The Battle

There are those who act as though the purpose of life were to get all the money, position and convenience you possibly can. For them, life is a battle to be fought with your hands, reaching endlessly for what you need and want. It is a battle of things, appearances, resumes, skills and advantages that only ends when you die and even then, you must pass those values on to your children lest they squander that in which you have invested so much time and effort. By this standard, a man's success is measured by his salary, investments, possessions and the size of his home, all of which is outside of himself. But what if, when measuring success or failure, we measured the inside of a man instead of merely his possessions? How could we do such a thing even if we tried?

When I was very young, I used to sing. I had an older sister who also sang. Once, while listening to me singing, my sister leaned over and with something less than appreciation let me know that my singing was 'flat'. The way she said it, and what I thought she meant by it, was enough to cause me, from that time onward, to always try to tighten my voice, sing softer, to avoid other people when I sang and in general to feel that my voice was unacceptable to other people. Forty years later, as I stood on the stage in front of 1300 people, those feelings came back to me and I wondered if all those people were going to think that I was singing flat!

Victor Frankel, the famous writer and thinker who survived a prison camp experience, said that though his captors could take everything else from them, including their lives, there was one thing they could not take away, and that was their capacity to choose how they would react to their situation. He was able to choose love in the face of hatred, service in the face of deprivation and purpose in the face of confinement.

Principles held within the mind and heart of a man are more powerful than money or advantages. If a man believes that he is a failure because he has little money, no position and few possessions then he is bound by that belief. Even as I was bound by my belief that whenever I sang, it would be flat and people would not want to listen, so we can be bound by the things that we believe about ourselves. In other words, the real battle of life is within the mind of a man.

I have read of a blind man who, deciding to climb Mt. Everest, set his mind to the task and finally completed it, making him the first blind man ever to do so. But he only succeeded after he had determined that he was capable of such a thing. If he had decided that because he was blind, he should not even think of doing such dangerous things, then it would have been true. . How many times do we stop ourselves from whatever it is we would like to do, simply because we believe it is not possible. I have heard hundreds of people say to me that they would love to succeed if only they had the money for this or that advantage; and so they have given up all hope of success, unless they win the lottery or someone gives them a million dollars. On the other hand, there are those with wealth and advantages in abundance who accomplish little and find neither success nor happiness.

Success comes not to the one with the most money, but to the one who has defeated the false ideas of his own mind that keep him from accomplishing whatever he desires. People through the ages, have proven time and again, that humans are capable of amazing things. However, there are those who falsely believe that the only thing standing between them and success is money and practice. But that is not quite true, in my opinion. The only thing standing between anyone and their own success is that little gray battlefield on your shoulders that must be won in order for you to believe that you are capable of success or happiness or anything else.

I once watched as a little handicapped girl played a beautiful piano piece. Her mother had been told that the girl would be a vegetable all her life. She did not believe it. She had won the battle that we all must fight if we would find either happiness or success. And that's worth fighting for.

A New Year; A New You

With a new month, a new year and according to some a new age, coming fast upon us, it reminds me of the tradition of new-year's resolutions. When I was a child it was common for people to talk about their resolutions through most of December and January of any given year. It seemed to me a good way to take stock of one's life and then to do something constructive about it. This year, I can't say that I have heard anyone speak of a new-years resolution or any resolution for that matter. To resolve, unequivocally upon some course of action can be a powerful force for good in one's life. However, the decline and fall of the resolution can only indicate a decline and fall of the good that comes from it.

I overheard a conversation recently, of a person who was relating an instance of the abuse of her friend by a person close to her. She was obviously concerned and upset because this friend had not the resolve or the fortitude to remove herself from the abuse, but was inclined to justify the abuser and ignore the abuse for the sake of other seeming benefits that might be gained by the relationship. This little bit of an overheard conversation caused me to ponder on some of the human frailties we all possess.

When I was growing up with three older brothers and two older sisters, I found myself in a constant battle, the nature of which was a mystery to me. As anyone knows who has had older siblings or a boss, the temptation to treat those under you with something other than kindness, generosity and fairness is unfortunately universal. I other words, I knew what it was like to be oppressed and mistreated. In saying that, I do not mean to imply that my siblings were malicious. No, I believe that they were mostly unaware of the pain they were causing those of us who were younger than they were, just as a boss might be unaware of the feelings of his subordinates. Nevertheless, I was often hurt, both physically and emotionally.

