It is January (big mystery there!) and for us here in western Maryland, that means frequent snow. At the present time as I am writing this, we have a ground cover out here of a couple of inches now, and that is forecast to increase this weekend. I am also still recovering from the effects of a cold - I have a persistent cough that doesn't seem to want to go away at this point, and that can be unnerving, especially when on occasion I have had some bad episodes of windpipe constriction (that is a terrifying experience I would not wish on anyone, but thankfully those are rare, although ideally, I would love them to be nonexistent). With the weather being somewhat iffy for snow and being about 3 weeks out from the holiday season now, one observation about this is one I don't like to make, but it is what it is - it is dry as far as activity is concerned. Mail has been slow, and I am waiting to get back to my contract work, and it seems like the waiting is eternal for a lot of things. But, it will change soon enough. These "dry spells" have happened before, and at times they can be depressing, although this one isn't because I have plenty of other projects to work on to keep myself busy in the interim. It is important to be able to transcend these periods of time, and how one does that is up to one person - yourself. I want to just talk a bit about that today, as it is something that perhaps some other folks could benefit from.
Winter - especially here in the northeast - can be a challenging season. Bouts of rough weather can be restrictive, and in a worst-case scenario, you can be walled up in your house for days at a time. When that happens, an undesirable condition called cabin fever sets in, and when it does, it can stretch your resolve to its limits. For the 27 years we lived in Florida, it seemed like the opposite was the case there - insufferable heat and humidity in the summer months made it almost impossible to go outside, as heat stroke and other dangers caused problems there. A type of hot-weather cabin fever can result from that as well. The weather is unfortunately beyond human control or manipulation, and both winter and summer exist for a reason - the earth needs changing seasons in order to replenish itself, as that is the way God created it to operate. Although we cannot change the weather - snowstorms, hurricanes, and hot weather will all come whether we want them to or not - we can change our own way of dealing with weather issues. I want to talk about that today, as I have this feeling that there are people who could benefit from some good insights.
I have spent much time in my writing over the years talking about the art of self-discovery, and how to use what God gave you in the form of brains and ingenuity to your advantage. Instead of viewing that immanent winter storm with dread about being shut-up in your house for days on end, what you should do instead is to find ways to channel your creativity, intelligence, and other assets to make the best of it. For some of us, it can be catching up on some reading - I have books I have gotten in the past year I have not even cracked open yet, so I intend to maybe start doing that. For others, you have those projects to work on - that curio cabinet you bought for your wife about six years ago, for instance, but haven't had the time to assemble. Get those tools out and start building! Or, the Christmas presents your wife has gotten you that require some creative ability - you know, like that Venus flytrap plant you haven't opened yet, or a model airplane she may have gotten you because she felt you needed a better hobby. It's a good time to work on those things. Also, just some good practical organization - that stack of crap you got in the mail (some of which you haven't opened yet) needs to be dealt with, or you may have a stack of personal papers to go through, some pictures to organize, etc. You will find that engaging in any or all of these endeavors will make the time pass faster, and in some cases, you may not want to stop. If that is all too ambitious for you though, here's a thought too - if you are like us, you have a towering shelf of hundreds of DVD's you have purchased over the years, and this is a good time to kill two birds with one stone. First, some you may have wanted to watch but it slipped your mind as other responsibilities diverted you from it, so now you have an excuse to watch them. Second, there are those people like my wife who buy DVD movies without knowing what they are - they see a pretty package, think that "this might be good," buy it, and then it sets on the shelf in its original cellophane. If you are one of those people, time to check out those impulse purchases and find out if you really like that movie after you bought it. If you did, it's a nice addition to your collection. If you didn't, then you can set up a box, throw it in, and then take it to your local Goodwill when the weather clears up. Again, you will be surprised to see how much time flies once you do that.
If you are the type of person who likes to cook, and you have the creativity to come up with new stuff, this is a good time to experiment too. On my food blog, I have countless recipes posted that I came up with on a whim, and they turned out great. You would be surprised what you can do with some flour, a few things from the spice rack, and a couple of eggs - a masterpiece awaits conception, in other words.
Another benefit today that I didn't have the luxury of when I was a kid is the internet. Even in a snowstorm, you can still have unlimited access to the outside world, and life isn't so isolated anymore. You can chat with your old friends on Facebook, entertain yourself with cat videos or political satire on YouTube, and also if you need to conduct business there are ways to video-conference and other opportunities. You can even work from home now despite the weather so that even being snowed in generates income. Being teleworking is becoming more of a thing, it means that companies can benefit from winter storms as well as workflow will be intact and without interruption, and subsequently, it means no loss in pay for employees. Good idea, this internet.
Outside activities are not out of the question either, although if you have 40 mph winds and blinding snowsqualls it would not be advisable. Regular preventative maintenance, therefore, is vital in that keeping those walkways clear of snow and ice, keeping your porch steps salted down, and also making sure the snow is shoveled from around your car so you can get out easier are vital things. Also, keeping the snow and ice off the windshields will make it easier for when you are able to venture out. Kids, of course, can have a blast - snowmen and snow forts will populate the yards in your community if a lot of kids are in the neighborhood. These things too can aleve boredom and make the time go faster.
I guess in summary I am saying that winter doesn't have to be dead and depressing, but can be as busy and exciting as you care to make it. So, don't let a visit from the "Snow Queen" keep you down, and don't let it slow you down either - life must go on, although it will require some creativity on your part to make that happen. And, before you know it, the snow will melt away, the temperatures will warm up, and you will hear the sounds of birds chirping in the air as Spring arrives. One other nice thing about winter as well - it means you don't have to mow the yard unless you are an altruistic masochist who feels guilt and is deluded into thinking you can run a lawnmower in 5 inches of snow accumulation, in which case you have other problems to address! Have a good week everyone, stay warm, and mostly keep yourself busy.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Thursday, January 3, 2019
A Few Perspectives On Fantasy and Imagination Through Literature
It is now a new year, 2019. This is my first pontification of the new year, and there are many things to cover. I wanted to first recap a couple of things before moving forward though.
Christmas in the Thrower house went nicely this year - it wasn't an elaborate holiday, but it was a good one, with the possible exception of catching flu a couple of days after the holiday. I am still getting over that as I write this, but we're coming along. Flu season is not a pleasant experience, although honestly, I am a bit iffy as to vaccines. On one hand, it seems to benefit having a vaccination done, but on the other, it is also risky in other areas - we have all heard the horror stories about vaccines and such, and my personal verdict is still out on that yet. One day, I may actually tackle that very subject on here, as it is something important that needs to be discussed.
2019 brings with it many new challenges - as I am writing this now, I am about nine months out from starting my Ph.D. program at Catholic University of America, and I am also at this point waiting for my next work project to start soon. As we are only a couple of days into the new year, it remains to be seen yet how it will come together, but so far it looks like a good year starting at least.
Over the past couple of weeks, Barbara and I have been watching a series that aired on ABC over the past several years called Once Upon a Time, and I wanted to talk about some things watching it has inspired. A combination of watching this as well as strong cold medication has led to some pretty bizarre dreams at nights over the past week, but that is beside the point. In this day and age, I have noted a few observations in regard to how kids foster literacy today, and this series sort of inspired me to reflect on it some. When I was growing up, you learned to cultivate literacy at a very young age - nursery rhymes in your toddler to pre-school years, followed by a curriculum of fairy and folk tales, fables, mythology, and Bible stories in your early elementary years. By the time one gets to fourth grade, then stories such as Dickens' David Copperfield or Thackeray's The Rose and the Ring get introduced, and then by middle school years you begin reading more ambitious material into high school - in my case, that meant classics such as Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, Huxley's Brave New World, and Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea. In between Dickens and Dumas were some lighter reading, such as the works of William Saroyan, Robert Newton Peck, Beverly Cleary, and other authors who cater to the late elementary/pre-teen reading levels. And, as one crosses into adulthood, then you begin to take on the real heavyweights - Shakespeare, Tolkien, etc. The popular term for a reading regimen like this today is "classical education," and that is perfectly fine, as it does follow a classical path as far as literature goes. However, this is nothing new, as an educator named Olive Beaupre Miller was pioneering this as far back as the 1920s. Much of my own exposure to classic literature is due in part to Miller's seminal multi-volume work My Book House, which my mother got for me when I was still in the womb and which I started reading when I began to learn to read actually. It is in this context I now want to discuss a few insights I have had in recent years as I have seen classic fairy tales recast because there are positives and negatives to what I have seen.
Christmas in the Thrower house went nicely this year - it wasn't an elaborate holiday, but it was a good one, with the possible exception of catching flu a couple of days after the holiday. I am still getting over that as I write this, but we're coming along. Flu season is not a pleasant experience, although honestly, I am a bit iffy as to vaccines. On one hand, it seems to benefit having a vaccination done, but on the other, it is also risky in other areas - we have all heard the horror stories about vaccines and such, and my personal verdict is still out on that yet. One day, I may actually tackle that very subject on here, as it is something important that needs to be discussed.
2019 brings with it many new challenges - as I am writing this now, I am about nine months out from starting my Ph.D. program at Catholic University of America, and I am also at this point waiting for my next work project to start soon. As we are only a couple of days into the new year, it remains to be seen yet how it will come together, but so far it looks like a good year starting at least.
Over the past couple of weeks, Barbara and I have been watching a series that aired on ABC over the past several years called Once Upon a Time, and I wanted to talk about some things watching it has inspired. A combination of watching this as well as strong cold medication has led to some pretty bizarre dreams at nights over the past week, but that is beside the point. In this day and age, I have noted a few observations in regard to how kids foster literacy today, and this series sort of inspired me to reflect on it some. When I was growing up, you learned to cultivate literacy at a very young age - nursery rhymes in your toddler to pre-school years, followed by a curriculum of fairy and folk tales, fables, mythology, and Bible stories in your early elementary years. By the time one gets to fourth grade, then stories such as Dickens' David Copperfield or Thackeray's The Rose and the Ring get introduced, and then by middle school years you begin reading more ambitious material into high school - in my case, that meant classics such as Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo, Huxley's Brave New World, and Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea. In between Dickens and Dumas were some lighter reading, such as the works of William Saroyan, Robert Newton Peck, Beverly Cleary, and other authors who cater to the late elementary/pre-teen reading levels. And, as one crosses into adulthood, then you begin to take on the real heavyweights - Shakespeare, Tolkien, etc. The popular term for a reading regimen like this today is "classical education," and that is perfectly fine, as it does follow a classical path as far as literature goes. However, this is nothing new, as an educator named Olive Beaupre Miller was pioneering this as far back as the 1920s. Much of my own exposure to classic literature is due in part to Miller's seminal multi-volume work My Book House, which my mother got for me when I was still in the womb and which I started reading when I began to learn to read actually. It is in this context I now want to discuss a few insights I have had in recent years as I have seen classic fairy tales recast because there are positives and negatives to what I have seen.
Olive Beaupre Miller (1883-1968)
In recent years, I have noticed a certain new perspective on classic tales as portrayed on the big screen. In many cases, classic villains are often recast as "unsung heroes," as is the case with the recent movies in the Shrek franchise as well as with the film Maleficent. Concerning the latter, you will remember that Maleficent was the antagonist from the Sleeping Beauty story, and her signature two-horned black headdress, as well as her abilities to change into a nasty fire-breathing dragon, were integral to the plot of the story. In the recent movie, Angelina Jolie (who is a cad as a person, and not a favorite of mine) to her credit did bring the character of Maleficent alive, and in the movie, Maleficent was the victim of a king's betrayal that transformed her from a beautiful fairy queen to an evil monster. There are a couple of observations about this I wanted to bring up though, for better or for worse. In the original Sleeping Beauty story, as in all classic fairy tales, a lesson was always communicated that the ultimate good triumphs over the worst evil, and in that aspect thankfully the fairy tale became a moral lesson that harmonized with a classic Catholic understanding of the true, the good, and the beautiful always prevailing over the false, the ugly, and the bad. In such tales, one also sees the struggles of life too - we battle things on a daily basis, as of course the Apostle St. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6. Life has challenges in other words, but to overcome the challenges we have to look beyond them and see the bigger picture. This was a great encouragement, especially during some dark times in human history when plague, constant barbarian incursions, and other calamities bombarded many of our forebears. It was one reason many civilizations that generated such stories were able to possess a degree of resiliency in the face of tremendous adversity. And, we need that frankly. In the newer interpretations of these tales though, a new virtue is introduced that is more reflexive of more "advanced" societies - the bad guy has the potential for redemption, and there is a story behind why the villain became bad. Such is the case with Maleficent in the newest movie. Is this a good thing? It's certainly not bad and doesn't really conflict with a Judeo-Christian view of sin and redemption. Also, Maleficent was actually not a bad movie either. However, there could be potential problems with this idea, and let's talk about one of those now.
In movies such as Maleficent, as well as in the series Once Upon a Time (in which the villain, in this case Snow White's nemesis the Wicked Queen is reformed into a "good guy"), there is a good message in that even the worst of villains deserve a happy ending, and I don't think anyone would argue that no one is beyond redemption - after all, the big part of the Christian message is that Jesus died for all, even the vilest, right? However, there is a fundamental flaw in these new renditions, and oftentimes it paints the traditional "good guys" as being the real villains. In Maleficent, for instance, Aurora's dad King Stephan is painted as a psychotic, paranoid nut, while in Once Upon a Time traditional "good guys" such as Peter Pan are painted as nasty cads. There is a danger in this, in that, a postmodern agenda is at work which seeks to essentially engage in a sort of revisionism that does exactly what Scripture warns against - calling evil "good" and good "evil." While on one hand, it is good to see horrid villains such as Queen Regina and Maleficent reformed, my question is why does it have to come at the expense of making the "good guys" into nasty people? In other words, why not let Maleficent find redemption, but also let King Stephan find it in his heart to forgive her instead of turning him into a deranged lunatic? And, maybe the protagonists can have a human side, but let's not turn them into villains - instead, a better way to do this is by showing that both the good and the bad guys in the story have their own struggles, but in the end they both find resolution and reconciliation without one having to vanquish or destroy the other, right? Of course, vanquishing the evil is a part of the original story, and its message is that the good triumphs over the nastiest of evils, hence the lesson in the stories themselves. But, if we are going to reform that, why don't we do it another way rather than flipping around the heroes and villains? For instance, what about this - may be the protagonist and the antagonist are both victims of the same evil, and the plot of the story shows how each overcomes that evil. If the recent Maleficent movie would have done that, I think it would have been perhaps a more balanced perspective. That way, the plot would have been true to the original story, thus communicating the same virtue the original tale intended. That is just a thought on my part.
Despite the technological age, and the growing "enlightened" mentality we often see with the nonsense of agenda-driven entertainment and "political correctness" (which is a curse in itself), the fact is those old fairy tales, legends, and fables of years past speak to something that modern (and post-modern) gibberish-speak cannot shake us away from. The role of the imagination, as well as the core properties of being as embodied in the True, the Good, and the Beautiful still drive us. It is one reason why the resurgence in popularity of Tolkien's works to a wider audience, as well as even science fiction such as Star Wars, somehow leads back to those core things. Children, in particular, need a rich imagination, as often the values learned from classic literature and folklore lead to a more cohesive worldview later as the child grows into a functioning adult. It is also one reason why at times technology tends to rob kids of that, and why despite the wide availability of more convenient forms of technology (for example, the smart-phone) that desire to engage the imagination is still there. Imagination, honestly, is often the genesis of creativity, as the imagination can drive the hungry mind to research and explore. So, reading Snow White to your 7-year-old should then lead them at age 10 to start exploring Western civilization and its history, and it also should lead to other outlets of expression - the Pinnochio story, for instance, can foster a musical passion when the kid who read Pinnochio at age 7 then discovers Stravinsky's Petroushka at age 13. There is, therefore, a coalescing within the young mind of all these things, and thus it births a drive to explore other areas. I know, because that is how practically every interest I have now started, and I am now moving towards 50. It, therefore, shapes the person you become when one is exposed to different stimuli at a young age, so that is why we choose carefully what we allow children to be exposed to.
