“The cure for writer's block is writer's cramp.” ~ Inigo DeLeon

It's a Tuesday kind of day and this one has a gift tag on it saying this, October 23, 2018. I saw this one posted the other day: "I want to have a pinata at my funeral so everyone will be happy. I want it to be filled with bees so everyone will not be too happy." I don't know if that is classified as wry or not, but, it does resonate with me. A little. The famous author J. D. Salinger came up with this one, "Who wants flowers when they die? Nobody!" I know there is a technical difference between wry and dry but that's way too much for me to tackle today. I think sarcasm is somewhere in the root but if it is overplayed it comes across as being hurtful. At any rate, we all can use some Yogisms to get our day started. (Quotes from Hall of Fame Baseball great, Yogi Berra, (1925-2015) ~ "If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." ~ "Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical." ~ "He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious." ~ "I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did." ~ "The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase." If you don't like Yogi's observations, that's okay. Different strokes, but, it is good to find something that will bring you a smile. Life is too short. But, you knew that already.

We have a mixed up and at times a seemingly messed up family. As I heard Dr. Ed Young, pastor at Second Baptist, Houston, say one time, "All families are dysfunctional, just some are more than others." The good news is that families tend to stick together. The photo is of those in our clan who made the journey to Louisiana to support the wife's sister, Dorothy, on her wedding day last month. Dorothy was the matron of honor at our wedding back in December 1964. Her husband then, Charles, he was the one who led the group that made a mess out of my car, including putting stinky cheese in our heating system. Charles went to his reward some five years ago, but, I never let him forget that it was 28 degrees when we were out on the road on our honeymoon trip and we had no choice but to use the heater. We would turn it on as long as we could stand it and then turn it off. Family. We are blessed. The wife's brother Cleon was able to attend Dorothy's big day. He signed our wedding document and has been there for us all throughout all these years. Family. We are blessed. Time and distance have made it more difficult for us to be close like we were many years ago, but, we all carry with us the emblem of who we are and that includes proudly wearing the family identity God has given to us. Family. We are blessed. Amen.

In case you haven't heard, we have an election coming up on November 6. It is called the mid-term election since it falls in the middle of the current President's four year time in office. I know that most campaigns for office are saturated with mud. While we all lament the attack and counter-attack ads that run ad nauseam, there is a reason they run them. Simple. They work! Everybody hates the mudslinging but when it is all said and done, that's still the formula that is effective. I've been around for 72 years. I've been voting in national and local elections since I reached the age of eligibility. I've lived through many emotionally charged political showdowns. Wars and rumors of wars, race relations, welfare, medical care, malfeasance in office, you name it, I've been a voter involved in trying to respond to these, and other, great issues. However, today we have added a new dimension. At least, from my vantage point. That is, the hate-filled and personal threats against individuals holding or running for office along with their supporters. Since I'm reporting this from my viewpoint, I will say this is prevalent in these tumultuous times, especially on the left. Leaders on the left are fomenting hate against those who do not agree with their positions. They are inciting actions that may very well lead to violence. They say they are only exercising their right to protest. However, confronting people and threatening them personally, grabbing their food off the table and throwing it on the floor, chasing them and their families, well, all I can say is this type of MOB MENTALITY will eventually lead to someone having blood on their hands. My point? In our form of government, the vote is sacred. Don't give those who oppose what you stand for a vote for them by not voting your conscience. Don't stay home. Get up and get to the polls and cast your vote. If those who are predicted do stay home this cycle, we could see some cataclysmic outcomes. That's not a scare tactic, that is the reality. May God help us all to be willing to do our duty. Amen. ....More later.