Category Archives: Social

Lunch Pail People

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Posted by on in Community, distraction issues, Social

November 5, 2016, Prescott-  I sat down for breakfast with friends at the local lodge of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), enjoying pancakes, with scrambled eggs, bacon and a sausage link- for less than what Denny’s would charge for same.  It was my first visit to the lodge, which sits a scant 1,000 yards from my house.

A disparate crowd comes to breakfast here- a retired district court judge, a diesel mechanic, the city’s mayor (once in a blue moon), a retired Army major and a former jet pilot, for starters.  The organization draws more female veterans than does the American Legion.  It is also meeting some success in attracting younger men, who have served in our recent wars.

When I checked my social media feeds, after breakfast, I spotted a photo of my second eldest paternal uncle, proudly giving his younger daughter’s hand in marriage, some thirty   years ago.  He passed away, not long afterward, but the  expression of pride on his face is timeless.  He was an electrician and  carpenter, most of his adult life.My parents, as well as  uncles and aunts, on both sides of the family, were , by and large, members of the lunch pail crowd- people who played by the rules, mostly worked the same jobs for decades, and took a lot of heartache in stride, because there seemed little other choice.

The people with whom I took breakfast this morning are, likewise, those who are trying their best, every day, to live life as they always have, and are seeing a multitude of changes, some good and some not so beneficial.  The lives of lunch pail people are turning upside down.  Many of them are buying into the hype, offered by one candidate or accepting, as truth, the white noise and innuendo regarding both main candidates.

I trust that, as the election fades into the background, those who work hard for a living will remember that it is only by standing firm, together, that the people of this nation have ever made any real progress.

Affected

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Posted by on in Community, Personal Values, Social, Striving

November 3, 2016, Prescott- I went to work this morning, and got word of a major change coming.  It won’t affect me, directly, in terms of my earning a paycheck, every two weeks.  How it will affect me, as to work assignment, is very much unknown, at this point.  The person most directly affected by the change is, understandably, putting up a bit of resistance.  I don’t see that ending well, but it’s best for me to just stay out of it and focus on the children.

After work, I went to a lovely Baha’i gathering, by way of visiting, for the first time, the home of some friends, who live east of Prescott Valley.  The host had each of us tell the person to our right, something nice about him/her, while clasping hands and looking the person in the eye.  This small act brought a smile to each recipient of the tribute.  It occurs to me that it’s not done enough.

Such an exchange occurred ONCE, during the debates between the two major Presidential candidates.  It would do my heart good if, the day that the people’s choice is clear and accepted, the two major candidates would repeat this exchange.  I’m not waiting with bated breath, but it’d do my heart good.

Let’s all set the tone, as citizens.  Find something good to say about a perceived opponent or rival- and tell the person.

Coming Attractions/Distractions

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Posted by on in distraction issues, Inner Struggles, Social, Spiritual, Striving

November 2, 2016, Prescott-

Today, I was to report to jury duty- until I wasn’t.

I went by HR and dutifully reported that fact,

and took the day as a religious Holy Day,

which it was.

Baha’u’llah’s birth was commemorated,

having occurred on this day, 199 years ago.

As it’s marked, according to the Lunar Calendar,

next year’s bicentenary will fall in mid-October.

What the nation needs, in this time of turmoil,

is a champion.

So, as rain falls in Cleveland, and the two best teams

in baseball are tied, at the end of the 9th inning,

the nation will wait for its champion.

There are no champions visible,

in the political realm,

but who’s keeping tabs on that?

Kirk Douglas, God willing,

will turn 100, soon.

I wish him the best.

Now, I look forward

to two hard-worked days,

and a refreshing drum circle,

to end this long week.

 

 

Tantrums

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Posted by on in children, Community, Inner Struggles, Social, Striving

November 1, 2016, Prescott-

The classroom quiet is broken,

by a ten-year old,

telling his teacher

that black is white,

up is down, and so,

she should stop arguing with him.

The national stage

is occupied

by cartoon characters,

some dangerous,

others just annoying.

The media ranges

from warnings, of impending

Communism,

from the far right

to shouts of “approaching Fascism”,

from the far left.

I sit beside the child

and show him that black is

indeed, black

and up is, most assuredly,

not down.

Who will guide the nation,

away from the crush

of tantrums?

A YOOOOGE Party

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Posted by on in Community, Personal Values, Social, Striving

October 29, 2016, Phoenix-  The fact is, I’ve already voted.  That’s all I’ll say about that topic.  My day kept me in this slowly cooling-off former place of ten years’ residence.  It did not go above 93, and my stops were in lovely venues, so the day lifted my spirits.

