He has a right to be angry...

I think we white folks in America should be more understanding of angry black people. Especially older ones who have endured profound racial discrimination in their lifetime. They had to live in situations in which they were denied basic civil and human rights. Denied respect. Yes, right here in America. They attended segregated schools. They were denied jobs. Forced to live in segregated neighborhoods. Denied service in ‘white’ restaurants. Had to drink from fountains designateed for ‘colored.’ Relegated to the back of theaters. On and on I could go. Yes, little wonder that when black minister Rev. Jeremiah Wright gets up on the pulpit in his Chicago church, he may sound a bit angry at times. He may even sound un-American. But really, he’s a good American. He even served his country in the military service for six years. And he constantly works for making America a better place. And by golly, he has a right to be angry with America. For the way racists in America have treated people of his race for a long, long time. –Jim Broede

...a very difficult question.

Personally, I have no problem with the controversial opinions being expressed by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Don't agree with everything he says. But I think the comments help stir a much-needed discussion of race in America. Many of us would like to avoid the discussion. Especially us white folks. Some of us would like to pretend that racism really isn't an issue in America. Easy for us to say. Because we haven't been the ones discriminated against. We weren't born into slavery and denied basic civil and human rights. Anyway, I think Wright is a patriot. Some call him unAmerican. But I'll give him a pat on the back. For expressing a point of view that needs to be expressed. I sense that Wright is asking, what would Jesus have us do? Indeed, that's a very difficult question. --Jim Broede

Yes, for the sake of America.

If Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton really believe that it's essential for the Democrats to win back the White House this fall, they'll be on the same ticket. One for president. The other for vice president. That is what will unite the Democrats. And unite America, too. It will end our long nightmare with George Bush and his neo-conservative Republicans. As to which one should be at the top of the ticket, I'll leave that up to the delegates. I'd prefer Obama. But I'll accept either one...for the sake of unity. Yes, for the sake of America. --Jim Broede

...and that's not living.

I don't want to watch or listen to news programs any more. They are all so slanted. Not news. But pundits telling us what to think. Taking snippets or sound bites from speeches. Distorting everything. It's a shame. A disgrace. I don't even want to listen to a debate by the candidates for president. Because they are given maybe 90 seconds to explain their positions. On complicated issues. Yes, we are being turned into a nation of robots. Non-thinking robots. We are living in robotic fashion...and that's not living. --Jim Broede

...many Americans remain duped.

Hey, folks, what's the big fuss over? Barack Obama's pastor made some controversial comments in a sermon or two. About the war-mongering Bush Administration. And that terrorism begets terrorism. And that imperial America doesn't exactly have its hands clean when it comes to terror tactics. Obama disavowed the comments. But he's staying on as a member of Jeremiah Wright's Christian church. And he still considers Wright a friend. He ain't writing him off just because of hot-button opinions expressed from the pulpit. I think that's nice. But some of Obama's political rivals are calling for Obama to make a sharp break with this man that he has known for 20 years. To that, I say, hogwash. Anyway, the publicized comments are mostly sound bites taken out of context. Because that suits the tabloid-style journalists and pundits. Therefore, we get a grossly distorted reality on TV and in newspapers. Little wonder that so many Americans remain duped. Enough to have elected Bush twice. --Jim Broede

...they are being themselves.

I speak for myself. Not for my associates. Not for my acquaintances. I tell people I am a romantic idealist, a free-thinker, a liberal and a lover. Yes, I am trying to define myself. I don’t want to let others define me. Because others don’t know me as well as I know myself. So I speak out. And I have friends. All sorts of close acquaintances. With varied backgrounds. People unlike me. Some are too cynical to be romantic idealists. Others are devout Christians. Some are atheists. Some are political conservatives. A few don’t even believe in love. But still, I like these people. They are a good mix. A mosaic of people. They make me think...and they are being themselves. --Jim Broede

...a nice consolation.

Oh, I complain about America. But maybe that's what I like most about America. I'm still able to complain. Openly. Right here, for instance. It's of some solace that I can publicly declare that the Geogre Bush Administration and his Republican cohorts have put America into a steep decline. Really, not much I can do about it other than complain. Get it off my chest. Makes me feel good. Makes me feel like an American. A patriot. Anyway, I think there are better days to come. Bush won't be president anymore come January. And I'm assuming that anything would be better than George Bush. America may still stay in decline. But hey, maybe the decline will be slower without Bush and his neo-conservative manipulators. I guess I've learned to adjust to living in America. Despite George Bush and his chaotic domestic and foreign policies and his obscene preemptive war. It's all quite sad. But I'm still able to withdraw into my cocoon and live a reasonably happy life. In love. That's a nice consolation. --Jim Broede

A question of morality.

