Oops, I said that?

I often wonder why people say some of the most stupid things, and then follow it up with another dumb remark … or lie. "No, I didn't say that!"  "I believe you did because we got it on tape." Don't you love it when someone gets caught? It's like a person getting caught on a front porch security camera attempting to take an Amazon delivered box, and then the owner says, "Hey, drop that box. I see you." The thief drops it in a panic and runs away.

Well making stupid statements is like the thief stealing deliveries off your porch. They WILL get caught. And their statement, or action, will hurt someone else, who they care less about. This election, and past elections have gotten nothing but throwing dirt and lies on the apposing opponent. And I am not just talking about the Trump campaign, both do it BUT, since 2020, Trump has made over 800 inaccurate statements, proposals and lies about everything. (FYI I did not count those.)

I know people can be cruel and selfish at times, but that is way is too much by anyone, especially a presidential candidate running for office. There is a thing called mutual and social respect for other people.

There is another thing that simply baffles me, why would anyone vote for a presidential candidate if they know that candidate has lied, cheated and respects dictators and criminals while other dirty laundry and hidden skeletons is exposed on every public media for everyone to see and hear? Why? Are they not seeing him for the person we need in the most powerful office in the world? I am sorry but I just don't get it.

I cherish my ability to see through someone very quickly. Oh yes, I have been fooled by people I trusted to be honest and genuine. I am not perfect, but this guy is a 'no-brainer'. I have learned that bad apples come in all sorts of ages, shapes, genders and colors. I except everyone for what they are with no basis, until one things strikes me as no good. But never will I fall into their trap of deceit. Oh yeah, I have gotten caught a couple times, but I learned quickly. Don't stumble like I did. Check the facts of what you read and hear. Don't believe everything your friends or relatives believe. Check it out yourself and then act according to your heart and gut. Don't argue with people over your choices. I see families being torn apart because of this election. Agree to disagree, but don't hate your neighbor, friend or relative because they think differently. Friendly debate is good, but if it gets heated, walk away. Check your facts, do your research and remember what this election will decide for our future and our democracy. Your vote IS important and counts.

The result of this election in 9 days will control the way the world see the USA and will dictate our economy, international relations with other countries, oil prices, trading, basically everything to our American lifestyle and livelihood.

Take care, stay safe. Please leave comments if you wish. I do read and respond.

"Be grateful for what you have." Lorene Haynes (Shell-Wilson) My mother

No it's not Thanksgiving, the time that most people give thanks for what they have. But that should not be the only time you look around and understand what you have achieved in life and the life you have today compared to what you had years ago. You probably have much more and have a better life than before.

I am SO thankful for my mother who raised me by herself, after she and my father divorced when I was 8 y.o.. I know she struggled to make enough of a living for us two, but I never thought we were poor until I got older. I never went hungry, or wore raggedy clothes or lived in rundown housing. It may not have been the best neighborhood but that was what she could afford. I see all that more clearly now, as an older adult. It was tough on her being a single mother. 

It is natural for people to always want better things, a nicer home, more stylish clothes, a newer car, and the latest phone. I hear kids say, "Why can't get a newer phone, Johnny has one!" Some parents buy their children the latest styles of clothing because it has the "LOGO", and that's OK, if you can afford it. I problem with that is the children may think they have to have that same lifestyle after they move out and realize they can not afford it with Mom or Dad getting it for them.

I have a theory. I believe advertising runs our whole economy. Commercials, billboards, and color magazine ads influence us to want the fancy watch, or the newest advancements in cars, or to live in the classist neighborhood in a big house. maybe for bragging rites, or to show-off what you have. I over heard one lady tell another, "I live in SCOTTSDALE, not Phoenix." as she cocked her chin higher, stroked and fluffed her hair. As if she was better that the other lady. HEY LADY! Who cares!  (Maybe I was a little too dramatic in my description).

I also have another theory that the economy is built on the backs of the working lower and middle class folks like most of us. The people who budget their money, sometimes to the penny. I believe my mother's struggles is what she instilled in me. to be more frugal and penny wise. For that one reason, amongst other reason, I do not believe a multi-millionaire should be our President. I believe we need a person that grew from lower income and climbed up, on their own, to respect people that work hard to get to a better life and understand the hardships of life. That is NOT Donald J. Trump. Truthfulness is not his high point. I believe Trump would have looked down on people like my mother.

We have about two weeks until election day. Some of you may have already voted, we have. I could not wait to vote and send in my decision on who should be in what office. I was very decisive in every choice I made. But not everyone is that decisive as I was.  I just don't like liars, cheaters and sore losers. I don' trust them at all.

All I am asking you all to do is research the information out there, and it's all online, then vote your conscious to bring us all back together and save our democracy. Thank you for reading this and I'll get off my soapbox now. Take care. I love you Mom.

Do you ever wish you have a 're-do'?

Everyone knows we can't really turn back the clock, except for 'Daylight Savings" in some parts of country and the world . But I mean turning back the history of time, to do something or someone differently. I think we all would do that, IF we could. "May I should have been more understand." Or, "I probably should not have spoke to he/she that way." Or maybe "I wish I voted for the other guy." I know I wished that when I voted (in my very first 1968 election) for the late Gov. George Wallace. As a naïve kid, I did not think of researching the candidates before I mark the box. I do now.

 I, many time wish I could turn back time to a better era in my life, correct the wrong choices I made, or said, or did. Many time I let my emotions react before I spoke or went forward with something. Maybe it was just that I was not mature enough to realize the consequences of my actions. But I also believe we ALL have regretted things we have done. Maybe immediately, maybe later in life. I suppose the people who record the history will also record our legacy as individuals and as a culture and country. One hundred or two hundred years from now how will people look at us, our time and decisions we made, the words we spoke as good times or bad.

Abraham Lincoln, as president, dealt with another divided country. I believe he was a good man with good moral ethics about freedom, discrimination, and rights of all people. It has been record by historians that Lincoln was a troubled man with many personal hurdles in his own family and his cabinet and not to mention the country. He was a deep thinker and a very well spoken orator, many times not off of a script. I wonder what he or Thomas Jefferson or George Washington would think about the country they fought so hard to keep free and democratic. A strong united  and democratic country is all they really wanted for the future.

Lincoln, in his day, was a very strong Republican which today he would for surely be a Democrat. Washington and Jefferson were also Republicans. So that must mean that the very writers of the the documents that created and shaped our country, and the presidents we honor so highly would be today in the democratic party, BUT not radial. Even they had their skeletons in the closets. They were not perfect, but yet wanted a perfect country, which was an impossible dream, but they tired so hard to keep a broken and fractured country together and made us the strongest country in the modern world.

Being the President isn't what some people think it is. They can not rule the country or world like a dictator or king where whatever you wish is can be done. We have too many checks and balances in our government to prevent that. That is the job of the House of Representatives and Senate. And then there is us, the people, WE THE PEOPLE, and our votes.  We dictate who go into the House and the Senate according to our wants and desires. Yes the President can implement Presidential decrees or executive orders, but even that can be shutdown by the House and Senate.

With only one month before a very critical election is here, we must all search our souls and determine which way we want this country to proceed. Do we want to continue to live in a broken country, or do we want to re-united into the similar country we all remember of days long gone. I heard one celebrate say, "This country has lost the love we once had." I believe that to be true. Now we have to bring back that love and unite. We can not turn back the clock, but we can surely spread the love to all and return it when it is shown to you.