It helped that the morning was spent discussing spiritual matters.  We Baha’is are celebrating the birthdays of both Baha’u’llah and His immediate Predecessor, al-Bab (The Gate, in Arabic), in two contiguous days, this coming week.  There will be gatherings during the day, in my home community, while our friends here in Phoenix are planning a Monday evening of prayer and reflection, in lieu of Halloween- as al-Bab’s birthday falls on November 1, this year.  Baha’u’llah’s birthday is being commemorated the following day. More on these Holy Days later.

I also visited an old friend, whose wife, unbeknownst to me until today, had passed away in December, 2014.  She had been one of Penny’s closest friends, when they were students together, at Arizona State University-West, from 2006-09.  The poor soul had also suffered severe physical ailments, for nearly ten years.  Her husband is now retired, and is a freelance mechanic, restoring old vehicles, which he loves doing.  It did my heart good to spend a few hours catching up with him.

I see Halloween as an excuse to indulge in cosplay, just a bit- I had my wizard’s mask on for all of ten minutes.  Mostly, it is another social event, and the people whom I first went to visit, this evening, had canceled their party, preferring to go to a school fair, instead.

Thus, I found myself at a theatrical affair, with the hosts giving a nod to the upcoming election.  Their party is always a well-catered, elaborately decorated event, with a large, diverse and multi-generational crowd.  This one was especially YOOOGE!

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Gen Z Charades

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Posted by on in children, Community, Personal Values, Social, Striving

October 20, 2016, Prescott-

A little boy and his sister greeted me, when I sat down behind their table, this evening, in a local pizza shop.

As time went on, and their father continued to talk with their uncle, the kids and their two cousins engaged in a game of charades.  There was no whining about when they were about to leave, just four children enjoying one another’s company.  The girl was the most inventive of the group, portraying everything from a softball pitcher to Nemo, the cartoon fish.

This is a bit of irony, compared with what I see lying ahead for the generation that will both follow the Millennials and will need to work, hand in glove with their immediate elders, in cleaning up so many of the messes that are being left them.  There will be no pretending for Generation Z, when they come of age.

Ways of solving problems will be found, the likes of which will seem as exotic, to any Baby Boomers who live into our eighties and nineties, as the i-Pad, solar energy and electronic music did, to those of the GI Generation.  Humanity will prevail, for many reasons, not the least of which is the hard-wired internal technology of the two rising generations.

Charades will be seen for what they are:  A parlour game, not a ruse for ignoring pressing issues.

Prominence, Entitlement, Insecurity

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Posted by on in collaborating, Inner Struggles, Personal Values, Social, Striving

October 18, 2016, Prescott-

In the past week, every prominent male political figure, it seems, has had to endure a fine-toothed comb scrutiny of his record, vis-a-vis behaviour towards women.  It’s only fair, I suppose, for the spotlight to shine across the spectrum.

I can’t say my thinking, over the years, has met the gold standard set by former President Jimmy Carter- but I have indeed long since gotten past lusting in my heart.  It would not have ended well, with all that Penny meant, and means, to me. I could never operate as certain men in the public eye are said to move. The difference is, I am not a man of prominence or entitlement.  I am also secure in my own skin.

Truth be known, having women as friends is, as I have said several times, far more satisfying, in and of itself, than a trail of “conquests” could ever be.  Placing shackles on another being requires endless vigilance.  Helping to liberate and elevate another, frees oneself, in ways that no Lothario could even begin to imagine.

I see a far brighter future for both men and women, as the dust settles on the crash of SS Misogyny.

Castle in the Canyon

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Posted by on in Service Activities, Social

October 16, 2016, Prescott Valley- After a Saturday morning of service, via the Red Cross, in the incomparable town of Sedona, a fine lunch and conversation with a friend who works near our service site, and a couple of social gatherings with Baha’i friends, my knees asked for a bit of consideration.  Unlike many my age, I cannot sit for too long, without getting up and giving my frame a good workout.

So this afternoon, as our biweekly Sunday lunch gathering was drawing to a close, I headed for the one peak in the Prescott area which I had not yet hiked:  Glassford Hill.  This extinct volcano had been State Trust Land, and largely restricted in use, until this past May.  A trail was completed, and was dedicated then, and is now a welcome addition to this grassland community’s recreational portfolio.

It is a 2.25 mile hike, each way, from the trailhead to the summit.  The difficulty level, to me, is moderate, with four short switchbacks of moderate incline, each connected by road-width, relatively level longer switchbacks.  It took about 1 1/2 hours to go up and back.

The centerpiece of the trail is a pair of basalt outcroppings, called The Castle in the Canyon, for their imposing appearance.

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Basalt formations, Summit Trail, Glassford Hill

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Basalt formation, Summit Trail, Glassford Hill

The “Castle” lies just shy of the one-mile point, of the trail.

