Too Old, Or Just Broken In?

More from the successful author of The Reluctant Hero Trilogy and The View - One Man's Living Asatru With Help From The Havamal -  Terry Unger

Too old, not me !

When you are young, people tell you, "You're too young for that."  Then when you are old, people tell you, "You're too old for that."  If you are an infant or totally enfeebled, these admonitions hold some water.  But I am willing to bet that you do not fall into these two groups; most of us do not.  .......

If you want to do or be something special, you need to take risks.  The taste of success is sweeter with the greater level of risk; you need to take a risk.  

Havamal, verse 105 - With m tools I carved out a path for myself.  I risked my life to reach my goals, even though there were those who would stop me if they could.    

Page 116, Dare to be Great.  From the one, the only ...  The View - One Man's Living Asatru With Help From The Havamal.  

Too old?  Hell no!  Just well traveled, well versed, and broken in !   

                                                    Terry Unger @copyright 2015 

Book Published !!!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that my ninth book, The View - One Man's Living Asatru With Help From The Havamal is now published and available on Amazon, Amazon Worldwide, and Kindle.  

My latest book is about a subject dear to my heart: the personal application of Asatru in everyday life. To be properly understood, Asatru is more than religion; it is a way of life that can be prosperous and fulfilling for the true seeker. Often today, The Nine Noble Virtues come under attack, as something akin to the Ten Commandments. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that people created them after poring through the Lore and found the same recurring themes, it pays to understand that the NNV were created to serve as a guideline of living in our complex and diverse modern world. The argument could be made that our Ancestors wrote very little, and therefore why the NNV today? Not to be smug, but we live in the 21st century. In our modern world when the bills come due and the boss is a hassle, it helps to have something on paper to help guide us to try and live a life of virtue in our complex world. Then there is the Havamal. A poem of 165 verses contained within the Poetic Edda, the Havamal offers us direction in our lives. Using translations from Bellows and Hollander, I made an attempt to make their verses more relevant in our 21st century.  

                                                          Copyright @2014 Terry Unger

Dream Crushers

You are too fat, you are too tall.  You are too short, you are too skinny.  You do not have the right qualifications, you are over-qualified.  You lack the right education, you do not have the right education.  You do not have the stamina, you do not have vision.  You are wasting your time, you are barking up the wrong tree.  And, this list of put offs/blow offs goes on.  But these naysayers do not take into account the human will, the desire to succeed and accomplish the goal.  

It took Thomas Edison 10,000 attempts before he created the incandescent light bulb.  And at every attempt, Edison meticulously documented his work; he took notes.  Ten thousand times.  He had his naysayers, but he pushed forward, because he believed in his dream, his work.  In our today's world, Thomas Edison may be considered a bit daffy.  Well, just consider who are the daffy ones, when you flip a switch and turn on your lights.  

Abe Lincoln lost every election he entered, with the exception of president in 1860.  His detractors condemned him, even after he was in office.  Modern psychiatry believes that Lincoln was clinically depressed.  Even if he was, he guided the United States through its most difficult and bloody era.  

Lincoln believed in and lived his dream, even though it killed him.  

How many dreams and aspirations have been killed or crushed by some heavy hand?  In our today, how many beginnings have been stopped by some form of, "no, you cannot do that because .....  ."  The sad answer is - one too many.  

The next time someone steps on your toes, kicks you in the balls, or pisses on your dream, ask them this:  what have you done in your lifetime to advance yourself and humanity?  Who are you to judge me and my dream?  What is it that makes my desire to create something special and good a threat to you and your interests?  Are your jealous that my success can out shine you?  Those who condemn another's efforts of any kind for self-improvement or positive human advancement are a sad bunch.  

These people harbor a belief that they are perfect; they are not.  They think that they have all the answers; they do not.  Believe in your dream and pursue it; the hell with them.  Asatru, the belief in the old Gods, supports those folks who want to advance themselves in a positive manner.  

Verse #9 from the Havamal - It is a happy man who is smart and clever.  Many times you will get bad advice when you ask (or it is thrust upon you......italics, mine) for another's opinion.  

                                            

                                            Copyright @2014 Terry Unger

    

          

      

An Ode - To A Winter's Day

The azure blue sky is covered by lumps of gray clouds.  This lumpy grayness does not hold Thor's thunder; they are filled with various frozen wetness.  Though not on the ground, this frozen wetness forms a barrier between earth and sky, demanding my bones to ache.  And, they do.  I remember days gone by when my skeleton did not moan from such torture.  As I sit and remember those days, I want to deny this, the autumn of my life.  Clinging still, do I, to whatever youth is left within me.  My thoughts fly back on the wings of memory to my days of youthful exuberance.  

