North Florida Writer

SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: A Story of Power and a Man Named Joe

3/28/2020

A bustling city comes to life with the morning light.

There was a young man I will just call Joe. Young Joe was smart and talented and not only did he quarterback the high school football team, he also made excellent grades and when he graduated from high school, he accepted a full scholarship for football to a major Division l university. Knowing that football wouldn’t last forever, he also embarked on a course leading to a degree in Civil Engineering even though advised that might be too much load to handle with his commitment to sports. Joe fooled everyone as he worked hard and played hard, consistently made the Dean's List and even made second team All American for leading his school to a hard earned 10-2 record and victory in a quality bowl game in his senior year. In that final game, however, Joe was hurt on a running play and learned he wouldn't be able to enter the NFL draft. He knew, however, that he had a lucrative job offer to a position designed for greatness with an international engineering firm with a lucrative starting salary. He knew he had the power to be what he wanted to be.   But a little voice told him to be careful of assuming he had so much power.

Five years later, Joe's hard work paid off as he received a plum position assignment as the leader of a team doing work for a large European corporation, designing new buildings for operations in London, Frankfurt and Paris. Joe even mastered to a working level both German and French and his host company loved him and his efforts. At the time of completion of the project, he was rewarded with a huge stock option package and was asked to become the Corporate Senior Vice President for Development at a very young age. He excelled and would go on to become the President and Chairman of the Board of a Fortune 500 engineering consultant group with offices all over the world. And by then thought, indeed he had the power even though that little voice again told him to be careful.

Now, John was a highly ethical executive and he had grown up as the son of a minister with a grounding in faith. But the faith had fallen by the wayside and as he got within a couple years of retirement, he pondered his situation. He had a wonderful wife who loved him dearly as did he love her and despite his many travels he remained faithful to her. The couple adopted two baby girls from China when they learned they could have no children of their own. The girls were raised to of high morals and productive in life, and he was proud that one was a rising lawyer in a good firm and the other a computer wizard, highly courted by some of the best high tech firms in the world. But he also knew that the credit really belonged to his wife, Emily, for he always put business first. He was

an excellent provider and always faithful to his wife, but he knew she had been disappointed by him many times when she wanted to share in the success of the children and he was always off at work. As he pondered that, he found a letter waiting for him from Tommy Wainwright, a boy he hadn't seen since his first reunion from high school nearly thirty years ago. Tommy had been a good friend of his in high school but he had never kept in touch due to his work first regimen. He anxiously opened it and began to read.

"Hi Joe, I hope you remember me but I was thinking about you. I saw where you will be coming to Pittsburgh soon and I was hoping we could get together while you are here. You remember when the boys always teased me by calling me Preacher? Well, you were the only one who got them to lighten up and yes, I am now a pastor and have led a congregation back here in Pittsburgh for the last ten years after years of moving around. You are truly our class celebrity and I'd love to have lunch with you and see what got you where you are. Stories likes yours are always of interest. So, I hope you might call me at Grace Fellowship Church if it would be possible. God bless you, Joe.   Tommy"

Joe chuckled as he remembered the nickname and the boy and he almost threw the letter away, but for some reason, he put it in his briefcase. He thought he might want to read it again and he did so on the corporate jet as he traveled from home base in Houston to Pittsburgh. He was busy all day with meetings but that night he called the number give on Tommy's letter and was surprised when Tommy answered the phone.

"Tommy it's Joe from high school here in Pittsburgh," Joe said. "I would like very much to get together. I'm here for the next four days and the day before I depart, I will be clear after eleven in the morning. Call me at the hotel and let me know."

Tommy invited Joe to meet him at the church at noon of that open day. It wasn't far from Joe's conference location and they agreed on going to a small Italian restaurant the Joe knew of as well. He’d been to Pittsburgh many times. When Joe drove up to the church, he was impressed. It was a very beautiful stone church with a manicured front entrance and a welcome saying "For all who are burdened or troubled, welcome to the House of the Lord." Tommy greated him in a simple blue suit with clerical collar, smiling and looking at peace with the world and the two men just stood looking at each other for a moment. Both looked amazingly fit, Joe from heavy workouts at his corporate gym and Tommy from coaching part time for the track team at a local private school. They reminisced about high school then walked the two blocks to lunch in a nicely restored small business district.

As they sat at a quiet table waiting for their lunch. Joe gave him the Cliff Notes version of his life, explaining his drive in all things, about his family which was so supportive which had to always take a backseat to his work. And then, out of the blue, Joe told Tommy about his little voice which told him not to be careful about power, and asked his old schoolmate, a man who knew his Bible very well, what it might mean. Joe didn't usually confide like this, but seeing Tommy again after all these years, he just sensed something about him and his devotion to God which told him it was safe to do so. Tommy picked up on that and took a very cautious approach before asking for more.

Tommy began, "Well, you know, Joe, that I'm no Daniel and sometimes interpretations of dreams can make the dreamer upset. And while I could be very wrong, I think I have a fairly good idea of what it means. So, if you can temper what I say with a grain of salt and not hold it against me, I'll try. And I hope it won't upset you."

