And the winner is...!

What did you shoot? What was your score? What was your time? And the Winner is…! In America we are obsessed with the winner (i.e. like the Miss America Contest). We don’t much care for who is second or third or forth, we want to know who the winner is. Participation is not much recognized, we want to know who the winner is. Who crossed the finish line first, who made the most money, who has the biggest house, who at the end had the most points, who has the most money, who has the most stuff. This is all in the world’s eyes (i.e. the world’s measuring stick). GerogeTheCrook asks—BUT are they really winners. Such is life.

The real world (i.e. God’s world) says the winner is the servant (i.e. the least). Now that’s a conflict folks. A friend who did the opening at church last Sunday (i.e. this guy can sign like a bird) talked about the poor guy with sores that the rich guy didn’t want anything to do with. This singingbirdguy opened the service talking about how blessed he was (i.e. he has a good heart—a real person—my kind of person). The lectionary scripture this last week was about the rich man and the poor guy covered with sores. And the winner was…! Ouchy ouchy! I read Sunday morning while eating my oatmeal with dried cranberries on it—Do I see a gradual and continuing change in myself? Then in Sunday school, a friend who sat next to me took out this index card from her Bible and gave it to me—It read: No way can I feed on Jesus thru reading and hearing His Word and still remain the same. And the winner is…!

Joexixpack says—When things don’t go my way I want change (i.e. I want it to go my way—look at how folks vote—they vote for change when things aren’t going their way). So in the elections this fall the winner will be…! There's an old sea story about a ship's Captain who inspected his sailors, and afterward told the first mate that his men smelled bad. The Captain suggested perhaps it would help if the sailors would change underwear occasionally. The first mate responded, "Aye, aye sir, I'll see to it immediately!"The first mate went straight to the sailors berth deck and announced, "The Captain thinks you guys smell bad and wants you to change your underwear." He continued, "Pittman, you change with Jones, McCarthy, you change with Witkowski, and Brown, you change with Schultz." THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Someone may come along and promise "Change", but don't count on things smelling any better. And the winner is the one who can promise the most to improve the lives of the voters (e.g. raise “giveouts” and “lowertaxes”)—they get reelected most of the time. Suckamucka!

Think about this—List 5 folks who you think are the greatest winners—I did but it was hard for me—I think the winners who I wrote down might not really consider themselves winners (i.e. I don’t know but I think that). Soooooo who are really the winners?

Many folks wish they would have done something else with their life (i.e. missed the target—had their latter leaning against the wrong wall). Some folks change mid stream and take a path of what they always wanted to do (i.e. satisfy their urging of their soul). Joesixpack says—I pray that I may follow the inner urging of my soul. Sooooooo who’s a winner folks? Are you a winner you think?

Do you watch Dancing With The Stars? I watched Kurt Warner dance the other night. Everything is designed so “wehaveawinner”! We always have to have a winner. America loves winners it appears as everyone wants to be the winner! I have never watched any of the survivor shows but I see they are very popular. And the winner is? Jim Furyk won the FedEx and made $11 million! He’s the winner. Is he really a winner in life? I have no idea. The winner might not always be the winner. Winner of the $100,000,000 lotto is JoeBlow! They put his picture in the paper like he’s really the winner. Is he? History proves that many times it’s just the opposite. Actually most times the winner of those lotteries is someone who has no idea of how to handle that money. And maybe the reality is—most of the real winners don’t play the lottery. What do you think? History proves that most so called winners pray on the weaker (i.e. take advantage of them). Think about that.

Saturday question—Most folks in the world are motivated by their needs but it appears in America more often than not, we are motivated by our wants. It’s like the dog chasing the car, what is he going to do with it when he catches it? Is the big wheel the winner? What does a dog do to a big wheel? Everyone wants to be the “bigdog” it appears (i.e. we are told that anyway). Heather and James have a yellow lab named Daphney. They told us this story—James says to Heather, where is Erin, I don’t know. Erin crawled through the doggie door into the garage and then trough the doggie door to the back yard, had her pants down, was squatting and pooping! They asked her—what are you doing Erin—I playing doggie!

