Living . . . when?

In the '60's we heard that it was important to live in the "here and now".  Be present.  Be immediate.  Now is all you can be sure you have.

On the other hand a Quaker philosopher once wrote, "The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you will never sit."  [D. Elton Trueblood]

That implies living for a future you will never see, but creating a future others will enjoy and be enriched by.

I think that means a way of thinking, a way of planning, or a way of not thinking much and not planning much.

I was reminded a couple of days ago of an acquaintance who spends all she ever gets, even bonus money she could not have expected.  She lives for the "now", for what pleases her "now".  She has not money saved to help her child go to college, or beauty school, or get into an apprenticeship program.  She has zero set aside for retirement, and each day she is marching towards that age.  Her grandkids, if she might ever be blessed with any -- she has nothing for them, either.  No tree has been planted for someone else to enjoy, or even for her to sit under.

As I think about it, I think taking the long view makes more sense.  It connects me to others, and to my deepest self.  What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know. 

BE CAREFUL!

Windows Secrets email newsletter mentions today that the "program cannot open" scam is roaring back.  The message wants you to download a program to clean the infection off your computer.  Instead, the downloaded program infects your computer.

During the install on Windows the computer will probably try to warn you.  You are in the habit of clicking an "OK" or "Yes" and Bam!  you get infected.

Again I warn you -- be very careful, and don't download when you get these kinds of messages.  It is best to SHUT YOUR COMPUTER OFF!  Yes, hold down the ON/OFF button for 5-10 seconds and shut it off.  Get away from that as quickly as possible.  When you turn the computer back on it may ask if you want to boot into Safe Mode. 

Do it.

Then restart after it is fully booted.  You will be in regular mode and probably avoided an expensive situation and the corruption of your computer.

See the link to Windows Secrets and become a paying member.  Even $10 a year helps, and you get these warnings.  Even one is worth the price.  I usually charge about $185 to clean off a computer after backing up data, and leave reinstalling programs to the client.  If I install, I charge more.  And I am less expensive than most. 

Leave a comment and let us know your experience or your opinion. 

Death Wish? Return to Childhood?

As I was thinking about New Year's day, and New Year's eve, I thought that the theme for many people on New Year's day was "tomato juice".  Something to relieve the pain of the hangover.  Quiet.  A chance to moan, maybe.

I wonder why people feel they are most alive when they are courting oblivion?  Not just when drinking alcohol to excess, or messing with illegal drugs or abuse of legal drugs, but skiing right at the edge of a cliff, or driving totally recklessly, or committing acts of violence?  Even routine overeating, even skating on known thin ice, even listening to music that is W A A A Y too loud, overloading the autditory system and damaging one's ability to hear.

Is this a death wish?  Or is it a desire to return to childhood where someone else was "to blame" for bad things.

• "Mom should have kept me away from those boys."  
• "Dad should never have trusted me with that car."  
• "My friends should not have gone along with my idea."

When we were children, there was a mixture of truth and error in these comments.  Now that we are grown, responsible for our own actions, not so much.

What do you think?  What indulgences, risks and scary behavior to you feel are right and necessary so that you can feel alive?  Leave a comment and let us know. 

Strong May Not Be Helpful

I am thinking about strong people and weak people, as popularly understood.  I suppose that some folks would think Donald Trump is strong.  Maybe not you, but who do you think of as 'strong'?

Now think of damaged folks, people who hurt physically much of each day, some elderly folks who have trouble getting around -- you get the idea.  Who do you know that seems 'weak'?

In your experience, who is most consistently helpful?  The 'strong' or the 'weak' folks?

In my experience, the strong are usually absorbed in themselves, in staying strong, in demonstrating their strength.  The 'weak', however, know how to be helped and how much help is useful.  Not in all cases, but in most cases, the 'weak', so called, more consistently offer a helping hand, a listening ear, a gift of time.

I had a friend, new in the business world, somewhat unsure of himself who would take the time to help others.  He brought a backhoe over and dug me a shallow well so that I could irrigate my yard.  No charge.  Just help.

A few years later he was successful, with one of the bigger houses in the community, and instead of being helpful he began to be critical of others, wanting things done 'his way' or not at all.  His strength did not make him more caring.

Another friend has suffered from an ongoing illness for over thirty years.  She is consistently helpful to coworkers, fellow church members, her family, and just about everyone she meets.  Strong?  Weak?  Most people who are 'strong' would consider her 'weak', but I consider her somewhat wonderful.  Helpful  Friendly.

What do you think?  Leave a comment or an example and let us know.