View From Here

I couldn’t wait to become an adult and do better with the world’s sad condition. I just felt I could fix the problems like war, poverty and so much more. A student for much of my life (then!), a reader and observer, I could see what was wrong and had a good idea of why it was that way. Heady thoughts for a teenager, and then an early 20-something. But then, youth is often ebullient about the future. After all, there is so much of it, the future. At least for them.  The rest of us often recall how the world came to be in a mess. We watched it happen. We were flummoxed by it. We didn’t know what to do to make it better. We elected people to handle complicated things. We trusted people of wealth who owned and ran corporations. We continued with our daily lives making the best of things in that department of life, but then we really didn’t have much effect on the rest of it all. As we end 2022, we have an ebbing pandemic that still shows signs of life. We have a gazillion young p...

Well, that title is misleading! My intent is to write a bit about what we are. Who are you? Who am I? Of what value are any of us? And how do we come by any value, the worthiness of a person? For me, I think I am what I think. I am also what I do. Something comes into being because my mind creates thoughts, ideas. My activity has some sort of value. Like work, I get paid – or used to before I retired – and that work created something left behind. If the work was intellectual, left behind were ideas taught, coached or written. Spoken ideas can be remembered by others and that is a residue of my existence. Product of my hands is a residue, too. Tasks accomplished. Clean laundry. Clean house. Clean car. Orderly office. Meals made in the kitchen and tasted, eaten, supporting healthy living for those partaking of the meals. Don’t be mistaken, I am no cook; I do prepare meals of a sort these days, but I am not the chef or cook that brings them into being. No, I warm things up, cool thing...

A farmer grows vegetables in a large garden plot, perhaps an even larger mass crop. The produce ripens, is picked, and sold and distributed to local stores and regional distributors. That is the beginning and end of a supply chain. Simple. Direct. If local enough, some of the middle men can be eliminated and the end customer can go to the farmer and buy produce directly from him. Not so when distance is added to the formula. A customer doesn’t drive 500 miles to buy food produce. They might to buy a car from a manufacturer and drive it home. Long ago this was a practice, but not common. We had a neighbor in California who used to travel to Detroit and buy a new Cadillac every so often. He got a new car and a vacation at the same time. Fun. Today, distance is most often a foreign country. Shipping by air or boat is required. International customs muddy up the transaction as well. Still, some new car buyers arrange a purchase of their Volvo in Sweden, or a Mercedes in Germany. A Euro...

Snowing Again : snowing again the day after Christmas. We had a white Christmas but barely. Yes it had snowed and stormed, but super cold and windy displaced the snowfall. Originally forecast at 12 to 18 inches, Chicagoland got only about 3 inches, if that. It was very cold and windy, however, and that blew the snow for poor visibility and icy surfaces. The snow is pretty coming down. The wind has stopped so we live in a snow globe presently. Lovely. It is winter so we should expect snow and cold. It is not all bad, only if you have to walk in it or stand for a late train or bus! Zero to 50 : OK, so this is Chicago. We expect weather extremes. But 10 below with wind chills to -40 one day, and then 5 days later 52 degrees? Yes, that is the forecast for this Thursday. Wonder if the earth will crack open? Wouldn’t that be a memory!! At least we don’t live in Buffalo, New York! Oh, How Different : And all of this reminds me how a difference of one day or season makes for a lifetime o...

As a retiree keeping calendar dates in order is a challenge. Take this past week, December 19 through 23, each day felt like either Friday or Saturday. Of course, that means they felt like a Sunday. Being the week building toward Christmas Day, the daily calendar routine simply seemed off. Daytime duties are quiet, very few appointments. Even doctor appointments are absent. A run or two to the drug store or grocery store is normal, but even those were done in holiday time. You know, the traffic lights seem to act in synch with bells tinkling in the background. The bits of snow skiffs even appear to dance to elfin music lines. Well, maybe I’m a little too much in the spirit? Crowds, throngs really, are out and about doing their holiday duties. I’m sure it has something to do with buying gifts for the family Christmas tree, or maybe just a holiday menu item. That seems to be our bent. At any rate, it is disconcerting to mentally apportion calendar time to specific days of the week ...

