Might As Well Be Here Now

My father, George died twenty-eight years ago of heart disease. He died when he was the same age as I am now. Near the end of his life he said to me, “There’s worse things than dying.” I asked him what was worse and he replied, “Being a burden to my family.” He died shortly afterward and relieved himself of that concern. In the subsequent years I have come to realize that I did not lose my father. Nor have I lost my mother who died in 2019. I continue to experience a connection with both of them. The connection is more than just a memory. I feel their essence any time that I pay attention to it. I suspect it’s always there even when I am not aware. I call the connection to my father George Consciousness. When in George Consciousness I experience a moment or an event from what feels like his unique perspective. Given his sense of humor those moments are usually very funny. I am grateful that both of my parents are Still Here.

It's not a lot But it's what I got Hope it'll last Not go too fast Some comin’ in Some goin' out Leavin' me just about Enough to break even So I can keep seein' A decent balance to be bequeathin’ To two fine young men Who are my best reason For Bein’ Here Now.

 I am waiting for a new political movement in the USA. The movement will be lead by a young, charismatic leader who is not connected to either of the archaic political parties that exist today. The movement I am waiting for will not hold itself and the country hostage to an ideology. It will be joined by independent thinking citizens who are focused on sensible, pragmatic solutions to problems we all share. Leaders of this movement will apply a term from my childhood - the art of compromise. I am 75 years old so I hope I won’t have to wait much longer.

No good mail, no good wishes No mail box of Cherry Berry’s chocolate kisses No checks, no refunds brought to me by snail All I get is an endless supply of useless junk mail  Why doesn’t the mail carrier just put it in my garbage can? Why do they need me to do it? I’m just the middle man. Better yet, how do I automatically send it back to where it’s already been So somebody else can put it in their recycle bin.

I wonder what and I wonder who Could ever unite the Red and the Blue. I’ve lived in a sea of Red and I’ve lived in a sea of Blue. I know people on both sides who are good  and some who are bad, too. In many ways it doesn’t matter if we are Red or if we are Blue.  We all love our families and we all love our friends  We all help our neighbors and we’ve all worked hard for the money we spend None of us feel good about the feelings of hate Cause in reality we are just eating from different sides of the same plate. Let’s not be duped. Let’s not be conned By the screens that we watch that profit by leading us on. There’s lots money made by buying and selling hate I hope we remember who we are before it’s too late.

 I suggested recently to a Men’s Group that we each write our own eulogy that might eventually be read by someone else. We are all old guys and we often talk about death and dying so I thought a practice eulogy could be interesting and beneficial. So I started by writing my own. __________________________________________ Like you and everyone else, Michael had an upside and a downside. His Upside: He recognized and appreciated the quirky aspects of many of the people he met.  He enjoyed facilitating conversations among people with divergent perspectives. He learned how to see and reflect humor in many situations, even this one.🙂 He truly loved being a father to his children and a close friend and lover to his wife. He certainly believed his family and their relationships defined him more than anything else. Anyone could see that he cherished his role as grandfather. He deeply valued a handful of longtime friendships. The longest and deepest being his friend Lloyd, his golf bu...