Another election

The United Kingdom prepares for a national election between Gordon Brown, Labor party, and David Cameron, Tory. (Also the Liberal Democrats who are a minority, however.) Ordinarily I pay little attention to British politics, but there is something refreshing to me to hear about another nation's problems instead of our own. Liberal versus conservative, a sluggish economy versus funding for social justice: does it sound familiar?

Probably just as mean-spirited, too, but I am simply an observer. Both parties have hired the Washington, D.C., agencies that worked in the Obama campaign. British humor, as organized by The Guardian, has invented a tee-shirt slogan, "Step Outside, Posh Boy" which refers to Gordon Brown's legendary bad temper and David Cameron as heir to a baronetcy.

Let someone else suffer through the rumors and the opinion polls. I will just watch.

London

I know I am in London when. . .

- the Easter church service is followed by a "fizz reception" in the back of the sanctuary
(St. John's, Hyde Park, Church of England)

-my grandson asks me which is my favorite football team? I pause, searching deep into my mind, and say, "Manchester United". Is that David Beckham? What do I know? But it was a satisfactory answer, apparently.

-hot cross buns are for sale at every bakery.

-according to the television news, the hibernation is over.

A dividend from taxes. . .

While we were at our annual tax preparation session this month, our accountant, Ron T. from Sedalia, said that he has had a stressful tax season this year. His father died quite recently.

"I learned from him my entire life," he said, "and I especially learned from him the last few weeks of his life when his health was failing. . .the way he faced everything."


I have never heard a more moving tribute to a parent. Food for thought.

Health Care Reform

Our family rejoices at the passage of Health Care Reform! We feel it is as important as the civil rights legislation. Hallelujah!

Aging Productively

No one can avoid aging, but aging productively is something else.

Katharine Graham



Thoughts on aging productively of which I often need reminding: Rarely is anyone interested in more than a brief overview of personal health problems. I maintain that everyone has the right to complain once a day; after that, please enter the "ministry of the shut mouth." (John Ortberg)


Negative talk about your health or about politics or about the weather for more than a few minutes drags down everyone. People do not like to be around the aging whiner. I am aware that when you feel bad, it is hard to think of anything else. But personal experience with older people who live with grace has demonstrated to me that positive talk is very attractive.


For me, a cardinal rule is avoiding the standard lines such as "I am having a senior moment" or the jokes about old men and old women. Such conversation is equal to going around saying "I am so dumb" which everyone acknowledges is self defeating. "Ageism" goes un-noticed, unlike sexism and racism.



Listening, thinking of others and being interested in contemporary society can help us age productively.

Spring in the Mid-West

Spring in the Middle West. . .does not come all of a sudden as if it had been waiting all the time around the corner. No. It takes a long time to get ready. First, it has to clean up after Winter.

“You got any snow left, old man,” Spring says to Winter, “You get rid of it now because it won’t keep until next year. And make it snappy! I want to move in now.”

Then it snows like it never snowed before. Old-timers sit around the stove and say it’s Winter’s last howl. Winter is getting pretty tired by then – getting rid of all that snow-and he limps up north to join the other Winters waiting there.

Then Spring hollers: “Hey, Sun! Let’s go.”

Sun leans down and breathes hard on Snow and makes it change into water. First, Water fills peoples’ basements, then the street gutters. Then it fills up the River.

“Take it easy, Spring, will you?” Says River. “I’m getting high on water. I can take just so much and no more.” The old-timers say, “worst flood in years! Its in all the papers.”

Spring says, Okay, Sun. That’s it! Get lost for a few days.”

And Spring calls in the Four Winds. They all blow in at once. “Hey, fellers, clean up that mess down there, will you? And make it quick. I am running late this year.”

So Winds blow every which way. They get rid of all the water all right, but they get excited and knock off chimneys and pull up trees and lift up houses and set them down on River. Old-timers say, “I’ll take a blizzard any day. They can keep their tornadoes.”

Spring says, “Hold it, Winds. Don’t overdo it. You can beat it now. But you, South Wind, stick around, I need you.”

“Anything I can do for you, Spring, just ask,” says South Wind.

“Okay! Blow me in, boy. Blow me in gently and blow around me when I’m in.”

And then it is Spring. (Joy in the Morning Betty Smith)

"Three Cups of Tea"

In his book, "Three Cups of Tea", Greg Mortenson speaks of his efforts to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. "...slowly, we can encourage modern education, encourage the people to send boys and girls to school. If we invest, it will come back to us. We have to deal with problems of tradition and culture. But we can stop extremism. If people are educated, we can fight against poverty, cruelty and injustice," said Shaukat Ali, a former Kashmiri freedom fighter and Taliban member who now teaches at the Gundi Piran school. In particular, educating girls is the ticket to fighting terrorism. Greg's organization, the Central Asia Institute, has built over 50 schools in remote areas. Ignorance is the enemy.