...what she learned in church.

Yes, there's a benefit stemming from the 9/11 tragedy. Both tickets for president have agreed to suspend their campaigning today. Suggesting it's inappropriate to bicker on this day. Oh, blessed relief. Thank heavens for 9/11. Almost like Christmas. When we vow to be on our good behavior for a day. And practice the Yuletime spirit. Too bad we can't live this way daily. All 365 days of the year. Our political campaigns are far too long. Too laborious. Too devoid of focused issues. Instead, pettiness prevails. And the cult of personality, too. One of the vice presidential candidates grew up in a Pentecostal church. Where folks speak in tongues. Another name for gibberish. Words that only god is supposed to understand. By golly, little wonder that she's a politician. She practices what she learned in church. --Jim Broede

I'd rather be known as a lover.

I like what I'm doing. Living. Loving. A day doesn't go by without me feeling alive. And in love. For a relatively long time now. Since I retired 10 years ago, I've had time. More time to focus on what I want to be. And what I want to do. To be me. A romantic idealist. A liberal. A free-thinker. And not least, a lover. Finally, as I am about to begin my 73rd year on Earth, I have a genuine sense of life. The thrill of being alive and in love. I wanted to be that from the beginning, I suspect. But I didn't fully know it until recent years. Now I know there's nothing better than to be in love. To be able to savor the day. Every day. I used to think that my primary mission in life was to be a writer. To pursue what's commonly called a career. But I'd rather be known as a lover. --Jim Broede

...stretching the truth.

I'm thinking that politics is a game. To be played. In cunning and devious ways. To manipulate people. For the sake of gaining power. And celebrity, too. To salve the human ego. I played it for a while. A long time ago. On the local level. Manipulating my way onto the local school board for 3 years. Yes, I probably did it to satisfy my ego. To effect change, too. I'm not sure if I had any genuine higher purpose in mind. I guess I learned something. In the end, I didn't want to compromise myself. I didn't want to sell my soul by playing this game. Seems to me if one really wants to succeed in politics above the local level, one must be driven. One must want power. And adulation. Maybe above everything else. A good politician, I suppose, is calculating. To the point of creating an image. A political self that can win over his/her constituency. Maybe to fool the people. By being clever. Saying the right things in the right places at the right times. A little like a used car salesman. Being affable. Selling people a bill of goods...even if it means stretching the truth. --Jim Broede

...makes me feel divinely inspired.

I'm making progress. Getting organized. Little things. Did two loads of wash last night. Put my oven on automatic clean overnight. Scoured the kitchen sink. Scrubbed most of the floors. And in recent days, I've hung 20 to 30 birdhouses and windchimes on a wire that extends from the garage to a tree on the east side of my lot, running across the yard. And the garage and an adjoining storage room have been cleaned up and organized. I've cleaned the kitchen counters. I cleaned the back door. Took a broom and swept away cobwebs under the eaves of the house. My gosh, what has gotten into me? Makes me feel I'm getting things done. Living in a little bit of neater and cleaner environs. Maybe I'm practicing what I preach. Making sure my surroundings are a bit more relaxing. Creating a sense of peace and calm. The very thing I've been urging others to do. Taking control. Maybe of only the little things over which I have control. But maybe these are the big things. Because they can affect my mood. Positively. Gives me a sense of accomplishment. Of getting things done. And yes, I've been writing. I've posted almost 40 threads so far this month right here in my blog. And I've been posting pretty much on a daily basis on the Alzheimer's message boards. And I'm writing love letters. And thinking about being in love. And maybe all this makes me feel divinely inspired. --Jim

Show us your best stuff, Obama.

Obama. Obama. Get with it, man. Or you are gonna lose this election. You have lost your lustre. John McCain and his barracuda have taken it from you. Stolen it. They are outfoxing you on the political front. They are making this an election of personalities. Not issues. Yes, personalities. They are gambling that American voters care more about captivating personalities than about captivating issues. It's a lot easier making personality captivating than it is to make an issue captivating. Americans want to be entertained. They don't care that much about issues. Early in the primary campaign, you deftly captured their imaginations, Obama. But you haven't done much since. You have to electrify the electorate. Day after day. Week after week. Or you'll lose to the Republicans. In a year that once seemed impossible. McCain and the barracuda are about to pull off a big, big upset. Unless you do something about it. And I mean soon, Obama. Show us your best stuff. --Jim Broede

I'm always happy in love.

I know what usually makes me unhappy. It's when I get ahead of myself. Because that prompts me to wish. Wish for particular outcomes. Such as wishing for Barack Obama to be elected president. And for the Chicago Cubs to get into the playoffs and to win the World Series. These are outcomes that would make me happy. But if I wish too much -- well, then I'll be unhappy, I suppose, if the wishes don't come true. And when I'm watching the day by day progression leading up to these final outcomes, I sometimes get a little tense. Watching. Watching. Anticipating. Anticipating. Wishing. Wishing. Almost as if I am wanting to play god. When really, I am in absolutely no position to influence the outcomes. Rather ridiculous, isn't it? I submit myself to unnecessary stress. I would be better off paying little or no attention to the unfolding of so many, many events. And just plug in at the end to learn of the outcomes. In other words, it might be a blessing if I were, let's say, in faraway Tahiti with someone I love. Out of contact with the rest of the world. Because then I'd be focused on love. I'd be more or less in Eden, I suppose. Reading books. Writing. Making love. Enjoying good food. Yes, savoring life. Now that's the way to live. In a sense, I'm trying to do that now. I'm trying not to pay too much attention to the presidential race, and to the Cubs. And I'm writing. Like I am right now. Reflecting on life. And love. And that love is the most important element in my life. And so if I eventually get bad news about the presidential race or about the Cubs -- well, it won't matter that much in the grand scheme of things. I'll just settle for being in love. And so if Obama and the Cubs both lose, I still win...because I'm always happy in love. --Jim Broede

...tolerance and patience.

I'm fascinated by Sarah (Barracuda) Palin's religion. Growing up in a Pentecostal church. The Assembly of God. Where they speak in tongues. Really wild stuff. Which is all right. To each his/her own. A few years ago, when I was wheeling Jeanne around town in a wheelchair, people would come up to me and declare, "God bless you." That included a retired Assembly of God minister. We had some nice discussions about religion. He thought I was going to hell. Because I'm a free-thinker. I started out as a Christian. But grew disenchanted with organized religion. Now I'm what might be called a freelance monotheist. Which means I believe in a god. But I don't let preachers of any religion tell me what I'm supposed to believe. I think for myself. Anyway, this Assembly of God guy wanted to bring me back to Christianity, I guess. His kind of Christianity. I listen. I talk. And I'm polite. I thought for a while I might lure him over to my way of thinking. I really didn't want to do that. Because I respect others' beliefs. There are so many ways. Not just one way. But this guy still thinks there's only one way to salvation. His way. I can't buy into that stuff. After all, my god even saves atheists. He doesn't even require that people believe in god. He saves everyone. Because he is a loving god. He loves everyone. He gives everyone a second chance, a third chance. So many chances. My god never runs out of patience. And that's how I have learned patience. And tolerance. I have been taught directly by god himself. God tells me that true lovers have tolerance and patience. --Jim Broede