I say all of this today to summarize in this way - Maleficent was a good movie, and as far as TV series are concerned Once Upon a Time is one of the best in decades. But, if you watch them with your kids, do this first - encourage them to read the original stories. If they do that, then they will have a better appreciation for what they are watching while also having the ability to sort out the original story from new interpretations, be the latter good or bad.
That will, therefore, conclude my first insights for 2019 and hope all of you who take the time to read this have a good year ahead with many blessings.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
2018 In Review and Reflection- A Lot to Say!
As I get ready to wrap up another year, it has been a busy one for sure! There are a lot of personal things that have happened, but also some events outside my personal sphere that have impacted me as well. It is all of that which I want to reflect on as I wrap up another year of blogging and life in general.
The two biggest things that happened this year are that I now have a Master's degree, having earned it in May, and I am also a 2nd-degree Knight of Columbus, which I achieved in June. God has also really blessed in regard to provision as well - unlike previous years, I have actually had a steady paycheck for the bulk of 2018, which is a major thing. I want to start out with that, because although the provision of income was a blessing, there are some dramatic contrasts as to how that happened.
For the first three months of the year, I managed to earn a nice - albeit modest - income typing and revising papers for a nice guy in nearby Rockville who happens to be a CUA graduate by the name of Pete Collins. The majority of my work for Pete revolved around a series of projects focusing on St. Edith Stein, the theologian/philosopher/Carmelite nun of Jewish heritage who was martyred during WWII in a Nazi concentration camp. In addition to the pecuniary blessing of being able to do this for some needed income, it was also intellectually enriching as it helped me to learn a lot about this spiritual giant of our Church. I started doing work for Pete actually back in December of last year, and had to unfortunately bring it to a halt due to other commitments, but I still keep in touch with him as he is a fantastic person. In addition to working with Pete, in April of this year I also was able to work for a short time at a company called Merkle Response Management here in Hagerstown, and this is where the contrast happened. I had originally interviewed with Merkle for another job back in October of last year, but even then I didn't quite feel totally comfortable with the possibility of working for this company, but I reapplied anyway in March of this year because frankly I needed income. Now, Merkle is only located about 5 minutes from our house, so location was convenient. However, upon starting work there in April, several things became apparent. First, they were overly strict in policies, almost ridiculously so. If you don't know much about Merkle, it is a company that handles donations and such for a variety of non-profit organizations, and in doing so naturally a lot of sensitive information is handled. What that means is that you cannot have personal items in the workplace, nor can you do a lot of other things. Also, people have been fired from there for ridiculous reasons - one lady was fired because she had a heart attack and couldn't come back to work right away. Also, the pay was horrible - it was perhaps the lowest salary I have made since starting administrative work over 20 years ago. The office itself was also aesthetically lacking - it was essentially a cross between a prison and a warehouse, and just plain ugly. Despite strict protocol however, I noticed some inconsistencies in policies, and it compelled me to contact one of their clients directly, which was a big no-no. That got me essentially terminated on-spot in mid-July. Despite a firing and a loss of income, it was actually a huge relief to be free of the place. But, thankfully God was faithful again, and my old standby Michael Tigue at Web4U, whom I have worked with continuously since 2016, had a project that generated some much-needed income for the month of August, during which I got a call from an agency called Aerotek, and they landed me a long-term assignment in Frederick with a company called Music and Arts which, as of this writing, I am about to complete within one week. Again, another dramatic contrast, in that as bad as Merkle was to work for, Music and Arts has been a great experience - good company, good people, and a beautiful office. And, it provided a lot of necessities for us over these past few months, including some I will get into later. All in all, it's been a good year financially to this point.
Physically, things have been challenging this year, as all three of us in the household have had our share of medical issues. In early May, I was the first, when one Sunday I got a sudden heavy nosebleed that required a trip to the emergency room, and essentially the doctor had to cauterize some abrasions inside my nose (I do NOT recommend that, by the way, because it is unpleasant!). In June, it was Mom's turn, as she had a cardiac-related episode that necessitated an ambulance to transport her. July was then Barb's moment - one Saturday afternoon as we were doing some projects, Barb just sort of blacked out and pitched forward in her chair to the floor. She ended up having a four-day stay in the hospital over that one. In addition, Barbara has had a nagging, persistent cough for months, and only in the past week has it gotten better. My prayer is that God will help our health to be better in the coming year.
The big event of the year was my graduation from Franciscan University of Steubenville, which occurred on May 12th. I had wanted for years to do my graduate education, and this was indeed a great accomplishment. However, the road to that was not an easy one - in order to graduate, you have to pass a comprehensive exam of four questions that cover four core courses in the program, and I was able to take those in January and I passed them. With the Master's now achieved, I started almost immediately preparing for my future PhD program, which I will be starting at CUA in Washington, DC, in September 2019. Part of that entails taking a GRE test, which I am scheduled as of this writing to do next Sunday (December 2nd). The GRE is the graduate equivalent of the SAT, and it is much more intense - it has two parts, one being verbal and the other math. The verbal part doesn't particularly worry me, as I have a good command of that, but the math part is a bit intimidating - math has never been a strong subject for me, although over the years I have gotten somewhat more adept with it. I am praying God's abundant graces upon me as I take that exam, as the exam is what determines my funding for the PhD program.
The two biggest things that happened this year are that I now have a Master's degree, having earned it in May, and I am also a 2nd-degree Knight of Columbus, which I achieved in June. God has also really blessed in regard to provision as well - unlike previous years, I have actually had a steady paycheck for the bulk of 2018, which is a major thing. I want to start out with that, because although the provision of income was a blessing, there are some dramatic contrasts as to how that happened.
For the first three months of the year, I managed to earn a nice - albeit modest - income typing and revising papers for a nice guy in nearby Rockville who happens to be a CUA graduate by the name of Pete Collins. The majority of my work for Pete revolved around a series of projects focusing on St. Edith Stein, the theologian/philosopher/Carmelite nun of Jewish heritage who was martyred during WWII in a Nazi concentration camp. In addition to the pecuniary blessing of being able to do this for some needed income, it was also intellectually enriching as it helped me to learn a lot about this spiritual giant of our Church. I started doing work for Pete actually back in December of last year, and had to unfortunately bring it to a halt due to other commitments, but I still keep in touch with him as he is a fantastic person. In addition to working with Pete, in April of this year I also was able to work for a short time at a company called Merkle Response Management here in Hagerstown, and this is where the contrast happened. I had originally interviewed with Merkle for another job back in October of last year, but even then I didn't quite feel totally comfortable with the possibility of working for this company, but I reapplied anyway in March of this year because frankly I needed income. Now, Merkle is only located about 5 minutes from our house, so location was convenient. However, upon starting work there in April, several things became apparent. First, they were overly strict in policies, almost ridiculously so. If you don't know much about Merkle, it is a company that handles donations and such for a variety of non-profit organizations, and in doing so naturally a lot of sensitive information is handled. What that means is that you cannot have personal items in the workplace, nor can you do a lot of other things. Also, people have been fired from there for ridiculous reasons - one lady was fired because she had a heart attack and couldn't come back to work right away. Also, the pay was horrible - it was perhaps the lowest salary I have made since starting administrative work over 20 years ago. The office itself was also aesthetically lacking - it was essentially a cross between a prison and a warehouse, and just plain ugly. Despite strict protocol however, I noticed some inconsistencies in policies, and it compelled me to contact one of their clients directly, which was a big no-no. That got me essentially terminated on-spot in mid-July. Despite a firing and a loss of income, it was actually a huge relief to be free of the place. But, thankfully God was faithful again, and my old standby Michael Tigue at Web4U, whom I have worked with continuously since 2016, had a project that generated some much-needed income for the month of August, during which I got a call from an agency called Aerotek, and they landed me a long-term assignment in Frederick with a company called Music and Arts which, as of this writing, I am about to complete within one week. Again, another dramatic contrast, in that as bad as Merkle was to work for, Music and Arts has been a great experience - good company, good people, and a beautiful office. And, it provided a lot of necessities for us over these past few months, including some I will get into later. All in all, it's been a good year financially to this point.
Physically, things have been challenging this year, as all three of us in the household have had our share of medical issues. In early May, I was the first, when one Sunday I got a sudden heavy nosebleed that required a trip to the emergency room, and essentially the doctor had to cauterize some abrasions inside my nose (I do NOT recommend that, by the way, because it is unpleasant!). In June, it was Mom's turn, as she had a cardiac-related episode that necessitated an ambulance to transport her. July was then Barb's moment - one Saturday afternoon as we were doing some projects, Barb just sort of blacked out and pitched forward in her chair to the floor. She ended up having a four-day stay in the hospital over that one. In addition, Barbara has had a nagging, persistent cough for months, and only in the past week has it gotten better. My prayer is that God will help our health to be better in the coming year.
The big event of the year was my graduation from Franciscan University of Steubenville, which occurred on May 12th. I had wanted for years to do my graduate education, and this was indeed a great accomplishment. However, the road to that was not an easy one - in order to graduate, you have to pass a comprehensive exam of four questions that cover four core courses in the program, and I was able to take those in January and I passed them. With the Master's now achieved, I started almost immediately preparing for my future PhD program, which I will be starting at CUA in Washington, DC, in September 2019. Part of that entails taking a GRE test, which I am scheduled as of this writing to do next Sunday (December 2nd). The GRE is the graduate equivalent of the SAT, and it is much more intense - it has two parts, one being verbal and the other math. The verbal part doesn't particularly worry me, as I have a good command of that, but the math part is a bit intimidating - math has never been a strong subject for me, although over the years I have gotten somewhat more adept with it. I am praying God's abundant graces upon me as I take that exam, as the exam is what determines my funding for the PhD program.
Barbara and I at my MACE graduation in Steubenville in May
Onto other developments this year, we added a new addition to our household. On Facebook, there is a marketplace page that offers things for sale or free in the area where you happen to live, and one day I came across a listing for a widow lady in Martinsburg who had two adorable bunny rabbits she needed to give up due to inability to care for them. One was a white Lionhead we named Bella, and the other was a slightly larger Mini-Rex we named Trixie. Bella was adorable, but she proved to be a handful so we had to give her up to someone else, but as of today we still have Trixie, and she is one of the sweetest little creatures - she has a personality all her own. We hope to get a lot of joy from her for years to come.
Our new bunny Trixie
Additionally, we were also able to get a new car in September, which proved to be a blessing. Ever since our accident happened in December 2016 on Dry Fork Mountain, in which our Ford Ranger truck was totaled, we have been relying on Mom's rickety old Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was manufactured in 2003 and was running on the providence of God. Her car was old, stinky, and growing less reliable by the day, and we knew it was time to upgrade and so we did. Around the second week in September, we went to Massey Hyundai about five minutes from the house, and after several hours of negotiation, wheeling, and dealing, we drove off the lot with a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, and it was nice! Not a week and a half after getting that, Mom's old jalopy finally dies too. Talk about timing!
Our new car
In addition, we now almost have our house completely furnished, and so many other things have come together this year. I am currently in my second year of being the catechist for the 6th-graders at St. Joseph Church, our home parish in Hagerstown, and this will also be my last year teaching the kids as I want to work with the RCIA program at the parish for a couple of years next up. With my upcoming doctoral work, it is also best I scale back some things so I can devote time to studies, but I don't want (nor do I need) to cut out church work entirely. We'll see where that all goes later as well.
It has been an interesting year politically too, in particular for my own involvement. I have taken a renewed interest in the Armenian Genocide cause, as I am passionate about this tragedy being recognized and the many innocent Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian martyrs being honored and remembered. That issue has become a pivotal one in my own political outlook, and it will continue to be so. Of course, I have also become more identified with my monarchist sentiments this year as well, including more direct involvement with Catholic groups such as Tradition, Family, Property and the Counter-Revolution, a fine organization which interesting enough was founded by a group of young guys who are committed to a traditionalist/monarchist position, led by their Marshall, a young convert named Braden Plyler. Being in those circles has also opened me up to the writings of the late Plinio Correa de Oliviera (1908-1995), an influential Brazilian Catholic traditionalist thinker whose seminal work, Revolution and Counter-Revolution, has a wealth of information. In the coming year on my other blogs, you will be seeing more of this sort of thing as it will also be shaping my writing, which is what I want to get into now briefly.
The past year was focused primarily on weighty theological/philosophical/political issues, as I have tackled such things as this whole "transgender" mess and other such things, as well as doing an in-depth analysis of Anglican Thomist E.L. Mascall's book, The Secularization of Christianity. The importance of such work cannot be underestimated, and in the coming year I want to focus on much of the same. The idea in writing in this fashion is to accomplish a couple of things. First, it is to present a Catholic worldview, informed by the collective wisdom of the Church over the centuries. Second, it is to inform Catholics in particular and Christians in general about certain things out there that many are woefully ignorant and ill-equipped to address. My SPT blog in particular is going to be tackling a lot of these issues more in-depth this coming year, as I want to especially present a sound Catholic apologetic. There are issues for instance that Catholics are ignorant on for the most part regarding other movements within Christendom, movements that I have either been involved with in years past or that have caught a particular interest. One thing I have been researching that I want to publish on in the coming year is a Catholic evaluation of the "word of faith" movement as embodied by the likes of Kenneth Hagin and Joel Osteen (among many others). This has compelled a fresh read of Hank Hanegraaff's essential text Christianity in Crisis, and in reading it again after 20 years I am realizing the need for a Catholic response to this "Blab-and-Grab" theology, which is heretical on so many levels - one particularly disturbing aspect of it is how they mock the key petition in the Our Father, "Thy will be done," and now being more informed myself by reading and teaching Romano Guardini's seminal work on the Lord's Prayer, I feel the time has come for a Catholic apologetic regarding it that specifically addresses these "faith teachers," many of whom have sizeable Catholic followings (you would not believe how many Catholics actually think Joel Osteen is the proverbial "bee's knees," and that in itself is scary!). I also want to do a study for Catholics on Independent Baptists, a subject that has fascinated me for years and that I wanted to take on - for many uninformed lay Catholics, all Fundamentalists are the same, and this can be an embarrassing situation for the Catholic who talks to one who comes from a particular denominational tradition. That being said, I want to address something briefly in this year-end retrospective as it relates to what I want to do as a catechist and theologian, and why.
Over the past year, Barbara and I have participated in an excellent program through our parish called ChristLife, and it is an excellent program that gets Catholics on fire about evangelization. In many respects, ChristLife is very similar to the old Cursillo program, as a lot of its structure is similar, and therefore it is something I was quite enthusiastic about getting into. The program is divided into three 7-week parts - the first is "Discovering Christ," which we initially missed but will catch next time it's offered, the second is "Encountering Christ," which challenges people to deepen their own Christian faith, and the third which we just completed ourselves last month is "Sharing Christ," which is essentially a primer in engaging others for evangelization. The program itself is actually one of the best I have participated in, and you get a lot from it, but I have a few observations about it based on others I have observed who participated in it. In this past session for instance, I noted that many people who attend these things are doing so just to have something to do, and they are either unwilling or scared to commit to the principles it is trying to teach them. One woman in particular a few weeks back, for instance, comes to mind. This particular lady is one of those who wants to volunteer and be involved in everything the parish does, and although I cannot judge her motives, I think she may be doing it to increase her own profile as she is also a realtor by trade. One of the aspects of ChristLife is that we are organized by tables into groups, being led by a facilitator. This particular person was part of our group this year, and as we sat there discussing the questions, she made a comment along the lines of how great it is the "Church changes with the times," and such, and usually when someone talks like that, it means that you are about to get an earful of liberalism that is often uninformed. This woman, for instance, thought that "gay lifestyles" were OK, and she spat almost in disgust at the thought of a more traditional Mass - some disparaging things were also uttered by her and another lady about the former Pope, Benedict XVI, whom they apparently didn't like too much (I thought he was fantastic, and wished his Pontificate could have been longer as he is what the Church needs right now). When I informed her that the Magisterial teaching of the Church is unchanging, she looked at me as if I had just gotten off a saucer from Mars or something. I mention this in regard to what my focus is going to be in the coming year, because this lady was a symptom of a greater problem in our Church, and I also see it amongst the sixth-graders I teach on Sundays - many of them, by this time, should have at least a basic knowledge of fundamental Catholic prayers such as the Our Father and the Hail Mary, but many of them don't. And, when it comes to Scripture, they are worse - many cannot even locate Genesis in the Bible. This crisis in catechesis is one reason why I am where I am, and it puts me in mind of what Fr. Josef Jungmann was up against back in 1936. And, it is one major purpose of why I have the Sacramental Present Truths blog. I only hope I can be effective in reaching many fellow Catholics and getting them back in love with the Church as well as its Head, Jesus Christ. Only then can we have a renewal of faith in our Church. Therefore, I urge you to stay tuned in coming months for what I anticipate sharing with you on SPT.
