I understand--MAYBE

I shared a comical, true story with a few friends. Some got it and some didn't. One guy said his wife had to explain it to him.  Another asked me to explain it to him.  And a response I got from another showed defiantly he didn't get it. We don't all understand the same now do we. Sooooo you all won't and can't understand exactly what I'm saying in this Saturday; You won't, You can't.  Such is life.

America--Land of the Free! Joesixpack says--If you find bees: Don't make them mad! Headlines in the AZ Republic--Why Trump's Ariz.win terrifies GOP (i.e. or it could read--the Democrats love Hillary).  Sooooo who are the GOP or the Democrats?  I don't understand!  Are they the big brass political machine who hold paid offices and have a direct (e.g. $$$) interest or are they the voters of the parties. Who are worried about Trump and Hillary?  Are folks more worried about their own skin? It's usually about the money--not usually, always! Do folks understand that the Government is not a Santa Claus?  I don't understand politics.  Maybe no one does. But if I understand history at all, when it gets bad enough, I mean real bad, things happen and it ain't usually pretty. Such is life.

I rode my bike over to the Red Mountain Branch of the the Mesa Library last Saturday to pick up the DVD Marshian that a buddy suggested I watch.  I cabled my bike up next to one with no wheels. I guess I understand  you don't want to leave your bike there overnight!  Sandra Rose Simmons was at the library tooting her book, Moon Glow a novel. She is the author of the month at the library. You can buy her book from Amazon if interested (i.e. help the budding author). I asked her about her book (i.e. her first) and she told me about it etc.and in the conversation she mentioned her church some way.  I asked her where she goes to church--she told me it is The New Vision Center for Spiritual Living--is that Christian--not exactly--what does that mean--Our beliefs are based on the teachings of Ernes Holmes. His work incorporates the thoughts of many spiritual leaders of various faiths--do you believe in Jesus--I do but not as a traditional Christian would--like how--we believe in him as a good person, a prophet, a good example--soooo you don't believe in Him as your Savior who died, rose from the grave and who ever believes in Him will have eternal life--I do metaphysically but not literally; erv, are you a Christian--yes--sooo are you going to condemn me for believing this way--no no Sandra, I understand the struggle that the Christian faith imposes--I was raised a strict Calvinist but just struggle with some of their believes--I understand--Sandra, are you saved--I have Jesus in my heart and that brings me peace every day, every time I’m awake to Spirit. The book is not about religion or such--It's a fictional story (i.e. goggle it). I bought her book for $10!!!!!! Our conversation is being shared with her permission and her editing. I read in the paper sooo it must be right--Diversity is wonderful unless you happen to want to be diverse by disagreeing with a diversalist.

Folks call her "The BooHoo Lady" 'cause she was always talking about how badly she’d been treated in life. She’d been cheated, mistreated, shortchanged, passed by, unfairly dealt with. Other people always got the big break she deserved. Nobody gave her a chance. Nobody understood her. Nobody appreciated her. It’s like she had a tape player in her head, and whenever she opened her mouth out came this sad song. Boo-Hoo.

Maybe a good response to a "Boo-Hoo Lady would be--nod and speak two words, "I understand." They are simple words, yet so profound. Maybe they are words that we need to speak more often among friends, family, spouses, co-workers, and even nations. The simple words of, "I understand." We hear many folks say--No one understands me. Saturday question--Do we really try to understand others? ItchieBitchie says--Perhaps the first phase of being understood is understanding!

AverageJoe says--If you are gong to make a mistake, make sure it's an intelligent one! I have a friend who says he's "spiritually conservative but socially liberal" (i.e. he is not running for office).  Is that possible?  He claims it is.  Maybe I don't understand.  That could be. I always don't understand him anyway.  He's a very smart man and reads stuff that I have no idea what they are talking about.  Hey, I'm just a little old farm boy from a mile and fourth south of Roseland MN. But I understand that I don't understand a lot of stuff soooo that makes me an understanding person even though my friend might not understand me.  Do you understand that? SusieQ says--My understanding is that educators and media are usually more liberal; is that true? What do you folks think? That might make you conservatives hot under the collar but not as hot as this--I read in the paper sooooo it must be right--From 1981 to 2010 the average number of days in highs of 100 or higher in the Valley of the Sun was 110! That's a wow to me. WOW! That will toast your tootsies!

