Honor

These days, in this “I’m getting mine, you’re on your own” world we have created... where is our Honor? And what are we teaching our children about being Honorable? In the little opportunities we have every day to show that we are Honorable people...do we? These days being in front, having the most, winning at any cost and getting our way seem to be much more important than telling the truth, doing the right thing, giving someone a hand up or letting someone else’s better idea...be the better idea. Where is our Honor? Simple words...Please...Thank You ...Excuse Me...are Honorable words. When is the last time you heard one? Honor is showing respect for ourselves and others. Honor is doing what’s right even when no one is watching. Honor can be shown and more importantly...taught...in the smallest of ways. What are we teaching our children? Where is our Honor?

Another Time

Time…another summer sunrise…another tick, tick, tick of a sprinkler…another muggy sunset…another rainstorm…another rainbow…another Autumn leaf…another scary ghost…another little goblin…another put the shorts away…another Saturday with the storm windows…another paper turkey made from tracing a child’s hand…another Thank You…another silver bell…another “Tis the season”…another Inn with no room…another silver blue, frozen sky…another bone chilling ice wind…another first breath of Spring…another very brave little crocus…another get out the shorts again…Time. Seasons pass one after another, after another. There will come a time though, when there won’t be…another time. Think about it.

Silent Night...Don't Think So

Our dog Tucker woke me up in the middle of the night last night. Seems he had to go visit his favorite tree in the backyard. It was a nice night, so I stayed out with him, enjoying the silence. Until I realized that it wasn’t being a silent night at all. In fact, it was pretty darn noisy. I could hear the rumble of trucks rolling down the expressway in the distance. The haunting wail of a siren off somewhere in the darkness. Far off car horns every few seconds. The sound of a red eye leaving a vapor trail across the moon. The world doesn’t sleep anymore does it? Used to be when the sun would set...the world would settle in for the night. The street lights would come on and day was done. Not any more. Now, all over town, you can get fries with that at three AM. You can do your grocery shopping, banking, pick up your dry cleaning...gamble your paycheck away even in the wee hours. And with the internet...earth is open for business 24/7. Thumbs are texting...IMs are M-ing...you can buy a plane ticket or new underpants or watch Jimmy Stewart sing Buffalo Gals...all by the late night light of the moon. That not so silent night got me thinking. I don’t believe the world is getting enough sleep. I'm pretty sure that’s why it’s so cranky.

Old Friends

Tonight I think I’ll build a fire and spend a little time with a few of my memories. Oh, I won’t linger long. There’s too much future to get to. Too many new memories to make. The old ones though are so very special. And every once in awhile they need a little tending to. They need to be taken from the shelf, dusted off and shined up a little. Memories are the landmarks of our lives. They tell us where we’ve been and how we became what we are. The good ones are treasures...the bad ones hopefully teachers. They are pictures, places, people, smells, sights and sounds that take us back to places in time past. Time gone forever. So, they are precious. Some short as a wink...some long as a loved one’s lifetime. But they all need to be given great care though, because you just never know when you might need one to remind you that someone or something or somewhere along your road...meant something very special. So, tonight I think I’ll build a fire and spend a little time with a few old friends.

Don't Let Go

My son is teaching my granddaughter to ride her first two-wheeler. Brought back a thought I had awhile ago. Remember when you first learned to ride a bike? Remember that feeling in the pit of your stomach as Dad took the training wheels off? The anticipation, the excitement...the fear? Dad would run along side holding you up as you tried to peddle faster and faster. Remember how red his face got and how he huffed and puffed? You’d be screaming, “Don’t let go...Don’t let go.” But he would...and you’d fall. You’d skin a knee...bruise an elbow. Then one time Dad let go and...you didn’t fall. You were actually riding a two-wheeler. You were flying. You were lord of the sidewalk. And all the skinned knees and bruised elbows were a small price to pay for the feeling of the wind on your face and this new found personal freedom. The point is you took a chance. Sure you failed a few times, but when you succeeded...you were magnificent. Life is like that. Never take a chance and you’ll never fail, you’ll never skin a knee, you’ll never bruise an elbow...you’ll never fly.

When You Teach Your Son...

It's sad that this ancient saying rings more true than ever these days...When you teach your son, you also teach your son’s son. Unfortunately, in so many cases...it’s so true. I think that’s why it’s so difficult for us to break the chains of bigotry, intolerance and the distrust born of ignorance. When the next generation is taught to hate and fear...the generation after that is being taught the same thing...at the same time. And so on and so on. And while we can change the laws...we have the fight of our lives on our hands to change...the hearts. It takes incredible courage for a son or a daughter to step away from a parent's words. To question that authority. We are moving forward in our humanity, but it’s a painfully slow process. Because it has to happen one courageous young heart at a time. When you teach your son, you also teach your son’s son. Let’s pray that at least a few of our sons and daughters will gather the courage to think for themselves.

Hey, How Are You?

What if everyone who said...”Hey, how are you?”...really wanted to know. It would be a different world wouldn’t it? “Not bad.”...could no longer be the standard response if the asker really cared about the askee. The askee would sense the sincerity and be obligated to give an answer like, "Truthfully Bob, I've been a little out of sorts lately." There would be follow up questions. “Are you getting enough sleep?”..“Are you regular?”..."Sit and tell me all about it." People would be late for work because of time spent discussing in detail with a caring asker, the little gas problem, probably from those frozen burrito supremos, that kept waking them up during the night. And that's not to mention the non health related “Hey, how are you?” “Well, since you’ve asked, I’m quite concerned about Float Quoted Market Values actually.” An arm would be thrown over a shoulder...a caring hug...there are emotions to be shared here. Maybe it would be nice though. Someone asking "Hey, how are you?"...actually cared and really wanted to know. But then again, too many extended outpourings about chronic heat rashes, hours of shared concerns over Indicative Calculated Closing Prices and the time spent listening to all that heartfelt advice about home pricing in a volatile real estate market just might tend to slow down the national economy. In the end, it’s probably better that we’re the shallow, superficial society that we are. “Hey, how are you?” “Not bad.” And that’s it. We get a lot more done this way.