Another major thing about this year is the continuation of my own re-discovery - much of that has taken place in a physical sense too with Barbara, as being back on home territory now I am able to show her the legacy of my own past, both the positives and negatives. For the first time in well over thirty years for instance, I was able to visit Kirby, WV, the place where I spent a lot of my childhood. In September as well, it was also good to visit Kingwood and attend the Buckwheat Festival, which I hadn't been to since I was in high school band back over 30 years as well. It was good to see some old stomping-grounds again, which also included a cruise past Grandad's old apartment on 109 Schwartz Street in Martinsburg, where I lived when I was 9 years old. The summer in particular entailed a virtual tour across the Eastern Panhandle of my home state of West Virginia, and that brought back many good memories. Also, being able as well to enrich my music collection with a number of old LP's I once had which a guy in Arizona was able to reissue on CD recordings, brought back fond memories too. This has life at sort of a crossroads for us now, which I want to reflect on briefly at this point.
Just about 3 weeks ago, I turned 49 years old - it is hard to believe that I have almost lived a half-century! The older I get, the more I find myself browsing weekly obituaries, as well as attempting to reconstruct some aspects of my life that I had either ignored or forgotten until recently. But, there are many new things to celebrate as well - this past year I achieved my Master's degree, and as of now I am pretty much on-point to start my doctoral studies this coming year. That too made me realize some things - I will have my doctor's degree (Lord willing!) by the time I turn 54, and what that means is this - at that time, I will have been in school for over 50 years off and on. That in itself has been a major challenge for me, as I have essentially had to do it all myself with no real support system (save Barbara and God, but that's it really). I have faced opposition from relatives, ridicule from others, and circumstances have delayed me over the years from completing all of this when I wanted to or planned, which tends to frustrate a little at times. You would not believe, as a matter of fact, the condemnation I have received from my own family, as well as my in-laws, for trying to work toward this goal; the snide comments about being "a career student," and also the pseudo-Christian jargon about "education being an idol," have been things I have put up with ad nauseum since I was pursuing a Bachelor's in my 20's. I have also been attacked for specifically what I have studied, and one thing that many of these "critics" get hung up on is my student loan investments. Both my in-laws and some of my blood relatives have serious hangups about this, despite the fact it really is none of their concern and they need to just mind their own damned business, and I have been emboldened lately to tell them to do just that. No one said this road was going to be easy, and that it wouldn't cost, but that is my decision to choose to do what I feel I am called to do, and everything will be just fine. I find it both amusing and annoying that often those who don't contribute anything, have no interest in what you're doing, or honestly don't take you serious enough to care anyway just have to have this inclination to run their mouths. In the coming years, as I get older, many of them will be in for a rude surprise, because they will be put in their place. "But, that attitude is not Christian," some may say; really??? Those who say things like that are often the ones who are most guilty of gossip, slander, and lies themselves, and they project their guilt on you when you tell them rightly to "bug off." At the risk of sounding somewhat crass, let me say this - it is time for Christians to start growing some cojones and not get concerned about whose toes they will step on if they stand up for themselves; a few toes could use a good stomping honestly, and I am about to "step up" a little myself on some of them as I get older. I have come way too far and accomplished too much to have some meddling, gossipy relatives flap their gums, and it will be dealt with wearing an iron fist on that, as enough is enough. If you are in a similar situation, here is my encouragement to you today - God did not create you to be a piece of paper for someone to wipe their butts on you with, and you do have a fundamental obligation to stand up for yourself if the occasion warrants it. To do so is not sin, and it doesn't in any way mean you are any "less Christian" either; when these buzzards attack you, they are also insulting God as well who gave you the talents and gifts, as well as the desire, you have to move forward. Therefore, maybe it is they who need to repent of sin and watch their attitudes, not you. More will be said on that in the coming year as well, so buckle those seatbelts!
Picking up on that, let's now turn to events of the year that have had some impact. The first is the radicalization of the Left in the political spectrum. Socialism is now being touted as a "good" thing by both clueless Millenials as well as ex-hippie Boomers who seem to be having acid-trip relapses, which is what led to the recent election of one Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Congress. This Ocasio-Cortez girl, who self-identifies as a "Democratic Socialist," is in reality a dingaling with a pretty face. She has no clue as to the state of things in the world, and her off-base statements on things are now the stuff of jokes. Add to that the perpetual crazy-eyes expression she has in her photos, and it is a disaster waiting to happen. The old-line radicals in the House - people like Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters - were bad enough, but this takes the proverbial cake. And, just like her mentors Castro, Chavez, and Mao, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez refuses to debate and tries to shut down those who challenge or question her. That is the true face of socialism. Also, as D. James Kennedy once stated, socialism is a violation of the Ten Commandments in that it constitutes government-sanctioned stealing. It is a system that we as Monarchists in particular must oppose with every fiber of our being honestly. In addition this year, the President Trump/Jim Acosta feud got Acosta thrown out of the White House on his keister, which he rightly deserved. Now, what characterizes the double-standard of the Left is that they think it is perfectly fine for Ocasio-Cortez to accuse noted conservative commentator Ben Shapiro of "catcalling" for challenging her to a debate, but the same people throw tantrums at our President for tossing Acosta out for being a jackass. Of course, Ocasio-Cortez's avoidance of a debate with Shapiro may have been a divine grace in disguise, as God has mercy on the stupid - Shapiro would have shredded her anyway. In reflection on these political issues, I have become more resolute in my own Monarchist leanings, and may even go as far as to calling myself a proto-Carlist, after the supporters of the monarchy in Spain. Also, thanks in part to my good friend Charles Coulombe, who is America's most noted Monarchist, I have become more informed as well. Charles would be another one who could shred Ocasio-Cortez to bits too, as Charles knows his history and he also knows (as well as openly states) that socialism is a failed system; if it didn't work in the former USSR, Cuba, or Venezuela, what makes people think it will work here? Of course, Ocasio-Cortez is a symptom of a bigger problem in this country, a problem that is being played out by a more violent expression known as Antifa. Antifa, for those who don't know, is an informal network of violent anarchists who have as an objective to shut down anyone they disagree with, and often that involves beating the crap out of their opponents. Ironically, among their number and leadership are academic elites, notably Mike Isaacson, a professor of Economics at John Jay College until he sent these "tweets" advocating killing cops which got his butt placed on administrative leave. Isaacson is a hell of a looking individual anyway - he's tall, with a gawky long neck and also is in obvious need of a decent haircut, but he is also the equivalent of the homosexual bully-boy of Hitler's SA, Ernst Rohm, and also guilty of many of the same vices. Characters like this Isaacson clown should not be teaching at colleges honestly, as they are not true academics but are merely activists seeking to advance their own agendas, while the unsuspecting parents of these kids in those classes have to foot the bill. The secular college campus has, for all intents, become a violent battleground of bully-enforced groupthink, and for those who hold a more traditional worldview, it's best to stay away unless you are well-armed yourself. And, in a final twist of irony in this political discourse and reflection, Bill Clinton still runs free this year while another Bill (Cosby) was sentenced to jail - although a bit unpopular with even fellow Christians right now, my position is that Cosby was not as guilty of as much as he was accused, and a lot of his sentence was unjustified. Yet, Bill Clinton continues his philandering and is hailed as a hero by the same ones who practically lynched Cosby - "White Privilege" anyone? Where was Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the rest of the race-baiters in all that? From their corner we heard crickets chirping, and loudly. Anyway, that is my take on some issues that have happened over the past year.
Faithwise, it is about the same, as of course the biggest religious news this year has been the "Uncle Teddy" McCarrick story. The need for reform in the mainstream Catholic Church is great, and it is perhaps time we get back to letting the truly called be priests instead of padding seminaries with overly-ambitious gay guys who are trying to subvert the Church's teaching. There are a lot of good priests out there too thankfully, but they now have targets on them because of the bad ones, and I fear an anti-Catholic backlash will result from the scandals. However, I will remain a faithful Catholic, as I have been for 19 years now, and when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, I will always be on the side of theological and liturgical, as well as moral, orthodoxy. My Catholic faith has been long in developing, and I am not about to give it up. Hopefully, 2019 will bring positive news for the Church too.
There are many lessons that the past year has either reaffirmed or are new for me this year. For one, it is first important that people remember to be themselves, and that is the basis for the second thing to mention. Secondly, in being one's self, it is important to develop an attitude of not caring what the naysayers flap their gums about. Over the years, I have understood the extent of damage that gossip, misunderstanding, and depersonalization can do, as I have been an object of all of those myself. It can make you resentful, bitter, and you struggle to extend forgiveness to those who direct this crap at you. However, that leads to two other lessons. One is this - while you don't have to shout over the rooftops to your offenders "I forgive you!!" it is important to cultivate an attitude of forgiveness. As I have taught a lot over the years, the gift of forgiveness must be received as well as offered, and if the person to whom you want to offer forgiveness is unable to accept it for whatever reason (many of them think their offense against you was not technically an offense in their minds, so they may not see the issue, even if you explain it) then it won't do much good to actively offer it. In that case, what you do is this - pray for them, and also pray for yourself to cultivate an attitude of forgiveness. Although I have some very serious differences with "progressive" Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, I do think she makes a valid point on one of her YouTube video talks entitled (and forgive the language, as this is her title I am quoting!) "Forgive Assholes." In it, she makes the point that sometimes it is necessary as a part of the forgiveness process to cut loose of the offending person, and I see where she is coming from - an offensive person will continue to be offensive, no matter how many times they are forgiven in many cases, and therefore for your own benefit it may be necessary to just stay away from them. Pray for them, and if you find yourself involuntarily crossing paths with such a person, be respectful, but leave it there. In other words, work on yourself and don't worry as much about trying to rehabilitate your offenders. If you do what you are supposed to do, in other words, God can work in the situation better because you are not trying to control it. And, that leads to the second sub-lesson about struggling to extend forgiveness - offense and unforgiveness are not the same thing, and you can understandably be repulsed by the actions of an offending person; it's called being human. And, due to the fact you also are accorded the same dignity of personhood as anyone else, you do not have to put up with offensive behavior being directed with you either. Supernatural grace, in its duty of elevating, perfecting, and healing our nature, tempers us, but "turning the other cheek" doesn't mean laying with your posterior cheeks on the ground to be used as a doormat either. Don't be afraid of being assertive when it comes to defending the dignity God gave you personally, as it is a gift from Him and it is your duty to be a proper steward of that gift. At the same time, don't let anger fester into hatred either, and it is where you rely on God's guidance to help you. With what is often an altruistic (and at times dare I say masochistic) reading of the Gospels, we feel we have to subject ourselves to abuse to prove our fidelity to our faith in Christ, but we get that wrong. "Tough love" is still an expression of the virtue of charity, and at times being assertive may also benefit the offending person as well, as it may bring them to realize they are being a complete jackass and then they will come to you to make it right. This is somewhat radical I know, but it is also liberating as well. Other lessons learned include the idea that you need to know your own legacy - yes, despite how insignificant you think you are, you do have a legacy, and that too is a gift of God. Keep a detailed journal, as well as taking time to reflect on things, and as you do so you will begin to draw out some things that will help you to know and appreciate yourself better, as well as engendering a gratitude for who you are as a person with God too. As I am writing this even now, I struggle with some things I have talked about, and even this helps me. Never underestimate self-reflection, and also never forget who you are and where you come from - it will prove your best asset later.
Many other life lessons have been gleaned by me this past year as well, and even in 2017. One of those is one that came via Barbara, my wife, and essentially it is this - sometimes you have to rip off the bandaid. If you happen to find yourself in a bit of a negative situation - a crappy job, an awkward church situation, etc. - what I have learned is that it does neither yourself nor those associated with the situation on the periphery any good if you continue to languish. Sometimes it may be therefore necessary to just make a clean break ("rip off the bandaid" if you will) and get out of the situation before causing yourself harm. It is amazing to me at times at how much crap we put on ourselves, and of course there are legitimate reasons underlying this - you need that crappy job, for instance, to meet monthly bills, or you may have an exaggerated (and masochistic) altruism about it (this is a weakness my wife has) in that you may feel you are "letting everybody down" if you back out. Honestly, although you may not realize it, you are actually displaying an altruistic arrogance - it sounds like a contradiction in terms, such as "being proud of your humility," but it is real, believe me. Why do I say that? I cannot tell you the numerous times I myself have been guilty of such things honestly, and what I learned was a couple of lessons. First, whatever the situation, the workplace for instance goes on with you in it, as it did before you became part of it. And that leads to an important lesson in economics. Since the Industrial Revolution (which in many ways did more harm than good) an enigmatic entity called "Corporate America" has arisen, and what drives the entity that is Corporate America is one thing - profits. Your value, as an employee of any facet of Corporate America, is to contribute to the acquisition of profit for your masters, and if you can't you are deemed expendable and can be easily replaced. And, it extends beyond the blue-collar "stiffs" in the assembly line or the smartly-dressed girls in secretarial pools - even the highest executives are not immune to this. Dignity of personhood is a foreign concept for Corporate America, as the average laborer to them is a number and a means toward their end, a mere part in their bigger whole. This of course is contrary to the Judeo-Christian idea of dignity of personhood, and thus it is even somewhat demonic honestly when taken to extremes. Corporate America is a fact of life however, and many of us (including Yours Truly) are compelled by necessity to work within her infrastructure as we have to eat and pay bills. The good news about that though is that not all corporate working environments are bad - at the time I am writing this at the end of November, I have been contracting with a fine company called Music and Arts here in Frederick, and overall it has been a great company to work with, and I have no complaints about them as they have actually treated those of us who are contracting quite well. But, if you happen to find yourself in a less-than-ideal corporate environment, here is what your options are - pull out if it is unbearable, and use the expendability that Corporate America treats its employees with to your advantage. Usually, there is another company out there willing to snatch you up because they see you as an asset, and you are probably replacing someone who was deemed expendable - you are still expendable also, but at least at this point said company is looking at you positively. It is the nature of the proverbial beast when it comes to Corporate America, and the way to cope is to know and anticipate their actions as well. That way, you don't have to denigrate yourself altruistically, and Corporate America will be happy too. That is Lesson #1. Lesson #2 is equally important - make the best of the situation, both good and bad, while you are there. I often find that lunches and breaks are good times to enrich myself by reading and studying, and I use that to advantage, especially since my wife and I have to travel together and I have spent many days arriving either an hour and a half earlier than my shift or waiting late for her to get to me. Instead of standing around, occupy yourself, and it makes things go smoother. Also, while at work, get yourself an MP-3 player and load it up with programs - music is good too, and intersperse those with your favorite music - that you can listen to while you work. I listen while I work to people such as D. James Kennedy, my good friend Charles Coulombe, etc. You can draw inspiration from that too, especially if the job you are doing is somewhat tedious. I want to talk now about tedious tasks, as they too can be a blessing in disguise.
Most people I know hate the mundane and tedious, but over the years I have learned to be in my element doing such jobs. Of course, there are pitfalls - you can drift off to sleep easily, and if you fail to get up and stretch then what you are doing tends to run together. Nonetheless, the tedious tasks are a blessing in their own way as you can have time to think, and also it's a good way to absorb information - if you want to listen to talks on tape, MP3, or other media, that is a way to do it. So, if you get stuck in a tedious task, use it to your advantage, as knowledge is power! Often too, you can listen to the same thing several times as well, which comes in handy especially if you are taking college coursework. Remember too, that these tedious tasks are meeting a need, and they are not an end unto themselves, so you have the opportunity to use those times to enrich yourself, something a customer service or other job doesn't afford as a luxury. The lesson here is not to dread the tedious, but seek the best from it. My work this year has inspired me to share that today with you.
