Excelsior

My middle brother Peter is having his birthday today so I am dedicating today’s blog to him.

Both Peter and Erik were superhero comic book fans and most of their favorites were created by Stan Lee who passed away a couple of days ago at the age of 95. As I recall it they first got hold of “Thor” and “Fantastic Four” in 1967 when we had moved to Winnipeg. When we were living in Burlington we had very few comics but there may have been a few Superman comics in between the Danish Donald Duck (Anders And) comics and my Archie and Millie the Model comics. Then Peter came home one day with “Spiderman” and that was it, my brothers were totally hooked on Stan Lee’s creations.

I will admit that I did read a few of the early Thor, Fantastic Four and Spiderman comics even though I was 14 and “really, above it all”. In fact I really enjoyed the Fantastic Four because I liked the Invisible Woman, Sue Storm-Richards and the inter-relationship story. Peter and Erik read those comics for years (and I suspect they still read them). Certainly they seem to know everything about the characters and can critique storylines and what the different characters have done. They also read X-Men, Iron Man and several other comics which I never looked at. In fact recently I was amazed to learn that they had indeed been reading X-Men from the very beginning!

Of course I had heard of Stan Lee over the years but never made it my business to know anything about him so Peter enlightened me the other day about his various achievements. One thing he didn’t talk about but which I think is the greatest achievement of all; he stayed married to the same woman for 69 years, until her death last year. That is pretty amazing for anyone, much less a celebrity.

For today’s birthday boy I would like to salute him for HIS personal achievements which shall not be mentioned here but we will toast him on his next visit! He and his wife Ronda have been one of  my greatest supporters through my illness and our movie nights are always filled with fun and laughter! Let’s hope the weather is kind enough to let us have many more over these winter months. And I’m thinking a superhero movie should be on the menu.

Excelsior!

Remember the Day When . . .

I’ve not had a whole lot of super-duper “ahh moments” in my life but certainly I can recall a great many moments with my parents and siblings that have been mind-bending, enlightening, humorous or character building (as evidenced in past blogs). I’ve had special moments with friends, colleagues and family for sure. But really mind blowing events, they have been rare and I thank heaven for that because those have generally been of a negative kind, such as the day JFK was shot, 9/11 and the day the doctor came in the little room and said “You have Stage 4 colon cancer, I am very sorry, but you are terminal.” Talk about a bullet between the eyes! No one wants to hear those words, trust me.

On the upside of that frightening pronouncement some time ago I found myself thinking and then experiencing a “fig-nut moment” (our family’s ahh moment) when I decided not to think about my time on earth as being only for x-amount of time. Instead I chose to live my life as though I still had my goal of 116 years! Don’t get me wrong, I am realistic and understand my diagnosis, however from the point of view of day to day living one ought not to think “well, I don’t think it’s worth it to do this or that because I won’t be here to see the results” (or similar words or thoughts). It really was a great moment for me because despite being positive, optimistic and joyful I was curbing my enthusiasm in certain ways and that curb was suddenly released.

So I would say to you to live your life to the full no matter what.

Our Better Angels

Last week I listened to Doris Kearns Goodwin speak about the results of the election and she quoted Lincoln with the hope that “our better angels” would lead the American people into a better mindset than the one they are currently exposed to. The quote inspired me to search further into it and I came upon an article respecting Steven Pinker’s book “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Had Declined” which was published in 2011. Somehow I think since its publication things have changed, but that is neither here nor there at the moment.

I have not read the book but I read quite a summary of the book on Wikipedia and I found some elements of the book intriguing and worth mentioning today.

Pinker examines four motives that "can orient humans away from violence and towards cooperation and altruism." He identifies:

1. Empathy: which "prompts us to feel the pain of others and to align their interests with our own."

2. Self-Control: which "allows us to anticipate the consequences of acting on our impulses and to inhibit them accordingly."

3. The Moral Sense: which "sanctifies a set of norms and taboos that govern the interactions among people in a culture." These sometimes decrease violence but can also increase it "when the norms are tribal, authoritarian, or puritanical."

