Month: June 2022

“Wake up?” “Wake up and smell the roses!” “Wake up! You are sleeping your life away!” “Wake up! We could have been there by now if you had gotten up on time!” “Wake up! You are burning daylight.”

All of us at one time or another have heard the above especially when we were children. It always referred to time and the wasting of time. If someone used those expressions it was because they didn’t want us to miss something they thought was important. To be “woke” meant that your eyes were open and your brain was functioning and able to comprehend the obvious. I am afraid that today being “woke” means you are unable to comprehend the obvious.

Today being “woke” means that you have heard and accepted the radical, left wing ideas for this country.

For instance, we are only “woke” if we accept a man, who is wearing a woman’s bathing suit, competing in women’s swimming competitions. Then when “he” wins and claims that “he” was the fastest woman and thus won we are all supposed to cheer. The left doesn’t like when you point out the biological fact that men have a distinct advantage over women especially when it comes to upper arm strength and endurance. Men have larger lungs and hearts and thus they have a more effective oxygen delivery system throughout their bodies.

When a man who has decided he is a woman becomes the first four star admiral for the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corp we are once again supposed to cheer. We are not to think about the real biological women who worked hard in the medical field who were qualified to fill that position but didn’t get the position because we have a “woke” President.

If you are “woke” you will just shrug when a teenage boy claims he identifies as a female and is allowed to use the girl’s bathrooms at school and even shower in the girl’s shower. When we are at a store or restaurant and our little girl needs to use the restroom and a male walks in we are to just smile and accept this as our way of life.

“Woke” people ignore the female prisoners who are being raped in prison by the males that have been brought in because they identify as female.

We are supposed to be “woke” enough to accept President Biden’s threat to end the lunch program for students unless schools allow boys to use girls rest rooms and to affirm any student that decides they are trans. The schools are also to allow the teaching of sexual issues to children as young as kindergarten and the parents are to have no say in this matter. The fact that parents pay the taxes that keep these schools open does not matter. Parents need to say okay, cut off the program, and then they need to go buy some peanut butter and jelly and send their children to school. Millions of children were raised on peanut butter and jelly or bologna sandwiches and turned out be contributing members of society.

When school boards decide that parents don’t need to know if their child is claiming they are confused about their gender, no matter their age, we are to just smile because any one who is “woke” knows that teachers should be making major decisions regarding our children not the parents. Those of us who are not “woke” are for school choice. It is obvious why “woke” people don’t want school choice. The left has made our public schools indoctrination centers for their radical ideas. In the meantime I suggest that parents talk to their children every day and ask them what their teacher talked about. Check out any papers they bring home and any assignments they are given.

There have always been people who are confused for whatever reason regarding their gender. Many Native American tribes called them Two-spirit people. They were limited in the jobs they could do in the tribe. This was probably because if you can’t decide if you are a man or a woman then maybe you shouldn’t be making big decisions that can affect the entire tribe. That makes sense to me.

Despite Roe v Wade being over turned and the decision being given to the states, which I fully agree with, there is still the “woke” issue of how far into the pregnancy can an abortion be performed. A couple of states have already stated that there will no limits on when the abortion can be performed. You are not “woke” if you don’t agree to abortion being an option up until the day the baby would be born. In my world that is called infanticide.

We are not “woke” if we get annoyed that every TV show and movie has to have the ubiquitous gay couple. We are supposed to be embarrassed if we consider marriage to be one man and one woman.

We are not “woke” if we don’t agree with the Climate Change extremists. You are only “woke” if you are willing to pay through your nose for gasoline. You are “woke” if you listen to the fools in Washington or even better the wealthy Hollywood elites, who fly private jets, when they say we need to pay exorbitant prices for gasoline to run our vehicles and to heat our homes. We are to suffer silently and go about our lives and smile while we are doing what they dictate as gospel. Then there is the “woke” belief that we should all listen to and bow to the ideas of a teenager, Greta Thunberg. Seriously, I didn’t give much credence to my own teenagers when they gave me their opinion on relevant issues so why would you think I would listen to a teenager who thinks she knows all there is to know about Climate Change. I find it hard to believe she knows much about life at all but I have a feeling somebody is using her and making some serious money doing just that.

We are “woke” if we believe that criminals are victims and the police are the evil men and women who want to abuse the electorate. We are “woke” if we excuse mobs of people destroying businesses and homes because they feel the police over stepped while doing their job. I guess I am not “woke” because I believe if a police officer does something illegal or over steps then he or she should be investigated, however, I believe that the vast majority of law enforcement personnel do their jobs with integrity. If you are “woke” you understand that liberal DA’s are what is best for this country. After all, what could be better for any community than allowing criminals who commit horrendous felonies to get out of jail without posting bail? We all know how these criminals are so grateful they immediately start to turn their lives around.