Yes, those days of youthful laissez-faire living, fueled by sugary ignorance that screamed to be expelled.  Expelled it was, and the created void quickly filled with experience gained.  So often was the experience bittersweet, a hard pill to keep down.  But there were times when the sweetness was overwhelming.  I relive that sweetness in daydreams; the bittersweet haunts my sleep.  I have learned from these experiences, my wyrd and orlog, from my words, actions, and their resultant effects.  Plan now, can I, to lessen the bitterness of any future sourness.  Clarity is mine.  

Now when I stand and gaze at those lumps of gray, I see my father, mother, and my ancestors.  I can see all, back to  the beginning, to the Lords and Ladies of Asgard.  

                                                       Copyright @2014 Terry Unger

A Story for the Ages

                                                            A Story for the Ages

This story took me a long time to not just talk about but also to write.  The comfort level was not right; it’s personal.  But now, I’m fine with all of it.  Here it is……..

Admittedly, I am a hard-headed man of Austrian/German heritage.  And, there have been times that literally, I could not see the proverbial forest for the trees.  One of those times happened when I was a kid struggling with first year Algebra. 

I just didn't “get it.”  For me, this was a real life struggle, so much so that I had a few panic attacks.  Mr. Bushky was a good teacher.  Early on when I approached him for help, he dedicated many after school hours during the school year to help me.  But his efforts were in vain; I just did not “get it.”  Bushky was frustrated.  Not only was I lost, I was in left field without a clue.  The grades received screamed course failure, but Bushky passed me anyway, probably because I did not give up (the year had four grading periods – I had two D’s and two F’s).  I was ashamed.  The grades were one thing but my inability to “get it” ate away at me; it gave me nightmares.  Then something happened. 

That happening was the start of a new school year and a math course known as Modern and Analytical Geometry.  I was introduced to the Pythagorean Theorem:  a (squared) + b (squared) = C (squared).  Suddenly, I “got it.”  I understood first year Algebra; I saw the forest and the trees.  There was no rhyme or reason to it.  There wasn't anything between the shit and shinola that made any sense.  Later it dawned on me that all of that Algebra stuff was there within me from day one in Mr. Bushky’s class.  What I needed was something to come along and break up the log jam in my head.  Pythagoras and his theorem was that thing.  Algebra II and III were much better and Trigonometry was a snap; hell, they gave me a book with all that sine, cosine, and tangent stuff plus I got to use a slide rule!  Dear reader, if you do not know what a slide rule is, please Google it.  You will discover how we older folks got along before all the technology we now have came into being.  However, abstract mathematics was not the only thing I struggled with; deep, abstract familial relationships I did not grasp.  Oh, the words were there, but the not full meaning and understanding.    

In my opinion, the only thing that is worse than watching your parents suffer and die is to suffer through the death of one of your children (see my Defining Moments 2/19/12 blog post).  My father passed on 2/7/2010 at the tender age of 92.  Dad’s last year was his toughest.  He suffered from arterial sclerosis caused by over 70 years of smoking cigarettes.  He would pass out, fall, and upon regaining consciousness, was at a lower base line of cognitive thought.  From this point on, dementia was rapid.  It was very sad to see.  But here I must add an important point:  after my mother passed on in March of 1998, my father became much more to me – he became my best and only friend. 

Lacking any siblings and living a life I freely chose to live, I felt alone in this world.  But, getting a dad who became best friend and pal was a bonus.  We frequently dined together and mightily conversed about many things.  One of the things that I brought up for conversation was the Germanic/Norse concept of the soul-multiverse (see my blog post The Body/Soul Multiverse 5/19/12 where I haplessly try to explain this intricate subject).  This concept is difficult to understand when living in a world that is held in strait-jacketed Christian captivity with its’ dualistic body/soul constrict (among other things).  In my opinion, having knowledge of abstract stuff (not algebra!) like the Germanic soul-multiverse, and for that matter many other things, does not make a lot of sense until some sort of personal experience comes along and turns on the lights.  Soon, I had that experience. 

The day finally came when I had to put my dad in an assisted living facility that could provide hospice care.  This was a hard decision; it was a huge move that I agonized over.  I did not want to do it; I knew my dad and his feelings about these places – his feelings were also mine.  But, as life and its happenings had it, the decision was made for me.  Dad passed out while driving (yeah he still was) and T-boned another vehicle.  Fortunately, the driver and passenger of that car were not hurt.  But while in the hospital and assisted living, dad had his moments of clarity. 

One of those moment happened while in assisted living quarters, dad jumped off of his bed and beat the snot out of his “roomie” who was physically beating on his nurse.  Yeah, imagine that; a 92 year old WWII veteran in that condition who could still get it up and on one more time.  Another two times happened when he was telling me about a beautiful young woman who came to visit him. 

