The Steely Dan song isn't about getting old as much as about time spent together. Still, it makes a good title for this piece. Lately, I have been "reeln in the years".....thinking about the stuff I have done. I can't say for sure....but I am 99% positive that it's been all good.
This Saturday I turn 60. As a kid we thought that 60 was OLD. That was before 50 became the new 40 and Social Security pushed up retirement age. Today 60 may just be the new 50...what ever that all means. Here are some thoughts about 60.
First....I do not feel any different then when I was 17. All this means that either I was a stupid kid or that once your opinions are set about things, they really do not change much over the rest of your life. At 17 I would listen to stuff and think....that is fucking stupid. Today, I say it. Not much real change there, except diminished consequences. At 17 I cared more about how people would react to my opinion. Now I just don't give a shit.
Second.....I have done a lot of stuff and been a lot of places. I raised two families and I'm working on number three. I owned 14 motorcycles and was married 4 times. There is no correlation between those two facts. They are mutually exclusive. I lived all over, in Texas, Alaska, Utah, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, California and Germany. The big difference in location is humidity. I do not like it when it is too humid. Over 20 summers in St Louis almost killed me.
Third.......I should have lived in California my whole life. When I came here for the first time in 1978.........We rode my motorcycle from St Louis to San Francisco and back...........it was like heaven. Connie's mom had a little one room apartment downtown San Francisco. After riding all the way out to visit, she told us we would have to find a place to stay. I asked around and a guy told me to stay at the YMCA. It was great. They let us park the motorcycle inside the back door. They still provide rooms at the Central YMCA Hotel 220 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA. Today, my daughter Meredith, attends San Francisco State University. Big wheel keeps on turning.
Fourth.....I have learned you can not change people. You are what you are. My single biggest flaw has been that I see people for their potential. They fail to achieve that potential and I lose respect for them. Stanley asked me....."why do you turn on people you called friends?" The answer is: They failed to achieve their potential and I lost interest. As a result I have been married four times. I could not change Pattie, Connie, or Julie. They would agree, I tried. Pam does not need to change. She is perfect. I don't agree with her 100% but I know she is smarter then me and I try not to tinker with her.
Fifth.....You can not turn 60 without an end game. My parents weren't smart but they saved half the money the earned. They had an end game. They both died at home in their own beds. This was how they planned it. They knew they were getting old and they discussed it and planned for it. I live in the Condo that is the last place I will live. My end game depends on Pam taking care of me and Jack being there to take care of Pam.
So I'm turning 60. Things are going well. I have never been happier and I'm looking forward to 80.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Magic underwear and other crazy ideas
Let me be clear up front. I do not believe the god-myth.
I grew up in a Catholic Family and went to mass nearly everyday for my first 12 years. I went to Catholic grade school and was taught by Nuns. In December 1960, we moved to Europe and that ended Catholic schools for me. Throughout the entire period, I didn't "get it". I never understood why everyone else believed that god was watching us or controlling our lives. I did not understand why we ate fish on Friday or any of the other odd Catholic beliefs. Most of those changed during the 60s. As unusual as Catholic dogma may seem, it does have a foundation in rational thought. Still, believing some of those things required a leap of faith that I did not possess.
Years later, in college, I became interested in History. As part of American History we read about the Mormon migration to Utah and the great salt lake. I did not know much about the Mormons but I understood that they did not fit well with communities in the east and moved frequently as a result of local pressure. There were conflicts between Mormon and traditional Christian beliefs. Since I did not really believe any of that stuff, I never looked into it for details.
Then, in the last 10 years or so, I went to Utah on business. It was really clean but hard to buy a drink. I read up on Mormon history and began to see some of the reasons why they were run out of town in the 1800s. In general, Mormons believe in the Book of Mormon which is thought to be plagiarized from the writings of Solomon Spaulding. The book and how it came to exist is a bizarre story. The teachings are even more crazy. I will let you do your own research and come to your own conclusions regarding the details. In short it involves special underwear, the planet Kolob, and dead baptism.
I think people can believe anything they want as long as it doesn't involve me. I live in California and there are all kinds of crazy people with weird ideas hanging around the Santa Monica Pier. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. The same would be true for Mormons except that one of them wants to be President. Yikes.
The question is not one of faith. It is really about judgment. Can a person who believes the teachings in the Book of Mormon be President? I think not. I know I am not a believer in the general sense but a person who believes the Book of Mormon is delusional and out of step with reality. Such a person does not have the judgement needed to lead our country. It is just that simple for me.