Now, I come to my favorite “woke” issue. A woman decides she wants to be a man and has a double mastectomy. She then gets pregnant. I am not going to speculate how this happened, but pregnant she is and when she has the baby the news is that a man had a baby. No, a human being with a uterus, thus a female gave birth. The fact that she dresses like a man does not change the fact that the person who gave birth was a biological female. This a given because only biological females can give birth.

So, I ask the following question: Am I the only person who feels like they live inside of the book, “The Emperor Has No Clothes” by Hans Christian Anderson? Is it going to take a child to point out the obvious? Will it take a child one day to yell out loud, “That’s not a woman, that’s a man!” In the meantime, until a child points out the obvious, we need to use the one tool that we have available to us and that is the ballot box. In November we need to vote for candidates that will uphold the premises of basic biology, help to make America energy independent once again, respect law enforcement, enforce laws, respect parental rights and not kowtow to the radical left.

By the time you reach my age you should have accumulated some wisdom. If you haven’t, well, I can’t help but wonder what you have been doing all these years.

The problem I find is that I am not always sure when I should share my, in my never to be humble opinion, awesome wisdom. My daughters have no problem telling me when to share it and it is usually NEVER in their opinion. But, I have so much. A lot of it gained at great expense to me. How can I not share it?

When to step in and ask a stranger if they need assistance is a delicate dance for those of us with wisdom to share. For instance, I was in the grocery store not to long ago and I saw an elderly man staring, with a bewildered look on his face, at all the different spaghetti sauces. I walked over and smiled and asked if he needed some help. His relief to my asking was palpable. He told me his wife had sent him to get some spaghetti sauce for dinner as she had forgotten to buy it. He didn’t understand how most of them didn’t say “spaghetti sauce” but “marinara sauce.” I ask him if she was actually making spaghetti or some other dish and he said yes she was making spaghetti. I asked him if he wanted plain sauce, sauce with garlic and mushrooms or sauce with meat in it. He said the garlic and mushrooms would be great. So, we zeroed in on Prego as it was on sale and I assured him it was a very good brand. He reached for a jar and then I asked how many people would there be and he said ten. I handed him two more jars. Now, had one of my daughters been there she would have said, “Mom” with a heavy sigh.

I remember the time a parent of one of my students said that it was a parents job to make sure their child was happy at all times. It is not often that I am speechless but I was for a few seconds at that time. I guess my silence gave her the impression I agreed as she said that she could see I understood where she was coming from. I quickly regained my senses and explained to her that I did not agree. I told her that her son is extremely disruptive in class and was rude to me which is why she is at this meeting with me now. I told her that I had five adult children and that my husband and I felt that our job was to do our best to make sure they become functioning, contributing members of society. They were raised to be kind, polite and generous. They knew early on that life can be hard and nobody is happy all the time. They were taught that there are consequences for their actions. I then told her that her son’s behavior will not be accepted in college and most certainly will not be accepted when he gets a job. She then told me that she hadn’t asked for my opinion. I had thought I was sharing wisdom but either way she demanded a meeting with our Administrator. Long story short – she got the same response from the Administrator. Yes, sometimes wisdom isn’t appreciated. Who would have thought?

Young people think they know everything they need to know but sadly that isn’t the case. However, we need to remember that in all probability we thought the same way. As I have gotten older I have deep appreciation for “gut instincts” and I tried to teach the proper response to them to my daughters. If I got a bad feeling off of someone they brought over their response was that I just didn’t like their friends. This is one area where trying to share your hard earned wisdom can fall on deaf ears and there isn’t much you can do about it.

New parents can be tricky. I remember with my first daughter how scared I was when I brought her home. I had never even changed a diaper up till that moment. I didn’t have any family nearby but I did read in the paper that the Red Cross back then would make home visits. So, I called and the woman they sent was a true blessing. She showed me how to bath my daughter and what to watch for feeding her etc. Now, fast forward to my last two daughters and boy does all that wisdom kick in fast. When my oldest daughter was little I was sure she would be damaged emotionally if I didn’t pick her up immediately after she started to cry. By the later ones a pound on the wall sufficed as I said I will be there in a few minutes. A few years ago one of my daughters and I were at a friend’s house and the friend’s son was there with his wife and their five year old son. When his child got in trouble for throwing something, his immediate response while crying was they hate him. He yelled how his friends have parents that love them. His parents began to hug him and reassure him how much they loved him blah, blah and more blah. I was ready to share my wisdom but the laser piercing look from my daughter convinced me not to but boy did I want to impart some wisdom!!