Talk about getting our priorities half-assed backwards. In America, we bring impeachment proceedings against a president for having an affair with an intern, but we allow a president to get away with an obscene preemptive war in Iraq. Now, tell me, which is the most immoral act? --Jim Broede

...real and meaningful issues.

It makes no difference to me what Barack Obama says off-the-cuff to a gathering of supporters in San Francisco. Especially, if all I'm hearing is a snippet taken out of context. And it doesn't matter, either, what Obama's church pastor has to say in a sermon. Because he's free to say what he wants. And that shouldn't reflect on Obama, as some pundits would have us believe. Just more examples of how distorted the coverage of the presidential campaign has become. I'm more concerned about real and meaningful issues, such as the need for universal health care and the narrowing of the gap between the rich and poor and ending the obscene preemptive war in Iraq. --Jim Broede

....a shameful nation.

So many of our politicians are fear-mongers. They aim to make Americans fearful. Of terrorists, for instance. They magnify the threat to the U.S. To allow for an immense defense budget. To allow for loss of basic freedoms. To allow for a preemptive war. To allow for huge budget deficits. And a majority of Americans seem to buy their pitch hook, line and sinker. We've become a fearful lot. We have abandoned our principles. We have become a shameful nation. --Jim Broede

Life...the way it should be lived.

What America needs is a president who really doesn't want to be president. Someone who doesn't crave for power. Someone who doesn't want to play the game. Someone who can get above the fray. And do what's good for America for America's sake. A real leader. And not a politician. But it won't happen. Because our political system is too corrupted. Too controlled by the big-money interests. We ordinary Americans really don't have control. We're manipulated. Like puppets on strings. I hold out little hope for the system. But still, I am a happy man. And I'll tell you why. Because I still have the ability to fall in love. That is where I find my consolation. I am genuinely able to love another. And to feel loved, too. That makes life worthwhile. I'm still able to withdraw to my cocoon. With my love. And live life...the way it should be lived. --Jim Broede

...god's gift to humanity.

I'm not only ashamed of America. But also ashamed of the news media. And hey, I'm a retired newspaper reporter. A writer for newspapers. Made my living that way. And I enjoyed my career for the most part. But I was glad to retire. Because I was losing faith in the media. Because it was becoming too much the entertainment business. And shallow. And no longer objective. Because the main mission was to entertain rather than to keep people informed. The 'reality' being conveyed by the mainstream media today is largely fabrication. Distorted reality. Unfair. Geared to turn people into robots. We're being sold a bill of goods. Told what to believe. Programmed. Some of it is done by clever people. Powerbrokers who want to manipulate decisions to their advantage. Usually economic. We're even programmed to accept a preemptive war. And a sagging economy. A loss of many of our freedoms. A shoddy health care system that leaves 47 million Americans without insurance. A deteriorating infrastructure. A steadily rising cost of living. An exodus of jobs to other nations. And the false premise that America is god's gift to humanity. --Jim Broede

...a continuation of power politics.

I become more fearful of Hillary Clinton by the day. She would be too much like George Bush. Part of the Establishment. A lover of power. She'd try to foist her ways on everyone. And she'd try to punish anyone that got in her way. She'd play dirty politics. Negative politics. Oh, Hillary would get even with the conservatives and the neo-conservatives. With the Bushies. She'd give them their comeupance. She'd be ruthless. Anything but kind and gentle. I doubt that she'd try to pull two sides together. It would be Hillary's way, or the highway. Instead of George Bush as the 'decider,' she'd be the decider. With a somewhat different political philosophy. But she'd still be part of the Establishment. She'd operate just like Washington politicians always seem to operate. No mercy for the opposition. No attempt to do what's best for America. Yes, it would be a continuation of power politics. --Jim Broede

God help us.

I am sickened by the mainstream media. The way it is editing the news. In such strange ways. Especially the political campaign for the presidency. The media is part of the establishment. It seems to have lost its independence. The reporting of news has been turned into entertainment. Tabloid journalism. The focus is on entertaining anecdotes. Not on real news. On a snippet from a sermon by the pastor of Barack Obama's church. On Obama's 'condescending' off-the-cuff remarks at a private gathering in San Francisco. So little focus on real and important issues. It's 'gotcha' journalism. I have taken to turning off so-called news programs on TV and cable. I am getting a disjointed and distorted sense of reality. An Alice in Wonderland effect. God help us. --Jim Broede

...makes me a real patriot.

