View From Here

Of the month, that is. Another month bites the dust. Unimaginable considering January 1 st was just the other day. Imagine, another six months and New Years 2026 will be with us. Unthinkable. And so, the march of time continues its cadence toward another birthday, a fresh retirement, another wedding, birth and other major life events. The nature of life is its ongoing beat. Of time. Passing by. Checking out groceries the other day, I was reminded that I most likely could not make it out to the car with all the stuff without spilling gobs of it. So, the bagger offered to help me, and I gladly accepted. The cashier had nonchalantly warned me not to overload my walker; it could flip. I had never thought of that happening. But the danger was readily apparent this time. So, the bagger and I loaded the car with groceries and the walker/rollator. And I quickly mentioned the passage of time and aging. He had the good grace to demur. But aging is one of those witnesses to passage of time...

Trust in self. Trust in family. Trust in friends. Trust in career others. Trust in business connections and partners. Trust in government. Trust in all levels of government. Trust is a basic element in much of what we do in life. Trusting in self is the core of knowing the self. Who am I? What am I about? What will I do with my life, talents, likes and dislikes? How does this self-knowledge calculate in relating to others? Can I be honest with them if I cannot be honest with myself? Whole books have been written on this topic alone. It figures into so much of our life’s experience and at times when we least expect it. Looking back, I can note many times when I suddenly became aware of knowing something about myself, I had not known previously. Stunning realizations, really. But when we think about our daily activities in any detail, trust is a central notion of why we do what we do. I switch on the lamp because I need light but also trust that the power will be ready at hand. This ...

At 82 I have lived with 5 generations. That includes my grandparents, parents, siblings, my kids as well as siblings’ kids, and their kids, our grandkids. We are not yet expecting a sixth generation, kids of my grandkids. We have a few more years to go with that. Five generations of family supporting and nurturing fellow family members. The cousin network is weak with our family only because we have always been far flung and visited rarely. As their ages advance, our minimal relations continue to fade even more. But core family? We still connect. Oh, my siblings do not connect except in major instances, and even that has proven somewhat weak. Disconnection seems to be more the explanatory note on this specific element of our generation. But the rest of the generations remained secure for many years. [For the record, my sister lives in Arizona, my brother in New York, and I'm in Chicago metro.] I raise this issue only because we have lived, worked, and studied in a social orde...

Ugly. The times we are living in. Deeply disturbing and ugly. But is there a bit of a change for the better? A glimmer of hope? A change? Anything that gives us hope? A turning of the tide? We all see what we will. Sometimes it is imagined. Sometimes it is real, very real. So, what are we experiencing now? Hard to say for certain, but it appears that Trump is having a hard time. Too many people here at home and across the oceans see him for what he is. Yes, he has his supporters, but their number is dwindling. That alone is proof the tide is turning. But is that enough? No. More must be done to see the tide turning for sure and for a long time to come. Afterall, tides go out and come in twice per day. No, we are hoping for a more permanent change for the better. Meanwhile we do see these shifts: ·          Court case decisions more in line against Trump’s positions ·          Faster responses fro...

Every American is an immigrant either directly or by relation. The only exception are native Americans. This was their land before us. We took it from them. It is as simple as that. That makes the rest of us immigrants. Legal or illegal, a person residing in America is an American if they live here, work here, build families here, pay taxes and contribute actively to the social order. The legality issue is a technicality that needs processing and adjudication. Presidents implement laws made by Congress. Presidents do not create law, just administrative adjustments to implement the laws already written. Congress makes the laws that govern our land. Immigration is their area of duty. They have long ignored it for political reasons. It is as simple as that. For 80 years or so, Congress has avoided doing the hard work that would give foundation to workable administration of the topic. They have chosen not to do this. The latest opportunity was led by John McCain and Dick Durbin wit...

When I was a kid, I asked my parents questions. Their answers helped me understand the world around me. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was the basis of learning everything in life. When a teacher teaches, he or she is telling us something that is the answer to a question, whether asked or not. At some point, the question was voiced and the answer researched and acquired. Then that information was shared, and teaching began! If I’ve learned anything in life, it is this: All we know is the result of having asked a question. You or I, or someone else, the question was posed and someone studied facts to generate the knowledge that answered the question. That’s how it works. That’s life. Later in life I worked for the University of Illinois at Chicago. I thought we taught students about a lot of things, then organized those things into major fields of study, granted degrees to those students so they could take their gathered information out into the world and work to accompl...

 As I write this, I am looking out the window at blue sky, green trees, shrubs, lawn and a very nurturing landscape. It embraces me – both my mind and physical being. It affects me. It nourishes me. My mood is uplifted by this surround of nature. Such a pleasant piece of life. That piece of life allows me to feel life more fully. It senses things more acutely. I see things that otherwise I would miss. Being present is basic living. It is breathing and feeling it at the same time, it is smelling the aromas of life and appreciating them (not so much the bad odors!). Hearing life is another dimension making much of communication possible, but sharing culture and music has to be a highlight. Thinking builds many more layers of life. Through it all we see, feel, hear and know so many dimensions of life. Doing this defines presence of life. And taste! My mother once commented, “the food tastes so good; isn’t the sense of taste wonderful?” That comment has stuck with me for decades. F...

