INGENUITY

Recently I was privileged to observe in all it’s magnificence

The ingenuity of youth mixed with a little innocence.

I was in line at a store counter, in front of me was a young boy

Who asked the manager of the store if he could work in his employ.

The manager looked the boy over and asked, “Weren’t you here last week?”

The boy smiled, stood up straight and tall and then began to speak.

“Yes, sir.” He nodded. “That was me; is the job still open today?”

The manager smiled as he tried to come up with just the right words to say.

“Do you remember what I told you last week?” he reached over and touched the boy on his shoulder

“That I was looking for someone who is perhaps a little older.”

The boy was unperturbed, he would not be disallowed

“Yes sir! I remember,” he said, “and I’m a whole week older now.”

He didn’t get the job, there are age requirements in our land of the brave and the free

But I think I would have made an exception based solely on ingenuity.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL

I remember reading a parable, once, about the difference between Heaven and Hell

It was appropriate all those years ago and is appropriate today as well.

When a man named George entered the Pearly Gates, St. Peter was there to reassure 

“Before you settle in, he said, let me take you on a tour?”

First they visited Heaven where George apparently observed

“Wow, what a beautiful banquet hall--Hey! And dinner’s being served.”

He noticed scrumptious entrees filled the hall, everywhere was a multitude;

In fact the tables sagged in the middle under the weight of all the food.

Everyone was laughing and talking, there was contentment in this well-fed throng.

There was one curiosity, however--they all held forks that were 4 feet long!

Next, St. Peter took him to Hell, and here George once again observed

“This banquet hall is as beautiful as Heaven’s--and again dinner’s being served.”

For a second time George noticed scrumptious entrees, another multitude

And the tables in Hell were also sagging under the weight of all that food.

But in Hell everyone looked hungry there was no contentment in this emaciated throng

And there was that curiosity again--all their forks were 4 feet long.

“What’s going on here?” George asked St. Peter, “I do not understand?

They serve the same food in Heaven and Hell--and what’s with those long forks in their hands?”

St. Peter smiled “There is one fundamental distinction, one difference between Heaven and Hell.”

(This is why I mentioned in the beginning it’s appropriate today as well.)

In Hell people care only about themselves you see they haven’t found a way

To get the food from those forks to their mouths--and they go hungry every day.

In Heaven people care less about themselves, they see everyone as sister or brother

And when they are hungry they pick up their forks and, simply, feed each other.

DON'T DRINK AND...

Alcohol effects our brains and our bodies as a whole

It depresses our central nervous system which leads to a loss of self control.

Knowing drinking causes symptoms like the ones I just described

There are a host of things we should not do--once we have imbibed.

We shouldn’t go hunting while drinking, don’t practice jujitsu

Don’t ride a bike or iron naked and no job interviews.

Don’t use sharp objects, don’t put on make-up, don’t try to tie your shoes

Don’t operate heavy machinery and please--don’t say I do.

Don’t climb a tree, change your Facebook status or get a new hairdo 

Don’t text, buy a Halloween costume or get a naked Viking woman tattoo.

We shouldn’t drive when we’ve been drinking, not only is it a character flaw

But drinking and driving is such a danger, it is against the law.

It’s universal across our country, our government wants us to survive

That is why they make it illegal for us to drink and drive.

Which makes me wonder if they’re so concerned with safety, this government of ours,

Why in some states is it now legal to carry a gun into a bar?

Carrying a gun into a place that effects our brains and bodies as a whole

That depresses our central nervous system and makes it easy to lose control...

How can legislators who won’t let us drive when they think we might be plastered

Not think carrying guns where they serve alcohol is a recipe for disaster?

My guess is they are the same people who have the gumption and the gall

To allow gun ranges across these United States to now serve alcohol.

I have another addition to the aforementioned list I think we should regulate 

To all those politicians out there....don’t drink and legislate.

KNOWING YOU ARE NOT ALONE

One person can stand alone and think he’s stronger than the others

But our strength is often doubled when we lean on one another.

When we’re down and out, frustrated and we’re unsure what to do

Encouragement from a friend or loved one can help to see us through

Nathaniel Hawthorne was at a low point in his life, he was in a bad transition

He wasn’t making a living writing, he had lost his government position.

