It was a warm night in April. A light mist filled the night sky.  The old white house was quiet.  Perhaps…… too quiet.  All six children were fast asleep.  They were tucked as “snug as a bug in the rug” as they laid softly in their beds.

And then suddenly, in the dark of night, the cry rang out.  “Paul…. Wake up.  It’s time.”  The house lit up.

Some eight hours later the seventh child was born into this world.  At 9:05 on a Wednesday morning.

The scene in the delivery room was reminiscent to the scene in the Batman Returns, when the baby Penguin, Danny Devito, is born unto the parents,  Mr. & Mrs. Penguin.  They were in disbelief.  A penguin-child was given to them, there in their great big mansion.  But they put the newborn into a basket and released it to the sewers.

But sometimes, life is stranger than fiction.  You see, on this Wednesday morning in April, a Tweety-Walrus Child was born.  Oh, indeed.  Half Tweety-Bird and the other half, Walrus.

Unlike the movie however, this family did not abandon the freak-child.  Instead, they taught her to be as much like a normal human as…… humanly possible.

They taught her to eat with a fork and knife, how to speak the English Language, and eventually how to walk. Though she still waddled, and flapped her arms from time to time.   The child was an avid swimmer… like a walrus.  And she frequently tried to fly by diving off tall structures.   However, time after time, this failed miserably.  The numerous face plants  straight into the ground…. from very tall places…. made a lasting mark on the young child.  In more ways than one.

But I digress.

Back to the family.  They kept her, although at times it was difficult.  They drew straws to see who had to hold her…. when she needed to be held.  And they could barely stand the smell of her, as she had a voracious appetite for sardines sprinkled with sunflower seeds.  When she cried, she sounded much like a Wookie.  A big Wookie.

Yes…. They kept her.  But they tried…. as best they could…. not to let her know that she was different.  But she knew.   Deep down inside she knew.

It wasn’t until 50 years later that the child discovered her true identity.  Two letters came to her on the very same day.  From the Law Offices of Hockup, Pluckit, and Roach.  One from the Beatles, and the other from Warner Brothers.

The first read… “You are the Walrus.  Ka-koo-koo-ka-choo.”  And the second said….”You did… in fact….  see a Puttteee Tat.”

She stared down at the letters.

And wept.

Like a Wookie.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
― Aristotle

“When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.”
― Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

“And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?”
― Rumi

Big Conundrum.   And you KNOW I have them.

You see, today I learned the Secret to Life, and all Greater Enlightenment of Mind, Body, and Spirit.

So.  Do I write about THAT…. or ….  do I write about Swiss Cheese?

Okay. Swiss Cheese it is.

Now.  You would think Swiss Cheese would be from Switzerland.  But alas.  “Swiss Cheese” is basically the generic name in North America for several related varieties of cheese.  The most of these are made right here in the good ol’ USA.  That and Canada.

Our Swiss Cheese LOOKS like a particular kind of cheese from Switzerland. It is called Emmental.  And Emmental is so VERY tasty.  I can tell you that from personal experience.

So why do we call our Swiss Cheese…. “Swiss Cheese?”  Well here is the little deal.   It is because of the distinctive appearance.  Yes, those  blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as “eyes”. Swiss cheese without eyes is known as “blind.”  For the Three Blind Mice, no doubt.

But the Emmental(er) was the one to have the holes in the first place.

And to solve a partial part of my conundrum, I will tell you this.  Swiss Cheese is a lot like life.

You can look at it one of two ways.  You may think it is incomplete, or lacking, because of all the holes or gaps.  Like somehow, you have been slighted, because there is so much missing from the block of cheese.

OR… you can see it this way.  That it is a glorious chunk of cheese… that is incredible robust in flavor and texture.  It is solid, and comes in a beautiful shade of golden silkiness.  Above all of that, it is versatile, and will go with so many different things… in any number of places.  And yes, occasionally you will slice through one of the holes.  You might be missing out on that little bit of cheese.  But once you get past the hole, there is more excellent cheese just on the other side.

