Trick Or Trout

Halloween is upon us once again. I loved going out as a child to collect candy. I loved going home afterward, dumping out my bag, and seeing what goodies I had received. I did enjoy participating as an adult as well. During the first few years of home ownership I passed out candy. Something was fishy though! More teenagers and grown adults came to my door than actual costumed children.

I expect children today to feel as I did way back when. I looked forward to putting on my costume after dinner. My pillow case was at the ready to receive its booty. If it was cold enough my coat ended up hiding my outfit. Only my mask gave any indication as to what character or monster I might be. The only adults seen were those accompanying children as they begged for candy.

In my neighborhood things are not the same. This is why I am not handing out treats this year. I have seen too many examples of what Halloween is not about. I have given out candy to teenagers in high school. There have been some who had no costume whatsoever. There have been adults who collected for themselves with no shame. Some have even asked for candy for unknown others who could not be bothered to show up.

This is just not what this holiday is supposed to be about. It takes a lot of nerve to show up at someone's door with no costume or asking for candy for another person. Sometimes they never even asked. They just stuck multiple containers in my face and expected me to donate candy to each one. The shameless attitudes just blew me away. The celebration of this holiday is not at all the way I remember it as a child.

I realize that I may be romanticizing my childhood. Maybe there were just as many teens and adults traipsing around from door to door. I doubt it. As time has gone on I have noticed in many areas that rules are bent and broken. How things were done in the past is not the way they are done now. Times change and I must change with them. I just wish that little things like Halloween would remain purely for the children. Let us give the little ones reason to enjoy being young!

Who Is Responsible?

Bad things happen to all of us. They may occur due to our own negligence or stupidity. Not all accidents are our fault. The behavior of others might be the cause of our trouble. In other cases things just happen as the nature of existence is unpredictable. When a problem is caused, that requires money to fix, people seem to take on a whole new attitude. The aggrieved want someone else to pay. The guilty never admit culpability. Lawyers are always ready to represent one side or the other. The question becomes who or what must ultimately take responsibility?

I enjoy watching some of the trial shows on cable. I have seen, time and again, people refuse to take any responsibility for their actions. They have used some of the lamest excuses you have ever heard. No matter how cut and dry the matter is the defendant simply will not make restitution. They may even admit that what they did caused the problem for the plaintiff. They still find some ridiculous reason to deny wrongdoing. God forbid they should pay even a penny to make the plaintiff whole.

Sometimes nature causes what are called "acts of God." These are things that happen in which no one can really be blamed. Many times though, people are so angry and upset, a mere mortal must shoulder the blame. There must be someone at fault the wounded cry. It is difficult to accept that sometimes shit happens. In these cases those who hurt look everywhere, except within themselves, for someone to lay blame upon. Individuals and corporations alike are forced to spend money in defense of themselves when culpability is not deserved.

Who really benefits from all of these scenarios? Although most attorneys are fair-minded and honest there will always be the shysters. The proverbial ambulance chasers are no longer limited to our nation's highways. Now they advertise on television. Toll-free numbers and "no fee unless you win" come-ons abound. Any accident victim, whether actually hurt or not, is ripe fodder for these unscrupulous dealers. Did your medication do any little thing it should not have? Rest assured the sharks smell the blood in the water before you ever will.

We take no responsibility for our actions until we are the hurt party. What do these thoughtless individuals think all of this is teaching our children? We practically guarantee a new generation of even more selfish individuals. We hardly speak to strangers any longer. Words like please, thank-you and excuse me are rarely heard. If we ignore others we then need not be concerned how our actions may affect them. If we care not what we do why should we ever feel any responsibility for anything? I hope that those intelligent people reading this will be the exceptions to my rule.

Just A Piece Of Paper

I have heard from many students that their degree is just a piece of paper. This is true insofar as a diploma is printed on a mash of wood pulp. That paper does open doors. Education is the key to a better job and a higher quality of life. This is true in theory at least. Our economy is not differentiating lately as to what degree one may hold. Theory is also what is being taught in colleges across the country.

As much as I hate to admit it I am a college dropout. I left the University of Michigan without a degree. I received one from Henry Ford Community College years ago but that hardly counts. The reason I got fed up with U of M is based on theory. Nothing that I could learn was derived from real-world environments or situations. I felt that I would be ill-prepared to seek my way into the world of work.

