Category: Future

We live in a world of strangeness. The rich get richer, and the criminal is arrested more than one time. 

I took a Citizens Academy years ago, and one thing that stuck in my mind was the fact that so many times, a criminal will come from a family of criminals.

You just say one of their family names, like Younger, as in Younger brothers, and you look it up on the jail roster and discover mother, brother, uncle, sister, father, and a host of other relatives are all in the same boat and probably have an arrest record.

I know it’s hard to look at things that way because we want people to be judged on their own merits and not on their family name.

Another coincidence is if someone is arrested for one crime, and it may be a petty crime, that person will always be suspected of breaking the law in that area. 

For example, there is a guy who is known to go to bars a lot and drink a lot. He cannot drive because he has a driving under the influence charge against him. Yet it is said, that even if he is in a vehicle just riding  with  others, his associates are often pulled over just by virtue of his presence, putting them all at risk for the charge of drunk driving.

Again, the same holds true about birds of a feather who love to flock together. Sadly, his friends do not want to go out drinking with him for that very reason.. because they are all drunks, and still drink and drive, to them that is ok, but they don’t want to be seen with him.

Once a person is judged as doing something wrong, that person will always be suspected of backsliding and doing that again and again. 

We like to give others the benefit of the doubt, but more experienced people, like the authorities, seem to have a very skeptic view of human nature.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if all of us were born and raised in a family of winners, whose very name conjures up the vision of a family of law-abiding citizens.

It would be great if we never had a reason to make a mistake, or never found ourselves in bad company. Sadly, not everyone is a winner in the gene pool, or the family lottery. But, we do have free will to make our own decisions, and we can really change if we decide to.

However, if worse comes to worse, folks found with a negatively popular last name who are trying to do right, can either legally change their last name in order to separate themselves from a disreputable family, or else just bravely try to set a good example.

Some of the biggest thrills in my life, things that make me really sparkle with the joy of living, have come from writing original homemade songs.

Perhaps it is the element of surprise that comes from the trance I get in, and the results of original songwriting.

Today I wrote a new song. It was inspired by the end of summer, the joys of living in the Midwest, and of course being with my husband, the love of my life.

Nevertheless, something else that speaks to me, besides the thrill that that comes from writing original songs, is the majestic beauty found in the abundant variety of blooming and blossoming flowers.

Granted, I never used to buy flowers very often. Now, since  I can afford it, I buy fresh-cut flowers once a week, at least.

I do have plants that I grow in the house. But, flowering bouquets have a special attraction of their own.

Yes, they do reflect the transiency of life, but they are so beautiful. They really light up a room and they light up my life.

Suppose you try and do something and everyone tells you you’re wrong. That is the way it seems to be sometimes.

Russell Simmons says that you should “do you!” It is somewhat exciting to be yourself, but people don’t like it. They want you to “do them.”

Like in the song “Cecilia,” my confidence has been shaken as of late. People seem to imagine me doing their bidding. I’m not a Slave. Perhaps that’s what they need. But I am not a Slave. I can live my own life perfectly contented because of the distance I’ve traveled.

We have a spoiled society of consumerism. People who are so out of touch with what is real, and it makes you want to slap them up the side the head. 

I call these people users and abusers. Once in awhile they rear their ugly heads in my life, usually they show up as immature members of the public. 

It makes you wonder what kind of a generation we are raising.

Of course, critics can be very mean. I’ve never found a competent critic who is well-meaning.

I suppose that it’s every man and woman for themselves. I’m glad I’m strong enough at my age to be able to cope. Thank goodness for my husband, my sister, and my two dogs.

I have to confess that once in awhile one of my associates in my business of broadcasting also has a word of encouragement for me. It’s too bad we have to look outside ourselves for our confidence. Nonetheless, every one of us has the power to uplift each other or tear each other down. 

Be nice.

A few years ago when my Pomeranian was getting an ocular implant, that is an artificial lens because she has cataracts and glaucoma, I wrote this song and created this music video in honor of National Dog day.

Listen to our acoustic duo, Molly and Sonny Boy, (James and Amy Zents) as we sing a short homemade ditty in honor of  “National dog day” on YouTube here.

https://youtu.be/eNOLLwZDpHI

Our pet canines bring us continual joy, day in and day out.

They don’t tell you fibs that bring you down, and they don’t make you false promises, and then don’t deliver.

Dogs ought to be celebrated every single day of the year! 🙂

Today I was thinking about cities in the US.

