Now that I'm "all grown up,"...73 years, 6 months and counting...I believe it is time to examine new and exciting goals for the coming years ahead. (Cute photo uh....except I don't smoke, no beard, no cats, and I use a computer to Ramble!)
I'll attempt to be somewhat organized in this process, but don't forget the title of this blog: Rambling Prose West. I'll probably try to separate my personal, family, civic, and philosophical objectives...but don't count on it. My writing style is one of sitting in front of my computer and just typing what occurs to me at the time.
So....off we go. Most of my earlier goals concerned: "What Things Are Important to Me." (A previous post dealt with this issue.) Briefly, my desire to: Live an abundant life; enjoy good times with my wife, family and friends; stay active and enjoy good health; travel the World; engage in life-long learning; be the change that I want to see happen in the World; and live everyday to its fullest!
Some of these "things" are still very important to me. Some have remained the same, some has changed. My ideas about them have undergone revisions, and some I've just decided are not as important now. As an example, my definition of an "abundant life" has shifted rather significantly. Money isn't nearly as important as it use to be. We have made the wonderful discovery that our standard of living is just fine; we don't have to be conspicuous consumers of everything the world has to offer. We don't require a new automobile every 4 years; Wranglers are my "uniform" of the day; dress suits I don't need; renting is much less stressful than buying; holiday gifts are over rated; credit cards are dangerous; going to the movies is too costly;....and the list goes on!
Now we are operating in the "Age of Consent"....we only do what we give our consent to do! We are not here to please ad agencies and retailers, we enjoy going to different churches, we are not "joiners... we thrive on variety, we don't choose to hang around with negative folks, we visit with family and friends when we want to, we vote very independently, and I say what I wish on this blog regardless of the consequences. (Nobody has swore at me yet.)
Back to the future!
In the coming years, we will use our disposable income to travel. Travel both in the United States and throughout the World. In the USA, visiting New York City and Washington D.C. will be high on the list. Seeing friends and family living in various states will keep us busy.
World travel: Great Britain and Ireland; a River Cruise through Europe, Italy and Greece, South America, Russia, China and the Orient.
We intend to spend as much time with our extended family as we (and they) choose. All of us have busy lives and probably different desires and needs. Watching our adult-children moving forward in their lives, and enjoying our grandchildren will be a great joy. After all, the memories and the milestones of life matter the most.
New and previous friends will continue to be very important to us. Since returning to California in 2011, we have renewed old friendships and established new friends. These relationships seem to assume greater importance as the years go by, and represent the building blocks that create life- long memories.
A very important goal for me is maintaining good health. My current state of health is reasonably good, but I still need to watch what I'm eating and exercise often. Walking has become my favorite form of exercise, and I try to do at least a two mile walk every day. We hope to purchase new bikes this coming year; that was a favorite exercise for us in the past.
I also intend to return to the gym to keep my
upper body in good shape.
Lately, I've become quite a philosopher...you know, my reasons and truths are better than yours. (wink) As we all get older (more mature), our thoughts become more introspective and perhaps we begin to understand what is really important in our life. Our focus turns more inward, and there is less attention to "stuff" that filled up our life and previously occupied our minds. Time seems to speed up, and the days and weeks rush past without the usual labels....Sunday, going to work, pay day, the weekend, holidays and birthdays. Tracking ones life with "tags" use to help keep things organized; now, waking up seems to be a very important milestone! The taste of early morning tea, a brisk walk, Paula's smiling face, exploring the days happenings on the Internet, enjoying the garden, breathing deeply, all are magnificent moments in my life.
My religion has always been an ongoing exploration of diverse "truths", rather then adherence to dogma. My beliefs have been more Spiritual and Metaphysical rather than traditional. I've been especially attracted to Eastern faiths like Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. The writings of Lao-tzu (The Tao Te Ching) have been especially important in adding valuable content to my life-long learning program.
Since about 1980 I've been very involved in Religious Science and Unity Church. Ernest Holmes helped create the Church of Religious Science, and wrote the classic "New Thought" book...The Science of Mind. During the past few years I have continued in my study of Non-Traditional churches. We visit a different church every month, and have gained deeper understanding of a wide range of religious beliefs.
