The March of The New American Nazis

The attack on our liberties continues and the fascists of our country grow bolder.  There are the word Nazis, the food Nazis, the smoking Nazis...the growing armies of frack-ing Nazis!   Heil-ya'll.  Just pick your cause and fall in step with those that would dictate or have the government regulate what we do, how we run our business, what we think and what we say. 

It all goes against the very principles of freedom.  In a free society, it is guaranteed that all creeds, colors and cultures will live together and have the right to pursue their beliefs and happiness.  In such an idealistic democratic melting pot of mixed humanity, individuals will be offended, will be in deep disagreement with other citizens.  The whole point is supposed to be that free people have the right to protest loudly and publicly, to campaign and work for change.  No one individual has the right to deprive another of that privilege. 

I am no big fan of our current president, never have been. However, in recent days, we've had the completely idiotic condemnation of O'bama because he used the offensive "N" word. It's not that the word isn't offensive, it's ugly.  But, there's not one person who berated the president that is not intelligent enough to know the context that he used the word in.  We have become a nation of politically correct pea-brains, purposefully misreading, spinning and twisting actions and words. Words, folks...you CAN NOT censor and ban words. The freedom of speaking those words, however offensive to some, is one of our biggest privileges.

This ultra sensitive, narcissistic culture that we have nurtured isn't correcting injustices, it's fanning the flames of hate.  The PC Nazis are stomping and prancing and attempting to turn offensive and ugly behavior into a crime, trying to ban any words or actions that they don't like or agree with. I say, mind your own business, take care of your own self.  In your self important arrogance, don't show me the nightmarish deaths and horrors of smokers and abused animals. Your latest genius terrorist strategy, being sure that I know the horrible death I will face if I drink soda pop. Get off of my TV! Get out of my life! 

When I said "bolder" this is what I mean.  It's no longer enough to give warnings or information, they must force feed us their opinions.  Who are They?  America is supposed to be about WE.  A nation that is free for all recognizes that many compromises will be necessary.  You can stand up all day long and tell me that you think I'm stupid or wrong, but never try to take away my right to be stupid or wrong.

Please, Spare Me the Gory Details

Why is it these days, there is a compulsion to know, see and hear EV-E-RY thing?  Actually, I'm not sure that so many are compelled to this, but multitudes are compelled to show and tell us.  I can't speak, of course, for all. Myself, by the time I hear or read the headlines, the news (supposedly), I'm just sick and tired. 

Billy Graham said, "Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame for sin is the new emblem of American society." It rings painfully true.  I would have to be honest and say that I make very few decisions or judgments in my life based on religion. Indeed, I'm not a deeply spiritual individual. However, facts are facts. The majority of us, me most certainly, have people we love, family and friends and people we know that have personal problems and troubles.  The young folks of today have particularly hard and confusing decisions and choices.  I doubt, other than a few close friends, that anyone gives a rat's ass about those things.  Why would the fact that thousands of people know your name, make this more interesting?

Even the latest fashion trend is celebrities spending obscene amount of dollars on dresses that you can see their underwear through.  Why? I wish that I got that, but I just don't.  The "NEWS" is about people's ever changing or possibly illegal sexual preferences, their gender switching, their new aversion to their partner...a huge disgusting buffet of private crappiness. Everyday, I scour the news looking for some stories that are interesting, not about famous names, have some type of value.  It's not that people don't have true dilemmas or that I don't think they have the right to be, and to a degree, do what they want. Please, spare me the endless details. 

I get that people sometimes need validation, approval. Whatever happened to the notion of privacy, to pride and dignity?  Keeping private things private, doesn't mean that you're ashamed, it simply means that you have some self respect and dignity and that it's nobody's damn business.  I truly am so weary and sickened by the current obsession to dig around in one's life closet, drag out the stinkiest, nastiest & ugliest bag of secrets that is there and splash it across any media that will promote it. I may be a bitchy old broad, but it seems much less about difficult events in one's life and much more about publicity. Folks that have no personal boundaries or self respect don't seem to mind a bit what kind of publicity they get. A world filled with narcissistic inhabitants will not be a place any humans will thrive in.

Can You Prepare?

My old heart breaks for my fellow Texans back home. The loss and devastation is a ongoing nightmare. I have to admit that my inclination is to cover both my eyes and ears to the reports of sad loss. The loss of property is horrendous but the loss of lives is nearly unbearable to hear.