Where do I start when it comes to the way young women dress today? My wisdom over flows but they don’t want to listen. My goodness, nothing is left to the imagination any more and I do mean nothing. I was on a cruise recently and I saw some women who had to weigh close to 300 pounds wearing string bikinis by the pool. They would walk in and smile as everyone stared at them. I wanted to yell to them that they are staring because you look so awful not because they are impressed with you being comfortable in your own skin. Now, this was one occasion where I had no problem keeping my wisdom to myself as I would have feared for my physical safety. Girls think it is cool to wear shorts where the bottom of their butts show and tops where nearly all their breasts are hanging out. Girls! Listen! I might sound old-fashioned but trust me when I tell you that the kind of man who wants a family and a good life will not take you home to meet his mother. What really stuns me is the number of moms who think this is all cute and have no problem with their daughters dressing like this. Now, I am not saying I want girls to dress like they stepped out of filming for the Handmaid’s Tale, but get a little modesty back in the picture. Plus, I would like to share the wisdom that those bodies aren’t here to stay. At some point gravity will win so you had better not measure your self esteem and self worth on how your body looks.

As we acquire wisdom we also learn a big life lesson. Which hills are worth dying on and which are not. When we are young we are ready to throw down and fight for every little thing we feel is worth our wrath. Keeping a schedule and making sure everything is on time is crucial. Guess what? It isn’t. I used to go bonkers if I got off schedule as I was sure it was a sign I wasn’t a good mother. I want to share with young parents that it is okay if that load of laundry gets done tomorrow. It is okay to have peanut butter sandwiches and chips for dinner now and again when the day has been hectic and crazy. A spill is just that – a spill. God made us wash and wear and lets face it most of our clothes are too. It is okay to stop a project in the middle and take a few minutes and read a book with your child that is picking up on your stress. I remembering trying to protect my children from every evil known to man. You can’t. The best we can do is try to control when they find out about these evils. Sometimes I wish I could stand on a bench in a park loaded with parents and start sharing some of this wisdom but people look at you funny if you do that and then they call the police. I do have to smile as I picture the expression on my daughter’s face when she comes to bail me out.

Social Media is one area where my wisdom truly over flows. Why do people think they need to publicize every single personal detail of their lives? Now, I know a lot of older people do this but it is the young people who have given new meaning to the belief that we need to share everything we think and do with the entire world. I want to tell them that one day they will be sorry because once out there it is there forever. They have no idea how their lives can change and that job opportunities or promotions may be lost to them because of what they said or shared on social media. I have seen young women discuss the abortions they had!! Some things that we do should be taken to the grave and not shared with the entire world. Pictures posted are there forever too and I guarantee that one day they will be sorry they are so accessible. They aren’t thinking about how they may find themselves answering the questions their children will have when those posts come popping in the future. I wish they would understand that the only reason these posts will come back to haunt them is because someone wants to hurt them on some level. Sadly, by the time these young people gain the wisdom to understand it will be too late and much of their lives will be fodder for those who don’t like them.

Now, as I said, I believe that most people acquire wisdom as they age. However, I have noticed one glaring exception – Politicians!! It is mindboggling how politicians seem to actually lose wisdom. Is it the fact that many get caught up in the power they wield? Is it because they like the money and don’t want to get a real job so they see which way the wind is blowing and then agree to anything ? Is this why prominent Republicans, who claim to be Conservative, now agree with allowing children under the age of 18 to have permanent gender altering surgery because being trans is now “in?” Young people are being taught that our Founding Father’s were evil men and that today’s Liberals are going to save our country. I find it ironic because our Founding Father’s may not have been perfect but they truly believed in using the wisdom they had attained to better the country not their personal lives. Much as I hate to admit it, there is no way that I can use my wisdom in this case. If I could I would but trying to instill wisdom into most of today’s politicians would be futile. That has to come from within and sadly most politicians today seem to be emotionally hollow and mentally vacant.

In the meantime I will continue to look for opportunities to share my wisdom, especially when my daughters aren’t around to interfere, or give unsolicited eye rolls.

