D & M

The Democrats have certainly at times been mean-spirited, contentious, provocative, stubborn ideologues, whiners and partisans. But if you combine all the worst transgressions of the Democrats, you don’t even come close to the damage done to America by the combination of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell.

Soul

Did you ever have a soul? Do you have one now? When you look in the mirror can you see it?

Despite some positive signs otherwise, a cynic might say that America seems on its way to becoming a soulless country. Religion is failing its faithful. Religion is becoming politics. Shopping is replacing soul searching. The self is asserting its importance over its place in the web of human relationships. We live in the virtual reality of our screens. We find our humanity in our fears and anxieties. We hide in the darkness of addiction and mistrust. We wouldn’t recognize truth if we were sitting in its lap.

Still, good is all around, and if we look hard enough we can see that the best of humanity comes from the wisdom of the soul.

Hear the world

How you heard the world as a child is likely how you hear the world as an adult.

Did you hear love?

Did you hear support?

Did you hear criticism?

Did you hear truthfulness?

Did you hear shame?

Did you hear silence?

How do you hear the world?

Pardon me

Think about it. Donald Trump pardoned only a white turkey.

Fun Facts

The probability of any one particular sperm being the one to fertilize the ovum is about the same as being the only winner of a near billion-dollar lottery.

The probability of being killed by a terrorist is smaller than the probability of being killed in a bathtub accident.

If you are under 40, your chances of becoming a millionaire are 1 in 55.

The chances of dying by firearm are about the same as dying in an automobile accident.

The chances of you having a doppelganger somewhere in the world is 1 in 135. The chances of having an exact doppelganger are one in one trillion.

Life

There is no escaping it. Life will spring on us a multitude of things that will cause us fear, anxiety, disruption and suffering. To me the best way to be prepared for this is through genuine love, hard work, a reliable moral compass and a sense of humor.

Your children

What is the earliest age at which your child or your grandchild sang a corporate jingle or identified a logo or named a specific brand product they wanted? This is the beginning of the child’s life as a consumer. For the rest of their lives, great creativity, money and persistence will go into their consumer training. How many ads will they see in every possible location from the Internet to the gas station pump.

They will get more consumer training than they will on citizenship, on personal finances and parenting. They will become comfortable with manipulative marketing, enticing visuals and empty slogans.

It’s not easy to combat these circumstances. How do you explain to a 4-year-old that he is a victim? How do you swim upstream against the tide of little colored plastic this and thats that will be forgotten in a few months? How do you love the child by saying, “No.”