THOUGHTS KEEP RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD

There are still many of us around who remember the “olden days”, when few thought much about how many children a family should have. For one thing, it has only been a little over a century since Man abandoned the Ages of manual and animal labor, and dove headlong into the debauchery of living lives made easy by technology.

The worst part is that this age of physical ease has also led to varying degrees of personal greed, best expressed through the lives of some of the Very Rich, but also added to the Wish Lists of those farther down the financial hill.

And—if you can wander down the wandering mental path of an old shut-in—I must explain that what I am about to write came to my mind several days ahead of what I just wrote above.

First, Americans keep bragging to the rest of the world that this is the Land of the Free. Just exactly which Americans are free? Let’s accept the notion that we live in a white nation. (I wonder just what percentage of the Indians—many of whom still live on reservations—think of this as an apt description.)

Next, the black population: Almost without exception, the blacks who live here now are descended from blacks who came here in chains. I’ll bet they have a different view of what “freedom” means—even now!

And let’s not forget the latest problem most annoying to white Americans right now—the Hispanics. To review our national history a bit, our white forebears had to sail—do you get that—actually SAIL all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, and then fight off and kill a lot of the people who already lived here in order to bring OUR children here to the land which (probably someone decided) God had said should be OURS. And now—can you believe it?!—we have Mexicans, albeit many friendly, coming across a different border to Our Country looking for jobs and homes and futures for their children as well?!

Which leads us, in turn, to the caste system this country presently enjoys. We like to think of ourselves as living in a land of freedom for everyone to climb a number of—but not all—ladders of choice. The most popular are those which require Wealth, Family Name, Connections, and Just-Plain-Luck. They don’t require too much work. In almost all cases, if you got it, you get it; if you don’t, you won’t.

The most valuable and meaningful ladders are those which require a great deal of time and effort in any available education and/or opportunity which can be seen as goals of service (large or small) to others.

Why is it that, by the luck of birth, some of us are entitled to lives of comfort—and even wealth, while many others are condemned to lives spent in meaningless, often difficult jobs, unrewarded by salaries that make them worth doing; and even worse, jobs which do not even reward them with self-respect? And to make matters worse, that is the only inheritance many have to pass on down to their children. (Improvements in their lives are beginning to take place now, but they are a long way off.)

Listening to discussions right now on the matter of unemployment, the anwer which both sides seem to agree upon, apparently rests on increased jobs. BUT, how can you solve it when we have increased population completely ignored on one hand, and reduced jobs on the other, due to enormous advances in humanless technology on the other?!

As a hardrock Atheist, it amazes me that so few Christians living in what they like to proclaim as a Christian Nation, apparently have given any serious thought to the moral and eithical sins of our national way of life.

And I close with the conundrum to beat all concundrums: How can you add another drop of water to a one-cup measuring cup which is already full? The answer is, You Can’t.

Neither Man, nor any other organism can spread itself beyond the spatial or nurturing bounds of the Earth without very possibly precipitating the End for All. And I would go beyond this to realize that, MORALLY, this probably should apply to Outer Space as well.

ARW
12/12/10

More Creatures to Rescue

THE PET PERIODICAL – More Creatures to Save

How I could have written on how to save a fly and then neglected other insects far more in need of help is beyond me. I hope this will make up for my mistake.

There are many insects which can ONLY crawl—no flying. And the death trap most eager to welcome them is the bathtub. Once a crawling insect enters the tub, it is trapped, for it cannnot crawl back up the upright slippery side, wet or dry.

For those of you with the sense of mercy to help them, the first thing to do is close the down-drain. Then get a piece of paper (if a fly rescue cup is not available) and encourage the poor creature to climb on so that you can take it outside.

If you’re a really human Human Being, that ought to make you feel good.

ARW
12/5/10

THE PET PERIODICAL

THE PET PERIODICAL – How to Rescue a Fly

Sitting here in my “office” day after day, one would think that I do not have much to write about. From my point of view, however, there is a great deal. My only problem right now lies in actually getting it done. But now, at last, it is very important to me to write on this subject, as I realize how very much I am slowing down.

One day, as I turned away from the constantly and instantaneously available connection of the television screen which brings us the real-life horrors of human life and human cruelty, I turned toward the window facing the opposit direction. And there I saw a fly on the inside—just sitting.

To catch a fly you have to be prepared with instruments at hand and the ability to react quickly. The instruments of choice range from the world-famous fly swatter, back through the years to fly paper and large bowls of soapy water in whch to drown any insect with curiosity--all of them cruel, a trait which only the human animal has been able to conceive and exhibit to such a high degree.

Very luckily, I happened to have a four-ounce plastic food container with plastic lid to match, and I quickly—but sneakily--grabbed them and placed the cup over the fly. Then I slipped the lid between the cup and the window--with the bewildered fly inside--and rushed them through the garage and outside, where I set the fly free. NOW, DON’T ARGUE WITH ME; as he flew away, he waved goodbye and said “thank you” to me!

From that day to this, I have regretted all the time it took for me to learn this lesson. Somehow, instead of feeling crazier, I acually feel more human.

ARW
12/4/10