October 18, 2007

It is interesting how one day you can be feeling pretty swell and the next day it all seems to have been just a trick of the light or something. Here is an example. This week I was in a city which is not known as one of the world's showplaces, perhaps not even the most beautiful city in NJ. Yet, because the weather was fine, it was sunny, my sinuses were allowing me peace, I was about as happy as if I had been on Fifth Avenue, Dupont Circle or street of your choice. The citizenry were out and about, the mood was jovial and the sky blue. I found an unexpected bookstore and that is always frosting on the cake, if not the whole cake. I didn't see the poverty, crime and urban decay which people like to describe this city with, and even if I had, I would have accepted it as part of the proverbial big picture.

To me, being able to see the positive is a valuable tool which took me many years to find. Doesn't matter if maybe the streets were crowded, someone insulted my appearance or if my lunch was not the greatest in the world. For a couple of hours I had a nice breeze, sunshine on my face and nowhere else to be. Just being able to enjoy small moments is a lot more important than knowing where Micronesia is or what the stock markets are going to do.

Okay, that is the warm and fuzzy segment.

Things I saw on the news which confused or annoyed me: Bear in mind I have no comprehensive knowledge of each topic and am paraphrasing. To the best of my memory I am recalling events as best as possible.

1. The "World War 3" remark by the President. I find the excitement caused by this to be a little excessive. The scariest things in people's minds are often those which they leave unsaid. It cannot be that much of a stretch of the imagination to think that someone in that position would not have opinions. Yes, it is a bit disturbing to actually see and hear it, but not surprising.

2. The controversy over the placement of Ellen DeGeneres' former dog. Yes, it is unfair to the puppy to be moved around so much and yes one should think before getting a dog that perhaps one's roomate's cats might not be buddies with the dog. How did the adoption agency even find out about the transfer? I applaud Ellen for using a rescue agency in the first place of buying some wildly expensive half Poodle-half Boar mix or something for ten grand.

3. On the Keith Olberman show Wednesday they had as guests the parents of a child who would have been affected by the lack of SCHIP benefits. Olberman was pre-emptively asking why the mother had left a job which did have benefits which would have covered the condition. She responded that she wasn't to know that she would have a child (A) who would have a critical health problem (B) when she left the job. I think that as an adult in adult relationship, you have to think about and plan ahead for such events. She responded that she really hated the job and wasn't that more important than silly things like benefits? In my experience, taking responsibility for one's family as well as one's self many times means doing something that you don't enjoy and often actively dislike.