For my entire life, I accepted the pain I endured at the hands of unkind siblings and others, as normal and natural; a part of life that could not be avoided and therefore must be tolerated and forgiven. In so doing, however, there was a vital principle of existence that was being overlooked. In overlooking this principle I discovered that I was perpetuating all of the abuse which I so fervently wished to avoid. It is not an obvious principle, either to discover or to understand, so I can understand why I could not see it for most of my life. But it is one that, if used properly, can become a great catalyst for change. The principle is self-respect. Unlike self-esteem, it is not so much interested in 'liking' one's self as in simply giving one's self the right to live and in treating one's self as you would treat a respected friend.

Most people treat themselves pretty badly. For instance, most people will call themselves 'stupid' if they make a mistake. This and other self-abuse is all too common. A person who respects himself will refrain from speaking thus to himself and will give himself the benefit of the doubt; always giving an honest assessment of the situation, without unjust or undue criticism. Apply this principle to a new year's resolution and you have an unbreakable promise that you keep to yourself. Why should it be easier to break a promise to ourselves more than to a friend? Why should we think less of ourselves than of others? And how can we expect others to treat us with respect if we do not respect ourselves? A person who thinks little of himself and allows others to hurt or abuse him, will discover that there are a host of people out there who are willing to perpetuate that hurt. On the other hand, if you respect yourself, you will not allow others to treat you that way, but you will stand up for yourself, even as you would stand up to a bully on the playground.

When self-respect becomes a governing principle in your relationships, then mutual respect can be cultivated and peace can be found. When self-respect reigns in a person's being, then resolutions become unbreakable promises to one's self and the stepping-stones to great progress and achievement, and isn't that what a new year or a new age should be about?

Christmas and Money

Children look forward to Christmas because of the things they hope to receive. Adults often do not look forward to Christmas because of the things they feel obliged to give. If you have not the means to give gifts, then the feelings might be even more unpleasant. But, perhaps there needs to be a shift in how we think of gifts, in order that Christmas time might be one of joy for everyone.

It occurs to me that there are some things that money can buy and others that it cannot buy. For instance, money can allow one to purchase products that will cause illness, but it cannot, for any price purchase good health. When we buy health insurance, we think we are buying health, but health insurance is really just speculation or gambling. You are betting that you will be ill and require medical attention and the insurance company is betting that you will not. The more medical attention you require the more you are required to pay. But, paying more health insurance does not insure good health. Health is something that comes with patient, knowledgeable care of the body, good eating habits, and a host of other things, all having to do more with knowledge and self-discipline than with money.

Peace is another commodity that cannot be purchased with any amount of wealth. Money can purchase weapons, bribe leaders, coerce populations, cause, promote and foster war, but it has no power to bring peace because peace is a quality or a gift of the heart. Peace in the individual or in a nation is built upon principles of trust, truth, hope, equality, freedom etc. None of these things can be bought with money.

Then too, you can spend a lot of money, hiring any amount of people you can name, traveling the world over, giving millions of dollars to individuals and organizations, finding many people willing to attach themselves to you because of your money and never find a true friend. The history of the world is full of accounts of the wealthy and powerful being surrounded by those who would share in their wealth. However, flattery, betrayal, conspiracy, murder, strife, envy, duplicity and every vice imaginable are connected with great wealth and power. With all that wealth, they could not purchase happiness, peace, freedom, security or health for themselves or their children.

In our daily struggle to live and survive in the modern world, I think we forget some of the lessons of the past. We think that if we can purchase something big for our children, our spouse, our friends or our relatives that somehow we will be loved and appreciated more. As though we could give and receive love through an x-box or a box of chocolate. But, just as wood does not conduct electricity, so x-boxes or chocolate or any other material thing, do not convey love. Love is carried in the person; the eyes, the heart, the feelings, the countenance. Any other method is bogus and counterfeit.