When I was teaching I would tell my students that the best way to enrich your life is through two entities: Reading and Travel. I have always been a voracious reader. Even as a child I read about places that I hoped to see one day. For instance, I was about 11 or 12 when I read about Pompeii. Over the years I read every article I could get my hands on about the excavations going on at Pompeii. It took me a while but I got there this year. I would ask my students if they had read about a place that they would like to see and it was the readers who had their hands up quickly. The students who only read what they had to in order to get through their classes had to think about it. If it were possible I wish every senior in high school had to spend at least two weeks in a different country so they could see how everyone in the world does not live like we do.

People have asked me what I get out of spending money on travel when I could buy an object with it that I could have for years. I just blink because you can’t explain the awe of seeing things that were built hundreds or even thousands of years ago and learning how some of what you are seeing is reflected in what our country is today. For instance, when we were in Greece and learned about the dynamics of the first democracy and then read about how James Madison had studied this democracy in detail we are able to see the foundation of our Constitution. Or the emotions I felt when I stood on Utah Beach in Normandy, France and knew it was where my Father had landed during W.W.II. Trying to acknowledge the term “Man’s finest hour”, when discussing W.W.II, and then walking through Dachau, one of the Concentration Camps, I found myself wondering how such a dichotomy could exist. Walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which is the path that Jesus would have taken as he carried his cross, was a very emotional experience. So many moments that can’t be compared to any item that the same money might have bought.

1993 I was involved with a Sister City program. I lived in the Buffalo, New York area and the program was between Buffalo and Tver, Russia which is about 40 miles north of Moscow. My daughter, Sara, graduated that year so for her graduation gift she got a trip, one month long, to Russia. Surprise, surprise! She wanted a car. She mumbled and grumbled when we arrived but in days she was fine and seeing first hand the differences between young people in America and young people in Russia. She talked to people her age who were working jobs anywhere they could and giving the money to their parents to help guarantee there would be heat in their apartment in the winter. When she got home she told me it was hard to talk to some of her friends who now seemed a bit shallow in their thinking.

I love meeting new people. One of the things that jumps out at me when I talk about meeting people all over the world is that most people want the same things. They want a place to put their head at night, three meals a day and a better life for their children. I have found this to be universal among people, however, every place I have gone has had the roots of Christianity or Judaism. I have talked to people who spent time in Muslim countries and that isn’t always the case. I have no desire to go to a Muslim country. Those countries are not on my bucket list. There is a lot more I want to see and I am hoping in the next three or four years to be able to say that I have walked on all seven continents. I have walked on four so far.

I have been to countries where they use real gold to refurnish a palace and yet people are begging for food on the streets outside of the palace. To all you people who complain that the government here doesn’t give enough free stuff; trust me no other country in the world does what this one does for its citizens. Travel will open your eyes to what is really going on in the world.

A friend told me recently that she and her husband are thinking of taking a Mediterranean Cruise for their 40th wedding anniversary and did I have any tips for them. I sure did and if you are thinking of taking a trip out of the country I hope these tips help you too.

The most important tip – BUY Travel Insurance!!

For the most part it is not cheaper to travel to a country and then look for accommodations on your own. If you are 20 years old and want to back pack and sleep in rooms with ten other people then go for it; other wise it is better to be with a reliable travel group. They get the best prices and they will arrange the tickets for the main sites and usually that means you don’t have to wait in line. Plus, they have qualified and knowledgeable guides. If you are like me you will want to squeeze every bit you can out of the trip.

I always learn how to say please, thank you, good morning, good day, where is the bathroom, excuse me and a few other words for any country I am going to be visiting. Yes, a lot of people speak English but they appreciate the fact that you are trying to communicate in their language and are not one of the arrogant Americans who assume they should speak English.

You will not need as much clothes as you think. As a woman I bring two long skirts of basic colors and two or three dressy tops to go with them. A dressy pair of shoes completes it. Trust me you don’t need three pairs of shoes. You will need more tops than bottoms but make sure you have a couple that you can wash in the shower and hang up to dry. Save underwear that gets frayed and use it for your trip and then throw it out each day.

I never pack my suitcase more than 2/3 full so I have plenty of room for souvenirs.

I always keep any medicine that I need to take with me at all times. I consider my make up to be just as important so it stays with me at all times too.

Pack disposable wash cloths as a lot of bathrooms in Europe do not provide them.

Be prepared that hotel rooms in Europe, even in five star hotels, are not as big as they are in the states. I usually stay at three star and they are equivalent to a Quality Inn or similar room here but just smaller.

Always check what the tipping policy is in each country. For instance in Italy it is illegal to put a tip on a credit card so they have to be given separately. For most countries it is 10% but check. Again, you don’t want to be looked at as an arrogant American.