There is no doubt in my mind, then and now, that that “woman” was dad’s fylgja (within the Germanic concept of the soul-multiverse, men have female fylgjas and women have male fylgjas; if your mind is in the gutter, pull it out – it has nothing to do with physical sexual orientation – this is possibly where Christianity’s idea of “guardian angels” springs from).  In the majority of cases, a person only sees his or her fylga when death is imminent.  However, your fylgja is with you throughout your life; it is attached to you and does its’ best to care for your well-being and is there to guide you into the afterlife. 

Dad first told me about “her” on February 8^th, 2010.  He said that she had something special to show him if he would only follow her.  Well, my dad was a stubborn guy; he did not go.  On the 9^th, dad and I had another chat about “her.”  He said that “she” was really beautiful but was a real pain in the ass. He told me that “she” really wanted him to follow her.  Then I asked if “she” was in the room; he replied that “she” was.  Dad thought that “she” wanted to take him to a party but he was not in the mood to drink and dance.  That’s when it hit me that he was describing to me and experiencing his fylga.  This point must be made:  dad’s eyes and mind were clear and he was in full voice.  On the 10^th of February, 2010, he finally decided to follow “her.” 

I got there within minutes of his passing.  My father did not die alone.  He had his fylgja with him along with a nurse and two assistants.  The memory of that day clings to me like it was just yesterday. 

It was 3:00pm and the sky was a deep azure blue.  The air was crisp, clean, and a balmy 45 degrees Fahrenheit.  Yes, I was sad.  Not only did I lose my dad, I lost my best and only friend.  Loneliness crept over me like maggots on three day old road-kill.  As I sat there alongside his lifeless body I said, “Poppy, now what am I supposed to do?  I’m an orphan.”  What followed was not just beautiful but ironic. 

Suddenly, the weight of so many years that held loneliness, grief, regret, and sadness came off of my shoulders.  Literally, I felt light headed and thought that I was about to float into the air.  Also, I felt not just “a” presence, but the “presence” of many.  That was the beautiful stuff.  Here is the ironic.  Then, just like when I was a kid and was smacked in the face with Pythagoras and his Theorem that unlocked the knowledge of Algebra that was there since day one in Bushky’s class, I finally understood that my family, ancestors, and Gods were with me since the beginning of time; they always were and always will be.  I finally “got it.”  Soon after my dad’s passing, I found my wife Sandra – live is good, very good. 

Recently it dawned on me that maybe I was supposed to experience what I did with dad on February 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th of 2010.  It sure as hell cleared up more than a few things for me.  Now dear reader, you can blow all of this off as a rant from a crazy man, a UPG (unverified personal gnosis), or just a recollection of huge relief felt with the ending of serious responsibility.  You can believe what you want; we still live in a free society.  After all, this is a personal story; I've been mocked for way less.  But it is my heritage and a very real part of me.    

                                                    Copyright @2014 Terry Unger          

              

          

The Eyes of a Dog

For those who have a dog, you quickly discovered that your doggie is not a pet, but a real family member.  And this family member is usually the first to greet you when you get home.  It does not matter what kind of jerk or saint you were that day; you get 100% positive attention from your furry pal.  When you are feeling poorly, your dog knows and comforts you.  And, when your dog looks at you and smiles, you are getting unconditional love.  In your dog's eyes, you are his or her only rock star.  It is unfortunate that these wonderful creatures are only with us for a short span of our lives.  

So, when a priest from a religion that has rejected divine immanence in all life (among other things) tells you that your dog has no "soul," walk away.  When said priest or priests tell you that your dog had a "special animation" that expired at death, run.  That religion and its' source has had it wrong about many things for at least two millennium.  Things like, when they still insist that women are a big source of evil, your body and sex are dirty and should be avoided, and that this life is bad; your suffering and denials in this life will earn you a seat of righteous in the life after death.  Rubbish.  Those who know understand the phrase, "we are our deeds."  And, denying life and all its goodness is not part of this worldview.  

The next time that your dog looks at you with unconditional love, consider this:  maybe the gods are looking at you through your dog's eyes, "seeing" how other creatures "see" you.  After all, when the letters are reversed, dog does spell god.  

                                                 Copyright @2013 Terry Unger 

The Promise Of Spring

                           

If you like baseball, pitchers and catchers soon will report to spring training camp.  Some cultures will celebrate what is known as The Charming Of The Plow, or Disting, a celebration of new beginnings and if only symbolically, the early stages of field preparation.  And here on the Texas Gulf Coast, my wife and I will start up our garden.  Spring is almost here.

Spring is the evidence of eternal renewal.  The cycle of winter with its cold and barren grip, gives way to warmth and life.  Even a pre-geezer like me feels the rejuvenation in my bones.  Spring holds out the promise of many things to us, but it is just a promise; mother nature can be a fickle mistress.

