Accidental enlightenment: when something almost important occurs to you for no apparent reason. For example, I realized yesterday while doing the laundry that, unless you do the last load buck naked and stand in front of the dryer until it is all dried and ready to fold, you will NEVER have all of the laundry done all at once. It is impossible. Thank you. JS
On this day of remembrance, as I see these pictures of American flags and the words NEVER FORGET, I am filled with sadness over those we lost and pride in how our country came together to love and support each other the best that we could during such an awful time. I won’t ever forget; I hope none of us do.
However, I am reminded, too, of how the people of Iraq must have felt the same way on that March day in 2003 when hell rained down on them in the form of bombs dropped on them from our planes. 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia. NONE WERE FROM IRAQ! Don’t you imagine that the Iraqi people feel as unjustly attacked by us as we did by those hijackers? Don’t you imagine that they post images of their national flag and bombed-out cities admonishing their citizens: NEVER FORGET. I can’t imagine it would be any easier for them to forget than it ever will be for us.
War has only brought us unbearable heartache, crushing debt, and more determined enemies. People to whom the USA was only – mehhh – now hate us with a searing, soaring rage. Seems to me the only people who did really well from these endless wars were the big shots at Halliburton and companies like that.
I’m not posting this to stir up a ruckus or to get in a snit-fight with anybody. It’s just an observation on this day of remembering. Gary Zukov said we need to remind ourselves that, when we lose someone we love, no matter what our nationality, that it’s the SAME PAIN. Our pain is no bigger than any other country’s pain. I think we would do well to take that to heart, too, on this day of remembrance. JS
Dogs KNOW when you cut their treats in half. They really do. I think my aura changes color when I’m trying to pull a fast one and Toby sees it. He says he can smell guilt and deceit. He’s a very smart dog. JS
Stef, Heather, Sam & Trish did a kayaking river run down the Umpqua yesterday.
Toby and I went to the recycling center at the dump. It’s quite a nice facility and very clean. Still, the smells are enough to make him swoon, so he loves going there with me just to hang his head out the window and sniiiiiiiifffffffff to beat the band.
For me, getting the recycling done always feels good. A few years ago, we ripped out a built-in bar in the family room and transformed that into our own recycling center, complete with 3 tall plastic containers marked “PAPER,” “PLASTIC,” and “TIN CANS & GLASS,” making it so much easier to just grab the containers, throw them in the car and head to the dump. The containers fill up much faster than I would have ever imagined, though, especially since I feel so guilty over the tiniest scrap of paper I don’t recycle. Finally, when things are spilling out and onto the floor, or they are getting so heavy I know they’ll be hard to lift, I load Toby up and we go get the job done. If I don’t, I obsess and fret and that’s never a good thing for me to do. JS
I have been informed by people in sales who are very good at their jobs that my offer of a refund if people don’t like my books is a dumb idea, that I need to take a sales course, etc. And, while all of that might be true, my offer still stands and my reasoning is this: the number of moments we have here on Planet Earth is finite and we don’t know what that number is. I don’t want anyone to be disappointed that they spent time or money on what I have written. Thus, if you buy either or both of my books and don’t like them, just tell me. I can’t give you your time back, but I can give you your money back.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. JS
Yesterday, three years ago, a head injury sent my life skittering sideways. Unless you have had a brain injury, it is impossible to know how awful it can be. My compassion for people who have wrestled with that type of injury has increased a thousand-fold. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, not even people I don’t like.
Well, maybe one or two. Sometimes, my heart is dark. JS
