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Earth Angels Among Us

EARTH ANGELS AMONG US  was one of my most popular posts at this time last year on my other blog, EightyGo.

Since this is an important weekend for many religions,  it seems like a good time to celebrate people  who give much to others, with no thought of reward.  What makes a person so generous that you can almost see the halo around their head?

Somewhere along the way, most of us have been touched by an angel.   In this instance, I’m thinking of two inspiring women who volunteer to teach Tai Chi and Mah Jongg  several days a week at our local senior center.  They also do many small favors for those who are lonely or in need.  As far as I know, one attends church and the other doesn’t, which may or may not rule out religion as their motivating factor.  What I do know is that both of them are very strong women—nothing meek and mild about them.   They come from different socio-economic circumstances, so it seems like one’s income bracket doesn’t influence  a servant’s heart.   Perhaps there’s a generosity gene in their DNA.  All I know is that earth angels are rare, and a blessing to those of us who come under their wings.

From what I’ve read, altruistic people are great leaders with a strong sense of purpose, who were raised in warm, empathetic families.   They aren’t condescending, and treat everyone with respect and dignity.  They bring out the best in people without any signs of thinking they’re superior—even though they actually are.  They would be embarrassed to read this blog, because they don’t believe they’re doing anything great.   And yet,  it would be impossible to quantify the joy they bring to so many lives, or how many low spirits have been lifted  by their kindnesses.

Thank heaven for the angels among us.

 

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SECRET TRIUMPHS OF THE HEART

Many of us are struggling with inner demons that no one knows about.  You may be uncomfortable at social events.  You could be struggling with a slight case of depression, or an addiction to alcohol., prescription drugs, or nicotine. Your weight might be affecting your health , but you can’t stop over eating.  You limp along with these afflictions, until one day, you  face reality and decide to do something about it. You might seek counseling, or maybe just some self help books. You enroll in a support group like Weight Watchers.  And at last,  there comes a time when  you realize that your efforts at changing your life have paid off.  These are  the secret triumphs of the heart.

Seniors often struggle with inner demons that they are resigned to
YOU MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH FAILINGS OR INNER PROBLEMS NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT; ITS TIME TO GET YOUR LIFE BACK

The trouble might not  be one of spirit ,  but of body.  A sudden onset of sciatica makes walking painful.. You feel off balance at times, but you won’t submit to the indignity of using a cane.  Suddenly, you can’t hear what your grandchildren are saying.  Driving at night is scary because you see halos around the street lights..

For a while—months, maybe years–you deny these failings of your aging body.  But suddenly, you’re tired of it all, and you realize you don’t want to do  this anymore.

You make an appointment with a physical therapist, and faithfully do the prescribed exercises at home, even after your Medicare coverage runs out. You bite the bullet and buy some hearing aids. You see an eye doctor and agree to whatever surgery or treatment he recommends.   You share your fears and insecurities  with a counselor.

Instead of sinking into a chair and looking out the window, you make the decision to get your life back. You work on overcoming  these problems by whatever means it takes.   With the help of modern medicines  you can see, hear, and walk.—maybe not as well as you used to, but better than before.  You can go places and do things.  These are the secret triumphs  of the heart.

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THE MAGIC OF LIVE THEATER

Many young people never attend live theater.  It’s not surprising, when you think of all the movies and shows available on television and Netflix, 24/7.  Why waste your time getting dressed up, drive somewhere and find a parking place?  Once inside the theater, you’re stuck .  You can’t get up and go to the bathroom or grab a beer whenever you feel the urge.  But wait. When you’ve settled down, and the curtain rises, there’s  a rush of anticipation unlike anything you feel when watching a movie.  It’s the magic of live theater.

Live theatre has an immediacy you don't experience at the movies
YOU FEEL A RUSH OF ANTICIPATION, WAITING FOR THE CURTAIN TO RISE

Actors appear as real people, not some two dimensional image you see on a movie screen.  If you’re up close enough, you might see one actor slightly trembling with a bit of stage fright.  You’re rooting for him, and soon he’s doing just fine.  Audience and actors are interacting.  If it’s a comedy, we hear real laughter, not the canned stuff you hear on television.  Yes, that was really funny, not just meant to be funny.