4. Reason: which "allows us to extract ourselves from our parochial vantage points."

In today’s divisive world these 4 elements seem to be lost on many people as they simply try to enforce their beliefs on others and refuse to listen to an opinion that differs from theirs. First of all one ought to at least give the other person a chance to say their piece and when the listener then says “well, that is interesting but I don’t believe it” then the first person ought to let the issue rest there and move on to asking about the weather (a sage piece of advice from Sense and Sensibility). There is no use in arguing with someone about your beliefs with they have already made up their mind. It behooves a civilized person to accept them for who they are and socialize on indifferent matters.

I write this in the context of political matters and not on values or principles which I believe can still be discussed without anyone getting hysterical. At least so far that has been my experience.

In the past one could speak on politics without anyone’s panties getting in a twist but today, thanks to the man who shall not be named, only insanity can reign if one is not on the same side of the discussion. It is rather alarming to think that one idiot on the planet can make people doubt “mainstream media” simply because he cannot abide anyone crossing him!

 

Lest We Forget - One Hundred Years of Memory

There have been commercials all week reminding us of this momentous day – one hundred years since the silencing of the guns of the “war to end all wars”. Today we are asked to remember those fallen men and women who have died to . . . ? I find myself stumbling over words such as “to keep us safe”, “to keep democracy alive” and other catchphrases that are supposed to make us feel proud but I resist. I find that I cannot be a hypocrite about how I feel respecting wars.

Do not be vexed with me or misunderstand me. I do respect and grieve for the fallen soldiers and perhaps that is the point; indeed it ought to be the only point of today “Remembrance Day”. I grieve for the parents of the fallen and hope that they can carry on without their child.

At the same time I wish to say that we ought not to glorify war or think that war is the solution to any of our world problems. Indeed think about how many have died in war since Nov 11, 1918; millions upon millions. It disturbs me to see documentaries and movies coming out which, in my perception, glorifies war and makes young people want to sign up to be a hero. I would much rather that they sign up to find a solution for Peace.

So as we remember our fallen let us also spend a little time thinking about the solution to prevent more Fallen.

I close with these words from good old Abe.

“I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (closing paragraph)

http://war-memorial.net/wars_all.asp

Core Beliefs

I take the following amazing message from Deepak’s meditation today, in full:

Day 12 - Core Beliefs Make Us Who We Are

In today’s meditation, we look at how the changes that happen in our body and mind over the course of our life is largely determined by the core beliefs we hold. These core beliefs are deeper than the beliefs we generally think about. They deal with issues of identity, a sense of the fairness of life, and our beliefs about what is worth pursuing. Core beliefs actively shape our every thought, attitude, feeling, action, and reaction. Positive, life-affirming core beliefs will promote the vitality of our body and mind, while negative, self-defeating core beliefs undermine our energy and well-being.

The most powerful way to transform our old core beliefs is through the direct experience of ever-present awareness in meditation. Infinite, unbounded consciousness transcends all beliefs and realigns our life with the evolutionary forces of Nature within.

“Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind . . .  it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.” — Samuel Ullman

Perhaps these ideas are not new to you but my question is – how often do you think about your core beliefs? Are they beliefs that you are aware of daily, weekly, once in a while, never? Do you know what beliefs you hold and are they positive and life-affirming? Here’s what I find alarming in myself; I am not sure what my core beliefs are in the sense that I haven’t written down a list itemizing I believe this or that; if I did, would it be useful? I have a nebulous consciousness of knowing what I believe are essential values in life such as living by the Ten Commandments (more or less), do unto others, social consciousness, etc. But are these the sort of beliefs Deepak has in mind?

I guess my point for today is perhaps we should dwell a little about some of the things we believe and is there more to our core beliefs than we really know? Mind bending, it is.

Meditation Benefit

“There is a fountain of youth; it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” — Sophia Loren 

It always amazes me when I get my invitation to the Oprah – Deepak 21 Day Meditation that the theme is so timely for my circumstances. The one we are currently doing is Youthful Energy and the emphasis is on the body-mind interconnection and how that energy can be youthful. We have the resilience and mental dynamism to bounce back from setbacks. As with all meditation it is necessary to eliminate stress and negative influences whether they be emotions, work or people.

