Change is the Only Certainty

Change is the only certainty.

Don't you get tired of hearing it. I have heard this sentiment expressed, in one form or another, all of my life. "Yep, son, the change is the only thing that will stay the same." One of my uncle's favorite sayings was "the only thing you can be sure of is death and income taxes." Or how about "the more things change, the more they stay the same." (If you figure that one out, let me know!) I am sure that change will continue, in fact major change for me will occur in a few days. Major change for me means major change for my wife as well.

Once again I will be leaving home to take a job all the way across Texas. It was only two years ago that I left Midland to take a job here (Houston). I thought then that I was through with the desert and that the sea coast would be my home forever, or at least until the next hurricane hit the beach and wiped out the island. But one should never say "never," nor should anyone really say "always." Changes happen, many times by our choice, more often by conditions beyond our control. Also very often, the changes in one person's life will have a profound effect on others. My spouse will readjust (again) to having me out of the house. My poor children (Child A and Child B) will have to readjust to having me within an easy drive of their abodes. On the positive side, I will be able to have lunch or dinner with one or both children when it is agreeable to all.

Did I say "on the positive side?"

Most of the time change is just what it is...a different set of circumstances. Change can be good, change can be bad. Most of the time, however, change is what we make of it, our attitude towards the new or the unknown. My significant other would probably be surprised to hear me say that we should have a positive outlook for change in our lives. I DO BELIEVE that, I just sometimes don't practice it. What was that? All the time? (Silence, SO, this is MY blog!) I will admit it. There have been a few times that I have not, shall we say, embraced change in my life with open arms. There, SO, I said it!

In the following week or so, I will more than likely make my way back to the Permian Basin. Both SO and I have come to the agreement that we will accept this change and roll with the flow. Yes we will be separated again, but I know it will not be for long. SO will be back with me in just a few weeks or so...that is our hope, anyway. Regardless, we are both honing our positive attitudes (SO has more than enough POSITIVE energy for the two of us). I will miss this place, and I will especially miss my spouse, but I know it is temporary. At the same time, I will be in the same town with the children again.

Another new thing will be the job itself. I have started several new jobs with more stress than excitement and eagerness. Not this time. I believe this job is tailor-made for me, and there is great opportunity. My spouse thinks so, too. I had the best job interview I have ever participated in. The new employers are eager for me to start. The job involves a lot of day travel, but very few, if any, overnight stays. The work is something I have never really done before, but I am eager to start. Change, once again, but change - manageable. If change is inevitable, it can at least be embraced in a positive way...so, here's to the change!

National Public Radio is Not "Tolerant"

I have to admit I was wondering what to blog about today when the topic of this particular post was handed to me by National Public Radio. The national organization fired a ten-year veteran reporter/contributor for his terrible and bigoted remarks he made concerning Muslims. This newsman, Juan Williams, has a long record of civil rights commentary and activism. As far as his politics, he would certainly be perceived as being to the "left" of moderate and conservative thinking. I believe this left-leaning is more or less prerequisite to employment as an NPR reporter, and certainly necessary for someone, such as Mr. Williams, to move up the ladder within NPR radio. Yet for one single comment Mr. Williams was fired with no opportunity to either recant or to "clarify" his statement and possibly save his job.

Ironically, National Public Radio is of course one of the loudest voices in the media for "tolerance" and for freedom of speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Obviously NPR is very hypocritical both in their application of "tolerance" and their application of freedom of speech as concerns their employees. You may say the national organization of National Public Radio is not a "government agency," but I say NPR would be out of business immediately the government ceased its support. But I will play nice; let's concede that the NPR is not a per se government agency, and as such, is not bound to guaranty freedom of speech to its employees, as the Constitution binds the "government," not individuals. In other words, the government cannot legally interfere with a person's freedom of speech; however, businesses do not have to guarantee freedom of speech, and in fact, may fire an employee who speaks contrary to what the business would have that employee to say. So, NPR was certainly within its rights and authority to fire Mr. Williams. But it certainly flies in the face of NPR's constant railing and ranting that Americans need to be "tolerant" and that Americans should be free to say what they like without fear. In reality, if an NPR reporter says something that shows "intolerance," that person is subject to swift and extreme discipline.