Joe explained that in his corporate world, being hurt by something someone said would cause nothing to ever get done, so he urged Tommy to go ahead. He was accustomed to and could handle directness.

"Well, Joe," Tommy the minister said, "Maybe you just don't understand who really has the power. Ultimate power exists with God and He has expectations of what the power He has given you should be used for. From what you've told me, you have been an honorable businessman and it is admirable that you and your wife saved those two children from what would have likely been a tragic short life for them, but God expects more from you. While you have devoted your life to being the best you can be in the business world and providing for your family, you haven't thought much about what God wants from you.   I know you were raised in faith, but you since you never mentioned it, perhaps you have left it behind."

Joe pondered things and they talked frankly for hours and as they prepared to leave, Tommy asked, "I would like you to meet me early in the morning tomorrow if you can. What time does your flight to Houston leave?"

Joe explained that he would be picked up by the corporate jet and it was at his timing. Tommy said he would pick Joe up at his hotel at 5 a.m. sharp in the morning and then take him to the airport after breakfast. They agreed and now free for the rest of the day, Joe pondered what Tommy had to show him that was so important. Then, uncharacteristically, he called his wife and told her when he'd be back the next day. Tommy's words had told him he needed to be more appreciative of what she did and he planned to make it up to her.

The next morning, Tommy was at the pick-up point right on schedule and Joe was in casual clothes. Once the bellhop had loaded Joe's things, the two men headed across the river and Tommy drove up a steep incline to a viewing overlook as the darkness turned to gray. He pulled off, they got out and Joe was amazed at the view before him. On this beautiful morning, below them was the river, the booming city of Pittsburgh and slight fog in spots as they faced what would be the sunrise. The gray started turning to pastel hues and then, slowly from the eastern horizon came the sun, ever so slowly climbing as if directly out of the earth. As the rays started to shine, the darkness began to give way to the vivid colors on earth below and it was impressive. Tommy said they'd say nothing for a few moments and just look and Joe, awed by what he saw, relaxed and enjoyed the view. A few minutes later as the sun completely opened with its warmth and bright light to the city below, Tommy and Joe sat on an observation bench and he spoke to Joe.

He said, "Joe, what you just witnessed was the real power, the power of the Lord. The sunrise, always on time, is just one very small example of it. Your physical being and the talents you have used so well, represent another. Everything we are and have was created by God and He has great plans for us going forward, even a great corporate titan like you. But to understand what he wants of this power, He needs you talk with Him and walk with Him and He'll guide you. Oh, it won't come all at once but if you open yourself to Him, it will grow and it will mold you into what He wants of you and when it does, you'll have peace, not questions about what He expects of you and all of us."

Joe was truly touched and as he and Tommy enjoyed that breakfast before departing and he realized it was time for him to retire. He was secure and there was something much greater than himself that he could do with the rest of his life. He was wealthy, he could do anything he wanted and he now knew what that needed to be and he wanted to do it while he was young enough to do it well. He bid Tommy goodbye and flew home, telling his company chauffeur and driver to take him home instead of the office on arrival. He also stopped on the way and picked up beautiful flowers for his wife and said he was going to take the next two days off. The chauffeur smiled, knowing that something had changed in this man he had gotten to know and he appreciated it when Joe told him to take that time off as well.   What he didn't know was that Joe had many other changes on his mind and his urgency would now be devoted to those things of God, not for himself alone.

This story is one that truly ends with everyone happy ever after. For Joe became a leader of helping others in need, he and his wife drew closer than they ever had been and he stayed close with Tommy and they frequently got together. Joe became active in a small church that needed help, prayed every day and gave of himself instead of just being a taker. God has a way of doing things like this, if only we open ourselves to His love and grace. And as Joe found out, it answered his questions and gave him peace.

What about you? Do you need to make some changes? Ask the Answer Man routinely and you'll find out. God bless you all.

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HOARDING, RUDENESS & MORE: Are We Really This Uncivilized?

3/27/2020

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Social distancing, anyone?

As you go through your day trying to deal with the CoronaVirus madness around you, the question posed in the headline presents itself. Seriously, have we really become this self-centered and coarse in our lives, America? My answer, a resounding YES, is why I call it the madness, not the pandemic, for the madness we've created is likely to turn out much more critical than the disease itself. It's as if we think there is no one else in this world but ourselves and therefore we can justify the stupid things that we do. Now I don't know about you, but if this is a sign of what could become after a massive pandemic, one much greater than what we face today, then I really don't want any part of it. I have no interest in surviving to live the rest of my life as a living character in another Mad Max in Thunderdome flick. That is not living by any stretch of my imagination.