The trouble with buying gifts is that it is so easy to do. Anyone can go to a store and purchase a thing to give to someone. It is much more difficult to cultivate, acquire and share gifts of real value, such as love, hope, compassion, vision, help, warmth, joy, closeness, beauty or peace. These can be shared, just as the store-bought gifts can be, but they are more lasting, more meaningful and of infinitely greater value. Certainly, where necessities of life are needed, necessities ought to be given. To give trinkets where food is needed would be an insult. But to give anything else where love is most needed would be a tragedy.

Too Busy to Live

If there is one saying that encapsulates life in the twenty-first century I think it would have to be the one that I hear most often from friends, neighbors and family alike; That is: I'm too busy. I know of no one who does not consider himself to be too busy. The other saying that goes with being too busy usually has something to do with stress. Thus we constantly hear people saying things like, “I was just too busy to get that done.” or “I was so stressed out I just had to get away for a few hours.” or “I'd really like to do that some day when I'm not so busy.” My question is: What exactly does 'busy' or 'stressed out' mean and what is it that people are busy and stressed out about? 

 

When you say 'busy' I think of homework. Some people call it 'busywork', some call it schoolwork, but regardless of the name, the result is the same: namely, you work long and hard at something obviously and honestly unimportant and relatively meaningless. I always balked at the hours and hours of time I spent answering redundant and sometimes demeaning questions at the end of every chapter I read in school. I agonized over the whole concept of keeping my mind occupied with useless 'busywork' while real life was passing me by. When people say they are 'too busy' to do something that they really want to do, I have to wonder how important that 'busy-ness' really is. 

So, let's say for instance that you have a job. In that job, you are required to move pile A to pile B all day long. Eventually, no matter how much money you are making, your mind is going to end up screaming at you that the job itself is pointless and redundant. Of course, then you have the other side of that coin where the bills have to be paid and the food has to be procured for the coming week. So you busily go about your meaningless job, making money so you can survive. On top of that, the job of moving pile A to pile B doesn't pay very well, so you have to work many more hours than you would like so that when you finally get home, you are either too tired, too stressed out or have been 'too busy' to do any real living. 

I think it's a crying shame that this is the way most people live. Are these people too busy surviving to live a productive, happy life wherein they do the things they really love to do? I believe that happiness comes from doing what you love to do and having enough to live on as a result. Ideally, everyone would do what he does best and loves to do, living productively until the day he died and helping others to live better by producing something of value to his neighbors. I believe that we don't have to have mega-factories where thousands of people live out their busy and stress-filled lives trying to get ahead in a never-ending battle for survival. I think that people can work together, doing what they do best, in an atmosphere of cooperation and on a small scale. Anciently, small villages worked this way to a certain extent. However, there always seemed to be someone who wanted to take control of large groups of villages, states and even nations. These actions always lead to disaster, tyranny and oppression. Everything in our society can be improved, I believe, by bringing it home to a small town level and allowing people to govern themselves. 

If I could make any changes in this world, it would be changes toward independent living, small scale cooperation among neighbors and an absence of centralized control of everything. There are thousands of people in this world, if not millions, who have spent their entire lives working for a company doing busy work and never knowing the joy of doing what they love for someone who appreciates and needs that work. They are the people who are too busy to live. It sounds to me like 'too busy to live' is really 'too ready to die'. You would think that in the twenty-first century we could come up with something better than that!

The Next Target

Beauty, symmetry and order surround us in nature. Everything natural proceeds in its measured pace, perfectly in rhythm with itself and its environment. In fact, nature teaches us to be orderly. From the smallest atomic particles to the movements of galaxies, the natural world moves in tune to strict patterns and invariable mathematical structures. It's like being part of a grand machine whose parts are all in sync one with another. People have bodies that function upon certain principles in a practically invariable manner until things are introduced into the body that do not belong in the system and so cause malfunction.

 Horse whisperers have taught us that working with and not against this natural order of things has the effect of empowering people to heal and help where there has been serious malfunction in a horse's behavior. There are people who are attempting to accomplish similar things with people using natural laws and understanding the principles of how the body and mind work. To me, this is a great advance in knowledge, if we can use it to benefit people and our world directly.

