Faith and good cheer

As a die hard Ranger fan, I must shore up my loyalty and belief and take heart this morning.  Wow, that might just work with life.  For the most part, I've been lucky enough to embrace that philosophy in general.  I didn't even realize that until I started looking and seeing and feeling other people's attitudes, other people's approaches.  Rather than criticizing them for being negative, I tried to help them see the possibilities, the bright spots, their own ability to overcome their personal obstacles.  Needless to say, we must always realize that others are grappling with demons we do not know, we cannot imagine.  Never can we simply say, "Shake it off.  You'll be fine."  No, at the very least we must add, "Nothing worth doing is ever easy."  Encourage, inspire, cheer on, but never minimize someone else's struggles, however simple they may seem to us.  Human beings, like well-coached and managed baseball teams, emerge victorious despite incredibly daunting odds.  Fans who cheer, support, believe, and oh yes, demand the best play, the best behavior in return can make all the difference.  We do that for each other on a very personal level every single day of our lives.  The opposite is true, of course, but let's focus on our "better angels" today and every day.  Tall order?  You're dang right it is, but we're up to the challenge.  Amen?  Amen!!  

Rally hats

After watching the Texas Rangers (Woooooohooooo!!) burst back into the World Series with millions of fans in the park and around the world, I remembered we have the capacity to harness the same enthusiasm and energy for the common good.  Oh, we try already.  In various protest movements from The Tea Party to Occupy Wall Street, we see hints of that power.  Gathering and cheering and expressing ourselves comes naturally to Americans who enjoy the luxury of the right to peaceful assembly.  Heaven knows our history, the world's history verifies the efficacy of lifting voices in concert.  Naturally, simple rabble rousers show up for all protests, celebrations, gatherings, and their faces and less-than-noble actions often make the news.  Still, this shouldn't dampen our spirits or negate the true motivation and righteousness of those who gather in good faith.  Will we all agree with all causes?  Certainly not, but as Americans we must support that right to gather, and maybe, just maybe, decide to take a stand ourselves.  Must we pour into the streets to be counted among those rallying?  Again, certainly not, but expressing solidarity when we do agree puts our virtual feet on the ground and voices in the sound of the roaring crowd.  Maybe that's what America needs right now.  Not a protest AGAINST anything, but rather a rally FOR our country in general, a big HOOOOOOORAY for AMERICA and every positive we can find, and trust me, we can find PLENTY.  Sports often reminds us of our ability to put aside differences and don our team colors for, most of the time, healthy competition.  Perhaps, as we've done many times before, we need to pop on our RED, WHITE, AND BLUE rally caps, and cheer, cheer, cheer our way back to the unified strength most of us never lost.     

Doing our part

Here I sit, watching my morning talk show, amazed at how people can talk so much about important matters and yet not DO a single thing to make that talk produce some results.  Yes, I know that's their job, but they seem so critical of just about everyone who is actually trying to do something, and yet, they offer no advice, no ideas, just criticism.  Meanwhile, a huge portion of Americans, you and I included, operate with what we have, do what we need to do, and hope that those who can make things better for us will ACT or at least work together so they CAN act.  Again, I will never give up or give in to the wave of negatives.  We're always  building to that positive wave that will leave us awash in decent, reasonable prosperity.  We'll adjust, think, plan, and rediscover (as we always do) that ever-present American spirit and let 'er rip.  Trust me, people are actually working quietly and steadily and already making a difference.  They don't have to talk about it.  They're DOING it.  We're doing it.  Nothing wrong with saying so, right?    

Go team!!

As we've moved through a very exciting weekend of traditional sports match ups, I've been struck by the various ways fans choose to express their enthusiasm and loyalty.  Heaven knows we need more examples of true commitment to a cause, to a belief, to a passion, but we also must remind our children how to express it with grace and dignity and respect for others and themselves.  Team spirit, economic theory, religious beliefs, whatever the position, what lies in one's heart deserves intelligence and wisdom in its public presentation.  Okay, sports might be less serious than other areas, but the concept is the same.  Wooohoooo for our team, our peeps are the best, we will win, go get 'em, I'm standing up for my colors, my school, my city.  That's healthy, of course, but I see no call for vulgar and nasty in healthy competition of any kind.  If our children learn the wrong way to cheer FOR a team (by only cheering AGAINST the other), then how can we expect them to turn into adults who can work together finding common ground for real progress and at the same time stand strong for what they believe?  I'm not trying to dampen anyone's spirit, but it's just something to think about now and then.  Good taste and good sportsmanship never got in the way of  a fired up, give 'em hell, play with all your heart and soul, take the big prize, in your face, hard-fought VICTORY.  That's what I'm talkin' about...yeah!

One Fine October Friday...

I logged on to my blog
And suddenly I sensed it
A thick, imposing fog

I shook my silly, sleepy head
I blinked my weary eyes
And oh and ah, what happened then
Flashed through me with surprise

The comfort of a friend's word
A twinge of promised strife
One golden ray of autumn sun
Lit up the stream of life

"I'll take it," squealed my soul
"I love it," hailed my heart.
Dispelling daily cobwebs, dear
Becomes a work of art!

Love ya, my America

Are we struggling a bit?  Do we have more than our share of problems?  Good heavens, yes.  Still, despite the talking heads constantly bobbing about, speaking of lost confidence and faltering worldwide respect, most of us in the trenches see through it all because we know the real America, the country of strength and compassion and ingenuity and sheer guts and grit.  That America will come through this rough spot, bolder and better and flying in the face of critics.  Those at the heart of this country, those taking care of business in their own homes and neighborhoods and finding ways to make life work, no matter the hardship, will once again serve as the unshakable foundation for recovery, will forge the challenging pathway back to true and fair prosperity.  The naysayers will not win.  Rose-colored glasses, you say?  Well, perhaps I'm more optimistic than most, but I speak from reality and fact and undeniable history.  Perhaps some of the talking heads need a review and a change of tune.  Obviously negative blabbering makes a difference.  Shall we let the positive have a go of it for a while?  Certainly, it couldn't hurt. 

A little goes a long way

Funny how life gets in the way sometimes.  Hey, I should be happy to say that, right?  Right!  Between classes, a wide array of entertainment, and mundane daily tasks, I've neglected my blog.  Oh, I've thought about it along the way, thought about losing my followers, thought about things I should write, thought about smaller points to make or tiny pep talks to give.  In short, I have not followed my own advice, my own philosophy that I usually follow in that life I celebrate every day:  "A little is better than nothing at all."  Soooooo, here you go.  Here's my little for this fine day in October.  Perhaps, my sweet friends, I can practice what I preach, and not be afraid to make a short post and be just as proud and happy.  Progress...gotta love it.