GOOD OMENS

One day last month my horoscope said that two years from now I would have great success with monetary rewards.

Since my birthday is on the cusp, I read both Aquarius and Capricorn and choose the best prognosis of each on any given day. I guess I was born lucky. On that particular day I mentioned, both of these signs were virtually the same. So that’s doubly great things for me.

The best news is, it means I’ll possibly still be alive to reap those benefits and can share all of them with you. So everyone,  try to take good care of me, It’s to your benefit.

LOOKING BACKWARDS

When my youngest child was in high school in South Carolina, we had a daily ritual for when she came home in the afternoon. We watched Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker on their PTL television show. (Praise the Lord)

We both had been raised in the north and never had access to southern gospel preachers. We were enthralled by them from the first and hoped to hear some of that good ole fashioned prayer meeting stuff. But it never happened. Tammy Fay sang and talked. She then gushed over guests and had her own cooking segment. That part was really a hoot.

Jim for the most part spent all his time selling units in their about to be constructed Holy Housing Development, Tammy was, of course, doing the decorating. She had impeccable taste. I don’t remember the real name for it since it was so long ago. A great deal of time was also spent asking for donations and sending out Praise the Lord souvenirs as their special thanks for all the money coming in. Tammy sold her music tapes and reaped a lot of money for herself. But never once did I hear any sermon coming from Jim. It was always “thank you lord” and “praise god”, maybe a snippet of a bible verse but never anything else except a plea for money.

We spent a great deal of time trying to understand how people could be so foolish as to believe in whatever those two were doing. And I must say, we also laughed at Tammy’s makeup and her recipes.

‘Course Jim got in trouble and went to jail, their development went bankrupt and Tammy Fay, the poor soul, got cancer and died.

I really should explain that when we moved to Columbia, they had just started to install cable television, so there weren’t many other shows available to watch during the day except for soap operas. We tried to understand why people loved Jim and Tammy so much. I guess they were thought of as friends and good people, but it turned out to be all about the money.

Imagine that.

PLACES YOU MIGHT FIND ME IF I’M MISSING

Many years ago we spent some time in San Francisco. When I returned home, I told friends and family if I was ever missing that’s where I would be found. Not permanently, but for a short time. I loved visiting the Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and hanging on a cable car. The whole area was filled with happy people, mostly tourists who were enjoying each other’s company.

Another place I really wanted to run to was Vermont. After spending a month there, I thought if the family had known about Vermont earlier, that’s where we all would be living now.

Amsterdam is next. I felt the same excitement there as I did in San Francisco, but could probably stand it for only a month or so. People were traveling everywhere on their bikes and they seemed filled with joy. Or could it be the marijuana?

The Lake Como area in Italy was absolutely beautiful; the views were spectacular with the Alps just across the water. The people were very friendly and George Clooney could possibly have been a neighbor. I loved the cool weather and feeling like I was in another world, which you are when visiting there.

I never wanted to leave South Carolina and had hoped to live there again. But that was 25 or more years ago and when we drove through Columbia several years ago everything had changed, roads were congested and it was difficult to even find the way to our old home. Having lived there only three years, I wonder if anyone would even remember me.

To be practical though, the best place for me would probably be good old Pennsylvania, especially Ligonier and the town of Latrobe where I was born. I’d feel at home there and these towns have stayed the same as I remember from when I was young. Driving on any street, you’d still know where you were.

But the fact is you really can’t go home again. Any place we all are now is really home.

SEPTEMBER 11^TH

This is a reminder to hang out your flag on September the 11^th in remembrance of all those who died on that tragic day ten years ago and those heroes who helped in the aftermath.

This is also to remind you of those who used this terrible event as an opportunity to go to war in Iraq based on a lie. These are the same people who will be hanging out flags and wearing flag pins, but who didn’t volunteer to fight in that unjust war which has resulted in the deaths of so many of our young people. This escalated war still continues and daily there are more deaths of our service personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention all those innocent civilians.

Many memorials will be held to honor those who were killed or died as a result of that attack on our country. These are the ones who should be honored and never forgotten, especially the ones on the plane which was on a path to crash in Washington D. C. The passengers overcame the hijackers and crashed the plane in Pennsylvania knowing they would also die as a result. Their actions were truly courageous.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE?

You find God

George W. Bush was elected to the presidency of the United States. That in itself is questionable. (see the Florida recount) Still some naive voters felt that a man you’d like to drink beer with would make a great president and a powerful world leader. It didn’t matter that he drank too much, took drugs and lied to go to war. He had found God!

Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann both know God personally because they’re married women and mothers, to boot. (I won’t mention the former witch candidate who found God, but you can read about it in her book if you like, the text is easy and doesn’t contain any hard words, not that I’ve read it nor has anyone else for that matter.

There are several Mormons available also, but they don’t speak of being saved so their views might be questionable.

Of course there is a black Republican running for President who I’m sure has found God, but I’ve not paid much attention to his views either, but not because of his skin color.

Two thrice-married candidates have at last found true love. That must mean they found God too, because after all “God is Love”.

There’s now a new character that speaks in “gun metaphors” and has become the nearest thing to a true god to the self-righteous Tea Party members.

What it all boils down to is, if you are a Republican candidate for public office you must believe in God, you must be against gun control and condemn anyone else who doesn’t share your views, you must never help the poor, and above all promise never, never to raise taxes on the wealthy.

I cringe when I hear someone say “I’m a Christian” or “I’ve been saved”. Does that make them special? How so?  Is this what being an American has come to mean?

PS: After seeing an interview with D. Cheney last week, it’s obvious he thinks he is God.

ANNIVERSARY

Sure we just celebrated our sixty years of marriage on August 25^th, but that’s not the anniversary that I’m speaking of.

September 4, 2010 was the date I published my first blog and as of today I’ve averaged 200 page views per month.

I thank Chuck for the gift and  thank you all for reading it.