The other day I went to the nearest Walmart Superstore after being told three pallets of toilet paper had arrived shortly before opening. I arrived five minutes after the seven a.m. opening and it was gone. Someone said the employees got it, that they hadn't been given any time off and it was their turn. I understand helping them, but three pallets in a very short period of time with none for folks who have been waiting for days. Doesn't make sense to me. And then there's the local food market which ran out of bread under similar conditions on the next day. As I walked into the story early, I watched people rolling out the door with up to twenty loaves of bread in their carts. Really? I asked the manager why he didn't put a limit on purchasing and he said he just sold it to whoever came first. Remind me not to go back to that store again which is a bit difficult since I live quite a way from the nearest city.

And speaking of the stores, I appreciate that so many are putting limits on sale. At Walmart, if you take anything over the limit, the scanners will flag you and not accept the purchase, so that's a good check since, sadly, people just can't be trusted. But after seeing a customer sneeze on a box of pastry in the pastry display area, and watching the attendant have to throw out the entire display due to contamination, why don't they put a protective cover over the produce? They have plexiglass protection for the cashiers, so shouldn't produce be protected as well? There was even an article out yesterday about a produce store that had to destroy an entire display of expensive items for just that reason and today we even find people deliberately coughing in the face of others. Our civility and world is truly turned upside down and the situation here is good evidence of it.

Lastly, I can't be critical without including politicians, for they are such an easy target. The pet peeve here is the wise politician who said in a large store like Costco or Walmart only one customer can occupy every one thousand square feet of floor space. The result: Long lines of customers lined up close together in the hot sun. No six foot social separation found there and we can thank both the politicians and the stupidity of ourselves for always pushing the envelope. Operating this way is going to kill us if we aren't careful and we can't ignore the reality that we can't keep businesses closed for too long or we'll never come back. Oops, that would bring Mad Max in with a yen for everything you and I have.

Sorry for the rant this morning but I think this is important. After all, in so many ways we are finding that the behavior, or lack thereof of people who should no better, the hoarding and the resultant shortages which should not be in a land of untold riches might be a bigger disaster than the pandemic itself. What a sad state of affairs but, after all, when a society decides there is no right or wrong and no moral compass which is given by a belief in a Higher Power which is so out of vogue today, why should we be surprised? Is where this can lead us where we want to be? Think about it.

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HAVE A MATH PROBLEM? Don't Worry, You'd Make a Good U.S. Senator

3/26/2020

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The United States Senate posing.

The United States Senate, a body of one hundred men and women, designed for extensive debate on issues and careful consideration of what should be done, is today a body which falls very short of the ideals on which it was created. Today, most legislation is crafted in secret behind closed doors and the rank and file members often don't know about a lot of what's in it until it comes to the floor for a vote. Woe be it upon the leadership to let the rank and file read anything first and, like times past, therein lies a major problem. When Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the GOP leadership had reached agreement with the Democrats, all were smiling and slapping each other on the back, but then as a few of the Senators who actually take time to try to see what was in it noted, there were some significant problems. While they could bend on some things like the $25 million for the Kennedy Center (why is that there?) as always happens in the give and take of the sausage making that is legislation, one thing stood out and a few Republicans erupted on the floor as discussion began. While most said they would go along since the old motto "we've got to do something" usually governs things, the few at least made sure the issue was discussed so that Americans could see just what a sausage grinder looks like.

In an effort to make sure that those who lost their jobs for the duration of the shutdown got massive relief, the Democrats forced a huge change in unemployment benefits which would allow many to make considerably more while on furlough than they would on the job and it would be paid for four months. Why didn't they make it up to the level of their salary and terminate it once back to work? Well, a few Republican Senators picked up on the problem and asked that question and I found the discussion quite enlightening. All of the Democrats hid behind their claim that state unemployment offices worked with aging software systems and it was impractical. But why the four months, not a plan that would at least terminate upon their employment coming available again? To that, several Democrats went so far as to say why would it be a problem if they got more than they should? Then they cited what they said was how workers were exploited by the rates on hand and even Bernie Sanders interjected with his socialist jargon. Was anyone's arm twisted to take the job they agreed to and signed on for. Give me a break.

Then it even got funny as Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware) tried to cite his state's Labor Secretary and the state's unemployment payment rate as a reason. When he calculated out the difference between his state's current rate and the impact of the proposed rate in the bill, he made a huge mistake. It was one that a basic understanding of the math involved would have eliminated. For you see, in Delaware the current rate is capped at four hundred dollars per week, but the new rate would add six hundred per week for about sixteen weeks. Carper gave a figure including the added federal amount of six hundred a week for the month, not adding that number each week for the new total amount of benefits available. So, Carper wondered why the Republicans were upset since his calculation showed a rate increase of pay under the new bill of $2200 per month, not outlandish by anyone's reasoning. When a Republican Senator provided what the answer would really be, or $4000 per month, Carper looked flushed, then said he'd have to check the computation with his state Labor Secretary. If anyone doesn't think that an employee or even a company owner might not try to game the system with such a lavish pay picture, they are not being realistic. If someone is guaranteed $4000 per month as opposed to, say $2500 a month normally, they really don't understand the problem we are facing. It makes it very lucrative for the employee to say he'll come back to work at the end of the four months, not when the job is open again if sooner. Again, tying the payment to the date of reopening would solve much of the problem, it would still be too high but we could probably stomach it, yet the Democrats weren't willing to budge.