On this note, I think I have imparted enough wisdom to you for the year, and now in retrospect I just want to say that my own year of 2018 has been good overall - not necessarily easy, but not bad at all. After moving back to the area a couple of years back, we were finally able to get ourselves established in the new home in 2018, and indeed we've come far. I am only hoping 2019 is a continuation of that as we get ready to close out 2018 for good in about a month or so. For the rest of you, I wish you a blessed holiday season - for my fellow Catholics, Advent is upon us and may it be a time for us to prepare ourselves, and for my Jewish cousins and friends I pray a blessed Chanukah season for you. Also, as winter is arriving fast, please stay safe out there, especially for those of us who get a significant amount of snow in the winter months. Take care, blessings to all, and will see you back in 2019 with a lot of good stuff for the coming year.
It has been an interesting year politically too, in particular for my own involvement. I have taken a renewed interest in the Armenian Genocide cause, as I am passionate about this tragedy being recognized and the many innocent Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian martyrs being honored and remembered. That issue has become a pivotal one in my own political outlook, and it will continue to be so. Of course, I have also become more identified with my monarchist sentiments this year as well, including more direct involvement with Catholic groups such as Tradition, Family, Property and the Counter-Revolution, a fine organization which interesting enough was founded by a group of young guys who are committed to a traditionalist/monarchist position, led by their Marshall, a young convert named Braden Plyler. Being in those circles has also opened me up to the writings of the late Plinio Correa de Oliviera (1908-1995), an influential Brazilian Catholic traditionalist thinker whose seminal work, Revolution and Counter-Revolution, has a wealth of information. In the coming year on my other blogs, you will be seeing more of this sort of thing as it will also be shaping my writing, which is what I want to get into now briefly.
The past year was focused primarily on weighty theological/philosophical/political issues, as I have tackled such things as this whole "transgender" mess and other such things, as well as doing an in-depth analysis of Anglican Thomist E.L. Mascall's book, The Secularization of Christianity. The importance of such work cannot be underestimated, and in the coming year I want to focus on much of the same. The idea in writing in this fashion is to accomplish a couple of things. First, it is to present a Catholic worldview, informed by the collective wisdom of the Church over the centuries. Second, it is to inform Catholics in particular and Christians in general about certain things out there that many are woefully ignorant and ill-equipped to address. My SPT blog in particular is going to be tackling a lot of these issues more in-depth this coming year, as I want to especially present a sound Catholic apologetic. There are issues for instance that Catholics are ignorant on for the most part regarding other movements within Christendom, movements that I have either been involved with in years past or that have caught a particular interest. One thing I have been researching that I want to publish on in the coming year is a Catholic evaluation of the "word of faith" movement as embodied by the likes of Kenneth Hagin and Joel Osteen (among many others). This has compelled a fresh read of Hank Hanegraaff's essential text Christianity in Crisis, and in reading it again after 20 years I am realizing the need for a Catholic response to this "Blab-and-Grab" theology, which is heretical on so many levels - one particularly disturbing aspect of it is how they mock the key petition in the Our Father, "Thy will be done," and now being more informed myself by reading and teaching Romano Guardini's seminal work on the Lord's Prayer, I feel the time has come for a Catholic apologetic regarding it that specifically addresses these "faith teachers," many of whom have sizeable Catholic followings (you would not believe how many Catholics actually think Joel Osteen is the proverbial "bee's knees," and that in itself is scary!). I also want to do a study for Catholics on Independent Baptists, a subject that has fascinated me for years and that I wanted to take on - for many uninformed lay Catholics, all Fundamentalists are the same, and this can be an embarrassing situation for the Catholic who talks to one who comes from a particular denominational tradition. That being said, I want to address something briefly in this year-end retrospective as it relates to what I want to do as a catechist and theologian, and why.
Over the past year, Barbara and I have participated in an excellent program through our parish called ChristLife, and it is an excellent program that gets Catholics on fire about evangelization. In many respects, ChristLife is very similar to the old Cursillo program, as a lot of its structure is similar, and therefore it is something I was quite enthusiastic about getting into. The program is divided into three 7-week parts - the first is "Discovering Christ," which we initially missed but will catch next time it's offered, the second is "Encountering Christ," which challenges people to deepen their own Christian faith, and the third which we just completed ourselves last month is "Sharing Christ," which is essentially a primer in engaging others for evangelization. The program itself is actually one of the best I have participated in, and you get a lot from it, but I have a few observations about it based on others I have observed who participated in it. In this past session for instance, I noted that many people who attend these things are doing so just to have something to do, and they are either unwilling or scared to commit to the principles it is trying to teach them. One woman in particular a few weeks back, for instance, comes to mind. This particular lady is one of those who wants to volunteer and be involved in everything the parish does, and although I cannot judge her motives, I think she may be doing it to increase her own profile as she is also a realtor by trade. One of the aspects of ChristLife is that we are organized by tables into groups, being led by a facilitator. This particular person was part of our group this year, and as we sat there discussing the questions, she made a comment along the lines of how great it is the "Church changes with the times," and such, and usually when someone talks like that, it means that you are about to get an earful of liberalism that is often uninformed. This woman, for instance, thought that "gay lifestyles" were OK, and she spat almost in disgust at the thought of a more traditional Mass - some disparaging things were also uttered by her and another lady about the former Pope, Benedict XVI, whom they apparently didn't like too much (I thought he was fantastic, and wished his Pontificate could have been longer as he is what the Church needs right now). When I informed her that the Magisterial teaching of the Church is unchanging, she looked at me as if I had just gotten off a saucer from Mars or something. I mention this in regard to what my focus is going to be in the coming year, because this lady was a symptom of a greater problem in our Church, and I also see it amongst the sixth-graders I teach on Sundays - many of them, by this time, should have at least a basic knowledge of fundamental Catholic prayers such as the Our Father and the Hail Mary, but many of them don't. And, when it comes to Scripture, they are worse - many cannot even locate Genesis in the Bible. This crisis in catechesis is one reason why I am where I am, and it puts me in mind of what Fr. Josef Jungmann was up against back in 1936. And, it is one major purpose of why I have the Sacramental Present Truths blog. I only hope I can be effective in reaching many fellow Catholics and getting them back in love with the Church as well as its Head, Jesus Christ. Only then can we have a renewal of faith in our Church. Therefore, I urge you to stay tuned in coming months for what I anticipate sharing with you on SPT.
Another major thing about this year is the continuation of my own re-discovery - much of that has taken place in a physical sense too with Barbara, as being back on home territory now I am able to show her the legacy of my own past, both the positives and negatives. For the first time in well over thirty years for instance, I was able to visit Kirby, WV, the place where I spent a lot of my childhood. In September as well, it was also good to visit Kingwood and attend the Buckwheat Festival, which I hadn't been to since I was in high school band back over 30 years as well. It was good to see some old stomping-grounds again, which also included a cruise past Grandad's old apartment on 109 Schwartz Street in Martinsburg, where I lived when I was 9 years old. The summer in particular entailed a virtual tour across the Eastern Panhandle of my home state of West Virginia, and that brought back many good memories. Also, being able as well to enrich my music collection with a number of old LP's I once had which a guy in Arizona was able to reissue on CD recordings, brought back fond memories too. This has life at sort of a crossroads for us now, which I want to reflect on briefly at this point.
Just about 3 weeks ago, I turned 49 years old - it is hard to believe that I have almost lived a half-century! The older I get, the more I find myself browsing weekly obituaries, as well as attempting to reconstruct some aspects of my life that I had either ignored or forgotten until recently. But, there are many new things to celebrate as well - this past year I achieved my Master's degree, and as of now I am pretty much on-point to start my doctoral studies this coming year. That too made me realize some things - I will have my doctor's degree (Lord willing!) by the time I turn 54, and what that means is this - at that time, I will have been in school for over 50 years off and on. That in itself has been a major challenge for me, as I have essentially had to do it all myself with no real support system (save Barbara and God, but that's it really). I have faced opposition from relatives, ridicule from others, and circumstances have delayed me over the years from completing all of this when I wanted to or planned, which tends to frustrate a little at times. You would not believe, as a matter of fact, the condemnation I have received from my own family, as well as my in-laws, for trying to work toward this goal; the snide comments about being "a career student," and also the pseudo-Christian jargon about "education being an idol," have been things I have put up with ad nauseum since I was pursuing a Bachelor's in my 20's. I have also been attacked for specifically what I have studied, and one thing that many of these "critics" get hung up on is my student loan investments. Both my in-laws and some of my blood relatives have serious hangups about this, despite the fact it really is none of their concern and they need to just mind their own damned business, and I have been emboldened lately to tell them to do just that. No one said this road was going to be easy, and that it wouldn't cost, but that is my decision to choose to do what I feel I am called to do, and everything will be just fine. I find it both amusing and annoying that often those who don't contribute anything, have no interest in what you're doing, or honestly don't take you serious enough to care anyway just have to have this inclination to run their mouths. In the coming years, as I get older, many of them will be in for a rude surprise, because they will be put in their place. "But, that attitude is not Christian," some may say; really??? Those who say things like that are often the ones who are most guilty of gossip, slander, and lies themselves, and they project their guilt on you when you tell them rightly to "bug off." At the risk of sounding somewhat crass, let me say this - it is time for Christians to start growing some cojones and not get concerned about whose toes they will step on if they stand up for themselves; a few toes could use a good stomping honestly, and I am about to "step up" a little myself on some of them as I get older. I have come way too far and accomplished too much to have some meddling, gossipy relatives flap their gums, and it will be dealt with wearing an iron fist on that, as enough is enough. If you are in a similar situation, here is my encouragement to you today - God did not create you to be a piece of paper for someone to wipe their butts on you with, and you do have a fundamental obligation to stand up for yourself if the occasion warrants it. To do so is not sin, and it doesn't in any way mean you are any "less Christian" either; when these buzzards attack you, they are also insulting God as well who gave you the talents and gifts, as well as the desire, you have to move forward. Therefore, maybe it is they who need to repent of sin and watch their attitudes, not you. More will be said on that in the coming year as well, so buckle those seatbelts!
Picking up on that, let's now turn to events of the year that have had some impact. The first is the radicalization of the Left in the political spectrum. Socialism is now being touted as a "good" thing by both clueless Millenials as well as ex-hippie Boomers who seem to be having acid-trip relapses, which is what led to the recent election of one Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Congress. This Ocasio-Cortez girl, who self-identifies as a "Democratic Socialist," is in reality a dingaling with a pretty face. She has no clue as to the state of things in the world, and her off-base statements on things are now the stuff of jokes. Add to that the perpetual crazy-eyes expression she has in her photos, and it is a disaster waiting to happen. The old-line radicals in the House - people like Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters - were bad enough, but this takes the proverbial cake. And, just like her mentors Castro, Chavez, and Mao, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez refuses to debate and tries to shut down those who challenge or question her. That is the true face of socialism. Also, as D. James Kennedy once stated, socialism is a violation of the Ten Commandments in that it constitutes government-sanctioned stealing. It is a system that we as Monarchists in particular must oppose with every fiber of our being honestly. In addition this year, the President Trump/Jim Acosta feud got Acosta thrown out of the White House on his keister, which he rightly deserved. Now, what characterizes the double-standard of the Left is that they think it is perfectly fine for Ocasio-Cortez to accuse noted conservative commentator Ben Shapiro of "catcalling" for challenging her to a debate, but the same people throw tantrums at our President for tossing Acosta out for being a jackass. Of course, Ocasio-Cortez's avoidance of a debate with Shapiro may have been a divine grace in disguise, as God has mercy on the stupid - Shapiro would have shredded her anyway. In reflection on these political issues, I have become more resolute in my own Monarchist leanings, and may even go as far as to calling myself a proto-Carlist, after the supporters of the monarchy in Spain. Also, thanks in part to my good friend Charles Coulombe, who is America's most noted Monarchist, I have become more informed as well. Charles would be another one who could shred Ocasio-Cortez to bits too, as Charles knows his history and he also knows (as well as openly states) that socialism is a failed system; if it didn't work in the former USSR, Cuba, or Venezuela, what makes people think it will work here? Of course, Ocasio-Cortez is a symptom of a bigger problem in this country, a problem that is being played out by a more violent expression known as Antifa. Antifa, for those who don't know, is an informal network of violent anarchists who have as an objective to shut down anyone they disagree with, and often that involves beating the crap out of their opponents. Ironically, among their number and leadership are academic elites, notably Mike Isaacson, a professor of Economics at John Jay College until he sent these "tweets" advocating killing cops which got his butt placed on administrative leave. Isaacson is a hell of a looking individual anyway - he's tall, with a gawky long neck and also is in obvious need of a decent haircut, but he is also the equivalent of the homosexual bully-boy of Hitler's SA, Ernst Rohm, and also guilty of many of the same vices. Characters like this Isaacson clown should not be teaching at colleges honestly, as they are not true academics but are merely activists seeking to advance their own agendas, while the unsuspecting parents of these kids in those classes have to foot the bill. The secular college campus has, for all intents, become a violent battleground of bully-enforced groupthink, and for those who hold a more traditional worldview, it's best to stay away unless you are well-armed yourself. And, in a final twist of irony in this political discourse and reflection, Bill Clinton still runs free this year while another Bill (Cosby) was sentenced to jail - although a bit unpopular with even fellow Christians right now, my position is that Cosby was not as guilty of as much as he was accused, and a lot of his sentence was unjustified. Yet, Bill Clinton continues his philandering and is hailed as a hero by the same ones who practically lynched Cosby - "White Privilege" anyone? Where was Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the rest of the race-baiters in all that? From their corner we heard crickets chirping, and loudly. Anyway, that is my take on some issues that have happened over the past year.
Faithwise, it is about the same, as of course the biggest religious news this year has been the "Uncle Teddy" McCarrick story. The need for reform in the mainstream Catholic Church is great, and it is perhaps time we get back to letting the truly called be priests instead of padding seminaries with overly-ambitious gay guys who are trying to subvert the Church's teaching. There are a lot of good priests out there too thankfully, but they now have targets on them because of the bad ones, and I fear an anti-Catholic backlash will result from the scandals. However, I will remain a faithful Catholic, as I have been for 19 years now, and when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, I will always be on the side of theological and liturgical, as well as moral, orthodoxy. My Catholic faith has been long in developing, and I am not about to give it up. Hopefully, 2019 will bring positive news for the Church too.
