mitigate

I read this in the paper soooo it must be right—Political remarks are soooo remarkably artificial that it is embarrassing to realize how many people seem to buy into them. Everything is mass produced and manufactured (i.e. political BS).  If I were you, I would be careful in believing anything in this “It’s Saturday.”  I realize that many of you don’t believe anything unless you believe it’s right and know it.  

I went for an early Sunday morning jog on the golf course.  The long-haul trucker was walking his dogs again on the field road on the west line fence of the course.  He said he just got back from trucking for three weeks.  He said this and I quote—“I am opinionated and believe in one political party, but not everything they say, compared to the other party who I don’t believe anything they say as they never tell the truth.  When I'm on the road, I talk to some of those folks who believe in the other party but I don’t say much; everyone has their own opinion.  But I do think they are a bunch of dumb asses.” 

Several years ago, three of us guys had an interest in a certain person. We met with him at 6 a.m. for an hour for quite some time.  This person wanted to change and become better, sooooo he said.  After all our effort, he didn’t change one bit, we don’t think. Maybe he didn’t really want to change is my thought; just went through the process.  Maybe we weren’t very good prophets!  I still think if he would have listened to us, his life would have been better and the direction of his life would have been better.  Maybe for some reason he couldn’t change (i.e. he was soooo programmed by his past that it was impossible).  Could be. Maybe that is just my opinion, could be. Maybe we didn’t have a clue what we were talking about. Could be! BUT the other two guys are really smart sooooo I think not!  Soooooo what does that tell me?  I have no idea.  What do you think?  That is what I thought. AverageJoe says—Maybe folks really don’t want to change, they just say that.  Unless it can make them money!!!  Look around folks, it doesn’t take a prophet to figure that out.

Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, the id is the personality component made up of unconscious psychic energy that works to satisfy basic urges, needs, and desires.   Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality, is that everyone’s id is  irrational and has no regard for reality.  What it wants, it wants!  If a person’s id falls in love with some form of thinking, their id will never forget and will never forgo!  The id operates based on the pleasure principle, which demands immediate gratification of needs. Can we mitigate this massive ego Freud?  WildWillie, a limited release, says--That is why it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks—Some dogs are what they are and never change.  Such is life. 

DuaneTheWorm, who is all about himself, says--It seems that the path to success is often to assert our power over others. The words of Jesus, therefore, come as quite a surprise. The powerful, in fact, will not be the ones to come out on top. Instead, it will be the meek who will inherit the earth. Meekness, in this sense, is not the mistaken notion often ascribed to the word as referring to the timid, the weak, or the passive. Rather, meekness refers to a quiet strength that’s under control, similar to a bulldog on a leash. The meek person is strong enough to not impose their will upon others. It’s easy to despair when we see the deteriorating effects of power around us. Nations spend billions on military forces, and bullying is increasingly becoming an acceptable tactic. In such a time, Jesus presents us with an inversion of values: the first shall be last, it is better to give than to receive, and the truly strong are the meek. You believe that?  

Saturday question—How important is a strong, supportive family?  School has started.  I talked to a grandfather the other day and he was telling me that his grandson is worried about going to school.  He is going into seventh grade and his school has some kind of initiation.  He is scared (i.e. has anxiety).  The peer group pressure, I have been told, is severe for many girls.  Some are bullied in person and then it is magnified by social media.  This same grandfather told me that his daughter went through this and he told her to find friends like her and stick together.  She did.  Those girls would go to each other’s houses and just hang out and not succumb to the beer party mentality.  It worked out and they remained life-long friends.  I wish it would be that easy for all teenagers.  Sooooo where does this bad, mean attitude come from?  I think they learn it from their moms.  I do.  There are 80-year-old women that still act this way.  I hear about this same attitude in workplaces.  Why I ask?  Somehow and some way this attitude needs to be mitigated. BUT it seems like it doesn’t change (i.e. you don’t hear that in the news for sure). A parent told me that this stay home school is a lot easier socially for their daughter.  That is why some parents home school probably. BUT is it good for them in the long run?  It’s not reality (i.e. ya need to learn to deal with it).  I don’t know.  What do you think?  That is what I thought.  JoeWisdom says—Remember that as a teenager you are in the last stage of your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you! 

I was asked recently by a gal--How can He forgive me?  I have done some pretty bad stuff.  I want to change a.k.a. mitigagte my bad feelings and be happy.  How can He forgive me?  The answer—Because He is God.  This is pretty deep stuff but very accurate if you want to change your life.  WorldClassLarry says—It seems that most of us don’t really get serious about changing our life until we get very low.  Why is that (i.e. Karl use to ask me that)?  We seem to be smarter than that, but it seems like we don’t get it until we are beat up pretty bad.  Sooooo maybe we aren’t as smart as we think we are!  Such is life. 