And that brings me to something I noticed as I listened to the Senator speak. Now I'm sure Tom Carper is a fine man and I know he served as a Naval Flight Officer in the Vietnam War, and before anyone says I'm broaching discrimination over age, I will tell you that I am the same age (within six months) as Mr. Carper. But Carper has spent his entire life since his Navy days in public service, or government. He was the State Treasurer of Delaware, a United States Congressman, then Delaware Governor and finally Senator in Washington from Delaware in 2001. To get up before the Senate, looking somewhat bewildered about the issues as he stuttered a bit while making such a basic, but expensive mistake, in discussing the issue at hand makes me wonder if he might want to consider retirement soon. After all, at age 73, most of us want to slow down a bit and I truly don't believe many can stand the late night hours in a heated Senate discussion. With his educational background in Economics, a mistake like the one he made is really unconscionable. And remember, he is one of the younger members of the old gentleman's club in the Senate that hangs on for dear life due to their love of perks, attention and privilege. But then again, if that is what the people want, I guess that's what we'll continue to seek.

One thing else is important to remember. Only an older guy like Donald Trump can really stand up to the pressure and the heat without wilting. Our President is a man who can outlast anyone in a political battle, age not withstanding. We need to sharpen our smarts when we look at things, America, and think about these kinds of things instead of caring more about how politically correct a politician is. Put that one in your pipe, will you?

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MEDICAL SUPPLY SHORTAGE: Who is to Blame, America?

3/25/2020

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Routine supplies for a small medical office. Imagine what a hospital requires.

Everyone is looking for someone to blame for the lack of ventilators and other medical equipment items available as the CoronaVirus saga continues to unfold. The media, of course, looking for a crisis in everything involving the President. quickly reaches the conclusion that Trump and the Administration were not ready and I will agree there is some truth to that. As a matter of fact, the truth is that no one was ready, not the federal government, not state governments, not local governments and not even we, the citizens. When things are going well, we Americans are so busy looking at how to maximize our personal situation that we naturally forget about the "what if" things that we don't like to think about. We live on the coast and yet we are woefully prepared for hurricanes and their aftermath. We live in crowded cities and never think about what happens when the power goes out for more than minutes and the list can be endless. But notice how when the President shows great transparency in dealing with this situation, the media comes back with every bit of negativity that they can throw at him, claiming it is all his fault. I even have read one pundit who said this wouldn't have happened if Hillary was President. Pardon me if I feel ill at that thought. So, let's take a look at some of the key players also involved, particularly the states as well as former federal leaders and we can get a much better picture of the truth.

No state could be better as an example of this than New York and I say this not to criticize the Governor, Andrew Cuomo, who has greatly surprised me by the ways he is taking on the problem in his state full on and he and the President have forged a good working relationship on this issue. He is to be congratulated for that. But, looking at the big picture, his state was woefully unprepared for a situation like this in his main constituency, New York City, and he shouldn't have been unaware. Actually, he wasn't as state records show a senior official advised him that New York was woefully under stocked in ventilators in 2015 . He requested restocking to the level of sixteen thousand on hand which was the level recommended for a pandemic. It was ignored. Likely, the Governor had what he considered higher priorities on his mind, like overloading New York schools with illegal alien children and the costs of such an endeavor.

The federal government wasn't blameless either as the Obama Administration depleted most of the stock on hand in respirators during the H1N1 epidemic of 2009. No effort was made to replenish federal stock either and now, as we see, the state governments themselves are partially to blame. We can say that Donald Trump should have realized that but, think about that for a minute. Trump is not a politician and he had trusted subordinates working for him in the Trump organization and he likely assumed that those in the bureaucracy would act the same way. The federal government is a behemoth where waste is not unusual and money gets spent for many things not expected. Trump is now realizing what it is after trying to work within the system that is dysfunctional and I know he is not happy with those who weren't doing their jobs in the past. So, technically he is responsible, but realistically no one man can be personally responsible for every action deep within the bureaucracy, yet that is exactly what the media is trying to do. They want to blame Trump for every action taken by the whole of government right down to the warehouse. And by the way, if you think local government is any better, next time you go down to the courthouse or administration building in your town, take a close look at what is happening all around. It might surprise you.

Lastly, we citizens play a part in the blame as well. With regard to this pandemic, if we hadn't made price the almost sole basis for making purchase decisions, we wouldn't have enriched China like we have. Why did corporations move so much of their operations to China? They did so for cheap labor and low overhead and by doing so, we all loved the lower prices. Maybe we have to finally come to grips that we get what we paid for. Often it's because we don't think of the unintended consequences, like the use of slave labor or that of peasants for pennies on the hour just trying to survive. And now we can add the cost of a virus that has impacted our country in ways we could never have thought possible. Let's end the madness and use our talents to find ways to beat them at their own game, only in ways that allow a decent wage and a satisfied workforce proud of their work. America can do anything she sets her mind to. Let's use this situation as a start point for doing so. 'Nuff said.