There are many lessons that the past year has either reaffirmed or are new for me this year. For one, it is first important that people remember to be themselves, and that is the basis for the second thing to mention. Secondly, in being one's self, it is important to develop an attitude of not caring what the naysayers flap their gums about. Over the years, I have understood the extent of damage that gossip, misunderstanding, and depersonalization can do, as I have been an object of all of those myself. It can make you resentful, bitter, and you struggle to extend forgiveness to those who direct this crap at you. However, that leads to two other lessons. One is this - while you don't have to shout over the rooftops to your offenders "I forgive you!!" it is important to cultivate an attitude of forgiveness. As I have taught a lot over the years, the gift of forgiveness must be received as well as offered, and if the person to whom you want to offer forgiveness is unable to accept it for whatever reason (many of them think their offense against you was not technically an offense in their minds, so they may not see the issue, even if you explain it) then it won't do much good to actively offer it. In that case, what you do is this - pray for them, and also pray for yourself to cultivate an attitude of forgiveness. Although I have some very serious differences with "progressive" Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, I do think she makes a valid point on one of her YouTube video talks entitled (and forgive the language, as this is her title I am quoting!) "Forgive Assholes." In it, she makes the point that sometimes it is necessary as a part of the forgiveness process to cut loose of the offending person, and I see where she is coming from - an offensive person will continue to be offensive, no matter how many times they are forgiven in many cases, and therefore for your own benefit it may be necessary to just stay away from them. Pray for them, and if you find yourself involuntarily crossing paths with such a person, be respectful, but leave it there. In other words, work on yourself and don't worry as much about trying to rehabilitate your offenders. If you do what you are supposed to do, in other words, God can work in the situation better because you are not trying to control it. And, that leads to the second sub-lesson about struggling to extend forgiveness - offense and unforgiveness are not the same thing, and you can understandably be repulsed by the actions of an offending person; it's called being human. And, due to the fact you also are accorded the same dignity of personhood as anyone else, you do not have to put up with offensive behavior being directed with you either. Supernatural grace, in its duty of elevating, perfecting, and healing our nature, tempers us, but "turning the other cheek" doesn't mean laying with your posterior cheeks on the ground to be used as a doormat either. Don't be afraid of being assertive when it comes to defending the dignity God gave you personally, as it is a gift from Him and it is your duty to be a proper steward of that gift. At the same time, don't let anger fester into hatred either, and it is where you rely on God's guidance to help you. With what is often an altruistic (and at times dare I say masochistic) reading of the Gospels, we feel we have to subject ourselves to abuse to prove our fidelity to our faith in Christ, but we get that wrong. "Tough love" is still an expression of the virtue of charity, and at times being assertive may also benefit the offending person as well, as it may bring them to realize they are being a complete jackass and then they will come to you to make it right. This is somewhat radical I know, but it is also liberating as well. Other lessons learned include the idea that you need to know your own legacy - yes, despite how insignificant you think you are, you do have a legacy, and that too is a gift of God. Keep a detailed journal, as well as taking time to reflect on things, and as you do so you will begin to draw out some things that will help you to know and appreciate yourself better, as well as engendering a gratitude for who you are as a person with God too. As I am writing this even now, I struggle with some things I have talked about, and even this helps me. Never underestimate self-reflection, and also never forget who you are and where you come from - it will prove your best asset later.
Many other life lessons have been gleaned by me this past year as well, and even in 2017. One of those is one that came via Barbara, my wife, and essentially it is this - sometimes you have to rip off the bandaid. If you happen to find yourself in a bit of a negative situation - a crappy job, an awkward church situation, etc. - what I have learned is that it does neither yourself nor those associated with the situation on the periphery any good if you continue to languish. Sometimes it may be therefore necessary to just make a clean break ("rip off the bandaid" if you will) and get out of the situation before causing yourself harm. It is amazing to me at times at how much crap we put on ourselves, and of course there are legitimate reasons underlying this - you need that crappy job, for instance, to meet monthly bills, or you may have an exaggerated (and masochistic) altruism about it (this is a weakness my wife has) in that you may feel you are "letting everybody down" if you back out. Honestly, although you may not realize it, you are actually displaying an altruistic arrogance - it sounds like a contradiction in terms, such as "being proud of your humility," but it is real, believe me. Why do I say that? I cannot tell you the numerous times I myself have been guilty of such things honestly, and what I learned was a couple of lessons. First, whatever the situation, the workplace for instance goes on with you in it, as it did before you became part of it. And that leads to an important lesson in economics. Since the Industrial Revolution (which in many ways did more harm than good) an enigmatic entity called "Corporate America" has arisen, and what drives the entity that is Corporate America is one thing - profits. Your value, as an employee of any facet of Corporate America, is to contribute to the acquisition of profit for your masters, and if you can't you are deemed expendable and can be easily replaced. And, it extends beyond the blue-collar "stiffs" in the assembly line or the smartly-dressed girls in secretarial pools - even the highest executives are not immune to this. Dignity of personhood is a foreign concept for Corporate America, as the average laborer to them is a number and a means toward their end, a mere part in their bigger whole. This of course is contrary to the Judeo-Christian idea of dignity of personhood, and thus it is even somewhat demonic honestly when taken to extremes. Corporate America is a fact of life however, and many of us (including Yours Truly) are compelled by necessity to work within her infrastructure as we have to eat and pay bills. The good news about that though is that not all corporate working environments are bad - at the time I am writing this at the end of November, I have been contracting with a fine company called Music and Arts here in Frederick, and overall it has been a great company to work with, and I have no complaints about them as they have actually treated those of us who are contracting quite well. But, if you happen to find yourself in a less-than-ideal corporate environment, here is what your options are - pull out if it is unbearable, and use the expendability that Corporate America treats its employees with to your advantage. Usually, there is another company out there willing to snatch you up because they see you as an asset, and you are probably replacing someone who was deemed expendable - you are still expendable also, but at least at this point said company is looking at you positively. It is the nature of the proverbial beast when it comes to Corporate America, and the way to cope is to know and anticipate their actions as well. That way, you don't have to denigrate yourself altruistically, and Corporate America will be happy too. That is Lesson #1. Lesson #2 is equally important - make the best of the situation, both good and bad, while you are there. I often find that lunches and breaks are good times to enrich myself by reading and studying, and I use that to advantage, especially since my wife and I have to travel together and I have spent many days arriving either an hour and a half earlier than my shift or waiting late for her to get to me. Instead of standing around, occupy yourself, and it makes things go smoother. Also, while at work, get yourself an MP-3 player and load it up with programs - music is good too, and intersperse those with your favorite music - that you can listen to while you work. I listen while I work to people such as D. James Kennedy, my good friend Charles Coulombe, etc. You can draw inspiration from that too, especially if the job you are doing is somewhat tedious. I want to talk now about tedious tasks, as they too can be a blessing in disguise.
Most people I know hate the mundane and tedious, but over the years I have learned to be in my element doing such jobs. Of course, there are pitfalls - you can drift off to sleep easily, and if you fail to get up and stretch then what you are doing tends to run together. Nonetheless, the tedious tasks are a blessing in their own way as you can have time to think, and also it's a good way to absorb information - if you want to listen to talks on tape, MP3, or other media, that is a way to do it. So, if you get stuck in a tedious task, use it to your advantage, as knowledge is power! Often too, you can listen to the same thing several times as well, which comes in handy especially if you are taking college coursework. Remember too, that these tedious tasks are meeting a need, and they are not an end unto themselves, so you have the opportunity to use those times to enrich yourself, something a customer service or other job doesn't afford as a luxury. The lesson here is not to dread the tedious, but seek the best from it. My work this year has inspired me to share that today with you.
On this note, I think I have imparted enough wisdom to you for the year, and now in retrospect I just want to say that my own year of 2018 has been good overall - not necessarily easy, but not bad at all. After moving back to the area a couple of years back, we were finally able to get ourselves established in the new home in 2018, and indeed we've come far. I am only hoping 2019 is a continuation of that as we get ready to close out 2018 for good in about a month or so. For the rest of you, I wish you a blessed holiday season - for my fellow Catholics, Advent is upon us and may it be a time for us to prepare ourselves, and for my Jewish cousins and friends I pray a blessed Chanukah season for you. Also, as winter is arriving fast, please stay safe out there, especially for those of us who get a significant amount of snow in the winter months. Take care, blessings to all, and will see you back in 2019 with a lot of good stuff for the coming year.
Monday, October 1, 2018
The 36th Anniversary
I am writing today from my office breakroom area during my lunch hour, and today is Monday, October 1, 2018. For many, it's not something too significant, but in my own personal life it marks a very important occasion - it is the 36th anniversary of my extensive music library. The original story has been regaled in previous posts, so I won't get into the elaborations of that here. However, it is of interest that as of the past couple of years, I have made at least three trips to the Rio Mall in Rio, WV, the place where my first LP's came from all those years ago. I don't buy as many LP's today, due to the fact I have almost everything I am looking for as well as the fact that space is limited to store them. However, there have been some significant finds this year, so we'll talk about those a little.
The one tragic note in all of this is that Joan and Gary Sprunk, a nice couple in Arizona who made reissues of some rare LP's I had in my original collection, no longer offer those CD's for sale - their company, Arazol Music, is now strictly an on-demand service. However, fortunately before they changed their way of doing things, I was able to add to my collection this year many good CD reissues of my old LP's. Although I now have the technology myself to do the conversions to CD format, the professional look of the Sprunks' products were much more attractive in my collection.
I was also able to get a few other vintage CD's of my original LP collection from a company in England called Sepia Records, a service I started to patronize the previous year when they released that 1963 Vaughn Monroe Dot LP that was part of my original collection on a CD. This year was a goldmine in regard to them - I was able to get a 4-disc set of Tommy Dorsey's early 1950's Deccas, some of his best in my opinion, and that was a collection I have been after for some time. I also managed as well, via Archaeophone Records, to finally obtain a CD reissue of James Reese Europe's Society Orchestra Victor sides that were cut between 1913 and 1915. The other important addition was some good CD reissues of Ernie Heckscher's LP's on Verve from the early 1960's, as well as a rare remote radio broadcast of his orchestra from San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel in the early 1960's. The final thing to mention is some very rare 1890's cylinders which have been reissued by a service called Tinfoil Productions, and those contain some important recordings of Edward Issler's Orchestra, perhaps the earliest professional dance orchestra to record. These were some valuable finds. On DVD, I got the new revamped King of Jazz, which is the 1930's masterpiece that featured Paul Whiteman as well as Bing Crosby's first appearance on film. The cover of the DVD is a bit racy (it has a naked Art Deco picture of a woman on front) but it is still a welcome find.
In the past couple of years or so, I see some trends happening that may impact my collection in the coming years. For one, more and more music is available as digital downloads, including some extremely rare material. I have not catalogued those into my collection yet, although I have collected a significant number on several flash drives. Will this mean the end of CD's and vinyl? I don't believe it will, but no doubt digital downloads are worth taking into consideration.
So, what else is new for this coming year? Currently, I have my eye on a 5-disc collection of legendary accordionist Charles Magnante, and plan on purchasing that within the next couple of months. Also, the Dave Apollon collection is something in the forecast, although the current Amazon prices for it are astronomical - I need to find a more economic means of getting that for sure. My present collection stands now at around 990 LP records, just over 100 DVD's, and around 1235 CD's. As noted before, my collection continues to grow, but at a less rapid pace than in years past. So, next year at this time we'll see where it goes.
Again, as we begin the 37th year of collecting vintage big band/dance band recordings, I'm anticipating a good year. And, we'll be updating that as well in a year from now as well.
The one tragic note in all of this is that Joan and Gary Sprunk, a nice couple in Arizona who made reissues of some rare LP's I had in my original collection, no longer offer those CD's for sale - their company, Arazol Music, is now strictly an on-demand service. However, fortunately before they changed their way of doing things, I was able to add to my collection this year many good CD reissues of my old LP's. Although I now have the technology myself to do the conversions to CD format, the professional look of the Sprunks' products were much more attractive in my collection.
I was also able to get a few other vintage CD's of my original LP collection from a company in England called Sepia Records, a service I started to patronize the previous year when they released that 1963 Vaughn Monroe Dot LP that was part of my original collection on a CD. This year was a goldmine in regard to them - I was able to get a 4-disc set of Tommy Dorsey's early 1950's Deccas, some of his best in my opinion, and that was a collection I have been after for some time. I also managed as well, via Archaeophone Records, to finally obtain a CD reissue of James Reese Europe's Society Orchestra Victor sides that were cut between 1913 and 1915. The other important addition was some good CD reissues of Ernie Heckscher's LP's on Verve from the early 1960's, as well as a rare remote radio broadcast of his orchestra from San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel in the early 1960's. The final thing to mention is some very rare 1890's cylinders which have been reissued by a service called Tinfoil Productions, and those contain some important recordings of Edward Issler's Orchestra, perhaps the earliest professional dance orchestra to record. These were some valuable finds. On DVD, I got the new revamped King of Jazz, which is the 1930's masterpiece that featured Paul Whiteman as well as Bing Crosby's first appearance on film. The cover of the DVD is a bit racy (it has a naked Art Deco picture of a woman on front) but it is still a welcome find.
In the past couple of years or so, I see some trends happening that may impact my collection in the coming years. For one, more and more music is available as digital downloads, including some extremely rare material. I have not catalogued those into my collection yet, although I have collected a significant number on several flash drives. Will this mean the end of CD's and vinyl? I don't believe it will, but no doubt digital downloads are worth taking into consideration.
So, what else is new for this coming year? Currently, I have my eye on a 5-disc collection of legendary accordionist Charles Magnante, and plan on purchasing that within the next couple of months. Also, the Dave Apollon collection is something in the forecast, although the current Amazon prices for it are astronomical - I need to find a more economic means of getting that for sure. My present collection stands now at around 990 LP records, just over 100 DVD's, and around 1235 CD's. As noted before, my collection continues to grow, but at a less rapid pace than in years past. So, next year at this time we'll see where it goes.
Again, as we begin the 37th year of collecting vintage big band/dance band recordings, I'm anticipating a good year. And, we'll be updating that as well in a year from now as well.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Reminiscing About An Old Vision
I have always been a person of ambitious imagination, and I wanted to talk some about that today. One of the earliest recollections of that was around the time I was 10 or 11 years old, when I basically had proposed founding a political movement and fantasized about setting up my own kingdom in eastern Brazil. It sounds a little crazy now, but keep in mind I was still a young kid at that point and kids do have vivid imaginations. As at the time I was actually in a situation where we were in abject poverty, my vivid imagination was also a sort of coping mechanism that helped motivate me to rise above my situation at the time and dream bigger in a sense. Of course, obviously those were just fantasies, as last I have checked I am not a sovereign ruler over a vast part of a large South American nation, and realistically that will never happen. But, it is still interesting that my "dreaming big" instinct continued into my adult years, and as a young college student in my early 20's some years ago, I had another grandiose dream as well that may never happen, but this time it had a difference - I believed it to be in service to others to whom I believed I was called. The vocation to these particular people is real, I believe, but perhaps my ambitions at the time were a little over-the-top concerning them. It is that vision I wanted to discuss today.
When I was around 17 years old, I began to develop an interest in Armenian people, and I began to read up on the Armenian Genocide and other acts of violence that were committed over the centuries against this predominantly Christian nation in their own homeland by what were often hostile Islamic powers that ruled the region (Ottoman Turks, Persians, and various Arab Muslim regimes). Around about 1988, I received a large packet of booklets, brochures, and other literature from the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America, and one of the booklets was on the subject of the Armenian Genocide. In it, I learned of another fascinating - and predominately Christian - minority called the Assyrians. From the time I was a kid, I had had an interest in both the Bible and in world history, and I was very familiar with the Assyrian Empire of antiquity from a very young age. However, like so many, I also was under the incorrect assumption that Assyrians as a people were extinct, and I didn't even know at that point that there were Christian communities dating back centuries in the Middle East - public education had taught a rather revisionist view of history that everyone that lived in the Middle East was either Arab or Turk, and no other minorities existed. Then, in taking an interest in the Byzantine Empire and studying its history, I learned first of the Armenians and who they were in 1987, when I was still a junior in high school. I have told this story in varying degrees over the years, so I am just summarily mentioning highlights here. My exposure to the Armenians, and later receiving literature from their Church in the US, led me to the Assyrians, and eventually I took up a trail that led to a very articulate (albeit verbose) priest in Chicago named Charles (or Qasha) Klutz. Fr. Klutz was an ordained priest in the Assyrian Church of the East, and at that time he served as Chancellor to the bishop of their Eastern Diocese, Mar Aprim, as well as a priest at Mar Gewargis Cathedral in Chicago. Over the ensuing years, I became very close to Fr. Klutz, and still consider him a dear friend to this day. Although he pastored an Assyrian parish, Fr. Klutz was actually of Portuguese Converso heritage, and later I found out we shared that in common (I am also of Converso heritage as well, although mine is French/Spanish). On the initial contact with Fr. Klutz back around April of 1988, he sent me a large package filled with copies of their Church magazine, Voice of the East, as well as a booklet with some pretty basic history on the origins of the Assyrian Church - I actually still have all of that today. Unfortunately, in December 2001, his parish he was pastoring at the time, St. John Assyrian in Chicago, was the target of a hate-crime act of vandalism and arson which incinerated the parish. It happened after 9/11, and was part of the hysteria that many dumbass people had against any Middle Eastern people regardless of who they were (as well as a number of Sikhs, who are from India - Sikhs were targeted because of their red turbans. Sikhs are NOT Muslims, and are a separate religion and are also generally peaceful people), and it was characteristic of some of the hysteria many ignorant people in this country had regarding anything to do with the Middle East. As of today, I am aware that Fr. Klutz is now retired and is still living in Chicago - I would love to get in touch with him, as it has been a number of years, and hope he is doing well. By now, I am sure he is in his late 80's or even early 90's, but I owe him a depth of appreciation for introducing me to a remarkable people in the Assyrians. That was the beginnings, so now let's move onto my college years and my involvement with these unique people.