He was dejected and desperate and found himself in a sorrowful state of gloom

When his wife, Sophia, who was undeterred, walked into the room.

She lit a fire in the fireplace, put pen and ink at his writing nook

Wrapped her arms around his shoulders and said, “It’s time to write that book”.

This little encouragement went to Nathaniel’s heart, he instantly felt better

And the ensuing novel that he penned...you guessed it, The Scarlet Letter.

We have a great advantage, you and I, when our lives are intertwined

If you are lacking the strength to cope--I can offer some of mine.

And when I’m having troubles and my life is challenging too

I know that I am not alone and can borrow strength from you.

It’s a wonderful way to go through life as Sophia and Nathaniel have shown

Knowing someone is standing by to help--knowing you are not alone.

HACHIKO

Humans tend to think we are better and intrinsically have more worth

Than all the other animals who co-habitate this Earth. 

We think because we have a brain or so we all surmise

This gives us an advantage and therefore makes us wise.

But how unwise this thinking is; it may lead to our downfall

When we believe just because we have a brain, we also know it all.

If we stopped more often to use our brain perhaps then we would see

How much we could learn from our animal friends about life and loyalty.

Hachiko was an Akita from Japan back in 1924

Whose loyalty to his master had never been seen before.

He was owned by a college professor who took a train to work every day

Like clockwork, Hachiko would greet him at the station, each night without delay.

One night the professor did not return, having died at work suddenly

Here is where Hachiko teaches us about love and loyalty.

Hachiko kept waiting for the professor’s return, each night he would appear

Patiently he waited night after night for the subsequent nine years. 

Each night he would return to wait, eyes searching far and wide

Nine years Hachiko waited, quietly hoping--until the day he died.

But not before showing a nation and the rest of the world so faithfully

The bond of love between man and dog and the meaning of loyalty.

Dogs may not be as smart as those of us in the human race

Their brains may not be as large as ours, but their hearts are in the right place.

Yes we could learn something from Hachiko as we attempt to set ourselves apart

About how it’s not the size of the brain that matters--it’s the capacity of they heart.

GOOD VS EVIL?

The more I observe politicians everywhere the more it sickens me

As I watch two incompatible sides struggling for supremacy.

They think they’re in a good versus evil battle but when all is said and done

Each side thinks that they are good and the other’s the evil one.

It’s not just politicians, for everywhere you look you see anger and dissension

We find many groups at odds with one another, in a constant state of tension.

Religions, Conservatives, Liberals, countries fighting their own ethnicities

And the only thing they all agree on is that they disagree.

“We are right and they are wrong.” Each side firmly decries

Leading to many a climactic battle but not to compromise.

One thing we have learned from these battles is that both sides lie and taunt

It seems good people will say and do evil to get the things they want.

And when the battle’s over we are hard pressed, even if we could...

Deciding who is evil...determining who is good.

This has been the mindset of the world from the beginning and would it be too bizarre

If I ask a simple question: How’s that worked for us so far?

What if we saw life not as constant battles between good and depravity

But more like a walk together...a journey of discovery?

Discovering the things we have in common and becoming more aware

Not of the differences between us but in the attributes we share.

Living in a world of people who all epitomize

How we can live together through compassion and compromise.

I know it’s easy to write of pipe dreams...and of castles in the sky

But given the history of the world to date...it might be worth a try?

TWO PHILOSOPHIES OF MARRIAGE

I overheard a conversation between two men, both a few years older than me

One said he was 87, the other 83.

They were talking about marriage and I inched in closer, thinking it would be nice

If I eavesdropED just a little--I might get some good advice.

One was humble talking about marriage--the other cavalier

The latter was divorced 5 times the former’s been married 66 years.

Into their marriage philosophies it was my good fortune then to peek.

As I sat back to listen in, the divorced man was the first to speak,

“I make the money, I’m the head of my house,” he said, I may not be Sir Galahad.

And if the ladies don’t like those conditions, I’m sorry that’s just too bad.

The married man listened carefully then gently nodded his head

“That’s interesting but my wife and I--we have a different arrangement,” he said.

“We made it on our wedding day and for 66 years it’s helped our household run.

