Thursday, February 26, 2009

Hello. The view from my dining room table...cloudy, windy and misty.

Should anyone be happy with mediocrity? The people in this sleepy little cowtown seem to be content with being average. They do very little to step up their lives. I wonder if many of the citizens have ever been more than 20 miles from their cozy little shacks. I believe they think the lifestyle in Sioux Town is top shelf. This "love for mediocrity" pervades all aspects of a community. It deteriorates the local artists and entertainers, the restaurants and the service providers. They all become complacent and offer enough to meet the standard of mediocrity. If the locals demanded more from the social and business offerings, I think they would deliver.

We even promote this to our young. Sports organizers don't keep score in the games any more. We don't want little Johnny to feel bad about loosing the game. I've witnessed competitions where every entrant is awarded a medal just for showing up. This makes me crazy! I have been in the business world for almost 30 years and I've never been awarded a contract just because I made it to the meeting on time. Why should we trick some youth into thinking they are achieving great things when they are barely satisfying the minimum. And conversely, why punish the top achievers but lumping them into the pile of mediocrity. If you are better than others you should be recognized...whether you're 9 or 90.

I heard a lyric from a Waifs song last night..."I'm free when the sun shines down on me."

I like that.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Hello. I do not recall the political world being so much in the limelight as it has been over the last year or so. Every move made in D.C. lately comes under the watchful eye of the mental giants in the media. The media was in love with Obama during the campaign and now they're busting his chops for every move he makes. Is the extensive coverage a reality or is my aging brain finally paying more attention to CNN than ESPN?

How about this cartoonist that portrayed a monkey gunned down by a couple of cops and said that it was not a reference to Obama. Really. I must have missed the chimp who signed a stimulus plan. Who would have thought that electing a black leader of the free world would bring racism to the forefront again...DUH. African Americans believe they have a BIG voice now that Obama is in office, yet every time a black man speaks his mind, the media bitch slaps the guy. America tries to shake off the shame of the past by electing a black president, but reveals herself as a closet bigot. Will the real Archie Bunker please stand up.

Technology is killing our world as we know it. I bet Michael Phelps wishes the camera-phone was never invented. An innocent bong hit turns an American hero into late night fodder. If he would have been photographed drinking a beer, his picture would still be on a Wheaties box. A friend of mine suggests that General Mills change the name to "Weedies".

People need to understand that politicians, athletes, musicians and movie stars are humans, like the rest of us. Humans will make mistakes. It is not up to all of us to judge them, I'll leave that to a power much stronger than I.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Hello. I'm writing this blog from a new environment...my dining room table. Time will tell if this affects the slant of my blogging. My office has put the clamps on internet "fun". Apparently blogging, downloading music and videos and myspace time was eating up too much of the precious little bandwidth in the building. Oh well.

I have pondered the idea that people become the person that other's see and hear. A friend of mine put a little twist on it. He suggests that people make their opinion of someone based on that person's behavior, which is a reflection of who they are. If that is the case, then we drive people to their opinion of us. But are we affected by other's opinion of us? Do we try harder to become more or less like the person others think we are? What???

As we discussed this topic, the effects of the smoke and the drink began to take over. He proposed that we should think in terms of "I am" instead of "Me". After a short pause for the brain to kick in, I liked this thought. "Me" is what others have fabricated in their minds about a person. "I am", is the person you are. I think we have to keep "Me" in perspective and let "I am" drive the soul bus. I don't think all of this confusion is good. It might be a waste of time.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Hello. I reached into my head a few times last week, but all I could find was bits and pieces. There are some whole thoughts leaking out today...

Who do we blame for people's behavior? Is it their parents? How about their surroundings? Maybe it's in their genes...or is it jeans? Let's face it, what's in your jeans can affect a personality. Whatever the reason, some people can't sit at the big table. They spend their lives behaving like spoiled brats. I have to put some of the blame on the parents for this kind of behavior. These people have never had to deal with the shit that life throws at us. Mommy and/or Daddy have chosen to let their baby think life is all roses and sunshine. So you end up with a 40-something, throwing their keys across the room and storming out of a meeting, rather than resolving the issue like a grown-up.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think it is a parents' responsibility to protect their children from the big, nasty world out there. But, it is also their responsibility to teach their children that life can be one mean son-of-a-bitch! Let them make mistakes. Let them get hurt...well a little anyway. Let them see you hurting. It is tough to see your son or daughter cry, but there are lessons in every tear. Sooner or later we are all going to have to face life's harsh reality. It's nice to have on your four-bucklers when you have to take a walk through the shit.