I've long had mixed feelings about the technology that allows people in their very last moments on our earth to communicate with important loved ones.  Is this a curse or an amazing blessing?  The reality of our world that allows folks to make those final desperate phone calls...passengers on the plane going to ground on nine-eleven or the young mother, who in horror tumbled with her husband and young children down the wild and vicious Texas river, their vacation house swept away. It is a painful scenario to envision. 

Is there any possible way to prepare for such disasters?  No question, there are some sudden and unexpected circumstances in life that no one could ever prevent or be prepared for.  I do know that when the order is given, when there is any advance warning of disaster, we need to have no hesitation in extreme caution.  When it is ordered or suggested that we take cover, move to high ground, evacuate, we must do those things.

My well worn old explanation to my children, when they thought their parents were being too strict, over careful, was..."You have to understand, if we over protect you, the worst that is going to happen is that you will whine that we were strict parents, perhaps even someday when you're an adult.  But, the alternative is just too frightening to consider.  The situation that we would allow or the rule that we wouldn't insist that you follow, that resulted in your harm, in our loss of you."  There is no real option. In other words, I'm a firm believer in to err on the side of caution.

The circumstances in Texas and in many other parts of our country have been sudden and catastrophic. There was very little that could be done to prepare for this.   Hopefully, the preparations and generosity of others will ease some of the tragic misery.  May we that have been spared,  all give thanks that we're not faced with the heartbreaking choices and events that our fellow citizens are besieged with today. May our prayers, our love and support be sent to the citizens of Texas and other disaster burdened states.

Is Simple Better?

Lately, I've been riding a sweeping learning curve. I've asked myself multiple times, Is simpler really better? The approximate 1,000 square foot cabin in the picture is now the hubby and I's largest dwelling. Our shelter when we go home to Texas, a less than 350 square foot travel trailer.  We do have a decent storage shed at the two acre location of our small summer home and we're currently building a large barn/garage.  The reality is that we have cut our living space in less than half. 

Does this work, is this a livable situation, especially if you're in the retirement years of your life?  Of course, only each individual can answer that question. I, personally, am saying that simplifying your life and downsizing is very do-able.  I wouldn't say that it has been easy to accomplish this.  We come from a time when a wife, a mother, a grand-mother just was expected to do certain things. We needed "things" to be the proper caretaker of our family and hostess to our friends.  I mean what self respecting lady didn't have a nice deviled egg plate...what if it was the big dinner? what if something had to be taken to church? what if someone died?  Since we were fortunate and able to, it didn't hurt to have more than one.

The thing is, over the years, those "things" grew.  We had our own egg plates, special dishes, etc. and then we began to have things passed down from our grandmother, our mother.  Then we added all the modern necessities and multiplied them...automobiles, televisions, telephones, kitchen appliances and now computers, gadgets and cell phones.  One day, you find yourself rattling around in a large house with lots of stuff...lots of stuff. You go to the cabinet to look for the egg plate and you find six or eight egg dishes. Why? Your life has become massive, expensive and excessive.

I read a good article about the myths and mistakes that we're making about our retirement years. Two things rang very true to me.  One was the mistaken belief (or just the plain acceptance) that you'll work until you die.  Really? you're going to just accept that.  What about health issues? What about that job disappearing, you're going to go job hunting at age 67?  Even if you haven't done a lot of planning and preparing for your "golden years", to continue to go to a job everyday in order to support an overblown life, seems very sad and unrealistic to me. 

The second thing was that people have a very hard time downsizing.  That's no surprise, it's not easy to go what we consider backwards, to pare down a lifestyle.  Many people could retire, could quit work, could even enjoy some travel or hobbies, if they just simplified their basic everyday life a bit.  The truth is, you don't need six egg plates, you don't need a four bedroom house.  The family gathering doesn't have to be at your house, there are parks, restaurants, hotels.  You don't have to give up your family or the everyday little luxuries that you enjoy in order to downsize.  You just have to trim away the excess and unnecessary. Not only can it be a removal of large burdens from your back, you might be surprised at how exciting the change can be. 

Get out of your big old box and think about the possibilities of a small, simpler one.  One of the nicest things that happened to me over the last few months was at the huge downsizing sale we held. One of my daughters came to me with tears in her eyes, a large old beat up speckled roaster pan in her hands, "You're selling this, Moma?! We cooked everything in this pan."

With a big smile and a hug, I said, "No, honey....not selling it, it's all yours." She added it to her huge box with the egg plate and the Christmas dishes and the prom dress that had been carefully stored through years and moves. When my tiny grand-daughter saw it, she put her hands to her pretty face and said, "Oh-h-h, I love it!"  Simple isn't bad, less for me and more for them.