thoughts on the news of the day: 9-10-11

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            Today’s date is 9-10-11 and today I have the privilege of performing the marriage service for two good friends of mine.  Lots of folks are getting married today; in fact I have been told that it is the most popular day this year to get married.  I guess it is because it is easy to remember.

            My nephew and his wife got married on September 11 several years ago.  It wasn’t disrespect for the significance of the day.  They are both long time career officers in our armed forces and love our country as much as anyone I know.  It just happened to be the day that was available at the church and the reception hall.  But it is one of the few anniversaries of family member’s weddings that I can remember.

            A few years ago, four to be exact, I had the opportunity to perform a marriage service for a niece and her fiancé.  They were married on 7-7-7.  They thought it would bring them luck but it didn’t.  Unless you call being free from one another through divorce lucky. 

            Choosing a day to be married can be significant.  Several couples I know chose Valentine’s Day to get married – for obvious reasons.  And one couple I knew in Texas got married on Christmas Day.  Not a great day for family and friends to attend a wedding but the church was nicely decorated.

            I supposed in the end, the day you choose to get married doesn’t really matter. What matters is the love you have for one another and the commitment you make to the vows you have taken.  That is my prayer for the couple I am marrying today.

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thoughts on the news of the day: true religion

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            It’s a controversial issue.  Should clergy be allowed to participate in the ground zero commemorative services for the tenth year passing of the tragedy of September 11, 2001?  Arguments on both sides of the position have legitimate reasons for their opinions.  On the one hand, we do live in a country where church and state are separated.  So, it would be logical to make the event a non-religious one, in that no particular religion was represented. 

            But on the other hand, we are a primarily Christian country and people deserve to be comforted in such a time as this.  Services will be held over the entire country, though, so there will be many opportunities for worship and prayer in the religion of choice. 

            Since history has been recorded there has been controversy over religious beliefs.  The Israelites, the chosen people, had their battles with other pagan rites in ancient times.  So the controversy over religion is not new.  To me, it is such a shame, though, that after all these years, we haven’t found a way to live in peace.  In some ways, you could say that the terrorists attacked us because of their religious beliefs.  And here we are in the United States, 10 years later  arguing over whether religion should be represented at a national event or not.

            Can’t we just all get along?  Can’t we find a way for religions to co-exist, at least in our own country?  Is the only solution to eliminate religion all together?  How about if we chose to be an example to the world of how religious and non-religious people get along?  Maybe then, we would find true peace.

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thoughts on the news of the day: music

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            Yesterday I mentioned the fact that my mom would have been 85 years old.  What I failed to mention was that she was 10 years old when a pop icon was born.  Buddy Holly would have been 75 years old on September 7, 2011.  The world celebrated “Buddy Holly Day” yesterday and his widow accepted the honor of a star being put on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California.  Buddy Holly was born in an out of the way town called Lubbock, TX but his music is still known all over the world.  He made black rimed glasses look like the coolest thing on earth.

            You might remember that Buddy Holly produced a string of hits in the late fifties and that he was killed in a plane crash when he was only 22 years old.  Amazingly, he created those hits in the 18 months preceding the accident.  Don McLean wrote the pop hit, “American Pie” in tribute to Buddy Holly and sang “the day the music died” as a remembrance of him.

            Maybe you remember his tunes, “Everyday,” “Peggy Sue” and “That’ll Be the Day”.  I didn’t really know about him the first time around.  But I’ll never forget Linda Ronstadt’s rendition of “That’ll Be the Day.”

            Music is pretty important to me.  It stirs emotions in me that I didn’t know I had.  Listening again this morning to Holly’s “Every Day” made me happy and open to a new day.  Sometimes music leaves me uplifted or inspired by its strength and beauty.  I recommend you spend some time today listening to music.  No matter whether you hear a Bach Concerto or a Buddy Holly tune, your day will be better for it.

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thoughts on the news of the day: good old days

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            Today is my mother’s 85^th birthday, at least it would be if she were still alive.  In some ways my Mom was amazing. She raised six kids on my Dad’s paycheck from his mechanics job and we always had good food to eat, clothes that fit and shoes with good soles.  Mom and Dad put us through parochial schools; a task that would be impossible on a salary like my Dad’s today.  But education was very important to them.  Their goal was that each of us kids would complete a college degree and they accomplished that and more; several of us even have advanced degrees.  Christmases were incredible at our house.  The wrapped presents filled the living room and Santa always came with a special gift or two on top of that.  Tons of Christmas sweets and big dinners completed the festivities.  Oh, and there was always church on Sunday mornings, we never failed to go. 