ItchieBitchie says--I sit and think--am I a winner? Very few folks in this world even know me. And the ones that do, only a few really really care about me. And the few who really really care about me have their own lives to think about toooooo soooooo they need to think about themselves first. The reality is I have to decide for myself if I’m a winner or not and it’s really really very hard to know if I’m a winner or not. I loose way more often than I win sooooooo how can I be a winner. Somehow I need to deal with that and understand that. I got to understand that loosing a battle doesn’t mean that I have lost the war!

The pastor of the church that Heather and James and Erin attend said in one of his talks (i.e. Heather asked my to listen to in on their web site) that if he would not have gone through all his suffering (i.e. he said he came from a very dysfunctional family, had a learning disability, and was picked on during his youth) he would not have become the person he was (i.e. including being a Christian). So can suffering make a person a winner?

I taught Monday and Tuesday. I asked four high school students sitting at a table in 4th period study hall—Sooooo who are winners and what are the qualities of a winner. I said I would let them discuss that and check with them later. They said that was a hard question but a winner does help folks. Give me an example—Parents who have children and work hard to support them in many ways. They are not glory seekers but just do something good. I asked them if they are winners. They said – not yet. We have to prove ourselves first—it’s tooooo early to tell. So is that wisdom? Can you be a winner one day and mess it up the next? I think I can. I read recently that we all go through different seasons in our lives and experience different situations and we might react differently during our different seasons. We could be a winner and then maybe not another time. You think so? I think so. It’s like what I remember what a president of an auto insurance company said at an appreciation golf outing maybe 25 years ago. One of their companies sold sub-standard auto insurance (i.e. insurance for folks who have an OWI or multiple violations). He said, we appreciate your business; we don’t want the shit but the cream of the shit (i.e. meaning we want the folks who made a mistake but really are good folks). MissPerfect asks—Do you think Gwen (i.e. a single parent of three who lost her husband) whom works her butt off to take care of her children is a winner? I do folks. Oh by the way—Those study hall girls are really winners in my mind. Yes they are. They are givers (i.e. they have huge massive hearts—real folks—my kind of folks). You know what folks, you guys who read this blog are the same. You are winners. Yes you are. I’m validating your life folks. Such is life.

Wednesday I had the opportunity to spend the day in NE Iowa with my best friend, Arlene. We like NE Iowa (i.e. for those of you who don’t know NE Iowa, it’s hilly with many trees and sits along the Mississippi River with many dairy farms nestled in the those hills—very fun). ANYWAY our day didn’t go as planned. We spend quite a bit of our time in Guttenberg just by accident. I saw Dock 615 on the River and remember that was the dock Mark Klahsen wrote about in his book Old Man River and Me. So I wanted to take a picture of it. My camera said I needed to replace the batteries. So I asked a guy where I could get some batteries—couple blocks down on the left. It was a True Value Hardware and the guy who helped me was Tom. He tested the batteries and said they were good; must be your camera. He had to put them back in as I didn’t have my glasses. It worked. I asked him if I could take his picture. I’m publishing it with his permission. I told him why I wanted to take the picture of Dock 615. I said I wanted to meet the owner to see if he remembered Mark. Tom told me that wasn’t possible as the owner died about three years ago; he went diving in Lake Michiagan and never came back. Wow! That’s sad. Tom is this your business—it’s been in our family for 115 years—how many years have you been here—tooooooo many! If you ever get to Guttenberg, stop in and say hi to Tom or better yet go and buy something from him. I thanked Tom (i.e. I think he’s a winner) and met Arlene. We went across the street to have a late lunch at the Riverview Cafe (i.e. the back was all glass overlooking the river including the lock and dam). The waitresses had on their tee shirts—If you’re lucky enough to be on the river, you’re lucky enough! We shared a burger and onion rings (i.e. very good and a nice view). So I was walking back to Dock 615 and met this senior citizen lady who was walking her dog. I said I just talked to Tom about the poor guy who owned the dock and never came back. She said, they never found his body. His widow sold the dock and Landing Inn (i.e. an old button factory which made buttons from claims from the river) to the new owner. End of conversation. Sooooooo I get to the Landing Inn where Dock 615 is in the river below. There was a guy doing some service work on the Landing so I said—I just talked to Tom at the hardware and he told me about how the previous owner never came back from diving at Lake Michigan. Ya, that’s right. Some think he’s in the Caribbean sipping Pina Coladas, others think he was murdered by…, others think it was just a diving accident and others have other opinions. There were two other businessmen who died about the same time sorta kinda mysterious too. My opinion is—what am I doing telling you all this—that’s enough. All those ideas, speculations, and opinions make for good folk lore stories in Guttenberg and Clayton County. I said, you better get back to making some money. Sooooooo I went and took the picture of Dock 615. As I got done a white car drove up. It was a localguynamedJim. He said the river is really high ‘cause of all the rain in MN—the locks and dam gates are open all the way down—I usually play golf in the morning and fish in the afternoon but the river is tooooooo high. I sometimes help the boys here who fish catfish commercially just to have something to do. Their business/office was just next to Dock 615. They use hoop nets and set lines—usually get about 600 pounds of catfish each day—the high water is bad for folks making their living off the river localguyJim said. Such is life.

