Have you noticed?

Have you noticed, of late, the resurgence of television shows we grew up on - by "we" I mean the 40 - 50's but feel like 20 - 30's.  Today I saw a commercial for a new channel which airs shows like, The Waltons, Dr. Quinn, Cosby Show, Little House on The Prairie.  I thought it was interesting.  You can catch reruns of Golden Girls almost any time of the day or night.  Who's the Boss is often on.  Of course there are the SVU marathons, Criminal Mind marathons, etc.  Violence on television is everywhere - yet, I see a few more shows from the past and some new shows which bring family into the spotlight - the families look different, at least they are families.  Families do look different today, television should be reflective of that.  The Walton's was on the other day - I watched it, what a hoot.  How simple it all seemed.  That is what we are looking for, I think - I think we want simpler lives; empty that backpack (can't remember what movie that is from) Of late I have felt a tug to go home; even though Malone has changed it is still home and it still has much of its small town charm, comfort, security - I don't know - I guess, you know, people know you and they like you anyway.  Or maybe they don't but that gives the rest of us something to talk about :) Some days, life is heavy - and it is not big stuff.  Just working, shopping for groceries, kids have a game, recital, bible school, dinner needs to be cooked and reheated three times, a load of laundry - and then it is 9:00, your exhausted but you don't want to go to bed because then you haven't had any time to relax - so you stay up a little later than usual only to be tired the next day and realize you are going to do it all over again.  Throw a dead battery, flat tire, sick child, cranky boss - throw in any wrench and the day is really heavy.  So, I reckon the resurgence of some of these television shows is smart marketing, but marketing is about supply and demand - so there must be some people somewhere who looked around and decided we need to remember some of the simple things.  Family, faith, friends - This is what life comes down to.  This is what we yearn for, and this is what we work for.  Yet somehow we get to working so hard we forgot what we were working for - we thought it was the mortgage, the car payment, the vacation in Hawaii (OK, I want that one), the promotion; Then something, an event, a moment, a glimpse in our eye or a butterfly in our stomach, our stirring in our soul - reminds us - No matter how much we accumulate, stuff has no value - there is no joy in Hawaii if Shari was not there to see - It is family, faith, friends - July 7th I am heading home.  Spend the summer there - Ah, the joy of teaching! Counting the days.  Back among my family & friends, I carry my faith with me everywhere.  Television executives want to make money.  That's cool.  It was nice to hear "Goodnight John Boy."

Strength

Not often do the ailments of my body defy the strength of my mind. Once I set my mind to get something done, I do it. Yesterday I attempted a return to work. I did not expect it to be easy, I did expect I would make it one whole day... I was wrong! Mark that on your calendars! After a few hours I melted into a puddle of pain & confusion & anger. During times when my physical self is weak, my mental self overcomes. I lace them up and push through. Yesterday I could not summon the strength to push through. It is temporary. I will go back to work on Thursday & I will finish the school year! My Dr. Doesn't think I should, most who know me think this time I should let my body have it's way-rest, sit this one out. I don't know how to do that. Yes, I am regrouping so I can complete the final 12 days of school! However, for the this time I do so with less certainty I will prevail. Goodness this is a quandary. Of course it is going to challenge me. I must be up to that challenge. Inside of me there must exist a yet untapped reservoir of strength. It is this reservoir from which I will draw and thus prevail! While this is uncharted territory for me, that is just fine-I have never been one to take the main road. I prefer to meander. When we meander we often find the greatest of treasures! It is no great treasure I seek, just the physical strength to get through the last weeks of school. Ever since I was injured at work the incline has steepened; in response I have had to toughen up-until yesterday I was doing so. Again on Thursday I will start again and this time I will be stronger. On Thursday it is I who will overcome the weakness of my body. A challenge for sure, a challenge which I shall win! Our minds possess great power. We can endure and overcome any obstacle if we put our mind to it. There is nothing which, set before, which we cannot solve, overcome, get through...if we are willing to let go of fear and push through weakness. Think of me on Thursday; our collective positive energy will prevail! Knock me down I will get up, then I am likely to knock you down. I can do this! I will do this! This can be done!

