There are 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day. Think about it, that’s a lot of changes that are occurring daily in our country such as retirements, Social Security, Medicare A & B and all those “external” adjustments that need to be made. Although I’ve got a lot to say about those aspects of aging, they are not the topic of this post.

This is more of a personal experience essay.  I will address the two main aspects of aging that I am more aware of now that I have legally earned the title Senior Citizen. The first is the physical challenges that occur differently for everyone, but are inevitable. The second aspect is the mental challenges.

Everyone has their own individual physical tapestry that begins to unravel when Mother Nature starts recalling the gifts of youth that she gave you. It seemed that, beginning at age 45, any birthday ending in either 0 or 5 took some part of my body with it.

In my case, I can narrow it down to hair color, hearing, knees and teeth. There are other senses that are slipping, but not so much that you’d notice.

I wear my gray hair as a badge of honor. It’s like childbirth to me…you’ve got something coming out of you and you don’t know what to expect. I’ve got peppered gray hair which I like. My Grandma had pure white hair that she rinsed with laundry “bluing” to keep the yellow out. Now that I think about it, Maggie was funk before funk was cool. I remember shades of purple, pink, lavender and of course blue crowning her head over the years. In contrast, now, whenever I see someone with pitch black hair with the silver streak in their part, I wonder who they are trying to fool…us or them.

I became aware of my hearing loss when I realized that my daughter, Nora, was immediately repeating her statements to me knowing that I was going to ask her to repeat it. I plan to address this with hearing aids, but for now I’m okay. As fast as technology is moving, the longer I hold out, the better and less evasive the remedy. I do admit that both the music and TV are on higher volume levels in our house. And if you call me, expect to be on speaker phone.

Ah, my knees. I have no cartilage in my knee joints. The result has been that I look like I just got off a horse after a long cattle drive. There’s a little hint of Charlie Chaplin in my stance also. But, so far, it’s tolerable.  I get to where I’m going, just not as fast.

These joints are the victims of years of wear and tear in the gym and on the field. Not as an athlete as you’d think, rather either as a cheerleader or a twirler. Back then our uteruses were far more delicate than they are now. No athletics for budding young mothers of the future. I always figured that the tackle football I had played with my Big Bro and the other neighborhood guys, pretty much shot my uterus before I was 9. So roundoffs and marching on pavement/grass took my knees from me. Again, I am holding out to see how advanced medical technology can get to repair the damage. To the knees, not the uterus. I’m pretty much done with that part.

My teeth are proving to be the biggest challenge for me. When I was in 3^rd grade (mid ‘50s) I got braces. My teeth were not crooked but the cartilage in my jaw wasn’t solidifying, causing my lower jaw to slide backward. The result was an overbite that was only going to get worse. My mouth was “barb wired” and the upper and lower jaws were hooked together. The task for the next 3 years for the upper jaw was to gradually pull the lower jaw forward. Once it got as far as it would go, the job was to hold the lower jaw in place until the cartilage hardened. It was state-of-the-art dentistry at the time. The lasting consequence is that this process fractured the roots in my teeth, and after 50 years they are falling out.

For now, I look like I want to marry my first cousin and go on a hayride for the honeymoon. I am in the process of remedying this issue. It’s a lengthy process that is reinforcing humility in me. An upside is that I’ve lost a lot of weight. I’m sure people think I am dying, but how much weight can you gain eating yogurt, jello, oatmeal and Boost? The lack of weight has, shall we say, lightened the load on my bad knees.

Now to address the mental part of aging for me. There are two sides to this portion.

First, adjusting to other people’s perspective of you. I have discovered that I am treated differently, not only by strangers but also people who know me. I am aware the weight loss and the gimpy stride have caused people to consider me fragile and, I must admit, I’ll take getting dropped off at the door and help with hauling things up and down the stairs whenever I can get it.

The problem is when they also assume my mental state is weakening as well. This is most evident when dealing with computer technology. Without giving the multiple examples I could list, I’ll simply say it here and now, once and for all. “I appreciate technology and how it can make things so much better but, it is not second nature to me. It’s all new. Once I understand the “how” and the “why”, I take full advantage of the its many uses. I just need help with the understanding.” May I add, that as it changes, as it has rapidly, I may need help with the new systems/programs.