Granted I did realize my true destiny (tongue-in-cheek) as a writer. A four-year degree is hardly necessary to put pen to paper as it were. Also, as any professor will tell you, theory is what students must learn as a gateway to appreciating and understanding real-world examples. This is fine and dandy but why not teach the foundational underpinnings of a course the first few weeks? The rest of the semester should concentrate on what a student will reasonably encounter in the real world.

My wife is a fine example of what I propose. She received her MBA as well as completed various certifications. As she would tell you most of what she learned in school, although interesting, was of no use in her career. Any particular business process she encountered was usually proprietary and could only be taught once she was there on the job. She would agree that much of what she paid good money to learn was for no more than to earn her Masters degree.

Education should be made available to everyone. Spend the first couple of years teaching people how to learn and to appreciate the myriad of disciplines out there. After they have chosen their desired profession it becomes time to teach what is truly useful to one already in that profession. And if that particular professor has been in the academic world so long that they have become out of touch, I say, drop their asses for better and more experienced personnel. Those who pay to be prepared for what awaits them in the real world deserves no less.

Our Collective Dreams

Sleeping is one hobby we all share. The next day is usually a better one than the day before. We cannot get to the next day until we sleep first. Our dreams are filled with various scenes. There are books that help to interpret our nighttime fantasies. The dreams we have during our waking hours though are common to many. People always want what they probably cannot have. For most of us our wants are the same.

Oh, to be wealthy! Dreams of avarice fill the heads of those not satisfied with their particular level of income. Who amongst us is truly happy with how much money comes in? Being rich would solve many of my own problems to be sure. Just look at all the people waiting to teach us how! They are flush with cash so they must be the ones who know the secrets! The problem is that they got that way off the backs of fools looking to get rich in the first place.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but it is sold in jars, tubes and within doctor's syringes. You have not heard? For the right price you can buy a cream to remove wrinkles. Your skin will look years younger with this miracle salve. Botox and plastic surgery will make you into a new person! Let us not forget liposuction to remove all that unsightly fat. All of these purveyors of the impossible never tell you one thing. Beauty comes from within you and nowhere else.

Andy Warhol never knew what he was talking about. Fifteen minutes of infamy is not enough for anyone. We do not care if we make utter fools of ourselves in the pursuit of fame. There are plenty of reality shows more than willing to provide a forum to display our ego, vanity or complete stupidity. Make sure when in public, and you see a television news camera, you jump up and down like an idiot. Never mind that most truly famous people have no privacy and no real sense of self.

Who has time for exercise? There are a million diets that one may choose from. No time even for dieting? Well there are hundreds of pills that will do the same thing. Just lift your hand to your mouth! Let us eat whatever we like. Our bodies will work just fine. Those pills could not possibly hurt our organs or cause worse problems than we started with. I am so glad that our own nightly news brings us the details of each new health trend or fad as they come out. See those trim healthy people? Do not tell anyone but they got that way through exercise and healthy eating.

Let us all go to sleep tonight knowing that the answers to our dreams are so close! A book, a cream, a television camera and a pill will provide us with all that we desire. No longer will we have to be patient. No more will we have to concern ourselves with the truth. For enough money many are available to sell us the lie that what we want takes no work whatsoever. Keep shelling out your hard-earned money. Forget reason and logic and that good things take time. Give in to your basest desires and mindlessly travel the road of life.

You should all know better. After reading many of my posts it is obvious I am being facetious. There are no quick and simple answers. Solutions to our problems are hard-won. Our desires are not always healthy. What we want is not the same as what we need half the time. When you think about what is most important to you do not concentrate on what is fleeting. Wealth, beauty, fame and health dwindle as time goes on. These are not the things that make a life worth living. Look towards what truly adds value to existence and never mind the low hanging fruit.

Atheistic Proof

I laud Atheists support of reason and scientific pursuits. Much can be learned from humanism and secularism. I have heard too often a phrase, uttered by Atheists, that concerns me. I cannot prove that God exists and therefore He does not. This is a bit simplistic. Emotions and feelings cannot be proven. I freely admit that faith in God is a feeling. Requiring proof in what is obviously unprovable is no basis to deny what millions believe in.

