GUEST COLUMN

John Nance Garner, V  is known as Jack to all his friends. Among Jack's many accomplishments, he has now written a book. He has kindly agreed to allow me to post the following excerpt from his book, titled:

 "Good, Bad, and Oh, my God!", The Life and Times of  Boudrix Orlando Raphael Ignatius Nehemiah Gateaux.

  "Boo also acted in the community theater as time and opportunity would permit. He started with a very small role in 'Seven Keys to Bald Pate'. He acted with an older man named Ray Taylor. Ray lived alone, and his passion in life was the theater.

  In one scene Ray was on the floor, when the Mayor, an actor named Gary Jackson, was supposed to kick him. They showed Gary and Ray how to do it for maximum effect. Ray was on his hands and knees. They told Gary, 'Now kick, but make sure it's low enough that only your ankle makes contact with his body.' 'Ray, when you notice his kick, push hard with your right arm and that will flip you on your back as if you had taken a terrific kick. Got it?'

  Ray and Gary signaled they understood. They got in position. Gary delivered the kick. Ray reacted as planned except when he landed on his back, the super fart of all super farts sounded forth from his body. Ray, a timid man except on stage, turned the brightest shade of red ever seen on a human face. It was five minutes before everyone stopped laughing and Ray stopped blushing. The effect worked perfectly in the real performance, but the day of the opening night the cast pleaded with Ray, 'Please don't eat any beans today!'

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  One incident that lived on with the theater crowd occurred when a fellow actor, a well-known surgeon, Dr. Marsh Long, finished up his work day with a few hits on the bottle. Dr. Long was a wonderful surgeon, and he did keep his love of alcohol under control. It was, however, a part of his personality.

  On the day of his wife Lottie's birthday, he had sent her twelve long-stemmed roses, a box of expensive chocolates, and a magnum of champagne.
  Lottie was quite happy, and was waiting for Marsh to come home, where they were going to enjoy a dinner for two that he had ordered from the caterers. It was her birthday, and Marsh did not want her to cook on this special day.
  At seven thirty Lottie heard his car pull into the driveway. She gazed into the mirror, gave her hair a final pat, and prepared to meet her husband. He opened the door, and Lottie exclaimed, 'Oh, Marsh, I love the roses and candy. The champagne looks wonderful, and it was so thoughtful of you to order our meal from the caterers'.
  Marsh answered with a short hiccup and a face-splitting grin. 'That's not all dear. For your birthday,' at this point he dropped his trousers and pointed downward, 'for your birthday I also gave myself a vasectomy!'
   Lottie was speechless, and then she expressed the first thing that came into her mind, 'Marsh, you shouldn't have.' She thought how ridiculous that sounded under the circumstances, looked at Marsh's drunken but grinning face, and burst out in loud laughter. She hugged her inebriated surgeon husband, and when her laughing subsided, she summed up the situation with, 'I bet I'm the only woman in the world that's ever had a birthday present like this.'"

  ****************************

Jack has many other colorful anecdotes contained in his book. I look forward to reading them as well as the life and times of Boo.

Peace, love, and laughter,

Marilyn

Where Are We Headed?

Mandatory Voter Photo I.D. laws have been enacted in the states shown in green. The Texas law has been challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice. Ostensibly, these stricter laws were passed to prevent voter fraud, even though there is no evidence of such. It appears that they were implemented for political reasons, and meant to discourage seniors, minorities, and young voters who would more than likely vote for a Democratic ticket. Not surprisingly, these states are headed by Republican Governors and legislatures with a Republican majority as well.

"Florence F. Noyes as 'Liberty' -- Suffrage Parade, 3/13/1913"

From 1867 until 1920, when Congress finally passed the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote, brave women protested, marched, and were even arrested and thrown in jail for demanding equal rights as men - the first being the right to vote. It took many more years for them to gain ground in other areas, such as property rights, Roe v Wade, and the ongoing struggle to gain equal pay for equal work. 

How can something so hard won as "equal rights" for women be in jeopardy now at the hands of white, middle-aged, mostly Republican men? If we study our history, it seems we are moving backwards to the days of the Woodrow Wilson administration! Many men are still opposed to women's rights. They would rather see them "suffer"! Or keep them at home, barefoot and pregnant!

Feminists March for ERA 1970 (Public Domain)

Under the guise of "religious objections", slowly but surely across this nation women are losing the right to say what happens to their own bodies. Many states are now instituting legislation to supposedly limit or prohibit abortion by requiring invasive sonograms as well as ridiculous questioning beforehand, such as asking women how their marriages are, are they certain they were "raped", and even asking if birth control pills -- which are hormones -- are to be used for medical or contraceptive purposes. The idea being that such programs providing these services are promoting promiscuous sex -- that is the opinion of at least one Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum. And Mitt Romney says if he is elected, Planned Parenthood must go! 

By pandering to the religious right, making opposition to funding of abortions by the new healthcare laws (Which, by the way, I understand not wanting to use tax dollars for abortion if one is fundamentally opposed -- but for denying women contraception coverage? Give me a break!), they stand the chance of eliminating essential health care coverage for many women who have no insurance and many who have been unemployed due to the current economic conditions. 

