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

There is an age old saying that goes: “God helps those that help themselves.”

Well, heaven only knows we all need help.  With ourselves.  And, you don’t have to look around very hard to find it.  Everywhere you turn these days, there is some sort of “Self-Help” advice… just itching to help YOU stop itching.

Websites, news feeds, blogs, newscasts, TV shows, podcasts, books, magazines, doctors, psychics, health clubs, and wizards.  It is everywhere.

This isn’t a new thing.  Eons old, in fact.  Great Philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, and the likes… were always full of “self help” advice.  When I was a kid, I remember finding a copy of “I’m OK, You’re OK” in my Mom’s bedroom drawer.

Well, I KNOW I shouldn’t have been going through my Mom’s bedroom drawers when I was a kid.  It is clear I was misguided as a youth.

And. Now, it hit me today.  Like a load of bricks.  I am always seeking some sort of self-help.  I don’t do it on purpose.  It just seems to happen that way.

At this point in my life, I am probably more concerned with Spirituality than I ever have been before.  Ever.

I try different things.  Meditation and prayer, yoga, nature, quiet time alone, and on and on.  There is help out there on ALL these things.  In fact, everyday in my email, I get a little letter from every self-help-seeking website at which I’ve ever registered. From Ancient Advice to Meditation Techniques to Zen… and back again.

There are WAY too many of these in my inbox each morning.  So many, in fact, that I get a bit stressed out about reading all of them.  “When will I find the time?  This  one looks especially good… but I can’t read it right now.  I will file it and save it for later.  Oh! This is good too.  I’ll just skim this one.”

Skimming is the worst of all.  The message gets terribly jaded.  “…..spiritual awakening does not come…. small flashes…..hurt and depression….we feel guilty…..”   WHAT?   I’ll get small flashes, hurt and depressed… then spiritual awakening doesn’t come and I will feel guilty???”   What the HECK kind of HELP is THAT?”

And then.  Then I start crying, and by the time I am through with my email self-help-email-session… I’m curled up in the corner, rocking back and forth… chewing on my hands.  Great.  Just great.

The truth of it is, we are all seeking.  Seeking something.  Some are in search of wealth, or fame, or fortune.  Others want cars, or food, or a new big screen TV.  Still others  are in search of life purpose.  Many of us are uncertain about what our life should look like.

Mostly, we all want to feel more confident, or sure, or convinced… we want to feel we are on the right track for whatever it is we are doing or seeking.

But the deal is… Life is Uncertain.  There is no perfect existence.  There is no perfect version of ourselves.  We are…   well…  …. … human.  We make mistakes,  we are full of doubts, and hesitations.  Every day, we face the unknown.  And let’s face it.  No one can “have it all.”

While this might seem a bit daunting, it is simply a part of this life.  Our greatest gift… is this beautiful life.    And if we breathe it in… for just a second… and look at all the beautiful things right in front of us… somehow it all feels right.  We just need to look around and take notice.  And as we look outside of ourselves… we may also notice… that there might be someone who needs OUR help.

And… I promise to do ALL OF THAT…. right after I get through my in-box, and the rest of these dang Self-Help Emails.

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.
— William James

 The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.
— Albert Schweitzer

Okay.  Sometimes you just find someone interesting.  As it is, I think H.G. Wells is pretty fascinating.  Of course, he wrote about a few of the subjects which intrigue me.  The greatest of those were his more notable works… such as The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).

Today, is his birthday.  He was born Herbert George Wells in 1866.  And he stuck around on this planet until the 13th of August in 1946.  He wrote prolifically in many genres…. including the novel, history, and politics.

In 1920, H.G. Wells published The Outline of History.  Most of us today do not realize that this was perhaps his best selling work during his lifetime. It was three volumes.  It began with prehistory and followed the world’s events up through World War I.

Wells believed there would be another major war to follow, and included his ideas for the future. Lobbying for a type of global socialism, he suggested the creation of a single government for the entire world.  In his day… he was the dude.

But he was a bit of a chappy I’ll tell you.  He was a pretty dang good cricket player when he was young.  But then, he broke his leg in 1874.  So he started reading while he was in bed… on the mend.  He soon became devoted to the other worlds and lives to which books gave him access; they also stimulated his desire to write.   And that, is what got the ball rolling.

Amidst all the other things about him … Wells was a bit of a player.  In 1891, he married his cousin Isabel Mary Wells.  But, but, but…the couple agreed to separate in 1894 when he fell in love with one of his students, Amy Catherine Robbins.

He married Amy Catherine (later known as Jane).  He has two sons with her, but they both died fairly young.

With his wife Jane’s consent, Wells had affairs with a number of women, including the American birth control activist Margaret Sanger, adventurer and writer Odette Keun, and novelist Elizabeth von Arnim. In 1909 he had a daughter, Anna-Jane, with the writer Amber Reeves.  He also had a son, Anthony West (1914–1987), by the novelist and feminist Rebecca West, 26 years his junior.

I’m telling you.  Old H.G. did some Time Traveling of his own.

There are many more interesting and wild things about this guy.  I think he knew more about his fiction… which may not have been so fictitious at all.

Wells died of unspecified causes in 1946 at his home  in London.  Once, he had stated that his epitaph should be: “I told you so. You damned fools.”

I don’t know why I write about him tonight, other than his birthday.  Maybe it is because I believe that Time Travel could be possible… and I think he thought so too.

Or it could be that I just couldn’t think of one other thing to write tonight… and time was running out.

Oh Wells….

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.
—  H. G. Wells

Our true nationality is mankind.
—  H. G. Wells

If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.
—  H. G. Wells

Beauty is in the heart of the beholder.
—  H. G. Wells