Feeling that I've really lived.

Really. As a journalist. As a writer. For local newspapers. I’ve helped make other lives better. By focusing on stuff that makes a difference. On local issues. On what I perceived to be wrongs and unfair treatment. Of people without a voice. I tried to give them a forum. An outlet. An opportunity to bring about change. I worked for what I thought was right. Maybe even if it wasn’t. I took risks. Chances. I got elected to the local school board. And served three years. I also gave three years to the country. In the army. And I cultivated relationships. Friendships.  With mutual benefits. For us all. But still, I feel frustrated. That I haven’t done enough. That I can’t do anything to stop a Donald Trump. Who goes contrary to my notion of the common good. I can write about it. But without any practical effect. But I get pleasure. In searching for the truth. I have developed a conscience. And I am conscious, too. I have a passionate pulse. I’m basically a happy being. That’s the bottom line. Getting through life. Feeling that I’ve really lived. --Jim Broede

My salvation.

I dare say, that I’m probably making the best of my life. By falling in love. With life. And with two true loves in a single lifetime. Certainly, that has made my life meaningful. Yes, I have become a lover. In addition to being a spiritual free-thinker, a political liberal, a dreamer. But it is as a lover that I have a positive effect on other lives. Wish I could do more. Than lament about political, economic and social matters. For the common good. For society as a whole. There. I make virtually no difference. The course of world events and political outcomes. Would be the same. With or without me. My sole contribution. In this earthly life. Has been as a lover. Which ain’t bad. In the process, seems that I’ve made other lives better.  My life, too. It’s been my salvation. --Jim Broede

To see better times.

I’d like to live. Long enough to see the end of history. In order to resolve my nagging curiosity. As to when and how. The Trump Era ended. And the world returned to some degree of normalcy again. I’m happy. Because I know. That Nazism and Hitler came to an end. Happier times followed. We had flashes of better times.  Of course, Donald Trump came along. To spoil it all. So now my most fervent wish. Is to outlive the Trump debacle.  And being able to taste better times again. Yes. Yes. That’s my goal. To live to see better times. --Jim Broede

Imaginatively blessed.

 I have doubts. That the creator is a him or her. We physical beings have created the creator in our own image. Really, the creator’s form may be beyond human comprehension. Without gender. More likely, the life force itself. That always existed. Beyond the physical. Beyond the spiritual. Beyond description. Of course, nothing stops me from imagining a real live creator. That’s willing to converse. With anyone. At any time. Yes, I have a continuing dialogue. With the creator.  And the creator tells me. ‘Use your imagination, Jim. In the search for answers to your questions. That’s how a creator communicates. Through the imagination.’  Wow! I have been blessed. With an imagination. What about the rest of you? --Jim Broede

Telling the truth.

I have trouble. With pledging allegiance. To my country. Or to a political party. My love of country is conditional. I refuse to exercise blind loyalty. To a country. To any country. Because countries tend to go awry. Sooner or later. Usually the result of unbridled politics. If I have any loyalty. It’s to the world. To the entire cosmos. To creation. To life.  I used to get up. In the elementary school classroom.  And pledge allegiance. As a youth. When I didn’t know better. Don’t know exactly when I became enlightened. And stopped pledging. Also, I don’t sing the national anthem. Other than to recognize that the melody was a drinking song. With different lyrics. Appropriate for fun-loving drunks. In English pubs. Meanwhile, I’ll stand up. At a baseball game. While others sing the star spangled banner. My aim is to not call attention to myself. In a public setting. That’s all. Another thing. When called to testify. And swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I refuse to recite, ‘So help me god.’ I don’t need any help. Telling the truth. --Jim Broede

The benefit of marking time.

Used to think. That marking time meant to be wasting time. To dilly-dally. To accomplish nothing meaningful. Fact is, I’ve learned to mark time. By waiting. For something thrilling to happen. And begin to wonder. What it might be. My imagination becomes stimulated. I’m marching in place. But at the same time. I’m thinking, thinking, thinking. One doesn’t need to have a blank mind. When marking time. I’m often at my best. Because I’m relaxed. Free of stress. I merely let things happen. Unexpectedly. Naturally. Often, I’m blessed. With a brilliant thought. That probably emerged. As a result of marking time. --Jim Broede

To get it right.