However, on the other side of this coin, there are those who would use these kinds of knowledge in order to control and destroy instead of to help. According to some, next to the desire for wealth, the desire for power is the most captivating human frailty. For some reason, people like to have the ability to manipulate people and circumstances for their own ends. For this reason, I think it is wise to beware, especially today, of those who have control over the things that provide ideas. This control (ie. Power) can be a dangerous thing.

The headlines say,  "The Jews are our Misfortune." Germany, 1936.

I recently saw an interview with a man who had been present at a speech given by Adolf Hitler at the beginning of his rise to power. He happened to be a man who was not a German and certainly not a follower of Hitler at any time. However, he confessed that after hearing Hitler speak, he was carried away by a sort of mesmerizing quality that leader seemed to possess and was surprised to find himself caught up in the feeling of it, to the extent that he began to believe in what was being said. The perspective of this man gives us an interesting insight into the use of certain little-known knowledge and practices which were only beginning to be used in the early twentieth century. Today, I believe we witness daily the full-scale, widespread use of those same techniques, perfected by long and diligent use on an unknowing population of avid listeners and viewers.

The question arises: Why would anyone want to control or influence the way people think? What possible end could it achieve? In my opinion, the only end that could be of any value would be to gain more wealth and more power.

To take a current example: The massive smear campaign against a certain race/culture, obviously promoting fear and hatred against these people. If someone is my enemy, I will find it out myself by what they do to me. But, when someone undertakes to try to persuade me to fear and hate someone, in the absence of my own evidence, I think it behooves me to find out the truth for myself. If all I have is hearsay, circumstantial evidence and vicious gossip I should be wary of the perpetrator of such misinformation and I should be very cautious of any judgment I make based on this obviously biased information. It is apparent to me that someone wants me to hate a group of people to accomplish some end for themselves while disguising their actions as “protecting” me. Interestingly, and coincidentally, these are the same tactics used by a certain leader over fifty years ago on a certain group of people within his country, to get his own people to hate them so that he could justify his mistreatment and finally annihilation of them.

So, I say again, beware of anyone who controls the things that can change the way people think. Instead of just being grateful that the target is not you, it makes sense to realize that the next target might be.

Getting Past the Past

Many people in this world believe in multiple 'lives'. Recently, I have been thinking about this most interesting viewpoint and some of its implications. I have come, at least for now, to the conclusion that we do indeed live more than one life. Not, perhaps, in the strict sense of reincarnation, but in the sense that each day that we go to sleep and re-awaken it is like a mini death with a mini resurrection behind it. Honestly, some mornings I feel like I'm coming 'back from the dead'. However, aside from being a necessary part of life, sleeping and waking can, I believe, be very instructive, to the end that we might live better lives if we see them as multiple chances instead of only one.

Each time we go to sleep, our consciousness becomes dormant and our sub-conscious mind takes over completely. We breathe, pump blood, regenerate, rebuild, dream, solve and regroup for the next day. Our bodies and minds do this automatically and we take for granted the fresh energy and outlook that become ours every morning. I have heard it said that if you have a perplexing problem, you should sleep on it. Perhaps this is because our sub-conscious mind has capabilities for problem-solving that we aren't aware of. But, regardless of how it is done, we each benefit from this wonderful phenomenon. 

I like to think of this awakening as a sort of birth. We are born to another day, even another life. It's true that we carry with us the trappings of yesterday: our families, friends, clothing, shelter, food, furniture, circumstances etc. But even with all of yesterday around us, we can still start each day taking a fresh look at who we are and what we would like to be. Consider a man with amnesia. He wakes up from a bump on the head and has no recollection of yesterday. He doesn't know who he is, or what he has done in his life. Perhaps he was a thief. He may get calls from his friends, wanting him to do a job for them. Someone may inform him of his chosen profession, the absence of his family, the loss of his freedom, etc. He might then find himself wishing that he were not a thief. At this point, he might say to himself: I don't really want to be a thief, I want to be a dentist. So, he picks up the phone and starts making arrangements to attend dental school. 