Well, what did Juan Williams say that caused such a furor, that branded him a bigot, a racist, and dare I say (Dare! Dare!) intolerant! Here, readers, as that terrible statement:

"Look, Bill. I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I've got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

There is the vilifying statement in its entirety. Juan Williams, unlike many Americans, was willing to tell the truth, to tell his beliefs and fears as an American who must fly the airlines in post-911 America. He voiced what many Americans think, what many Americans believe, and what many Americans are afraid to say out loud for fear of reprisal, as illustrated by Mr. Williams' situation.

I commend Juan Williams for his courage in expressing his fears. National Public Radio should be ashamed of their actions, but of course, the firing of Juan Williams for speaking his mind and telling what he truly believes is perfectly in line with NPR's hypocrisy of demanding that Americans (read anyone of non-Middle Eastern or other third world descent or nationality - and yes, I will say it, particularly conservative Americans) be "tolerant" of almost ANYTHING except traditional values and constitutional government.

Looking Like Santa Is Advantageous

I have to say that I am dismayed at being totally gray before my fiftieth birthday. By the way, if you want to show sympathy for me, it is okay to refer to my hair as "silver." I am REALLY UPSET at being both gray AND BALD before said birthday anniversary. You see, I made my mind up in high school that I would not do either of these things before I was seventy.
(Here is where my wife punches me and lets me know I was "balding" in high school. She is so kind, but most unsympathetic.)

But back to advantageous...

Looking like a somewhat thinner-than-standard Santa Claus has had its rewards. For instance, I have met at least one kid who believed I really WAS Santa. That was not really an advantage, but it was sort of cute. But to the advantage side, I can actually walk into a mall (particularly this time of year) and be hired as "Santa" in less than fifteen minutes (it takes about that long for the criminal background check to return). Should I ever opt to go that route during the holiday season, I just know I could get all the gifts on Child A and B's wish list, as well is that of my lovely spouse. I have also given a new meaning to the term "white Christmas," although every day with me is more or less white from the chin up.

Another advantage of looking like Ol' Saint Nick is the frequency with which I am offered "senior" discounts when I go out to dinner, particularly at the local CiCi's Pizza. The young ladies in particular are convinced that I have reached my golden years. By the way, why are those years called the golden years when most men are either gray, bald, or both? Anyway, not only do the young misses at the counter feel that I have surpassed my prime, they also frequently leave their duty posts to come over and assist me with the door or help me carry my tray to the table. So far I have saved over forty dollars in "Senior Discounts" and I am not even a member of AARP!

Oh, yes...there is one other reward that goes with being a Santa lookalike in the local mall. I have noticed that many older "children," that is women over forty (and a few younger) would love to sit in Santa's lap and tell him their Christmas lists, because this particular Santa vaguely reminds them of another oldster, Sean Connery. He is REALLY OLD, but from what I garner, he is still popular with many ladies. Hmmm...keep this one quiet. The spouse is nearby!

Yes, I have finally accepted (grudgingly) that I will go into my fifties resembling the Santa Claus who resembles Sean Connery. After all, with discounted pizza, young girls assisting me down the aisle, and older girls confusing me with one of my favorite movie stars, I really can't see the down side. Oh wait, I don't have my glasses.......

While Searching for Seashells...

My latest sinus infection having run its course, I am finally back to my norm of my daily walk along the beach and in the surf. There is something about searching for seashells that calms the spirit. This morning the little birds were not very wary of me, and mostly went about their business. I think they are a little calmer after tourist season. So I waded further out in the surf, and thought...

Briefly I thought about the upcoming election and what it may mean for this nation. As important as the issues being voted on and the people being elected, this topic was only entertained a second, then it was gone with the wave washing back out to sea. There are issues closer to home. For instance, Child B is at this very moment seriously contemplating marriage. Child A, in the meantime, is starting a new job. One child is embarking on a new career; the other is seriously contemplating a new life. But there is a nice shell at my feet...

I started walking again, examining my latest treasure. It was a nice shell but similar to many others I had. I cast it to Mr. Neptune and began chasing a large blue crab that was dancing around at my feet. The crab was twice the size of my fist and was definitely open for business. I danced with him briefly, but when the crab went for my big toe, I decided to seek my fortune in points further from the angry crustacean. A seagull on the shore was too comfortable to fly away as I passed by in the waves.