Can’t quite decide. Whether. As a species. We humans are a higher or a lower form of life. I can make a case either way. Depends on the day. And on my focus. Take, for example, how we resolve our differences. With wars. With all sorts of violence. By electing presidents. Such as Donald Trump. Yes, examples of the worst of us. But then. As individuals. Some of us are self-sacrificing . True lovers. Full of good deeds. Dedicated to a common good. Every day.  I see good acts. And bad acts,  too. I wonder. If we are striving. Diligently enough. To get it right. --Jim Broede

Making the best of life.

I can get on with my life. No matter the state of American politics. So I occasionally tell myself. Ignore Donald Trump. Don’t get upset. He’ll come. And some day he’ll go. I’ll survive. The country, too. Will go on and on. It’s not worth getting hot and bothered. Over what might happen. In the ever-changing realm of weird American politics. But for me, unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. I know history. It was one of my majors in college. And sometimes tragic and avoidable things happen. Because not enough citizens truly cared. Never took the time to intervene. To change the course of history.  Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. Maybe the likes of a Hitler was destined to come to power. Like it or not. A single citizen would not have made a difference.  So one may be wise. To get on with one’s individual life. Making the best of it. Despite the lousy political climate. --Jim Broede

True camaraderie.

Isn't it nice? That when it comes to religious and spiritual matters. We all have the option to go our own way. And to live happily ever after. Because we think we made the right choice. Doesn't matter if we are fooling ourselves. When the goal is to be happy. I've been reasonably happy. All my life. Right or wrong. I'm happy. Because I am free to choose my course. To follow my instincts. To do the right thing. For me. And for the common good, too. Of course, I could be wrong. But I have a chance of being right, too. We all do. I proceed. On the basis of my stylized inner faith. Rather than the dictates of organized religions. Maybe that makes me disorganized. But still, I feel good about it. Hopefully, we all feel good about our personal decisions. Even for those of us who stand alone. So very many ways to be in love. With life. So many paths to follow. Perhaps to a common destination. Where we all meet. And have a convivial time. With each other. True camaraderie. --Jim Broede

Little wonder.

I’m suspicious of advertisers and politicians and the media. Of everyone. Trying to sell me a bill of goods. Primarily by using sound bites. Tailored to manipulate my mind. Of course, I put up resistance. But still, I’m swayed in subtle and unconscious ways. To buy this or that product. To vote for certain political candidates. And I too often fail to separate fact from fiction. Because I’m deluged with too much information (aka propaganda).  Yes. I’m frightened. Scared out of my wits. Because the grand manipulators have taken over the world. Often, without most of us having the slightest clue. Little wonder. That oddball Donald Trump is our president. We are being manipulated. To buy anything. Even the worst kinds of lies. -Jim Broede

No limits on my fantasies.

I wonder. If the creator has undergone a significant personality change in the past million years. That’s an awfully long time to remain static.  Without an attitudinal upgrade. If I lived for a million years. I’d have learned a lot. From my many, many mistakes.  I’d be a better and more understanding guy. Maybe even a god. I suppose it took time to qualify as a really competent god. Yes. Yes. Give me a million years. And I would learn to be, if not god, his trusted and competent assistant. I’m  sure of it.  God can rest assured. I have no plan for a heavenly palace coup.  But I am amused. Merely thinking about it. I place no limits on my fantasies. --Jim Broede

Willing to go anywhere.

Nothing wrong. With being one of many.  I get solace. In being able to think about it all.Used to be. That I didn't have a clue. Now I do. But it's only a clue. That's good enough. Because one clue leads to another clue. That's the nature of life. Endless clues. That take me beyond the horizon. I am a curious explorer. Willing to go anywhere. --Jim Broede

Could it be?

I’d love to flit back and forth. To a million years in the future. And to a million years in the past. To satisfy my curiosity. Maybe the original creator. Could do all that. Someone who can do any and everything. If he’s still around. I want to submit my request.  To be granted the ability. For only a few days. To experience what conditions were like. On planet Earth one million years ago. And what it’s going to be like one million years from now. I suspect that the future will be far more scary than the past. Makes me wonder. If I’ll still want to live forever. Could it be that nothingness will be better than life? --Jim Broede

Let me be around. To find out.