Well, off one day. Tomorrow is the true night before Christmas, but I don’t post on the blog on Saturdays anymore. The eve of any day is the evening before the next day. Easy to remember yet we rarely think of it this way. New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve, those two eves are embedded in the American social experience. Of course, Christmas is fixed on Christians, but the holiday has become a social celebration unhitched to theology unless you are a Christian and understand what that means. I say this, because many people claim Christianity as their religion, yet they are ill-educated in the specific religion, practice it not on most Sundays, and generally don’t pay much attention to the main tenets of this specific theology. In summary, Christianity is a theological perspective that claims Christ came from a virgin birth (Mary the mother, God the father). Because Christ had DNA from both a god and an earthling, he is a hybrid that demonstrates God’s love for mankind, and the holy pow...

When I was growing up in the ‘40’s and ‘50’s, batteries were the big item needed on Christmas Day, or the first thing to shop for after the holiday. So many toys needed batteries to work. And they were a marvel. How did they know to make this thing? How clever and fun. Seventy plus years later, batteries are still a thing in need on Christmas Day, but their use is longer lasting using a plethora of battery types and sizes. More to the point, however, is technology of all kinds and sizes. The challenge is to figure out how to unwrap the new gizmo, then how to turn it on, then ponder how much rechargeable battery juice it already has, or do we need to charge it before use? Once it is plugged in and charging, we find the instructions and read them. At first quickly, then much more slowly. How much slowly? Good question. In my experience, reading the instructions creates new mysteries that require very slow reading speeds. Let’s see, what does this gadget connect to, and is it onli...

We began watching “So You Think You Can Dance” several years ago. It was possibly the only thing we watched on Fox Cable. We were instantly captivated by the grace and athleticism of both classical and contemporary dance. We had not been exposed to this artform much, and rarely pursued it. But one day, we watched SYTYCD and were hooked. The program allowed inventive dance moves to happen. The audience was pulled into the emotional vortex of motion and music. Stories were told. Art forms were stretched. And of course, personalities were ever so present. One of those was Twitch. Ebullient. Athletic moves impossible to imagine how he did them. A smile a yard wide, a countenance of care and love. This was a man who radiated peace and goodwill. He laughed easily and encouraged others to do the same. Around the same time of SYTYCD, we began watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show. When Twitch appeared on the show along with some of the SYTYCD dancers, we were pleased. To our pleasure Twitch ...

This is a special time of year and public media is all over it. We cannot escape the wonderfulness of the season. Then they begin to haunt us with report after report about how the season can be spoiled. Weather emergencies is just one small example. Severe cold is the least of our worries evidently. No, the larger concern is heavy snow falls that will most likely destroy travel conditions. Millions of travelers at this time of year may truly have difficult times getting to wherever they are going, and then returning home afterwards. Most years are like this. Even when heavy weather is not forecast, we are reminded of what it could be like. Then there are the weather conditions that will make walking, shopping and generally getting around difficult. Slips and falls are cautioned. Broken bones and casted limbs are threatened for this time of year when we gather with family and loved ones. How awful a cast will shadow the festivities! Of course, there are distribution and shipping ...

I am a writer. I didn’t set out to be one, but there it is. I am one. Countless reports, memos and other written documents do not make me a writer. Oh, I did those things, too, but no, being a writer is a conscious act of art, one in which an intentional meaning with several dimensions are present to help a reader understand a topic. I did this sort of thing in articles one day, for a trade journal. That led to being on an advisory editorial board that lasted about 16 years. A bit later I found myself on my Homeowners Association (HOA) board. We needed a continual form of communication with fellow neighbors and a monthly newsletter was created. I wrote the thing. Eight pages every month. Published it as well. Even distributed it to each of 321 homes. Later I mailed it, and distribution was as simple as delivering it to the post office. Other newsletters followed for other organizations, but then one day the local newspaper died and four of us decided to replace it with our own. The...

On November 18 th I was notified of an attempted fraud against my debit card. I agreed with the credit union that a fraud was attempted and killed the card. I was told it would be replaced within 3 weeks. Normally this process takes about 3 days but the credit union uses a smaller card company and they are backed up with the holidays. That was then, today is nearly a month later. Still no replacement debit card. I have visited many offices in recent weeks paying the automated payments usually supported by the debit card. Auto insurance, internet wi-fi provider, cell phones and a number of other payees. Some will only take cash. Others charge a fee for ‘in person’ payment, some still take checks, and the hassle has been unremitting. I still have some providers I cannot deal with because they are solely online and need an electronic means of paying their charges. This is not possible without my debit card. At my age I have no credit cards. A direct payment from my checking account...