The wise man, I believe, takes yesterday with a grain of salt and charts a course for a tomorrow that is strictly in keeping with his inmost desires, hopes and dreams. If we do not do this, then we are like the thief who, after awakening from a bout of amnesia, decides it's too hard to change what everyone tells him is his past and he ultimately allows his friends, circumstances and accoutrements to tell him what he is, so he can continue to be what they expect him to be. 

Each day gives us the amazing opportunity to awake from the amnesia of sleep, a gift really, and decide what we want our lives to be. Whatever the past has been needn't determine anything. Certainly, we ought to learn from the past, make needed course corrections and move on, but enslavement to one's past is today's most common slavery. It is the direction of a ship that determines its destination, not where it has been. 

Now is the only time we really have. Yesterday does not exist. Every day that we wake up, we have infinite possibilities at our disposal. So, looking forward and not back, we can behave as though each day were another lifetime and set a course we can live with, instead of merely repeating the past out of habit.

Hey, Grandpa!

I met a man recently, who had a little ranch set-up that seemed ideal to me. He had a new home, custom-made with special stones from a certain river bed, beams from a special kind of wood, an interior design suited to every need and decor that looked like it came out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. There was also a horse barn, with horses, nice fences, a great little garden spot, a volley ball pit, a pool table, basketball court, shop, play area, covered porch, barbeque pit, a grand piano and the list goes on. Everything seemed perfect and made-to-order, new and luxurious. I have to admit, I was envious.

As I began to imagine how it would feel to be able to own such a wonderful and seemingly perfect place, I realized that there was something wrong, or maybe something missing. As I was talking to the man who owned this little ranch, I asked him about his horses. He said that even though he cannot ride anymore, he keeps the horses around for his grandkids. I then asked about the beautiful grand piano and discovered that it was an electric, player piano. Neither of them knew how to play, but they didn't have to. It could play itself. So, I began to get the picture. These well-meaning grandparents have provided a sort of recreational second home for their children and grandchildren. A place where they can ride horse, play pool, shoot baskets, play volleyball, listen to a grand piano, watch movies or eat, all in the lap of luxury. Nice. So why was I feeling like something was missing?

I remember as a young child, going to visit my grandparents. They had a couple of hundred acres of dry-farm in North Dakota. Their farmland was rocky and unforgiving. Out here, in irrigation country, wheat farmers can plan on dozens of bushels per acre, but back there, Grandpa was lucky to get twenty. They made their meager living on their farm and fed themselves with the sweat of their own backs. They milked a cow, raised chickens, butchered their own meat, raised their own vegetables, took their wheat to town twice a year to be milled and stored and they ate their own flour. When we visited them, we played in the trees, in the pasture or on the old propane tank. We were not allowed to use the bathroom in the house when we were playing outside, but we always used the outhouse. Actually, we preferred the outhouse and considered it a special privilege, but I suppose that's kids for you. And, there was one small rope swing, with a wooden seat which Grandpa had made for his own children.

This wonderful, working farm was a natural delight to me and my brothers and sisters. We didn't feel like Grandma and Grandpa were there to 'entertain' us or to provide some sort of diversion for us. We just loved being in the midst of useful things and being a part of it all. Grandpa would often take us with him to do little jobs, like hauling water from the nearby spring or helping pick rocks in the field, and sometimes Grandma would take us with her to bring lunch out to Grandpa in the field. One of the most precious memories I hold in my mind was one day when Grandpa took me by the hand and led me to the barn. He put his finger to his lips to tell me to be quiet as we walked in. As we peeked up over the horse's feed box, I saw, to my great delight and surprise, a mama kitty with her little kittens all gathered around her. What makes this so special to me is the feeling of almost reverence that I felt from Grandpa at the time. He loved his animals, every one. He treated those kittens like they were the most amazing miracle in the universe at that moment. So it felt that way to me too.

I guess that's what I felt was missing from the “ideal” setup I visited recently. The wonder and mystery of life; the living, breathing, working, useful part of life that means something. I remember sitting by my Grandpa while he played his old piano and sang: “Tra, la, la....tra, la, la. I didn't care that it was a hundred-year-old piano or that he didn't seem to know the words to the song. I was listening to the music of life and it sounded great to me. Today, if I could be a child again and choose which house to visit, I certainly know which one it would be.

