More Ad-Libs...Thinking cap on, I think.

Here we go again. It has been a few days since I had been able to put more than 3 lines together and it took a public confession to force me to do so. There are some things that get me off the "deep end". In the next entry, I promise to retake my "advanced training" in Fort Dix. It was productive: met my first wife during these three months; also learned how to drive heavy equipment.

This past week, there have been four different attempts to sit and write something, anything that can be put on to the blog. Every time I sat down to start a train (or a piddle) of thought, an issue came up and usually it has been one that could not be postponed.

So here I am again, and the phone has already rung at least 4 times since my sitting down. This time, however, even if it is in fits and starts, it will be done. More “fits” than starts, anyway.

This morning there was a public apology and “press conference” during which I suppose (since I did not take the time to watch) Mr. Woods (as in: Tiger) tried to explain his behavior to the world. Or, at least, to that part of the world that gave a flying cra…cker about said explanations. I am not a golfer, nor do I have much care for the “sport” of leisurely chasing a little white ball (the manner in which about 95% play it) in between off color jokes and a couple of beers. However, anyone who has already made 1Billion US$ in a few years worth of this type of work, will undoubtedly get much attention in any conference he gives, especially following his “somewhat” insulting and much uneven performance on the home green. Sometimes I wonder how much in these “mea culpa” conferences do the sponsor moneys come to play… or pay. Already some of these sponsors are showing a tendency to come back to the man after he finishes his rehabilitation, assuming he decides to go back to work on the fairways. Most don’t much care what happened as long as their guy produces sales for them.

Personally, I think there are too many issues at large which are sooo much more important; a few that come to mind:

How many people (men, women and specially, children) are going to sleep on an empty stomach every night?

How many of these will not wake up tomorrow, because their bodies just give up?

How many children do not get to see the inside of a schoolroom because there are none where they live?

How many of these children are placed on a strict work regime (more often than not by their own parents) from the moment they are strong enough to pick up whatever the tool of their particular trade is?

How many of these children don’t get to see adulthood because they die along the way, victims of drugs, malnutrition, violence and abuse?

How many people around the “free” world are thrown in hellholes just because they have the temerity of expressing their ideas, especially when these do not agree with the governing body of the moment?

How many young men and women live in total black despair because they have fallen prey to drugs?

You get the drift… Don’t You?

I guess I’m in a funky mood today. Everything has slowed down to a crawl this week and issues that should have been resolved already are not. It is very difficult to live one’s own life when these impacting issues are in the hands of others; one can only push from the outside in order to get them completed. But complete them we shall.

This coming week I’ll be going to Miami. What was supposed to be a week long trip to be enjoyed has turned out to be a 4 day turnaround quick-stop. Not much time left to do any visiting. Luckily, I will be staying with “brother” Hector, of Camp Matecumbe days. Last I saw him was in l999 (before that, saw him last during the time we shared in Richland during the mid 60’s) and in this visit we met only for a few minutes. I truly look forward to this visit and the time to do some catching up.

Another issue that has caught my eyes and my ears these past few days (nothing to do with the preceding thoughts, as usual) is how intransigent many people are. It seems all are very “democratic” (and I don’t mean the Party) as long as the other person is in agreement with whatever we are espousing. The moment that other person is not in agreement, the conversation turns sour and becomes an argument. Whatever happened to the concept that everyone is fully entitled to his/her own ideas and/or his/her own likes and dislikes? When did we, as a society, lose this? Whatever happened to “agree to disagree” without ripping the other person’s head off? Lately, it seems that in all manners of discussions you are “either with me or against me”. THAT is a load!! Each one of us has a brain (many choose no to use it too much, apparently they have not figured out yet –or haven’t been told- it does not wear out from use but even that IS their right also!!) and each one of us SHOULD look at issues and come up with our own take. It does not take a public figure to tell me what, how or when I should agree or disagree with a certain statement, idea or project.

So, I sign off on this the Lord’s day, February 19^th, 2010.

Tomorrow I shall be in a better mood… Be Well.