We’ve come a long way, my fellow humanoids. In 300,00 years. That’s the age of the oldest fossils of homo sapiens found in Morocco. Read  it in a story in the New York Times.  Complete with a front page photo of a 300,000-year-old human jawbone. Wow! I’m fascinated. Just thinking about  all this. Wondering. Curiously. What it must have been like. Roaming our planet. When there was no clue. Of what we were to become.  Apparently,  evolution has brought us this far. But we still have a long way to go. Before becoming truly intelligent beings. Wondering. Wondering If it will happen in another 300,000 years. Please. Please. Allow me to be an everlasting spirit. So that I'm still around. To find out. --Jim Broede

Does it really matter?

I wonder. If intelligent physical life exists on millions or billions of other inhabitable planets in the infinite cosmos.  And if they have religions. Similar to ours. Or have they gone in other enlightened directions? Do they believe in a creator?  Have they developed technologies that allow them to contact life in other far-flung worlds? Stuff beyond our imaginations. Of course, I want no limits. On my imagination. Maybe they are the ones. That brought life to Planet Earth. Yes, another more advanced civilizations created us. Complex and sophisticated robots. Who think we are truly alive and conscious. Able to replicate ourselves. Yes. Yes. Here we are. Billions of robots. The offspring of a single computerized  robot. Perhaps named Adam. Don’t know If it's a myth. Or real. Does it really  matter? --Jim Broede

Forever, it seems.

I’m waiting. For a time. When Democrats and Republicans. Deal with political issues. On a bipartisan basis. Working together. For the common good. For solutions. To almost everything.  By give and take. By compromise. Respectful of each other. I’m waiting, waiting, waiting. Forever, it seems.  --Jim Broede

When I become spirit.

I’m thinking. About  the advantages of being a living spirit. The physical world would be transformed. Into an idyllic wonderland. To visit and explore. On the whim. I’d waste no time going to the planet Venus. To explore. Where it’s 900 degrees Fahrenheit. No place for a physical version of me. But hey, a spirit can go anywhere. No physical restraints anymore. Living, instead, on a plateau closer to the creator himself. I’d move from galaxy to galaxy. Of my own choosing. Knowing there are billions of galaxies. Each with billions of suns. Clustered with planets. All suitable for spirits. I suspect. That right now. Spirits are residing on Mars and Jupiter and Saturn. Wow! I can hardly wait to visit them all. When I become spirit. --Jim Broede

Time to percolate.

Lately, I find myself taking life one week at a time. Rather than focusing on a single day. Don’t know why. Other than it seems best. The comfortable way to go. Breaking life into weekly segments. Time is such peculiar thing. I need more time than a day. To make my life click. Properly. Can’t do it in 24 hours. I have so much to cram in. And it makes no sense to be in a hurry. I have an obligation. To ponder how to go about living. To the fullest. Really, I need multiple or never-ending lifetimes. I’ve learned. That a moment becomes precious. When I give it time.  To percolate.  --Jim Broede

A thrilling thought.

Life. Always was. Always will be. If that’s so. Doesn’t have to be a creator. When I speak of life. I imagine it to be teeming. Throughout the cosmos. Consider the mathematical possibilities. Billions of galaxies. Each galaxy with billions of suns. Orbited by planets. Some of which have conditions favorable for the emergence of life. Even more intelligent, more profound than that on our planet. Yes. Yes. We are not alone. Perhaps there never was a need for a grand creator.  After all, there was no beginning. There will be no end. Life abounds. And keeps evolving. From physical. To spiritual. In whatever form we wish. Anything imaginable. We can choose. Whatever form we want to be. We are our own creators. With no limits. Oh, what a thrilling thought. --Jim Broede

Probing. Learning. Listening.

I’m an unabashed political liberal. So where do I go? Virtually every night. For my news and commentary.  Yes, to MSNBC. With good reason.  Because it’s comforting. To get the so-called liberal slant. It’s stuff I want to hear. In support of the way I think. Seldom do I turn to conservative-leaning Fox News. It’s a waste of time. I’ve been there. As a young man, I was duped. I was politically conservative. Now I know better. I’ve rejected political conservatism. I’m happy being a liberal. To have MSNBC around to help fortify my views. Of course. I’m encouraged. By my conservative friends. To be more objective.  To listen to opinions contrary to mine. Fact is, I do. That’s why I am what I am.  Accepting a liberal or progressive label. Though really, I’m a maverick. An independent. Constantly evolving. Always on the move. Probing. Learning. Listening. --Jim Broede

A very decent guy.

