Retired? I Don't Think So!

I’ve been thinking about changing my career. I need something that will make people sit up and take notice. Currently I’m retired. That has absolutely no energy. Stranger: “What type of work do you do?” “I’m retired.” It used to have a little more energy in the title when I sold insurance. Even that, however, conjures up images in their mind of some little emasculated man sitting at a desk. Thick glasses. Bald head. Beady eyes.


  Now that I’m retired the sky’s the ...limit. How about oil derrick laborer? Images immediately pop into their mind—big muscles, gritty face, hard work. It would be easy to transition from retirement to working on an oil derrick. I simply announce it. Hopefully I would not be offered a job on an oil rig, but if that happened, I would go. After all, that is my job.


  Another great job would be a scuba diver. Not just a run of the mill scuba diver, but one that specializes in sunken treasure. There the images in your mind dance vividly—sunsets on the ocean; a tight fitting wet suit; a bearded captain steering the boat as I dive into the depths. I could easily be a scuba diver. The table conversation would be greatly entertaining. I can see them now looking at me askance with one eyebrow raised. That’s the challenge--Playing the part when you don’t look like it.


  My imagination really took off, however, after reading an article by travel writer Rick Bragg. He travels and writes for Southern Living. He thought it would be attractive to announce that he bred bulls. Now that requires no imagination. What a conversation stopper! Or better yet, starter. You wouldn’t have to say anything else. Other men would just look at you in awe. Women would demurely turn away. You wouldn’t have anything to prove. Just smile.

THE NIGHT SKY

I miss the night sky where I grew up on the south coast of Oregon.  In the spring I would help my dad check the sprinklers on the cranberries when the temperature dropped below freezing.  Often it happened about 3:00 in the morning.  It was an incredible sight.  Our milky way galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years across.  However, the nearest star is a little over 4 light years away.  If you left earth in a commercial jet at 500 mph, it would take over five million years just to get there.  Do you feel small yet?

AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU

One of the things I like about Christians is their diverse background.  That is not readily apparent if you just walk into a church.  It takes time to get to know people and learn their story.  The title of this blog is from I Corinthians 6:11.  Sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers.  I'm sure it was just a partial list.  The best part is that the list is in the past tense.  This paragraph speaks of real victory.  These were real people with real issues.  They had significant victory over big problems.  They were in chains, and now they are free.  It's interesting that those who choose to keep their chains want others to see them as not having a problem.  They want full acceptance of their lifestyle.  If you question their choices, it is seen as condemnation.   The fact is, there is no advantage in remaining in a destructive lifestyle.  However, there are perceived advantages, and that is where we start having cultural battles. 

MARK TWAIN QUOTE

Mark Twain was a keen observer of his fellow man.  As a result, we have a myriad of quips and comments he has passed down for future generations to enjoy.  The other day I came across one that really made me think:  "Every civilization carries the seeds of its own destruction, and the same cycle shows in them all."

It's fairly easy for me to see the shortcomings of other cultures which will result in their demise--graft and corruption, tribalism, nepotism, lack of work ethic, and many other areas that are easy to identify. 

It's a little more difficult to see weaknesses in my own culture, but they are there, and we read editorials about them frequently--the breakdown of the family, racism, materialism, and you can add your own pet peeve to the list. 

Things get interesting when we apply Mark Twain's statement to corporations.  John Brooks wrote Business Adventures, which has become a classic in the business world.  He tells stories about the mistakes of big corporations, along with an analysis of where they went wrong.  Basically he is giving examples of Mark Twain's statement as it applies to business.

But let's not stop with corporations.  How about families?  We're all aware of unspoken rules and expectations passed down to us by our parents.  Our early years also shaped the way we respond to criticism, and how we handle an affront. 

The question I ask myself is, "What seeds of destruction are in me?"  We have all seen someone self-destruct.  We think, "how sad."  Alcoholism, anger, bitterness, lust, greed, are just a few destructive seeds that can germinate at an inopportune moment and destroy 20 or 30 years of relationships that we have worked hard to build. 

The seeds of destruction don't have to germinate.  We don't have to water the soil.  We don't have to respond to life the way we were brought up.  I have found the best response is to conform my goals to Jesus.  The Sermon on the Mount goes into great detail about how to live productively and not allow destructive seeds to grow. 

ANXIETY

Ok it's been 8 months since the last post.  I've been too busy with Twitter and Facebook.  Sometimes anxiety rules.  The first step to finding peace in our circumstances is to recognize God's sovereignty.  99% of our anxiety is from a lack of understanding that God is in control.  Easy to say, hard to live by.  Everytime we end a prayer by saying "...in Jesus' name" we are actually telling God to run that prayer through his sovereignty filter.  Too often we put that on the end of a prayer because that's what we were taught to say.  That little phrase is perhaps the most important part of our prayer.

