Thoughts on an Average Day

I was getting ready for work the other day, rolling up the sleeves of my dress shirt, when it occurred to me that I had done this countless times over the years, always the same, and always exactly the same way my mother had done it when I was a child and she was dressing me for school.

I suppose that at a very young age, I had already determined (for my lifetime forward) that I didn’t really care for long sleeves. I honestly don’t remember why! Maybe they didn’t fit particularly well, they were likely hand-me-downs from my older brother. Maybe I just didn’t care for the restricted feeling of buttoned cuffs. Who knows?

Regardless, for the past fifty years or so, I’ve rarely worn a long-sleeved shirt without rolling up the cuffs, just right, of course, just like my mama did it. The cuff goes back once, then folded in half, then rolled up two more times. Perfect.

The result is a ¾ length that maintains the formality of a long-sleeved dress shirt, yet allows the practicality of a short-sleeved shirt. A good mix between formal and casual and definitely more comfortable.

But most of all, it is a reminder of my mother, and the love and care she put into those simple chores, rituals from a childhood long past. Memories that fade, but never go away.

1984 by George Orwell: Book Review

Every few years, I go back and read again George Orwell’s brilliant novel 1984. It is one of my all-time favorite books and usually holds the top spot on my list! Here are some thoughts after my most recent reading.

I believe there are books that we read and immediately forget. And there are books that we read that make such a profound impact on us that we remember them for the rest of our lives. (I’m not sure exactly why this one has always had such a strong grip on me, or what that says about me personally, but I do love this book!)

I first read 1984 as a high school student and for many decades to follow, I proclaimed it to be the best book I had ever read (followed closely by Brave New World). Despite having read it probably more times than any other novel, it never fails to capture my interest and amaze me with its timeliness. Even today, I want to go and find all the idiots out there touting Socialism and tell them if they really want to understand what they are promoting, they should immediately read this book. It is a truly frightening look at a political system that promises utopia and delivers oppression. And things portrayed in the book are already coming true today!

Written in 1949, the book predicts several things that are apparent in our world today. At the risk of revealing spoilers, here goes.

Socialism is popular. And dangerous. Unless you plan on somehow becoming one of those “Inner Party” members, you can expect to live in a dystopian world where everyone is equally poor and downtrodden. Look at Venezuela or any of the other socialist countries and see how the average citizen is faring. Bernie may proclaim himself to be a Socialist, but I haven’t seen him sharing any of his extra houses or vehicles with those less fortunate folks around him. (Rich socialists are definitely planning to be in the Inner Party. Count on it.) You may end up standing in line for bread and necessities, but don’t expect to see Bernie there!

Big Brother is watching. I won’t even go into the whole Obama administration spying scandal that the media is doing their best to not cover. Let’s just talk about the obvious. There are cameras everywhere. And cell phones. Maybe you still have a little bit of privacy in your home, but who knows? If the President of the United States can be targeted by the government of his own country, then all bets are off. If the FBI can lie to get warrants to spy on the President-Elect, what protections do you think the average citizen has? And how long before those home screens and devices we love become the telescreens of 1984? You know the tech giants are already tracking you all over social media and targeting ads based on your history. Again, Big Brother is watching, and it will only get worse.

The media (The Ministry of Truth) lies to you. On a daily basis. One of the most shocking aspects of the novel is the lengths to which the Party goes to constantly rewrite history. I used to think this was too unbelievable to ever be true, but not anymore. It’s already happening today. The mainstream media is almost totally one-sided in their coverage of current events and openly puts out Fake News. If you don’t believe that the mainstream media is the propaganda wing of the Democratic Party, then you are only fooling yourself! Sadly, as in the book, the majority of citizens today readily accept the facts and figures fed to them and ignore the obvious contradictions before their very eyes.

The Party (the Deep State, the swamp, or whatever you want to call it) will never willingly give up their power. Consider the men and women in Congress who have made a career (30+ years or more) of public service, yet somehow managed to become millionaires. Ever had a job where people lined up to offer you (or your children) money and benefits for your service? Wouldn’t you love to have a job where you could vote to increase your own salary? And of course, you would never have to settle for the universal health care or other benefits provided for the masses.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking 1984 is just an old book written a long time ago about Russia. Read it and think about the world around you today. You might find it current and relevant. And scary.

