yourself. A good way to find out about government bodies, is to look at their websites. Head on down to your local city hall and see the city council in action. Know about it, and then do something.

Is it EVER about me?

The blog says It's NOT about me. So, you might be thinking, "Is it ever about me?" Well yes, and no. I suppose I should explain.

If you are new to reading these daily messages, you might not know just what the name means. Most blogs are about the writer's adventures through life - his vacations, his politics, his cooking skills, his day-to-day opinions about current events. This blog, as the name says, is NOT about me. It would be misleading to say though that it is only about you. Actually, it is about ALL of us! To be more specific, it's about how we each can help make this a better world.

So that question: "Is it ever about me?" - yes. It's never about only you. It's about you and me and everyone else - ALL of us. Together, we shape the future, and together, we can change the world.

Thanks for reading. Tell your friends we are here. Comment below too and share some of your ideas. Let's keep working to make the world better for everyone!

This Labor Day

Today is Monday, September 1, 2025 and it is Labor Day.  Many folks these days don't get the significance of today's holiday. It isn't about that last summer picnic or the day before school begins (where I live school actually started way back in July anyway) and it isn't about sales at the mall and your favorite department stores. Today is about the worker and about the unions that have made our laborers strong.

In past years I would go on this day to support my sister and brother workers on an informational picket line or at a business where workers were on strike.  I've also been part of special Labor Day marches and spent time with those who are out of work or underemployed.

It is because of organized labor unions that we generally have reasonable working hours, better wages, and safer working conditions. We can also be thankful for the health benefits most of us enjoy because of our labor unions.  Think of that today as you go about your activities.  

Labor Day is often called the unofficial end of summer, but instead of an end, let's think of it as a beginning - a start of better working conditions for us all.