Thoughts at Random

I am more often an observer than a participant. I admire those who get out and knock on doors and call people and take abuse. I remember marching in a civil rights parade when I was in college. I remember an old man riding his scooter by and yelling n****er lovers at us. I didn't understand racism then and I don't understand it now. I also remember watching the hippies in their tie-dyed shirts and shifts in the smokey hazy field at a love in in California when I was visiting my aunt. I was sort of going around from place to place observing and watching what they were doing. Not smoking pot or anything else. Just watching it and soaking the experience up.

I remember watching the TV when the first man stepped onto the moon. I can still bring back the feeling of that evening. TV made me more of a participant than just an observer. But I was still observing. TV has brought a lot to us and made us participant/observers. I am very grateful for it and for it helping me to be a witness to history.

Last night I was a participant and an observer. I was a participant in that I have been blogging about this election for a long time. (In fact some people are happy that they feel they can read my blog again now that the election is over.) I have been unhappy with the direction our country has gone for a long time. For the last 4 years I have worn a black band on my wrist with the words "Not Me" stamped on it. It signifies that I did not vote for George Bush. I was also a participant in that I voted (want to guess for whom?) I was an observer because I watched the election on TV. I was working on Lodge things and needed to get things done. But when they announced that Barak Obama was the President-elect I actually had tears well up and the emotional moment is one I shall always remember. Why? Not because I think he is perfect. But because I think he will work to restore our country to the place in the world that once again commands respect and works for solutions for PEOPLE and not for greedy CEO's. There is much I expect from him. I hope he delivers.
One very special reason that there were tears is because for the first time a black person has been elected to the presidency. To me that is important. In the 38 years I taught school I had many occasions both in and out of school to interact with black people. I learned early on that people are people. I grew up in white Iowa and do not remember many black people in my youth. When I was in eighth grade I played with my first black friend.

When I was teaching in Cedar Rapids (Marion actually) I was involved with community theater. the play was "Rasin in the Sun." If you are familiar with that play it is an all black cast. I worked back stage (always my favorite place) - I watched the director give notes to the cast after each rehearsal and the actors reacted just as the white actors had. I came to the conclusion that everybody is the same. Just because one person has brown eyes and another has blue eyes does not make them any less a person. It is a miniscule gene which makes my friend's skin darker than mine (or lighter). Nothing makes that friend no more nor no less a person than I am. We are all the same.

Over the years I have observed people who are racist. I have also observed people who were not racist who used racist terms and did not know it. I can remember a music teacher having the students sing a song. "Jump Jim Crow." I explained to her that Jim Crow was a racist song. Her response was "Oh you see racism in everything!" So I got the dictionary out - photocopied the page with Jim Crow on it and put it in her mail box. I don't think they ever sang that song again. Shame on the music company that published it in the Music Book.

My cousin walked over to a man in a restaurant one time and told him that she would rather have her children hear the word "fuck" than the N-word. I admired her courage greately. I have done some things also. My friend and Brother Ed Powers asked me if I would sign a petition for a black man to join my Lodge. I became the second line signer on the petition for the first black man to join my Lodge. I stood with L. Ray Chamberlin when he stood up to the Supreme Rainbow for Girls and forced them to drop their racist "no blacks" rule. I remember wondering how boring an all white rainbow would be.

Over the years I have done some things. (Not nearly enough) I have observed many more. But last night I was very proud of my country. I watched the faces (black and white alike) with tears pouring down their faces and I was grateful that we have come this far. We have more to do and further to go along the road to equality. There is another segment of our population who are regularly denied their rights and are the victims of hate much as the blacks have been. I do not understand this at all. I do not and will not ever understand why people can't live their lives in love and allow others the right to live theirs in the same way. The pursuit of happiness is deliniated in the constitution along with life and liberty. If that happiness means joining oneself to another person they should be allowed to do so.

I love the colors of Fall. I do not like the promise of winter.

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

This is what it is all about. The children.
We must work to leave the world a better place for them

Facebook. I have deactivated my Facebook account. Someone asked why. I guess I can say because I found it annoying. I felt that the comments I made were read by people and misinterperted and I just generally decided that I didn't need the extra stress. I felt like I was spying on people (I know they put things up there) and I guess that in some ways I wanted to be a little more private. I was feeling an obligation to putting something in the "Jay is" box and I didn't like that.

My friends can e-mail me or g-mail chat with me (I was finding it annoying to have a g-mail chat going and a Facebook Chat going at the same time.) or we can i-chat on the Mac or (horrors!) they can call me on the phone.

I didn't really understand it. I think it is for younger guys so I will leave it to them.
This was the sunrise this morning as I drove to work. And I do mean work. Instead of just sitting there and answering the phone I actually got to do something. I wrote letters for the MOK and entered a lot of checks into the Quicken and of course answered the phone. I worked there for two days an really liked doing it. I even got there before Shane and unlocked the building. I am honored that he trusts me to do this.

Last night while watching the election (and being disappointed in the Republican booing of Barak during McCain's gracious speech) I worked on the dues that came in for Arcadia Lodge. It takes a lot of time. Tomorrow is our stated meeting and I have a Dr's appointment (just a regular check-in) I get to go to three doctors and I like all of them.

Jon and I went to the House of Chen for supper tonight. We had a good meal. The House has moved and is now down on East Lincolnway. The place is not as nice as it was up in the Mall but the food was excellent. Jon is still hear using my Internet connection. He took Max on a walk tonight and wore him out and brought him back full of burrs which had to be cut out.

So that should catch you up on me (if you are interested) and what is going on. Hope you like the pictures. Two sunrises. I go back down again on Friday and then Saturday the Met had Dr. Atomic at the Movie Theater.

Thanks for stopping by ARTYAL, Hugs- j