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The Place for Real Comfort in a Time of Troubles and Fear

3/24/2020

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Signs of the answer are always near.

I remember as a young schoolboy spending "Summers at Old Nags Head", making friends with others my age who returned annually for their summer vacation. The situation we face today in America reminded of a time when I was talking with one of those friends, a boy my age from West Virginia, about coal mining. The question of danger in the coal mines came up, both from potential mine disasters as well as the impact of coal dust on a worker's lungs. I asked him why miners continued doing what they did for a living since it was so dangerous and he looked at me very puzzled.

He said, "In West Virginia, it's the principal means of earning a living and their families have lived there for generations? They do what they do to take care of their families. It beats going hungry."

His father was a lawyer who dealt with many of the health issues faced by those good people and the answer was clear. To them, the importance of living in the land they loved, yet still able to make a decent living for what they did in their work, made it an acceptable trade off to them and those basic comments explained succinctly why they did what they did.

Fast forward to today and we have a very similar problem although of national scope. With the country fearful due to a new virus about which much is still not known, there is a danger of the situation going on for such a long length of time that the money dries up for the necessary expenses of living and even operating the government. That would be much more monumental in scope and would be a certainty if prolonged for too long. So, what is the nation to do? Do we just close everything in total and destroy any hope for the likelihood of a return to normalcy? Or do we accept a certain level of risk as we gain more knowledge and open the country sufficiently to keep a society solvent? It's the reason why the President mentioned the subject last night, much to the chagrin of many, but he is, after all, a realist and he knows at some point some decisions must be made that will determine the course to be followed. It's not an easy question to answer and I hope all will pray for God's divine discernment to our leaders in reaching the best decision.

It's for this reason that I've chosen this topic today, for in today's world, CoronaVirus or not, we continually face many trials and tribulations that trouble us and make us fearful. Much of that is natural when we consider things about which the future is cloudy, but if we let the troubles and fears control us, we will find ourselves incapable of responding appropriately. Thinking about it further, I am again reminded of days in my youth when I was concerned about my family in the summer of 1957, our first time at the beach without Dad, who had died the previous fall. It seemed strange, almost surreal to be on the beach early in the morning without him since I used to walk with him and admire the transition from darkness to light as the sun rose. Yet, with him no longer there with me, I remembered what was so important about that sunrise and what it told me. It was simple and oh, so true, for that sunrise shows both the power and the glory of God and how his light brightening the day meant that He was always there for me. It was comforting and it gave me peace, for I knew that with Him in my life I should never fear anything on this earth but, rather, learn to deal with things in the way he intended. That, my friends, has stuck with me ever since. It is something that each of us need in what we face today. Remember, with God we can handle anything. Without God, we are lost.

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THE WUHAN VIRUS: Maybe We Need to Choose our Friends More Wisely

3/23/2020

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Wuhan Emergency Hospital under construction

For those of you a little longer on the tooth like me, you probably remember the opening of China to the rest of the world in 1972. President Nixon announced that the United States had finally recognized Communist China and welcomed her into the world of nations. The concept was a sound one, based upon the reality that China, by far the most populated nation on earth, did exist and needed to be reckoned with. Nixon was a firm believer that once China saw the advantages of Western life, the nation would change, throwing away the tyranny of government which it was noted for and replacing it with a new way of life. And from the way the Chinese people gravitated to Western things of life so quickly such as clothing styles, automobiles and more modern things, it appeared that he was right. But beneath the surface, hidden by a government that controlled the media and access to all things, the dirty little secret came out that brutal repression still remained and it was not fully realized until the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989. When that took place, the world vividly saw how controlling and how brutal the Chinese government was.

This has gone on unabated even until today and now it is getting more severe. With the leader of China, Chairman Xi, now elevated to Emperor for Life, he has taken the shades off what is the sheer power of China and is going about consolidating his power ruthlessly. In a Communist state, for a leader to do otherwise in such circumstances will show him to be weak and subject to being overthrown by another ambitious person and Xi knows that well. He is projecting China now on a worldwide scale with a massive military buildup and modernization, the use of incentives for small countries in strategic areas to gain a foothold by responding with much needed aid, plus completion of his massive Silk Road project to link Asia and Europe together. His goal is to become the principal provider to the world of strategic goods. When he accomplishes that, however, his new "partners" will have found that they have unwittingly accepted China's control over access to what they need and, accordingly, their lives. It has, of course, even happened to the United States as we now know that our reliance on the Chinese for the basic components of ninety-seven percent of our pharmaceuticals is solely provided by China. And our manufacturing segment of business nearly disappeared for the same reasons. Xi has gained a foothold in port management services for nations in strategic waterway locations, has illegally built a military base on a man made island to control the South China Sea, yet the balance of trade between our nation and China is still upside down. America gets the blame for carbon emissions despite our record of a massive cleanup in recent years while China continues to build coal powered plants, not clean like ours, and belch impurities into the air that cover the globe.