The rest of the mountain is largely tall grass prairie.  Pronghorns and deer are seen quite often on the wider slopes, though none were visible when I was there. A few mountain lions are said to live on the peak, as well.

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Communications towers, northwest peak of Glassford Hill.

At the summit, the peak’s namesake, Colonel William Glassford, erected a heliograph terminal, by which he was able to communicate, via  Morse Code, with U.S. Army officers at Fort Union, NM.  The process is described on the placard below.

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Information placard, on summit of Glassford Hill

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Heliograph plate, summit of Glassford Hill

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Commemorative flag, honouring Colonel Glassford, summit of Glassford Hill

As far as we know,there was little use of this peak by the Apache or Yavapai peoples, who pre-dated the ranchers in this area.  The first name bestowed on the mountain was “Baldy Peak”, owing to its being a grassland with a  few bristlecone pine trees.

Its uniqueness among the mountains of Yavapai County, nevertheless, makes Glassford Hill a  trail worthy of a good afternoon’s workout.

Attraction

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Posted by on in distraction issues, Personal Values, Social, Striving

October 13, 2016, Prescott- After a worthwhile five days, assisting my son in getting his recovery from a foot injury into routine mode, I drove back here yesterday.  The whole mess surrounding how one Presidential candidate treats women and girls, followed by how filthy his main opponent’s language is, was kept at bay, during my time in Chula Vista.

These issues, however, do need to be addressed by anyone with a conscience.  So, here goes:  Objectifying anyone, based on one’s own lusts and proclivities, is understandable, in seeing human behaviour from the standpoint of the animal.  Yet, we are, primarily, much more than animals, are we not?  The most sensuous, loveliest of women is entitled to the same respect and consideration a man gives to himself.  Her dreams and hopes for her life are not to be overlooked, or minimized. That makes her the same as a person of average countenance, or a homely individual. This is a basic human right, and has nothing to do with a person’s attributes- physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

It goes without saying that my friends are of all ages, shapes, sizes, levels of mental acuity, and any other category one can name.  They have one thing in common:  Humanity.  Many could not be in the same room together, but oh, well.  They each have at least one attribute to which I am attracted.

Initially, I have to say that the first thing I notice about a person, physically, is her/his eyes.  They tell me much of what I need to know.  Then, the person’s  facial cast, and the level of relaxation/tension in the body as a whole, come into view.  Are the person’s hands tense or relaxed (fisted up or open)? Is he/she tight and tense, from top to bottom, or laid back and engaged with the world?  Is she/he talkative, shy, or a mix of the two?

Regarding language, I am, as a rule, put off by an excess of profanity.  It is not so much a sense of prudery on my part, as it is that profanity is a filler, for those whose vocabulary is self-limited.  It is also insulting to those at whom it is directed.  I would prefer a leader, as I prefer friends, whose speech is respectful and elevated.  Profanity as a regular part of speech is degrading, both to the speaker and to all hearers.

 

Achiote

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Posted by on in Family, Social, Travel

October 11, 2016, San Ysidro-This afternoon, I made a rare drive down to California’s border with Baja California Norte.  Aram got a call from one of his buddies from Phoenix, who is now a truck driver, on the north-south California circuit.  Bill was in this San Diego neighbourhood, that abuts Tijuana, and wanted to meet up for dinner.

So, without much ado, we met Bill at the San Ysidro Pilot truck stop and drove the five miles westward, to the border.  500 yards from the line, Achiote Mexican Restuarant awaits the true connoisseur.  The three of us enjoyed stellar home made salsa, serrano sauce and habanero sauce, with freshly made tortilla chips.  It’s been years since I’ve had salsa that is not from a jar, or a can.

The entrees were equally awesome, including the biggest torta I’ve ever seen.  True to my policy of saving half of my dinner, whenever possible, the demi-torta will serve as lunch, or supper, tomorrow.  Below, are my son and his friend, halfway through the meal.14721447_10209639648680988_2878974380905049912_n

I, on the other hand, was photographed prior to the gourmandment.

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There were all manner of northern Mexican standards, done the best that anyone could want- true enchiladas, and punos, for example- as well as the burritos, tacos and sopa de albondigas that are so common, across the U.S.  I would go back to Achiote, in a heartbeat, and just might, even after Aram heads for Korea. San Diego will long continue to have a tug on my heart.

There is much with which to concern oneself, regarding international borders.  For me, this evening, the concern was a mundane one:  A high volume of traffic, on some narrow and confusing streets.  Fortunately, there was enough wiggle room for me to scoot around the long line of traffic that was bound for Tijuana, and continue back to the Pilot, after our meal.  It would have been awkward asking the Federales for permission to make a u-turn.

It has always paid to take good care of my son, in more ways than I can ever recount.