I noticed that some politicians are being criticized for not wearing an American flag lapel pin. Apparently, that's reason to question their patriotism. How idiotic. As if a lapel pin should be a measure of one's patriotism. Just think how unpatriotic I am. I refuse to buy postage stamps with the American flag on 'em. It's really my way of protesting some of the actions and inactions of my country. I want to be proud of America again. But not until America makes amends for the obscene war in Iraq and narrows the gap between the rich and the poor and provides for universal health care. Yes, I have reasons to be ashamed of America. But by golly, I'm gonna keep working for change. To make for a better America. I think that makes me a real patriot. --Jim Broede

Yes, I'm not sure...about Hillary.

The more I see of Hillary Clinton, the more I think of her as a savage. She’s savaging Barack Obama. Taunting him. Trying to cast him in a negative light. As being less than a man. The sort of man you wouldn’t want answering the phone in the White House at 3 in the morning when the world is in crisis. No, Hillary is saying she’s more able to cope with domestic and international problems. That she’s the better politician. She finds it necessary to degrade Obama. To launch a negative campaign. To question his character. To suggest that maybe if he can’t cope with Hillary’s negativity, then he’ll be unable to cope with the despots of the world. Yes, Clinton is telling us she’s one tough woman. And Obama ain’t tough enough. Well, I choose to think that Obama is a kind and gentle man. And that maybe Clinton isn’t a kind and gentle woman. That maybe Clinton is a somewhat bitter woman. Maybe because she’s married to Bill. A philanderer, of sorts. Maybe that has taught Hillary to be tough. To trust no one. Not even her husband. I’m beginning to think that Hillary may be incapable of love. Because she has been betrayed. By her own husband. And now she has to take it out on other men. The likes of Barack Obama. Yes, I’m a bit scared of Hillary Clinton. I think she has a yearning to tear down her opponents and rivals, in order to make herself feel good again. To feel powerful. To feel in control. Yes, I’m not sure that I want someone like that in the White House. –Jim Broede

Land of imprisonment & execution.

Wow! I learned something fascinating -- and depressing, too -- by reading the New York Times today. That the United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population. But almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners.

Yes, another sign that America is the land of punishment. Harshness. No mercy. I suspect it’s part of the mean-spiritedness in the American soul. Another reason why we still have capital punishment in many states. Whereas in other advanced nations, there’s no death penalty. We either kill or lock up the so-called bad guys and gals.

Oh, I think our meanness is expressed in many ways. The lack of universal health care, for instance. And the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Sort of an everybody for himself mentality. Rather than working for the common good. Rather than spreading the wealth. I sense that we don’t believe in even-handedness. Or forgiveness. Maybe that’s one reason why you’ll find mostly poor people and minorities executed and imprisoned.

Anyway, we criticize China for human rights violations. For being cruel. Harsh. Well, folks, China, which is four times more populous than the United States, has 1.6 million people in prison or under house arrest or in labor camps. That compares with 2.3 million in the U.S.

It breaks down this way: We have 751 people in prison or jail for every 100,000 population. Russia comes close, with 627 prisoners for every 100,000 people. In England, the rate is 151. In Germany, 88. In Japan, 63. The median among all nations is about 125.

America often has been hailed as the land of opportunity. But it also is the land of imprisonment and execution. –Jim Broede

...the least qualified.

I think the biggest problem with politicians are their egos. They are the most egocentric people I’ve ever met. And I’ve met a whole lot of ‘em in my career as a writer for newspapers. Mostly local politicians. Mayors, city council members, county commissioners, state officials, congressmen. It builds their egos just to get elected. It’s euphoric. They relish the power, too. Able to make and influence decisions. Oh, some of them are idealists, of sorts. But it’s the ego gratification that keeps them going. The ability to get elected. And they like playing the game of politics. But I find the ones I like best are the ones that decide to quit early on. Because they feel politics becomes too corrupting. They more or less have to sell their souls to stay in office. They can’t be honest and still stay in office. Because if they speak the truth, they’ll become unpopular. They have to watch virtually every word. Yes, play the game. And they don’t want to do that. It compromises their ethics. Their nature. Oh, these are the leaders we need. But they won’t emerge. Because in a democracy, I guess, we are free to chose the least qualified. –Jim Broede

Clinton's ego...

I'm sickened by the increasingly negative campaigning in the Democrartic primary elections. Between Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama. By both candidates. But especially by Clinton. It's too bad that Obama has chosen to reply negatively in some instances. I've lost tremendous respect for Clinton. And I'm disappointed in Obama, too, but to a lesser degree. Clinton started the haranging. The personal degradations. Directly and indirectly. I used to admire her. Now I'm beginning to write her off. Because she seems to have been corrupted by politics. By the quest for power. By her own ego. I still hold out hope for Obama. I think he has let Clinton rile him. But he should be above that. He should learn to turn the other cheek. And I think he will. In an ideal world, I'd see Obama and Clinton uniting. On the same ticket. Obama for president. Clinton for vice president. That would be good for the Democratic party. And for the country. But I think Clinton's ego would prevent her from playing second fiddle. --Jim Broede

Do we all have Alzheimer's?