I am actually a very eager student for anyone that is willing to teach. I have by no means stopped learning. I relish news about Science advancements. I watch Historical documentaries. I read books. I always have a jigsaw puzzle in progress on the dining room table. My brain has so much more room to fill. I will not be someone that decides that I know all I need to know. (Don’t even mention politics! Yikes!)

The bigger change mentally should be what is going on in your own head and the purpose you have been given by God versus the purpose people want you to serve.The older you are, the less time you have to enjoy the benefits. This purpose, once identified brings enlightenment and spiritual recharging. For me it was the discovery of what I believe.

When I say what I believe, I am talking about faith, religion, Heaven, Hell, God, Jesus, reincarnation…. all that stuff. In 65 years, I learned a lot from St. Mary’s to Cross View Lutheran. But I asked myself, what did I believe? Seems like a pretty simple question. The question is simple but the answer is complex and one that only the person asking it can answer. My answer is that I believe that everything I do should be to help my fellow spirits further their quest for salvation. In doing that, my quest is furthered…it’s called Karma.

A strong basis for my belief is reincarnation. (I will not talk in length about that until after I read some of Shirley MacLaine’s statements and see where she went wrong.) Let’s just say that I don’t personally know anyone that lived a life so righteous that they fulfilled the requirements for Heaven in one attempt…except Jesus.

The reality for me is that my body is regressing according to Nature, but my spirituality and faith is still growing according to God. I am at a time when I am recharged with clarity of what I believe is God’s true path for me and I look forward to living life strongly and creating good Karma. I’ve got a lot good years ahead of me. As the old expressions goes: “The body may be weak, but the spirit is strong”.

By the way, regarding technology,  I’m not bitter and my feelings have not been hurt, but I think it’s important to note. I am using technology to advance my path and purpose in life. The fact you are reading this proves it. Thanks.

Ain’t what I used to be…I’m better.

In today’s newspaper, there were two cartoon strips knocking Millennials. Both found humor in the stereotype of the “entitled and technology distracted” young adult. I personally did not laugh…didn’t even smile.

As the proud mother of two millennials, I feel I must speak up.

Millennials are the generation that includes people born between 1980 and 1995, which would put them in the 21 to 36-year-old range. They were originally called Generation Y simply because they came after Generation X (1965-1979) …who were called that from their desire to not be defined.

The other tags that Millennials have been given are: Generation We, Global Generation, Generation Next (weren’t we all?), Net Generation (as in internet) and my favorite… Echo Boom Generation. This refers to the fact that these are the spawn of the Baby Boomers. In other words, they were raised by hippies. Not all of them, but far more than their parents are willing to admit.

I believe the “We”, “Global” and “Net” descriptions are all accurate and intertwined. With the advancement in technology and communication, they view the world internationally. They have the ability and responsibility to break barriers and recognize the similarities in all citizens of Earth.

Mix into this blend the term “Echo Boom” and we now have the reverberation of the messages of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Through the relationships that my kids had, and still have with their peers, I’ve gotten to know quite a few Millennials. My opinion of the generation is not determined by just people that carry my DNA but rather an interesting cross section of personalities.

They are accused of thinking they are entitled. Now where do you think they got a crazy idea like that? Could it be from when we created sports environments where “Everybody wins and gets a trophy…no losers here”. Or every Science Fair project gets a ribbon because we don’t want to discourage anyone or make them feel bad, when in reality the only people feeling bad would be the parents who actually did the project. Think about it…they got that from us.

I’ve heard the adjective “lazy” used regarding Millennials. I do not agree with this at all. Yes, I’ve met a few who could have been sitting around a hookah and staring at psychedelic posters with me in the ‘70s. But for the most part, they are just as driven as any other generation.

Let’s look at the labyrinth we created for them to achieve “successful adulthood”.

First, we bring them into a world when technology is moving at warp speed. We were oblivious to that while we showered our children with praise, material goods and filled out all the forms and made all the arrangements for them.

We made a college education mandatory for an existence that will be respected. Then we price the education at such astronomical rates, that the graduating students are singing “Sixteen Tons” instead of “Pomp and Circumstance”.

Add to that, they are catapulted into a world when the unemployment rate was at its highest. Whenever I hear someone judging a Millennial that still lives with their parents, I remind them that this is the result of someone honoring their debt. With the inflated prices of virtually everything, it is impossible to pay back tens of thousands of dollars while paying the price of living on your own.