Duct Tape

Yeah, this whole duct tape thing as really gotten to me.  As a child, I remember duct tape as a gray tape with string in it.  You could not rip it with your bare hands - you needed a knife.  There was duct tape in the garage, in the junk drawer, in the basement...duct tape held together pipes, broken rear view mirrors, doors, stairs - it could be used to hold your bicycle seat in place, or your handles on your handle bars - I reckon Daddy Pat used it for more practical purposes - to me it was just gray tape that could hold anything together. You bought it for $.99 at the local hardware store - Alex's or Ace is the place - or Collin's feed and grain.  Now if you want $.99 duct tape you go to the $.99 store and you get all these colors, or sea scape's, or flowers - there is no string in it, it just rips apart.  I don't reckon it could hold together anything.  It is used by students to make prom dresses (Shari said so). That is not the real duct tape though - cause the real duct tape cost $5.99 a roll.  The good stuff with the string in it which cannot be ripped with your bare hands.  The real stuff can hold a muffler to a car, or keep a hood from opening, or the handle on the oven door - colored duct tape will not hold the refrigerator door handle on the avocado green fridge; you can match the color but the tape won't hold up to 1,000 openings a day.  The screen door may look better if the tape matches, but it won't hold up to 4 kids running in and out all summer long.  Peace symbol duct tape is kumbya and all - however, it will not stop the cold air from coming in through the crack in the door.  This is a big issue; it is emblematic of what plagues our whole society - we want things to look pretty regardless of their durability.  It is better to look good than to feel good.  Do you know if you have one of those swipe credit cards there is a machine another person can use, just walk by you, scan your card, while it is in your wallet or purse and steal your card info - did you also know that duct tape will not also allow this to happen? That's right, duct tape without the seascape, can prevent credit card thievery! They sell aluminum wallets which will also deflect the scanning of your card - I don't think I want a scan credit card anyway, that seems to be asking someone to steal from me.  You can get a credit card on your cell phone.  Then you just open an app. and swipe your phone and pay for your purchases.  What if you lose your cell phone? Man you are in real trouble then.  See the advancement in duct tape is just the starting point for the deterioration of our security across many venues.  Good strong, gray duct tape can hold together anything - it might be what is needed to hold together our society.  We need to produce more things and we need more duct tape.  The real duct tape, with the string in it, that cannot be ripped with your bare hands.  We could throw some duct tape over the economy, fix it right up.  Betcha' our soldiers in Iraq could use some good ol'duct tape.  I bought a roll of the real duct tape - not liking to spend that kind of money, but a person needs a good roll of duct tape in their tool box.  Emily used it to guess what? She made wallets! Yep, that Em is bright - she was making duct tape wallets last year! However, to make duct tape wallets for middle school students, for that, use the $.99 duct tape.  Em tried to sell her wallets, unfortunately her middle school buddies are not as smart as she is.  Yes, I think the proliferation of pseudo duct tape is just a barometer for the downfall of our societal structure as a whole.  And the only thing to fix it is...You guessed it, good ol'fashion gray duct tape with the string in it that cannot be torn with your bare hands! Hah, that is it.  Look around you, look for duct tape - and look for the fake stuff; fake stuff is not going to do the trick.  No, what we need is tough stuff which will hold up to the rigors of the world today.  People too - People are too soft and mushy these days! Talk about your feelings, express your emotions, it is OK to fall apart - but don't count on gray duct tape to put you back together again, unless of course you go to an old fashion hardware store and buy yourself a roll of the good stuff.  Mommie and Chickie often said; "You get what you pay for." Good words to live by.  You get what you pay for and you get out what you put in.  So, if your life is in disarray go buy some duct tape - the real kind, which you are going to pay for, because you get what you pay for - tighten up your boot laces (duct tape can also hold the soles of your boots to the tops of your boots, especially in the winter) toughen up! Strap on some duct tape and get on with living in the here and now! Live in this moment, if something is broken fix it - yes, with duct tape silly! I need to go check how much duct tape I have left on the roll - I have a lot of things to fix.