We agreed I shall handle all the major problems and she the minor ones.”

“Good man,” the divorced man nodded in agreement as a smile crossed his face

I believe in any good marriage a woman should know her place.”

“Funny thing, that,” the married man said, “in our 66 year long duet

We’ve only experienced minor problems--not one major problem yet!

As the divorced man was left to ponder--I imagine he’d never understand.

The married man smiled, walked up to his wife and they walked away hand in hand.

86,400 SECONDS

If we were given 86,400 dollars every day to spend any way we could

And at the end of the day what we didn’t spend would be lost to us for good,

What would we do?  We wouldn’t have to think too hard, or engage in a long discourse

We would take that money, go right out and spend it all, of course!

Each day we are given 86,400 seconds, it’s been this way for centuries. 

86,400 seconds every day--do with as we please.

There is one caveat, you might say this gift comes with a hidden cost

Whatever time we don’t use wisely, at the end of the day is lost.

Yes, it’s free and it’s ours to spend, no strings attached...however

Whatever time we lose today is time that’s lost forever.

Yet such is the nature of this gift--true our daily seconds don’t accrue

That when we wake the next morning--each day we start anew.

I  believe the lesson we are shown here--since there’s no way to extend them

The 86,400 seconds are less important--than how we choose to spend them.

INSPIRATION

The French painter Henri Matisse, one day, was talking about his vocation

When he was asked the question, “Henri, what is your inspiration?”

Matisse walked the questioner out to his garden and said, “I grow artichokes!

You see, I never know from day to day the feelings they’ll evoke.”

“I watch the interplay of light and shade, how gently they interweave

I discover new combinations of colors and diverse patterns in the leaves.”

“The colors may be warm or bright or perhaps they’re subtle and faint

I look to these artichokes for inspiration then I go inside and paint.”

Proof that inspiration need not be found in rare places--like on the cusp of angel wings

If we allow it inspiration can be found in a host of little things.

True I may never paint like Henri Matisse, his was an unparalleled brush stroke.

But isn’t it nice to know he found his inspiration in that little artichoke?

COUNT TO 10

I don’t think I’ve ever done this but I think it’s paramount

That today I thank the teacher who first taught me to count.

I’m sure I did not thank her when she was teaching it to me

For at the time I did not understand how important it would be.

Remember when we were younger we were told time and time again

When we became upset or angry, before doing anything--count to 10.

And maybe it worked and maybe it didn’t--if the truth be told

I mean at the time we were taught it what were we...maybe 5 or 6 years old?

But I have found that counting technique is not an aberration

And I’ve used it many times through the years with one slight alteration.

I use it during moments in my life that seem a bit distressing

I take a deep breath and count to 10...but now I’m counting blessings.

When I become envious or mean, when I’m a griper or regretter

I quickly count 10 blessings in my life and immediately...I feel better.

But then I thought why am I counting only when I feel dismay?

Why not count my blessings a little every day?

So when I rise in the morning and other times...I never know exactly when

I’ll think about the blessings in my life and then I count to 10.

I believe I’m a happier person for this...which is why I think it’s paramount

That today I thank the teacher who first taught me how to count.

WHAT FILLS YOUR JAR?

There was this philosophy professor who addressed his class one day

With a simple little message he intended to convey.

On the table in front of him were boxes containing rocks and pebbles and sand

And a huge plastic jar which he raised up in his hands.

He began to fill that jar with the bigger rocks and I’m sure his class was thrilled

When he asked them, after finishing, if they thought the jar was filled.

They nodded and the professor said, “Let’s see how sure you are.”

Then he picked up the box of pebbles and began pouring them into the jar.

The pebbles found little spaces between the rocks and I’m sure the class was thrilled

When once again the question was asked, “Do you think the jar is filled?”

Again they nodded agreement, just as the professor had originally planned

So he picked up the next box on the table and started pouring in the sand.

The sand filled in the remaining spaces and the professor said, “Indeed,

I believe the jar is finally full and the students all agreed.

The professor continued, “Think of this jar as your life, the rocks are the important things

Your partner, your children, your health, your family gatherings.”

“These are the things that give meaning to your life that tell you in which direction you should pull

If you lost everything else in your life but these, your life would still be full.”