Oh, woe on America. The news media coverage of the presidential campaign has been awful. Terrible. Sound bites. Nothing in depth. And it’s been tabloid-type journalism. Take the off-the-cuff comment of Barrack Obama in San Francisco and make a big deal of it. And take it out of context. Or take a quote of Obama’s minister friend Jeremiah Wright out of context. And take Obama to task for not repudiating his friend. Give me a break, please. Or the fact that Obama doesn’t always wear an American flag lapel pin. Maybe that makes him unpatriotic. Yes, give me another break. And when there’s a debate, the candidates are supposed to answer in 30 seconds or one minute or maybe 90 seconds. Wow! Whatever happened to an old-fashioned Lincoln-Douglas debate? I suppose our attention span has been shortened over the generations. We’re down to a maximum 90 seconds now. Reminds me of someone with Alzheimer’s. Good lord, is it possible that we all have Alzheimer’s? –Jim Broede

So please...get with it.

I don't like the fact that Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama are finding character flaws in each other. Hey, we all have character flaws. No need for these two candidates for the presidency to focus on the flaws. Instead, I'd like them to focus on real issues. The economy. The war in Iraq. The need for universal health care. Instead, so much of the attention has gone to character flaws. Heaven help us. That has nothing to do with the real issues. Hey, Bill Clinton had plenty of character flaws. And Hillary learned to live with him. So why does she have to make such a big deal out of Obama's flaws? After all, he's a progressive. Just like she. On policy issues, they are virtually the same. And they offer a sensible alternative to George Bush, the worst president we ever had. Yes, Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama should be focusing full attention on the flawed character and flawed policies of George Bush and his Republican cronies than on each other. So please, dear candidates, get with it. --Jim Broede

...our next statesman.

I could vote for Hillary Clinton for president. But she'd be my second choice. And why is that? Well, I think it's, in part, because Hillary has become too much like a man. A regular politician. Rather than a woman. I think Hillary's opponent for the Democratic nomination, Barrack Obama, is kinder and gentler. Less the politician. More like what I think Hillary used to be. Yes, kind and gentle. Hillary seems to have decided that to succeed in politics, she has to be more like her husband, Bill. I have doubts that Hillary is being her own woman. She wants to be more like a man. Maybe her idol, Bill. The fact that she's stuck with Bill all these years. That's significant. It may be out of loyalty. But it also may be because Bill is her path to power. She has a vision of what it takes to succeed, politically. She knows how to play the game. And that scares me a little bit. She can be mean. Sparing no meanness to trample her opponents. She wants to be known and recognized for being rough and tough. Showing that she can play hardball politics as good as any man. Meanwhile, Barrack Obama reminds me of -- well, a little bit of what Hillary used to be like before deciding she wanted to become a man. Before she became cynical deep down and underneath. Barrack Obama is more of an idealist. Maybe a bit of a romantic. Capable of dreaming. Willing to play fair. And hey, for someone pursuing a political career, that's wonderful. Could be he might be our next statesman. And we haven't had one of those in the White House for a long, long time. --Jim Broede

I don't require...

Funny thing. I could be on friendly terms with people with whom I disagree. On all sorts of issues. Ideological and otherwise. Even moral issues. I wonder if that makes me strange. I don't require a friend to think like me, or to even share the same values. --Jim Broede

...the true nature of friendship.

When I have a friend, I try to stick by the friend. For instance, if the friend is a minister, such as Jeremiah Wright, and he says something controversial, or something I disagree with, that's absolutely no reason to write him off. I'd still consider him a friend. Hillary Clinton, however, said she'd renounce such a friendship and even leave his church. Barrack Obama, on the other hand, would keep him as a friend and stay in the church. Seems to me that Obama is the one that understands the true nature of friendship. --Jim Broede

...corrupted by the system.

I see that Hillary Clinton's negative ratings have gone up. Doesn't surprise me. I look at her more negatively lately than positively. Used to be the other way around. I thought for a long time that I'd support her for president. Quite willingly. But then Barrack Obama appeared on the scene. And he won me over. He'd be a breath of fresh air in the White House. And I began to think that Hillary Clinton would be a breath of stale air. Too much old-time politics. Filled with negativity. Always berating your opponent. I've had enough of that stuff. Hillary has taken to sniping. Anything to try to reverse her downward trend. Only thing is, she's digging herself a deeper and deeper hole. Less credibility. Yes, maybe she's been around too long. She's been corrupted by the system. --Jim Broede

Yes, an elitist.

