Hey, Kids... what time is it?

My body woke up at its usual time but the clocks suggested otherwise. It's now 4:11am (or 3:11am depending on my time or the clock's). Today is my youngest child's birthday. As usual, I didn't get a card in the mail to her. At least I'm consistent. I'll call later to remind her and say, "Happy Birthday."

I'm so glad I've lived long enough to reach a stage of thanksgiving for every moment... admittedly, some more pleasant than others. Looking back, I have to admit that most of the angst I experienced was self-induced. My life has actually been an easy one as compared to those of others who have had true tragedy to endure. I've been blessed with wonderful family, friends and experiences. I've met interesting people. And had just the right amount of adventure. All enough to inspire me to want to wake up each morning. If I'd had the wisdom to practice appreciation earlier in my life, I'd have had a lot less of that angst. The official Thanksgiving will be here soon but I celebrate it each day.

Every time I hear someone say, "What time is it," I automatically think, "Howdy Doody time!" (Showing my age here.) I've had a lifetime filled with Howdy Doodys and Mr. Blusters and Princesses Spring Summer Winter Fall, and Clara Bells. All my life I've had a pretty static picture of God in my mind, a result of my upbringing and the pictures in my old King James bible. But, every once in a while, I see Him differently. Right now, He looks like Buffalo Bob. I've lived my life in the Peanut Gallery!

Pardon My Angst

angst - an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety; usually reserved for philosophical anxiety about the world....

Over the years, my interactions with kin and kith have brought me in contact with people who have depression, dementia, or just plain sour attitudes. My prayer has always been that I would never loose my awe of the wonders of life and nature, both human and non-. So far, I haven't lost my delight. However, every once in a while the horrors and idiocy that humans sometimes perpetrate overwhelm me. Several items in this morning's news pushed me over the edge. There is a line of dialog in one of my favorite films, Contact, to the effect that humans are capable of wonderful dreams and awful nightmares. I'm in 'hermit' mode now. But I'll get over it.

Of course, the fact that I have come down with a cold reduced my ability to avoid this current angst. I have observed that colds last 9 days and are divided into 3 phases of 3 days each. Phase One is "It's coming." Phase Two is "I'm dying." Phase Three is "Oh, wait... I think I'll live." I'm in Day 1 of Phase One. It's all my fault. My colds always come after I have used a telephone shared by others. I let a neighbor use my phone and wasn't able to disinfect before using it again. No good deed goes unpunished.