Earlier this month on this blog, I went into some detail regarding my political views. To family and friends, it wasn't a surprise that Papa had developed into a "Wild-eyed, tree-hugging, anti-war activist.... Progressive- Liberal member of the human race. Since my "retirement" from formal work...Probation Department; Realtor, etc....I've become increasingly outspoken in my views, especially on this blog, Face Book, and other internet sites. It has been a wonderful experience not to feel obliged to "edit" my verbal and written statements about politics, religion, sex...you know, those subjects our parents taught us not to discuss.
My "focus" in the coming years will be less about parties and candidates, and more about issues. Issues that are not only effecting all of us now, but long-term challenges that could potentially have a negative effect on our children and grandchildren!
World- wide Environmental problems such as Global Warming, Energy Development, Toxic Waste, Oil Drilling, Crops, Clean Oceans, Famine and Hunger, and the like.
Political and Economical issues such as Election Reform, Clean Air and Water, Immigration Reform, Education, Alternative Energy, Afghanistan, Repair of Infrastructure,The Middle East, Conflict Resolution....the list goes on and on.
So....the Adventure continues. I'm sure it will be a wonderful and exciting ride. I intend to live every day to its fullest, and at night lay my head on my pillow knowing that I did the best I could! And as "old blue eyes"...Frank Sinatra sang.....I did it my way!
So Long for Now....Larry
Now that November 6th has come and gone...some thoughts and feelings about this past Presidential Election.
The results I liked; the process of getting there I did not like! I've been voting since about 1960, and in that year I voted for JFK over Richard Nixon. In 1964, my vote went for LBJ, even though I held my nose because of his stance on the Viet Nam War. In 1968 & 1972, I voted against Nixon, and lost those elections when Humphrey and McGovern were "creamed!"
Carter was my one-term choice in 1976. Reagan came along in 1980 and 1984. and I voted for him in both elections. In 1988 I voted for Bush I as Dukakis was a poor choice. (This was the era when I thought I might be a Republican..).
In '92 and '96, I voted for Bill Clinton, my all-time favorite for President...so far.
The infamous election of 2000 between George Bush and Al Gore was my first political mistake in all of my life (wink)....I voted for Bush because I didn't care for Gore. Gore should have been declared President, but the Supreme Court (a Right-Wing surrogate for the Republicans) chose George. Can you imagine how different our history would have been with President Al Gore? (We wouldn't have gotten mired in 2 Middle Eastern Wars; thousands of American soldiers would be alive; and our economy would have been a hellava lot better!)
In 2004, we had another disastrous 4 years with "W"; I voted for Kerry.
In 2008 and again this year my vote went to Barak Obama. Both McCain and Romney were wiped out!
Pardon my "Rambling" down history lane, but I did that for several reasons. Mainly, to prove my creditable pedigree as an Independent voter...and secondly, to buttress my claim that Presidential elections have become significantly more contentious over the years. (Shouldn't get much of an argument over that statement.)
Especially since Obama was elected in 2008, the Radical Right, and to a lessor extent the Left, have engaged in more hate, mudslinging, racism, and lies, than I can recall in all my 52 years of voting. Movements such as the Tea Party, Religious Right, and militant- hate groups, have taken over the Republican Party, and are trying to impose their social and political agendas not only on "the Grand Ole Party," but the United States of America.
They have declared war on women's rights, the gay and lesbian communities, students, minority groups, Social Security & Medicare folks, and just about anyone else who doesn't agree with their radical views. They have an obsession to reduce the debt by the wholesale cutting of vital social programs such as health care for women, Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, student aid...just to name a few...on the backs of the 99% in America. They plan to give the 1% more tax breaks and thus more money!
Since the "Great Recession" the Big Banks and Wall Street have realized a wonderful recovery; the Middle Class and poor have gotten the shaft! Thousands have lost their jobs, their homes, and their retirement savings. Students have dropped out of college due to lack of funds. There are no jobs of any consequence for them, and many experienced workers have been laid off and can't find new employment. Companies continue to be closed and their operations shifted overseas. Just about all efforts to improve the economy have been blocked by Republicans in Congress.