So, every time we hit a big gaping hole in our lives… when our hearts are broken, or when we struggle with sadness or despair;  when we face illness or hardship… we can hang on… and make it through that hole.  Until once again… we can find that glorious cheese.

And cut the cheese.
Whoops.  Pardon me.

I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.
— Joseph Campbell

The meaning of life is not to be discovered only after death in some hidden, mysterious realm; on the contrary, it can be found by eating the succulent fruit of the Tree of Life and by living in the here and now as fully and creatively as we can.
— Paul Kurtz

What do you do for a living?  A common question we often hear.

And most people will tell you how they earn money to live, to survive, in this material world of ours.

On any given day, we do our deal.  Whatever it is that “deal” might be.  Maybe the “thing” you do all day, is add numbers, and then subtract them.  Or perhaps you put a bolt in a hole that will end up in a Honda.  Some of us go to a lot of meetings, and others work on phone poles.  I know people who are in marketing, advertising, finance, and janitorial endeavors.   Today, I even saw a guy pretend to be an electrician.  And he wasn’t very good at it.  Nonetheless.  All of these things are just our jobs.

What do you do for a living?

One of these days, I would like to answer with….., “I spend each waking moment trying to make this world a better place.”

I wish it were true.

Believe me when I say…… That is my hope, my wish, my desire.  But a lot of times I am not so good at it.    At all.

It takes a saint, really.  I think there are saints walking among us.  I really do.  But I am a far cry from even crawling… let alone walking.

When we let go of focusing on the negative aspects of life, we get a little closer to making things better.  When we approach life with a calmness, a sense of peace, a kindness… a love for others… a prayer for others… that is where it begins.  And yes, a prayer for someone…. even if you don’t believe in a god.

I guess what I think about this…. is this:  Most of us want to be loved.  And to be loved, we have to believe in good.  By believing in good, and acting that way…. it is possible for us to know true love… and true peace.

At least.. that’s what I want to do for a living.  My living.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“Peace begins with a smile..”
― Mother Teresa

“You have peace,” the old woman said, “when you make it with yourself.”
― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I am all over the place tonight.  I have a  lot going on in my busy brain.  And truth be told, I am not in the best of moods.  I don’t like it when this happens.

I feel a little bit guilty when I get upset over things.  I mean, comparatively, to a lot of other people, these “things” are pretty inconsequential.   But I’ve had four or five, right in a row, and it is making me a little cranky around the edges.

You know, I should have seen it coming, first thing this morning.  I went out early to feed the chickens.  I hadn’t let them out of their coupe yet.  I was walking out that way, and I heard something getting killed in the wooded area, just on our northern property line.

Whatever it was, was dying a horrible death.  It could have been a cat, or maybe a rabbit.  I don’t know.  But something had it.  And it wasn’t turning out so good on the receiving end.

Of course, these things make me horribly sad.  And a bit nervous.  I had also just let our dogs out, and I didn’t know where our two little ones were.  I could see Frances out by our barn.   As it turned out, our dogs were all back safe and sound near the house.  But it put me on edge.

And sad.  I know this is all  a part of “nature” and the cycle of life.  Somehow, it just doesn’t make it any easier to take.  My mind jumps right to “being in their shoes” and I can’t help but to imagine the pain and fear they must be experiencing.  I am pathetic, like that.

The first couple of hours of my day were just as happy as could be.   But then, at sunrise, it all started going in the crapper.  And it just kept rolling downhill from there.  Of course, I mentioned that an overwhelming feeling of guilt washes over me, when I get all bent out of shape over these things, which aren’t much more than bothersome.   So.  Old Sulky here is writing about being sulky.

It is apparent that the only thing to do right now, is to turn that old frown upside down.  Yep.  Pull up the bootstraps.  Straighten up and fly right.  All that Holy Crap.  How does it go?  Fall down seven times, get up eight.

Easier said than done.  Which might be my point to all of this.  Things are easier said than done.  And according to the quote-makers… it is my own darn fault.  Sooooooo  ……. … …… …. I’ll get back to feeling snappy any little minute soon, I am sure.  But until then…. Cranky Kronenberger signing off.