“The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car.

And the sand is all the small stuff you try to fit into your jar.

If you fill your jar from this,” here he raised up the sand box,

“Then you will have no room for the pebbles and larger rocks.”

“So too in life the professor said, if the small stuff is all you view

Then you will never have time for those things that are truly important to you.”

Pay attention to what is most critical for happiness, the professor tried to make them understand

Take care of the rocks for they are what matters and the rest...the rest is all just sand.

HOW TO GET ELECTED

Have you heard of the politician from Arizona, Scott Fistler was his name

Who came up with a plan to get elected in this political end game.

Mr. Fistler as Mr. Fistler lost 2 elections on his upward political climb

So he decided not to change his philosophy but to change his name this time.

Yes, his name, Scott Fistler, wasn’t getting him elected, a point he sadly conceded

So he chose Cesar Chavez, hoping it would give him the edge he needed.

I’m not sure Mr. Fistler understands what the primary election key is,

And he’s assuming the voters in his district are as ignorant as he is.

But I have more faith in people, they will see through this man’s show

And hopefully Mr. Fistler/Chavez will lose his third election in a row.

But Mr. Fistler I come to your rescue, there’s a way out, have no fear

I know what you can change your name to ensuring victory next year.

There was a primary in Las Vegas whose results you’re going to love

8 candidates entered and 8 candidates lost to the winner....none of the above!

THE RHYTHM OF THE RIDE

You know how when get into your car, before you even look around

You start it up, turn the radio on and make adjustments to the sound?

You know that feeling you get--how intense, how comforting, how strong

When you recognize over the airwaves the words to your favorite song?

You turn it up, you may sing along or just sit back and smile, wide-eyed.

Either way you savor the melody as you enjoy the rhythm of the ride.

I think finding love is a little bit like this--if you’re lucky, before long

You find the person you’re meant to be with--you find your favorite song.

And from that day forward your life is filled with balance and harmony

And not a day goes by that you don’t give thanks for your serendipity.

Today is my anniversary and through the laughter and the tears

Deborah and I have now been married 26 amazing years.

Proof that, for some of us, if we’re lucky, and our destiny is strong

Out there in this wonder we call life we will find our favorite song.

And once we realize we’ve found happiness how quickly we decide

To sit back, savor the melody and enjoy the rhythm of the ride.

MY UNIQUE COLLECTION

Moments flow by on the river of life, we blink and they are gone

As they gently cascade out of view to some higher echelon.

Although we cannot control how long one moment lingers or the length that it will stay 

A camera allows us to copy that moment before it flows away.

And as moments amass throughout the years from Januarys to Decembers

One look at those old photographs...and we instantly remember.

As we are drawn into that photograph it’s as if our world rewinds 

And we return to that moment in time for a moment in our mind.

One of my most cherished set of photographs--each depicting a different scene

Are not on light-sensitive paper and, to date, number only fifteen.

They’re on ‘T’ shirts I receive every year, every Father’s Day religiously

The photographs show the progression and growth of Alison’s family,

The first two show Damien as a baby and a child, 1997-98 were the years

Progressively as time moved on Taylor, Aden and Ava appear.

Each ‘T’ shirt shows them growing up and causes a joyous ache

As it shows how fast time flies by and what a difference one year can make.

Yesterday I wore them all, 15 years of Ali’s family

And for a brief moment I could feel the weight of that responsibility.

But usually I spread all the shirts out and as I view them lying there

I am thankful for this rare gift of an album I can wear.

I’m thankful that once a year a moment was frozen for all eternity

Emblazoned on a Father’s day ‘T’ shirt then entrusted over to me.

I wear that ‘T’ shirt proudly on Father’s Day for all the world to see

Then return it gently to my drawer of captured memories.

There they rest in my nightstand...I like to keep them near

For when I add my next photograph...on Father’s Day next year.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD

There was this pen and ink drawing I came across when I was but a lad

I asked my mom who drew it, she said, “The artist was your dad.”

This pretty much sums up my dad, you see I never had a clue

In many ways my father was the artist I never knew.

He has been gone now for many years.  He’s become but a thought upon the breeze

This Father’s Day I thought I’d try to find him in a sprinkling of memories. 

