Trust and Respect

Trust and Respect

 

 

It appears some of you haven't noticed, and others because of ideology, that we can't face the reality that our freedoms and way of life are being diminished every day. In cities like Portland and San Francisco, residents live amongst thousands of homeless and mentally ill with feces and drug paraphernalia on the sidewalks. In New York, addicts shoot up in broad daylight while others defecate in store fronts.      

 

NO RESPECT for our borders and sovereignty. NO TRUST in the government by those emboldened and accountable to keep our borders sealed. Our children are more likely to be shot than obtain a good education.

 

NO RESPECT! NO TRUST!

 

I clearly remember the learning process as a child in the 1950s involved consistent guidance on the importance of morality, respecting others, and being respected. This information came from our parents, family members, spiritual leaders, and even adults in the neighborhood. Respect was an important commodity. The reverential treatment of the many immigrants who came here with nothing, yet still created wonderful lives while remaining humble and gracious was born out of a deep respect for all they had achieved. They remained good, moral people who were trusted and respected.

 

When I was 14 years old, I had the honor of working for one of those respected and trusted people in the community. Izzy wasn't a big man in stature standing barely 5' 2" tall, nor was he wealthy or handsome; however, the latter observations were rarely noticed once you met him. He always shook your hand and looked into your eyes with a thoughtful kindness that was compelling. His broken English was endearing and always calm. 

 

While working with him, I delivered groceries, stocked merchandise, and did whatever else was needed in his small grocery store on 166th Street just off of Sheridan Avenue in the Bronx. Early in my employment, I asked Izzy what the tattooed numbers on his arm meant. His reply was overwhelming to me and I couldn't understand why he wasn't full of rage and bitterness for the horrific treatment he and his family had endured. 

 

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, he chose to create a new life out of nothing remaining a humble, kind, proud man who instilled in me the importance of respecting others and to never cheat yourself or your employer out of a full day’s work. Trust is established over time through consistent behavior, honesty, and estimable acts. It is something one should not demand of others for it is earned. Trust must prevail for relationships to survive. It is a blessing providing both comfort to the soul and well-being to the heart.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if some of our youth today have rarely known the gratification associated with trusting and respecting others. Sadly, for some, that includes their parents. Nor have these youth experienced the emotions associated with feeling trusted and respected themselves. Trust, honor, and respect were virtues first learned in the home from our parents. 

 

Virtues like pride in a hard day’s work, gratitude, courtesy, and kindness, 

are unfortunately disappearing in this new culture.

 

There is a major shift in the mindset of Americans who once aspired to live by the words of John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you - Ask what you can do for your country."  This sensibility is a relic of a time when most Americans were proud of their country and grateful for the opportunities it offered them. Many Americans still live by that creed, but unfortunately, far too many feel the country owes them anything and everything. The love of hard work and the pride that comes with supporting your family is gone for far too many.

 

PRIDE? There's the P in FREE!  

 

The concept of respect has been diluted, and possibly abducted, by its evil twin--disrespect. In today's world, many feel powerless, diminished, and disregarded by the government, their employers, and by society as a whole. Some violence is perpetuated under the guise of retribution for being disrespected by an individual or group. More often than not, references to discord will be associated with individuals feeling they have been disrespected.

 

It seems the psyche of some of the populace doesn't understand nor embrace the concept of respect, but instead views it as something you take, control, and acquire through fear! 

In this America, the war cry is for stealing, burning, violence, and even homicide all labeled as consequence of disrespect.In their world, you earn respect by fear. 

 

We are also dealing with the “Cancel Culture” where truth, character, and self-respect are often insignificant. These once admired qualities are now handicaps that will put you and your family in jeopardy. The driving force keeping us in line is based on fear—shut up and support the lies, illegal acts, and whatever else you're told to do, or you will be cancelled and ruined. Morals, honor, trust, and respect are flaws in the new ideology of power and wealth at any cost. Even the destruction of American citizens and America are on the table. There is nothing more pathetic than extremely old white men trying to be cool and woke at the cost of their dignity and honor. Clad in thousand-dollar suits and diapers from Walgreens, these men would walk on fire to stay in power a while longer. Their archaic minds are far removed from a time when respect and trust meant everything.

 

Our institutions of higher learning are more in keeping with the philosophy of China and Russia in that the students are bombarded with just one political point of view leaving no room for conversation or debate. 

 

This is not education, it's indoctrination!

 

Not even the brightest minds in the world are welcome at most universities to enlighten our youngest minds if their message alters from the party line. When will the disrespectful and dishonest woke agendas be exposed? 