People in smaller communities don’t often see professional actors on stage. But most cities have community theater and that’s where the spirit of live theater thrives.  These are unpaid volunteers involved with acting and stagecraft just because they love it.  Sometimes, they appear a little miscast.  The romantic leads may be a bit overweight, or too something or other.  But once the story unfolds, we’re into the plot, not caring whether they look like movie stars, although some of them do.

There’s an immediacy to live theater.  You’re watching the show with a crowd of like minded people, some of them neighbors and friends.  You feel  part of the action, and identify with the actors,  forgiving them a few gaffes .

When the  show is  over, and they form a receiving line in the lobby, I get a little tongue tied.  But my husband can’t wait to speak with each actor, complimenting them on their performance, and thanking them for entertaining us.  As we drive away from the theater,  we discuss the play and decide which actor stole the show.   And when we arrive  home, we may  sit down with  a glass of wine to celebrate what a good time we’ve had.

Viva live theater!

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INHALE THE FRAGRANCE OF SPRING RAIN

“Has it stopped raining yet?” That’s the first question someone will ask on a rainy day.  Most of us find rainy days depressing.  But wait. Walk outside after the rain stops.  Smell the sweet, damp, fertile earth.  Enjoy the scent of lilacs  and hyacinths in the air. Inhale the fragrance of spring rain.

If you live in an apartment, you can walk to a park or drive to a college campus and enjoy the fragrance of spring
NOW IS THAT TIME OF YEAR TO ENJOY THE FRAGRANCE OF FLOWERS AND TREES AFTER A SPRING RAIN.

What if you’re a big city apartment dweller?  Ride your bike, walk, or drive your car to the nearest park, or college campus.  This week, you might see magnolias in full bloom, or other flowering trees with pink and white blossoms.  It’s a magical wonderland.

For me, spring is offering fresh hope for my rose garden.  For two years now, i have planted rose bushes and seen them struggle for survival during the strange, hot dry summers we’ve endured.  Five of them survived the winter, and I bought a dozen more at Rural King, employing the help of a young man to help me plant them.

After researching the care of roses on the internet, I discover I made some serious mistakes.  I didn’t realize you’re supposed to soak the roots of the new bushes overnight before planting.  Then, after digging an 18 inch hole, you’re supposed to fill the hole with water before planting each rose.  Water, Water.  I planted the poor things with dry roots, in dry soil, and thought I could spray them with the hose for awhile.  That wasn’t giving them nearly enough water. But it got worse during the summer.  I watered them every night over the top of the leaves, and several of them got infected with bugs, or rotted.

This year is going to be different.  We got two inches of rain this morning and I’m already seeing new growth on my little rose canes.  It’s supposed to rain off and on all week, so I won’t have to do a thing. And when the rain stops, I will water them at the bottom, no more than every four days.

I’m loving spring, and looking forward to roses blooming in June.  Fingers crossed.

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SHOULD WE BAN CARS AND TRUCKS?

Having never owned a gun, or even fired one, I am not a member of the NRA.  On the other hand, my husband grew up on a farm in Nebraska where guns were considered a necessity for hunting and self defense.   Every time  a mass shooting occurs, there’s an outcry for more gun control, which is a reasonable reaction.  Why, then, don’t we have the same response when a car or truck mows down a bunch of pedestrians.  Should we ban cars and trucks?

Since cars and trucks are proven to be deadly, should we ban them from the road?
CARS AND TRUCKS KILL MORE PEOPLE THAN WARS AND GUNS

What if would-be shooters can’t find or buy a gun?  Does that erase the hatred in their hearts or the insanity in their brain?  Probably not.   If they really want to carry out their despicable acts, they will find a way.  As in the case of 9/11, simple weapons like box cutters—not guns—caused the death of thousands of Americans.  And now, we’re seeing more and more groups of pedestrians being mowed down by trucks or cars.  Just yesterday, a man was arrested in Washington DC  hours before he carried out his horrific plan to ram a U Haul truck into as many pedestrians as possible.. Afterward, there  was not a single suggestion from anyone, any where in the media, that called for a ban on U Haul trucks.

As a matter of fact, vehicles cause more deaths than wars or diseases.  Witness the alarming carnage on the nation’s highways over holiday weekends.