To make those promises happen, we must work towards them.  It is the time for us to put our backs into our plans, to light the fires of life within us, and look forward to success.  These promises spoken of are none other than the plans made, or should have made during Yuletide.  We make our own luck and begin with planning our endeavors.  Spring blows life into your plans as you follow your pre-planned steps to reach your goals.  If you just sit around and do nothing, waiting for you plans to take form, you will be waiting a long time.  Good planning and follow through makes that plan, dream, or wish a reality.  But, you have to work for it.  There is no such thing as a free lunch, a fairy godmother, or a genie in a bottle.  There is only you.

                                                    Copyright @2013 Terry Unger  

Winter's Chill

For many of us, it starts around the beginning of November.  It's that cold, damp, feeling that enters your bones and does not want to let go.  And, it seems to get worse as we get older.  It's almost like winter has a claim on us.  We yearn for the warmth of a fire and a hot bowl of soup.  But sometimes, a hot bowl of soup is not enough.  We look for hot coffee, tea, chocolate, and our favorite alcohol.  All of these remedies have a temporary effect.  When they wear off, as they always do, winter still has its icy grip on our bones.  Is this all about how physically old we feel at the unset of winter or is it something else; I believe it is.  

As we approach the winter of our lives, we start to look back on our life and wonder if we could have done better.  We silently sit before the fire and ask ourselves probing questions, and at times, we are not pleased with the answers.  

We question our courage.  Did I do the right thing?  Did I hold to that truth within my heart?  Did I have the discipline to push myself to stand my ground and have the perseverance to achieve my goals?  Did I live the life I believe in?  Or did I quit? 

Did I live in fidelity with that truth, my family, and my friends?  Was I industrious enough to be as self-reliant as possible and have a feeling of personal honor?  All of us ask these questions in one form or another.  We do this, I believe, because we abhor failure.  It is like our conscious will not leave us alone.  

It can be called a gut check.  As we approach the winter of our lives, it's just something that we do; our higher selves seem to force it on us, as if it was some sort of precursor to the future.  For my younger readers, this is something to look forward to, not in dread, but in grateful expectation.  Just because you have some decades under your belt does not mean that your life is over; far from it.  Age has its experience and experience leads to wisdom.  Just because there is snow on the roof-top, do not  discount the fire that still brightly burns inside.   

                                               Copyright @2013 Terry Unger       

     

Snow

                           


Since I live in a moderate to tropical climate, snow is something that I no longer see.  As a child, snow gave my friends and I various chances to experience seasonal adventures.  Those snow forts were great shelters for snowball fights, and huge snowmen were our generals.  The tightly packed snow was awesome for sledding and tobogganing.  But when I went from a kid to a working stiff, snow had lost its' luster.

When you have to live with it, work in it, and constantly shovel it, snow is a real pain in the ass.  So during a longer winter with constant snowfall, where do you put it?  If the temperatures stayed below freezing, even during the daylight hours, that snow ain't going nowhere soon.  You piled it up in your yard, and the city hauled off their responsibility, dumping it into lake and rivers, or unused parking lots.  And after 24 hours, the snow that was on the streets mixed with salt and cinders from the city's road treatment, and the smudgy dirt from the streets, to produce various shades of gray; what was pretty against the moonlit night sky became ugly after lunch.  I can remember the good, bad, and ugly of snow in my life, as I can about other things.

Calling up a memory, filing through your brain's memory storage locker, is a conscious choice.  A memory is a personal story of a past event or events in our lives.  When you do it to hurt yourself, to beat yourself up again, that is foolish.  Often, we do just that when we regret a negative event from our past.  We need to learn from our past, even from the good times.  You cannot turn back the clock and redo that past negative event.  All you can do is learn from it so that you do not repeat the same errors in the future.  This is also true for cultures and countries.  Yeah well, I still don't like snow.

                                                  Copyright @2013 Terry Unger

















         

Truth and Fidelity

               

The question, what is truth, probably is as old as another question, what is the meaning of life?  Truth certainly is not absolute; it is relative to one's perception of reality.  And since reality is fluid, constantly changing by increased consciousness and discovery, so is truth.

Centuries ago, man truly believed that the Earth was flat and the center of the Universe.  Discovery changed that.  For a few centuries, people truly believed (and many still do) that Columbus discovered the new world.  Discovery changed that perceived truth; Leif Ericsson beat him by 500 years.  And, discoveries in genetics and DNA have opened a whole new world of truths previously unknown.

There are those who hold that their Truth is absolute, and the only real Truth.  In my opinion, that is blindness of a special kind.  That kind of Truth usually has its adherents clinging to blind faith, regardless of how ridiculous the majority of the binding tenants have proven to be.  When something has been proven to be not just outdated but patently false, many times, and the purveyors of such continue to spin their tale to their mesmerized adherents, it has to be either a form of brainwashing or a lie.  Or is it?

