It was grandpa’s and grandma’s wedding anniversary and a big party was thrown for them by the neighbors. They were one of the few left that was married to the same partner without a divorce. One of his friends yelled out; "Ok, what is your formula for being married to the same woman all of these years?"
Grandpa chuckled as he replied loudly, " Problems, my friend, problems. A marriage free of problems is not a marriage worth getting into."
A hush fell over the room and all eyes came to rest upon grandpa as they awaited his explanation. After a few minutes grandpa continued by saying;
" Marriage is a commitment for life and it needs a commitment because problems are an inevitable part of it. The solutions to the problems are the glue that makes a marriage stronger because both, the man and the woman, realize that they need each other to make that solution a reality. And from that commitment life will be fulfilled as it was meant to be.
Marriage is a relationship of trust, a trust that only marriage can bring about. It is a trust that each must have to know that each will fulfill his or her part in bringing about the solutions to the problems that are encountered. And from that trust faith will grow stronger.
Marriage is about forgiveness, forgiveness that only marriage seeks out. For it is forgiveness that is needed when you try to apply the wrong solution to a problem and create an even greater problem. And from that forgiveness, support of each other grows stronger.
Marriage is a relationship of hope, a hope that only marriage can fulfill. For it is in hope instilled that a man and woman will never part but remain united as one when a solution to a problem is needed. And it is in fulfillment of that hope that confidence in each other can only grow stronger.
Marriage is the essence of love, a love that only marriage can know the depth of. For only love will make a person give up all that he be and is so that he might allow another to be fulfilled in all that they can be. And it is in the knowledge of that love we can know ourself as we grow stronger as a person, husband, father, and friend. For we have found that strength in the one we have married.
Marriage is the answer to the age old problem of what are we and why do we exist? The answer is seen in the eyes of the one we married as we gaze deeply into her soul and find the reflection of the one she knows love for."
The room remained hushed as grandpa finished. Not a word was spoken to break the silence. But as I watched the people I saw each man gaze down at his wife and it seemed as if each had a brand new appreciation of what he possessed.
and I looked at grandma as she stood by grandpa's side, a tinge of red upon her warmed cheeks, I knew one thing. Grandpa may do a bunch of griping but there was one thing in his life that he has no gripes about. And you know what? Neither do I, neither do I.
WELCOMES YOU to his little home in cyberspace.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Lessons learned and Applied
"Grandpa, do you have any other reasons for being pro-victory in regards to the war in Iraq?"
Grandpa just smiled as he nodded his head. "Yes, boy, I do. I was pro-victory in regards to the Gulf war when the coalition threw Saddam out of Kuwait and since this war is, in reality, the continuation of that war it would be hypocritical of me to be anything else but pro-victory in this war.
The Gulf war ended in a cease fire agreement not a peace treaty and Saddam violated the terms of that agreement in many ways and many times prior to our renewed military confrontation with him when we invaded Iraq and overthrew his government. And when he did that the cease fire agreement became null and void.
Once the cease fire agreement could be declared as null and void it justified the resumption of the war by any member or members of the coalition who participated in the Gulf war. By the overthrow of the regime of Hussein the Gulf war could be declared as finally won by the coalition forces.
Lessons can be learned from any and every war fought. And those lessons will not only be lessons of tactics but there can be political lessons also. Our continued remainder there can be declared as the result of lessons learned from past wars. One war that we learned from is WW I and the results of that war in regards to Germany. The other war from which we can be declared as a lesson we are applying is the Korean War.
We applied the lessons learned from WW I in WWII when we remained in Germany and Japan even after the war was won. It was the lesson of how we should treat a defeated enemy of war. That lesson being to stay and help the nation to get back on its feet both, politically and most important, economically.
The lesson that can be learned from the Korean war is the lesson of how a war should end, in complete victory. If that end had been sought and achieved two things would be different today, the Koreas would be a nation united under one government now. And in that achievement the United States would have an ally rather than an enemy of the northern section of Korea as it is now. We might also add that we more than likely would see a people who were prospering there instead of a people being starved as it is now in N. Korea.
I might also remind you, boy, that Gen. McArthur was fired by President Truman. And one of the reasons was that McArthur advocated for total victory over the N. Koreans rather than just accepting a cease fire agreement that is in effect there now. Now the world must suffer the consequences of a decision to not apply the principles of war by Truman as they were meant to be applied."
I just noddeed as grandpa finished his explanation but knowing he had fed me fodder for continued research on the issue of the Korean War.
Grandpa just smiled as he nodded his head. "Yes, boy, I do. I was pro-victory in regards to the Gulf war when the coalition threw Saddam out of Kuwait and since this war is, in reality, the continuation of that war it would be hypocritical of me to be anything else but pro-victory in this war.
The Gulf war ended in a cease fire agreement not a peace treaty and Saddam violated the terms of that agreement in many ways and many times prior to our renewed military confrontation with him when we invaded Iraq and overthrew his government. And when he did that the cease fire agreement became null and void.
Once the cease fire agreement could be declared as null and void it justified the resumption of the war by any member or members of the coalition who participated in the Gulf war. By the overthrow of the regime of Hussein the Gulf war could be declared as finally won by the coalition forces.
