Thank a Veteran

The oldies served in WWII. The husband and his brother served in Vietnam. I think we forget to remind children and grandchildren of this sacrifice.

If you were able to go to your house of worship without government intervention, you should thank a veteran.

If you cast your vote in the election last week without fear of repercussion, thank a veteran.

If you feel free to fly a flag or burn a flag without going to prison, thank a veteran.

If you own a gun or would spend your life trying to rid the world of guns -- that is your right. Thank a veteran.

If you get into a political conversation over lunch or in a taxi, you need not fear. You're entitled to your opinion. Someone fought and many died for your right to free speech. Thank a veteran.

On election day, I voted and then started my routine errands. In my usual hurry, I nearly collided with an African American man trying to maneuver his cane and the shopping cart. (I'm a sucker for oldies) We were both wearing our "I Vote, I Count" stickers. Somehow, we ventured into a conversation about military experience. Turns out he was in the army during WWII. He whipped out his wallet to show me photos.

I said, "I have many people in my family who are like you."

He said, "Black people?"

I said, "Probably ... but I really meant people who have served our country."

Tuesday is Veteran's Day. I salute all of those who fought for our rights.

Rolling the Dice

It's easier to get into trouble than to get out of it.

Weren't we all taught this as children? I was. Of course, it didn't stop me from occasionally rolling the dice and risking the repercussions. This is one of those lessons we were supposed to learn early.

Many households are in trouble -- so much trouble that they may not have a household. Banks are holding onto money like a squirrel that found the last walnut. The $750 billion, trillion, gazillion government bailout is shaky and not working yet. At some point, these numbers stop making sense to me.

I'm over self-indulgent children and I include myself. I'm over leveraging my future and yours because our government chose to roll the dice.

Patriotism

Wearing a flag pin does not automatically make you a proud American. I'm a little sick of people berating Obama when he forgets to wear it. I'm sicker when he actually does it. I'm convinced he's just appeasing the media and the critics. We had this congresswoman whose entire wardrobe was flag attire. I thought it was fake and disrespectful.

In my Leave It To Beaver childhood, we said the pledge of allegiance every morning. There was a flag in the classroom and we put our palm over our heart as we recited. We were taught to stand for the national anthem. No hats were allowed.

Maybe I've spent too much time around military people. It is my right to criticize or question the actions of my government. It is also my duty to respect this country and all who have fought for our freedoms. I have been known to jab a complete stranger at a ball game. "Quit fiddling with your beer. Stand up. Take your hat off."

Most people oblige but occasionally I wonder why no one has slapped me.

Contacts

This is not about your vision. It's about your ability to find whomever you need.

Beyond my magic black book with all of my friends and family's contact info, I keep several rather extensive contact lists:

Clients and previous clients,
Vendors and suppliers,
Household, i.e. plumber, electrician, etc.,
Doctors (I have always known how to reach my doctors but I made a much larger list when the oldies were in our care.)

One of my rules is I refuse to do business with anyone, especially a physician, who will not give me his or her cell phone or home phone number. I have yet to run across a professional person who will not comply. I'm a pretty cautious person and I will not call any of these people at home unless absolutely necessary. When it's necessary, I don't want to waste time.

Because this is an election year, I'm super attuned to politics. Your hot buttons may not be mine, but I hope you know them. Do you know how to reach:

The President (or at least, the White House,)
Your Governor,
Your Mayor,
Your Senators,
Your House Representative?

In your state, do you know how to reach:

Your Prosecutor,
Your Secretary of State,
Your Chief of Police,
The Editor of your local paper?

If you have children in school, do you know how to reach:

The Superintendent and members of the school board,
The principal of your child's school,
Your child's teachers?

Lots of us are complaining about gas prices, the economy, education, our service people in Iraq and Afghanistan, the dismal state of social security, taxes, etc. Maybe it's just pot holes on your street. Many of these people are elected officials. Even the ones who are not elected still want to hear from the people.

Do you let them know what you think? If you're reading this, you have access to the Internet. All of this information is available online.