As we mature, we become deeply involved in relationships. Some of this is basic family relations – siblings, parental – and the like. Next is friends who enter our homes and we theirs. Neighbors, classmates, mutual hobbyists and so forth. Then we develop friendships that go much deeper. We comfort one another when we are hurting physically or emotionally. We discuss the matters of life and learn much more about ourselves and each other. We can even anticipate how others will react to various situations and stimuli. Good friendships do not spread to everyone we know. No, good friendships are special, close and deeply personal. We focus attention and brainpower on these few friends. Some special relationships focus on specific topics of interest and importance. Yes, we have specialized friendships. Most common. But one day, we get to know one person very well. An emotional connection forms with deep roots. A need to know the person more fully expands in personal ways. We sense this b...

Supreme chaos. National guard called up to police Los Angeles due to riots caused by ICE picking up random Hispanics, as though their skin color and ethnicity is proof of illegal immigrant status. No foreknowledge. No investigation per individual. No process, legal or otherwise. Just street, appearance and goon behavior by ICE agents. And now the Marines added to the mix. That’s the America we have become. That’s Trump’s America. MAGA’s America. Just not my America. In fact, today’s America is the exact opposite of my America. Trump and his minions continue to declare a false narrative. False claims of January 6 th . False claims regarding illegal aliens. False claims as to national emergency. False claims enabling executive orders. False claims of riots. False claims of massive illegal immigration and the so-called horrors they bring. What immigrants bring is our forefathers. Yours and mine. My family was not an indigenous tribe of North America. We were straight from Englan...

Agriculture : International trading partners buy a lot of farm products from American farmers. Well, before current tariffs upturned the markets, American produce and meat were sold internationally. Now they are not. Markets have found replacement suppliers and our agricultural products are building in warehouses and siloes across the nation. They will rot if not sold. Crops for next year will be downsized. Unit costs for these same products will rise as supply downsizes, but in the meanwhile, a spate of product will cut pricing substantially and bring many farms to bankruptcy. There is no quick solution except to bail them out with enormous cash outlays. Such was promised in Trump’s first term but never fully paid out. Farmers took the brunt of that debacle and many went bankrupt then. No such high hope remains for such another payout currently. And there is no trust for it if it were promised. The damage is done. Agricultural markets are greatly damaged and spell disaster for family ...

Storms happen. They rage and alter our daily routines and even change the landscape. Erosion shapes hills and flatlands alike, as well as changing the course of rivers and borders of lakes. Flood water destroys buildings and homes. And earthquakes? They violently reshape the world around us, can even extinguish lives. Volcanoes, too. Nature happens. It is all around us. Unseen forces define the creation and course of nature’s action. We live with it and avoid the negative effects as much as possible. But lately? We build ocean front properties with a view. We seek better locations without much concern about how nature may damage or destroy it. We have often done this. Camping in forests is encouraged, including open campfires which could burn down the very forest in which we seek refuge. We carelessly pollute the waters we seek for peace and quiet. And we easily pollute the air we breathe. Human beings often act as though mother nature will take care of us no matter how we challe...

Eating. Sleeping. Thinking. Feeling. Relating to others. Shelter embracing my being. Safety. Clothing that covers the body. Clothing that makes me feel good. Something to do. Something to do that means something, not just a duty. Thinking and feeling about existence. Beginning to understand how everything fits together. The good bad and ugly fitting together. Unity, ugly or not. Well, this list is not comprehensive. So much more can be added. And it will. But these are basics. I could add music; that’s another dimension of thinking and feeling. And experience as well. Depth of experience connecting several elements that matter. Over time experience adds up to wisdom. But what is wisdom? A Google search provides this definition: “Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good judgment to navigate life’s complexities. It is often associated with insight, discernment and ethics in decision making.” Many of the components included in that definition can be acquired ...

I am not alone. Millions feel as I do, probably tens of millions. And for the same reason. Trump. An evil person with self as center. Not family. Not friends. Not a neighborhood and town. Certainly not the nation. The man cares very little if anything for others. It is all about his sense of self, power, wealth and influence. Using that standard, we are all influencers. From the very smallest of actions, we can make huge differences. The issue will always be, for whose benefit. And for what reason? My compatriots are generally woke. We care about others. We yearn for our nation and its many villages, towns, cities and neighborhoods to breathe free and creatively for the good of others. Each of us matter whether rich or poor, educated or not. Each of us has a mind and ideas. Sharing life with one another, we shape our communities. Together we do this. Vocal or silent, we do this. Sometimes it is only a visible situation that moves us to action. How do we make a difference? We ta...