In my first year of college, I had gotten involved in the Pentecostal movement and had become part of the Foursquare denomination. As Pentecostals place (or at least they used to) a great deal of emphasis on supernatural gifts including prophecy, I experienced something on a November night in 1989 while retiring to my dorm room to sleep. The experience involved what I felt was a personal word the Holy Spirit was giving me, and essentially it was along these lines - I got an insight that my involvement with Assyrians was no accident, and that God had ordered it for a purpose, and that purpose was that a part of my calling was to serve these people. Naturally, as a ministry major in college, I thought this meant to preach to them and do mission work, but at the time I was confused about that too. Although in that day I was part of an Evangelical/Pentecostal tradition that emphasized personal evangelism, a lot of things about the way this was carried out was a bit unsettling to me - for one, I could not wrap my head around why Evangelicals wanted to "convert" people who were already identified as Christian. I was bothered throughout my college years by the rampant anti-Catholicism I encountered among many of my classmates as well as those I met in different churches that I ministered in then, and I was also bothered as well when this "missionary" guy came to a Missions class I had at Southeastern University at the time who was trying to "save" the Amish and had a "mission" to the Amish communities; I confronted this individual in class over it, and it created a bit of a buzz honestly. What I found out later - and also one reason why American Evangelicalism turned me off - was that many Evangelical "evangelism" and "missionary" efforts were not so much to make disciples of Christ, but rather to Americanize and create cookie-cutter clones of themselves. This essentially meant disrespect for other cultures, as well as even trampling the Christian heritage of some ethnic groups - this was particularly true if the ethnic group in question was identified as Catholic, Orthodox, or Amish/Mennonite. I could not reconcile that honestly, and as a result I eventually left the Foursquare denomination and in time that road led me to full communion with the Catholic faith. Over the years, as I have seen a decay of American Evangelicalism both theologically and morally, it seems that it is the American Evangelical population that may be in need of evangelization, especially among its younger members who have embraced a lot of post-modern ideology as well as even supporting things older Evangelicals would not have dreamed of, such as "same-sex marriage," abortion, and even their missionary efforts have gone from evangelization and discipleship to a sort of "social justice" emphasis - on one hand there are positives to that though, in that now there seems to be a move to a more holistic approach to ministry, but hopefully they won't lose focus of what is important. My own struggles with the American Evangelical missionary enterprise - in particular, its aggressive prosyletism - led me to explore some things that hearkened back to my ambitious childhood imagination. And, that is where this vision came into existence.
Around 1994 or so, as the Iraq War was a central focus of the news at the time (and would be again post-9/11), there began to be some awareness of "Christian Iraqi refugees" and their plight, but the secular press refused to use the name "Assyrian" in reference to these people. The intensity of events taking place in their homeland compelled me to contemplate the idea of a self-governing Assyrian village, which I called the "Saint Isaac of Nineveh Village Project," named after a 10th-century Assyrian Christian ascetic and Church Father. Over the course of several weeks I meditated on the possibility of this, and came up with the blueprint for a village that incorporated a lot of other old ideas of mine. Below are a few pages of the proposal I drafted at the time:
When I was around 17 years old, I began to develop an interest in Armenian people, and I began to read up on the Armenian Genocide and other acts of violence that were committed over the centuries against this predominantly Christian nation in their own homeland by what were often hostile Islamic powers that ruled the region (Ottoman Turks, Persians, and various Arab Muslim regimes). Around about 1988, I received a large packet of booklets, brochures, and other literature from the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church in America, and one of the booklets was on the subject of the Armenian Genocide. In it, I learned of another fascinating - and predominately Christian - minority called the Assyrians. From the time I was a kid, I had had an interest in both the Bible and in world history, and I was very familiar with the Assyrian Empire of antiquity from a very young age. However, like so many, I also was under the incorrect assumption that Assyrians as a people were extinct, and I didn't even know at that point that there were Christian communities dating back centuries in the Middle East - public education had taught a rather revisionist view of history that everyone that lived in the Middle East was either Arab or Turk, and no other minorities existed. Then, in taking an interest in the Byzantine Empire and studying its history, I learned first of the Armenians and who they were in 1987, when I was still a junior in high school. I have told this story in varying degrees over the years, so I am just summarily mentioning highlights here. My exposure to the Armenians, and later receiving literature from their Church in the US, led me to the Assyrians, and eventually I took up a trail that led to a very articulate (albeit verbose) priest in Chicago named Charles (or Qasha) Klutz. Fr. Klutz was an ordained priest in the Assyrian Church of the East, and at that time he served as Chancellor to the bishop of their Eastern Diocese, Mar Aprim, as well as a priest at Mar Gewargis Cathedral in Chicago. Over the ensuing years, I became very close to Fr. Klutz, and still consider him a dear friend to this day. Although he pastored an Assyrian parish, Fr. Klutz was actually of Portuguese Converso heritage, and later I found out we shared that in common (I am also of Converso heritage as well, although mine is French/Spanish). On the initial contact with Fr. Klutz back around April of 1988, he sent me a large package filled with copies of their Church magazine, Voice of the East, as well as a booklet with some pretty basic history on the origins of the Assyrian Church - I actually still have all of that today. Unfortunately, in December 2001, his parish he was pastoring at the time, St. John Assyrian in Chicago, was the target of a hate-crime act of vandalism and arson which incinerated the parish. It happened after 9/11, and was part of the hysteria that many dumbass people had against any Middle Eastern people regardless of who they were (as well as a number of Sikhs, who are from India - Sikhs were targeted because of their red turbans. Sikhs are NOT Muslims, and are a separate religion and are also generally peaceful people), and it was characteristic of some of the hysteria many ignorant people in this country had regarding anything to do with the Middle East. As of today, I am aware that Fr. Klutz is now retired and is still living in Chicago - I would love to get in touch with him, as it has been a number of years, and hope he is doing well. By now, I am sure he is in his late 80's or even early 90's, but I owe him a depth of appreciation for introducing me to a remarkable people in the Assyrians. That was the beginnings, so now let's move onto my college years and my involvement with these unique people.
In my first year of college, I had gotten involved in the Pentecostal movement and had become part of the Foursquare denomination. As Pentecostals place (or at least they used to) a great deal of emphasis on supernatural gifts including prophecy, I experienced something on a November night in 1989 while retiring to my dorm room to sleep. The experience involved what I felt was a personal word the Holy Spirit was giving me, and essentially it was along these lines - I got an insight that my involvement with Assyrians was no accident, and that God had ordered it for a purpose, and that purpose was that a part of my calling was to serve these people. Naturally, as a ministry major in college, I thought this meant to preach to them and do mission work, but at the time I was confused about that too. Although in that day I was part of an Evangelical/Pentecostal tradition that emphasized personal evangelism, a lot of things about the way this was carried out was a bit unsettling to me - for one, I could not wrap my head around why Evangelicals wanted to "convert" people who were already identified as Christian. I was bothered throughout my college years by the rampant anti-Catholicism I encountered among many of my classmates as well as those I met in different churches that I ministered in then, and I was also bothered as well when this "missionary" guy came to a Missions class I had at Southeastern University at the time who was trying to "save" the Amish and had a "mission" to the Amish communities; I confronted this individual in class over it, and it created a bit of a buzz honestly. What I found out later - and also one reason why American Evangelicalism turned me off - was that many Evangelical "evangelism" and "missionary" efforts were not so much to make disciples of Christ, but rather to Americanize and create cookie-cutter clones of themselves. This essentially meant disrespect for other cultures, as well as even trampling the Christian heritage of some ethnic groups - this was particularly true if the ethnic group in question was identified as Catholic, Orthodox, or Amish/Mennonite. I could not reconcile that honestly, and as a result I eventually left the Foursquare denomination and in time that road led me to full communion with the Catholic faith. Over the years, as I have seen a decay of American Evangelicalism both theologically and morally, it seems that it is the American Evangelical population that may be in need of evangelization, especially among its younger members who have embraced a lot of post-modern ideology as well as even supporting things older Evangelicals would not have dreamed of, such as "same-sex marriage," abortion, and even their missionary efforts have gone from evangelization and discipleship to a sort of "social justice" emphasis - on one hand there are positives to that though, in that now there seems to be a move to a more holistic approach to ministry, but hopefully they won't lose focus of what is important. My own struggles with the American Evangelical missionary enterprise - in particular, its aggressive prosyletism - led me to explore some things that hearkened back to my ambitious childhood imagination. And, that is where this vision came into existence.
Around 1994 or so, as the Iraq War was a central focus of the news at the time (and would be again post-9/11), there began to be some awareness of "Christian Iraqi refugees" and their plight, but the secular press refused to use the name "Assyrian" in reference to these people. The intensity of events taking place in their homeland compelled me to contemplate the idea of a self-governing Assyrian village, which I called the "Saint Isaac of Nineveh Village Project," named after a 10th-century Assyrian Christian ascetic and Church Father. Over the course of several weeks I meditated on the possibility of this, and came up with the blueprint for a village that incorporated a lot of other old ideas of mine. Below are a few pages of the proposal I drafted at the time:
These 24-year-old manuscript pages give you an idea of what I was thinking then, and somewhere I still have the originals with a LARGE mapped-out diagram of the proposed village as well. The idea behind this was that it would be a village governed by the Assyrian refugees themselves, including having their own churches, businesses, and other things, and in the more ambitious plan I proposed later, I was actually going to place a huge ecumenical cathedral church in the middle of the community, as well as a Parliament house, and a series of multi-story office buildings that would house the headquarters of various organizations, etc. The original plans also included a zoo, a large aquarium, a university, and an agricultural district as well. Looking back on it, the whole thing was a beautiful idea but also very unfeasible - could you imagine the millions of dollars it would take to finance such an undertaking?? If I became independently wealthy today, I would still probably consider doing it, and the thought has crossed my mind over the years as to "what if?" However, it is also far beyond my own limitations to come up with something like that myself, but it still is not a bad idea when I think about it, which is why over the years I have even had some interesting dreams about such a place, one of which I would like to share now.
Some years back, I had a dream in which I was walking the Stations of the Cross on a Good Friday in a village made up of all Assyrians, Armenians, and other persecuted minorities. The Stations in the dream were totally ecumenical - there were many churches of many sects throughout the route, and each one served as a place along the route to pray one of the Stations. When I woke up that morning from that dream, I pulled out those old St. Isaac of Nineveh Village plans I had drafted so many years ago, and I could envision on a major street a route of the Stations, starting at the great Cathedral in the middle and ending at a small church on the other side of the community. I have thought a lot of that over the years, and today as I was messing around surfing on Google I came across something very interesting that inspired me to write this today, as it is almost in perfect alignment with that old dream of mine.
This morning I was reading an article talking about a 42-year-old Aramaic Christian in Israel by the name of Shadi Khalloul, and he is proposing a totally Aramaic Christian village in Israel. Khalloul is the chairman of the Israeli Aramaic Christian Association, and was at one time a candidate for the Knesset in Israel. Apparently Khalloul is of Maronite heritage, which would definitely place him as identity as an Aramaic Christian (although not Assyrian), and the village he proposes he wants to call "Aram Hiram," and the proposed location is on the site of an old village in Israel called Kafr Bir'im, which he asserts was originally a Syriac-Maronite village prior to a 1948 evacuation. Khalloul is a man of vision too, and I love what he says in an interview when he is quoted as thus: "We need to build bridges through a Christian positive attitude to ask for our rights in a way to lead towards coexistence with Jews and this can come by being positive citizens of the state, defending the state, and asking for our rights at the same time." (Kassy Dillon, "Meet the Christian Israeli Who is On a Mission to Create The First Aramaean Christian Town In Israel," published August 28, 2018 at https://www.dailywire.com/news/35162/meet-christian-israeli-who-mission-create-first-kassy-dillon - Accessed 8/28/2018). I say that Khalloul is a man of vision, and he needs prayers for success in his efforts, as this could be a beacon for many persecuted Christians in the region. I have said for many years that the Christians of the region and the state of Israel should be natural allies of each other, but at times this can be a touchy subject and I try not to emphasize it a lot as Middle Eastern Christians are a diverse group, and a significant percentage are not exactly fond of Israel (in some cases with good justification), so one has to tread lightly on those grounds. I also plan on getting in touch with the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association myself, as I would love to maybe talk with Khalloul personally and tell him about my St. Isaac Village idea as it may inspire him as well. It is definitely worth exploring more any way one looks at it.
Aramaic-Maronite Christian leader Sadi Khalloul (right) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
I have noticed in recent years a sort of revival of the Aramaic language in Israel, even among some Jewish populations. The popular Israel musical group Nash Didan is a good example, as well as a renewed interest in the Aramaic dialect that the Samaritan sect uses there. Also, with a huge population of Assyrian Christians and Syro-Maronites in nearby Lebanon, the possibilities of all of this are exciting. If Israel were to finally recognize the Armenian Genocide, that would be the icing on the cake. We truly live in exciting times, and perhaps it is time to take note, as we may be facing an Isaiah 19 moment if everything continues to come together. Bottom line, I have a lot to think about and rack my brain concerning this, as after many years of stagnation on my part, I have just recently re-awakened my own convictions regarding the Assyrians and others, which at one time used to be more passionate.
My own ambitious dreams from many years ago may not be feasible on my own, but I am beginning to see that others have similar ideas, and perhaps someone can do what I only dreamed of all those years ago when I was younger and more naive and idealistic. If that is the case, I only hope I can be alive to see it come to full blossom, as that would be a momentous thing.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Weighing In On DACA and Immigration
From the time I was a small kid, my mother drilled into me the importance of how to conduct yourself as a guest in someone else's house. One thing was cardinal - you did not help yourself to your host's stuff, and you didn't demand that your host be your servant. For many years, I even had a conviction to not even go into someone else's refrigerator, even if they gave permission, because it would be a form of disrespect. It may seem like at outset that this was making your host wait on you hand and foot, but that is not how I saw it - I saw it as respecting their property enough as not to enter it, even with permission. Over the years, I have softened up on that somewhat, as now it is not an issue to get something from someone else's refrigerator if they say it's OK. But, it took many years to get past that stigma. Despite the extremes I was taught to go to with this - and, my mother was a little extreme there! - at the same time it also embued into me a sense of respect for others and their property; you just don't help yourself to anyone's stuff arbitrarily, nor do you claim you have a right to do so. You are a guest in their home, so it is your responsibility to respect them properly. I still live by that today. I tell that story to preface my position regarding a recent controversy that has embroiled our society, that being the issue of illegal immigration.
To be honest, I have tried to stay clear of this issue, as it is a "hot button" thing and other than the news stories I am hearing, I have not been as informed on it as perhaps I should, but that has changed recently. I have been watching various news reports and reading articles on this whole DACA, "Dreamers," and related issues, and the recent murder of Molly Tibbetts at the hands of an illegal immigrant has brought the issue close to home for many Americans. Therefore, today, I want to just give my perspective on things and see where it goes. I may tick off some people, as well as resonating with others, and that is to be expected. However, it is an extremely important issue that cannot be just ignored.
Much like my upbringing where I was taught to respect other's homes when I am a guest, it must be understood that an illegal alien is just that - a guest, and in many cases, an uninvited guest in the very fact they are illegal. There are a couple of up-front clarifications I want to establish first before I continue, so we will go ahead and do that.