It is my fervent hope that President Obama and his administration will be able to go Forward and make progress in improving the economy. "Obamacare" is the law of the land; he has the backing of large percentages of Latino, Blacks, women, and students; and really does have a "mandate" from the American people to go forward with his plans for the future.
This is not the time to try to "compromise" with the Republicans. I hope the President has learned that difficult lesson. He needs to hold his position on not extending tax breaks for the rich, insist on more revenues to grow the economy, proceed with criminal charges against certain Banks and Wall Street crooks, take real action on dealing with the problem of Climate Change, move to change our broken Election system, bring the troops home from Afghanistan now, push a Immigration bill through Congress, revise the tax code, employee the unemployed in rebuilding America's infrastructure...just to name a few priorities.
So...that's a few of my thoughts, feelings and Ramblings for what they are worth. (Comments are encouraged...good or bad.)
Larry..
Just a day or two and the 11th anniversary of 9/11 will be upon us. It doesn't seem possible that it's been over a decade since that attack. Looking back, I remember getting a call from my daughter to turn on the TV....and there it was...an unbelievable picture of destruction and the loss of 3000 lives! I watched a great deal of TV that day and the days/weeks that followed, caught up in the drama of that spectacle, somehow not wanting to believe that it had actually happen.
At the time, I wasn't fully aware of the effect that 9/11 had on me personally. On October 3, 2001...less than 4 weeks after 9/11...I was admitted to Urgent Care at UCSD/Thorton Hospital for Atrial Flutter. My heart rate was 145 and they initially couldn't bring it down. In the weeks that followed, I underwent a Cardioversion procedure, and later a Radio Frequency Ablation procedure to correct the Atrial Flutter. Since that time and up to the present I've not experienced any heart problems. (Thank you God!)
I'm sure that the 9/11 incident has affected us all in various ways. Whether medically, psychologically, or personally, it has left its mark on our people. Before 9/11, how many times did we think of the words terror, terrorism or terrorist? How often did you look at someone of a Middle Eastern race and wonder if they were terrorist? Did you ever go up into a skyscraper and feel at risk? How many times have you not felt personally secure in your surroundings? Do you have dreams about 9/11? Do you carefully consider the people who are on your plane flight?
But as President Obama said in his Saturday radio address: "Instead of pulling back from the world, we strengthened our alliances while improving our security here at home"..."instead of turning on each other, we've resisted the temptation to give in to mistrust and suspicion.".."instead of changing who we are, the attacks have brought out the best in the American people."
So...read the article below, and decide for yourself....is the United States stronger now after 9/11?
Obama: The U.S. is stronger, 11 years after 9/11
Well...my "News Service" is off to a rather shaky start. I'm having difficulty trying to place more than one Link into a Post. But we'll figure it out as we go along.
The subject line...From the Left...will give you a hint (especially if you are on the Right), that the article below comes from a Liberal website...Common Dreams...and is going to set forth the view for "Cleaning Up the Economy"by Paul Krugman, a very liberal economist. I'll do some research and try to find articles from the Right on doing the same thing, and link them into this same post or a future one.
As you might expect, I agree with most of what Mr. Krugman says in this article. Unless the economy goes in the tank, he says "the next four years will be much better than the past four years (economically)". I would add the caveat that his statement is based on the premise that President Obama will still be in office. (I believe the Romney/Ryan economic plan would be a disaster for the middle class and those of us in the 99% group!)
Krugman acknowledges that the recovery from the "Great Recession" has remained sluggish, but sees signs of improvement in the housing market and business investments since late 2009. I hope he is right. All prior recessions have been lead by a recovering housing market.
So...please read the article by clicking on the link below, and send me all of your comments.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/09/07-0
Today, I'm launching a new "service" for those of you that just don't have the time to keep up on the News. As with all of my "Ramblings", my comments which will accompany the various news articles, will be subjective (most of the time), biased (with a Liberal slant), provocative (what fun), and of course, Rambling (because that is what I do!).