Plenty of times I have been confronted by strangers. They want me to justify why something is not. Why is it I do not drive? Why do I shy away from red meat? I am not in the habit of justifying a negative. These types of questions I am used to. What I find ridiculous is being asked to justify what already is. God exists, plain and simple. My usual response is to ask them to prove they love their parents or spouse. It cannot be done yet who questions that one person loves another?

These non-believers seem so threatened by my faith. I am fine with the fact that they do not believe. Why are they so worried by the fact that I do? I respect their ideology yet mine is blamed for countless evils and social ills. Yeah, right! Like nothing bad ever happened outside of religion? Why cannot they be as tolerant as I must be towards them? Some part of them, deep inside, must be worried that they might be wrong. Why else would people of faith be challenged and verbally attacked so often?

Live and let live. You let me worship as I see fit and I will not bat an eyelash when you say God is dead. Religion is not the proper whipping boy for all that is wrong in the world. We are. You would think these so-called "humanists" would see the truth in that and stop blaming Christianity and other religions for every aspect of society they find fault with. I suggest we all get off our collective asses, agree to disagree and work together to fix what is broken - no matter who or what broke it!

Business As Usual

My wife and I enjoy taking trips to our neighbors to the North. Canada is close enough to be convenient yet different enough to feel like a vacation. To get across the border I needed to purchase a new "enhanced ID" from the state of Michigan. The card enhancement is an RFID chip which has information that the border guard uses to verify my identity. The existence of this chip has caused quite a stir with privacy advocates.

RFID stands for "radio frequency identification device." In the case of my card it supposedly holds just one bit of data which is a serial number. This serial number, according to the state, is the only data which is stored on the chip. A border guard scans my card, receives the number and uses it to link to a database with which they can verify who I am.

My card was mailed to me with a sleeve. The information I received said that the sleeve protected my card from being scanned by any RFID readers that I might come across. Stores use them in growing frequency, no pun intended, which is the privacy issue that I will come to. My question is this: If there is only a serial number on my card why would I be worried about it being randomly scanned? Is the sleeve that it came in truly useful or just for the paranoid?

A little background about RFID is in order. The chip is used to track store inventory although, in the future, new uses may be found. Each chip has its own identification or serial number. The chip emits a signal that a hand-held reader can scan. A supplier could potentially place these chips within a shipment of goods. A GPS (global positioning system) system would be able to monitor or track the movement of the shipment as it travels to its destination.

Some stores keep chips in each and every product. It makes it easier to scan them as they are brought into the store for purposes of inventory. Finding a lost item also becomes simpler if RFID readers are placed at various points within the building. In this way a company may know when a product arrives, where it is located and if it leaves the store as part of a sale or as a result of theft. The issue privacy advocates have involves the items that we buy and take home.

If the items that the consumer purchases have the chip still attached, and if they can be monitored via GPS, how far does this process go? Privacy proponents worry that a situation is created by which every consumer will be matched to each retail purchase. One might argue that this is done already with store cards one needs to get a particular discount. The RFID chips take this process one step further. Potentially everything that we buy can be monitored by anyone with an RFID reader.

Realistically there are few companies that use these chips and readers. Most of our privacy has been eroded due to laws enacted after 9-11 and various technologies that have existed for years. Even if someone truly cared to learn all that they could about me I probably could not stop them. Most of us, to be perfectly honest, care little about what our neighbors do. We give away more about our private lives in everyday conversations than any RFID chip ever will.

Technology will always be a double-edged sword. What can help can always harm. Any tool or device can be used for evil purposes if one chooses to do so. I do not believe that any retail establishment cares much about my buying habits beyond sending me coupons and keeping me as a customer. I do not see the harm if this new RFID device helps them become more efficient. It might even keep the store costs down and prices at a reasonable level. I think that we can all get behind that.

Make My Day

Everywhere we go we are offered the same advice. People really want us to have a nice day! I have had many nice days in a row. Like George Carlin said I am ready for a crappy day. Yet we still might want to make it a nice day for someone else. I again offer my take on what we can do for others that just might make them a little happier overall.