Today we learned that those who age well have 7 things in common:

·         Regular meditation

·         A wide support system

·         Close familial relationships

·         Daily multi-vitamin

·         Good sleep combined with daily activity

·         Lifelong curiosity

·         A willingness to take on new challenges

He said to note that only one thing on the list was food related (the multi vitamin) while the rest of the things on the list are physical, emotional, mental or spiritual. The daily activity goes back to what he suggested yesterday; he advised that once per hour one should walk around for about 5 minutes, throughout the day.

I know it is extremely difficult for most people to sit still to meditate for even 5 minutes and his practice is closer to 15 while the recommended meditation time can be up to 30 minutes. I am happy to report that I am able to do the full 15 minutes but I confess as well that my mind frequently goes elsewhere and I have to repeat the mantra to get myself back on track. Meditation is a lifelong practice and when we sleep we just have to remind ourselves to get back to mental stillness. Don’t be discouraged or feel that you have failed because while you were “meditating” you were thinking about painting the kitchen!

The reason why I am writing this today is to encourage everyone to take a little time to be still and just let your mind rest. In today’s toxic world it is very important to give our minds a proper rest from everything that is negative (and there is so much today). I recall that after being retired for about 6 months I suggested to Mom that we should eschew watching the news one day of the work week (we never did watch the news on the weekend). I think it is time to bring that practice back into being!

It is not wrong to “be in the know” with respect to news but at the same time we ought not to feed on it. It is more important for our personal wellbeing to work towards the positive in ourselves; we cannot control the outside world but we can control our own emotions and thoughts with purpose.

Namaste.

Political Pundit

I would not call myself a political pundit (pundit meaning an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called on to give opinions about it to the public) but I do follow politics closely and have done so for most of my adult life. 

Here’s how I see yesterday’s American election; while the Democrats got some major victories and took back Congress they are going to have to think long and hard about how they conduct themselves during the next two years. I don’t think it would be wise for them to call up a bunch of “investigations” nor would it be wise to alienate the Republicans by using their tactics against them. In other words I believe their wisest course would be to operate on the high that Michelle Obama spoke about during their campaigning days. At the same time the Democrats need to decide exactly what all they’re going to represent as a cohesive unit which means either going whole hog left or just left of centre (which has been the norm as this socialist sees things).

Beyond Democrat strategy what I took away from the election of yesterday was that America is truly suffering from all of this divisiveness that has been created by the man in the White House. It is horrendous to see a nation like America fall victim to the worst elements of populism which is going to be extremely difficult to turn around in the future.

I think it behooves all nations to take a very critical look at history and make some sort of analysis as to how it is that countries around the world are swinging to the extreme right for uncivilized reasons. The refugee crises around the world is in part a cause; but is it also a symptom? Why are religions having such a strong influence on politics in this era? And linked with religion, why are reproductive (aka abortion) rights being reconsidered?

I remember during my campaigning days having a discussion with some people in my caucus and I go back to a particular answer around similar questions as the above. “Look to the source of the problem, it is almost always a question of poverty.” Ahh. Despite economists and statisticians saying that the economies around the world are doing well (and that they can now go ahead and raise interest rates yet again) the true facts are that many people are unemployed and have actually fallen off the Employment Insurance rolls and may not have been able to quality for social welfare so they are completely off the radar when compiling statistics. Too often we rely on “experts” opinions or analyses when we should really making our own personal observations via our circle and community.

People listen too much to others then react without having done their own personal reflection. In other words, engage brain before acting out. 

Did I say that loud enough?

