HAPPY NEW YEAR! We're all alright!

Why do all of these corporate executives get a bonus while the rest of us struggle? Why does President Obama go on all these elaborate vacations on MY taxpaying dime? This country is being run by corporations and we have NO say in it! The government is bankrupting all of us! The Tea Party activists and Occupy Wherever movements are run by crazy people! I'm worried, you are worried, we all are worried!

I beg to disagree....

In today's world of non-stop news, channels, internet sites, blogs (as this is), etc..you can find a conspiracy theory to just about anything. Depending on what your view is...somewhere there is a article or a story to back up your opinion as well as a host of other opinions refuting it. I have both conservative and liberal friends on my facebook page posting articles and web sites proving their points about how the other side is dooming the country. While I very much enjoy reading these posts...sometimes agreeing...sometimes disagreeing.... I think it is important to put everything in perspective. I don't think President Obama thinks all corporations are inherently evil, just as much as the Republican leadership doesn't think that everyone on welfare is just a lazy person who doesn't want to work.

Part of our existence is the ability to be responsible for oneself. Most of us are taught responsibility as we grow up. At first we are dependant upon our parents and as the years go by, we learn to take more and more responsibility. The goal is to eventually become self sufficient for ourselves. It is the same in the animal world...eventually the young are kicked out of the nest, litter, or den, etc. and fend for themselves in the world.

While I believe some of the problems we face are very real...we can overcome. Do we even remember the crisis issues last year at this time? The key is to take responsibility for yourself. Don't blame others for your shortcomings. Seek good council of course (I would recommend including God in that council) but do not rely on others. If it means downsizing...downsize. If it means spending less...spend less. Help the less fortunate whenever you can.

To quote a friend of mine..."Chins up Americans! Dream. Create. Innovate. Move. Talk. Learn. Act. Initiate. Sing. Dance. Vote ...and most of all ...LOVE! Walk forward ...We're all alright!" HAPPY 2012 !!

Christmas (or Holiday) Mis-Fit

Growing up in the early 70's some of my greatest childhood holiday memories were watching all those holiday specials. Rudolph's nose glowing, Chris Kringle battling the Bergermeister Meister berger, Scrooge, and in my family...the Birth of Jesus made the season magical. I now have two boys ages 8 (almost 9 as he will tell you) and 13. Wanting them to feel the spirit of the Christmas season as well, I sat us all down to watch some of ABC "Family's" 25 days of Christmas (oops "Holiday")specials.

It was Sunday and we turned on ABC's "Family" channel to find some great holiday programming. There were no "nose glowing" specials or specials with any Winter Worlocks, so we decided to watch one of the pretty predicatable holiday specials. The show was a simple story for the holidays I assumed. A broken family and or relationship being resolved in the end by "Holiday Magic". It starred a young lady who used to be "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and the latin guy from "Saved by the Bell". Pretty innocent program I thought...I mean it's on ABC "Family"....right?

It became pretty clear that this was not going to be an innocent "family" special (at least in my eyes). The story had a lot of not so innocent moments that in my view were totally uncalled for. It became quite clear with all the sexual undertones, this was not like the old time Christmas specials. Scenes depicting shirtless men with breathless women swooning, adult converations about "extra virgin" olive oil, and old women not receiving enough "satisfaction" sort of drowned out the holiday message. The questions I received from my boys were a little hard to answer.

I understand that this is 2011 and not the 1950's. I know the argument that if you don't like what is playing on TV change it. Things are apparently a little more open now than back then. I realize there is a channel on TV for EVERYTHING. I don't know what kind of "family" ABC's "Family" channel is targeting...but NOT my family. Why should I have to screen everything now that is aired BEFORE 9pm and exactly how do you do it? Is there anyone else that feels the way I do about this? Don't bill yourself as a "family" show and then have all this sexual content.

Perhaps I am feeling my 47 years of age and becoming my parents.....or maybe I now am living the "misfit" life good old Rudolph, Hermie the elf, and Yukon Cournelius felt.