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
— Dalai Lama

 Happiness depends upon ourselves.
— Aristotle

Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.
— Thomas Merton

Partial.

You know how I love words.  Well.  Partial is one of them.

It can be so completely different, depending on its use.

Partial.  Like… not all there.  Something existing only in part.  Incomplete.

OR.  It could be…

Partial.  When we are favoring one thing above the other.  Biased.  A fondness for someone or something.

Tonight, I went to see our oldest grandson’s soccer game.  He is a junior in high school.

I got to the game a few minutes late.  So  technically, I saw a partial amount of the game.  Albeit, most of it, but still it was partial.

But as I watched, I thought…. “Levi is the best player out there.  He is such a great ball handler.”   Okay… so maybe I am partial.  In the other way… partial.  I have a soft spot for him.  Yep.  I am pretty fond of that young man.  Old Partial Polly.   And I still think he was the best player on the team tonight.

That’s just how we humans are though.  We are partial about certain things in our lives, and in particular…. we are partial about the people we love.

Being partial is a funny thing sometimes.  For instance, it is perfectly okay if a parent says their kid is lazy…or messy…  (or whatever).  But by god, YOU are NOT allowed to say that THEIR child is “this or that.”   No way.  No how.  You see,  parents are pretty partial.  Grandparents too.

Not so very long ago…. our dog groomer called our Ollie a “little stuffed sausage”….   Now. I know Ollie was getting a bit on the wide side.  But don’t tell ME my dog is fat.  Those are dog-fighting words.

I think it is all fine and good really… to be partial.  It just means we really love someone, and we want to protect them.

It is nice when someone is partial towards us, too.  It is that good feeling… like someone is in your corner.

And hey, let’s face it.  We are all partial to all sorts of things in life.  Chicken eggs, the color blue, Indie music, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Apple Watch, Vincent Van Gogh, and Braunschweiger on crackers.

I am not sure why we like some things more than others, but we sure do.  What causes someone to favor a Daisy over a Merigold?  What about Spiderman more than The Green Lantern.  Or, to like Vampire Weekend over Flatbush Zombies?  The Sound of Music more than Mary Poppins?   Pop-Tarts over Ho-Hos.

Ah.  Just another mystery in this great big Universe of ours.

But for all the planets spinning through space… I still contend….
Levi was the best player out there. I’m pretty sure of that.

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.
— Gilbert K. Chesterton

Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you want to be treated.
—  Lou Holtz

Today was a big dang day.  And tonight, I am worn out.  Plain and simple.    It was a day full of visits.  Most notably,  our two youngest grandsons came over today.  All day, from morning until night.  Without their parents.  Some might call it babysitting… we are calling it “intense visiting.”

They are 5 and 8,  and apparently, trumped up on caffeine and chocolate during most of their little lives.  I don’t know how they are getting it…. they must have a secret source…some dealer, or pusher, somewhere.  Because these kids HAVE to be jacked up on caffeine and chocolate.  I just know it.

I mean, for crying out loud.  Who can run…. and talk, non-stop, from 9:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night?  Besides this five-year-old…. who is pretty holy-crapping good at it.  Nonetheless.  A wonderful visit from start to finish… with the exception of the broken chair, three shattered glasses, the big spills on the carpet, and the dog with a newly developed nervous twitch.

We were also visited by a caterpillar this morning.  We watched her crawl for a long time.  Then suddenly, she stopped and did not move for quite some time.  After several minutes, she went on her way, once more.  I think she stopped for a power nap.

I have also been visiting a couple of cats.  They are my friends’ cats, and I simply stop by to make sure they are happy.  It is difficult to tell if cats are happy or hacked off.  I’ll just call them happy.

I visited my Mom today too.  As I do most days. Her big reveal today, and there always is one, was that she was glad not to be young again. I asked why not?  She said she was dumb when she was young.

Aren’t we all?

It seems only fitting that there would be an visit of epic proportions tonight.  Yes, the shadow of the earth will visit the surface of the moon, and bring us a full eclipse.

Visiting has a way of wearing you out.