SPRING AGAIN

Here it is spring again.  Early seasonal flowers make allowances for the rain.  I have been active on Twitter and Facebook.  Neglecting the blog.  I like blogging, but no one reads blogs anymore, so these entries are for my enjoyment only.  The problem with Facebook is that babies rule.  Babies, puppies, and kittens.  Blogging is so much deeper.

TRIBALISM

Tribalism seems to be a lot in the public awareness.  We read about tribal conflicts in both the Middle East and also in Africa.  We pride ourselves in being beyond that.  We are, for the most part, a culture following the "rule of law" rather than pursuing revenge to save the honor of our group.  However, with the ability to get news from a news organization I agree with, I am purposefully limiting my exposure to a specific viewpoint.  In addition, my twitter account tends to follow those I agree with.  I send my kids to a school that teaches what I believe, and attend a church whose doctrine I find least offensive.  There's nothing wrong with any of that, but how do I expose myself to ideas that I might not agree with?  Aren't we increasingly becoming more diverse as a culture rather than more homogenized?  Originally, it took about one generation for assimilation.  It was common for parents to forbid their children to speak the language of their country.  Now, we encourage diversity and polarization.  We see it happening in politics, religion, and languages.  Won't we eventually fall apart as a culture?  In the meantime, if your views are different than mine, I probably won't even know it.

CONCEALED CARRY

Is it my imagination, or do those who carry a concealed weapon have a higher than normal amount of paranoia?  Reading some of the internet comments in concealed carry chat rooms, you get the impression that the bad guy can jump out at you at any time, and you had better be prepared.  Granted, it could happen, but so could any number of mishaps.  So far I have never been in a situation where I wished I had a weapon.  That's not unusual, since I am not a police officer, and I try to avoid going into risky situations that might compromise my ability to stay alive.  However I have no problem with those who do carry, because I strongly believe that the 2nd amendment gives them that right.  We also need to remember that good guys who carry are on our side.  Our recent shooting at Clackamas Town Center demonstrated that.  The gunman commited suicide once he was confronted by a private citizen with a gun.  We couldn't ask for a better outcome.  Actually I feel safer in public if I am aware that there are those among us who could respond to that type of threat.  There seems to be an unusual fear of guns in the more populated areas.  That will surely increase as our culture (except for the criminals) has less and less experience around guns.  Familarity with guns brings respect and less fear.  Unfamilarity with guns causes fear and unfounded paranoia.  May every parent teach their child the proper use of guns.  May every gun owner excercise secure storage and access to his weapons.

Here is what happens if you try to rob the wrong diner.  If you are going to use a gun, make sure you are entering a gun free zone.

FORKS OVER KNIVES

Recently Lin and I watched this video.  It is available on Hulu at no cost.  Basically they emphasize the advantages of a plant based diet.  I suggest you watch it and take from it what fits your goals.  Those in the video are totally vegan.  In other words, they eat no meat of any kind including fish, and no dairy products.  I like the plant based emphasis, but their logic to avoid fish and chicken doesn't hold up.  Also, there is no way I'll give up eating a reasonable amount of dairy.  The most compelling information on this video is what happens when a country's diet starts trending toward the fast food of the developed nations.  Consequently, Lin and I are a lot more aware of the advantages of plant based eating, and the importance of moderating our intake of foods such as red meat, milk, cheese, and concentrated sweets.  Watch the video, and tell me your impressions.

ON BEING SICK

After lying around half the day walking around in my socks and talking with a really deep voice I have finally decided to relax and spend time on twitter, instagram, and blogging.  No reason to feel guilty.  Working outside just makes a head cold more miserable.  The best part is Lin feeling sorry for me and bringing me special treats, like blended carrot/apple/lemon.  I had to eat it with a spoon.  Now she is making coffeecake muffins. 

We listened to This American Life on OPB.  Most of their human interest stories seem to dwell on someone trying to find answers to life's deep questions.  I sit here listening, and think, "I know the answer to that."  Why does every generation have to find it out for themselves?  It might be nice if when we hit age 21 they put a helmet on our head with all kinds of wires running over to a giant computer and remove all the mush and insert wisdom.  That would be a nice way to grow up.

 Unfortunately the answers to the deep questions still have to be mined.  I'm reminded of the parable about the man who found a great treasure and sold all he had so he could purchase the field in which it was buried.  I think Jesus was saying that deep truths have to be sought out with great effort.  We need to put aside our personal preferences and get serious about it. 

AIRPORT DUDES

I ran into these dudes at the airport, but fortunately was able to placate them by asking them to pose.

WHAT'S AT THE BOTTOM?

I'm wondering if the bottom of the cliff is scary after all. Don't we agree that the road to daylight out of a 16 trillion debt will be painful?  Perhaps we should bite the bullet and all suffer collectively. The result would be 25% unemployment, continued recession, and higher taxes. Wouldn't that be worth it if it eventually results in sound fiscal recovery for our grandchildren?  How many years will we kick the can down the road?

