Saturday, May 7, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
THE EYES OF A CHILD
The Moody Blues had a song I always liked, "In the Eyes of a Child". It always made me think what life would be like if we could experience it through the eyes of a child. I don't think it would be as complicated as we adults make it. Adults seem to like shades of grey, probably makes them feel grown up. Lets be honest, in most cases, things are black and white, right or wrong. I think in our attempt to try to spare people's feelings we like to try to be empathetic and see both sides of an issue.
Back in the sixties we seemed to all be hung up on metaphysics. This may have been drug induced, or the wish to be a philosophy professor, still not sure. The father of metaphysics was Aristotle who wrote "All men by nature desire to know". Metaphysics is the study of the fundamental nature of all reality. A subset of metaphysics is Ontology which is the study of existence and what exists. Greek philosophers could spend weeks debating the subjects of existence, reality and being.
All people have two things in common. We are all born and we all die. In between we exist in our own reality that bumps up against others reality from time to time. Sometimes our "reality collisions" have positive effects on people and sometimes they are very detrimental. When a child comes into our reality the odds are it will have a positive effect. Why? Maybe because children are not tarnished by this world. They are, usually, loving and forgiving. They are usually willing to give a person an another chance. They are not that far removed from the miracle of birth, not that far removed heaven.
I wonder if when we die and experience the miracle of death, of passing to our real home, do we remember this life, this reality. I look forward to the miracle of moving to my Father's mansion. I look forward to learning all the things I don't know. I look forward to love and forgiveness, things that are in very short supply in this reality. I really look forward to seeing things through the eyes of a child...again.
Back in the sixties we seemed to all be hung up on metaphysics. This may have been drug induced, or the wish to be a philosophy professor, still not sure. The father of metaphysics was Aristotle who wrote "All men by nature desire to know". Metaphysics is the study of the fundamental nature of all reality. A subset of metaphysics is Ontology which is the study of existence and what exists. Greek philosophers could spend weeks debating the subjects of existence, reality and being.
All people have two things in common. We are all born and we all die. In between we exist in our own reality that bumps up against others reality from time to time. Sometimes our "reality collisions" have positive effects on people and sometimes they are very detrimental. When a child comes into our reality the odds are it will have a positive effect. Why? Maybe because children are not tarnished by this world. They are, usually, loving and forgiving. They are usually willing to give a person an another chance. They are not that far removed from the miracle of birth, not that far removed heaven.
I wonder if when we die and experience the miracle of death, of passing to our real home, do we remember this life, this reality. I look forward to the miracle of moving to my Father's mansion. I look forward to learning all the things I don't know. I look forward to love and forgiveness, things that are in very short supply in this reality. I really look forward to seeing things through the eyes of a child...again.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
RANDOM THOUGHTS........
Just heard the Homily by the Bishop celebrating the Mass of Resurrection for Christina Taylor Green. Beautiful....using Ecclesiastes: "To everything there is a season". I echo Barack Obama, I hope she's jumping in rain puddles today in heaven. Let us make an effort, as the President requested, to try and build a nation that Christina would be proud of. Amen
In the tumult of the Tucson rampage and memorial a headline was little noticed yesterday."David Nelson Dies". He died of complications from colan cancer, 74 years old. He was survived by his wife Yvonne, four sons and a daughter as well as seven grandchildren. He's also survived by a generation that grew up with the "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet". Another part of our childhood moved on. Sad.
I had a tiny, really tiny, connection to David's brother, Eric Hilliard Nelson, known as Ricky Nelson. On May 8th, 1940, Ricky was delivered at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey by Dr. Praether. On June 16th, 1949 at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey Dr. Praether delivered yours truely. Somehow I think the good doctor had a picture of Mr. Nelson hanging on the wall in his office and not me. Remember the good old days, they help you get through the rough spots of today.
In the tumult of the Tucson rampage and memorial a headline was little noticed yesterday."David Nelson Dies". He died of complications from colan cancer, 74 years old. He was survived by his wife Yvonne, four sons and a daughter as well as seven grandchildren. He's also survived by a generation that grew up with the "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet". Another part of our childhood moved on. Sad.
I had a tiny, really tiny, connection to David's brother, Eric Hilliard Nelson, known as Ricky Nelson. On May 8th, 1940, Ricky was delivered at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey by Dr. Praether. On June 16th, 1949 at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey Dr. Praether delivered yours truely. Somehow I think the good doctor had a picture of Mr. Nelson hanging on the wall in his office and not me. Remember the good old days, they help you get through the rough spots of today.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
WHAT A SAD TIME
I was sitting here thinking of the tragedies that have occurred in my life time. We all have personal tragedies, the loss of a parent, a friend, even a spouse or sibling. No I'm thinking of national tragedies. I was a freshman in high school, sitting in Latin class, when John F. Kennedy was killed. I was in college in Atlanta when Martin Luther King was killed. Only months later I was working back in New Jersey when Robert F. Kennedy was killed. I can go on, with Kent State, both NASA explosions, the attempted murder of President Reagan, Oklahoma City, 9/11, the list just goes on and not in any particular order. This tragedy in Tucson is different somehow. I don't know, maybe its because I'm in my 60's now and see this thread going all the way back to my teens. Maybe its because I'm a grandfather and don't want my grandchildren to see or experience the things that I have in my life.
Upon further and deeper thought I think its because of a nine year old girl. A little girl who had just made her first communion, a little girl who played baseball, a little girl who did very well in school, a little girl with hopes and dreams spread out before her. My "little" girl is pregnant with my second grandchild. My little girl went through all the same things that Christina Taylor Green went through, but my daughter got to live beyond nine years. That's why I cried on Saturday and Sunday. That's why I have a tear in my eye as I write this. Christina never got to fulfill her dreams or her hopes.......WHAT A SAD TIME.
Upon further and deeper thought I think its because of a nine year old girl. A little girl who had just made her first communion, a little girl who played baseball, a little girl who did very well in school, a little girl with hopes and dreams spread out before her. My "little" girl is pregnant with my second grandchild. My little girl went through all the same things that Christina Taylor Green went through, but my daughter got to live beyond nine years. That's why I cried on Saturday and Sunday. That's why I have a tear in my eye as I write this. Christina never got to fulfill her dreams or her hopes.......WHAT A SAD TIME.
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