I think of the creator as a very decent guy. A buddy. That I can converse with. At any time. The creator doesn't require me to hold him in exaltation. He's one of us.  Very  modest. And self-effacing. I can talk to him about anything. In a very casual manner. There's a book. 'Conversations with God.' By a bloke. He takes my casual approach, too. He and his god are buddies.  Nice thing about the creator. He's multi-lingual. Speaks every language.  And seems to understand where everyone is coming from. Including me. His ultimate challenge. He puts me at ease. Always. That's very comforting. Furthermore, he loves to debate. We have some real donnybrooks on occasion. I give him credit. For having an open mind. He tolerates the likes of you and me. Encourages us to be ourselves. Little wonder. That I like him. --Jim Broede

Causing no harm.

Seems to me. That my view/perspective on political, economic, social, religious and spiritual  issues. Cause no harm. For anyone. It’s mere opinion. No more. No less. I am not compelling anyone. To do as I say. This is where I stand. Take it or leave it. And if you think I’m wrong, tell me. I’ll listen. Because you have your right to your opinion. And I’ll respect it.  I may even change my mind. If you make a worthy case. Yes, I try to stay in a state of flux. With an open mind. Reasonable. And truthful. That’s what I want to be. And I don't mind being in the minority. --Jim Broede

Lies. To get us by.

The truth. Maybe that’s what I have been searching for. All my life. And now I’m wondering. If there is such a thing. As truth. Because it’s so easy to deceive one’s self. To start to believe. That one has finally found the truth. Only to wake up the next day.  Knowing full well that the search must continue. And most likely there is no truth. Only lies. Designed to get us by.  --Jim Broede

All I need.

I have far too much stuff. It’s one of my weaknesses. Maybe one of my sins. I’ve allowed myself to collect. Too many clothes, too many books, too many CDs, too many knick-knacks. Stuff tucked away. Neatly. Clothes on hangars. Or folded in dresser drawers. Collecting is an addiction. For a while, I collected bird houses. Because it made me feel good. Seeing all those bird  houses. Hanging from hundreds of trees. Finally. Finally. I’ve made a decision. To get rid of stuff. Boxes and boxes. Off to the thrift stores. And to the organizations. That pick up stuff. At the curbside. For their money-raising events. Makes me think I’m giving to a good cause. But my real motive. Is to get rid of stuff. That I never needed. Material possessions. All I need. Are the bare essentials. Not least, a little bit of love. And the knowledge that I’m an alive and conscious being. Yes. Yes. That’s all I need. --Jim Broede

My destiny.

I choose to notice stuff. Rather than ignore it. That was my training. Not only as a journalist. But as a human being. As a young man, I thought I could change the world. Now I know better. All I can do is change me. Alter my approach to life.  I can’t change others. Only they can change themselves. Maybe that’s the way it should be. Though I am able to have a remarkable effect. On certain people that I love. Such as my Italian amore. She, too, has an extraordinary impact me. And the way I approach life. Amazing. Amazing. The effect love has on one’s life. That’s my destiny. To be a lover. --Jim Broede

Being reasonable and truthful.

Seems to me. That my view/perspective on political, economic, social, religious and spiritual  issues. Cause no harm. For anyone. It’s mere opinion. No more. No less. I am not compelling anyone. To do as I say. This is where I stand. Take it or leave it. And if you think I’m wrong, tell me. I’ll listen. Because you have your right to your opinion. And I’ll respect it.  I may even change my mind. If you make a worthy case. Yes, I try to stay in a state of flux. With an open mind. Reasonable. And truthful. That’s what I want to be. And I don't mind being in the minority. --Jim Broede

Please, allow me to be.

I consider myself a citizen of the world. Not merely an American. I have German and Czech roots. I have an Italian amore, too. I travel in Europe, in Britain, in Canada. All over. I feel unrestricted. Free. A resident not only of Planet Earth. But of the vast, infinite cosmos. I don’t put America above and beyond all else. Because we are all in this together. At the moment, I feel more French. Than American. Other times, I feel African or Asian or Middle Eastern. Little wonder. That I am in love. With life. With existence. Please. Please. Allow me to live in a buoyant and boundless manner. --Jim Broede