As always, if you don't care for my comments, you can make your own right on my blog. My...not so very well hidden motivation...is to stir things up a bit, and get some dialogue or dialog going. You know, discussion, talk, exchange of viewpoints, direct discourse, etc. We all need to communicate with each other. We don't need to agree all the time.
I will sometimes "share" these Ramblings and your comments with selected social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and the like. It will tend to spare my Wall friends on Facebook from exposing them to every political article I read and share; they can go to this blog to read my views..or not!
Today's article should get the political juices running whether you are of the Right or Left. So...just click on the story below and enjoy..or not!
Labor Day Without Jobs: Exposing the "Job Creator" Fraud | Common Dreams
The days, weeks and months seem to have skipped by since the first of this year. New Years came and went like the blink of an eye. March blew in and out...and then we were at the beginning of April. Paula had a wonderful birthday party...the first at our new home...on April 14th. May 9th I stepped into 73, just in time to celebrate Mothers Day! Ariana was a beautiful girl of 11 on May 23rd...and before you knew it, June had brought us all to the half-way point of 2012!
I believe that the last 6 months have been some of the best for Paula and me. We are back in California, living in a wonderful home in Rancho Bernardo, making new friends and getting reacquainted with previous ones, enjoying an abundant life, setting aside funds for travel to Ireland in 2013, enjoying all of our "adult children" and grandchildren, staying physically active and healthy, and living everyday to its fullest!
Paula is continuing to build her business...Body Energetics Wellness...creating new clients, developing new programs, volunteering with Hospice, staying fit, and providing services to customers who have been with her for years.
I am writing in my blog, creating a new blog (working title: Creative Leisure), volunteering in local and national politics, planning our trip to Ireland, enjoying our family with BBQ's galore, landscaping our yards, planting a vegetable garden, staying up on world and national news, and generally having a great time!
My little modest "theory" about why things are going so well: We have given up the "struggle" on certain life-issues that seem not as important as they use to be. Things... like "keeping up with the Jones'", having a need to buy everything in sight, eating too much, worrying about the future(still working on that), overly concerned about what people think, and, I'm sure there are other issues that don't come immediately to mind.
My "theory" is a rather simple, but obvious conclusion....It is harder to paddle upstream than down stream! Remember that '60's comment about "Going With The Flow"? Well, now in the Fall of my life, it makes real good sense. Trying to MAKE things happen is just not the best way. Let your heart and head guide you to the right path, don't over analyze things, trust in yourself, and remember that there are no such thing as failure, just results!
So enough of playing the philosopher, let's "Ramble" into something relevant like politics (;-). Talk about paddling upstream, the current political mess in the United States and the rest of the World appears to get worse each day. We are witnessing perhaps the nastiest political campaign in decades, carried out by both parties. The public mudslinging is being orchestrated primarily by a handful of very affluent individuals, corporations, and interest groups, who are making every effort to "buy" this election. (The Republican side appears to have the deepest pockets.)
Congress continues to be the most inept institution in our government, the Presidency can't seem to get its act together, and the Supreme Court has become too powerful, far exceeding their original mandate established by our Constitution! Corporations are now "people", the middle class is disappearing, unions are on the ropes, and accord has been thrown out and replaced by malicious partisan politics and barely disguised racism!
So...if we were looking at these national and world events rationally (really Larry), applying my "theory" would seem to be common sense. We would stop watching the nightly news, ignore the bastards in both political parties, care less who gets elected, go under the radar living our blissful lives, and just "go with the flow!" Well, sure. Sorta like dropping out in the '60's, smoking a little dope, loving everybody, and seeking Nirvana and Enlightenment. Continuing with my loose metaphor...paddling down stream...if we did the above, we'd be going down stream, through some life-threatening rapids, and going directly over the Falls into oblivion! Not such a pretty picture.
Well...then what should we do? (My oracle) I know....how about we get out of our boat, and decide not to paddle anywhere! (I told you this blog was titled "Rambling Prose.") Either that or just putting our head in the sand, and hoping for the best. I guess trying to ignore these events swirling around us might be an option, but probably not a very good one.