Now, of course, the CoronaVirus (Covid-19) has attacked us with a vengeance due to the malfeasance of China by trying to cover up the seriousness of the virus. Had Xi notified the world when he became aware, Europe might have been saved from what they face today and we would likely not have a quasi-lockdown in so many states. Meanwhile, our media seems to parrot China's line of trying to blame America, the victim, instead of the instigator and I'm sure Chairman Xi just smiles and continues to toast visiting dignitaries who grovel at his feet while trying to latch on to the seeming gravy train of Chinese largesse. Our President, of course, is nearly the sole world leader who understands what they are up to, likely world domination on a slow but steady march, while the world criticizes the leader of the free world instead of a true tyrant and enemy of freedom and liberty which is today's China. You can't be a free market capitalist in a state run enterprise, yet so many of our own misguided business and government leaders think Xi is. Then again, when money drives your thinking, you'll say what it takes to get the money, regardless of the rancid smell of tyranny that it puts in your nose. Oh, there's so much more I could say, like their operation of reeducation camps to change views, forced abortions and even organ harvesting from still living prisoners, plus the misery and mire of slave labor living in sweatshop camps to make their products so cheap. But, let's just leave it with this question for now, shall we? How about we Americans demand of our government better friends to deal with? After all, if you think it's all about being cheap, over time you lose will your freedom because of that outlook or further the suffering of those providing those goods, proving you aren't free at all.. You will become nothing more than a slave to tyranny and evil. Is that what we want?

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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: God Will Take Care of You

3/21/2020

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If you know Him, you know He can do anything.

Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you, Through every day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.
- Lyrics by Civilla D. Martin, 1904

In the summer of 1904, Lucilla Durfee Martin, a schoolteacher who loved to sing God's praises and enjoyed dabbling in the writing of such songs, accompanied her husband, W. Stillman Martin, a Baptist minister who was quite well known, on a trip to a small Bible college in New York State. Mr. Martin had been called to help the school's President in putting together a song book of praise. While there he was invited to preach at a church a number of miles away one Sunday and on that day, Mrs. Martin was ill and couldn't accompany her husband. Walter Martin was concerned about his wife's condition and considered canceling his trip. After all, in those days sudden illnesses often became much more serious due to the lack of the powerful antibiotics of today, but something happened that told him he must go as scheduled. The Martin's young son overheard his parent's conversation and asked his father why he didn't think God would take care of his mother while he was away. Those words, spoken so honestly as they always are by a child, told him to go on with his trip.

Late in the afternoon of that same day, Mrs. Martin, feeling somewhat better and sitting up in bed, wrote the words that would come to be the lyrics of the hymn, "God Will Take Care of You." When her husband returned, she showed him the words and he sat down and wrote the music to it. It would be published in the songbook he was working on the next year. It offers just another example of how God puts our talents to use when we stay in tune with him, even in the case of a sick mother awaiting the return of her husband.

So, what can we learn from that beautiful hymn for which the first verse and refrain is shown above? What does it tell us in this time of fear of the unknown by so many in these days of modern tribulation? Quite simply it's this, God will take care of you. We by ourselves can do nothing to solve this problem and find a cure and an end to things like disease. No, we must depend on God, who works constantly but often unknowingly to us to direct and guide those who have the gifts granted by Him to do such work. We need to turn those big problems over to Him and trust Him. And while we don't know what the outcome will be and the why it happened, we need to trust Him and know that whatever is His will is going to be done and if we are attuned to Him with our faith and love, He will, indeed, take care of us. Pay attention, be of good cheer and follow the actions that God will lead us to do and the worry and fear will be taken from us and we'll know what to do. Be blessed on this Sunday, for the Lord is always near and He hears our prayers. Of that we can be certain and it will give us peace.

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Spring 2020 Begins with Viruses, T.P. Shortages and Twerking on the Beach

3/19/2020

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I wonder why the Governor's crowd control isn't working here in the Sunshine State.

The United States of America. Truly an amazing nation, one built on freedom, common sense and reason in all quarters. Or maybe not. Here in Florida, just like everywhere, we Americans are being tested by what is called the major crisis of our lifetime, but is it really that? And while the vast majority of Americans try to follow the rules that are being established, a significant number of us just throw caution to the wind and say we'll do whatever we want, whenever we want and wherever we want. Sadly, the result often becomes something which is much more of a crisis than the supposed crisis itself and I don't say that lightly, but don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that we don't have a serious situation before us, but to call it what it is being called just seems in some ways to generate more problems from fear than anything else. And the result is things that create added hardship for us all because of selfishness and greed and for others just plain stupidity.