Definitions swirl yet they mean much the same. Awaken. Waken. Woke. Awoke. And then there is the political woke. I awakened some year back feeling uncomfortable with the word woke. I always used it in the sense of woke up, or I awakened. That led me to question the ‘a’ that often appears at the front of woke as in awoke or wake as in awaken. Does the ‘a’ signify the action being done to another person as opposed by the person him/herself? Or am I overcomplicating it? Woke as a political term means being sensitive to injustice in the world, like racism, discrimination of all sorts, that sort of thing. I am woke, I suppose. I am attuned to the injustices people cause others. It bothers me. It is something that has always called to me to fix. Then again, I do not use this term for myself. I understand that people think of me as woke, but I still think the application of the word is unseemly or something. ‘I woke up in the morning.’ That sentence is comfortable for me. Or ‘I awaken...

Yes, 48 years ago today a young man came into our family. John Walter Safford, by name. It does not seem possible that so many years have gone by without me showing any measure of aging. Amazing! Well, perhaps I jest. John came in a bouncing boy of nearly 10 pounds. He was big always and developed slowly as a result. Doctors cautioned us continually that he would learn to crawl, walk and talk in good time. And he did. Each of those things were mastered and he continued on his journey. A bachelor’s degree, then a master's, John prepared himself for a career in a medical field. He continues in the medical industry selling and distributing surgical supplies for a major supplier in the industry. A father of two boys, he and his wife Eduenis have made a happy home. Fun to watch it develop over time. They are busy in careers, travel, sports and education. Lots of things to plan activities around. And then I recall we did the same back in our day. Amazing we survived the pressured t...

The fellow walked along storefronts. The town was of moderate size, maybe 25,000 people. Commerce was spotty in the old downtown. Regional shopping malls had long ago soaked up consumer attention. These days only specialty shops anchored the quiet street. Online shopping was rapidly becoming the norm. Delivery vans rumbled about, and doorsteps were littered with the boxes dropped off. Clearly the country was in love with online shopping. The fellow half wittedly scanned store windows. Nothing seemed noteworthy. No, he would have to get his ideas elsewhere. He did have shopping to do but he had limited means and even fewer ideas. His Santa days were long gone. He had fun back then, playing Santa. Making dreams come true for others had been a deeply felt emotion. The spirit of the season had truly captured him. But that was then and this is now. What to do? Show up of course at family gatherings. Share conversation and feelings well. Be present. That, they said, was present enoug...

Every day we relate to others – colleagues, family, friends, strangers, service personnel, professionals, and so forth. We get along. One way or the other, we get along. We do this to keep peace and calm. So much easier to live life this way. Politeness counts in this process. So do manners in general. Frustration shown is misconstrued as personal attack. Raised voices connotes anger and disrespect. Tempers fray and action could follow. Other than leaving the scene, remaining in place and taking action does not make for calm results. Between organizations relations take on patterns of protocol. This keeps peace. Rules of the game I suppose. Competition is normal, anything construed as unfair, however, is a gamechanger. Tempers may rise and words follow along with the possibility of actions. None will be taken as amiable. Put relations between nations and we confront another set of rules, behaviors, protocols and manners. The stakes are higher. Nations have military and weaponry t...

Stock Market Values : well, isn’t it exciting, watching the dollar signs go up and down? First is a drastic fall in values, then sputtering rises over a few weeks, then a spectacular decline followed by an equally spectacular jump in prices. This is the face of volatility. It is also the maker of sleepless nights. As I ponder the latest volatility in the markets, I recall the many times I did the same in years past. The market goes up; the market does down; what matters is the long-term growth pattern and the then accumulated value of the portfolio. Nothing else matters unless you are watching and buying on the downturns to build up long-term values. Usually this is done when young and there is ample time to recoup the losses encountered along the journey. When an elder, there is no time to recoup. Best if you keep things simple and invest differently. Simple is Best : the ordinariness of simple shapes our feelings of incompleteness or failure. However, try fixing, maintaining or u...

