On going far, far away.

People have the impression. That I’m ‘living outside the mainstream.’ I’ve been told that. By several casual acquaintances. I find that interesting.  Could be. That my friends concur.  I’ll ask them. It’s an interesting concept. That we live in streams. And that there’s a mainstream. Yes, maybe I have veered off. Taken a tributary. Left the mainstream. I’d like to think so.  That would make me an explorer. Willing to take risks. Perhaps going to places few, if any, have been to before. I find that thrilling.  Though I have to admit. I find signs of other explorers. Who preceded me. Makes me wonder. If there are places. In the infinite cosmos. Waiting for me to arrive. A totally new place. Beyond Eden. A place. Created exclusively. For me. Far, far away. Never explored before.  --Jim Broede

Wishing isn't good enough.

I believe. That some people, including a friend or two, should be forced into psychotherapy. No doubt about it. They are mentally ill. Incapacitated to a high degree. But they still muddle through. For a while. Without help. They are what’s commonly called manic depressives. People with wide ranging mood swings. Our health care system doesn’t always step in. Claiming that some have a right to refuse treatment. That they aren’t quite sick enough to be ‘put away.’ In an institution. That’s a pity. Really, should be a crime. Once upon a time, it was my helpless sister. A wonder that she survived. And is still living. In her late 70s. Having miraculously recovered. On her own. That’s what it took. A miracle. For so very many others. There are no miracles. They succumb. Intentionally and unintentionally. Sad stories, indeed. I could weep. But don’t. I am stoic. Knowing that life can be unfair. Society has no inclination or the means to fix everything. Wish it weren’t so. But wishing isn’t good enough.  --Jim Broede

Thankful. But troubled.

I’m affected. By all sorts of life experiences. Positively. Negatively. Makes me wonder. Who’s responsible? When I feel troubled. Physically. Psychologically. Any which way. Apparently, that’s a judgment call. I had a near-death experience. In a car crash. In which I and my two passengers could easily have been killed. An oncoming RV suddenly veered into our lane of traffic. Headed straight for us. At the last second, I veered my vehicle slightly to the left. And we had what is commonly known as a T-bone collision. Thereby, preventing a head-on crash in which we would probably have been crushed to death. Wow! A close call, indeed.  All three of us walked away. With relatively minor physical injuries.  As for the mental affects. That’s another still lingering story. We’ve all seen psychotherapists. Three years later. We’re very much alive. Reason to be thankful. But hey, we’re still troubled. --Jim Broede