Nothing is more representative of how silly we find ourselves than what some would call the real crisis right now, the toilet paper shortage. Why anyone would buy a truckload of toilet paper and empty the stock of the product from a major box store would seem crazy were it not for greed. No, such an action has taken place repeatedly in differing locales by entrepreneur wannabes who take a pile of cash and purchase the truckload so they can offer it as an entrepreneur through sites like E-Bay and Amazon at a huge mark up as an independent provider. Now some might call that pure capitalism, but I would have to call it misguided capitalism at best since many, particularly the elderly and the infirm suffer the most. Times of crisis are times when the nation needs to come together, not try to make a fortune from others who are hurting and afraid. Thankfully, most of the big stores are now placing a limit on purchases and won't allow such marketing on their sites anymore. Sadly, it should have never even have come to that.

In addition to the issue of greed in a time of serious consequence, we also find those who never think of anyone but themselves showing their ugly face at a time like this. In our local area, an older gentleman of 76, only venturing out for groceries or prescription refills as needed, witnessed it as it impacted him. The man is frugal and what he considers as his main vice in life is his love for ice cream, particularly Haagen-Dazs. As he walked up to the freezer chest to pick up one of the last four gallon containers in stock on his very infrequent shopping trip, a woman much younger stepped in front of him and swooped up all four gallons and put them in her cart. When he asked her if she couldn't give up one of her containers to an old and partially disabled man, she just said "tough" and walked away. I'm sure such actions are routine right now, in fact, they have been for some time as our society becomes coarser and and more self-centered with less reliance on God and more on the frailty that is man. We all need to face up to that condition.

And that brings me to my last item in the title above, twerking on the beach. Right now is prime time in South Florida, Daytona, Panama City, Padre Island and West Coast beach communities as well for Spring Break. Groups of college kids gathering close together with some showing off their twerking talents in skimpy attire with heavy drinking going is not going to be conducive to common sense and good judgement. When darling Suzy and Good Boy Joe return from the party and visit both Mom and Dad and maybe the grandparents, what might they be carrying with them that they never dreamed of? Could it be the Covid-19 virus and all that might contain? What will that do to their older parents and their aging grandparents, the group most likely at risk? Something to think about for sure. And yet there will be more, for in a time when we no longer hold people accountable for their own actions, imagine the law suits that might be coming? Poor little Suzy had no idea that she could get sick? Are the officials in South Florida, Daytona, Panama City or Padre Island or wherever responsible or is she? And what about that hospital bed that she might need as well as the one for her unsuspecting parents or grandparents? After all, Suzy is young and because of her age she is likely to get priority over the victims, her own older flesh and blood and others more likely to get the virus. A little common sense and responsibility could have easily stopped what might happen, don't you think?

So Spring 2020, a time when we wish we could think about the promise and beauty that the new growth of the season, unfolds. Unfortunately, many of us instead will be staying home from work, hunkering down on tight and worrisome budgets based on the uncertainty of the future. And remember, none of this had to be had we been more careful and cautious about who we as a nation trusted as a business partner, for this problem originated in China and had China done the right thing before it really got going full speed ahead, we and the rest of the world might have avoided the entire thing. I only hope that American business and government stops, thinks about what has happened, and vows to remedy the way we do business and with whom. China is not our friend, and the way they have operated in secrecy about this matter and the way they show us how they behave should bring us great pause. If it does, it will be the one bright moment in this truly sad event, one which should never have happened in the first place.

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COVID-19: "WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF"

3/18/2020

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Business as usual at Daytona Beach: Is this a good idea?

The quote above is from the words of President Franklin Roosevelt as he made his speech requesting a declaration of war in 1941 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It is offered this morning to make a valid point about where we find ourselves today. for we Americans and those throughout the world could be facing a disaster, it must be faced directly and promptly. And while it's true that it might not be nearly as dangerous as many predict, new viruses with no known inoculation to fend them off should never be taken lightly. We today seem to have two very differing points of view. On the one hand, we can just go on living as if nothing is going on and do things like those college kids are currently doing on beaches and other popular venues like Daytona Beach as shown above. On the other hand, we can all "hunker down" in our home bunkers and wait it out. Somehow, I think the answer is likely to be somewhere in between, yet we still need to be ready in a moment's notice to change our response if conditions warrant that. And keep in mind that the ultimate decisions on what should be done, both nationally and locally, have to be made by politicians, those elected officials who walk a tightrope loaded with uncertainty as they decide what to do. If you close things down, many get hurt due to the economic ramifications while if you don't, the potential for death in large numbers can be the result. It's not an easy one for those who are more accustomed to talking than actually doing something worthwhile, yet it must be done.

I am certainly no expert, but I have seen America go through many different crises, real or imagined, over the years and that's why I think we have to err on the side of it being very serious. Any time the result of inaction can be a significant heavy death toll, that has to take precedence over convenience. And I know that isn't something that many American like to hear, but it is something that a moral society must put first. Also, of course, there's always the doomsday theorist who sees everything as a conspiracy or sees the decision-maker as always being wrong based upon their dislike for his or her political persuasion. But Americans have to calm down, be logical and be able to discern fact from fiction. Put it all in the proper perspective and we can figure it out and deal with it. After all, this is a country that was founded by men who put everything they had on the line, including all their lives all possessions and their very loved ones. This is also a country that won a war against two world powers at the same time and has provided more aid and relief to the rest of the world than any other nation in history. So, while the current crisis should bring the best of America forward, there are some who want to ignore it, grab everything on the shelves whether they need it or not and even look for ways to swindle others, particularly the elderly, who are naturally more gullible than many due to age and physical infirmities. This kind of behavior needs to stop and people need to rise to the occasion.