I understand alright ~ 1966: Long hair--2016: Longing for hair: 1966: KEG--2016: EKG; 1966: Acid rock--2016 Acid reflux; 1966: Moving to California because it's cool--2016: Moving to Arizona because it's warm:1966: Going to a new hip joint 2016--Receiving a new hip joint: 1966: Rolling Stones--2016 Kidney Stones: 1966: Screw the system--2016: Upgrade the system: 1966: Disco--2016: Costco:

I guess I don't understand why all the dignitaries come out of the woodwork when someone dies (i.e. like at Nancy Regan's funeral).  Is that political, advertising or is that from their heart? I have to admit that I'm not impressed when folks try to make a dead person more than they were (e.g. having certain casket bearers for show only).  I had a late friend tell me once--I went to Sally's funeral but thought I was at the wrong funeral; I didn't know her to be the way they talked about her at all! Think about all the folks who died who had no funeral (e.g. all the many soldiers). AverageJoe asks--Does all that hoopla make much difference?  Folks seem to like it as Nancy Regen's funeral was on TV. Saturday question--Will there be dignitaries at your funeral (i.e. if you have a funeral) and will it be on TV?  If not, why not? I often think of my Uncle Jim's funeral. There was a priest that said a few works who was a friend of his late wife, a bartender where he would have a few beers, his brother and his wife, a nephew who was the executor of his estate, a neighbor lady and Arlene and I.  Uncle Jim was a good guy I thought.  But I guess not many really cared.  His soul is no different than Nancy Regan's (i.e. my opinion). Such is life.

I understand that life goes on but...! Before we left AZ this week, I went and visited a few guys who I got to know quite well and who I really like. They are older than I for the most part.  I wanted to tell them that they are special guys.  I told them that as maybe I will never see them again--we might not come back to AZ or either of us might die (i.e. the older we get the closer to death we get). Soooo, I thought now was a good time to tell them my feelings. They think they will live to 100 and they might but might not tooo. Huh, interesting.

What! Really!  I played my second golf outing of the winter with some buddies/friends Wednesday (i.e. sorta kinda a happy trails to you).  We played 18 at The Fountain of the Sun Country Club. One of my buddies shot 10 over.  Sooooo what's the big deal about 10 over for 18, He's 89 folks. And there was no rolling the ball for preferred lies, no mulligans, and no give me putts.  Just straight up golf--legate. I said to him on the 17th tee box--you must be getting tired.  Iron Byron said--erv, I don't seem to get tired! What! Really!

Raus, raus. Hande hoch!  Some of you folks with German ancestry or are WW II vets might understand that. I don't.  I have a hard enough time understanding English.  Butler County, the county we live in, has German ancestors who can still speak German (i.e. high and low German they say). I read it in the paper, sooooo it must be right that it means--Come out with your hands up!  Like, give up, we gotcha ya! Have you ever been gotten--you are dead in the water--no way out. A friend told me once again at breakfast recently--At our AA meetings, once a person realizes that there is no way out of their alcoholic problem (i.e. dead in the water or is it dead in the booze) and start believing in a Higher Power, they can start the recovery process.  My friend has been sober for 13.5 years but continues to attend AA meetings. Bingo. Here are their 12 steps: 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

We are on our way home from AZ via CO.  These little stinkers I always don't understand but I do understand this move of theirs!

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

erv

MyFriendJean says--Flexible people never get bent out of shape.

P.S. Let met know if you buy Sandra's book. I'm just curious. If you do and want to make a comment to Sandra, send it to me and I will forward it to her. Also, she would like you to write a review on Amazon.