Off to School

 

Off to school when first you know

It’s beyond the home you really grow

 

A story has so many points of view

Every book and every chapter’s new

 

Each year a story is added for you

Maybe crayon in finger paint when two

 

Soon pages turn ever faster

As life stories and plots we master

 

We build the stories that we live

Learning, loving, taking and we give

 

A chapter turns, and our story is clearer

Career, college and tests are nearer

 

No longer does someone read to you

You are responsible for your own point of view

 

Into the next chapter future burning

Pages written and more rapidly turning

 

Careers and life and loves are like blowing winds

Driving where and how the next chapter begins

 

Your children off to school, at various ages

You find consuming story as you help turn their pages

 

Before too long you are reading grandkids stories

Your book, their book, in chapters you revel in all their glories

 

So, it’s back to school this time of year

So, write your grand story, bold, happy and without fear!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Next Day

 

It’s bright, it’s beautiful and clear

Tide is up, waves sending up a cheer

 

It was desolate just yesterday

It is nearly crowded today

 

Step is lighter and mood bright

Everything seems suddenly right

 

A difference a day can make

A difference a mind can’t shake

 

The foulest of gray thought of a day

The next day bright will wash it away

 

Loved ones in heart and mind

Fresh and bright with day aligned

 

A day like the next appreciated best

Like in life when compared with the rest

 

Let your every gray day end at night

There will be a next day shiny and bright

By the Long Island Sound

 

Yesterday’s sky was gloomy and gray

The ocean whipped by wind did spray

 

Birds treaded water in the sky

Screamed at the wind by and by

 

Walk was chilly, wind whipped my ears

Even my eyes bring some tears

 

Weather forcing some gloomy thought

Gray and foreboding ideas brought

 

Another soul on the beach, a photographer

Capturing birds on shore or floating in the air

 

At least it did seem someone else cared

For this morning and beach to be shared

 

Looking forward to vacation by the bay

Hope this works as a pleasant place to stay

 

Sure, it will clear up and happy we will be

For the next day, maybe brighter by the sea

We find ourselves in a digital age that includes the instantaneous capture of imagery and video in exquisite detail and clarity, in unprecedented quantities for ubiquitous viewing.  Remarkable.   In a not too distant past an artist would capture in pencil or paint images that would present a picture to a reader or if reprinted, maybe viewed by many others at a postal delivered date, or newspaper, and possibly for kept for posterity.  Images were for capturing a moment, capturing an idea and capturing a personality and they were precious to certainly a few, and in rare cases to the many.  Later with the advent of photography, we still relied on an artist to accomplish in less time than one could sketch or paint to capture imagery, but the intent was still to ensure the moment, the memory, and personalities were captured mostly for prosperity, possibly for communication, and even entertainment.  In most recent history, we were blessed with photography and cinematography that could be made available by both the professional as well as the amateur for the enjoyment and benefit of masses of people through replication, and through analog communication technologies, such as television.  Overall remarkable progress in less than 200 years.  However, in the last decade we’ve enjoyed digital cameras built into smart phones, we’ve seen digital storage means and social communication forums that extend not just the professional, but all amateurs, the right and privilege of mass communication.

Wonderful technology.  Grandparents can see distant grandchildren as they grow.  Ideas can be illustrated and communicated for the purpose of learning. Millions are entertained, with little effort, even going to the movies is not necessary, they come to you.  Distant relationships can be maintained, loved-ones are always virtually connected.  Yet do we value this technology and capability in the same way we did when it wasn’t so easy to wait for film to develop, when it meant something to see another’s photo album, when pictures in the mail were a special treat?

How about the joy of a postcard from faraway, with precious few handwritten words to read of some loved-one’s travels?  Some of you who read this won’t remember those days, and may never then appreciate the convenience of the technology at your figure-tips.  But then you will never have the same level of appreciation for how much effort others went through to capture images and thoughts, and ideas to share.   How much more intimate is a letter and a photograph in the mail versus a pic and a note on Facebook?  One took hours and some expense to express, the other a few seconds and much less than a penny.  Well then again maybe not.  Maybe because we now have hundreds, even thousands of pictures from our ever-present camera phones to sift through.  Consider the energy and time to pick the right ones for sharing. Consider the pressure of constant sharing, because it’s supposed to be easy is a similar expression of consideration and even love, but is it personal?  It seems quite anti-personal communication.   Yet us viewers have the social obligation to at least hit the “like” button!

Recently I was looking through some photos my Mom found in an old trunk she had.  That trunk may have been 200 years old, but the photos were of her, her Mom and Dad and other family members.  Beautiful to see perfect glossy, artful pictures of my grandparents when they were very young, and my Mom as a child.  Even a letter from my Grandfather to my Grandmother from 1944, during a period of separation.  Worry about her working in a munitions factory, missing her, encouraging her to get a new record by Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots, ‘I’m Making Believe’.  Interesting insights to the people they were, the times, with even a view to handwriting and evident emotions.  I wonder if someday in the future will it be possible to stumble on to the digital version of a trunk of pictures, of words, ideas and emotions.  Will it be possible to find in the billions of terabytes those insights, pictures, maybe even this blog?   Well at least if we can discover there is a reason for interest, we can even listen to Ella and the Ink Spots version of ‘I’m Making Believe’ from 1944 preserved digitally!  And we can even “Like” it!

 

 

 

 

This last week Miosotis Familia, 48-year-old mother of 3, and herself the youngest of 10 children from a Dominican Republic family that immigrated to New York was killed, assassinated, because she was a police officer working in the Bronx.  There is significant danger for those that choose an occupation with the intent to protect us, the public, and to ensure our nation is a nation of laws and civility, we should be forever grateful to all those who risk their lives to protect us.