Now, the concept of fear easily can take hold in such a situation and it has a good purpose for it causes us concern and in serious times we need that. But take the words of President Roosevelt from the title of this commentary and put it to heart. Lets get rid of any fear by working through it and putting ourselves in God's guiding hands. He will show us the way if we ask and listen and that will allow us to become fearless, confident and capable of working together to solve this and any other problem by tackling it head on, facing the beast that it is and taking it down for good. We have some very capable people leading the effort and doing so for all the right reasons. Pay attention, do what you can to take care of yours and those you know who might need a helping hand and add prayer to your daily life. I suspect, although I certainly can't prove it yet, that be listening to competent recommendations, thinking our actions through before we commit to them, and keeping our conversations with God open and ongoing, sooner than we think the scourge will be over and the negative results won't be nearly as bad as we think for situations like this generally pan out that way. Remember, we are Americans and with God we can accomplish anything. Let's get this over and done the right way. Then we can get back to where we were before this detour took us off the highway to the future and get back on the road to renewal of the American way of life, but with a good learning experience of those unexpected pitfall that come along the way. God bless you all.

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ST. PATTY'S DAY: A Day to Spread the "Luck of the Irish" and Lighten Up

3/17/2020

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St. Patrick's Cathedral, County Armagh, Northern Ireland

Americans have been rightly intense lately with all of the fear, real or imagined, stoked by the new media hype regarding Covid19 and we all need a break and something to cheer about. Well, look no farther than today for it is St. Patrick's Day, a day that is usually full of fun and a few spirits to boot. And although the parades have been cancelled and in many places even the bars and restaurants where celebrations are traditionally held are closed, be creative on your own small scale and share a little cheer with those close to you who are still around. Wear some green or maybe try out your brogue. Think about old St. Patrick and the things that he did, as well as the many myths that liven those memories, and just be Irish for the day. A cold ale and some corned beef and cabbage can also add to the occasion as we encourage the "Luck of the Irish" to shine down upon us.

St. Patrick was not Irish, but British born in the early fifth century to a wealthy family, but he ended up being captured by Irish raiders at his family home and taken back to Ireland as a slave in his teenage years. He worked as a shepherd in a very lonely existence for nearly six years before escaping. His lonely and fearful existence resulted in his accepting the Christian faith and he returned to Britain where he trained as a priest and was sent as a missionary back to Ireland. His duty was to minister to the small contingent of Christians on the island while working to convert the pagan majority of natives to the faith and he was very successful. Hence, he became known as the principal Patron Saint of Ireland although he was never officially canonized since that was not yet the practice of the Catholic Church in far-away places in those times. Over time, his good works resulted in folklore and myths being created to further his reputation and many of those became legend, though not in actuality true, one of which was the story of his removing snakes from the island which was, indeed, false. But good works and a positive influence of a great devotee of the Good was a common basis for myths of greatness in those days as people who led a tough and turbulent life always needed a positive influence to give them hope for the future. St. Patrick was the perfect person to do just that.

So, isn't it natural that the Irish, a people who have suffered many hardships but still stand tall with a jovial nature, would come up with St. Patty's Day, actually commemorating the day that good St. Patrick died, to celebrate with good food, good drink and music and laughter? Well, that's just what they did and today it is a special day here in the United States as well. All Americans, not just those of Irish ancestry, have enjoyed this day for generations. And even though on this year the celebration is more somber and smaller than in normal years, it's still a good time to celebrate the Irish and their day. After all, we all need something bright to brighten our spirits and lift our mood. Leave it to the Irish to provide that. And while it has been said for many years the people of my background, I'm Scottish, and the Irish have traditionally not gotten along. I say to that Balderdash! For, after all, my descendants and the Irish were likely at odds for they had too much in common. They were stubborn and they loved to fight but, then again, they also liked to party, so they buried the hatchet to enjoy a pint or two. Isn't that a much easier way to get along than most? Enjoy the day.

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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: A Story of Power and a Man Named Joe

HOARDING, RUDENESS & MORE: Are We Really This Uncivilized?

HAVE A MATH PROBLEM? Don't Worry, You'd Make a Good U.S. Senator

MEDICAL SUPPLY SHORTAGE: Who is to Blame, America?

The Place for Real Comfort in a Time of Troubles and Fear

THE WUHAN VIRUS: Maybe We Need to Choose our Friends More Wisely

SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: God Will Take Care of You

Spring 2020 Begins with Viruses, T.P. Shortages and Twerking on the Beach

COVID-19: "WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF"

ST. PATTY'S DAY: A Day to Spread the "Luck of the Irish" and Lighten Up

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