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When I started writing these blogs
many years ago, I often identified little things I called ‘truisms’ or
‘Perry’s law’. These are just little quirks in life that we all seem to
encounter from time to time. What’s amazing is how true they are and how
often they do actually happen. |
250 AND STILL GOING!!!
In this country, we pause each year to
celebrate the Fourth of July—and rightly so. We have much to be thankful for,
and a national holiday is a fitting tribute to the founders who risked their
lives and fortunes to secure our freedom from King George III’s tyranny.
Nearly 250 years later, what have we accomplished?
First, we remain a free nation. We have not been conquered by a foreign power,
and we still enjoy fundamental liberties that many people around the world long
for. We can criticize our government without fear of imprisonment. We can
worship as we choose, according to our own beliefs. We possess rights that are
rare and precious.
So what is the point? Each day, when I turn on my computer or watch television,
I am confronted by a steady stream of serious issues: immigration, conflict
abroad, crime, education, pollution, energy independence, criminal
rehabilitation, drug use, and health care.
The list seems endless, and at times it can feel overwhelming. It may make you
want to pull the covers over your head and wait for better days. It is easy to
believe that one person cannot influence problems this large.
If that is what you think, then it is time to think again. You do count,
and your voice matters. One thing is clear: leaders in Washington notice when
citizens across the country speak up, especially when they oppose something
that was expected to pass easily. They may not always like hearing from us, but
they do hear us. You need to stay on top of current events and make your voice
be heard. Remember, all politicians are constantly looking to be re-elected.
They do not like to hear from someone with an opinion other than their own.
That is my point. Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or something else
entirely, where else in the world do people have opportunities like we do in
this nation? I, for one, am tired of hearing that this country is beyond
repair. Yes, we have problems. Yes, we face issues that require attention and
fair solutions. But every nation striving to improve must confront difficult
challenges. We should see the glass as half full, not half empty.
We should not be afraid to express our opinions, no matter how small or insignificant
they may seem. Write to your representatives. Call or email them. Send letters
to your local newspaper editors. Attend school board meetings. Get involved.
Speak from the heart. Ask questions, learn from others, and listen to people
whose experiences differ from your own. You may learn something valuable.
One of the biggest issues of our day seems to be opposition to individual opinions. You are labeled as a ‘racist’, ‘sexist’, or a variety of other names if you do not agree with someone and agree to their points of view. I suggest you go back and read up on the issues that faced the men who drew up the declaration of independence. Did they agree on every item? No!...they did not, but they knew they had to have something basic to start with in order to make the break from England. Our nation is evolving in a good way. We have solved many wrongs and evils that existed over many years, but we have a long way to go before we are finished. The point is …..we are not finished yet. But the fact that we are aware that we are not finished works well in our favor. It shows that we are receptive to changes that are necessary and helpful to our society. Many of the people that a know do not always agree with my philosophy of world events or my suggestions and solutions to solving the miseries of society. That’s fine with me, I have my opinions and you can have yours. Am I right and you are wrong or vice versa? Of course not, but if we can agree to disagree and still be friends, then that’s how civilized societies work best. Always remember this quote …"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."…George Washington.
Do we get it right the first time? Of course not. You never
learned how to cook, drive, sail or fish or sew a pattern exactly correct the
first time. No one I’ve ever met did anything correctly the first time. It
takes years of practice and determination to get the process correct. Our
government is the same, it needs fine tuning.
This remains one of the richest and most blessed countries in the world. There
are those who would like to weaken us, change our direction, or limit our
freedoms. We cannot ignore that reality. We must stay vigilant and alert. At
the same time, we should remember that, despite its imperfections, this country
offers freedoms and opportunities unmatched by most others. The men who signed
the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, were people of great vision.
We must continue to uphold their ideals so that we can build an even greater
nation in the years ahead.
See you next week….Peary Perry
ATTITUDE….YOUR CHOCE…
I’m amazed at the attitudes of some of the people in my life. You meet people who are, say, in their 70’s or 80’s and they think and act like they were in their 40’s or 50’s. Then again, you meet people in their 40’s and 50’s who consider themselves old and worn out. I have a couple of friends; one is 85 and the other is 90 that can run circles around most of us. I believe it all has to do with attitude. The ones who are still going at life with lots of zest have a good, positive attitude in spite of all of their troubles over the years. On the other hand, the ones who are ready to throw in the towel, no matter what age are mainly negative thinkers. All of us have troubles, I don’t wish to downplay that point, but it does seem as if some folks are just able to handle life and our struggles better than others. They seem to accept the bad with the good. Sort of like, you need rain, you get mud but you also get flowers type of mentality.
I was at a function not long ago and an old friend of mine and his wife got to talking about attitudes. I told them the story about a lady I spoke with a couple of years ago. Her name is Florene Miller Watson. She was born in 1920. I had been looking through my Dad’s WWII service records and noticed that he had been working for a jewelry store named Millers Jewelry in Odessa, Texas in 1941. I looked up the store on the internet. Mr. Miller had two daughters; one became a pilot before WWII started. Further research showed me that Mrs. Florene Miller Watson was something of celebrity and a lot had been written about her and her flying skills (http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons/floreledtm) This led me to think that perhaps she knew my Dad and might be able to tell me something new about him. I knew that he had enlisted in the Army Air Corp. before the war broke out and was curious to see if I could find out anything else about him. Maybe her father had influenced my Dad to sign up before the war started.
Further surfing the web, I found an article recently written by a north Texas newspaper about Mrs. Watson. I contacted the reporter and obtained Mrs. Watson’s phone number. I called her and left a message on her recorder and then dialed again an hour or so later. Florene answered the phone and advised that she and her husband had been running some errands. I told her about my Dad and she said that she didn’t remember him but that her sister might. She added that she didn’t go to her father’s store very often since she always wore pants and her father didn’t like her to do so. He felt that wearing pants was not very ‘lady-like’.
I asked her for her address and told her I would send her a photograph of my Dad to see if she might recognize him. She asked if I meant to send it by the SNAIL MAIL, meaning the post office. I told her yes, I did and she asked if I didn’t have a scanner. I told her of course I did and she said…. “Well, just scan it and e-mail it...and I’ll get it to my sister, and we’ll see if we remember him…” You could have knocked me over with a feather…..I don’t think I’ve ever e-mailed anyone nearly 90 years old. I asked her if she still flew airplanes and she told me that she did once someone else had gotten them up in the air and could land them for her. I did as she asked and received several e-mails from her as well as her sister.
This just goes to prove my point that you are only as old as you feel. Here is a woman who is bright as a penny and talked to me for nearly thirty minutes and is keeping up with today’s news and technology. On the other hand, I’ve got friends who gave up on progress years ago and keep living in the past rather than looking towards the future. They can’t turn on a computer much less know how to Zoom someone. The sad thing is they refuse to learn as well. This life of ours is short enough as it is, but in my opinion, we need to think of it as an adventure and a journey not a destination. There are no sure things in life, there are going to be things that break your heart, but we need to move on and keep looking for the better days in the future, not in the past.
I really like this quotation....which is said to have been coined by Mark Twain. If it was, then he had the right idea.
“Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on Earth.”
See you next week…Peary Perry
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