 

I saw this on a door of a small town business in Guttenberg (i.e. might have to click to enlarge to read). Obviously the owner thinks the folks around there are winners. They probably are. Then in another little Iowa town I saw this on another front door of a business (i.e. I think that guy is the owner of the business). Someone must think he’s a winner!

Thursday I worked on a real estate closing and then had the opportunity to do a couple hours of volunteer work for Wheaten Franciscan Health (i.e. hospitals in the metro). I do some of their orientation for volunteers. I saw Rod, a former student of mine a zillion years ago (i.e. he’s in charge of the physical plant of the hospital). Farm boy from Aplington who has done well for himself (i.e. he appears to be a winner folks). Then I rode my bike on the beautiful trails in the Cedar Valley, had something to eat and then met an old student of mine, Dennis Oelmann (i.e. graduate of Aplington in 1976—my last year of teaching). I had Dennis in a typing class he told me. He said he wasn’t very good but have got a lot better since (i.e. must have been poor teaching). Dennis played offensive guard and defensive end on the Aplington Panther team that went 7 and 1 his senior year (i.e. a nice winning year). He’s also a farm boy form Aplington that is a winner. ANYWAY what an opportunity for me as he gave me a ride in his homemade Cozy III (i.e. is 1,100 pounds and is about 15 feet long—it’s cozy folks--built in 1989 for $30,000 but now is worth $55,000). Dennis has won many awards as a builder and designer. He has built parts that are all over the world and through this, he has met many folks and traveled the world (i.e. many opportunities). There was an article in the paper recently about all his accomplishments (i.e. very impressive). He is a winner folks for many reasons. The airplane ride was really fun. He even let me fly it (i.e. it’s very quick at 160 mph at 60% throttle). I did a few 10 degree banks—it’s operated by a little stick. We talked and flew and then talked some more (i.e. about three hours in all). What we talked about was really good stuff folks—the real world stuff. Dennis believes that all of us are given some talent and we need to find it and then use it for good (i.e. find what you love). We need to use our talent to help others find their talent so they can again in return help another (i.e. we need to encourage, lift up, and help others develop their talents--find their love and passion). To sum it all up, we need to affect other folks’ lives. And you know what really makes Dennis a winner? He loves the Lord. What more needs to be said! Dennis is a knackie person. Are all winners knackie you think?

And today I’m with James, Heather, Erin, Chet, Jessica, Charlie and Arlene (i.e. our family) in CO celebrating Erin’s third birthday. And the winner is…! You’re right, it is me folks. It doesn’t get much better than this. Some of you know what I’m talking about.

Oh yes, my NeighborKarl is a winner tooooooo! He says—I’m at an age now that I don’t have to worry about dieing young anymore! Or as MyFriendJeans says—There’s no such thing as a bad day—some are just more glorious than others. Such is life.

After biking the other day, I took my laptop and sat in the shelter in the back of Pfeifer Park. There was another gal there doing something. After about a half hour, I packed up and was leaving. She said hi to me and she was printing something on a tee shirt while drinking a tall Coors Lite. This is what she was writing on the tee shirt—“Magic persists without us no matter what we may try to do to spoil it.” ~ Charles Bukowski ~ This gal appears to be a winner folks.

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

KR’s thought of the day—Junk is the stuff you throw out and stuff is the junk you keep!