How Will We Change an Attitude?

Edmund Burke

“ The only thing to allow for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

How do you teach people to forgive and not to hate? I just finished watching Tears of The Sun starring Bruce Willis. The story line is of a navy seal unit assigned to extract an American doctor from Nigeria since the rebel dictator murdered the democratically elected president and took over. She, of course, will not leave without some of the people she is caring for.

Watching the movie, I could not help but think of our own in Iraq and Afghanistan, apartheid from years past, even our own, on going battle with racism.

I think we have proven beyond any standard deviation that one nation, one culture, cannot transplant an ideal to another culture.

A culture can only come to a new way of doing things in their own time.

We cannot transplant democracy to Iraq.

We cannot walk in and tell people to stop hating another person because they are of a different religious faith, a different skin color, or a different language.

No amount of ammunition or force can change those things.

So, how is it that one person, or one nation can offer support to those ideals most conducive to peaceful, beneficial existence?

What do we offer for support for a people to protect themselves and their family, much less something as lofty as ideas?

Do we sell them weapons?

Give them weapons?

Do we educate them?

How do we teach them to grow beyond what they already are? To grow beyond where they are?

How does a culture change within itself?

What is that process?

It is a difficult question with no answer that is universal. Some of these things, we here in the US still struggle with intensely.

I do not think going in and solving problems for others really solves anything. People must learn to be self-sufficient. It is the same when raising a child, a pet, or a nation. Everyone has to have ownership of a culture, of a life.

Not to harken back to Biblical scripture, but, give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Even still, I think the man must be willing to learn.

Fresh Veggies!

My tomatoes and broccoli are sprouting! the garlic is crazy already!

I planted three varieties of tomatoes and one of broccoli in my indoor seedling starter kit. They seem to be doing well so far. Little green sprouts are coming up. I will have to leave the top of the little greenhouse box off soon.

Keep on growing!

Already Mid-January 2010

Wow, it's already mid January in the new year! I always have this vain hope the new year will pass a little more slowly than the previous.
Alas, I guess not.

Is it that the ratio of lifetime to one year gets more skewed as you age? Is this why time seems to fly by at an ever quickening clip?

I can remember as a child, awaiting the beginning of a new school year feeling as though summer would NEVER end. I was one of those kids that loved school....

Now I think, it is December again, already?? How did that happen?

Is the pace of time perception quickened by our state of busy? Or our endless responsibilities?
And yet, that watched pot still does not boil....

The questions of perception fascinate me.
I guess I can just try to stop and smell the roses!

Favorite Side Effects

Below are a few of the best "side effects" patients have listed as to why they do not want a particular drug.

1. Ambien: "It makes me drowsy" (Isn't that the purpose??)
2. Morphine: "I see my dead relatives and it creeps me out." (This is valid...)
3. Zofran (an anti-nausea med that does not make your loopy like phenergen): "It doesn't do to me what I want." -> These people always want the phenergen....

Some of side effects listed that are funny, but I don't remember the drug associated:

1. "That makes my teeth hurt."
2. "I felt like someone was holding me down." (I did not ask whether there were restraints involved.)
3. It gave me anal leakage. (yeah...)

There are a few gems for your enjoyment.

Breckenridge 2010

Our ski trip is again great fun! We all wish for more snow, but the slopes are groomed and the icy, slide-E parts are avoidable. I have done a great blue-black this trip and will continue skiing this trip. I won't say no to snowboarding in the future, but it has been great fun being able to hang with everyone and ski together. Never would have happened had I boarded.

I have not wiped out too badly either, falling only a very few times. However, I have had this crazy time of falling while getting off the lift. I have done this three times, at varying degrees of hysterical. The best was was my basically getting behind my skis and sitting on my skis while sliding on my palm all the while removing myself from the lift line. Janell pulled me up and they did not have to slow the lift. It is hard to get up while laughing hysterically.

The wrong turn by one of the group was also film quality distress. My choices for skiing were: mogels, grass, rocks, or ice.

Needless to say there was much falling down the slope. We made the mental note to never, NEVER do that run again. It was truly funny though.
Like I said, one of my goals this year was to laugh more....
Mostly at myself.
Check!

Car Maintenance

I took the Subaru in for its 105K maintenance. Not as expensive as I thought it would be but pricey enough.

I intend to drive the car until it throws its wheels up into the air and cries "Mercy!" No car payment is dreamy and I don't want another one. My goal is to save up now and pay cash or lots of cash for the next one.
I see no reason to ever buy new again. You can get that "new car" smell in a bottle if you so desire, and for a lot less money.

I have decided my next auto purchase will be a medium sized truck. So many times I have needed the functionality of a truck! John promises to let me drive his sports car at least once a week if I buy a truck, so the deal was made! We will see how long the Subaru lasts, but I think, short of an accident, it will last for some time.

It drives much better now too. I don't fear dogging it at this time either! I will try very hard to avoid speeding tickets!!

Ski Time Yet Again!

Saturday we leave for Breckenridge, CO. Ski-time is here again! This is unofficially mine and John's anniversary trip as this is where we got to know each other three years ago. Although I would not want to live in solid snow for 5 months out of the year, I love to visit, play in the snow, and ski.
Yes, just ski.
I believe I have, for one of the few times in my life, admitted defeat.
I have decided unless you live there and started snowboarding at a younger (read immortal here) age, snow boarding is just too hard to do once a year. I mean, I'm on vacation....

Skiing is great fun and I get a little better every year.

It is always a great time!
I do, however, have to get some diving in this year!!