We would still be affected by those powerful clowns controlling our government, and while I may not be around when the house of cards comes down, my wife, adult children, grandchildren, and younger friends would surely feel the effects.
Oh, oh...here comes that annoying phrase we all dislike: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! Yes, I guess I would have some responsibility in making sure that my family were safe and secure in the boat or out. While the notion of going with the flow has a wonderful sound to it, I can't and I don't choose to "Opt Out!" My responsibility is to stay informed about current events, without becoming addicted to the "Nightly Drama called News. My responsibility is to analyze what the political candidates are saying (and not saying), and then step into that booth and cast my vote. My responsibility is to stay open to dialogue with those I don't agree with, and try to reach a consensus with some civility. My responsibility is to insure that "me and mine" will never be a financial burden on others. I'm certain my personal accountability doesn't end with these I've mentioned, but, give me a break!
Well with all this Rambling, I've probably used up my "Muse Credits" today. Thanks for bearing with me. It's 5:00 PM and a cocktail would be quite nice after this baring of my soul.
Larry...
A Post Script....
July 23, 2012
After ruminating over these Ramblings, I've concluded that I have a few more things to say.
My current thoughts come after the awful shootings in Colorado by a man who grew up and attended school in San Diego (just a few miles from where we live). A young man from a middle class family, who was academically very intelligent, seen as a "loner" but apparently never viewed as a threat to anyone.
Then at some point after moving to Colorado to attend graduate school, he went over the edge! He bought an assault rifle, a shotgun, and 2 Glock pistols at a local gun shop, and then purchased hundreds of rounds of ammo on the Internet. No problem buying those guns, and complete ease in purchasing the ammo and other personal protective clothing normally used by police and the military! He then methodically planned the movie theater shootings, "booby trapped" his apartment with explosives, only to meekly surrender to police outside the theater after killing 12 (current numbers) and wounding scores of people.
I haven't been able to grasp all of this....and yet some "questions" do come to mind. Were there any early indicators that this man was disturbed? Did parents, teachers, counselors, friends notice anything that would lead them to take some sort of action..counseling, therapy, etc.? Could any early intervention get him the help he obviously required? At what point in his life did he decide to commit this horrendous crime? Was this the act of a sociopath? Would stronger gun laws have stopped these needless killings? Do we all have some responsibility in taking action to deter such crimes in the future?
Lots of questions and few answers at this point.
I would only say this....why are we the most violent society in the world (be happy to provide you with references); why does our country have the largest number of gun owners; why do gun owners have to have the "right" to buy an assault rifle...my God, what are they hunting; why does the NRA have the Congress "cowed"into not making laws that restrict the use of certain types of firearms; why does the United States export more firearms then any other country; why do President Obama and Mitt Romney not wish to talk about gun control...it's not smart politically;
and the most important question...as far as I'm concerned...how can we all sit back, rationalize our inaction, and just go on with our lives like nothing has happen! Church on Sunday where we learn to love our fellow man! The attitude that it isn't my responsibility if crazy folks use guns to kill others! Don't mess with my second amendment rights, I'm just a gun collector! My world is a dangerous place, and I need to be armed to the teeth! After all, with the current level of technology, I'll never have to go to the theater to see Batman!!
I'm certainly not writing this with believing that I have any answers/solutions to this national problem. However, I do believe that if we all ask the right questions in a nation-wide dialog, we can come up with some reasonable gun laws that will help to deter any more killings.
Hey....here's an idea! Let's create some type of forum on Facebook (and other social media), and start talking about this challenge we are all facing. I'm certainly prepared to dialog with others...young, old, those of the Right, those of the Left, gun owners, and people like me who only like to fish!
If you have interest in discussing this on FB, email, whatever...please contact on my Facebook Wall, or email me at: LarryGithens@earthlink.net
Larry...
My God...where did the year go? I thought I just celebrated my birthday. Oh...I did about 360 days ago.
Well, you know the wonderful thing about that...I'm still here! I have the privilege of celebrating my birth again with family and friends.