"Stand Your Ground" laws exist now in 21 of our 50 states (most of which have Republican Governors), some stating that you can use deadly force without attempting to retreat in any location, even outside your home. Such laws do not require that your own property is threatened. You can be anywhere, and if you feel threatened, you may shoot and kill the person you perceive to be threatening you without being prosecuted for murder. It is considered "self defense". 

This is a generalization of such laws, I know, but it is essentially what has happened to the young black male, Trayvon Martin, in Sanford, Florida. I don't know about you, but I had not heard of these laws until this recent incident. I can understand the laws that permit one to shoot an intruder into your home with the expectation your life is in danger, but "stand your ground"?? The NRA had to be involved in the passage of these laws! And the rise of right-wing, conservative Republicans in the states involved speaks to a scary trend in our country. A lot of the above states are known to have a number of white supremacist and survivalist groups, as well as being home to the Ku Klux Klan. They may well be more trigger happy than some. (I'm just sayin'.)

These are just a few of the things that cause me to wake up during the night and ponder the direction of our country. The issues of Social Security and Medicare benefits being considered for budget cuts are high on my list as well. Being a senior citizen, I am in a minority category. I did a little research on minorities in this country that included not only seniors but races and ethnicities other than "white", and have decided that if all of the so-called minorities (women actually outnumber the men in the U.S.) band together in this election year, we can stop the progress of these trends towards a repressive government, concerned more for the powerful corporations and the wealthiest 1% of our population. One only has to look at the wealthy supporters of the Republican candidates and the Super Pacs they represent to know that these folks are not out to improve the lives of the 99%! 

I know who I'm going to vote for this year! How about you?


Peace, love, and wisdom to make right choices,
Marilyn

Yayyy! Travis!

He can swing...

...he can hit...

And that's the ballgame!! Now Dad needs to take a video of his pitching prowess! I understand he is going to pitch tomorrow night. 

He's small, but he's MIGHTY!

Proud Grandmommy,

Marilyn

In Case You Missed It!

You've come a long way, baby!

Yes, he can!!

KUDOS AND RASPBERRIES

I seem to have got addicted to the news this past winter. Guess I could have given it up for Lent. Instead, I thought I'd just share some of my thoughts on things making the headlines lately.

Two thumbs up to the following people in the news:

• Everyone who called for public ostracising of Rush Limbaugh
• The women speaking out against the war against women being waged by politicians -- i.e., Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Gloria Steinem, et al
• The advertisers pulling their commercial ads from the Rush Limbaugh radio show and other "offensive" programs -- i.e., Ford, GM, Toyota, J.C.Penney, Prudential, Allstate, et al
• All of the remarkable women in attendance at the third annual Women in the World Summit
• Jaycee Dugard and her ability to overcome the horrendous adversity of her 18-year captivity in the back yard of a sex offender
• The U.S. Department of Justice for blocking the recent Texas Voter I.D. Law for being discriminatory
• The CDC's graphic anti-smoking ad campaign
• The "Don't Mess With Texas Women" rally in Austin, TX

Thumbs down on:

• Mitt Romney for saying Planned Parenthood has to go
• The Republican opposition to the Violence Against Women Act
• Ammonia-treated ground beef, or "pink slime" (H.E.B. stores do not carry any of it!)
• High gasoline prices when oil companies are enjoying their highest profits in history
• Santorum's statement that Puerto Rico must adopt English as the "main language" in order to become a state
• Russia's supplying the Syrian dictatorship with $1billion of arms -- and saying they were only for "defense"

What items in the news got your attention this past week or two? Besides the Republican presidential race, that is.  

Peace,

Marilyn

HAPPY EVERYTHING

(Photobucket Image)

Egads! I see that I have missed several holidays without acknowledging them on my blog. There were Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and even Valentine's Day celebrations. As the silly little image above says,  I now wish you  "Happy Everything"!

My only excuse is that I was extremely self-absorbed with a lot of minor ailments, and I didn't want my depressed mood to seep into anything I wrote. We've had so many spring-like days, sunshine, warm temperatures, and some glorious, much-needed rain, it is hard not to be in a good mood. I'm also feeling better. It makes me wonder which comes first -- the good mood or the  physical well-being. People smarter than I have pondered this mind/body connection and still have not come up with a definitive answer. Dr. Herbert Benson's book, The Relaxation Response, published in the late 70s, brought credence to the theory that we can heal many of our ailments with our mind by learning the "relaxation response", which is very much like meditation or self-hypnosis. Around the same time, Norman Cousins cured himself of what he was told was an "incurable" and "irreversible" disease by working in tandem with his doctor, massive doses of Vitamin C, and laughter, which he brought on by watching funny movies, such as the Marx Brothers' films. He documented all of this in his book Anatomy of an Illness. These are just a couple of the early mainstream books to discuss the subject. And who can forget Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking?

Just this week there were reports on the news about the latest research into the effects of anti-depressants, which are accompanied by many undesirable side-effects. The recent studies show that, in most cases, depressed patients get better just as quickly when given a placebo pill as when they are on an anti-depressant drug - even when they are told it is a placebo or "sugar pill". Of course, there are exceptions with cases of extreme mental/emotional problems. No one should ever cease taking prescribed medication without talking to their physician.