How to Start the New Year Right – Update (originally published in 2018)

I’ve often wondered why so many people obsess over the start of the New Year and make such a huge production of listing some random set of resolutions that rather quickly fall by the wayside. Don’t get me wrong. As a former coach, I believe in setting goals and stating them aloud or writing them down is an important step, but why New Year’s Resolutions? Why wait till the beginning of another year to start doing the things that will improve our lives or make us better, or at least happier people?

I suppose there is a certain logic behind the idea. New year, new start, that kind of thing. Not that there is ever a wrong time to begin making positive steps at self-improvement. I’ve heard that the most often cited resolution made for New Year’s is to lose weight. For many of us this is a worthy goal, especially after we have routinely overeaten at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other people resolve to do a better job of sticking to their budget. Again, a worthy goal after we have so recently overspent on food and gifts and travel. Whatever tops your particular set of resolutions, allow me to offer one suggestion. Resolve to let go of the past year and all its baggage.

In my first novel (www.books2read.com/whatifproject), the main character, Jack, is convinced that his entire life has been affected, in a negative way, by one specific past event. In his mind, every bad thing that has ever happened to him can be traced back to this one moment in time. He truly believes that the only way to fix his present state is to somehow change his past. As the author, I can sum up the theme of the book in one word – regret. And don’t we all have regrets about our past decisions? Things we wish we could go back and do differently?

So, this year, let’s all resolve to stop letting our past get in the way of our present. And our future. Let’s make the conscious decision to look forward and start the year off right by giving ourselves an honest and a fresh new year unclouded by our past mistakes. Let’s wipe away the regrets and stop dwelling on the things we can’t change, but instead focus on the ones we can. 2021 is gone. Let’s make 2022 a truly fantastic new year!

Christmas 2019

Between work, and shopping, and family time, I’ve not found much time to write this week, but that’s okay. I’ve written about Christmas before and how much I love the season. Here are some of my previous thoughts on the subject.

Two years ago I shared a blog entitled Merry Christmas and All That. https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2017/12/merry-christmas-and-all-that.html I think it still reflects my attitude in general. It’s actually one of the first few blogs I ever posted.

The following year, I posted an early blog on the Holiday Season https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-holiday-season.html and came back a few weeks later to list my favorite Christmas movies https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/my-favorite-christmas-movies-and.html.

A week later, I posted a few Christmas poems from my book of poetry that was still fairly new at the time. https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2018/12/some-poems-for-christmas-season.html I still think they’re pretty good!

And of course, I’ve written about our annual Walk Through Bethlehem several times. https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2019/12/walk-through-bethlehem-2019.html

So, if you’re in the mood for some holiday reading, take a few moments and check these out, and don’t forget to share your thoughts as well. Merry Christmas!

Time Magazine's Person of the Year

So, the editors of Time Magazine in their infinite wisdom have decided that the most influential person in the world this year is a sixteen year old kid who thought skipping school was the best way to protest for climate change. Starting with a local school strike, Greta Thunberg quickly became a media star, and her newfound fame got her an audience with the United Nations where she proceeded to scream at world leaders and blame them for stealing her dreams and her childhood. You know, because of the mass extinction coming soon to your very own neighborhood. Wow!

Her fans credit her with inspiring millions to join climate strikes around the globe (again by skipping school in protest because that’s always a good plan to appeal to teenagers) and she is hailed as a hero by more than just the folks at Time. She’s met with many political leaders and even the Pope to spread her message (which is absolutely true and backed up completely by every scientist in the world, not!) Sadly, most of her followers readily assume that Greta is an expert on the subject. In all fairness, she did see a film in school about it. And she reads a lot when she’s not spreading her gospel of doom and gloom.

It truly is sad to see a young person pushed into the spotlight and being used so blatantly by the media as a propaganda tool. It’s sad to see any parents allow their child to be used so shamelessly. (Is it considered child abuse if your kid becomes seriously depressed about the climate and instead of getting her professional help, you change your entire lifestyle to accommodate her delusion and then let her travel the world to be mocked and ridiculed? Asking for a friend.)

I just don’t see much common sense here. “Sure, Greta, get in a leaky sailboat and cross the ocean so you won’t leave a carbon footprint.” At least, she does have enough conviction to avoid the hypocrisy of all those other climate alarmists who fly all around the world to have meetings about that sort of thing. (Al Gore, yes, I’m talking about you. And Bernie, and all the other Liberals who want all the rest of us to go back to the horse and carriage while they travel by private jet everywhere they go. Or maybe they think we can all afford those expensive electric cars that none of them drive.) Actually, I just read an article that claims the yacht she was using has a diesel engine, but we weren’t supposed to know that.