I knew him as a quiet man with black hair and a tan.

But other than that I’m not quite sure I ever knew the man.

In all honesty the fact that he was quiet wasn’t very shocking

Because he married a loquacious woman and let her do all the talking.

I remember a man who loved sports, he’d watched his Indians or his Browns

But he only watched the video because he had the sound turned down.

He’d watch sports for 3 to 4 hours every day and on the weekends even more

Every sport he’d watch in silence...I chalked that up to war. 

He went off to fight like many men, in old pictures he’s smiling, showing no fear

In a battle in France during World War II he lost the hearing in his right ear.

He was too proud to admit he couldn’t hear yet that loss he couldn’t hide

So we all spoke a little louder in his presence and sat on his left side.

I remember a man who worked in the post office, who loved to sit out in the sun all day

Who was proud our refrigerator was filled with steaks and whose favorite author was Zane Grey.

But we never talked much, my dad and I, even when I asked him about his art.

And as the years elapsed the two of us grew further and further apart.

Time, however, has helped me see the good qualities my father had

And I’m grateful for the attributes I inherited from Dad.

To help remind me of those qualities...I did something that helps me recall

I had that old pen and ink drawing framed...it now hangs upon our wall.

And some days when I’m home alone and no one else is around

I put a sporting event on TV...and watch it with the sound turned down.

BLOOD DONOR DAY

There are many special days in the year but this one’s different from the others

Today is World Blood Donor Day and its theme: ‘Safe blood for saving mothers.’

Unless it effects us personally we have a tendency to ignore

The things that occur out there in the world beyond our own front door.

We go about our business, we work, we sleep, we play

Without realizing 800 women die in pregnancy or childbirth every day.

Without ever giving a second thought to this kind of mortality

Or how bleeding during childbirth can lead to disease or disability.

So this years goal for Blood Donor Day, since they realize most people do care

Is not to preach or proselytize but to make them more aware.

More aware of how blood is essential for all the world to thrive

And how safe blood and blood products help new mothers to survive.

So if you want to do something special today, give some blood so they can store it

Because somewhere out there in the world a Mom will thank you for it.

IT'S JUST A STICK

If you walk around in our house I must say candidly

You probably wouldn’t give a second thought to some of the things you see.

You might miss that piece of wood in the corner if you walk by a little too quick

And even if you noticed it, you might think...“It’s just a stick.”

In the kitchen, in the corner...that piece of furniture...over there

Chances are you’d pass it by, or think....”It’s just a chair.”

It’s possible you might not see the that pen and ink drawing on the wall

If you did, chances are you’d say...“It’s just some picture after all.”

And of that weathered old strap in the laundry room...you might not be aware

Or you might say...“It’s just an old dog leash I see hanging over there.”

And you’d be right in your assumptions for we see things as we find them

But the meaning is not in what we see but in the story that’s behind them.

That old leash was our dog Whitman’s and he would match me stride for stride

As he and I walked every morning...until the day he died.

My father drew that self-portrait, he was a young man around 22

It’s a nice remembrance of the man, now that his life is through.

Deborah’s father made that little chair and it rests in the corner because

It serves as a constant reminder of the type of man he was.

That is Deborah’s mother’s walking stick in the corner for all to see 

Deborah’s dad carved it for her from the branch of an old orange tree.

But that stick is more than decoration...it’s not just there for idle talk

It reminds Deborah of her mom each day when we take our morning walk.

It’s funny isn’t it...the things we might not notice when we walk through someones door?

We might be seeing just a stick...when it’s really so much more.

HAPPY LOVING DAY

Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving fell in love and thought it would be great

To marry one another...but this was 1958.

It was against the law to marry in Virginia (yes it was not their right!)

Since Mildred happened to be black and Richard...he was white.

So they married in Washington, D.C. (it was legal over there)

But when they returned to Virginia they were arrested for their affair.

They pleaded their case to the judge...alas to no avail

He found them guilty and sentenced them to spend the next 3 years in jail.

But the judge gave them a choice...which was not as just as it appears.

They could serve their time in jail or leave Virginia for 25 years.

Between imprisonment and banishment it wasn’t hard to see

Why Mildred and Richard decided to stay married and move to Washington, D. C.