To the blindly faithful, it is not a lie but the Truth as they choose to live it and experience it.  It does not matter to them how many times and in how many ways science has proven that their Truth is incorrect, since they believe that science itself is a lie.  When something is repeated over and over again, whether it be truth or fiction, people gradually will believe it.

It can be said that when we live out our Truth, what we believe to be right, it can be witnessed in our words and deeds.  There are those adherents of a certain Truth that feel compelled to leave written tracts about their Truth at your door; they are acting out their Truth.  Even if a person deems that Truth to be false, it is still the Truth for its adherents.  And, when a man holds something to be true, he does not have a problem being loyal and living in fidelity with it.  But what should be done with the loyalty and fidelity given to that Truth when something happens to damage it or prove it false?

In the 21st century, daily discoveries are made that change previously perceived Truths.  A discovered something else is added to the mix (that particular truth) and it alters our perception of that Truth; it makes that Truth even more so, or it proves it to be false.  When men enter into a contract, both parties agree to terms and to the end means that they consider mutually beneficial, thus binding.  Based on this, both parties expect to live in loyalty and fidelity with the agreed contract.  But what happens if one of the men was duped by the other, with deception, into signing the contract?  How can that man continue to live in loyalty and fidelity with the other who had duped him?  In my opinion, he cannot and should not.

If a man purchased some land and the seller had agreed to certain specifics to happen after the sale, and they did not because the seller had no intention of doing so, there is no reason for the buyer to have any loyalty and fidelity with the seller.  Sue him.  If a man had a house built to certain specifics and the builder cut corners by not following those set specifics (to increase his profit), then there is no case for loyalty and fidelity.  Take him to court.  If a spouse has had an extra-marital affair or secretly entered into the marriage for financial gain, the victimized spouse has every reason to end his or her loyalty and fidelity.  These three examples describe how people entered into a "truth" and how deception altered that believed truth (in the mind of the victimized) making it, loyalty, and fidelity null and void.  There should be no reason to continue to be loyal and live in fidelity with something or someone who has deliberately harmed or intended to harm you.  However, there are those things known as accidents, things that should not be confused with the aforementioned deceptions.

A neighbor wanted to do you a favor, a kindness, and he decided to cut your grass.  Unknown to your neighbor:  you put down a lawn treatment that required a 48 hour "do not disturb" before cutting your lawn.  You are out your time and the expense of the lawn treatment.  What should you do?  Thank your neighbor for his effort but tell him about the lawn treatment.  Share a joke and a beer or two over it.  If reimbursement for the treatment is offered, take it.  There is no reason to remove your loyalty and fidelity from this man.  He preformed, within his perceived Truth, an act of neighborhood fidelity to you, and did so without malice.  It should always be so easy.

                                           Copyright @2013 Terry Unger             

The Art of Hospitality

                                                   

                             

Nobody that I know of likes a glutton.  That's the guy you had invited to your party or BBQ, and acted like a human vacuum cleaner; he sucked up everything in his line of sight.  Usually, people like that do not get re-invited anywhere; they make everyone feel uncomfortable.  On the opposite side of the hospitality coin is the host.

If you are having a party or BBQ, have you planned to have enough food, drink, and some music for your friends?  Or have you skimped out?  Nothing is more embarrassing than running out of food and drink before the event really kicks into gear.  You have decided to serve burgers.  You invited 20 people but only purchased 12 burgers and 12 rolls.  What are you going to do?  Have one of them cut your grass and then make a salad out of the clippings?

The underlying principal of hospitality, I believe, is a willingness to share, but also it is the willingness to be generous with your hospitality.  If a shortage happens like mentioned above, you will make your guests feel unwelcome and you will come off as not only dimwitted but cheap.  If you are not willing or for some reason cannot provide amply for your guests, don't have the event.

On another note, if your next door neighbors drop by, be prepared to offer them at the very least a cup of coffee or tea.  It does not matter if it is a surprise visit, that is not an excuse for poor hospitality.  

A friend of mine and his wife were invited to another couple's home.  When both couples still were young in their marriages, they had lived in the same apartment building.  They were reunited at a mutual friend's backyard BBQ and were amazed at how the other couple kept going back for "seconds."  The inviting couple had made a big deal about the four of them getting together.  When my friend and his wife arrived, the other couple did not ask if they could take their coats.  For almost two hours they sat there, their coats around their wastes, and were not even offered a glass of water.  My friend told me that it was quite embarrassing for he and his wife, but the other couple thought nothing of it.  Who needs people like that?

When I gave all of this some thought, It appeared to me that there is a direct link between the glutton and cheapskate/miser.  They both want it all but give nothing in return.  They have to be one and the same person.  