I have permission to wake up conscious next to my wonderful, beautiful wife, in bed. I'm able to open my eyes to a wonderful Southern California morning, sunny and fresh, with the scent of flowers in our backyard, and the sound of birds announcing the start of a new day.
I'm reminded of one of the most important things in my life.."To live everyday to its fullest!" You know, lately I've been making every effort to do just that. After all, what is more important than that! Money, status, possessions...they don't even come close to that ideal. It's the small, fleeting moments that have the most meaning. Sitting on the patio listening to nature, enveloped by the silence of just being, recalling a special time in memory, feeling the winds breath, speaking to a loved one, watching a grandchild's discovery, a walking meditation, or meandering through a thought.
So....on my way to 73 I've covered a lot of territory. I was born just before World War II, got lucky with great parents, enjoyed an amazing childhood, had the good fortune of being raised in a rural area of Northern California, experienced wonderful years in high school, developed maturity in the Air Force, finished college and raised a family, had a interesting and challenging career as a Probation Officer, and finally met up with my "Soul Mate"...Paula Casey Githens!
And now....what lies ahead? Who really knows the answer to that question. And yet, I know it will only be more of the great adventure that it has been these past 73 years. You see...what I believe it will be...it will be! We all create our future by the way we think and believe! I know that the coming years will be wonderful, because I believe they will be! The way I figure, I've got at least 15 to 20 good years left, so I won't be leaving the planet before 2027 or 2030! Plenty of time to accomplish my goals, enjoy my family, and live my beliefs!
So Long for Now...
Larry
Life seems full of changes, and this new year was not an exception to that rule. Just before Christmas of 2011, we learned that the owner of our "casita condo" wished to return to her home, as she missed the good weather and her friends. Who could disagree with that, especially from someone that had been living in Chicago!
Paula and I had planned to move to a larger place so it wasn't as upsetting to move again...after a year. CHANGE wasn't new to us, and so we began to look for a new home right after Christmas. In my usual fashion, I got into my hard charging "research mode"...and began to work my sources..Craigslist, Realtors, and driving the neighborhoods. Our preference was to live somewhere in the Rancho Bernardo/Carmel Mt. Ranch/Poway area. We wanted to again live in a single family residence, but it seemed that the only available types of homes were townhouses, condos, and apartments. It was rather discouraging, and at one point, we felt we would have to "settle" and live in an apartment.
Then one day I was driving by our "55+" Community Center, and was directed to look at the Rentals Bulletin board again. And there it was...a 1800 square foot, 2 bedroom home with all of the amenities we had been looking for, right in our "back yard" in the single family homes area of our "55+" community! We drove over to see it, but could only view the outside, but it was perfect. I contacted the owners who lived out of state, met them that Saturday, viewed the inside of the home (which was perfect), and signed a long-term lease the next day. It was truly one of those "win win" situations: We were looking for a home to live in for at least 5 years; the owners wanted long-term renters who would take care of their father's home.( He had passed away back in October of 2011).
So about a month after we began our search for a home, we found it and did the final move in on January 28th. (We've posted quite a few photos on Facebook), and will make other's available soon. This home has just about everything we had desired...and now we were living our dream! This brought to mind one of my favorite quotes: "In order for things to change, You have to see them as you want them to be...Rather than continuing to observe them as they are!"
So...as we begin our second year back in California, we only expect to experience "good changes" throughout this year. Our health is good, we get to see "our kids" and grandchildren frequently, our cash flow is steadily improving, Paula's business is expanding, we are meeting new friends, and in general, LIFE IS GOOD!
In the coming years, we will use our disposable income to travel. Travel both in the United States and throughout the World. In the USA, visiting New York City and Washington D.C. will be high on the list. Seeing friends and family living in various states will keep us busy. 
A very important goal for me is maintaining good health. My current state of health is reasonably good, but I still need to watch what I'm eating and exercise often. Walking has become my favorite form of exercise, and I try to do at least a two mile walk every day. We hope to purchase new bikes this coming year; that was a favorite exercise for us in the past.
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