The World of Grandpa Don  

When we have a "stiff attitude"  we tend to say "We have always done it that way, we don't need to change". We tend to think that whatever we have been doing, works and if it isn't broke, don't fix it. Well, if that were the case, we would still be beating our clothes on a rock in the stream to get them clean. And we would bleed a sick person to eliminate the bad "vapors" in order to cure him. Have I made the point that changes in technology and lifestyle are good? I hope so. Building on that, how about our attitudes? It was once thought that everyone should know their place in society and not only stay there but be content with it. It was one's "station in life". In India it was the "Cast System" but it wasn't (and isn't) confined to India. A coal miner's sons were expected to be coal miners. A woman was expected to be a wife ... no need to teach a girl anything but how to cook, do the laundry, and sew. (She would soon learn to cope with her other wifely duties.) Royalty was royalty and commoners were commoners and such would always be the rule and it was rarely that the lines were crossed. But attitudes have changed as we all know although vestiges of the old way still exist and some of us don't even know why. Ego tries to keep the status quo if that status is perceived to be to its advantage.

We do seem to be moving toward a more civilized state of existence, slowly and reluctantly in some cases. The reluctance seems to me to be rooted in the fear that the good things of life are limited and if the less fortunate are to improve themselves, I must decline and give up some of the advantage I have. However, if we look back on history, although we find some of that, on the average the opposite is true. When the lowest among us is raised up, we are all raised in the process. We call it a general increase in the standard of living. In fact, if we try to crawl up over the backs of others we foster discontent, rebellion and crime. The natural laws of self preservation dictate it to be so. Discontent is good in that respect, and rebellion is sometimes necessary, as we Americans well know. When the problem results in crime, either the discontent has become impossible to cope with or the action is the result of ego driven greed and evil intent. It is civilization in regression.

I am suggesting that we should not be in competition with our neighbors, be they next door or on another continent. We are inexorably moving into a world economy and anyone who denies that may as well move to a rural area next to a stream where they can find a good rock on which to beat their clothes clean. Due to electronic communication and advances in transportation our neighborhood now is the entire globe. We are not citizens of Orland Park, Illinois, the USA or even North America. We are citizens of the planet Earth. We may even expect to find that too limiting in the future. I am reminded of the line from the movie, "Boy's Town" ... "He ain't heavy, Father, He's my brother." And my brother is living in a slum in India. If we maintain our stiff attitude and resist change we are dead to reality. That is one of the things that the season of Lent is all about..making an attempt to live what we claim to believe as Christians and do it in a way that shows we are serious about it.

Some say that we deny ourselves things during lent in order to make amends for our past sins. In other words, to punish ourselves. I think they miss the point. We deny ourselves things rather to remind ourselves that the things of this world are not as important as the life of the world to come. Besides, I am getting to like fish and it is good for me so where is the punishment there? No, punishment is not the goal but the intent is not a temporary change of some sort but ... how are we going to permanently change our lives right down to our attitudes? How are we going to remove the impediments to unity with God? Also ... if I am to be united with God and you are to be united with God and that fellow in East Anywhere is to be united with God, then we are to be all united with each other. "He ain't heavy (or strange), Father, He's my brother."

The subject of Thursday's bible study was appropriately the passion and death of Christ according to John. Coming in this first week of lent brought insight and deep meaning to the season.  The rest of my Thursday was engaged in reading and writing while thunderstorms past through the area. There was nothing violent nor was the rain especially heavy. Recent above freezing days had melted 98% of the last snow and this took care of the rest, washing the face and the feet of the world. My afternoon reading degraded into a nap but it was a good day for napping.

There are more poets in this world than we think. This morning my friend Frank Schober shared this link with me and I pass it on to you. "The Girl I left Behind"  A wonderful poem Frank, a tribute to a great love and a great life. We may not always agree on every detail but we have a common respect for the good things of life and a respect for the things that count. I always tell my friends, "Hug your wife today ... while you can".

The Thursday thunderstorms left and the temperature dropped giving us reports of ice on some roads and bridges. As I sat in the living room with my morning coffee a mist of snow spiraled around outside just to show that winter is still here. 

I have to go back to the "theme of the week" before "publishing" this page. I must say one last thing about "Attitude".

Some are blessed with good fortune,
For many only misfortune is reserved.
Some have gifts overflowing,
For others an empty plate is served.

When we look for the source,
It may well give us pause.
For me, the source is a "reason",
For him an "excuse" is the cause.

It is well for us to take the time this Lenten season to look to our attitudes. Do they match the beliefs we proclaim? I often feel like the rich young man, so fortunate in having many worldly goods. I don't think that Jesus turned him away but he left, dejected, because he didn't have the strength of faith to let go and become an instant saint. Not many of us do. But working on a attitudes is a good first start. If we move toward having the right attitude, I am sure that our actions will begin to conform to them. 

A final word ... (or two)  You are invited to join all those who left a comment in my Blog last week. ... OH, there were none!!! OK, then be the first to leave a comment or just go to the Tag Board and just say "Hi".