[In the Galaxy Magazine]: "I shall not often meddle with politics, because we have a political Editor who is already excellent and only needs to serve a term or two in the penitentiary to be perfect." ~ Mark Twain, a Biography

Good day and welcome, it's Thursday, August 3, 2017, and you caught me just as I am attempting to untangle some of those thoughts that are careening here and there, upstairs. (The slang dictionary defines the upstairs metaphor in this way: in the head, brain. It goes on to illustrate, "He doesn't have a lot going on upstairs.") While no one has asked why I haven't been commenting much on the political landscape, I'll tell you why, anyway. It's a mess. It's a train wreck. I do try to keep up with all that is happening but they keep issuing barf bags for those paying attention. It's like the proverbial cover your eyes until that particularly horrible scene is finished, but, in the current situation, the scene just keeps on keeping on. I'm still hopeful that, eventually, things will settle down enough to get on with the people's business. Hopeful. Not confident. I tried to think of an example to describe the ongoing chaos emanating from Washington, DC. Maybe professional wrestling. Maybe mud wrestling. I know the famous, 'inmates are running the asylum', may apply, but it too seems way too tame. Back to my original question. Why have I not been as vocal about all of this? It's just too painful to even write about. Wait a minute. That very well could be a part of the strategy. Okay. That makes some sense. Right? Get everyone so upset they just turn it all off. I think it best for us all to now go to our separate quarters and spend some time thinking about that one.

As a little kid, I grew up pretty much without a dad. I did have Paw Paw Mac and that was a great blessing. Mom had her hands more than full with us six kids. I was trying to think of one of her classic sayings and one that I remember went like this, "Do you want me to give you something to cry about?" I later learned that this is called rhetorical because the presumed answer would be a very emphatic, no! (I can testify that my mom could inflict a lot of pain with a plum tree switch. Needless to say, we had no plums on that tree until all of us were grown.) Interestingly enough, I think my boys may have heard that one a time or two from their dad, and even more interesting, I can recall a time or two when I've heard the same sentiment from them. Here's a few more I thought of from my childhood. ~ What? Do you think I am made out of money? ~ I don't care one bit what their parents said they could do.~ Are you going to stay in that bathroom all night? Other people live here too. ~ You don't know how blessed you are. ~ You've got the same clothes to get glad in. ~ Do you know how many people would love to have a good meal like this? ~ When I was your age ..... ~ Do it! Because I said so. ~ Maybe my all time favorite had to do with her thoughts about ending up in a mental institution. The closest asylum was located about two hours away in a town named Pineville, hence, "I do believe you kids will not stop until I end up in Pineville."

I've talked to so many people who believe they were able to overcome their raising, or rearing if you prefer. In general, since we are all fallen people living in a fallen world, this would be true for anyone on the planet. However, some have specific serious struggles in mind when they say something like this. Me. Not so much. I'm not saying I had a 'Leave it to Beaver' upbringing and everything was hunky-dory all the time because it most certainly wasn't. I can prove that one. However, I am where I am today and looking back I can only be thankful for those God placed in my life even in the midst of challenges and adversity. Other than this neck twitch and a tic or two, I can't really come up with any legitimate complaints. Oh yeah. Knowing God and His Son probably has something to do with that. I highly recommend a relationship with Him as a way of helping with any and all of our problems. Mom used to always wonder out loud whether she had done right by her children. I used to tell her my thoughts in that as I saw it she had done the best she could given all that she was dealing with at any particular time. I also told her how blessed I felt to have her as my mom. I still believe that. That doesn't mean I have given up on finding someone, somewhere to blame for a whole lot of stuff. When we meet they better be ready with some answers. You do know I'm kidding about that one. Time for me to switch gears and get on with the rest of today. You too. Take care and may God bless us all is my prayer. Amen. ....More later.