The Past

First I would like to mention that I found a web site for the Mattie I had on another blog. Just type in "Mattie Stepanek" that should bring you to something that will bring you to that site.
Now to the "Past": We were fairly poor when I was growing up, we never had a car, never took trips unless to see family and someone else brought us. In all honesty I became angry at being "different" than friends at the time. By the time I was in 13 I had a bad attitude, began to hang around tough kids, drinking, fighting, you name it. "Hood" I guess you call it in the lingo at the time. I was big for my age, 6' and 160lbs in 5th grade. Neighborhood kids 3-4 years older allowed me to hang with them because I would fight back and stick up for friends. Needless to say it started out that I was picked on by them first. I remember a few years earlier, a few of them got together and gave me a beating, my mom was pissed, but I wouldn't say what happened. But the next day I went looking for them individually, even at home. Well they all backed down but one, so I slapped him up some and left him crying.
School was a waste of time, I didn't have anyone to let me know I could go to college with loans, grants and such. So I gave up and went in the service. Then I found out what bad was, there really was people trying to kill your butt. That's when I found out what real fear was.
After the service I was against the hippies, protesters, you name it. I waved the flag, proud of country and troops. And still I was a bad ass, I had kids, had a job, still drank, still fought.
But I had dreams, and hopes, I didn't like being that way, so slowly I changed. Started education, graduated from college, lots of jobs, some good, lots bad. I was even a cop for 5 years. As I got older I got less tough, heart bad, breathing bad, body parts bad, hell I even lost hope and dreams.
So in many ways I am the same, and many ways different. I have to adjust and become what I want, it is never too late. I know things will change, in many ways good, the world even, I can see it, slowly but it will come and so will I!

Happy New Year

I wish you all a happy new year!

Right before Christmas I was watching GMA on TV, they had on a young boy they had interviewed some time in the recent past. He had some rare form MD and lived in Maryland, he has since passed away. At the time of the interview he was hooked to a respirator of some sort, his name was Mattie.
He talked of getting along(people), peace, angels, heaven and more. I happened to be walking through the room and only caught part of the interview, but it stopped my in my tracks. This man-boy had such a wonderful outlook and ideas of what the world needs and can do. I am sure this little guy knew his time was limited, yet such optimism about the future and all things. I wish he could have lived to be Secretary General of the United Nations or some other high post, I am sure he could have made a difference, and maybe he still can. I wish someone could put on the Internet that interview so terrorists and those who want to do the world harm, would have this pop up on the screen so there would be two statements to judge from. I believe if there was there may be less problems in the world. If you can find this interview, listen to it and pass it on.
I don't know where in Maryland he lived, but the town is going to put something up to honor him, his mother moved across the street from this monument, and as it turns out will be right across the street from her front porch. If there are angels, he will certainly be one, and will always be something we could all strive to be.
I am not given to being impressed by much in life, including people, but he impressed me! Amen

Reflections and two daughters christmas day.








Wife Barb and dog "Ole"








Grand Daughter and Grand Son











Glad christmas is over yet loved being with family.

Hope

Lately I have been contemplating hope. Hope has been lacking for some time in my life, for whatever reason. The only real dream I have is to have a telescope some time. I used to be filled with hopes and dreams and don't like being without them. So, I am going to hope and dream again, do things maybe I always wanted, or try to anyway.
Today for some reason, I feel there is hope for the world, the war in Iraq and elsewhere. Peace will come, too slow for some of us maybe, but it will come, I am sure of it. I don't know how or when, but it will be here. The lives lost have not been in vain, yet freedom isn't free! Patience my friends, and peace be to all.

The Day Before Christmas Eve

Well I got up today as usual very early, my daughter came home last night from school after work. She left at eleven last night and we were to have freezing rain and snow, so needless to say I was worried, and told her to go slow. Well she made it but was after midnight, long past my usual sleep time by six hours. So today I slept in 'til 6 am.
The night before last I was at the spadoman's cabin getaway for a solstice fire outside. Attended by shutterwi and others, and had a good time. They also talked me into coming down to the famous Black Cat Coffee House, so today I took the dog out early for his business then walked down to have coffee, which is a short walk, relatively anyway. I had more than one cuppa, then left after more than an hour, of not seeing any of the usuals that are blogged about. Saturdays must be different for the regulars. But anyway, I got to read the paper and some exercise to boot.
But I have been thinking a lot lately, about life and death, family, friends and pets. Just short of a year ago my daughter and wife talked me into getting a dog, a puppy, a chocolate lab. Well it turned out that the little bugger had a parasite, and couldn't see good and his front legs were a little twisted. I have to say I didn't like pets before, nor anything that shed hair, ate, went potty, and made noise. But I grew to love the little bugger, I guess cause he was a little gimpy like me! The vet said to bring him back to the owners, but I refused, and thank god I did. He may not see good, nor hear good, but he is a wonderful dog. Doesn't have a mean bone in his body and is affectionate to no end.
I guess what I really had to admit was why I didn't like pets. I always hated to lose them, it hurt so if I didn't have them, no pain at their loss. Kinda mushy right? But true! Kinda like people, love is worth the pain I guess, family, friends, relatives! Hell even pets!
Merry Christmas to all, spread love to all!