When net income is very little, we say the margin is slim. When the difference between success and failure is narrow, we say the margin is slim. When an election is won or lost by the barest of numbers, we claim the margin slim. There is no doubt that margins these days are narrow indeed. The Georgia Senate race between Warnock and Walker was a nail biter to the end. Not even a full percentage point in ballots cast was the margin. Still, the outcome is important. Important because the Democrats have a majority of the votes in the Senate, 51 to 49. Majority count still matters in many instances. A super majority of 60% or more, it is not. Just the same, a lot of damage has been done in government circles in recent years just playing with the margin. If for no other reason that Mitch McConnell not being in the lead position in the Senate, a victory has been won. Still, Mitch remains in place to do his destruction. I am certain he will. With the Senate in the hands of democrats, the...

In Illinois, the right to work is a legal phrase in labor laws. Although it sounds good, who could possibly be against a person’s right to work? The truth of the matter is the phrase means labor unions are regulated to reduce their right to form. Thus, fewer labor unions, fewer organized workers to organize strikes or other actions that drag down respect and fair play for workers. I raise this issue because railroad laborers are in a huge union that has been thwarted from striking by congressional action. Yes, the congress can do this. It is meant as a tool to save the nation from a crippling labor action that would hog tie our economy and make joblessness swell for others. If anyone thinks the current supply chain problem could not be worse, just imagine a nation whose freight cannot be moved by trains, including intermodal trucking operations. Although the economy would not be stopped in its tracks, the effect would be pretty terrible. I know this action has been frustrating to r...

China is losing manufacturing capacity as American companies return to the USA to build their plants. Electronic chip factories have been located all over the world where required resources are readily available and of course, labor is much cheaper. Along the way, however, outsourcing function and relocating manufacturing has left our nation vulnerable to international upsets in foreign affairs relationships, pandemic displacement of resources, supply chain snafus, and a whole lot more. Supply chain problems meant long shipping delays and a shortage of goods needed in the economy to produce the goods and services that economy is built on. Interrupt any one piece of this complicated behemoth, and economic disruptions become evident. Those disruptions cause yet more disruptions and pretty soon we have a mess on our hands. A recession? Maybe. A depression, possible but not probable. One thing for sure, change is happening fast and furious. This era of change has also spawned a reima...

Wanting something is one thing. Expecting it is another. Working for it yet another. I know this is a simple statement, and some readers may leap to the conclusion that there are too many people wanting things but not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to earn it. If so, that is human nature. But I wish to speak about something else. Many people work with others to produce a desired outcome. Let’s just say a group – nonprofit or otherwise – has this dream of a better time or wiping out a specific problem that is the cause of much hurt. Gathering hearts and hands to solve a problem or serve others in need, is a good thing and most often successfully accomplished. But even better results could occur if we had more resources. Or some other magic ingredient that would increase our impact. How can the group make that happen? Those questions and challenges are exactly what led me into strategic planning. Our nonprofit board truly wanted a better organization capable of producin...

Perspective. What is major and what is minor? What matters and what doesn’t? What looms big in our life and yet what remains small? Do we react to each differently? Can we? Should we? Some bits and pieces of life are small, transitory. We either experience them, do nothing about them, and go on. Unharmed in the main but maybe perturbed a bit. Mostly we get on with life and don’t think of the hiccup much. Some small bits require more action and disruption to normal schedules, but we get past them. A small fraud was noted by my financial institution on their debit card. We agreed to cancel the card and replace it. That means providers being paid monthly for ongoing services rooted to the card will encounter a nonpayment situation. They will notify me (hopefully) so I can repair the delay. I received a nonpayment notice from my auto insurer. I called for possible quick solutions. I drove to a nearby Allstate office and paid by check. All is well. When the new card is received, I can u...

Or feminist and misogynist. The yin and yang of differences. Who feels it? Who has the ‘right’ to write about it? Whose feelings belong to whom? I’m a male. Does that make me incapable of feeling how a woman feels in our society? I’m white. Does that mean I can’t begin to think what it is like to be a black person in our white dominated society? What about Christian versus Jew, atheist, Muslim or whatever other religious creed? How can I – or you – feel like the other that is not us? A lot of thinking went into this post. I have thought about these things for decades. Here’s a little of how that thinking went. I consider myself a feminist. I have a mother, grandmothers, aunts, sister, sister-in-law, wife, daughter, granddaughters, and so on. How can I love them and not fight for their rights? How can I be in their camp and yet not see or feel their pain? Do I feel their plight in every way possible? No. I am not them and so am blind to their full experience. Meanwhile, I want t...