Thanks

For the sound of children laughing

For all the extra years that I never expected to be given

For all those teachers who led me by the hand to knowledge

To the doctors and medical experts who helped cure my many maladies

To my family and friends who have loved me despite my behavioral flaws

To all the tradespeople who helped keep my living spaces livable

For the bounty of the great country into which I luckily was born

To all those people who gave their lives to keep the rest of us free

To the merchants who endeavor to supply us with great products and services

For all those many pets which gave me unquestioned love and companionship

To all the animals and plants which give us sustenance ... including today's turkey

For still having enough mental faculties to realize all these bestowed benefits

Loyalty

We all have our loyalties ... to the world, to our country, our state, our community, to our family, our ancestors, our mate, our friends, the poor, to our school, our political party, our social organizations, our religion, the environment, to our stomach, to our libido, our ego. Mostly we have mixed localities but, there is usually one or two localities that dominate ... and this can you be judged. And you cannot depend on what people say their loyalty priorities are ... you need to watch their actions.

Think about it. What dominated Bill Clinton's and JFK's lives? Their libidos. (JFK said he would get a headache if he didn't have sex every day.) FDR, his family and his country. Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter kept their religion and the poor foremost in their minds, To Ronald Reagan, our country was the "shining city on the hill" that was his  primary motivation. Truman and Eisenhower, their country. Obama, the environment or his ego. The Bushes, their family. Nixon, the world. Hillary, herself.

What about Trump? He says, and I believe him, he is a nationalist ... which means he puts his country first. And, if you think about things, it is those presidents who put their country at the top of their loyalty pyramids who we now consider great.

Perhaps?

Thanksgiving

I have just watched the customary pre-Thanksgiving round of television personalities citing the things that they are most thankful for ... good health, family and friends. Of course, I am also very thankful for these gifts ... but, musing further on my life ... one thing that I am also appreciative of is that those peevish complainers who always seem to come out of the woodwork to destroy with sinister pleasure every tradition that gives our lives comfort ... have not yet sunk Thanksgiving with their nihilistic blitzkriegs.

Happy Easter

May your day be full of family, friends and fond memories ... but not too much sugar for the kiddies.  As for Jesus's legacy, I think there is now a ray of hope emanating from the Vatican ...  Be of good will and offer kindness to all.

Thank You

Coming up on the day called “Thanksgiving” the subject of this reflection manifests itself. This therefore is a paean to all that makes my life good. But first let me explain what I mean by the“you” in “thank you.” Being a secular humanist I don’t necessarily mean God … but then again I don’t really want closely to identify myself with secular humanists. Too many of these people unfortunately want to take away some of the things that help make my life good. What are really wrong with church bells on a Sunday morning anyway? Secular humanist are laden with babinzoes who are too full of bile to recognize that these bells are calling to assembly a bunch of neighbors who wish me no harm. Rather, by “you” I mean everyone who has preceded me who has contributed to the state of near grace in which I find myself.

I say “near grace” for I am not kidding myself into believing that I have lived a life of transcendental enlightenment. I am not so inclined. Rather I take what snippets of grace that come my way with a kind of innocent joy (like this morning at 3:30AM when our 3-year-old granddaughter climbed into bed with us). And I herein recognize that these moments of grace are often constructs of uncountable efforts of unnamed predecessors over innumerable eons. So exactly what are these constructions for which I am indebted?

- A country in which I fear not a barrage of rockets.

- A home that keeps out the rain and keeps in the warmth.

- A wife and family that allow me to contribute and return the favor.

- A society that provides for my needs and allows me some wants.

- Friends and neighbors who forgive me my quirkiness.

- Forefathers who constructed a form of government that often seems to work.

- The legions of defenders of our freedoms who have died or been maimed in the process.

- A medical system that has kept me alive long past my due.

- My remembered father, mother, sister, friends, mentors and educators.

- The joy of watching youth blossom into understanding.

- A leftover turkey sandwich with sage stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise.

Thank you.

The Grimacing Reaper

Upon the death of my friend, Sambo.

Death hangs onto my shoulder,
Like a younger sibling.
He has been with me forever.
I cannot shake him,
Although, so far, he has let me be.
He has scythed many family and friends,
But why has he not harvested me?
Perhaps he has a sense of humor …