Showing appreciation for those who serve us would make them feel more human. Look people in their eyes. Smile and use words like please and thank-you. Shake hands when the transaction is finished. Leave a generous tip for good service. Tell a joke! Making a person laugh endears them to you. Just saying how much you appreciate what someone has done for you is more than most will do.

Little things really count when your day has not gone so well. Open the door for other people as they enter or exit. Offer directions or information that you think is helpful. Bring a neighbor their newspaper from their driveway to their door. Let that driver into your lane. Offer a cough drop to someone who needs it or a tissue to a cold sufferer. These little niceties take little to do but mean much more to the recipient.

Finding time to do all the things we must in a day is quite a challenge. Some of these things can be done to help another budget their time. Mowing, raking or snow shoveling an elderly person's yard is a welcome event. Pick up a few items for a friend from the store. Buy a gift for someone else to give a mutual friend for their birthday. Cook an extra meal for a busy person. Some effort on our part can lift a burden from the shoulders of another.

Not every act must be selfless or altruistic. Just building a person up creates positive ripples. If we think back on our lives we will see that many people did for us whether we deserved it or not. We tend to forget many of the little acts of kindness that have touched us. Despite our selective memories we can still be kind to others. We may not get the reaction we had hoped for. It is hard to know just how to react. Do it regardless and let kindness and goodness be reasons unto themselves.

Take It For Granted

I discovered a few years ago that I love raw fish! Sushi has changed my life. I had no idea how wonderful uncooked fish could be. I have always enjoyed eating creatures from our lakes and seas. I would usually order my dishes cooked. I pretty much had to. Most non-sushi restaurants would not be very receptive to a hunk of raw fish on a plate. Sushi restaurants are my dining establishment of choice now.

Every time I have enjoyed sushi and sashimi it has been an almost religious experience. Each type of fish or sea life has offered a new sensation. Every plate offers textures and tastes that constantly differ. Am I making you hungry? I hope that I will always enjoy what this Japanese delicacy has to offer. I am dismayed though at my feelings after my latest jaunt to my favorite sushi bar. I took the whole experience for granted.

This really is not like me. I have, up to now, made the most of each sushi adventure. I eat one piece at a time. I savor the flavor and describe it to my non-fish-eating wife. Although she will not touch the stuff she tells me that she gains joy vicariously through my experience. Christine is content to order vegetarian rolls which make her quite happy.

Why would this time be so different? How could I now take what had been so special and make it into something pedestrian? I have learned a valuable lesson in all of this. Sooner or later, no matter how wonderful or special a thing is, we will inevitably take it for granted. At first I felt bad. I was upset at myself for not appreciating sushi as I usually do. I soon saw the truth in that we all fall into this way of thinking sooner or later.

I am only human after all. I see the fine line that taking for granted is. We want to feel that something or someone is special. At the same time we must believe that they or it will always be there. Why else would we make our plans? We naturally assume that the object of our desire will be there or we would have made other plans to begin with. It is hard to see things as permanent and yet tenuous both simultaneously.

What is the resolution? I offer my philosophy as thus: Enjoy a thing as often as you can but be prepared for it to never be seen again. Things change. People change. What we have counted on, be it a day or a year, will eventually disappear. Make the most of the experience and have no regrets when the end finally arrives. This is a good way of looking at sushi as well as life. No one can predict what tomorrow will bring. Enjoy all of today and leave your worries behind!

Keys To Our Mind

If we look at ourselves honestly we will see flawed individuals. Not every issue is our fault. There are some cases in which we are victims. Our brains or bodies may malfunction and, for this, we cannot be held accountable. We do the best we can with what we have. When there is something we do not like about ourselves that we can change we should. There are a few steps I recommend when you are ready for a session of introspection.

We cannot fix a thing unless we know that it is broken. This is where perception comes in. We start with a feeling that something is amiss. Certain events do not go as planned. We wonder why. We might even see a pattern emerge. Perceiving that a problem exists is the first step in solving it. We see what is there in front of us and acknowledge its existence.

Now that we know of the difficulty we must determine just how to look at it. There are many points of view one can have. Good, bad, painful, freeing or even not caring are all potential ways of feeling about the problem. We might also see it as workable, confusing or as the fault of another. There are many perspectives one may have.