MORE ABOUT THE FISCAL CLIFF

Here is some more info on the fiscal cliff.  We will all live or die together.

HAPPINESS AND OTHER THINGS

Ok, time to blow off some steam.

We hear a lot today about the economic differences between first and third world nations.  We use a lot more natural resources and our standard of living is much higher. It's interesting that a higher standard of living does not necessarily correlate with being more content or happy. I think I know why. We are prisoners of our success. Happiness seems to be connected to something other than possessions.

 I watched a movie about the lost boys of Sudan. In one scene a boy calls home.  It is a one way conversation. His mother is telling him to send money, now that he has a job. From her perspective, he has it made. He doesn't even try to explain that he is broke. He knows she wouldn't understand if he tried to explain his efforts to afford car insurance, health insurance, rent, and a host of other expenses that she doesn't have. So he patiently listens to her diatribe and tells her he loves her before ending the call. You get the distinct impression that he wishes he could go back to the simple life. His face has "trapped" written all over it.

 I felt sorry for him. I was raised in this culture from infancy. He was thrust into it as a teenager by well meaning adults from an outside culture. It's no wonder he was depressed. Did we bring him to the United States to live the good life of facing the stress of a 40 hour work week?  What if we would have invested the same amount of money to train him to set up a business in his own culture?  Perhaps his happiness quotient would have been higher if he had remained in his own culture as an independent business owner. What makes our culture so superior that we think it is the only road to success?

Like I said, just blowing off steam.

WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN

Timothy Keller has some interesting comments in this article about the danger of people asking "why me?" when something bad happens.  Maybe a more fitting question would be "why not me?"

THE BLAME GAME

I have been fascinated by our tendency to blame others. I'm referring to all of us. When something happens that I don't like, it seems easier to bear if I don't take any responsibility. Let's start with the way I am now. I'll blame my upbringing. It was something specific that happened to me that made me the way I am. Something in my childhood. Perhaps it was a pattern of behavior in my family that occurred over several years. Maybe it was just one traumatic incident that scarred me forever.


 How about daily activities? I drop a glass on the floor and it shatters into a thousand pieces. Do I blame myself? Of course not. My spouse was talking to me and distracted my attention. I can be angry at her! My child wets the bed. I know, it's my wife's fault for not reminding me to take them to the bathroom right before bedtime. It's nice when I can blame others. It's so convenient. It feels so good to not be at fault for bad things that happen.


 If I perfect it enough, I'll never have to take the blame for anything that ever happens. It makes me feel so good. President Obama is a good target. Such a public figure, and so vulnerable, so available to take the blame.


 We had a speaker at a men's retreat talk about his battle with sexual addictions. He made a comment to his father on a morning walk that he wasn't sure why he did those things. His father responded, "You did it because you wanted to."


 What would happen if we all took full responsibility for our actions? How would it change our communication with our spouse? Would it impact my job? How would it change the judicial system? What would the impact be on international relations? I can't change the world, but I can start by taking full responsibility for everything I do and say. No excuses. The buck stops here. Good idea.  Blame Harry.

VICTORIAN DREAM

Here is where you should spend the rest of your life.  My friend Doug is selling this custom home.  It sits on 30 acres in the Oregon City area.  Price is $699,500. You can see Council Crest and Mt Saint Helens from the front porch.

HEADING FOR THE CLIFF

Remember the historical stories about how the Sioux Indians killed buffalo?  They would drive them off a cliff.  It wasn't a pretty sight.  We have the same thing happening now with our economy.  Take a look at this article.

SQUEEZING THE BALLOON

When I was a kid I enjoyed squeezing balloons.  It always seemed to pop out somewhere else, no matter how you positioned your fingers.  The part that squeezed through was noticeably thinner than the rest.  It always seemed to evade the boundaries of my hands.

Now I realize that I was learning a tactile lesson in childhood that would become an abstract concept in adulthood.  Whenever you put on the squeeze, it pops out somewhere else.  You can apply this principle to almost anything.  Take early childhood discipline.  The toddler is always pushing the envelope.  "If I'm not allowed to do that, then I'll do this."

It get more interesting in adult relationships.
Did you notice the freeway speed is about five miles over what the signs say?   In California, it's ten.  Pushing the boundaries.  We all have to squeeze the balloon. 

How about politics?  Pass a law, and the people it affects will most likely squeeze the balloon and there will be unintended consequenses.  Nixon tried price controls.  That didn't last too long, and what an explosion of prices when the controls were lifted!  Now we are in the middle of health care reform.  No one know where that is going, but I can guarantee you that the balloon will find its way out between the fingers of reform.

So is there a life lesson in all this?  Perhaps it is to not squeeze too hard.  There is a law of physics involved here.