As I continued my search for seashells, I saw in the ebb and flow of the waves, the times of my life. As the new waves roll onto the shore, new things are deposited, new life experiences. At the same time, the older waves flow back into the sea, taking a part of the beach with them, a part of my life that I will never have again. It is not bad, in fact most of the things cast upon the beach are good things, good times and happy experiences. Part of our lives are washed out to sea each passing day we are on this earth. And again, it is not all bad...in fact, even though we age every day, that aging process is leavened by the many experiences and people that are parts of our lives...

I saw a sand dollar! As I dug it out of the wet sand, I realized that it was broken. Most of the fragile shell was long lost at sea. How I wanted a whole sand dollar, yet it was beautiful, just this piece I held in my hand, as the sun, filtered by the nearly clear water, shown golden. The sand dollar fragment was painted a beautiful gold as well, and that moment I held real gold. I let the prize fall back to the ocean floor and continued...my distant Jeep growing slowly larger on the shore as I moved through the foam. I had to think for a moment how fortunate I have been to accomplish my rather simple dream of living on the beach. There were so many ways it could have worked out differently...wait, there it was! The big prize! The mother lode! A beautiful orange and pink conch...The Treasure!

I nearly dived into the surf, scaring one of the sandpipers that was lazily trotting ahead of me. I grabbed the conch shell as though I thought someone behind me might take it! But when I pulled it out of the water....oh no! The conch had broken to pieces in the surf, leaving just enough of the shell intact to look like the find of the month. I was so disappointed...but just for a moment. Just like in life, there may be a very great treasure of some sort, that in the end turns out to be a broken shell. Yet the sun still shown through the water, bathing the wet sand in gold, and painting my spirit in bright sunshine...

Searching for seashells...you never know what you will find...in the water...or about yourself. If you ever get a chance to wade in the surf in search of some treasure...or yourself...I certainly recommend it.

Bound To Cover A Few More Miles

I saw the following bumper sticker on an RV the other day: Bound to Cover a Few More Miles. I saw the owners of the vehicle. It was a man in his sixties and a lady of about the same age. They were both gray and had obviously "been a few miles." They held hands and chatted happily as they walked into the LJ WallyWorld. As I stood a moment and thought about their bumper sticker, I wondered how many miles those two might have already covered. Yet they looked forward eagerly to covering "a few more miles."

I want to go a few more miles too, in my life. In fact, I am "bound to go a few more miles." Even at age (nearly) fifty there are things I still want to do, places to see, and above all, more hours to spend with my loved ones. I am a professional Texan, meaning that there are many things I love about this state and many things here I still have not seen. But I have learned over the years that there are other states beside Texas...yes, it's true! There are forty-nine other states, most of which have at least one attraction that tourists should see in their lifetimes. AND I further learned that there are actually other nations beside the United States. Actually I knew already there was Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Spain, and France, having been a student of history. But my spouse informed me there were other places as well, such as Belize, the Bahamas, and Florida. So many things to do, so little time.

Going another few miles does not simply mean doing "touristy" things. For instance, someone asked me yesterday how I found the time to write a book. This person went on to tell me there was just no time in her life to write the book that was really already finished in her head. I understand the feeling, and I wonder how many of us (I am in this group for sure) have projects of one kind or another that we just can't seem to "get to." The things we want to accomplish, but which are just out of reach, for one reason or another, are the "few more miles" we have not gone yet. It can be very frustrating to know what one wants to do, to see, or to accomplish, and yet never seem to be able to accomplish it. As the years go by, we may yearn even more to do these things. Many of us are no longer youngsters. On top of that, to be very blunt, we simply do not know how much time we have on this earth.

So I say go ahead and go those few more miles, do those things, and make your dreams reality. Don't let it be simply a thought on a bumper sticker. Be "bound to go a few more miles." As long as you are still heading down the road, there is time. And don't worry about the things you "have" to do. These things most certainly be here waiting when you take a break from your real dreams.

Good News is Good News!

Yes, it is a poor revamp of the old saying "No news is good news." Sorry about that, but honestly today the news that all the Chilean miners had been rescued was "news," and it was good news. With all the violence, war, political intrigue, crime, and general misery that is the meat of today's news, the rescue of the miners was, amazingly still newsworthy and such a lift for the day. Normally good news does not "sell" but today it was different. The world was on edge, waiting to hear that every miner was released from their would-be grave. By mid-morning all the men were out and getting treatment at local hospitals. In just a few hours it was all over!

