Hello. I spent Monday making a whirlwind trip to Rochester, Minnesota and back. It turned into a whirlwind trip through the coffers of my mind. I'm beginning to think that sub-consciously, it is the reason I haven't been making the trip very often. Some scars are slow to heal.

Does everyone have a personal agenda tied to their actions? Over the years, I have thought that people got involved to actually help a common effort. Now, I realize that most people are only trying to gain something for themselves. Very few people do things out of genuine kindness or concern for others. I work with several different groups and most of the members seem to have a personal agenda. It makes me sick. I'm sure that I have been guilty of this myself at times. Most of the tasks I undertake are for the better of a greater cause. The satisfaction of seeing someone smile or knowing that someone feels good about themselves is enough reward.

We all want to feel good about who we are. Some of us can feel good from in our souls and some of us need reinforcement from outside sources. I trust my own sense of wholeness more than I do an outsider.

Hello. From the dining room table...cloudy, a rabbit nesting in the yard and a sleeping cat.

It's nice sometimes to change your habits. I normally sleep late on the weekends, but I took the hard-working lady to work this morning. So, I only get 6 hours of beauty sleep. It's cool to see what's going on at a time of day that I normally miss. I have several extra hours of day to fill. Hmmm?

Lately, as I drive around this little river town, I have been looking at everything like it's the first time I've seen it. It's a pretty nice place. The drive along the riverfront, the old buildings downtown, the new retail district, even the other side of the tracks...they all look different. I take myself out of the reality of monotony. I've looked at myself like this before, but never at the environment around me. I have a new appreciation for the place we call home. I've travelled to many places that can't hold a candle to Sioux Town.

I think it's good for us to "stop and smell the roses" every now and then. We get caught up in our daily routines, otherwise known as the "rut", and loose sight of the quality of our lives. This is true with people as well. Our mate, our family and our friends can become mundane. It's easy to look past them, or worse through them. Stop, and get to know them for the first time again. Look at "the one" across the room as if it's the first time you've ever laid eyes on them. I think you'll realize why these people are such an important part of your life.

Hello. A view from the dining room...sleeping cat, disappearing snow and bright sun.

Some things that we do along the path of life will change things forever. Maybe everything we do leaves an everlasting imprint on our life. We may even play a big enough role to effect other people's lives as well. Unfortunately, I think we can scar people. We need to consider every thing we say and do. I have been a fairly free spirit most of my life. I grabbed opportunities as they came along, not giving much thought to the consequences. To coin a common phrase I "lived for the moment."

As I reflect back on a half century of self indulgence, I see the faults in that lifestyle. I have the ability to let things roll off and move on. That may seem like a good thing. I now realize that for things to truly "roll off", all parties involved have to feel the same way. We are kidding ourselves if we think everything is cool, when someone else is weighed down by your actions or words. I think we should hold each other accountable for the things we say and do. It's tough to tell someone, "that really hurts." Why can't we be honest with each other? If we could accept others feelings, we would have more respect for them.

Bad decisions can make prisoners of all of us.