Oh Hell No!

"Say summ'n else smartt to me!" -Madea 

One of my friends and I both work in organizations dedicated to serving elder Americans. We are in the trenches, and know the weight of poverty crushing the population we serve. We know their voices and votes could comprise a huge collective. We also know how dispirited many are, but we agree. If every American over the age of 50 participates fully in community and in government, we can help our Nation regain it's moral compass.

Shift gears for a moment, and think in terms of a company, rather than a country. Say you and your colleagues, officers of the company, make $174,000 per year on average. The company, however, is in trouble. Production has slowed; in other words, you and they are getting less done than your predecessors. Your colleagues, by the way, are contentious, not to say, obstructive. Some carry a personal grudge against the CEO; they loath his politics. Indeed some are bigots. They attack him and all who support him, promoting their agenda at all costs. Their focus is so narrow and fixed, they cannot allow the company to move forward. They've damaged the company's credit rating, while screaming about its debts. Today they promoted new budget measures, knowing executive branch cannot accept. The company is now no better than a hostage ... funding for all production screeches to a halt.

Does any of this sound familiar? The Huffington Post calls it the worst House of Representatives in history. The Washington Post cites thirteen reasons why it is the worst ever, calling it "hideously unpopular." Regardless of the dozen or so reasons, the headlines said it all on Friday, September 20, 2013.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/07/13/13-reasons-why-this-is-the-worst-congress-ever/

Our government leaders ... have made many mistakes in the past, when they have lost sight of the sacred American values rooted in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We are at the bring of even graver mistakes and assaults on these values.

 -Samuel Dash

This Congress began by waging a campaign against minorities, women, children, elders and disabled citizens. But, wait, they are now gnawing away at the Middle Class. This is it, people, this is all of us, except the 1%, who, by the way, are doing exceedingly well. For people trying to restore their lives, in a painfully slow economic recovery, Congress wants to gut SNAP. -Affordable health care? This is it, the fourth vote to scuttle affordable health care. We've played into their hands by attaching President Obama's name to it, as though it were the product of a partisan agenda. Programs designed to aid vulnerable citizens and economic recovery, look like Humpty Dumpty at the bottom of yet another contrived fiscal cliff.

The question is not what more can we take, it is what more will we take. Some of our rights in this country are still protected. Talk to your government! Tell your congressperson today how ashamed you are of the paltry accomplishments of this Congress. Tell him or her the bullying of the few must stop!

-Had enough living on less, lowering expectations, doing battle, just to maintain the status quo? Do more. Organize and publicize a group, attend meetings, write letters, contact the media and make phone calls. 

Get Ready! Get Set!

What not to do!

My daughter and grandson are preparedness gurus. We lived in South Florida for many years. We have all walked and driven through Hollywood, Miami and Fort Myers, Florida, only to find entire malls and luxury hotels standing vacant, stark reminders of the destructive power of past hurricanes. It is easy for me to recall the destruction of Hurricane Andrew, decades ago; remnants of the destruction still exist. More recently Hurricane Ivan cut a channel through Florida's Barrier Islands, decimating multi-million dollar homes. The roof of my daughter's own little house caved, allowing torrential rain to cascade into the living room. Displaced, she and her child rebuilt their lives in a damaged economy.

We cannot stop natural disasters, but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness.  -Petra Nemcova

In spite of a decade living in Miami Beach, I admit to having done a mediocre job of preparing my household for disaster. After many years of mountaineering and exploring desert terrains, I should be Uber Heidi, overly prepared at all times. But, I've been fortunate to live most of my adult life in Colorado. Did I say Colorado? Some of you will be wondering, at this point, just how fortunate it is to live here? Cyclic droughts, momentary weather changes, ferocious winds and devastating blizzards. We have them all, no big deal! 

For the last few years, though, Colorado has burned in the heat. Wild fires have become a familiar threat. Now, along with immense burn areas, we have experienced historic torrents of rain. The combination was deadly. News media throughout the world are showing footage of Colorado's disastrous flash floods. So what have we learned? I think emergency preparedness is part of the learning, at least, for me. 

Stepping up our games may be reasonably easy, because the information we need is available at our fingertips. Are you ready? FEMA has a preparedness community. Of course, we have organizations throughout the states, particularly in major metropolitan areas, dedicated to preparing individuals and institutions for emergencies. I now belong to the FEMA Preparedness Community. The Internet site contains a wealth of in-formation, as well as news. 

http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/READYNPM

No joke, whether or not climate change suddenly reverses, be prepared! If you're not particularly prepared, and looking for a place to start, begin today. It will prove well worth the investment.

Autumn and Remembrance

What is Autumn for you? Is it an energizing change of weather and pace? Is it the gateway to holiday celebrating? Do you wait for the magical landscapes of Winter? In Colorado mornings and evenings grow cold and the air is rarified. In our foothills the smell of sage grows pungent. Prickly pears, rose hips, choke cherries and service berries abound. In the city wood smoke, dead leaves and the winey smell of apples the ground evoke times past.

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, has come so soon this year. I'm not Jewish, but have close Jewish friends, and I know this is a time of remembrance and reflection. I like the idea of each person taking time to own his or her contributions, good and bad, for the year. I like looking forward to the sweetness of the year ahead, symbolized by dipping apple slices and bread in honey.

You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason. 

― Earnest Hemigway, A Moveable Feast

Songs about Autumn are often sad, harkening to endings, rather than beginnings. To me, Antonio Vivaldi had it right! Now is the time when everything peaks, arousing the senses like a fine vintage. Autumn is a call to action. Clean the house, by all means, but don't forget to leave! Long walks help clear out cobwebs, figurative and literal. 

Sara Ban Breathnach's book, Simple Abundance is a wonderful guide to celebrating home. I rarely endorse books, but I also like her book Peace and Plenty. I plan to start a new journal, completely renovate my personal records, and accomplish things I've been putting off. I've begun a new enterprise involving transitioning people who languish in residential health care. What a great theme for a new year, transition, crossing over to a new place!

Let's look ahead, my friends, with all the fire we can muster, like virtuosos performing Vivaldi's Four Seasons.