Memorial Day 2021

 Today might be the "start of summer" to many, but it was created as a day to remember the many who never came back. It has been over half a century since I stood my last formation but the philosophy of duty, honor, country still persist.

A New Beginning

 Let me start with an introduction. It's been a long time since I last wrote an entry for this blog and I think it appropriate to tell you who I am. I live (for the moment) near the geographical center of the continental United States. Old enough to remember WW2 and the bright days before counterculture and Covid came into our lives. After several careers on both the east and west coasts I retired and took up a fresh new career as a mediator.

Mediators are people who by inclination and training want to help people who are in conflict and don't know how to resolve their problem. It could be neighbors squabbling over minor things, couples divorcing and not knowing how to split the assets, the kids or the pets. Companies fighting over contract issues or employees feeling discriminated against. Wherever there is human interaction there is a chance for dispute and that's where I come in. Sometimes the parties call me, often the courts ask me to step in and resolve the issue before it comes to trial and they always expect me to be a neutral party who can guide them to a way of fixing things.

After way too many years I've come back to a blog that I started more than a decade ago and then let die of neglect. When I read over some of my original mental rambles that I had the hutzpah to publish, I realize that my outlook on life has changed since then. While I'm still a curmudgeon, I'm now more willing to laugh at myself (despite what My Lovely Lady thinks) and the crazy world we all live in, The Covid 19 pandemic and the response to its impact by politicians and the public made me realize that laughter is truly the better medicine and that at my age I have the opportunity to laugh at myself and not worry too much about how others might react if I also laugh at (or with) them.

My Lovely Lady (who likes to be called CC) has several blogs including a blog build around animals and what they can teach us if we are willing to listen, She has spent her life in veterinary medicine and emergency management doing good things for others. I work with people and try to get them to resolve their problems before resorting to inappropriate behavior, between the two of us I think we have our world covered.

When I listen to, or read the news it often talks about the negatives things that are clouding our days. What I would like to do with this blog is to talk about the low level human things that happen to us every day. sometimes good, occasionally bad, and even humorous at times. But I'll always try to keep it at the human level and how I see events effecting our lives. It's the small things that really count.

for example: One of the teenage daughters who lives along our street is a cello player and recently she was practicing her musical skills outside. It was a worm and pleasant Sunday evening and within a few minutes, neighbors, all carrying chairs congregated on the driveway to enjoy a very impromptu concert. Masks were worn, social distancing was observed and people bonded in the enjoyment of an informal musical interlude.

Tor a few moments in time working from home, pandemic restrictions and political interference in our personal lives was ignored and we all just enjoyed the music and delight of a young lady in displaying her skill. It was not a momentous moment in time but it brought a pleasant end to the weekend, made it possible for us to recharge our emotional batteries and allowed us to merge as a group of neighbors rather than people who happen to live on the same block.

Life is made interesting by the little things and I hope I can encourage you to bear with me as I talk about the little things that have caught my eye. It will be an interesting excursion for me, and I hope for you.