                                                    Copyright @2013 Terry Unger

       

  

On Friends, Family, And Getting Back On A Road Less Traveled

There are those people out there who have rather quickly foisted the title of "friend" upon your shoulders.  They number among those of whom "another friend" brought with them to some sort of social gathering you had the unfortunate opportunity of hosting.  Both of these types of friends are leeches; they came for the free booze.  And, they will take from you whatever they can and will give nothing in return.  When you need a real friend, when you have hit the wall full speed, those "friends" are lost in the mists of, " I don't know you....I cannot be bothered now."  Make no mistake - these are the people who will go to your funeral, not to pay their respects, but to freely eat and drink at your wake.  We cannot choose our family but can choose our friends.  Chose wisely; it's not like quickly choosing a cold domestic beer to quench your thirst.  Rather, it's more like choosing a fine wine to accompany an awesome meal.

The days of cementing a contract on a handshake have passed through the cracks about the same time the phrase, " You want fries with that," became a part of our national lexicon.  The times we live in have taken away the trust of friendship and replaced it with the art of making the deal - at all costs.  And, this attitude has extended into the heart of the family.  It sure as hell wasn't always like this.

Back in the day when we used rotary telephones (remember those things? Throw them against a concrete wall and they still worked.  No batteries required.), telephone booths (no grasshopper, they were not just something for Superman to change in), and held a healthy respect for the other guy and our parents, it was a rare thing for someone to get shafted over a few bucks.  Yes, it happened but again, it was rare.  Out of respect for the other guy, people just did not do that kind of stuff.  Now it happens over and over again in the workplace, the neighborhood, and the family.

The Christian Right talks a lot about family values.  But in my opinion, some of those "values" appear to foster what was written about above.  Maybe because those values are man-made interpretations of what is supposedly the divine word of their God.  When put to use, a wink of an eye can twist them to bring about some bent human desires.  And when a book that contains the supposed infallible word of a deity is used as a balance scale, it's easy to load up the other side and be justified with the result.  Being the chosen people of a book must be a relief for them - no need to think on their own.  Just saying.  At least when we were using rotary phones, respecting the other guy was something that was inherently understood and not something that we needed to be reminded about, like in our times today.

It's time for us to get on the road that takes us back to mutual respect.  This does not mean that we should rid ourselves of our current technology, like some would have us do.  What I am trying to say is that we need to house-clean our minds and make some serious attitude adjustments.  Along the way, we can re-discover courage honor, and truth.  We will learn industriousness, genuine hospitality, and fidelity.  Moreover, we will be filled with self-reliance, discipline  and have the perseverance to meet and finish any of life's challenges.  Food, clothing, and shelter lets us survive; we need more.  To thrive we need the above nine virtues.  Then again, maybe, a handshake can bind a contract.     

                                                   Copyright @2012 Terry Unger









       

Like My Daddy Used To Say.......

Growing up, my father, uncles, and grandfathers told me many things.  Some of those things were/are down right hilarious, especially when a live visual was provided.  Here are a few:

Like my Daddy used to say, " Preachers and lawyers have a few things in common.  One of those things - both are liars."  Daddy had more to say about these two sub-species but it's not fit to print.

................ " Money is the one sure thing that gets stuff done.  Don't kid yourself, it is.  Any doubts about that, ask any rich bastard what he needs more of."

............... " Don't trust anyone who does not drink alcohol.  They're hiding something."

............... " Don't trust anyone who doesn't eat meat.  They're not normal.  Maybe they're space aliens."

.............. " Don't believe anyone that tells you they are not prejudiced.  Those people are the most prejudiced of all."

.............. " Stay away from women that go to church every Sunday.  What they are looking for you don't have and what they have, you don't want.  Unless you want to go to church every Sunday."

.............. " You go to school to learn some things.  You put those things to use in your backyard."

.............. " Save your money; in coffee cans, milk cans, or tin cans.  Be wary of bankers."

............. " A fool follows his own path to winning an academy award for best actor in a comedy. "

............ " Don't trust anyone whose never been drunk.  Those people have no idea how to really make fools of themselves.  They want you to do it for them, and then blame you for all the troubles in their lives.  Let them fall on their faces all by themselves.  Sit back and enjoy the show."

                                                 Copyright @ 2012 Terry Unger




 

Sunday Reflections

At my age, I have discovered how little I know and understand about anything.  Now, I listen more, and talk less.  Now, I read more, and still speak less; the silence has its golden edges.  I meditate harder now, and stare into the comfort of darkness.  If truly the gods of my fathers exist, I shall meet them there.  When spoken by some, words become finite and in some cases, empty.  The children hold many answers before they grow up.  When you assume that you hold universal truths to be self-evident, you discover black holes of self-delusion.  Maybe holding on to that star-struck wonder of a child is a good thing.  Fools follow their own path to winning an academy award.