So tonight, I think my head will visit my pillow.  And right now, it is a visit I shall welcome more than anything.

Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.
— Henri Nouwen

We could all be better teachers.

I have been learning this from my dogs.

There is a story I recently heard.  You are  supposed to visualize this scenario.

You are standing in a huge junkyard, and there are a million different pieces and parts, just strewn about everywhere.  Random junk on the ground, everywhere.  Little shards of metal, wires, cushions, tires, pipes, glass, old toilets, screws, bolts, light switches, and anything else you might be able to imagine.

And then.  All of a sudden, and out of nowhere, a huge wind comes about, in a great big swell… and all the junk starts blowing around.  The trash and junk starts colliding.  It crashes around here and there.  Then, just as quickly as the wind stirred, it immediately stops.  And where all that junk was once scattered about everywhere, now sits a huge Boeing 747, fully operational, gassed up and ready to go.

By luck, or some strange coincidence, or random accident, all of that randomly scattered junk came perfectly together to make a pristine jet airplane.  It all fit flawlessly together in one random accidental wind…. to form this magnificent vehicle.

It sounds pretty absurd.  In fact, for this to happen by sheer chance and coincidence is a bit farcical.  Perhaps….ridiculous.

Yet, that is how some people explain the universe, with all those infinite components and elements…. coming together…. arriving here….  and fitting together in perfect balance.  By some random explosion, or swirly-gig. By lucky ducky chance.

It makes me wonder.  It seems that some design might have been necessary to make all of this work.  Some creative energy had to be behind this incredible and flawless composition.

Yep.  I think we are all a part of this thing… this intelligent system… this force … this power… the underlying energy of all that is… and all that every will be.

We ARE a PART of it.  We are a piece of this incredible energy.  All of it.  All of us.  That’s what I think.

It makes me shiver to think that I am a part of this magnanimous energy.  You too.

The possibilities are probably endless.

If we only knew how.

With that said, I continually look to learn from the other parts of this universe.  It comes when we least expect it.

And today, it was my dogs.  Those beautiful beings who share this incredible balance of life, and energy and being.  I think it is supposed to be that way.  And so they teach.

Wake up with a sense of something “good” is on the way.  Wag your tail and slobber when you are happy.  Don’t be afraid to show you love someone.  Be ready to play with anyone.  But if someone in the dog yard is being a bully, it is okay to show your teeth.  Be loyal.  Be strong. Be loving.

My soul honors your soul.
I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides.
I honor the light, love, truth, beauty, and peach within you,
because it is also within me.
In sharing these things,
we are united, we are the same,
we are one.
-Namaste’ saying

(Note:  I first read the junkyard story in one of Wayne Dyer’s books.)

Newfound freedoms.

I will tell you this.  Newfound freedoms are one of the best feelings in the world.

Sometimes, they don’t feel so great when you are finding them for the first time.  There are growing pains associated with some, and not others.

Anytime we have known restrictions, or even some form of “imprisonment”… and we have been able to “escape” that thing.. or transcend it….  we have a newfound freedom.

This is common with people who have done things like quit smoking or quit drinking.  Recovering addicts in general have newfound freedoms.

Kids moving out of their parents homes.
People who get out of bad relationships.  ANY bad relationship.
Individuals who have lost weight.
Someone who has left an oppressive job.

Oh, the list goes on and on.

And then.  There are Chickens.  Free Range Chickens.

Yes, today our flock experienced a newfound freedom.  They had a pretty good yard to begin with, but we finally got our “new pasture fence” put in place.

The old smaller “yard” came down, and those chickens looked like they were in a scene from Chicken Run.  Yes, those feathered fowl explored the brave new world.

They were doing little barn yard dances, and making happy noises.  Chuck, one of our non-crowing roosters… gave it his very best cock-a-doodle-doo…. at least five times.

Those chickens walked, they ran, they flapped and fluttered.  If we were having toast, they would have buttered.

We had some happy chickens.  I’ll tell you that much right now.

