TELL ME WHY!

This post was originally a thought towards Miles, who so loved Declan’s rendition of “Imagine”. And, please note, this was borrowed from YouTube…..a place I thoroughly enjoy. But, as I watched the video again, it really struck me….and so up on my soap box I go. In every war, in every conflict, live a politically silent majority who have no say in the actions of their government. Those countries who have a vote deny these souls the chance to voice an opinion. Those countries that are regulated by a more abrupt form of government allow perhaps even less input. And yet, it is the very future of the country that this politically silent majority hold in their tiny little hands. So, I say, before every decision, before every angry vote for war, before every stubborn denial of aid to war and disaster ravaged areas, before every decision to allow acts that threaten our world, the leaders should be strapped down to a chair, forced to watch this video with their own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and explain why their decision is best. Perhaps then we can live in peace. But most likely, only if some wise and couragous child could look into the leader's eyes, touch his cheek softly and say "Please, Daddy....No!"

Today....

Hello all; Welome to today. Ok, that sounds silly, but perhaps we sometimes need to realize that today is not only a new day, but is the only day we have....currently. Yep, by definition, you can only have one day at a time. Sorry. Make the best of it you can, another is not promised. My very good friend has been trying to knuckle some ideas into my head over the past while.....the past is past, live the best you can today, be the best randy you can be.....you know, that sort of stuff. It's all "stuff" until that day the brain stumbles upon the 'o-yeah' moment. So, despite the fact that I woke up believing that leg cramp was a dream - it could have been worse. I could have had to pee in my dream .... Think on that for a moment. Anyway, despite the fact that I woke up in the end stages of a doozie of a cramp (and no, I have no idea how to spell doozie) and I have a GREAT deal of work to do today, I'm already enjoying my day. The sun is shining, Scottie's bird is singing (he came back to wake me up...I sent him down to you again), and I am feeling good about life. I sure hope I can manage this feeling and thought process throughout each of my days. So, ok, this was silly to an extent. It just feels good to decide to feel good. I send out to you all my love and good thoughts, and a litle combination of Declan Galbraith and John Lennon.....two very special people. And, the great one, Louis Armstrong. (my many thanks to the folks who made these vids possible ..they're borrowed, not my work.

More pics...

Today is picture days.....hope you like them.

Hello all....Not much to say today, so Pics time!

Little Dude looks pissed....huh.

I love the overexposed white on white look.

The Pearl....

Have you ever considered the pearl? An odd phenomenon, it is the product of an oyster or clam, a slimy little creature surrounding himself with a shell and living where, inevitably, he gets sand kicked in his face. He's not a particularly handsome creature in the same limits that we find birds, puppies and kittens, people, even frosty cold beer handsome. And, perhaps not even to other oysters. So perhaps he gets sand kicked in his face fairly often. Sooner or later, that sand that is kicked in his face, as it were, gets past that tough shell and becomes an irritant. What does the oyster do? He wraps that irritant in layers upon layers of himself, in effect isolating himself from the effects of that irritating sand.

What becomes of the irritant we call a pearl. It isn't the sand that is made beautiful, but the very substance of the oyster brought out by the maddening irritation of the sand that shows itself to be truly beautiful. The inner beauty of a creature many would describe as unattractive thrust forth in protection. Isn't it odd?

(We won't go into the manner in which an oyster is harvested. Nor will we wonder at the thoughts of a creature who sees us marvel at the beauty of something he found torturous.)

Sometimes, I guess, inner beauty is never expressed unless there is some form of extreme irritant that simply won't go away.