                                              Copyright @ 2012 Terry Unger

Lessons From Oz

On a really bad day in Kansas, little Dorothy and her dog Toto had a rough time with a tornado.  As the story goes, Dorothy meets up with three questionable characters:  a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion.  The Scarecrow felt that he did not have a brain.  The Tin Man believed that he was missing a heart.  And the Lion thought that he lacked courage.  All three of these characters wanted the one thing that they believed was missing in their lives.  Through a series of events, the trio discovered that they already possessed what they individually coveted.  Their self-discovery happened when they decided to help Dorothy, to forge ahead regardless of the obstacles.    

We do not have to get sucked up and taken to some mystical place to know that we have a brain to think, a heart to care, and the courage to carry out our life plans.  These are things that we have - now.  Wise use of these three is what conquers all obstacles.  It's the stuff of myth and legend.

                                               Copyright @2012 Terry Unger

                                                       

When Words Weigh More Than Bricks

Very early in life kids learn that little ditty, " Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me!"  That is true only in a direct and primary sense.  But,words can hurt the heart and a person's emotions.  When the wrong words are spoken to our kids and spouses, it can set the stage for future negative actions.  Words that rip at a person's self-esteem, especially between spouses, can act like getting hit in the face with a brick.  When we speak condescendingly to our kids, it can be like they just had the emotional wind kicked out of them.  Here, I am speaking from experience and I am not paraphrasing from the latest best selling psycho-babble tract.  Yes - I've been there, done that, as the thrasher of cutting words, and the recipient of painful judgement.  Like it or not, words are the forerunner of future actions; words set the stage for future acts in the video of our lives.  Moreover, since we live in a world of cause and effect, those words do come back to us; positive words yield positive effects while negative words can produce living nightmares.  Carefully chose your words and put a padlock on your tongue.  If you need to run around the block to cool your temper before you speak, do so.  Use those bricks to build a strong house that no big, bad wolf can blow down.

                                                   

                                                      Copyright @2102 Terry Unger

       

Brunch With The Pope

It was a bright sunny day, so I decided to walk the short distance from my hotel to the Vatican.  To kill some time, I detoured on to a side street and found some dirty, scruffy boys playing futbol; their ball had seen better days decades ago but at least they were having fun.  When I finally got back on the main drag, the Vatican was directly in front of me.  As I passed through a security checkpoint I was reminded of the TSA pat down before I had left.  Trying to compare the two was tough; similarities are what they are.  When I reached the correct office, I was well received but told that the Pope was running behind and I should make myself comfortable.  Finally, my guide escorted me into a well appointed dining room and there he was, the Pope, waiting for me.  He said that he was happy to meet me and that I resembled Tom Hanks.  I took that as a complement but I am better looking than Mr. Hanks.  Then he muttered something about a Dan Brown, whoever he is.  After some more genteel conversation, we sat down to eat.  The only thing that I can think of that was NOT on the dining table was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  In between mouthfuls, I asked the Pope many questions.  Like, what are you and the Church doing about hunger?  About homelessness?  About ignorance?  About the exploding world population?  There were more questions, but the answer to all of them was the same:  a smile and a nod of the head that went this way or that.  I thought that I was lunching with a bobble-head doll.  When the coffee was finished, the Pope rose from his chair and then I knew that it was time for me to leave.  My escort-guide, like a pre-set alarm clock, was immediately present to take me back to the public areas.  But before I left, the Pope put his hands on my shoulders and said, " God bless us, everyone."  Well, that's what I think he said.  My walk back to my hotel took me past the same boys who earlier were playing futbol.  But this time they were not having any fun.  This time the boys were tired and very hungry.  Those boys had no where to go - the streets were their home.  I bought them bread, cheese, and milk; their thanks was abundant.  When I left those boys, in the shadows of the Vatican, I had one burning thought in my head.  It takes a lot more than some god's blessing, given by a man, to solve a problem.  Words, after all, are just empty vessels until action is applied to make them happen.

Author's Note:  This post is fiction, a bit of wishful thinking.  I have more important things to do than have brunch with the Pope.