Perception and perspective work together. We see the problem, we feel some way about it and then we work toward a solution. This is the toughest time. It is easy to ignore or forget about what is bothering you. Myopia may set in. Just as a horse is more easily led using blinders we sometimes place them on ourselves. Remain open to what is and look at the issue from various angles.

I am only offering a basic blueprint for fixing what can be fixed in one's life. Some things cannot be changed and acceptance becomes our only salve. Understanding the difference between fixable and not is a skill that few possess. The best way to start is to face our fears and difficulties and try to see the big picture. There are many things that are under our control. Be strong and empower yourself! Do not let your problems rule you. Be the master of your own destiny.

It Takes Time

I am really in a hurry. I cannot believe how long things take! I cannot speed up any process but would it really help? Many aspects of our worlds involve long periods of time. In some cases days or months must pass before we achieve our goal. In others it just feels like it takes forever. In our culture of instant gratification, waiting in all its forms, we feel aggravated when our patience is tested. Like it or not sometimes waiting is all we can do.

There is no doctor's office that gets us into the exam room on time. They double and triple book patients as if the doctor can be in two places simultaneously. Getting there is no fun either. Traffic seems to build just when we are late to begin with. Construction seems to be put in place just to slow us down. When we fit in errands we find the inevitable line to the checkout. No matter which one we choose we always pick the slow lane. Have these check writers never heard of debit cards?

We care about our health when it seems to fail us. We make changes that should help but we have no idea when we will see results. Losing weight is a process that seems to drag on forever. It is hard to accept that there really is no magic pill. If things get bad enough we must undergo tests to determine just how much damage there is. Waiting for those results can be more stressful than the supposed malady we are being tested for. Why not just give us the results while we are there?

There must be other examples of things that take time that you can come up with. I am just offering a few examples. I have tried to see things a bit differently as of late. Instead of the hurry up and wait feeling I have tried to accept that time will move on its own schedule. There is nothing I can do and there is no point in worrying. Mental stress and concentration do not make things better. Why not try another tack?

Buddhists promote a mindset that may offer harried individuals some peace and quiet. I am no expert when it comes to their philosophies by any means. The gist of it is simply to allow events to unfold as they will and to not fight against the unstoppable force called time. Be satisfied with each moment as it arrives and enjoy life as a series of moments. Much can be enjoyed when one is at greater peace mentally. When we learn to accept what is we will live more harmoniously. I cannot say whether I can or not but it sure sounds good in theory!

Change

David Bowie sings about it. Homeless individuals ask for it. Some charities ask you to donate it. Change is also an inevitability. As soon as some aspect of our lives seems to make sense everything goes wonky. We cannot be blamed for our desire for consistency. It is wired throughout our DNA. All of us need at least some portion of our lives to remain the same. As we travel the road of life there is little that stays static.

I have learned this lesson many times. Every time I think I understand the rules they are rewritten. When I am sure someone will always be there they go their separate way. No matter how many times this happens I am still caught by surprise the next time it occurs. Maybe it is because I cannot accept that existence is so chaotic. I so want to believe that there are some people or circumstances that I can count on.

The sad fact is that nothing and no one lasts forever. Knowing this does not make handling it any easier. How can I prepare for so much that is unknown? What plans can I concoct for the future will protect me from hurt and pain? I am drawing a complete blank. I cannot know what tomorrow will bring. Doing the best for myself today is the only way to hedge my bets against an uncertain future.

Here is my confession. I do not do my best each day. I should save more, plan better and work harder. I see myself as lazy. It is difficult using so many "I" sentences. It is risky only talking about my own feelings. Not everyone who reads this will relate to my plight. This is my post today because this issue is on my mind. I hope that I am not alone in how I feel. Maybe others will see that they too are not alone in what they experience.

To persevere through whatever causes mental anguish is laudable. I want to do more than survive my pain. There is strength in numbers. Someday people may actually read my posts. I cannot guarantee I will write consistently. Most of our natures are that of lives in flux. A little less rocking of the proverbial boat would be a nice respite from the choppy seas of life. I just hope I am not a voice alone in the dark. Echo....