I see that Barrack Obama is being called an elitist. And he’s being criticized. Yes, for not being like everyone else. For seeming to be better than most folks. And you know what I say about that? Good for Obama. That’s the sort of person I want for president. Someone who actually is superior to the rest of us. A true statesman. Not just a politician. That makes for a good leader. The problem with George Bush is that he calls himself the decider. That he knows what’s best for all of us. But I think he’s the worst president we’ve ever had. Inferior. Just one of us stupid people. Yes, give me an elitist. I’ll take Obama over Bush any day. I want a smart man in the White House. A caring man. A kind man. A man who knows what he’s doing. A true leader and statesman. Someone able to show us the way. Someone who’s superior. Yes, an elitist. –Jim Broede

It's nice to dream...

I’ve never bought into the notion that America was founded on the basis of equality – that all men (mankind) are created equal. That was an empty platitude right from the start. We began with an economy based on slavery. Yes, inequality. And when the slaves were emancipated during the Civil War, they weren't set free. They lived under Jim Crow conditions, subjugated to second class citizens, or less. And we didn’t give blacks their civil rights in a legal way until the 1960s. And even now many are still denied civil rights in subtle and devious ways. And hey, women went without the right to vote until around World War I, less than 100 years ago. And even today, women remain something of a subjugated class. It’s the way the system works. Some degree of racial and gender inequality. And just think of the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Who wields the real power? Obviously, it’s the rich. We have more a plutocracy than a democracy. Money speaks. At least it does in our nation’s capitol. The well-heeled money interests have the upper hand. The political clout. Yes, that’s the way it is. I don’t like it. I want an America where there’s much more equality. When one doesn’t have to be rich or a white elite to wield the real power. Oh, yes, it’s just a dream. But it’s nice to dream of equality in America. –Jim Broede

She had me fooled.

Sorry to say it, but Hillary Clinton has turned me off. I used to like her. Thought she'd make a good president. But seems to me she has become too much of a politician. Trying too desperately to win. And in the process, she seems to have sold her soul. Trying to make her opponent for the Democratic nomination look bad. By grasping at petty little things. Yes, I once thought Hillary Clinton was above petty politics. She had me fooled. --Jim Broede

I'd even join the ranks.

I’m for redistributing the wealth. Making the rich less rich. And the poor less poor. Narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor. I’m for sort of a Robin Hood policy. Taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Let’s make the rich pay more taxes. And let’s use that money to benefit the poor. Let’s aim for expansion of the middle class. Let’s even things out. Let’s provide everyone with the basic necessities of life. Like good health care. Yes, universal health care. And let’s encourage education. Let’s guarantee anyone that wants it, a college education. Yes, I’m for spending for good things. The things that make life worthwhile. Enjoyable. And I’m for reduced spending for national defense. Use the money instead for improving the nation’s infrastructure. That would create jobs and make for a more healthy economy. And before you know it, we’d have more proud Americans. I’d even join the ranks. –Jim Broede

...a shame, a disgrace on America.

Shame on me. Shame on the American people. For allowing George Bush to get away with murder. Yes, literally. With murder. By pursuing a so-called preemptive war. A senseless and obscene war. In which thousands of soldiers have died. And oh, so many innocent civilians. Including thousands of women and children. And so many, many more maimed. For life. All in the name of what? National security? Waging war on terrorism? Give me a break, please. We impeached Bill Clinton for much less. For having an affair with an intern. But we Americans haven’t found it fit to impeach George Bush. For crimes far, far worse. For a war based on faulty information. If not downright intentional lies. And a war that has ravaged America’s reputation in the world. An immoral war. And we Americans sit idly on our hands. We allow this war to go on and on and on. A renowned economist says it’ll cost American taxpayers at least $3 trillion. We’ve run the country into record-setting debt. Thanks to George Bush and his conservative Republican colleagues. They are accessories to these crimes. And it’s as if we feel powerless. As if we ordinary Americans can’t do anything about it. Yes, it’s a shame, a disgrace on America. –Jim Broede

As we Americans stand idly by...

Wouldn't you know it? George Bush is going to keep waging war in Iraq til the end of his term. He'll leave 140,000 troops there until hell freezes over. And just let the next president solve the ungodly mess he created with a preemptive war. Yes, America starting a war. And then when the next president brings the troops home and ends the war, Bush will say the war would have been won by America if only we had stayed the course. Maybe just another 100,000 deaths. For an obscene and immoral war. An unnecessary war. Costing trillions and trillions of dollars. Yes, money that could have been spent on pretty much ending poverty in the U.S. For domestic improvements. For so much good. Instead, what do we have? The most shameful war in American history. As we Americans stand idly by...and let it happen. --Jim Broede

...doing harm to the patient.