            On the one hand, my parents were pretty amazing, but in another, we pretty much lived like our friends and family.  It was a simpler time.  Few can afford private schools today and single moms struggle to put food on the table and clothes on backs of children.  I am not sure what happened.  We surely are more prosperous than we were back then.  Even with the economy on the skids, we do better financially. 

            The good old days always seem better and today is no different.  Today is the “good old days” of tomorrow.  Our kids will remember these days in a few years and long for them.  Let’s make them memorable.

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thoughts on the news of the day: hunger

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            Food is on my mind this morning.  I am going to the lab to get blood work done for a routine doctor’s visit and I have to fast.  So, since about 8 o’clock last night I haven’t had anything to eat.  And I am hungry; which happens rarely.  Food is easily accessible to me and hunger just doesn’t happen.

            But this morning I thought about all the children who will go to school hungry.  Oh, sure, they will have a government sponsored breakfast but it’s not what their moms would feed them when they woke up, that is if their moms could.  I thought about all the elderly who have to choose between paying for medicine and paying for food.

             It seems to me that in a country that is so wealthy and where so much food is wasted, there is no reason why a single person should go hungry.  Yet millions do.  Sure, food stamps help. An interesting development in food stamps is that now many states are considering allowing food stamps to be used in restaurants.  That may seem a little indulgent, but think about all the elderly, disabled and homeless who can’t cook their food.  

            Then there are food pantries which share food brought in by the community.  Our little church has topped the list of givers to the food bank for many months now.  But food banks can only go so far.  The local food banks in our area are sponsoring a “Bridge Bash” later on this month.  The idea is to all line up on the Cotter bridge and pledge support with ourselves and our money. 

            Tell you what, next time we grab a meal or respond to that hunger pang with a snack, let’s all think about those who are hungry.  Then let’s do something about it.

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thoughts on the news of the day: mail

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            Receiving a letter in the mail used to be an every day thing.  We looked forward to when the postman (yes, up until a few years ago, it was a postMAN) would arrive, bringing news from family and friends.  Bills came at the first of the month and we knew pretty much what to expect.  Rarely a day went by when there wasn’t something interesting or worthwhile to read.

            But all that has changed and the postal system is nearly bankrupt.  Unless Congress acts soon, the post office will be a thing of the past.  And my question is, would it matter?  I receive a few bills, lots of junk mail and occasionally a nice card but honestly and truly, I don’t think I would miss daily mail service all that much.

            Of course there are very good reasons to have a postal system.  Much information that is important gets transferred from one place to another.  In some cases, the postal system is the only way to get documents delivered.   Plus it’s nice to see the postal delivery worker driving through the neighborhood. It’s kind of comforting to know that someone regularly sees what is going on around our block.  Rarely has the postal service missed a day of delivery.  They really do go through rain and snow and all kinds of weather challenges to make sure mail is delivered every day.

            Probably Congress will come through for the post office.  Workers will be cut, deliveries will stop on Saturdays and postage will go up.  But the mail service will go on.  I think, as always, we can count on that.

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thoughts on the news of the day: shopping

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            It’s Labor Day weekend, a time to recognize the workers of America.  Now, I have to admit, I don’t think a whole lot about where a product is made when I shop.  Most of my clothes are probably made in China or Vietnam.  My shoes are probably made in China, too. But as for other stuff, I don’t really know.  I buy lots of detergent and other household supplies, are they made in America?  Then there’s toilet paper, paper towels, etc.  Aren’t they made in America? 

            Roger Simmermaker has written a book that tells about all the best products to buy that are American made in his book, “How Americans Can Buy American”.  His latest edition lists over 16,000 products and services that are found in the USA.  The idea is that if we buy American, the money stays in the US economy, creating jobs and improving us economically.  Some doubt the plan and say that there aren’t that many products that are made in China and that marketing makes up much of the dollars spent on, let’s say, athletic shoes.  Maybe so, but the idea is compelling, isn’t it?  Buy American and save a job. 

            Perhaps newscaster Diane Sawyer has the best plan.  If each of us would spend $3.33 more in American goods, then it would create 10,000 new jobs.  I think I can do that – all I have to do is pay attention and read a few more labels.  I can do my part.

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