First, most people who have issues with illegal immigration are not against immigrants at all. As a matter of fact, if someone takes the effort to be naturalized officially as a citizen of our nation, they should be welcomed. Many naturalized citizens are very important parts of our communities, and they often could teach those of us who are born and raised here an important lesson in regard to patriotism - they are very grateful to be in this country, they love and respect it, and interesting enough often they are the strongest opponents of illegal immigration because they know first-hand what it takes to be an American. I have known many such people, and one in particular, a British ex-pat we used to go to church with by the name of Jean, said that she is no longer British but is American. Some other friends of mine, a couple of beautiful Assyrian-American sisters named Christmas and Rebecca Simon, display a dedicated patriotism for our country that should shame many people who even fail to salute our flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. People like Jean and the Simon Sisters are what this great nation is about - they represent a pride in their country of choice that many of us who are "natives" often take for granted, and we should maybe look at their example to remember how blessed we truly are to be here. America started out as a nation of immigrants - even the American Indians came here from somewhere else actually - and hard-working immigrant ancestors are what built this nation and gave it the greatness she has. However, many of those earlier (and current) immigrants have a couple of things that distinguish them. First, they were not slaves to entitlement - many of them came here with just the shirts on their backs, yet they worked their butts off to get what they have and provide a good life for their families. Second, they also complied to the legal process in obtaining their citizenship - they respected the laws, and followed them to become productive citizens of this nation. And, for that, we should be proud of them. Many of the people reading this have parents and grandparents who had that experience, and you are who you are because of those dedicated and hard-working people and should thank God for them every day. Therefore, I too express appreciation for those people who came to our shores, respected the legal process, and put in the effort to being productive American citizens. Those were some good people, and God bless them for it.
Another point I want to make is this - just because someone is Hispanic doesn't automatically make them an "illegal." History testifies that much of what we call the American Southwest once belonged to Spain and later Mexico, and there are many people of Mexican descent in those regions whose ancestors may have settled there close to 300 or more years ago. When those areas became part of the US, those people received automatic citizenship, and their descendants still are prominent in the region today. Likewise, there is Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico is a part of the United States, and its residents are American citizens who happen to be predominantly Hispanic. Their cultural heritage has contributed to the rich panorama of the American experience, and by all means they should celebrate it. And, while it is important for them as American citizens to be conversant in English, at the same time I personally don't have a problem with them retaining a knowledge of the Spanish language either, as it is an integral part of who they are. Therefore, it is important to understand that not all Spanish-speaking communities in the US are immigrants either - some are as native as I am. However, for the illegals that cross the border, it creates problems particularly in the Southwest for long-established Mexican-American families who have lived there for generations and are citizens - the illegal immigrants drain the resources of the Mexican-American communities in those regions as well, and that is not right. An American citizen of Mexican heritage should be given priority over those who cross the border illegally, and thus illegal immigration hurts Mexican-Americans too.
Now that we have established that, let's talk about DACA and "Dreamers." DACA is defined as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and essentially is an immigration policy that was implemented in large part by the Obama administration in 2012 that makes provision for those who were brought here illegally as children to be deferred (or even exempted) from deportation. There are many problems with this which have caused opposition to it, and chief among those is who qualifies for this "deferred action?" There are many undocumented adults who may or may not have come here as children who think they are entitled to DACA provisions, and they are even pushing to vote and do other things that are historic rights understood historically to be exclusive to citizens. This broad and ambiguous implementation of DACA is what is causing many of the issues, and thus why it is opposed by many. The term "Dreamer" has been applied to those who fall under these DACA ambiguities, and what has been happening is that criminal elements (MS-13 gang members, drug runners, Islamic terrorists, etc.) are taking advantages of the ambiguities of definition in order to carry out criminal activity, and there are some among those elements that say that because they are not given the right to vote, they are not subject to the laws, and thus can do what they want. It is similar to "diplomatic immunity" abuse that some who are part of foreign embassy delegations use to get away with criminal behavior, and the problem is that often American citizens bear the brunt of this, as was the case with Mollie Tibbetts and others. One of these "Dreamers" who claims to be an attorney but doesn't have citizenship even said that they were justified in this behavior - and, that attorney has an issue of his own. If an attorney is practicing law in the US, but is an illegal himself, it begs the question - if you took time to get your law school degree, then why didn't you invest in getting legal citizenship then? The attorney knows the law, but not only disobeys it himself but even empowers criminals who are illegals to perpetrate violence on American citizens, which to me would make this ambulance-chaser an accomplice in murders and other crimes his illegal alien buddies commit. And, that leads to another important point.
Both of my parents served in Vietnam and are veterans of the Army, and in doing so they should have things better than what they do. Many of our veterans - some of whom are disabled, still dealing with the traumas of war even 40 years after the fact, etc. - are living on the street and cannot get affordable housing or work. Yet, what is weird is that they have to show an ID when they buy a bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the local convenience store to "prove" that is who they are. These are not just normal citizens, but veterans who fought for our country. Yet, an illegal immigrant who shouldn't be here in the first place can come into a local welfare office, and they are handed thousands of dollars in benefits that you as a tax-paying citizen are financing while many of our veterans are living in cardboard boxes under bridges. In my native West Virginia, as well as other states in the Appalachian region, children are going without decent meals while illegals are getting things handed to them on silver platters - if we can't take care of our own, we have a problem, seriously. It would be like having a parent who locks their own biological child in a basement while lavishing gifts on a rich neighbor kid who doesn't need them, and indeed that is what many of our politicians have become, the equivalent of deadbeat parents who take our money, demand more, but fail to implement things that could benefit the common good of their citizens they claim to represent. It is a scandal at best, but a lot of worse things could be named to describe it. This, too, is why many informed Americans oppose DACA.
My opinion of DACA is that it should be repealed. While we should always welcome those who seek legal channels to obtain citizenship, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, at the same time we should not be empowering illegal aliens to be illegal. Illegal aliens should be encouraged to make it right by going through the proper channels to become citizens, and not exploit a system that they are not entitled to benefit from in the first place. Until we get our priorities straight on this, we are headed for big trouble, especially as terrorists and violent gangs take advantage of the stupidity of elected officials in this nation to run amok and terrorize our citizens. It needs to stop, and as immediately as possible. That is my word on the subject for today.
To be honest, I have tried to stay clear of this issue, as it is a "hot button" thing and other than the news stories I am hearing, I have not been as informed on it as perhaps I should, but that has changed recently. I have been watching various news reports and reading articles on this whole DACA, "Dreamers," and related issues, and the recent murder of Molly Tibbetts at the hands of an illegal immigrant has brought the issue close to home for many Americans. Therefore, today, I want to just give my perspective on things and see where it goes. I may tick off some people, as well as resonating with others, and that is to be expected. However, it is an extremely important issue that cannot be just ignored.
Much like my upbringing where I was taught to respect other's homes when I am a guest, it must be understood that an illegal alien is just that - a guest, and in many cases, an uninvited guest in the very fact they are illegal. There are a couple of up-front clarifications I want to establish first before I continue, so we will go ahead and do that.
First, most people who have issues with illegal immigration are not against immigrants at all. As a matter of fact, if someone takes the effort to be naturalized officially as a citizen of our nation, they should be welcomed. Many naturalized citizens are very important parts of our communities, and they often could teach those of us who are born and raised here an important lesson in regard to patriotism - they are very grateful to be in this country, they love and respect it, and interesting enough often they are the strongest opponents of illegal immigration because they know first-hand what it takes to be an American. I have known many such people, and one in particular, a British ex-pat we used to go to church with by the name of Jean, said that she is no longer British but is American. Some other friends of mine, a couple of beautiful Assyrian-American sisters named Christmas and Rebecca Simon, display a dedicated patriotism for our country that should shame many people who even fail to salute our flag during the Pledge of Allegiance. People like Jean and the Simon Sisters are what this great nation is about - they represent a pride in their country of choice that many of us who are "natives" often take for granted, and we should maybe look at their example to remember how blessed we truly are to be here. America started out as a nation of immigrants - even the American Indians came here from somewhere else actually - and hard-working immigrant ancestors are what built this nation and gave it the greatness she has. However, many of those earlier (and current) immigrants have a couple of things that distinguish them. First, they were not slaves to entitlement - many of them came here with just the shirts on their backs, yet they worked their butts off to get what they have and provide a good life for their families. Second, they also complied to the legal process in obtaining their citizenship - they respected the laws, and followed them to become productive citizens of this nation. And, for that, we should be proud of them. Many of the people reading this have parents and grandparents who had that experience, and you are who you are because of those dedicated and hard-working people and should thank God for them every day. Therefore, I too express appreciation for those people who came to our shores, respected the legal process, and put in the effort to being productive American citizens. Those were some good people, and God bless them for it.
Another point I want to make is this - just because someone is Hispanic doesn't automatically make them an "illegal." History testifies that much of what we call the American Southwest once belonged to Spain and later Mexico, and there are many people of Mexican descent in those regions whose ancestors may have settled there close to 300 or more years ago. When those areas became part of the US, those people received automatic citizenship, and their descendants still are prominent in the region today. Likewise, there is Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico is a part of the United States, and its residents are American citizens who happen to be predominantly Hispanic. Their cultural heritage has contributed to the rich panorama of the American experience, and by all means they should celebrate it. And, while it is important for them as American citizens to be conversant in English, at the same time I personally don't have a problem with them retaining a knowledge of the Spanish language either, as it is an integral part of who they are. Therefore, it is important to understand that not all Spanish-speaking communities in the US are immigrants either - some are as native as I am. However, for the illegals that cross the border, it creates problems particularly in the Southwest for long-established Mexican-American families who have lived there for generations and are citizens - the illegal immigrants drain the resources of the Mexican-American communities in those regions as well, and that is not right. An American citizen of Mexican heritage should be given priority over those who cross the border illegally, and thus illegal immigration hurts Mexican-Americans too.
Now that we have established that, let's talk about DACA and "Dreamers." DACA is defined as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and essentially is an immigration policy that was implemented in large part by the Obama administration in 2012 that makes provision for those who were brought here illegally as children to be deferred (or even exempted) from deportation. There are many problems with this which have caused opposition to it, and chief among those is who qualifies for this "deferred action?" There are many undocumented adults who may or may not have come here as children who think they are entitled to DACA provisions, and they are even pushing to vote and do other things that are historic rights understood historically to be exclusive to citizens. This broad and ambiguous implementation of DACA is what is causing many of the issues, and thus why it is opposed by many. The term "Dreamer" has been applied to those who fall under these DACA ambiguities, and what has been happening is that criminal elements (MS-13 gang members, drug runners, Islamic terrorists, etc.) are taking advantages of the ambiguities of definition in order to carry out criminal activity, and there are some among those elements that say that because they are not given the right to vote, they are not subject to the laws, and thus can do what they want. It is similar to "diplomatic immunity" abuse that some who are part of foreign embassy delegations use to get away with criminal behavior, and the problem is that often American citizens bear the brunt of this, as was the case with Mollie Tibbetts and others. One of these "Dreamers" who claims to be an attorney but doesn't have citizenship even said that they were justified in this behavior - and, that attorney has an issue of his own. If an attorney is practicing law in the US, but is an illegal himself, it begs the question - if you took time to get your law school degree, then why didn't you invest in getting legal citizenship then? The attorney knows the law, but not only disobeys it himself but even empowers criminals who are illegals to perpetrate violence on American citizens, which to me would make this ambulance-chaser an accomplice in murders and other crimes his illegal alien buddies commit. And, that leads to another important point.
Both of my parents served in Vietnam and are veterans of the Army, and in doing so they should have things better than what they do. Many of our veterans - some of whom are disabled, still dealing with the traumas of war even 40 years after the fact, etc. - are living on the street and cannot get affordable housing or work. Yet, what is weird is that they have to show an ID when they buy a bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the local convenience store to "prove" that is who they are. These are not just normal citizens, but veterans who fought for our country. Yet, an illegal immigrant who shouldn't be here in the first place can come into a local welfare office, and they are handed thousands of dollars in benefits that you as a tax-paying citizen are financing while many of our veterans are living in cardboard boxes under bridges. In my native West Virginia, as well as other states in the Appalachian region, children are going without decent meals while illegals are getting things handed to them on silver platters - if we can't take care of our own, we have a problem, seriously. It would be like having a parent who locks their own biological child in a basement while lavishing gifts on a rich neighbor kid who doesn't need them, and indeed that is what many of our politicians have become, the equivalent of deadbeat parents who take our money, demand more, but fail to implement things that could benefit the common good of their citizens they claim to represent. It is a scandal at best, but a lot of worse things could be named to describe it. This, too, is why many informed Americans oppose DACA.
My opinion of DACA is that it should be repealed. While we should always welcome those who seek legal channels to obtain citizenship, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, at the same time we should not be empowering illegal aliens to be illegal. Illegal aliens should be encouraged to make it right by going through the proper channels to become citizens, and not exploit a system that they are not entitled to benefit from in the first place. Until we get our priorities straight on this, we are headed for big trouble, especially as terrorists and violent gangs take advantage of the stupidity of elected officials in this nation to run amok and terrorize our citizens. It needs to stop, and as immediately as possible. That is my word on the subject for today.
Friday, August 24, 2018
Why At Times Self-Appreciation May Be More Vital Than Unwarranted Opposition
There is a lot to reflect on, but often when that happens there are just no words to express it. Since moving back a couple of years ago close to the area where I grew up as a kid, I have been reflecting on a lot honestly. After 27 years in Florida, where I originally went to attend college but then ended up getting married and being stuck there, it is actually good to be home. Being back in this area is not without its challenges though, and in contrast to the 19-year-old kid who left home in 1989 to go off to college, I am now a lot older and even different in outlook in many respects. And, I not only brought myself back, but with me now is my wife too, and Maryland especially is a new experience for her as well. I am not sure what the direction of this discussion is going to take today, but I am sure that as I ramble off I will get a structure to these thoughts.
One thing of a more serious note I wanted to touch on is something that has been in the back of my mind for some time, and just needed to come out. Over the 48 years (soon to be 49) of my existence, I have kind of gotten use to not being taken seriously, ignored, and even outright opposed by even family members. If something happens to me that is good, or I reach a major achievement in my life, more often than not I will have some relative who belittles it, attacks it, or just plain ignores it totally - it always feels good to have a bubble burst for an achievement you have worked so hard for by those who actually should be sharing the joy with you. That is why - and now I am getting my bearings! - it is time to give a bit of a life lesson to those who read this who may be in the same situation, in that there are a few things you need to understand in order to move forward. This will necessarily mean a retitling of this piece from the original generic title I was going to give it, as we now have direction to write. Bear with me though, as this is a little intense as a subject, and it is getting some things on the table I have hesitated to say but need to.
Many reading this have had those moments where you have felt a sense of accomplishment - you got that promotion at your job, you landed that "dream job" you had been fighting for many years to get, or you earned that degree you have worked your butt off to get for four years. You have just conquered a major mountain in your life, and you did it not just for you, but for the pride of your family and you have done something many of them couldn't do. Now, this is an occasion to celebrate if any, right? Of course! And, in many cases, many families are proud of you for that great achievement you have just made and they will have a celebration or something for you. It's really a blessing too when that happens. However, although in an ideal world that should be the case, in real life many families are so fragmented and so divided this day and age that frankly, to use Clark Gable's iconic line from Gone With the Wind, they just don't give a damn. When that comes across to you, after all the hard work and effort you made, it is like a slap in the face, isn't it? That is what I want to direct my conversation to now, and it is not going to be easy for some on the receiving end of it to swallow at all, but there is a reason why it must be said. That is what we'll talk about now.
The first part of this whole issue is an important principle to grasp - not everyone is going to appreciate what you do, and they will be critical and find fault with you despite your best efforts. To be fair, you are not expecting them to understand your motivation and efforts, but just to appreciate them, but they fail to do either or even try. Being faced with that is not pleasant, and especially when you want these people you call your family to share in the blessing with you, but this is where some important realizations need to be emphasized. Despite what benefit and blessing your great accomplishment is supposed to be to your family, honestly you need to really grasp that you didn't do this just to get their accolades; no, you did it for your own growth and achievement, and that is what is important. I have learned to use a two-word phrase that is a bit blunt yet effective in those situations with such people - "screw you." After all, think about it - did they put in the effort you did to get where you are, and did they stand with you even when you had some difficult hurdles to overcome in gaining that milestone in your life? Ninety-nine percent of the time that answer is no. Yet, for some reason, those who invested the least (if anything) in your success are often the ones who are quick to condemn, criticize, and gossip about you behind your back. I know of which I speak, as I have a family full of those deadweights. Let me tell you a personal story about that if I could.