A little Of The Past

I just read my favorite blogs, a blog about winter got me to thinking of the past, as a kid in northern Wisconsin. I was a teenager in the mid 60's, so before that, winters were nasty up here! Temps were common to 40 below zero, heating oil stored outside jelled and stopped flowing, cars didn't start, schools closed, so did stores. Wind chills were at 75 below or more, and cars had balls on antennae so others could see them over the snow banks. You didn't see much outside activity at those times, but at 20-30 below zero life went on, a little more slowly perhaps, but kids played and froze, cars were jump started or pushed, people went ice fishing in shanties, and lord even schools were open!
Keep in mind that we didn't have insulated clothes like we do today. I didn't have insulated boots, we put wool socks over our shoes and then into buckle boots that were not insulated. Coats were semi-insulated and mittens and gloves worked to some degree. My dad always bought me what we call choppers, leather mittens with wool liners, warmer than knitted mittens. I remember more than once friends bringing me home from the sliding hill on a sled because I was so cold my feet and hands no longer worked, mom would soak me in lukewarm water and chew me out for an hour, then use vaseline on my thick frost bitten ears.
I also remember washing clothes with the old wringer washers and wash tubs, and hanging the clothes outside, freeze dried, to dry, I was stuck with that job and hated it, you would be surprised how cold fingers can get without freezing!
We heated with wood and coal in a stove in the kitchen, and fired properly you could keep the house warm, but when the fire began to die down about 2am it got nippy in there.
But, even in severe cold we played outside, building snow forts, snowball fights, skating, ice fishing, snowshoeing, and rabbit hunting. I can't even tell you how many times I had walking pneumonia, and other ailments.
My parents finally got a furnace from my military allotment home, by that time dad was getting old and was a welcomed addition to the house.
In the late 60's I got married after service, and bought a snowmobile, snow was frequent to be chest deep or more, and we didn't see many snow blowers, most was with the idiot stick. I bought an old tractor with a loader, and plowed snow, built a saw rig and wood splitter to use on the tractor, this was during the 70's oil crisis, this was also after swearing to myself that after living as a kid with wood and coal, that I would never do it again, well as it turned out I continued it for another 10 years. Having the plow, saw rig, wood splitter was also extra income because I used them for other people also for a minimal price.
So now I like nice thick boots, warm coat, and turning the thermostat up a little at 30 below!

New UN Secretary

I have listened to the new UN Secretary, Ban Ki-Moon, several times the last few days. I like him and at this time I think he will do a good job. He has a good sense of humor and is a thinker, and I think a doer. Time will tell, but a change was needed, and he seems to fit the bill for intelligence, looking at all the problems or circumstances of world problems be it religion, politics, and all parties involved.
I can only hope he can talk some sense to the "great decider" and help broker a peace in Iraq, and other war torn countries.
It is clear that "Dubbya" is, or going to try to stay the course, like pumping 20,000 more troops into Iraq is the answer. He just doesn't get the picture, we can't win militarily, it isn't conventional war, we found that out in Vietnam, the Ru-skies found that out in Afghanistan, and we are finding that out in both Iraq and Afghanistan .The only one who doesn't see it is Dubbya. In both countries, the people don't see us as helping them, they see us as occupiers, not saviors. They see that our words are ringing hollow, we will make you a democracy and rebuild the countries, none of which we can do. What they do see is their own people dying daily and see us as helpless to stop it.
I really wish I could say something more positive about both places, but all there is that I can see is a failure of policy. Our troops have done all they can, and even more than we can ask, some serving 2 or 3 tours of duty we should not ask nor make people go into harms way like that. But because we don't have the numbers to fight wars like this, our soldiers and their families bear the burden of our leaders misguided personality.

That Time Of Year

I was just listening to the news, the airport in Seattle Washington took down the Christmas trees after being threatened by a Rabbi with a law suit. Now this kind of crap pisses me off! I am not some religious nut, but it chafes my ass when some people try to dictate to the rest of us, how and when and where we can celebrate what we believe.
There are some things I find offensive, but not to others, so who am I to make everyone conform to my beliefs. In my opinion others can and do celebrate in their own way, even if it offensive to me.
But maybe I should not be so tolerant, I find the way rabbi's dress offensive, weird hats, scraggly beards and some have braids hanging down. I am a christian and their beliefs say what is appropriate dress, well I want them to change dress because what they believe is offensive to me, and their dress is part of their religious beliefs. So if they want to dress that way, do it in private!
I do not discriminate against people, but by god I am sure getting pushed to it. I don't discriminate, I hate everyone equally!

Update

Well, I made a new blog! It is called AmericanWorkerwi, stop by and see and read and comment if you like. I have had a heck of a time with this, first I switched to beta version for both and really messed it all up, but I figured it out and am ready to go. Like I said, I will not abandon this site, I want to use it as I have in the past.
After all my recent problems, things seem to be smoothing out a little so maybe I will see a jugger, or prod shutterwi and I to have more antics around a fire!

American Worker Change

I have decided that to use the reflectionswi site as a platform would require blogs that are too long and boring for most, so I decided to create another blog site that I will post on this site. I will use this site as always, giving my 2 cents on other topics. Watch the links section for the new site as "The American Worker"

New Platform

I haven't posted for a while, nobody knows the truffles I've seen! I had surgery on my hand again and it is still numb, then I have been struggling with workmen's comp to pay and also my employer.
Then my brother fell the Monday before thanksgiving and broke his back. He has been dealing with cancer for a few years and just finished radiation on his head because it spread to his head. Well he was sent to a nursing home for a few what was to be a couple weeks for rehab. He declined very fast and we found the cancer spread very fast and he passed away last Thursday afternoon. So all-in-all I have been busy and feeling down as well.
The heading of this post was because I have decided to use this blog as a platform for posting and discussions on being an American worker and how we have been abused and what we can do about it. If you know of others that would like to read or participate, lead them to this blog, as we can share experiences, ideas and I hope make a change in our lives and those of our children. I do this also in memory of my brother who in years past and still to some degree suffered from lead poisoning from a job, and who knows may have led to the cancer, but who had to fight for workmen's comp to pay for what was clearly a work related illness.
So, I will use this platform to fight for us, the American Worker!