 

We live in a time where there is very little accountability or consequences for bad and/or illegal acts by society, police, clergy, teachers, and our trusted leaders in government. 

 

·      How can we expect our youth, some with little education and limited parental guidance, to aspire to become business owners and entrepreneurs when they can steal anything they want with no repercussions?  

·      Are we creating a culture of youth whose norm is crime, guns, burning, looting, and drugs?

·      Why would a young entrepreneur risk opening a retail business when looters and shoplifters can steal up to $900 of their merchandise every day, all day long, without it being a crime? 

 

Not to mention, there is the possibility that looters might decide to burn down the building! Who in their right mind would put every penny they have and go into debt for a business that is not protected by either their law enforcement or elected officials? Is a crime still a crime if there are no prosecutions?

 

I’m 81 years old and grateful I won’t be around for the shit storm that will inevitably happen if these old hacks keep getting elected. 

 

On a personal level, I am concerned for the well-being of my new electric scooter considering the pathetic thieves behind me who have stolen scooters from the handicapped and elderly people. NO RESPECT!

Three Card Monty

 

THREE CARD MONTY

Before my birthday last week, I found it difficult to comprehend that I would soon be 80-years-old not just due to the lifestyle I led when I was younger, but also due to my confusion and concern as a child about the life expectancy of human beings. 

 

When I was just 12-years-old hanging out with my friends at the corner candy store, I overheard a neighborhood man telling his friends he was turning 30. Immediately I thought, "This poor guy is going to die soon." Actually, life expectancy in the 1950s peaked at 66.8 by the end of the decade. When I turned 30, I was aware there were those saying I would be the next musician to die, but that's another story.

 

Satirical Speech 

 

When social commentary, humorous anecdotes, and satire are stifled or abandoned for fear of irreparable damage inflicted upon those who inform and enlighten our burden with humor, we are taking another step towards the end of freedom of speech. 

 

In the 1950s and 60s, Dick Gregory and Lenny Bruce were shut down for their social commentary on outrageous injustice to people of color and the fight for freedom of expression and speech. Today, the news, whether it be from network, cable, print, Internet, or social media, as well as late night TV only offer a diatribe of limited thought coming from humorless lemmings who beat the same tired horse to death over and over again signaling the death of intellectual thought, balance of ideas, and introspective Comedy.

 

Much humorous social commentary is realized after hearing or reading absurd falsehoods that are so ridiculous that they're funny. George Carlin was great at this, but today he might be attacked and demonized for his humorous insight. In our current political climate, if you don't fall in line and embrace the ideology much of the media shoves down your throat, you will be ridiculed and cast out. Threatening, shaming, assaulting, or ostracizing others has only served to widen the divide by harming those who have never harmed you nor wish you ill will! This "pound of flesh" scenario is fathered by hate and strives on power and control.

 

Dinosaurs 

 

Throughout my life, I've seen wondrous progress--miracles in medicine, technology, and science; however, with all the wonders my generation has witnessed, it's uncomfortably clear that Politicians appear immune to change, growth, and a commitment to the rule of law. The primary purpose of these relics seems only to advance their agenda and to accumulate power and wealth. As takers and hustlers, they are pimping us out and selling our resources to the highest bidder with no remorse nor allegiance to the country they have sworn to protect and serve. 

 

These panderers of chaos who offer citizens no more than smoke and mirrors, gibberish, and "Three Card Monty"-like choices to the serious issues this country is facing must be confronted and made accountable. Far too many who enter the political arena, even those with grandiose visions of goodwill to the country who respect the rule of law, eventually fall victim to the intoxicating allure of power and wealth. 

 

Even violent crimes perpetuated against the citizens of this country are now clouded with inaccurate statistics and outright lies. One would think the slaughter of children would warrant honesty and accuracy, but politics trumps all decency and integrity. It's impossible to solve a problem when all resources are allocated away from the actually issue which is often the Mental Illness of the perpetrator. We live in a time when anarchy is a staged production employing looters, arsonists, and rioters as the primary cast members. The performance is rehearsed and choreographed by political actors who exhibit no allegiance to anything or anyone except the acquisition of  power and wealth. 

 

It is my belief that most citizens of our now drastically divided country oppose politicians, organizations, corporations, and institutions who condone and employ fear tactics, including social and economic exile, to those who disagree with them. These dangerous and hostile actions are killing the American dream and destroying Americans. The purpose of stifling speech, slandering, and demonizing others who think and believe differently is to squelch any point of view other than their own. Censorship is the preferred action when lies lose their power and no remedies nor constructive ideas are forthcoming. Calling out everyone you want to silence as White Supremacists or racists is evil for the intent is to create fear, anger, and division ending all constructive measures.