The point I’m trying to make is that even if there were no guns available anywhere in the world, someone who’s determined to wreak havoc on their fellow human beings will find a way. Look at the Boston Marathon bombers.  While it’s illegal for US citizens to own an explosive device without a permit,  that didn’t stop the  Oklahoma Bomber.  Arson is another tool for the criminal mind.  Shall we ban matches and cigarette lighters?

We can ban every potentially lethal product in the world, but we can’t eliminate hatred and criminal insanity.

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6 REASONS TO GET SOME SUN THIS WEEK.

Sun tanning has gotten a very bad name, due to worries about skin cancer.  And rightfully so.  I’m not recommending that you cook your skin until you look like a lizard.   But now is the time for Hoosiers to catch a few rays without much worry.  Here are 6 reasons to get some sun this week.

# 1.  It isn’t too hot, yet.  To me, there’s nothing more uncomfortable than lying out in the sun when it’s 80 plus degrees.  You’re  sweating and burning, and it’s just plain miserable.   But spring sun  is gentle, and the cool air is not so humid.

#2.  You’re  probably looking a bit pasty after being shut inside all winter.  Hopefully, you took your vitamin D, but that didn’t brighten your skin at all.  It’s important to use sunscreen, but that won’t prevent a few rays of ultra violet light from giving your face a little color.

#3.  The bees and mosquitoes are still in hiding.  You can enjoy the cool air and sunshine without swatting away bees and angry wasps that are headed straight for your skin.  Another week, when the magnolias and other flowering bushes and trees are in bloom, those busy little pollinators will be out in full force.

#4.  It will brighten your mood.  Many of us suffer from seasonal affective disorder without being aware of it.  For some, SAD is a very serious problem, leading to suicidal thoughts.  But even the happiest souls feel a little  blue toward the end of  winter, when they tire of looking at gray skies and barren landscapes.

#5.  A little morning sunshine will help you sleep better.

#6.  You will probably get more exercise the natural way on a sunny day.  Get out of that stinky gym, plant some flowers, ride your bike,  or take a walk in the park.   You might even lose a few pounds.

Experts recommend that everyone  should get 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine each day. Just don’t overdo it!

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WANT JOE BIDEN TO SMELL YOUR HAIR?

New reports  show former vice president, Joe Biden,  kissing and smelling  a woman’s hair.  Aside from the creepiness,  I see this as an extremely egotistical act.   Apparently, he imagines that any woman would be thrilled to be nuzzled  by himself. But, would you want Joe Biden to smell your hair.?

Joe Biden is not only creepy, he's egotistical. He imagines that young women welcome a creepy old politician sneaking up from behind and smelling their hair.
ISN’T IT RATHER EGOTISTICAL FOR JOE BIDEN TO ASSUME WOMEN WANT HIM TO SMELL THEIR HAIR?

Let’s turn the tables here.  Instead of an old geezer like Biden nuzzling a younger woman, imagine if an elderly lady such as Judy Dench came up  behind some young man and started smelling and kissing him?   Would he feel flattered?  Would he welcome her actions as a sign of support?  Or would he see her as a nasty old lady who could be in the first stages of dementia?

The nationally syndicated newspaper journalist ,  Kathleen Parker , defended Biden’s hugging- smelling- kissing routine in her latest op ed column, stating that this  is merely something southern  people do.   No dear, they don’t.  I have two granddaughters,  born and raised in Atlanta, and I can assure  you they would not welcome some old guy sneaking  up from behind, rubbing their shoulders and smelling their hair.

The smelling part is really weird.   It’s almost perverted.  I thought only dogs sniffed strange women.

Some  people are touchy-feely-huggers.  They will throw their arms around anyone who  walks in the door.  I once knew a person  who hugged  everyone.  But later, when the huggee was not present, she might severely criticize that very person she hugged on an earlier occasion.  Obviously, her hugs were not a sincere sign of affection—she was simply a good actress, playing the role of a warm, loving person.

I only hug people whom  I sincerely care about and feel close to.  Or perhaps to show sympathy for someone who’s going through a difficult time.  I do not want, or welcome, hugs from casual acquaintances or politicians.  A light tap on the arm is all that’s needed if you want to show that you’re glad to see me.   You  really  don’t need to smell my hair.