                                                 Copyright @2012 Terry Unger          

Lunch With A Former Professor

He appeared as a rather common fellow (and always did), like a regular Joe, until he opened his mouth (his personal downfall).  His words were almost grotesque, not in a vile sense, but on a level that would be alien to many people.  Here he was, an old professor of mine, probing me to see if my intelligence level had been raised from that of so many years ago.   When I replied with the same level of verbal pomposity, he settled down; a condescending demeanor would not be his to use on this day.  Many folks in academia, but certainly not all, have a thing or two in common.  One is that they think they have all the answers concerning their specific discipline.  But only a small number have taken their knowledge outside of the classroom (in other words, they are not Indiana Jones) and applied it in the real world.  For the some of those who have done so, they discovered that the real world is not so kind to some of their treasured postulations.  And to others that ventured outside of the lecture hall, the satisfaction had that what they taught worked in the real world, was a bonus.  In both of these instances, knowledge was applied and experience was gained; that's the beginning of wisdom.  Success or failure does not matter - the experience gained is what's really important.  My lunch companion did not fail to disappoint me.  After all, I know the man.  He had no intention of proving his postulations in the real world; he wrote his position papers and they were published - that was good enough for him.  He then reminded me of his position and of his tenure; because of that, in his mind, he was right (even though he had been proven wrong many times - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!).  Well, the man has spent most of his adult life in academia.  Another thing that many academics have in common is a sense of entitlement - they like their freebies.  It did not come as a surprise to me when the professor finished his lunch, got out of his chair, and bid me a good afternoon and left, sticking me with the check.  I expected that to happen, even though it was he who had invited me to lunch.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not coming down on academia.  We really need good teachers.  What I am saying is that they need to get away from their cloistered life and take a few long walks in the real world.  


                                               Copyright @2012 Terry Unger

                                                 
                                                       

An Evening With A Prophet

He likes his steaks, he told me, pink on the inside and juicy, and red wine served at room temperature.  That's where any other personal information about him ceased to be.  Men who do not honor themselves, he said, will never honor anything true.  Then he opined about how men, who do not set goals, will not succeed and will only rise to the level of their self expectations.  Careful time was spent as he explained to me that each one of us is responsible for our actions.  As one sentence flowed into another, he told me how, when men do not learn from history's lessons, they (we) repeat those mistakes and then act like it's a new happening instead of acknowledging it's a repeat of past cause and effect.  To drive home that point, he mentioned a few of mine and some that had occurred on the world stage.  I silently sat and listened as I was admonished to avoid those people who languish in their own self-pity; they will suck the life out of you.  When he drained the last drop of fermented red from the bottle, I knew that the evening was over, but not before he dropped the mother load on me.  Be wary, he told me, of the priests with their canned answers for every situation.  As he rose from his chair, he said that all mysteries can be known if we open the door to the heart and journeyed within.  When he was leaving, I asked him if I would ever see him again.  That he said, was all up to me.


                                                 Copyright @2012 Terry Unger    

Opa

My grandfather, Opa, was a good man.  He and my grandmother Celia raised five sons and two daughters in their adopted country (the USA).  Their seven children went on to be a part of the WWII generation, said by some to be the best generation ever.  I can't speak about other families, but I know that Opa instilled certain values in his kids that were passed down to his grandchildren.  One of those values was molded into a simple sentence.

At the right moment during our frequent family gatherings (usually when we were eating), Opa would say, " I wonder what the poor people are doing today?"  Being the curious tike in short pants that I was, I believed that Opa was making a joke about the homeless and destitute; so I asked him.

That day I vividly remember.  It was in late summer and my family had gathered to pick fruit for our fall wine ( yeah, we did that and drank it too!).  Opa sat in his favorite outdoor chair and like a military field commander, directed the fruit selection while my Oma (grandmother Celia) took care of the food preparations.  We kids took care of the lower branches while our parents dealt with the higher ones.  And if you missed a spot, Opa happily made you aware of the error.  Opa's pipe was ever present.  It was one of those long stemmed things with a big base that he had brought with him from Austria.  I do not remember the brand of tobacco that Opa smoked, but I can tell you that the aroma was terrific.  When dinner in the orchard was finished, I took advantage of Opa's available lap.

Opa adjusted his pipe as I climbed into his lap and then asked him about the poor people stuff.  He chuckled at my question but it was not a laugh of derision but one of understanding that needed to be addressed.  Opa told me about what is true wealth and what is fool's gold.

To Opa, the "poor people" in his statement were the insanely wealthy.  All their wealth, he told me, blinded them to what was really true and important:  family, love, friendship, togetherness, and peace of mind.  In my Opa's head, those insanely wealthy folks could not enjoy the real wealth that is had with a simple life; their monetary wealth blinds them and thus, they are poor, and lack the knowledge of real wealth.  Does that mean that we should not strive to improve our lives and that of our family?  Absolutely not.  It really means that we should not take to heart all that glitters and sparkles as real, true wealth.  Keep in mind that that kind of wealth can be fleeting; easy come, easy go.  Real rock solid love, family, and friendship does not.  When the money is gone, it's gone; when love and family are true, they're still there.

That piece of wisdom and more was given to me by a really smart guy over fifty years ago.  Maybe it's time for me to get a pipe like Opa's and start dispensing the same.  The thing is, who will listen?


                                                 Copyright @ 2012 Terry Unger