The Great American Read

A week or so ago the finale of The Great American Read aired and the most beloved books were

·         To Kill A Mockingbird

·         The Outlander series

·         The Harry Potter series

·         Pride and Prejudice

·         Lord of the Rings

·         Gone with the Wind

You can find the rest of the 100 most beloved books in America at the PBS site.  It was an exciting series to watch over the last few months. Apparently from the beginning To Kill a Mockingbird was number one which seems a logical choice for Americans. I suspect from the top 20 that the majority of participants were middle aged or older. In the final analysis it was interesting to hear certain areas choices, some seemed logical and some seemed funny.  I think it was Hawaii that chose Call of the Wild which just seems weird that they would like a book that is set in a cold climate; meanwhile Lonesome Dove resonated with Texans.

Two books that did not make the list of 100 (which were pre-chosen for the show so not sure how they were picked) was Lord of the Flies and So Big. Both were books that were read in school and were popular for a long time; instead A Separate Peace and Heart of Darkness made it (both were so bleak that I am surprised they were favorites). Some were naturals such as Catcher in the Rye, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. One that I wondered about was Atlas Shrugged; why it and not The Fountainhead which I thought was the more famous of Ayn Rand’s books? No author made the list twice which I believe was a conscious selection by those who chose the hundred in the first place.

I am proud to say that I have read more than half of those on the list and am familiar with 90 of them; only a handful had I never heard of.

A new book is out now called “The Written World” by a Harvard professor, Martin Puchner, leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the powerful role stories and literature have played in creating the world we have today. Puchner introduces us to more than four thousand years of world literature and reveals how writing has inspired the rise and fall of empires and nations, the spark of philosophical and political ideas, and the birth of religious beliefs. Indeed, literature has touched the lives of generations and changed the course of history.

Sabbaath Thoughts

It’s Sunday and so why not talk about religion on the Sabbath? 

I think about the birth of Christianity, the message of Jesus, the incredibly evangelizing of Paul and the other apostles and then juxtaposition it with the record of Christianity through the ages.  Yesterday I listened to a Reverend from South Carolina who asked how those elected to govern would swear on the Bible to serve their people but then go on to tear down the existing social safety nets while they themselves enjoyed health care among other perks free, paid for by the very taxpayers they were disenfranchising, revoking Obama care and so on; a question I have asked many times myself. I always wondered what the Popes were thinking when they started up the various Crusades, how was that following the message of Jesus who preached Love, Peace and Humbleness? A couple of days ago I flicked the channel and listened for a few minutes as some evangelicals vehemently encouraged their flock to vote Republican in order to save the country from the ravenous Left!  I was considerably surprised to hear such out and out politicking on a religious show; how naïve was I to think that “wasn’t done”?

So here’s what I am thinking about religion in general and evangelicals in particular. You get a bad rap from me, your hands are bloody and I am pretty sure that Jesus won’t recognizing the things you preach or stand for now would he in any way endorse any politician or any form of violence. I am pretty sure that Jesus would not think owning an AK15 is in line with peaceable thinking. I know he said that God sees every sparrow fall from its nest so He would not like it if people go around shooting squirrels just for the hell of it. In other words true Christians don’t shoot people or animals.

Truly spiritual people of any religious stripe know that the meaning of being one with God (or the Universe) is a peaceful relationship. Not only are you at one with God but you are at one with yourself and your fellow human beings. You have empathy for others, you know that you must keep the door open for others (literally and figuratively), you must be generous, humble, kind, grateful and forgiving. There must be love amongst you.

And it is to last for the rest of the week, not just while sitting in church of a Sunday.

God be with you.  Namaste.

School is in Session

Now that the garden is taken care of it’s time to take care of the brain. 18 months ago I abruptly stopped attending my OpenYale classes due to my little surprise illness.

I have now resumed my American Revolution course which is as apropos in today’s political chaos as it was 18 months ago. I enjoy listening to the lectures and applying the history into the world we are viewing today (in terms of American politics and their understanding of their own history – which in many cases surprises me). I set a pretty high standard of compression when it comes to history because I had some really excellent professors who set the bar.