A newcomer has arrived on the Alzheimer's message board. His name is Kenneth Council. And he's a Texan. And he really knows how to be a care-giver. A very good care-giver. He believes in exuding good vibes. He's tested it on his mother-in-law. And he's getting positive results. He's proving, at least to himself, that the quality of care-giving makes a big difference. That a patient's behavior can be improved if the care-giver's behavior is truly loving and understanding. I've argued the same point. And I've criticized some care-givers for being in worse mental and emotional state than their patients. Meanwhile, I'm predicting that Council won't be well-received on the message board. By the very care-givers that should be listening to him. Yes, by the care-givers that have no business being care-givers because they don't have the temperament to handle the job. And they often end up doing harm to the patient. --Jim Broede

...my slow, relaxed life.

I’m learning to live in slow motion. And it feels wonderful. No need to hurry through life. I even love in slow motion. Yes, life in slow motion allows me to savor life. So much of my life was spent in fast motion. In a hurry. Meeting deadlines. Juggling too many activities. I’m 72 now. I should have learned to slow down sooner. But hey, better late than never. Maybe I’m motivated by the fact that I’m in love. Oh, it’s so enjoyable. So satisfying. So rewarding. Because I’m taking it slow. One day at a time. Living the moment to the utmost. By plodding. I’m in no hurry to get to tomorrow. Because my today is wonderful. I used to jog and run. But now I go for walks. Long walks. Slow walks. When I sit down for a meal, I don’t hesitate to take an hour. Maybe two. I eat ever so slowly. The food tastes better that way. When I read a book, I take my time. I read and re-read. And then I ponder what I’ve read. Slowly. And tonight, like always, I won’t hurry to bed. And when I do fall asleep, I’ll do it slowly. Because I want to enjoy my slow, relaxed life. –Jim Broede

...for a reason.

Sometimes I like to get up in the very early morning hours. Before daybreak. Just for the heck of it. Maybe it’s because I have something on my mind. I don’t always know what. But I tend to sit down at my computer. And do whatever my fingers tell me. Like now. I have no idea what I’m gonna write. But it seems the natural thing to do. And I’ve just noticed that my two favorite creatures, cats Loverboy and Chenuska, have joined me. Atop a cushion on my desk. So there’s three of us. And I think, isn’t that nice? Maybe it’s that all of us wanted company. It’s a good feeling. To have companions. To share this moment in life. I suppose that gets the day off to a good start. Earlier than expected. Though I’ll probably go back to bed. Maybe read for a while. Yes, maybe that’s what I’m supposed to be doing. To read a story. Maybe one that will give me inspiration today. And all of a sudden, I get the sense that the spirits are trying to make contact with me…for a reason –Jim Broede

...for which I am grateful.

Try not to let the cloudy, rainy weather get you down, I tell people. There's something nice about a cloudy, rainy day. I'm not kidding. I like 'em mixed in with the sunny days. It's a nice contrast. One can't do anything about the weather, anyway. One might as well make the best of it. Weather is relative, too. Would one rather have the spring we're having in Minnesota? Yesterday, I walked in the fog. Not a London fog. But even if it were a London fog, I'd like it. It would be a good excuse to read a Sherlock Holmes story. And imagine that I was on Baker Street. Ready to meet the great detective. To learn more about his immediate and interesting case. One doesn't have to wish for a better day. One can make it better. At least I have that ability. I don't have to wait for god or for Mother Nature to bless me with a so-called perfect day. I can create one myself. God gave me that ability...for which I am grateful. --Jim Broede

...one of the lowest forms of life.

Saw and listened to a theoretical physicist on TV tonight. Brilliant. Interesting. Says there are 3 levels of civilization in the universe. Described the 3 levels. I. II. III. And where do we fit on Earth? He suggests that we aren’t civilized yet. That we haven’t even reached Level I. That in another 100 years, we’ll maybe be entering the very bottom of Level I. Yes, if he’s right, we humans are one of the lowest forms of life in the universe. He suggests that if we have been visited by aliens from another civilization, they haven’t bothered to make contact. Because we are such low form of life. It would be like we humans trying to make contact with ants. No way can we communicate with ants. And imagine what ants think of our world. Here on Earth. Way, way beyond an ant’s comprehension. And that goes for our comprehension of our own cosmos, our own universe. We can’t really come close to understanding it. Any more than an ant can come to understand the Earth and what lies beyond. Imagine an ant even trying to comprehend our seemingly modern technology and the ability to travel around the Earth almost in a single day. Well, maybe in a Level III civilization there are beings that can cross the Milky Way galaxy in a day. That’s not any more preposterous than getting an ant to think that it can hitch a ride on an airplane and be halfway around the vast Earth in a few hours. Before the sun sets. Any way, I’m fascinated by the thought that we humans may be one of the lowest forms of life in this universe. --Jim Broede

But then, who isn't?