Although they were now legally husband and wife

They missed their families, faced discrimination and wanted a better life.

So Mildred wrote a letter explaining their particular point of view

Which found its way to Bobby Kennedy (the Attorney General) and then to the ACLU

The ACLU took up their cause and decided to lend the Loving’s their voice

They believed all Americans are entitled to be married and live in the state of their choice.

After a 9 year struggle, Mildred and Richard finally had a victory to savor,

When in 1967 the Supreme Court Justices voted unanimously in their favor.

June 12,1967 to be exact and I think it’s appropriate to say

It’s because of Mildred and Richard Loving that we celebrate Loving Day.

Loving Day...it has a nice ring doesn’t it...I’ll say it again...Loving Day

The day The Supreme Court decided all Americans can be married...unless, of course, you’re gay.

ROSETO

Roseto is an Italian-American borough in Pennsylvania, no, let’s call it a community

Because it is that word that helps explain Roseto’s history.

Back in the 1950’s and 60’s Roseto set itself apart

You might say this little town was a community with great heart.

Most of the men in this village smoked and even more drank wine

They worked hard in underground quarries...200 feet below sunshine.

They couldn’t afford to cook in olive oil as life and times were hard

So their traditional Italian food was cooked in fat and lard.

Despite these unhealthy habits near as scientists could gauge

Most people in Roseto, when they died, died of old age.

Their hearts were strong and healthy their blood was vigorously pumped

A fact that at the time had many doctors stumped.

So back in 1963 researchers decided to unite

To determine what was wrong with Roseto...or more likely what was right.

It was obvious it didn’t matter how Rosetans filled their dinner bowls

What was more important to their long life was how they fed their souls.

These people were a real community and if you need some proof

Three generations of every family shared one home...one roof.

If someone needed help then a helping hand they’d lend

It was not uncommon on a walk around town to be joined by neighbors and friends.

Researchers found respect for one another as well as conformity

Contributed to the better health of the entire community.

Of course as newer generations came along this conformity decreased

And the rate of heart attacks in Roseto predictably increased.

But we could learn something from the Rosetans and apply it to our daily lives

About what will keep us healthy...about the best way to survive.

Sure it’s a good idea to eat healthily but experts now agree

What’s most important for a long and happy life are friends and family.

POPPOP ON A TRAMPOLINE

I love grandchildren’s birthday parties because after the birthday song is sung

Whatever activities they have planned helps to keep this grandpa young.

Taylor turned 15 the other day and the family could all be seen

Celebrating his birthday together at a place with trampolines.

They line the floor, they go up the walls, there are trampolines left and right

For birthday party’s, or just for fun, you can bounce to your hearts delight.

This activity has its ups and downs...literally, if you know what I mean.

Now let me share some highlights of this PopPop on a trampoline.

Trampolines put a spring in your step and I am proud to be announcing

As I looked around at all the faces, I was the oldest person bouncing.

All I did was jump up and down, no tricks no pirouettes

Still before I knew it my knees were aching and my shirt was filled with sweat.

When you bounce with your smaller grandchildren you get this wonderful feeling

Since they’re so light, and you are not, you can bounce them off the ceiling.

“PopPop, can you do this?” They ask as you watch them do their flips.

“No thanks.” You say politely, “PopPop wants to keep his original hips.”

Mercifully we stopped for cake and I had just sat down...when

“Come on PopPop.” The grandchildren said, “It’s time to bounce again.”

So off we bounced but thinking back perhaps I should have protested

For now I was bouncing with a stomach full of cake that had yet to be digested.

It’s fun to bounce and laugh and bump, and occasionally to fall

And before I knew it I was part of a team playing trampoline dodge ball.

“I’ll show these kids whose boss, it’s a piece of cake.” I said.

One second before an orange dodge ball hit me in the head.

After 2 hours, I was crawling off..apparently I’m no longer in my prime

But the grandchildren pulled my arms and legs saying, “PopPop, one more time!”

So one more time we bounced with smiles on our faces and our hands up in the air

Even though every part of my body hurt including my eyelashes and my hair.

But I love being a part of their lives...even if it means rupturing my spleen

That’s why if you’re hunting for this PopPop at a birthday party..look to the trampolines.