Demands of Presidential Election

Getting older is driving me to grow and improve.  I find many places where I want to examine life and events in greater detail, but I'm not always prepared for the result.  Right now I am focusing on the political situation and the presidential race, and I don't like the effort it takes to examine the record of candidates.  The deeper I get in looking at this kind of stuff, the less I like any of the candidates.


I am insulted by Obama's refusal to honor the American flag, or salute when the National Anthem is played.  I wonder how veterans feel when he makes statements that praise their service, but he has been photographed repeated without the customary salute to the flag during the playing of the song or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance .  This sounds like a petty reason not to vote for him, but it does go to the foundation of what it means to be an American.


Most of what I see on TV is political rhetoric designed to influence and persuade rather than inform.  Nobody is really talking about the failure of the economic rescue.  Predictions from economists are disheartening:  Things are going to get worse again, and this time nobody will be spared.  


Obamacare has been declared the law of the land by the highest court, and it seems like there is nothing we can do about it.  I guess there are still people calling for it's repeal.  Really?  I think it's a lost cause.  Nobody knows what it means.  The people who wrote it don't even know, and certainly, nobody has explained it to the people who will be affected by it.  But if I heard right, Congress won't be affected.  Aren't they exempted?  


What was that I said about understanding life in a deeper and more concentrated way?  Do I really want to?  Will it help?  

Getting Older, Hurting More

I learned that Chiropractic wasn't the new cure I hoped it was.  I went to my doctor last week, and he X-rayed my neck.  The reason it hurts all the time is that there isn't much cartilage in it anymore, and two of the vertebrae have fused.  I am getting older--I should expect these changes.  


Somehow I never get ready for things to be painful or limiting.  Getting older is better when I feel I have accomplished something, conquered a mountain, or learned a new truth.  And I am still looking for those successes.  I keep trying to push on in spite of distractions, and sometimes I do.  I am comforted, in the face of the things I can't do anymore, with the fact that I did them when it mattered.  I don't sew anymore, partly because my vision is not very good for that kind of work.  Now the neck would be a problem too.  But I remember some of the things I made for my kids--pants, dresses, swimsuits, jackets, and western shirts for my husband.  I don't need to do that anymore.  


I wonder how much that sewing contributed to the pain in my neck.

Memories for the Future

This isn't really the house I grew up in, but it looks a lot like it.  It works for memories.

One of the fun things I enjoy about getting old is found in the thrill I get from recounting, remembering, and sharing memories. First, I find the remembering gives me a sense of reliving the event.  I get to share the people and the thrill of the moment with a whole new audience.


The second part of the fun is the way it blesses me to hear people I love from long ago.  I hear them laugh at me or scold me just like they did, and I feel loved again.  There is an Theven greater appreciation for the love of family and friends when you meet them in a memo

The most embarrassing moments are no longer devastating in a memory.  I may remember that I was mortified when I was fifteen and didn't know how to give a speech, but now I can reflect on the event and allow myself to recover.  Now I can stand in front of an audience and not melt, but it did take practice and confidence.  It's nice to know I did grow up.


Memories bless you all your life.  They also give you a chance to repent, ask forgiveness, and replay your last rant.  Getting older means getting better, and some of the things we profit from are our memories.  Enjoy them.  Learn from them.  And don't let anyone tell you that you are living in the past.  You are just bringing the past into the present time so it can bless the future..