I like Hillary Clinton. I wouldn't mind seeing her become president. But I'd rather it be Barrack Obama. And moreso as time goes on. Maybe because I think Obama is nicer than Hillary. Kinder. Gentler. More understanding. I'm seeing a side of Hillary I don't like. Too much like her husband. Too calculating. A politician to the core. Which means one has to be mean beneath one's exterior. Tough. Cruel. I think Obama is a rare politician. A true liberal. Someone who can admit that he's wrong. He can work with the other side. Open-minded. Believes in give and take. I suspect that Hillary is more partisan. A bit conniving. Not above dirty politics. Oh, far better, far more honest than George Bush. But then, who isn't? --Jim Broede

...what I have now.

Time flies. Maybe because I've learned to forget about time. I become so absorbed in the moment. In today. Rather than in yesterday or tomorrow. So I tend to lose track of time. I think that's good. But I'm not sure. I wake up. And I have to think. Now what day is it? And then I live the day. I stay focused on the day. On what I'm doing. I'm absorbed. Because I'm in love. That's the important thing in my life. Knowing that I'm in love. That's what matters. I know it's going to be a good day. That's the nature of being in love. Makes one feel good. In the moment. Causes one to savor the experience. To hold on to it. That's much better than thinking about yesterday or tomorrow. Just enjoy what I have now. --Jim Broede

What's enough?

It’s amazing. The difference that a love connection makes in one’s life. Two humans attracted to each other. Makes them so happy. And that raises the question. Why do some loves last? And others don’t? I suspect it may have something to do with attitudes. The optimists live the love one day at a time. Live in the now. Savor each day. Don’t get ahead of themselves. The pessimists, meanwhile, get too far ahead of themselves. They lose track of the happiness they have today by projecting into the future. Thinking about what could go wrong. They are distracted from their immediate happiness. And worry about tomorrow. Rather than cultivate their love one day at a time. In a sense, the pessimists begin to suspect they don’t have enough now. They want more. It’s a little like the rich man/woman who always wants more…as if the present riches aren’t enough. –Jim Broede

...redefining the common good.

Let’s say I was king. And that I ruled by divine right. And that would allow me to make a better world. That is, what I consider a better world. What would I do? I suppose I’d start by finding ways to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. I’d prohibit my subjects from becoming filthy rich. There would be no limits on spiritual richness. Just on material accumulations. One could own only so much. So much money. So many luxuries. I’d tax the rich. Heavily. There wouldn’t be any billionaires. Maybe no multi-millionaires. And I’d use the taxes for the common good. In an attempt to guarantee everyone the basic necessities of life. We’d have universal health care, for instance. And as king, I’d try to set a good example. I wouldn’t live in a castle. Just a relatively humble abode. I guess I’d try to cut down on the so-called material luxuries of life. Yes, I’d start by redefining the common good. –Jim Broede

...the whys and wherefores of life.

On June 22, 1999, I was thinking that 4- and 5-year-olds keep asking the question, why?

Why this or that? Why is the sky blue? Why can’t I stay up a while longer? Why do I have to eat my broccoli?

In my journal, I observed that it’s obvious that youngsters have inquisitive minds. And I was wondering if as we grow older, do we too often forget to ask, ‘why?’ I told my beloved Jeanne on that day that the most important question we should be asking morning, noon and night, is why this or that?

Jeanne was wondering why she had to wear a tight white stocking from toe to her crotch. She didn’t like it – the discomfort caused by such a tight fit. But there was a reason. To reduce the risk of blood clots as she recovers from hip surgery.

For a while, Jeanne wasn’t asking, why? Because of her dementia. Alzheimer’s. But on this particular day almost 9 years ago she was finding her groove. Asking why this or that?

Yes, Jeanne was having some good days. Blessed days that made her more keen. So much more easy to live with.

And I had a hunch that this world would be a better place, if only we pondered the why to a whole lot of things. Maybe the world has forgotten to ask why? Why is the world like it is? Why don’t we find more ways to get along? Why can’t we live in peace and harmony? Why don’t I get off my butt and go out and jog? Maybe because I’m writing a broodings. This blog. Well, that’s settled. I’m going out for a long walk so that I can ponder the whys and wherefores of life. –Jim Broede

...with abundant love.

While jogging my 15th mile on June 24, 1999, it became crystal clear to me what I was supposed to do in this life. That is, keep asking myself, what does my heart tell me? Especially in matters of the spiritual.

And in my daily journal on that day, I wrote that I was saddened because I saw a dead snapping turtle on the road. And I thought that the turtle was killed intentionally, by the likes of a woman I saw a few days earlier, who saw me helping a turtle to safely cross the road, and then yelled out the car window, ‘kill ‘em.’