 

Forgotten 

 

What must parents, siblings, and relatives of our fallen and disabled warriors feel when they see our leaders neglecting our veterans and giving away much of what these courageous soldiers fought for?

 

What must they think when the leaders of our country send billions to aid other countries to support their soldiers and civilians fighting to stop those invading their borders in hopes of defending their sovereignty, yet these same leaders allow our borders to be overrun with drug smugglers, human traffickers, and those simply seeking a better life? Daily, we hear the reckless redirect from inept hacks that bring us closer and closer to World War III for no one they know will be fighting. Rarely will you see them in combat on the battlefield as that battle is left for our children.

 

Power

 

You may feel helpless believing you have no power to make a difference, but that mindset must change. You must, we all must, confront those responsible for these obscene tactics making them accountable for their reckless, predatory, and, at times, illegal actions with your vote. In this disingenuous landscape and political climate, those being assaulted and affected by these tactics must use their right to vote instead of simply sitting in their favorite chair complaining about crime, violence, gas prices, inflation, school curriculum and unsafe classrooms, the border, etc. 

 

Accountable and responsible citizens can remove those who are destroying the rule of law and chipping away at the Constitution by voting them out of existence.

 

Only about 55% of Americans vote so think how much power and influence YOU would have simply by voting and raising the percentage to 60 or 70%?

 

Get out and VOTE!

What a Mind F*#K! 

 

In an attempt to understand why my dearest memories, those moments spent with family, friends, and colleagues that remain crystal clear to me, vary from others I shared these experiences with, I began reading about the brain and reasons for memory loss. The more information I gathered, the more amazed I became. To be honest, it's overwhelming what the brain is capable of and, thankfully, there's a wealth of information addressing the infinite facets of this magical organ!  

 

Much of the brain functions are like a thief in the night stealing moments our conscious mind doesn't register. In less than a second, it anonymously retains anything you see, touch, or smell, without cognitive control. By utilizing automatic response, it stores information derived from all of our senses.

 

Research shows we articulate our memories differently to different audiences. That seems obvious to me since I don't mind spinning a yarn and injecting a bit of drama and humor, with a pinch of exaggeration, always taking into consideration the audience. An example might be a college reunion attended with my old classmates as well as their wives and family. Some of the tales might require some editing so they're more appropriate for the venue.

 

The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology states that not only do the stories change on these occasions, but the memory is now changed. Furthermore, each time the memory is recalled it will be altered. This is known as the "audience-tuning effect".  

 

I question the latter theory for it has been my experience that the stories we hear from family and friends on Thanksgiving, Christmas, barbecues, or other family events are tedious in their consistency. I appreciate that stories might be embellished considering the audience and the libations being consumed, but they inevitably return to the same boring tales we've come to love. There are numerous explanations as to why embellishments might happen every time we recall a previous experience, taking into consideration what we believe to be true and what we want to be true!

 

Published on November 20, 2018, in Nature Communications, the findings offer new insights into the mechanisms of both memory and decision making. According to Columbia University researchers, the brain plays back and prioritizes high-reward events for later retrieval and filters out the neutral, inconsequential events, retaining memories that will be useful to future decisions.  

 

If that's true, why do I still remember my first wife?!?

 

 

Four Types Of Memory Loss 

 

According to the Terra Vista Foundation, memory loss isn't a simple thing, and there are many factors at work when considering the process of memory loss. There are four different types of memory: sensory, short-term, working, and long-term memory.

 

·      Short-Term Memory—Short-term memory loss is one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. You might recall your loved one asking the same question multiple times in the course of a day, or a couple of days. This is commonly described as the inability to recall information that was just recently given to you. The amount of time concerning 'short-term' can be from a couple of seconds, up to a few days.

 

·      Sensory Memory—Sensory memory is considered the 'shortest-term' memory. It usually is only 3 seconds recalling sensory experiences (memories related to seeing, hearing, tasting, etc.) Sensory memory is often not referred to so much in detecting Alzheimer's because it is subtle and these memories are too short.

 

·      Working Memory—Working memory is also noticed in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, as it is closely linked to the short-term memory. Working memory is what allows our brains to keep limited amounts of information stored up long enough to use it. It helps us to process our thoughts and to form plans, as well as to develop ideas. As you can see, the short-term memory and the working memory work together.