Lessons can be learned from any and every war fought. And those lessons will not only be lessons of tactics but there can be political lessons also. Our continued remainder there can be declared as the result of lessons learned from past wars. One war that we learned from is WW I and the results of that war in regards to Germany. The other war from which we can be declared as a lesson we are applying is the Korean War.
We applied the lessons learned from WW I in WWII when we remained in Germany and Japan even after the war was won. It was the lesson of how we should treat a defeated enemy of war. That lesson being to stay and help the nation to get back on its feet both, politically and most important, economically.
The lesson that can be learned from the Korean war is the lesson of how a war should end, in complete victory. If that end had been sought and achieved two things would be different today, the Koreas would be a nation united under one government now. And in that achievement the United States would have an ally rather than an enemy of the northern section of Korea as it is now. We might also add that we more than likely would see a people who were prospering there instead of a people being starved as it is now in N. Korea.
I might also remind you, boy, that Gen. McArthur was fired by President Truman. And one of the reasons was that McArthur advocated for total victory over the N. Koreans rather than just accepting a cease fire agreement that is in effect there now. Now the world must suffer the consequences of a decision to not apply the principles of war by Truman as they were meant to be applied."
I just noddeed as grandpa finished his explanation but knowing he had fed me fodder for continued research on the issue of the Korean War.
Friday, January 04, 2008
A Mixed Economy
"Grandpa, my teacher said that we have a mixed economy, what does that mean?"
Grandpa just looked at me with a smile as he answered; " Tis a good question, boy, a question that most people never really think about but just accept without question because experts call it that.
What people usually mean by that is an economy that is a mixture of socialism and free enterprise. What they do not think about is the fact that it is the private sector that must financially support the socialistic sector of our economy. It is not capable of being self-supporting. We must remember that socialism is a zero sum form of economics. It never was meant to be a profit making form of economic system.
We must also remember that before you can have a mixed economy you must first have either a free enterprise form of economy or a socialistic form of economy. It is result of the perception of trying to eliminate the flaws within the economic system that lead to a so-called mixed economy. The problem that results is that it creates another perceived problem that needs addressing in regards to society.
Socialism was conceived out of the perception that the lack of money is the root of all evil while free enterprise is founded on the perception that money is the root of all evil. Both forms of economics rely on greed to promote their value of existence.
The difference being is that one form recognizes greed as a reality for its existence while the other form creates a false perception of compassion to justify its existence. This false perception of compassion is just another term for greed and its advocates are what a psychologist would call as being in a state of denial.
A mixed economy is not a form of economics as some would have you believe, boy. It is the recognition of a transitional period of change from one form of economics to the other form of economics. By conception it is an attempt to create a form of economics by taking the best, theoretically, of each form of economics to create the perfect form. This is shown by the fact that when the government tries to create programs to aid the poor there are those who seek to expand and impose that program to all of society.
A poor man is one with no money but possesses a friend.
A rich man is one who possesses money but is without a friend.
Which one possesses the greater wealth?"
With this said grandpa went back to work and left me standing there perplexed by his question. I have known many a man who has given up a friend in payment for the opportunity to gain the riches of this world. I have known many a rich men who were not willing to give up his money in payment for the opportunity of a friendship. But never have I known a poor man who was without a friend.
Grandpa just looked at me with a smile as he answered; " Tis a good question, boy, a question that most people never really think about but just accept without question because experts call it that.
What people usually mean by that is an economy that is a mixture of socialism and free enterprise. What they do not think about is the fact that it is the private sector that must financially support the socialistic sector of our economy. It is not capable of being self-supporting. We must remember that socialism is a zero sum form of economics. It never was meant to be a profit making form of economic system.
We must also remember that before you can have a mixed economy you must first have either a free enterprise form of economy or a socialistic form of economy. It is result of the perception of trying to eliminate the flaws within the economic system that lead to a so-called mixed economy. The problem that results is that it creates another perceived problem that needs addressing in regards to society.
Socialism was conceived out of the perception that the lack of money is the root of all evil while free enterprise is founded on the perception that money is the root of all evil. Both forms of economics rely on greed to promote their value of existence.
The difference being is that one form recognizes greed as a reality for its existence while the other form creates a false perception of compassion to justify its existence. This false perception of compassion is just another term for greed and its advocates are what a psychologist would call as being in a state of denial.
A mixed economy is not a form of economics as some would have you believe, boy. It is the recognition of a transitional period of change from one form of economics to the other form of economics. By conception it is an attempt to create a form of economics by taking the best, theoretically, of each form of economics to create the perfect form. This is shown by the fact that when the government tries to create programs to aid the poor there are those who seek to expand and impose that program to all of society.
A poor man is one with no money but possesses a friend.
A rich man is one who possesses money but is without a friend.
Which one possesses the greater wealth?"
With this said grandpa went back to work and left me standing there perplexed by his question. I have known many a man who has given up a friend in payment for the opportunity to gain the riches of this world. I have known many a rich men who were not willing to give up his money in payment for the opportunity of a friendship. But never have I known a poor man who was without a friend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
