Saturday Ramblings

Nothing special to write about today, just feel like putting down stream-of-conscious thoughts - you've been warned...

Change. Sometimes change is self-initiated and sometimes it just happens without warning. Not all change is good, but it's always a door opening to new opportunities. How one deals with it is what ultimately determines how things turn out. Our family is facing change as our elderly parents now need help. They don't admit this and not surprisingly, they do not welcome this change. I see this as an opportunity to leave behind daily chores and concerns of running a household. A chance to enjoy life instead of having to deal with it. Easy for me to say. Hard for them to see. I pray for patience to help everyone get through this with dignity intact.

Respect. Once fundamental to our society, now sorely lacking. Begins with self-respect, which are foundations of honor and integrity. Seems these personal attributes have been dis-guarded as old fashion, remnants of by-gone eras. In my lifetime I've seen this complete shift away from personal responsibility to social welfare. Can you see the cracks in our American foundation? Nobody accepts accountability for their actions. Nobody listens or respects authority. Nobody cares about our society enough to contribute. I listen to political rantings on TV and talk radio - it's shocking how uneducated and gullible people have become. It's embarrassing. And, it's very dangerous.

Taxes. If you don't want to pay taxes, but still want to get services, you are dreaming! How do the roads get repaired of winter potholes? Tax money. Who pays the police and firemen? Tax money. 2 simple examples that I daily rejoice I have available to me. People should stop complaining and grow up. If you want to live in a country with lot's of services for it's people, you must contribute your fair share. Also, IRS doesn't make the tax laws -- that would be done by Congress. So, if you don't like the way taxes are today, vote in the next elections. Don't fly a plane into the IRS offices and kill innocent people who are just doing their job.

Life is good and it can be simple. Just start thinking and stop drinking someone else's Kool-Aid. It's that simple, simple.