 

In Honor of Miosotis Familia

 

Love, laughter, a family, a future

She dreamt and worked to ensure

 

And to a higher commitment of a civil cause

Never expecting glory, recognition or applause

 

A commitment to another family of blue

With oath of service, keeping the peace for me and you

 

Knowing danger, knowing pain

Out there, in snow, heat or rain

 

Risking daily for our safety and peace

Fear, tension that can never cease

 

You who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice

Who’ve given more than anyone could ask

 

For you and your family we do pray

As well your family of blue still in danger every day!

 

I had a debate recently with a newly minted doctor about healthcare and healthcare insurance.  He was incredibly excited about the prospects for medical improvements due to research and the application of technology, sometimes called smart medicine.  It was his belief that these advancements will bring down the cost of healthcare over time as well as dramatically improve efficacy.  His argument is that capitalism in the healthcare markets allows for these advancements, and that a national healthcare system would certainly curtail these investments.   I was making the case for a government sponsored/payer system.  That insurance companies could compete to provide local or regional administration of healthcare, thereby ensuring some competition for renewable delivery contracts as is common in large federal contracting today.  I think there is room for both capitalism as well as socialism in healthcare.  Yes I know many will read socialism as a bad word, but truly health insurance has a good for society component.  Some element of basic care will always be guaranteed simply because to not do so would jeopardize the social fabric. There will always be individuals that will risk not having healthcare due to financial imperatives of the now that outweigh the future, and then they’ll show up at emergency rooms looking for care.  We cannot turn them away because our social constructs will not allow for it, we are not a people without compassion.   So it was my argument, that we have a certain basic health care that is guaranteed for by our federal government and that supplemental insurance that co-exists to provide a capitalism component.   Yes, it will be difficult to define what is “guaranteed” in healthcare, and what would be supplemental, but that is a healthy debate to have.  Healthcare insurance as someone recently said is complicated.  It seems to me that we need to set our priorities and then have the debates needed to arrive at a solution.  Our country has tackled complex problems successfully many times in the past.  Together, bridging the divides with vigorous debate is the way forward.  And to my young doctor friend, keep fighting to ensure that advancement in medicine will be part of the future!

The magazine website: www.words-matter.net will be presenting several articles in the coming weeks on health care, and I’ll be contributing.  Please give it look!

 

 

Patriots Ideals

 

Ideals defined by thought and design

Those words become one with us

Forever fair and free in heart and mind

 

Committed complete and with resolve

To share, care, protect and nurture

Never weak or slow to problem-solve

 

With higher purpose and with pride

Protecting our freedoms, doing what’s right

Onto the challenge, into the fire we do ride

 

Whenever wherever those colors do fly

There too are the thoughts and words

Meaning and purpose no one can deny

 

Through this creation of freedom air

Our patriot’s words and deeds ensure

A nation, a people beyond compare

 

Our united ideals were always right

Learning, welcoming, understanding

America’s past, present and future’s bright!

 

 

 

 

Last night we went to a Salute to America Concert at Greenfield Village, Dearborn MI.   This concert has been presented every year for 25 years.  It featured the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and The US Army Jazz Band in accompaniment.   It was a beautiful evening, and the concert was great and so too were the fireworks!.  The 1812 Overture at the end with cannon accompaniment was extraordinary, and made everyone jump!  I don’t know if I’ll ever listen to symphonic music on a regular basis, but sometimes it is so uplifting as it demonstrates what we as humans can collectively create through so many separate efforts.  So many instruments combined into beautiful music that inspires.  The passion of an individual artist is amazing to see, and sometimes when you focus on a single artist perform you come away with a great sense of their soul as it is exposed through music. However, 50 people all playing their part with passion rises up to an unassailable force and wall of passion and sound.   I’m sure you know the experience and understand it if not exactly in these words, then in that feeling in your chest that rises up into a sensory explosion as the mind tries to follow the flow of the music, even individual notes, it’s ebb of emotions with quiet sounds of few instruments, and rising crescendos of all musicians expressions and play, wow!

The Army Jazz band in accompaniment and solo performances were great too, they mixed in some Jazz and Swing as well.  The Army Band also played a Jazzy version of each of the Armed Services songs, they asked all the veterans and current military to stand when they hear their service’s song.  My dad looked so absolutely proud to be standing during the Navy’s Anchors Away song… he seemed to stand a little taller and straighter than usual on this his 83rd birthday! 

 

Both of Me

 

Defined this one by what I do

But what does it mean to you

 

Is it accomplishment you see

Or the other person I’ve come to be

 

Two minds working side by side

Trying to balance life’s bumpy ride

 

Is relevance now in the past

Will accomplishments really last

 

Understand this from where you are

The only way to see is from afar

 

Too close you find us two

Easy to confound and confuse

 

Conflict unbalanced by change

Priorities, thoughts rearrange

 

Energetic me is forever younger

The other me somewhat stronger

 

Ying and yang of who we are

Bringing peace and sometimes war

 

Migraine

 

Image perfect and clear

Now splintered, or wet

Jagged confused, pain too near

 

Mad at disrupt of day

Of mind’s perfect betrayal

Forcing an all stop and stay

 

Find quiet, find dark

See mind electric

Seek calm, control spark

 

Simple mind matters

Failure is great pain

Loss leaves me in tatters

 

Knife shatters all peace

Stomach erupts

Breathe, hope it will ease

 

Vision back, but I don’t want to see

Stay in dark, quiet

Manage pain and just try to breathe

 

Always hours, maybe five

Hang on and live

Get there, just survive

 

Brutal, life stress affects

Try to control, or accept

It’s just one of many defects