What Are We Waiting For?

With a brain whose capacity is largely untapped, human beings have a potential to be and to create which far exceeds current expectations. Instead of seeing the unused portion of our brain as a sort of insult, perhaps we could see it as a challenge. Each of us has this potential and this 'challenge' within us and each of us has unique access to a brain of almost limitless capabilities. Unfortunately, our surroundings and traditions tend to encourage stagnation instead of growth. But what if we decided to change that? What if we started on a journey of discovery within ourselves to find the key to the potential within us?

According to the current scientific research, our brain functions on electrical impulses triggered both by stimulus from without and stimulus from within. The stimulus without consists of the people, events and circumstances of our lives. Things happen to us, and our mind is given messages through the various senses which it then processes and stores for future use. Stimulus from within might consist of messages of pain from an organ, automatic messages from various parts of the body to perform normal body functions, messages from hormones, messages from the food we eat, messages from the brain itself in the form of thoughts and those less understood but just as real messages and effects of emotions. Together, these make up some of the things with which the brain has to do. It is a vast and complex system of signals and impulses whose workings are only slightly understood by the most advanced scientists.

However, each of us is in a unique position. We each have a brain of our own whose capacity is barely touched. We live each day in a relatively mundane and repetitious life of working, playing, eating, and sleeping. It's like having a super-computer and only using it to play solitaire. But, what I am suggesting is that perhaps it is the mind itself that holds the key to understanding and using it's potential and that each of us could be the keeper and director of that key in the quest for a better life. With each passing day, I realize that there are many things I do not understand and cannot do. I look at my life and ask myself how I can make it better.

Much I have read lately has pointed to the fact that the mind is capable of much more than we give it credit for. And, although scientists are actively seeking the secret to harnessing that capacity, I believe that the ultimate discovery can only rest with the individual who has patiently sought to discover how his own mind works. No two people are alike, and even if science could tell us how everything works, we would still have to learn to practice it.

However, if we are only using our amazing minds for mundane tasks, how can we make the quantum leap to increased mental capacity and use? Well, I think that the mind is capable of even that, if we give it the opportunity; if we take the challenge. Experimentation and discovery lie within and with ourselves not without and with a scientist. As a musician, I was taught to 'allow' my mind to do what it knew how to do without my ego getting in the way. Education, like the ego of a musician, often seeks to 'make' the mind do what it already knows how to do. I think it's time we 'allowed' our minds to function in the way they were intended. I believe that the mind was intended to function at it's full capacity and to do things that we have not yet even considered.

Think of it! We do not even know what the mind of man is capable of. The possibilities could be endless! It is a frontier like no other and the door to it is within the grasp of every individual. So...what are we waiting for?

Locks and Laws

I have read and heard it said by some that in this thing called society, there are norms, standards, beliefs and traditions which define it, but which, in the regular course of time can and must change in order for the society to grow and improve. Along these lines, there are some who have assumed that this change or growth must include a change in moral values, especially where religion is concerned and they use this reasoning to attack religion in all it's forms. While not attempting to control anyone's thoughts or beliefs, I think it would be helpful to examine the idea that values can become outmoded and useless in a society where people agree on such a course and wish to freely follow it to it's end. 

 

So, let us take as an example the moral value of property rights. History is almost nothing but the chronicles of property rights disputes, whether personal or national. Everyone wants their own property, free from the oppressions of a neighbor, king or ruler of any kind. Thousands of years ago, from Mt. Sinai came the words, “Thou shalt not steal,” and ancient civilizations reserved their harshest punishments for those who felt inclined to violate the property rights of their neighbors by stealing or any other dishonest act. No one wanted to be taken advantage of.

But suppose there was a group of people who decided that property rights were old-fashioned and that they wanted to set up a society where this value was absent. Because they have decided that stealing is not wrong any more, they start taking whatever they want from whomever they want. The most bold and greedy among them would find themselves in possession of the greatest wealth, which in turn would make them prime targets for others. No one would want to work hard to produce or procure anything honestly because they would be afraid that someone bigger or stronger would take it away and murder would follow closely on the heels of this wanton theft as people would resent the removal of their property. 