I went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the first time last year. Philadelphia is quite the city. 

It has a densely populated downtown, with the voice of history decorating Liberty Square and its surrounding historical attractions.

I had a chance to see some monumental historical sites including the Liberty Bell and Independence Square.

I enjoyed seeing some reenactments of the decisive and divisive issue of the American colonies separation from Great Britain in 1776, and the events that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Nevertheless, I also had my smartphone, a brand-new one, stolen.

One middle-aged woman I encountered in the downtown area, decided that I should buy her breakfast, when I walked into a food market across the street from our convention Hotel.

I didn’t know what to think. I was sort of shocked at her chutzpah.

There was quite an array of folk at the food market. Some representing poverty and others representing extreme wealth.

So that is what cities do. It collects the best of society and the worst. It collects the finest and the fairest, the poorest and the barest.

I feel more circumspect about Philadelphia now that I got my smartphone replaced.

Even still, I had to divorce from my mobile provider for actually activating my stolen smartphone and giving the thief mobile service, after I had reported to them that my new smartphone was stolen.

You would love Philadelphia if you love American history. And if you love large beautiful hotels, fine live entertainment, and delicious food served in beautiful restaurants, go to Philadelphia with lots of money. Otherwise, you may see things that make you sad. 

Many cities have the same things that Philadelphia has: poverty, crime and corruption. I guess that’s people for you. The division between rich and poor?

It’s everywhere.

Canada switched to the metric system while I was a kid still living in Toronto.

There were big efforts pushed to help people understand the centimeter, the millimeter and the hectare.

The rest of the world smiled indulgently whilst Canadians struggled to jump on the metric bandwagon. 

America just shrugged its shoulders and continued to buy cheaper gas by the gallon, drinking pints and quarts of booze and ice cream shakes.

All kidding aside, it seems our culture is fascinated by all forms of self-improvement in print and on the screen.

Nevertheless, obesity, addictions, embezzlements and domestic violence still stick around.

Answers are out there. Solutions are given freely in schools, magazines, talk shows, and anywhere you look online for scientific and sincere answers.

The problem comes with application. Time to get off the pot. People start making changes when they decide to.

It’s not that hard, but it requires effort, belief, and consistency.

As Nike says, Just do it!

Today I cleaned out my work email box. 

There are no emails in there right now. 

What a relief!

I’m sure it won’t last very long. 

But it sure feels good right now.

There is much I need to relay to my spam folder.

I remember way back when,

when getting an e-mail was a thrill.

Now getting emails is a pill, 

unless it’s for a special reason, 

like a flight confirmation 

for a far away destination, 

I’m heading to, 

for a vacation! 😀

I remember I used to work at a coffee shop.

I used to love to drink my coffee in a large tall mug such as the one pictured above.

Today as I sip my fragrant hazelnut coffee out of a long, tall mug, it takes me back to my college years.

There were happy times and there were sad times, but coffee time was always a good time!

During my college years I was disconnected from popular culture. I did not watch TV or go to movies. I was in a little bubble of music all my own.

There was a fellow I met who looked like Brad Pitt. I did not know who Brad Pitt was. What to me looked like a German fellow, turned out to be the spitting image of a movie icon, the likes other women drooled over.

I just liked him because he was also a very musical fellow, an international traveler, and good at computer science. Plus, I needed a place to crash since I lived out of town. Eventually we parted ways, he was leaving the country and moving away. Plus, he was a bit of a religious nut. But, he was a nice guy albeit too much of a neatnik! 

When I think of this coffee mug it reminds me of the past. 
In spite of this bout of nostalgia, I feel the things worth remembering are the things that are of practical value, such as experience.

Nevertheless, you can’t walk through an antique store without seeing things that remind you of your childhood. They may not be important, but they’re fun to revisit now and then.

So many times the sight of flowers makes me stop and soak in the happiness.

Lately, it seems I have been in sync with time.

It seems there have been pockets of time where I am finally fully present, unrushed and thoroughly in the moment.

Life hasn’t always been this way, especially for me.  I am happy when I notice these small episodes. I am glad when time does not hasten by so quickly. When time seems to travel too fast it makes me me feel anxious and upset. When you can live at your own pace you can feel relaxed, and not harassed.

It’s wonderful to know one can be mindful and present, and savor the joy of living. 

Perhaps I’ve learned how to schedule better plans for enough room in my life to live, instead of overbooking every second.