 

·      Long-Term Memory—Long-term memory is usually visible in Alzheimer's patients later on in diagnosis. These memories are from a few weeks to early memories from life. The process of memory moves from sensory to short-term to long-term. This explains why long-term memory is the last to be affected in the disease.

 

It's inconceivable that the human brain isn't considered the wonder of creation! Especially since it weighs just 3 pounds with billions of nerve cells that exchange data with other neurons faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive. While reading this blog, your brain is carrying out an immense number of highly complex functions including guiding the muscles in your eyes, adjusting so you can see with equally sharp clarity in changing light conditions.

 

The capacity the brain has to store and disseminate information, to mention just a few of the plethora of its capacity, totally BLOWS MY MIND MAN!

 

 

Through Whose Eyes Will We Experience The Truth?

 

If in fact our memories do change simply by recalling and sharing them, how do cultures who document their history with only paintings and stories rely on these traditions to maintain a consistent message as time passes? Since much of the truth has been omitted from our history books, is the truth now a lie? If men wrote the Bible from information gathered from other men, or from their own memories, why would anyone be surprised when its content is questioned? One example is the debate between the Old and New Testaments.

 

The ability to question and inquire into other’s beliefs is a gift of free men and women. To blindly believe everything we’re told is naïve and troublesome to me. Since the truth has become so subject and vague, we must teach our children to have an open mind and to utilize that mind to find their own beliefs. If they don’t, they will spend their lives living someone else’s truth! 

 

Back in the day, in most grade school history books, Native Americans were either portrayed as ignorant for selling the Island of Manhattan for beads and trinkets, or savages who needed to be stopped from slaughtering the settlers. How many of us read about "The Trail of Tears" in the school history books when we were growing up? 

 

"The Trail of Tears" was a 1,000+ mile journey on foot that claimed the lives of 4,000 Cherokee Indians as they were forced to move from their tribal lands from as far away as southwestern North Carolina and northwestern Georgia out to the new Indian Territory of Oklahoma. This tragedy silenced a culture that could have taught us how to respect the earth so it could continue to thrive, and to take only what we need from it.  

 

But I don't recall hearing any book reports read in class addressing the "Indian Removal Act" created by Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, specifically to exile Native Americans from their ancestral land in spite of agreeing to never remove them from said land, while also banning the use of their language and traditions. Their language and traditions expressed who they were, and without them they would cease to exist as they once were!

 

With all the information gathered, it appears truth is a subjective thing in spite of the fact that it isn’t subjective at all. When antipathy befriends indifference and ignorance, it allows the haters to commit unthinkable human rights crimes; therefore, the plight of the Native Americans happened!

 

The truth we learned came from the perspective of progress being sacrosanct, capitalism taking precedence over fairness, and the Anglo-Saxon perception of superiority. This allowed them to look at the fate of Native Americans as collateral damage.

 

Historic Indian tales and mythology teach appropriate behavior and the repercussions of not following the laws of nature. Native Americans who have abandoned their traditions in order to embrace mainstream culture and the American lifestyle are now encountering an increase in disease! Almost a century ago, there was virtually no diabetes in the Indian communities, but today it runs rampant except for those Elders who continue to observe their traditions. 

                 

Brain Fart

 

My personal concern involves short-term memory loss, for this has become my Achilles Heel surpassing trips to the bathroom. I perused through my collection of Reader’s Digest and found nothing relevant so I located a 1959 edition of "The Bronx Journal On Short-Term Memory Loss and Potato Latkes Recipes" and found some pertinent information.

 

I'm sure many of you have found yourself in a room wondering why you're there! There is a name for this dilemma and an answer to why we find ourselves in these situations. It's referred to as "Event Boundary" in the mind! Research shows that when we pass through a doorway leaving a room and entering another, one set of thoughts end and/or separate from the next thought. 

 

Meaning: Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room, and prepares a blank slate for the new locale. The thought you had to go to another room and turn out the light could very well evaporate once you pass through the doorway from one room to another, leaving you wondering why you're there! 

 

As we can see, there is so much we can't fathom about the brain, but knowing its importance must be conveyed to all of our youth for it is the touchstone to all they will achieve and aspire to. The brain is the “Holy Grail of Knowledge” and a healthy wellbeing! Not integrating basic moral standards and spiritual guidance to the brain, nor nurturing it with positive information, a healthy diet, physical stimulation, and ethical boundaries is naïve and dangerous considering the havoc it can create. 

 

The mind runs the show, writes the script, and, ultimately, will direct what part you’ll play unless you create the best part available utilizing the unending, wondrous, and magical things your brain is capable of!

 

WHAT A MIND F&*K!