Anyway, I’ve written before about climate change in a previous blog. You can find my opinions at: https://rdperryauthor.blogspot.com/2019/09/climate-change-from-perspective-of-true.html Regardless of what you believe about the whole issue, it still seems a stretch to call Greta Thunberg the most influential person of the year.

And in case you haven’t seen it, here’s a clip of Greta at the U.N. rudely addressing the adults in the room. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVlRompc1yE I know she’s just a kid, and I know she has Asperger’s syndrome, and all, but come on. When do we ever think it’s appropriate to have a teen-ager publicly scold a room full of adults? And then, reward her for it?

In all fairness, I feel sorry for the kid. She apparently believes in all sincerity that the world is coming to an end and it’s all because of the stupid adults who won’t deal with the climate crisis. She honestly believes the garbage that is so widely reported as fact by the media, and her parents are apparently okay with her being exploited for political purposes, so I guess there’s nothing to be done but let her play out her fifteen minutes of fame and hope that she finds a way to get back to some kind of normal life when it’s all over. Sadly, the Liberals and the media will move on to the next martyr soon and she will be left behind (like David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez, for example).

Fortunately, I don’t need Time Magazine to tell me who is important and influential in my world.

Walk Through Bethlehem 2019

Another year and another Christmas program come and gone! This year I spent the entire week nursing a cold and trying my best to hit the high notes on a special trio written by an old friend. Our director missed one night due to illness and so did one of our trio, but still, we did our best, and we survived!

I’ve done many programs over the years and they always help me to get into the Christmas spirit. There is still the tree (and other decorations) to put up, maybe some outside lights. The big community parade is still coming, but with the kids all grown, the yearly arrival of Santa is a little less exciting. Still, it’s another big event for our small town. Another sign that Christmas is upon us!

It’s almost time, ready or not! So go listen to some Christmas songs or check out the newest holiday movies, drink some hot chocolate or eggnog and get mentally prepared for the coming weeks. And don’t forget the true reason for the season.

 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 King James Version (KJV)

Here are my thoughts from last year:

Every year my church puts together a huge event for Christmas called “A Walk Through Bethlehem.” For many years, I have participated as a member of the choir. Sometimes we are at the front, entertaining the crowds as they wait to enter our village and learn about the birth of Christ. Other years, we are at the end singing our Christmas songs while the crowds drink wassail and hot chocolate, eat cookies, and contemplate their experience. Either way, we perform our set of ten to twelve songs and do our part to make it a special and festive event.

Inside the village, Roman guards usher you along as you pay your taxes (not really), complete your census form, and then wander through the shops and tents of the common people. As you sample the food and crafts of a typical Judean village, you can warm yourself by an open fire or get close enough to pet one of several live animals. On the way out, look for a very special newborn and listen to his story. It’s a good one.

Each night, I watched a multitude of youngsters walking around showing off their brand new children’s Bibles and a variety of handcrafted items they had picked up on their walk. Everyone was smiling and I was glad to be a part of such a great Christmas tradition. By the end of the first evening, we were tired and hoarse and wondering how we were going to make it through the next two nights, but still, it’s almost Christmas and I can hardly wait!

A Few New Definitions of Stupidity

Let me fall back into teacher mode and provide some education in the form of a few new definitions of stupidity brought to you courtesy of the Liberal Left. Not trying to offend and not calling any names! Just making a few observations based on current events.

Stupidity is -

1.       Ignoring an official written transcript of a phone call and instead calling a parade of hearsay partisan witnesses (who witnessed nothing) to tell what they thought, believed, felt, etc. when someone else told them what they heard from someone else about the phone call.

2.       Ignoring corruption, bribery, extortion by a sitting Vice President and his son (admitted to boldly on camera) while attempting to impeach a duly elected President who asked for help in investigating this very same corruption.

3.       Ignoring a specially given opportunity to gain employment and instead choosing to trash the organization (after suing them and taking their money) and refusing to cooperate with them thus demonstrating your inability to be a positive leader within the organization. Just my opinion, but insulting potential employers and accusing them of racism usually doesn’t lead to job offers.

Just to be clear, smart people (including myself) frequently do stupid things. I myself try not to repeat my stupid mistakes, but rather try to learn from them. Anyway, have a great week and let me know what you think!