I grew up in a Catholic Family and went to mass nearly everyday for my first 12 years. I went to Catholic grade school and was taught by Nuns. In December 1960, we moved to Europe and that ended Catholic schools for me. Throughout the entire period, I didn't "get it". I never understood why everyone else believed that god was watching us or controlling our lives. I did not understand why we ate fish on Friday or any of the other odd Catholic beliefs. Most of those changed during the 60s. As unusual as Catholic dogma may seem, it does have a foundation in rational thought. Still, believing some of those things required a leap of faith that I did not possess.
Years later, in college, I became interested in History. As part of American History we read about the Mormon migration to Utah and the great salt lake. I did not know much about the Mormons but I understood that they did not fit well with communities in the east and moved frequently as a result of local pressure. There were conflicts between Mormon and traditional Christian beliefs. Since I did not really believe any of that stuff, I never looked into it for details.
Then, in the last 10 years or so, I went to Utah on business. It was really clean but hard to buy a drink. I read up on Mormon history and began to see some of the reasons why they were run out of town in the 1800s. In general, Mormons believe in the Book of Mormon which is thought to be plagiarized from the writings of Solomon Spaulding. The book and how it came to exist is a bizarre story. The teachings are even more crazy. I will let you do your own research and come to your own conclusions regarding the details. In short it involves special underwear, the planet Kolob, and dead baptism.
I think people can believe anything they want as long as it doesn't involve me. I live in California and there are all kinds of crazy people with weird ideas hanging around the Santa Monica Pier. They don't bother me and I don't bother them. The same would be true for Mormons except that one of them wants to be President. Yikes.
The question is not one of faith. It is really about judgment. Can a person who believes the teachings in the Book of Mormon be President? I think not. I know I am not a believer in the general sense but a person who believes the Book of Mormon is delusional and out of step with reality. Such a person does not have the judgement needed to lead our country. It is just that simple for me.
Solstice is the reason for the season
It's the most wonderful time of the year. They have been thinking this for over 4,000 years. The main reason for this Holiday period has always been about the Sun.
Winter solstice is the time when the earth tilts the furthest away from the sun. The result is the shortest day light hours for the northern hemisphere. This day is December 22 on modern calendars but it was December 25 on the original Roman calendar. Here is a link to wiki regarding the event: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice
For early humans this event was a BIG DEAL. Their lives depended on growing food and that required sun light. In northern Europe, the days were extremely short and the nights were very long and cold. Many myths developed around this single event. For some it meant the sun was dying and they sacrificed to make the sun come back. Druids burnt yule logs and the Norse brought burning trees into their cave to light up the dark night. For others this was a time of rebirth as the new sun would be born and the process would begin anew.
In Rome two festivals took place at this time, Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. Saturnalia was the week long festival to Saturn which led up to Sol Invictus, the day of the unconquered sun. Sol invictus was on December 25. This was one of the most important Roman holidays and it followed the festival week of parties and gift exchanges.
Christmas, the Christan holiday, did not exist until the 4th century when the early Christians set December 25 as the day to celebrate Jesus birth. The actual date is unclear. Many believe this date was selected because it was already a pagan Roman Holiday that nobody wanted to give up.
Regardless, it remains clear that this wonderful time of the year is a result of Winter Solstice and the numerous traditions associated with the period. Merry Solstice to all and goodnight.
Winter solstice is the time when the earth tilts the furthest away from the sun. The result is the shortest day light hours for the northern hemisphere. This day is December 22 on modern calendars but it was December 25 on the original Roman calendar. Here is a link to wiki regarding the event: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice
For early humans this event was a BIG DEAL. Their lives depended on growing food and that required sun light. In northern Europe, the days were extremely short and the nights were very long and cold. Many myths developed around this single event. For some it meant the sun was dying and they sacrificed to make the sun come back. Druids burnt yule logs and the Norse brought burning trees into their cave to light up the dark night. For others this was a time of rebirth as the new sun would be born and the process would begin anew.
In Rome two festivals took place at this time, Saturnalia and Sol Invictus. Saturnalia was the week long festival to Saturn which led up to Sol Invictus, the day of the unconquered sun. Sol invictus was on December 25. This was one of the most important Roman holidays and it followed the festival week of parties and gift exchanges.
Christmas, the Christan holiday, did not exist until the 4th century when the early Christians set December 25 as the day to celebrate Jesus birth. The actual date is unclear. Many believe this date was selected because it was already a pagan Roman Holiday that nobody wanted to give up.
Regardless, it remains clear that this wonderful time of the year is a result of Winter Solstice and the numerous traditions associated with the period. Merry Solstice to all and goodnight.
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