 

Believe it or not, there have actually been many instances in history when this very thing has happened. People, in their zeal to find the 'perfect society' decided that old values, laws and standards were outmoded. They substituted 'common goods' for property rights, and found themselves in a vortex of shifting ground where no one was safe. Common property quickly evolved to include people, and soon the family was dissolved in favor of 'free love'. Unlike the bold predictions of glorious cities of wealth and peace, these societies always led to a terrible sort of economic and moral cannibalism. The strong preyed upon the weak until the weak were either dead or silenced. When there were only the strong and greedy who remained, they always ended by fighting to the death for what they wanted. History shows that when you take away a man's right to own property, you take away his outward motives for self-restraint and self-respect.

If a man will not control himself, I must either let him take what he wants from me, whether it be my property, my family or my life, or, I must find a way to either stop him or remove him from my society. Anciently, those who lacked self-restraint were not allowed to wantonly kill, steal or violate another's person but were either punished or banished for their crimes. Without property rights and the laws and punishments to protect them, there can be no peace or safety in any society. But if this is true for property rights, could it not also be true for other laws? For instance, if there is no moral code, then who is to stop a man from abusing a child? If moral codes can be outmoded then where does one draw the line between what is abuse and what is not? And If there is no line for restraint, then where will be the line for defense?

Most religions provide the best safeguards of a man's liberty. They teach that a man has a right to life, property and the pursuit of happiness, but not the right to destroy or take another's life, or property. They provide motivation and social pressure for restraint by reminding him of the eternal nature of law and justice. But, if people do not believe that there is a just retribution for their actions, then, no matter what we say, they will have no reason to keep to a moral or ethical code of any kind. If they do not believe in an eternal justice, then they naturally will desire to remove the restraints of physical justice. In other words, if I don't believe that stealing is wrong, why should you punish me for it? Such a person would desire to legalize everything he believes is not wrong. A group of such people could create a society where there was no such thing as wrongdoing, which, as has been observed numerous times throughout history, always ends in disaster. Throwing out religion, or the moral values espoused thereby, is like throwing out the locks on your safe. It isn't very safe.

Silver Screen Savvy

I'm a big fan of the silver screen. I love old movies. My children think it's strange when some of their friends have never heard of men like Cary Grant, Danny Kaye or Fred Astaire. In our house, it's standard fare to have an old movie playing at least once a week. And, every year as a family, we gather around the fireplace, pop some popcorn, snuggle up in blankets and watch White Christmas. When we watch it, we sing along with all the songs and laugh at all the bad jokes, again. Sometimes we even dance while they are dancing. It really is a lot of fun. I know it seems like an unorthodox family tradition, but we like it.

Some of my favorites are movies like Bringing Up Baby with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. Their frolicsome antics and slapstick humor is unforgettable, and in this one, we even get to hear Cary Grant sing!

Speaking of Katherine Hepburn, who is perhaps the greatest actress of our time, we just recently watched Pat and Mike, the wonderfully funny and surprisingly heartwarming film with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey. It's hilarious how, with a little Jiujitsu, Pat takes out the thugs who are trying to hurt Mike. But the interplay between those two actors is never better than in the great film called, Without Love. Endlessly entertaining and interesting, these two actors should have been granted immortality. The world would be a better place now if they were still in Hollywood.

One of my quirky tastes is that I love old British films. Alec Guinness, in The Ladykillers is a British theater/ film mix that is absolutely unmatched for sheer cleverness. I also love him in The Swan, where he plays a crown prince with Grace Kelly as a princess. Funny, sad, thoughtful and unexpected, I loved every minute of it. Movies with Alec Guinness in them are sometimes hard to find, but with the help of Youtube, Netflix and Amazon, I am having a little better luck. One of my recent finds was an old, old one called Barnacle Bill, where Alec Guinness plays a sea captain who gets seasick but who finds his niche running a little pier carnival. Insightful and tender, funny and ridiculous, this movie is one I will keep around to show to my grandchildren!