Maybe she came back and did the job.

The turtle’s shell wasn’t totally crushed. It was as if someone had taken a sledgehammer and pounded down on the shell, cracking it three ways. And the turtle in the throes of dying, moved several feet, evidenced by a trail of blood. I wondered if the deed was done by someone who got some sadistic pleasure from watching those last gasps of life.

My heart told me to mourn that turtle. And to ask god if there’s a Paradise where senseless killing never occurs? Where all life forms live in harmony.

I reflected that I should mourn for everyone massacred during the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and in Rwanda and Nazi Germany and so many other places on Earth. Even in these so-called modern and enlightened times.

But almost 9 years ago, I was mourning for a turtle. Because I happened to cross the path where the turtle tried to cross a road. And I thought that maybe my kind of god wants me to mourn the needless and senseless death of any and every thing. Yes, a god that wants me to revere the life force.

I guess my kind of god would encourage me to dream about what it must be like in Paradise. And to treat life as if we are already there…with abundant love. –Jim Broede

...one meaningful relationship.

It’s dawned on me that finally, at age 72, I’m learning how to read.

Oh, sure, I “read” books in grade school and high school and college. And even as a young man, I remember “reading” 200 books in a year. Yet, I know I really didn’t read all those books. Instead, I went through the motion. I sometimes read words, and not meaning. Maybe, in part, because I didn’t have the life experience to relate to those written words.

Now I can better relate. I find meaning when I read. Because I know how to savor the written word.

In a story by D. H. Lawrence called “Tickets, Please,” he opens with what seems like a 200-word sentence. And when I was a young man, that would have turned me off. Because I was a newspaper guy who advocated saying things in the fewest possible words. But now I see how a 200-word sentence works. It’s a piece of poetry. So descriptive.

I suppose that what has happened is that I’ve grown a heart and nurtured my soul…and not just my mind. I used to think only with my mind. And I used to write only with my mind. And read only with my mind. So I really didn’t know how to think, to write, to read.

And now that I’ve reached the down hill side of life, I’m finally learning how to live…and to appreciate life. Which means putting the emphasis on quality. Not quantity. There’s no need to read 200 books in a year. Better to read two short stories that are meaningful. And better to have one meaningful relationship than 200 acquaintances that combined produce virtually no meaningfulness. –Jim Broede

...and to fall in love.

I had a strange and unsettling dream as I fell asleep at about 2 in the morning in June 1999. I recorded it in my journal, and today, almost 9 years later, I reviewed that entry.

It was a dream, I sensed, of demons. Evil demons. And they haunted me. And I was trying to slay them, I think. With a sword or a sharp instrument on top of my head. Maybe a horn. Like a devil’s horn. I’d puncture the demons. Wound them. But the demons would keep coming back. They wouldn’t die. And this was frustrating. And scary.

And when I awakened, I tried to stay awake for a while. Because I was afraid that I might fall back into pretty much the same dream. But far as I can tell, I eventually slept peacefully the rest of the night.

Also strange, before I initially went to bed that night – before the dream – I was tired. But I had a compulsion to read a D. H. Lawrence short story called “The Blind Man.”

And when I finished the story, I crawled into bed. Thinking. That I wasn’t sure about the meaning of the story. I wondered what Lawrence intended the reader to get out of it.

Well, after my dream, I wondered if maybe he was telling me that the blind man, Maurice Pervin, really did see. That maybe he saw human nature better than people with sight. Because what he did was befriend a male friend of his wife Isabel, a man that he didn’t particularly like. But he did this for a strange reason. He really wanted to drive this man, named Bertie, away. Because he knew Bertie liked to keep his distance from people. And not really get close to them. And the moment someone tried to get friendly or intimate with him, Bertie would keep his distance, rather than become a true friend.

To me, it seemed like a story of manipulation. For devious reasons. To keep people away.

And I thought at the time it might be the kind of manipulation of which I was guilty during my lifetime. Keeping people at a distance. Not letting them get close to me for one reason or another. And maybe for reasons that I didn’t quite yet understand. Maybe a fear of intimacy. And maybe deep down in my sub-conscious I considered such manipulation wrong. And perhaps evil. Thus the dream. And maybe the dream, which verged on a nightmare, was my effort to slay the evil demons. And it was best to rid myself of them. For the sake of salvation and my own happiness.

Maybe the message was telegraphed to me, from someone in the spirit world, through my unconscious mind, to sit down at that moment before going to bed that night, to read “The Blind Man” and to try to make sense of the story.

Maybe I am the one who was blind. And it was time for me to see the significance of life. How important it is to become intimate….and to fall in love. –Jim Broede