The other morning, I dropped something and couldn’t find it.  I then looked at it from a different angle and it saw it right away.  Yes, a different angle!  JoeSmart, who can be nice as pie one minute and an alligator the next) says—Folks don’t change their angle very often; they get ingrained with their angle and then only see from their angle and then they get magnified to becoming more of what they are (i.e. they love their angle).  But not always.  A golf buddy told me that he married his high school sweetheart after their freshman year in college.  Upon graduation they went into the Peace Core.  Another golf buddy asked his if he was a hippy—no, my hair was as short as it is now but we were very liberal and had hippy friends.  Then we became conservative and our liberal friends couldn’t understand us and didn’t want anything to do with us. It appears to me that couples change and it’s because usually the alpha dog of the marriage dominates and they both end up that way.  What do you think?  That is what I thought.  GeorgeTheCrook, who is registered as an independent, says—In all life one should comfort the afflicted, but verily, also, one should afflict the comfortable, and especially when they are comfortably, contentedly even happily wrong.  ItchieBitchie, who is very sweet when she gets her way, says—YaBut the liberals think they are right and the conservatives think they are right soooooo how do we decide who is right anyway? Holy smokes that is a problem.  History seems to show that the group with the most power wins.  I read—When I was a child, I spoke as a child I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  We all have started out young and inexperienced.  Some grow up and some don’t it seems. We are really a piece of work, now aren’t we? But for me, I seem to have mitigated some harshness of life once I have matured some.  The problem is I have a long way to go yet and I’m running out of years!  Such is life. 

I brought back some stuff that I borrowed from some friends for Arlene’s memorial service.  They were redecorating there house for fall as they were leaving for a while and wanted it done soooo when they got back it was done.  He was carrying things up stairs and hauling fall stuff downstairs per his wife’s suggestion or was it her demands.  He just did what he was told and sometimes it wasn’t even right.  To mitigate the tension, he did just what he was told and just didn’t say anything.  He did tell his wife—If you die before I do, whatever season’s decorations are up will stay that way until I die.  She said—I hope it isn’t the Christmas season. 

This is RickyRick’s opinion how to mitigate tension when not agreeing with folks.  Some of you might think cussing and swearing might work better especially if you speak loudly (i.e. the louder the better).  It seems like it is more popular.  Such is life.  ANYWAY, this is what RickyRick suggests--When you’re in conflict, the loving way to defuse the tension is to seek to understand before seeking to be understood. Try to figure out what the other person is thinking and saying before you start trying to convince them convince them of your side. You cannot hope to be understood until you are willing to do the same for others. We are often so busy trying to get people to see it our way that we don’t stop to listen to what they are saying. That’s why you need to say, “You go first.” And then, after they’ve shared, you say, “Now, let me see if I understand. You’re saying (repeat to them what you understood they were communicating to you). Did I get this right?” That gives them a chance to correct and not just be understood but also feel understood. Seeking to understand first also allows you to see the other person’s perspective even if you still think they are wacko! AverageJoe, who has more questions than answers) says—You know how hard it is to change someone if they are totally convinced they are right (i.e. and even harder when they are stubborn and not a bit open minded)?  It’s about as hard as getting dried up oatmeal out of my breakfast bowl! Money, it seems, is the only way you can convince them.  Money always talks and is understood universally.  It’s all about the money folks.  Don’t kid yourself. I’m going to try RickyRick’s methodology with someone who doesn’t believe in God.  It will be interesting, for sure! 

Sometimes ya gotta just take the bull by the horns and mitigate the situation.  I went for a bike ride last Saturday on my favorite trails in the Cedar Valley.  I rode about 18 miles.  When I got to the turning point which is along the Cedar River in down town Waterloo, I sometimes stop and sit and reflect as it is  one of my favorite places to do so.  Soooo I did.  There is a park bench on the cement walkway right on the river’s edge.  I was thinking I would lay down a little while.  The park bench is made out of grated metal with a plastic coating.  Works good but not really very comfortable.  It surely wasn’t comfortable to lay on.  I put my cap over my eyes as it was sunny and put my bare head on the grated metal.  It felt terribly bad and really hurt.  The next thing I knew, I woke up and had no idea where I was, what time it was, or what was going on.  I had deep indentations in the back of my head from the metal grate.  I had no idea how long I slept.  I knew my name soooo I knew I didn’t have brain damage! 

I had a friend, who has now passed on, who on two occasions when I called at random times would say to me—erv, you seem to call me when I’m at my lowest point and the most discouraged (i.e. he really fought some serious and tough medical conditions).  How do you know that to call and cheer me up.  Of course I didn’t know.  It was just happenstance, ya right!  ANYWAY, last Saturday night, I was sitting in the sun porch and thought I should call my friend, the ND Beet Farmer, who we became friends in AZ (i.e. I really like this guy and his wife).  I haven’t talked to him for some time.  I called and his wife answered.  He died that day.  Soooo maybe when you get my call, you should wonder!!!!!  He is one of folks who claimed I saved his life.  And maybe I did. 

An old insurance adjuster some 35 years ago told me this—When you are young and not liberal, you have no heart and when you get older and aren’t conservative, you have no brain.  You folks who know everything, or you think you do, will probably say—What does that old insurance adjuster know anyway, who is he anyway!  I know everything. Some might say—He isn’t as smart as me!  But I am very open minded! But don’t question me! I don’t like that at all! 

I hope I didn’t get your dander up with this "It's Saturday."  For many of you, your blood pressure is high enough! haha I don’t think I did. You might be one of those folks who knows everything (i.e. and because of that will never be the homecoming queen) and probably just think I am one of those “dumb asses.”  And that could be! Just remember folks, I do realize that there is no way I can win when getting in a pissing match with a skunk! I'm not saying you are a skunk. Oh no! You folks are not skunks except for one of you and you know who you are!

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

erv 

MyFriendJean says--Alone we can do little. Together we can do much. -- Helen Keller