A few years ago, I also discovered a terrific singer who was famous in the 1930's and 40's. The first time I heard her sing, I just couldn't believe it. What a voice! She had an amazing career as a young singer/actress and then, after ten years of tremendous success, she left the movies and never went back. She disappeared from public life altogether. But, cinematography has kept an archive of her films which are a real treasure for any music lover. Starting with Mad About Music, her debut film, then First Love, which is a sort of Cinderella story and going on to It's a Date, His Butler's Sister and Lady on a Train among about a dozen others currently available, Deanna Durbin is one of the best singer/actresses of all time. She rivals Julie Andrews for singing and has a youth and bubbliness that became her charming trademark.

And where would musical theater be without dancing? Gene Kelly, with his captivating smile and amazing dancing skill, is a favorite at our house. In Summer Stock, a movie with Judy Garland, Gene Kelly shows the scope of his talent for singing, dancing and acting. He and Judy make a terrific couple and they literally sweep you off your feet.

Today, we've got a lot of computer graphics and I'm told that you don't even have to be able to act to be successful. You just have to have the right company doing your special effects. I don't know; It's just not the same. My idea of good special effects is Fred Astaire dancing on the ceiling in the movie Royal Wedding. I think my problem is that I was born an old fogie. I'm always saying things like: They just don't make movies like they used to. So, when I'm tired of the glitz and glamor, shock and awe, death and gore, I turn to the black and white, song and dance, clever and friendly. Can you blame me?

This Blank Page

As I sit staring at this blank page, wondering what to write, I am thinking about this beautiful new day and how it is a little like this blank page. Everything I do, everything I say has yet to be determined. I am the master of my choices and the possibilities are endless. I can take this day and this page and make of it whatever I choose.

In spite of the 'blank page' effect, however, human beings are often bound by their past. Habits formed over years' time make strong fetters for our lives that can be nearly impossible to break. I say nearly because they are not impossible to break, just almost impossible. But if you think of your day, or even your life as a blank page, with the key of choice in your own hand, it does not seem so impossible.

There is something in my life that I have wanted to do for a long time. I have known of it's value for many years and yet, I have not actually done it. Why? Well, I suppose it might be habit or fear of failure or just laziness. But whatever the reason, I realized only this very minute that the only thing between me and the accomplishment of my goals is me. My habits of thought and behavior, perhaps begun in childhood, color my blank page every day and I stand by and let it happen.

If you like what your page looks like every day, then I suppose there is no need to change it. But if, at the end of the day your page is not what you had hoped, then there may be a need. Some people are oddly indifferent towards their blank page, as if they expect someone else to fill it up and then sit around complaining about all the things they don't like about it. It's like some people I have read about who will go into a doctor's office and expect him to 'fix' what is wrong with them. But when the doctor asks the person about his lifestyle and finds out that the cause of the 'illness' is poor habits and deliberate self-destruction, the person becomes defensive and angry saying that the doctor's job is to 'fix' the problem, not tell him how to live.

A blank page can also be intimidating. Some people are not comfortable with taking responsibility for their choices and their lives. They want to allow life to happen to them, while they complain, worry or just don't care. On top of that, blank pages and empty days can be filled so easily with wasted hours and mindless entertainment that many now spend their whole lives in this manner. I guess the real question is: Why should anyone try to do something besides waste their days?

Even in a very narrow view, life is spectacular. Speaking in terms of humanity, there have been thousands of generations of human beings inhabit this planet. Billions now inhabit it, and if we can assume anything from that, billions more will yet be born. If that is true, then there is nothing more we need to know in order to have a reason for improving our lives. With my limited perspective, I can see some of the choices which my Great-Grandparents, Grandparents and parents have made and their attendant effects on me and my life. I now have the opportunity to live and choose. All people, not just my own posterity, could potentially be impacted by my life and decisions (take Thomas Jefferson, for instance).

It may not be the only reason, but it certainly is a reason for spending my days in the anxious pursuit of a worthwhile dream. My dreams today will largely determine the reality of my children tomorrow, just as the dreams of a few good men determined the destiny of this great country.

So, with the blank page of a new day in front of me, I feel like shouting: “Hooray!” because I have the power to shape the future, both for my children and for humanity. It sounds a little like magic beans from a peddler. OK. Anybody want to buy a cow?