Always know the number of the American Embassy or Consulate just in case you have a problem.

Make sure someone at home has your itinerary as well a a copy of your passport. I always carry a copy of my passport. Today you can take a picture of it on your phone. I also have the person I am traveling with have a copy of mine and I have one of theirs. It never hurts to be prepared.

Pack a basic first aid kit. I always have a small tube of triple antibiotic cream, anti itch cream (you never know with different plants etc. what might give you a rash.), a few band aids, anti-diarrhea pills (again you never know with different foods) a bottle of Aleve or what ever you use for muscle aches or headaches and anything else you might think of that you use on a regular basis.

Do not bring expensive jewelry. I have several sets of earrings that are cheap but cute as well as any rings etc. Fight the urge to show off your diamonds.

I always wear a pair of jeans, a tee shirt and a jacket or sweat shirt on the plane as well as my comfortable pair of walking shoes. One, it can be cold on the plane and two you have those items with you and don’t need to take up space packing them.

Make sure your back pack is a secure one that can’t be cut or swiped easily. They cost a few bucks more but they are worth it. The same advice goes for a fanny pack too.

Keep your passport with you at all times!

Check and make sure your credit card does not charge you for using it out of the country.

Check your mobile provider regarding using your phone in other countries. I am with AT&T and they charge $10 a day for full usage and only charge up to $100 a month. So, if you use it for 15 days you are still only paying $100.

Take a ton of pictures!! You can always go through and ditch the ones that didn’t come out right but the more the better.

Always keep some change on you as many toilets in Europe and other continents charge to use a public rest room. It is usual equivalent of 50 cents in U.S. dollars. You won’t mind because for the most part they are spotlessly clean.

Trust me when I say that your outlook on life will change if you keep an open mind. You will see how people perceive things differently than we American’s do and if you keep an open mind you will see where they are coming from even if you don’t agree.

Bon Voyage!!

I listened to people comment on how if it wasn’t for their mother or grandmother they wouldn’t be in the same room with a certain person or persons. It got me thinking about my youth and how we spent part or all of a holiday with my Grandmother Elizabeth. I remember my parents and others saying how the only time they had to “put up with so and so” was at Grandma’s house. Sadly, when she passed I saw how she had been the “glue” that kept the family together especially during holidays.

As the years have passed I have noticed that not just in families but in work places there is often the one person who is the “glue.” This is the person who remembers co-workers birthdays and organizes a Christmas get together. She, and I use the pronoun she because this job is filled by a woman 99.9% of the time, organizes a “Meal Train” if some has had a medical emergency or death in the family. She makes sure everyone knows where the funeral or memorial service will be or where food can be dropped off.

These people don’t complain because there is a real blessing in being the “glue.” If someone asks them why they do it they look confused because in their mind, why wouldn’t you do these things? They are a reminder of times past when being the “glue” wasn’t so rare. It was a time when neighborhoods were their own little communities and people knew if someone was sick, was suffering from the death of a loved one or some other negative event was impacting their life. Sadly, today, many people have lived on their street for years and don’t know their neighbor’s names let along what might be going on in their lives.

If you look at your family and your work place and don’t recognize anyone as being the “glue” then think about stepping up to the plate. Invite your family over for dinner on a regular weekend. When they seem shocked as it isn’t a holiday explain that family should be the core of our lives. Tell them how we have all been too busy and we need to prioritize what is important. How staying connected should be a priority. When they tell you how it is bad enough they have to tolerate so and so on the holidays explain that all families have issues but in the end family is what makes us who we are today.

In the work place start small. Ask if everyone minds making a list of everyone’s birthdays. Then see who might want to help making sure that there is a cake in the lunch room on those days. You will be surprised how many will want to be apart of this endeavor. I know this is not possible in all places of employment but if it is it can make a big difference in the spirit of those you work with day to day. When I was working I used to enter the break room by saying, “Hello, Work Family!” Some weeks we can easily spend more of our awake hours with our “work family” than with our real family.

In your neighborhood try organizing a “get to know your neighbor” type of event. When people ask why tell them how you would like to get to know your neighbors better. Explain how you want an event with food, music and games. It won’t be long before people will be offering to organize certain aspects of the get together. Before you know it people will be exchanging phone numbers and organizing play dates for their children. Men will be discussing who has what tool etc.

We need the “glue” in our lives because without it we are just a bunch of people wandering through the days haphazardly bumping into each other. God made us social creatures and we are healthier physically and mentally if we engage the social aspects of our lives.

So, get out there and be the “glue”!!