Not really...

The ordeal for these men lasted over sixty days...TWO MONTHS! I had to slow down and really digest the reality of what these men went through. Even the "dramatic rescue" actually involved weeks of painfully slow drilling through bedrock. And be honest, most of us had really put this situation in the back of our minds, maybe occasionally checking the tube to get another update. But think about it. These men, like many of us all over the world, work a business day, or a shift. For miners, of course, the shift is worked underground. I don't know how anyone can voluntarily travel underground for thousands of feet, use tools or even dynamite to make the mine deeper, and yet be calm enough to dig out the ore and transfer the oar back to the surface. At least the miners know that at the end of the shift they will go back to the surface and walk out into the sunshine and fresh air. I admire anyone who can do this. I can barely keep it together long enough to take a walk through Innerspace Cavern, which is well lit and air conditioned. I did it years ago, but only because I did not want my child to think his daddy was a chicken. I was able to conceal my shakes and tears, and maintain my footing as we walked through the cave, because I knew we would be out in less than an hour. I believe I would literally have a nervous breakdown if I were detained in Innerspace Cavern for even a few hours.

But there was some good news for those miners. At least one of the miners had limited medical training or experience. Another man was able to calm everyone and focus them on the only thing that mattered all of the sudden - survival. Of course there was panic and fear in the early hours of the disaster, after all, these men were...well, human. No doubt there was dismay and even hopelessness and desperation. But in the midst of the panic and fear, one or more of the miners established order, calming the men and establishing a plan of survival. It may have been that the only thing the men were actually in control of was their own bodies. That is, all each person could control was his response to the very dire and grave circumstance that they suddenly faced. Calm persons breathe slower and deeper, thus conserving available air. With calm came the ability to clearly assess the situation and decide if there were any immediate steps to be taken while awaiting rescue. While the details of what the men went through and how they survived are as yet unknown, no doubt their stories will be told in news interviews, and eventually in books and movies. Regardless, the men were able to survive in good shape until they were rescued.

I breathed that collective sigh of relief with the rest of the world as we learned that all of the men were finally out. In some small way, the world shared in the miners' fear, and in the hope for their rescue, and finally in the great joy and celebration when the first man finally emerged from the rescue shaft. And the same joy and celebration was extended to the last man out, many hours later. With all the bad and evil that seems to be never-ending in this world of ours, it is still amazing how, for just a little while, all the world comes together in some small way and out pours hope and faith that there will be, against all odds, some Good News, after all.

A True Hero: Rolando Flores Villegas

I extend my sympathy to the family and friends, and the follow officers of this brave man, the Commander of State Police investigators in Tamaulipas. Of course he was well aware of the dangers involved in the mere act of serving as a police officer in Mexico, even more so the increased risk of attempting to arrest murder suspects who were known to be members of the Gulf Cartel. On Tuesday the great risk became all too real. This officer was not merely murdered, as terrible as that is in itself, but he was obviously captured, tortured, and died an agonizing death to horrible to contemplate. As a further taunting insult to police, indeed to the GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO, Commander Flores was beheaded. His body was dumped at one military facility, his head delivered in a suitcase to another military post. This brave officer was killed at the hands of the drug lords, but his bravery must be remembered. At the obvious risk of death, Commander Flores carried out his sworn duty to protect and TO SERVE the people - the Commander died while serving the Hartleys, a family who were not even Mexican citizens.

I, for one, would like to honor Commander Rolando Flores Villegas with the full measure of respect and reverence due any police officer in Texas. As a former police officer, I know myself well enough to know that I would not have had the fortitude to continue as a peace officer given the obstacles and the sheer danger that Mexican police officers, at all levels, face on a daily basis. Beyond that, the officers there also must come to terms with the daily possibility that their families face the same fears and dangers. Unlike the loved ones of officers here in the United States, the families of Mexican police officers are in direct and imminent danger at all times. In spite of all this, officers such as Commander Flores continue to do their jobs, and unfortunately, to die all too often in the performance of those duties. For Commander Flores, and the other fallen officers, I say Rest In Peace. Commander Flores, you are a true Texas hero!