A few years back, after almost a 16-year hiatus, I was finally able to pursue the graduate degree that I wanted to earn for many years. Due to life circumstances over the previous years, I was unable to pursue it earlier, so I was in my early 40's before I even started my Master's. As I was getting ready to finish up the degree, I talked one night on the phone to a close relative - one who has a reputation for gossip and negativity, I might add, as this particular family member always has to put someone down - and mentioned my pursuits. Instead of "I am so proud of you" or "way to go," all I got out of this individual was a nosy and inappropriate comment about my student loans (which is none of this person's business, being they have not contributed in any way to my education at all). In the back of my mind, I was thinking "seriously??" and that conversation ended abruptly. And, it is not the first time - I have caught a lot of flak over the years (even when I was younger) about pursuing my education, and many of the people who have done this were either blood relatives or in-laws. This is why the "screw you" approach has been my coping mechanism, and as I mention that, I have also learned to limit my contact with such people too, even if they are family. You can't choose your kin, it is true, but you can choose not to deal with them when they spread negativity and condemnation in your life. So, I have learned to move forward with life despite the parasites that are family in many cases, and I have better things to do than to subject myself to their "scrutiny." I have also learned an important lesson from the Bible about this too - in Matthew 7:6 a parable of Christ tells us to not cast our pearls before swine. In the context of that verse, it means that precious things such as the proclamation of the Gospel as well as other holy things are not to be shared with those who will reject them and defile them, as it is just like a pig crapping on and trampling an heirloom pearl necklace. Although that is the correct application of that passage in Scripture, it equally applies to us as well - there are many things we hold dear and even sacred ourselves, and they should not be shared with those who would make fun of them and not fully appreciate them - in other words, it is better not to even try to explain something good to a jerk in that case. And, that leads me to another personal reflection that doesn't encompass one event, but rather several incidences in my lifetime.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you have experienced something that has touched you or really gotten you "fired up" about something in a good way, and you just wanted to share it? It could be a dream you have had, an idea, or even a church service, concert, or some other event that impacted you profoundly. The impact of whatever the situation is was so permeating that it was all you could think or talk about. Yet, when you try to share it with people, they laugh at you, say you're "crazy," or even worse, they give you that apathetic look like "who cares?" and that tends to dampen the mood considerably. I have always hated that when it happened, and to be honest it makes you want to take a baseball bat and crack some heads of these apathetic jerks who dismiss you. Those apathetic jerks are like the pigs in Jesus's parable, and what you have done by telling them your life-changing experience is cast your pearls before them to trample to death, and therefore it cheapened and destroyed a good thing in your life, right? While it is fair to accept that not everyone will have the same reaction you did to whatever it was that fired you up, at the same time the - forgive the pejorative term here - dumbasses could at least be happy for you; I mean, what if it was reversed and they had the good experience - would they like it if you dismissed them like that?? In recent years (meaning about 20 honestly) there have been some good movies that have captured this perfectly, and I want to talk about two of them now.
The first movie featured the little guy above in the title role, and for those who were around at that time, it is 1998's Simon Birch. The title character of that film was a sickly dwarf pre-teen boy who was misunderstood by many in his town, and his parents were so deadbeat they could care less about him. So, he befriended another boy (Joe) who was the child of a single parent who was equally shunned, and as it turns out, the parish church vicar ended up being that boy's father, as it was revealed later. Despite being put-down and ostracized by even his own parents, one thing notable during the course of the film was that little Simon Birch had two things going for him - for one, he had a positive attitude despite his adversity, and he also had a sense of destiny. Later, thanks to the heroic action of little Simon in giving his life to rescue a busload of scared young kids who had careened into a river, his destiny was realized. Both Simon and his friend Joe illustrate that often greatness is underappreciated and condemned, until often it is too late. Simon had to die in serving others in order to be taken seriously, which is tragic.
The second movie, 1996's Matilda, featured young actress Mara Wilson (pictured above) in the title role of the film. Matilda Wormwood is basically an unwanted daughter of two deadbeat parents who basically ignore her, and in her lonliness she begins to read voraciously and achieves an intelligence beyond her years, which of course is dismissed and denigrated by her jackass family. But, in the end a dedicated teacher (thank God for those too!) sees the treasure this little girl really was, and she takes her as her own. Matilda achieved a lot, but she also had little support or love from those who are supposed to be her family. She shared that in common with Simon Birch.
A third film I want to mention came out around 2003 and was called Second-Hand Lions, and it featured a teenage Haley Joel Osment as Walter, a young boy whose golddigger mother was so self-absorbed that she didn't give a care about her son and therefore sought to dump him off on her two eccentric elderly uncles (played by Michael Caine and Robert Duval, who did an excellent job) in Texas who lived in a rickety old house, despite having a fortune assumed to be in the billions they had amassed in their younger days as mercenary guns-for-hire in Europe and North Africa. The kid is really insecure, but he grows on the uncles who eventually give the boy a home in which he is able to live a good life free of his selfish mother, and he goes on to become a successful cartoonist as an adult. This movie is a good illustration as to why in some cases adoption is preferable to bad biological parents, in that the boy's uncles really took an interest in him and raised him to be a fine young man, something his mother would have failed at doing. Again, like Simon Birch and Matilda Wormwood, Walter was an underappreciated treasure to his biological parents, and they lost out, yet they didn't seem to care. However, at least fate assisted them to be the people they were destined to be, and that is the beauty of those movies.
The lesson one should get out of these movies is that regardless of circumstance, and even dead wood in one's family, one can rise above and beyond the crap-pile of negativity, criticism, and ignorance that families tend to foster. I am a testimony of that myself - neither of my parents were real prizes by any measure, and the rest of my relatives didn't even care that I existed throughout most of my younger life, yet I beat the odds and accomplished a lot despite those circumstances. I overcame poverty, isolation, and even condemnation and criticism of others to be the person I am today, and no one can take that from me and no one has a right to condemn, gossip, judge, or make sport of it either. I have learned - and yes, it sounds selfish, but in this context it is fine - that I need to take care of what is in my best interests first, although I have never been adverse to good mentorship when offered. In taking care of my best interests, I am in a better position then to serve others who maybe need that encouragement, so if any good fruit comes from out of this, it would be the ability to tell people that they need to stay away from negativity-spreaders (even, and especially, if they are family) and stay on course with what they are supposed to be doing. That way, you keep focused, and the word-vomit of deadbeat family and others won't derail your pursuits. If more people would learn that, I think a lot of nonsense we face would be easily eliminated. Any rate, that is my lesson for today, and hopefully it reaches someone. Also, like a minister named Mark Chironna said once, and I take as words to live by, it is good to remember that your present position doesn't determine your future potential. And, that includes the present mouth-vomit of deadbeat family members too. So long until next time.
One thing of a more serious note I wanted to touch on is something that has been in the back of my mind for some time, and just needed to come out. Over the 48 years (soon to be 49) of my existence, I have kind of gotten use to not being taken seriously, ignored, and even outright opposed by even family members. If something happens to me that is good, or I reach a major achievement in my life, more often than not I will have some relative who belittles it, attacks it, or just plain ignores it totally - it always feels good to have a bubble burst for an achievement you have worked so hard for by those who actually should be sharing the joy with you. That is why - and now I am getting my bearings! - it is time to give a bit of a life lesson to those who read this who may be in the same situation, in that there are a few things you need to understand in order to move forward. This will necessarily mean a retitling of this piece from the original generic title I was going to give it, as we now have direction to write. Bear with me though, as this is a little intense as a subject, and it is getting some things on the table I have hesitated to say but need to.
Many reading this have had those moments where you have felt a sense of accomplishment - you got that promotion at your job, you landed that "dream job" you had been fighting for many years to get, or you earned that degree you have worked your butt off to get for four years. You have just conquered a major mountain in your life, and you did it not just for you, but for the pride of your family and you have done something many of them couldn't do. Now, this is an occasion to celebrate if any, right? Of course! And, in many cases, many families are proud of you for that great achievement you have just made and they will have a celebration or something for you. It's really a blessing too when that happens. However, although in an ideal world that should be the case, in real life many families are so fragmented and so divided this day and age that frankly, to use Clark Gable's iconic line from Gone With the Wind, they just don't give a damn. When that comes across to you, after all the hard work and effort you made, it is like a slap in the face, isn't it? That is what I want to direct my conversation to now, and it is not going to be easy for some on the receiving end of it to swallow at all, but there is a reason why it must be said. That is what we'll talk about now.
The first part of this whole issue is an important principle to grasp - not everyone is going to appreciate what you do, and they will be critical and find fault with you despite your best efforts. To be fair, you are not expecting them to understand your motivation and efforts, but just to appreciate them, but they fail to do either or even try. Being faced with that is not pleasant, and especially when you want these people you call your family to share in the blessing with you, but this is where some important realizations need to be emphasized. Despite what benefit and blessing your great accomplishment is supposed to be to your family, honestly you need to really grasp that you didn't do this just to get their accolades; no, you did it for your own growth and achievement, and that is what is important. I have learned to use a two-word phrase that is a bit blunt yet effective in those situations with such people - "screw you." After all, think about it - did they put in the effort you did to get where you are, and did they stand with you even when you had some difficult hurdles to overcome in gaining that milestone in your life? Ninety-nine percent of the time that answer is no. Yet, for some reason, those who invested the least (if anything) in your success are often the ones who are quick to condemn, criticize, and gossip about you behind your back. I know of which I speak, as I have a family full of those deadweights. Let me tell you a personal story about that if I could.
A few years back, after almost a 16-year hiatus, I was finally able to pursue the graduate degree that I wanted to earn for many years. Due to life circumstances over the previous years, I was unable to pursue it earlier, so I was in my early 40's before I even started my Master's. As I was getting ready to finish up the degree, I talked one night on the phone to a close relative - one who has a reputation for gossip and negativity, I might add, as this particular family member always has to put someone down - and mentioned my pursuits. Instead of "I am so proud of you" or "way to go," all I got out of this individual was a nosy and inappropriate comment about my student loans (which is none of this person's business, being they have not contributed in any way to my education at all). In the back of my mind, I was thinking "seriously??" and that conversation ended abruptly. And, it is not the first time - I have caught a lot of flak over the years (even when I was younger) about pursuing my education, and many of the people who have done this were either blood relatives or in-laws. This is why the "screw you" approach has been my coping mechanism, and as I mention that, I have also learned to limit my contact with such people too, even if they are family. You can't choose your kin, it is true, but you can choose not to deal with them when they spread negativity and condemnation in your life. So, I have learned to move forward with life despite the parasites that are family in many cases, and I have better things to do than to subject myself to their "scrutiny." I have also learned an important lesson from the Bible about this too - in Matthew 7:6 a parable of Christ tells us to not cast our pearls before swine. In the context of that verse, it means that precious things such as the proclamation of the Gospel as well as other holy things are not to be shared with those who will reject them and defile them, as it is just like a pig crapping on and trampling an heirloom pearl necklace. Although that is the correct application of that passage in Scripture, it equally applies to us as well - there are many things we hold dear and even sacred ourselves, and they should not be shared with those who would make fun of them and not fully appreciate them - in other words, it is better not to even try to explain something good to a jerk in that case. And, that leads me to another personal reflection that doesn't encompass one event, but rather several incidences in my lifetime.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you have experienced something that has touched you or really gotten you "fired up" about something in a good way, and you just wanted to share it? It could be a dream you have had, an idea, or even a church service, concert, or some other event that impacted you profoundly. The impact of whatever the situation is was so permeating that it was all you could think or talk about. Yet, when you try to share it with people, they laugh at you, say you're "crazy," or even worse, they give you that apathetic look like "who cares?" and that tends to dampen the mood considerably. I have always hated that when it happened, and to be honest it makes you want to take a baseball bat and crack some heads of these apathetic jerks who dismiss you. Those apathetic jerks are like the pigs in Jesus's parable, and what you have done by telling them your life-changing experience is cast your pearls before them to trample to death, and therefore it cheapened and destroyed a good thing in your life, right? While it is fair to accept that not everyone will have the same reaction you did to whatever it was that fired you up, at the same time the - forgive the pejorative term here - dumbasses could at least be happy for you; I mean, what if it was reversed and they had the good experience - would they like it if you dismissed them like that?? In recent years (meaning about 20 honestly) there have been some good movies that have captured this perfectly, and I want to talk about two of them now.
The first movie featured the little guy above in the title role, and for those who were around at that time, it is 1998's Simon Birch. The title character of that film was a sickly dwarf pre-teen boy who was misunderstood by many in his town, and his parents were so deadbeat they could care less about him. So, he befriended another boy (Joe) who was the child of a single parent who was equally shunned, and as it turns out, the parish church vicar ended up being that boy's father, as it was revealed later. Despite being put-down and ostracized by even his own parents, one thing notable during the course of the film was that little Simon Birch had two things going for him - for one, he had a positive attitude despite his adversity, and he also had a sense of destiny. Later, thanks to the heroic action of little Simon in giving his life to rescue a busload of scared young kids who had careened into a river, his destiny was realized. Both Simon and his friend Joe illustrate that often greatness is underappreciated and condemned, until often it is too late. Simon had to die in serving others in order to be taken seriously, which is tragic.
The second movie, 1996's Matilda, featured young actress Mara Wilson (pictured above) in the title role of the film. Matilda Wormwood is basically an unwanted daughter of two deadbeat parents who basically ignore her, and in her lonliness she begins to read voraciously and achieves an intelligence beyond her years, which of course is dismissed and denigrated by her jackass family. But, in the end a dedicated teacher (thank God for those too!) sees the treasure this little girl really was, and she takes her as her own. Matilda achieved a lot, but she also had little support or love from those who are supposed to be her family. She shared that in common with Simon Birch.
A third film I want to mention came out around 2003 and was called Second-Hand Lions, and it featured a teenage Haley Joel Osment as Walter, a young boy whose golddigger mother was so self-absorbed that she didn't give a care about her son and therefore sought to dump him off on her two eccentric elderly uncles (played by Michael Caine and Robert Duval, who did an excellent job) in Texas who lived in a rickety old house, despite having a fortune assumed to be in the billions they had amassed in their younger days as mercenary guns-for-hire in Europe and North Africa. The kid is really insecure, but he grows on the uncles who eventually give the boy a home in which he is able to live a good life free of his selfish mother, and he goes on to become a successful cartoonist as an adult. This movie is a good illustration as to why in some cases adoption is preferable to bad biological parents, in that the boy's uncles really took an interest in him and raised him to be a fine young man, something his mother would have failed at doing. Again, like Simon Birch and Matilda Wormwood, Walter was an underappreciated treasure to his biological parents, and they lost out, yet they didn't seem to care. However, at least fate assisted them to be the people they were destined to be, and that is the beauty of those movies.
The lesson one should get out of these movies is that regardless of circumstance, and even dead wood in one's family, one can rise above and beyond the crap-pile of negativity, criticism, and ignorance that families tend to foster. I am a testimony of that myself - neither of my parents were real prizes by any measure, and the rest of my relatives didn't even care that I existed throughout most of my younger life, yet I beat the odds and accomplished a lot despite those circumstances. I overcame poverty, isolation, and even condemnation and criticism of others to be the person I am today, and no one can take that from me and no one has a right to condemn, gossip, judge, or make sport of it either. I have learned - and yes, it sounds selfish, but in this context it is fine - that I need to take care of what is in my best interests first, although I have never been adverse to good mentorship when offered. In taking care of my best interests, I am in a better position then to serve others who maybe need that encouragement, so if any good fruit comes from out of this, it would be the ability to tell people that they need to stay away from negativity-spreaders (even, and especially, if they are family) and stay on course with what they are supposed to be doing. That way, you keep focused, and the word-vomit of deadbeat family and others won't derail your pursuits. If more people would learn that, I think a lot of nonsense we face would be easily eliminated. Any rate, that is my lesson for today, and hopefully it reaches someone. Also, like a minister named Mark Chironna said once, and I take as words to live by, it is good to remember that your present position doesn't determine your future potential. And, that includes the present mouth-vomit of deadbeat family members too. So long until next time.
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