I just finished the session on “Common Sense” and the takeaway from the lesson was two-fold; I know that Thomas Payne’s body is lost and that until the pamphlet was published the word “independence” was not bandied about!  Who knew that it was still hush-hush after the first congress? Or that John Adams simply abhorred the pamphlet as utter trash, having nothing to do with the reality of governing (as though he would know, hm?). Don’t get me wrong, I actually have a great deal of respect for John, Abigail and their son John Quincy but as yet he hadn’t had any experience of governing.

Feeling curiously aroused in scholarly pursuit I have also signed on to the Early Middle Ages course. I like this professor a lot, he is quietly amusing and I think I will enjoy his insights into the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Again, I chose this one as it also aligns very well with what we see in today’s political world. So stay tuned for my “astute observations” as I gain new enlightenment (one can always hope).

Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing has happened.” Winston Churchill

Putting a Garden to Sleep

I have been scurrying around the last couple of days in dreaded anticipation of the coming snow as I put my garden to sleep.  This has been an ongoing task since the Labour Day Weekend when in years past I would have it all done in one day.  It’s not so much my lack of stamina to endure the whole day, rather it is the fact that the garden has expanded so much. While I am not a “kitsch” type person I do have a number of statues and garden ornaments that have to be put into the garden shed. Then there are the various pots that need cleaning and putting away. Then there are all the pillows and cushions to be tucked in here and there. Lastly there are the pieces of furniture that won’t survive the harsh winter weather so they must be stacked into the garage.

This year has been particularly challenging because there is also all the residue stuff from the basement flood which has yet to be resolved.  Slowly but surely we are getting there . . . or should I say I am getting there. One stool here another table there.

While all of this is going on physically, mentally I am already planning what the garden need next year and what my wants will be. A big priority will be my moonlight walk which is still a shabby little show. Next year I want to knock it out of the park. In my head I know what I want it to look like, the question is can I get the muscle power to help me make that happen?

And my not so secret wish? I want a vending cart! A vending cart, you wonder. I have this vision of a perfectly huge slatted semi-wheelbarrow-like thingy. You know what I mean? I know no man will understand but all the ladies know exactly what is in my head, am I right?  Yes, laugh out loud because John is pulling out his hair trying to understand what I mean while at the same time he is saying it isn’t going to happen.

Why do I need my vending cart? Well, I read a book (yes, the dreaded “I read a book” scenario) that talked about “at the gate” sales. Since I am out in the country, yet so very close to the golf course I get a lot of traffic and my low budget plan is to snag the unsuspecting drivers to my “farm” to purchase my bounty. In order to catch their attention I think an unusual looking cart will be just the ticket.

So yes, as I put the garden to sleep I whisper to the trees and bushes “give me lots of fruit next year, my darlings, lots of fruit.”

Freewheeling Thoughts

October was a stressful month of analyzing women’s place in the world brought on by the horrific Ford/Kavanagh hearing. I think it has been cathartic for me but wonder how useful it was for my readers to have me dwelling on such a complex and ultimately personal exploration?  However that may be I give my permission to have fun and frolic in November!

What springs first to mind as “freewheeling” is, as always, the joys of nature. I am so happy that we are experiencing some version of Indian Summer and not the horrific deadlock of winter that we seemed to get last year. My grass is still green and though the leaves have fallen off the trees it’s a pleasure to see them blowing around the ground and then being still as the wind dies down. My little Henriettas continue to make us laugh with their comical antics. Every day the game is on as one hen discovers some bug or leaf and the others decide to take it away from her. Then other one scurries away on important business and we can almost see with our naked eye the briefcase under her wing!

Christmas is rushing upon us and I have been having a lot of fun creating Christmas cards as I perfect my skills. Measuring and cutting exact is the key to a perfect card when you use straight lines so I am thinking my next set will be ovals and circles (anything for an easy life).

I have been in communication with my distant (and not so distant) cousins and I cannot tell you how rewarding it is to become acquainted with relatives who but for the joys of genealogy would be lost forever. For most people this may seem like a “given” but when you are an immigrant with only an immediate family the craving for aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents is at times almost overwhelming for a child. So yes, I reach out now with greedy heart and feel genuinely blessed that those dear cousins are like minded.

Truly, my cup runneth over.