And tonight, when I tucked them into their little chicken-beds, and read them their bedtime story ( they always want me to read Chicken Little )…. they all fell hard and fast asleep.

They will sleep good tonight.  And they will dream of their newfound freedom.  They will smile softly.  As well as chickens can smile.

And tomorrow….. The Freedom Chickens will rise again.

A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.
— Bob Dylan

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.
— Albert Camus

Freedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose. Anything less is a form of slavery.
— Wayne Dyer

I read an article today, which really affected me.  It was concerned with animals’ ability to think. Like humans.   More succinctly, the article came from a gentleman who had spent the past 15 years studying the wolves of Yellowstone.

This account centered around a wolf named Twenty-One.

An incredible story, this was.  Twenty-One.  His life was amazing. His ability to think, interact, reason, and play.  And then.  It reminded me about the bigger picture.

Humans.  We are.  And we can be full of ego.  We have a tendency to feel superior.  Certainly most people feel superior to animals, and all that is non-human.  Sometimes, we even hold notions of superiority over other humans.

As a result, I think, we lose sight of peace.

The truth of it is, we all share this planet beneath our feet, and the the great grand sky above.  We are all here together.   We, as humans, need to start acting like it.  Otherwise, our planet will curl up and die… in the not-so-far-off future.

We are just tiny specks in this big, big universe.  Even on this very planet…. we are pretty small.  There are 7 billion people in this world.  That is 6,999,999,999 more than 1.

As if I haven’t sprinkled this thing with enough happiness and cheerful thoughts…. let me give you a little more.  I don’t really have any answers to any of this.  I wish it didn’t feel so daunting at times.

But what I do know is this.  It is a conundrum.  Every person is pretty great, in their own right.  Yes. We are simultaneously insignificant, and exceptional.  I think the more we focus on our ability to be remarkable, the better off this planet will be.

And by being remarkable, I suggest we be uncommonly good.  We should seek peace, not conflict.

One notable individual, named St. Francis said this:  “For it is in giving that we receive.”  In giving peace, we will receive it.   And that might be the most remarkable thing any of us could ever hope to achieve in this life. To be a person of peace.

Make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.  (Prayer of St. Francis)

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
— Douglas Adams

If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.
— Yogi Berra

One may say the eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility.
— Albert Einstein

You all know what day THIS is.  The first day of Autumn.  Oh sure, it is a beautiful time of the year.   The wide array of magnificent colors.  Albeit those are the colors of dying things.  And of course, there is that unmistakeable crisp feel in the air.  A hint of cool and clean leans softly on the edge of the day.  Of course, it is the precursor for -25 degrees F., with 2 feet of snow, in just a couple short months.  But YES.  Today is the First Day of Autumn.

You see, that also means the Fall Equinox.  And the equinoxes, by definition, are the times (twice each year) at which the sun crosses the celestial equator.  And this indicates that exact balance…. when day and night are of equal length.  Fifty-fifty.  Half and Half.

Ah.  The Fall Equinox.

Equinox by itself isn’t so bad.  But when you put “Fall” with it……  holy crimeny.

Now… FALL by definition… (and there are A LOT of them)….

…. it means…. to move downward, typically rapidly without control OR….. to lose one’s balance and collapse.   It could mean….  to decrease in number, amount, intensity, or quality.  AND.  Most commonly… an act of falling or collapsing — a sudden uncontrollable descent.

Nonetheless.  It doesn’t sound good.  Jack and Jill fell down the hill.  Humpty Dumpty took a great fall.  The Fall of the Roman Empire.  Yes. Fall.

Don’t get me wrong.  I like the Season, while it really IS the Season.  But it is the harbinger of disastrous cold.  And more.

Now wouldn’t you know it?  I am depressed.  And right now… I am going to go get under some blankets.  And fix some hot cocoa.  And I don’t even drink cocoa.   I’ll be back in the Spring when the birds are singing, and the cows are coming home.   When the next Equinox rolls around.

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
― Henry David Thoreau

“No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds – November!”
 —  Thomas Hood

“There is no season such delight can bring, as summer, autumn, winter and the spring.”
— William Browne