"You become what you think about all day long." Emerson had a good understanding of the mind/body connection, as do some modern day spiritual traditions. Unity and the Church of Religious Science come to mind. Also, one of the most popular ministers in the U.S. today, Joel Osteen, understands these principles. He fills his sermons with a lot of positive affirmations, using Biblical references to relate to. He is teaching that if one does nothing but dwell upon problems of any kind - physical, financial, emotional, etc. - one locks himself into a negative, self-defeating condition in life. In other words, "What you focus on increases!" Best to hold positive, healing, loving, abundant thoughts in mind! And of course, "Let go and let God."

If I believe these observations -- and I do -- why did my complaints linger so long? I've had over twenty years of Unity teachings under my belt, and should know better by now. I believe it's because for over ten years I have not lived near people who believe and practice these same principles. I have been spending way too much time alone or with folks with differing beliefs! The one big exception is the time I spend with Community Kitchen and the volunteers there. Now that I am feeling better, and I know I don't have anything contagious, I am going back more frequently. The loving energy there is palpable. I also felt better when I volunteered at Hope's Closet, but I haven't been there in a few months.

**********************

Travis, Carajean, Kelly

Another reason for my recuperation and lifted spirits is a visit from my daughter, Carajean. We had nearly four fun-filled days together earlier this month. While she was here, daughter-in-law Amy and grandchildren Travis and Kelly joined us for one day and night. We all had a good time playing games, eating, and watching movies. One day Carajean and I stayed in our pajamas all day long. The bed didn't even get made. I don't recall that happening in many years!

Amy and Carajean

These two gals outlasted me, and stayed up late playing dominoes. They even cleaned the kitchen so I could get my beauty sleep. They are both so youthful and beautiful that they can get away with late hours from time to time with no after-effects!

****************************

Next weekend we are going on a journey together. Oldest grandson Cameron is performing in his Senior recital at LSU in Baton Rouge. His mom and dad will join us there from Dallas. Carajean is flying to Austin, where she, son Matthew, Amy, and I will drive to Baton Rouge. It's over 7 hours to get there, so it's a good thing we all love each other! Needless to say, Cameron is pleased to have such a big family turnout for this special occasion. This past week he performed with the LSU A Cappella Choir in Plano, Texas. My oldest granddaughter, Audrey (a senior at SMU) was among family members who attended that performance.

(Cameron and Audrey)

Due to the isolation and ailments I suffered the past few months, I broke my "news fast" and gorged on all of the cable newscasts. I could not help getting caught up in all the GOP primary coverage. Some of it would be funny if it weren't so scary. I'll cover this in my next blog post. I'm so angry over the recent women's rights issues I probably couldn't keep from being overly insulting of the people involved. That is no way to keep up my positive attitude and assist my continued healing!

Peace and love,

Marilyn

"DESPAIR INTO ACTION"

I have written many times about my oldest granddaughter, Audrey, who is a senior student at SMU, majoring in Environmental Science. She is currently doing an internship in Maui, Hawaii, studying the migration of humpback whales. This morning I received the following email from her. I don't think she will mind my sharing it with you. Her passion is very obvious, and I feel she will continue to grow spiritually and make a very big difference in the world. Needless to say, I am  very proud of her.

(iptimes)

"I have experienced an awakening during my time here in Hawaii. The past few days we have studied some very emotionally enraging topics. Like how the captivity industry fuels the heinous slaughter of 20,000 dolphins every year in Taiji, Japan; how the international laws are consistently being broken and (are going) unpunished regarding the moratorium on whaling; how anthropogenic activities have managed to have a devastating effect on every ecosystem on Earth; how protesters, who are peacefully practicing their First Amendment right, are targeted, punished, and sometimes physically hurt by people of our government; how our government has become a plutocracy, with 200 of the large corporations that own 80% of the world's profits making all of the decisions that impact each of us (by the way, none of their decisions so far have been in favor of the environment).

I have been so moved by the films we have seen, articles we have read, and speakers we have listened to here. One night, watching The Cove followed by a Hawaiian native speaker (a vegetarian) made me cry so much I had to use my sleeve as a tissue. I came home that night, sat on our lanai (Hawaiian for balcony) and pondered. I realized that I had to write something and get it all out on paper. So I did. It's not finished yet, but I made some dramatic realizations about myself and my concern for our current world. Today I am in the middle of reading an interview with Joanna Macy who has made it her mission in life to help transform people's despair into action. I realized that she has literally taken the words right out of my mouth - the same things I realized for myself that night on the lanai. Please take time to read this article -- it  is worth it." 

http://www.personaltransformation.com/Macy.html   

I hope this brief report from a young (21 years) woman of today's world gives each of us pause to think during this election year. I love the way the native Americans used to consider the welfare of the seven generations to follow them before taking any action that might negatively affect the environment. At the current rate of destruction, our Mother Earth may not be here in seven generations! Or if it is, it will not be a very pleasant place to inhabit -- if it is habitable at all.

Peace and love to all living things on our planet,

Marilyn