I say we stop bashing Millennials and start supporting them. They are a skeptical group, but who can blame them. Their world offers more global exploration opportunities, while at the same time we have created such a volatile world it’s not safe to go anywhere.

Their world is always here and now. More than any generation before it. Unfortunately, the here and now hasn’t been great for a while. But I see the optimism of the “love children” in them. The songs that we listened to on 8 track tapes, they are listening to on Pandora. Their lyrics echo the cries of the Baby Boomers. The term Revolution has been reborn. We had our McCarthy (Eugene, not Joe) and Gloria Steinem, they have their Bernie and Jill.

Let’s get behind them…they are entering a world of uncharted waters. With the introduction of Watson (the volleyball was Wilson) their world will be connected to one source. Actually, many are occupying the same cloud already.  The future can be incredible or horrendous based on how technology is utilized.

Just to emphasize how incredibly fast technology is advancing, academia cannot keep their instructors “up to speed”. By the time they are informed and ready to instruct, they are as outdated and obsolete as your cell phone. So now the tables have turned. Get the job first and learn along with the industry…let them pay YOU for your education.

I am looking forward to how this generation escorts us into the future. They have not only been my personal Geek Squad, but they are sympathetic to the challenge these newfangled contraptions present to my generation. Every time they have helped me with my cell or computer, they always work with a smile. I’m not sure if it is a reflection of how good they feel helping me, or if they are cracking up inside about what an idiot I am. Either way, I take their help.

If my beliefs are true, most of them have, shall we say, been around the block when it comes to life cycles. With each new cycle comes responsibility. Their responsibility is the future…theirs and ours. I trust them.

The turkey is brining, the yams are getting sweet and the cream of mushroom soup is elevating itself with green beans.

I think we can all agree that a Thanksgiving Meal is a production.  The supporting cast of side dishes do their best to compliment the star of the show…the turkey (who, by the way, is just another deli meat without them).

The real significance of this day, though, is to gather with loved ones and give Thanks for what we all have. After all, it is not called “Whatever Day”.

I do not cook to this magnitude often, but I give thanks daily.

When I go to bed at night, I have replaced “Now I lay me down to sleep…” (I never liked that “If I should die before I wake…” part) with a prayer of gratitude. I ask myself the question, “What if I woke up to only what I thanked God for the night before?”

I don’t thank Him for bad knees, I thank Him that I can walk. I don’t thank Him for bills, I thank Him that we can pay them. I don’t thank Him for the problems that my loved ones’ face, I thank him for the opportunity to face them together, and with His grace, prevail. I think you get the idea.

I admit, I use generalities. Instead of listing each piece of furniture…it’s just “my home”. And I don’t name all the bearers of love bars by name…but you’re all there.

On this Thursday I wish for you a special day filled with food, family, love and laughter.

And going forward let’s all make sure that Thanks and Giving are part of every day.

God bless us all.

Following the volcanic election, I’ve stayed out of range of the magma, rock and ash shower. With music playing in the background, I try to keep myself informed of real news by watching the ticker tape scroll across the bottom of the TV screen.

The TV is muted, unless I’m watching (and doing) the Hot Dog Dance on Mickey Mouse with my granddaughter, Sophie. (seriously, I just had to go through the song to see if there is an “e” in Mickey…there is).

I will capsulize what I have learned about the “state” of the Union from perusing the TV screen.

White supremacists love Trump. Who’d have thought? He has not denounced them. Another surprise?

Trump is not going after Hillary legally. That’s nice. But, from what I’ve read, he will still probably be seeing the inside of a courtroom himself. Might be taking his family with him.

His cabinet and staff selections make me feel like I’ve walked into a gaming room. The names are spinning as fast as windows on a slot machine or bouncing between bumpers in a pinball machine. Yikes! The one name that did make my heart pound was Ted Cruz for the Supreme Court. That cannot happen.

So, while all this dust is settling let me share my opinion regarding the magic of music. I am surrounded by musically gifted people. My husband and son are incredible drummers and my daughter is equally as talented on the piano. The only rhythm that I’ve got is being Catholic. Oh wait, I can play the tonette.

In the 1950’s we had a radio in the kitchen that played my Mother’s music. We would sing along with the Andrews Sisters or the Ink Spots. Big Band music was my first memory of musical style and “String of Pearls” by Glenn Miller was my first favorite song.

Many a summer afternoon was spent in the upstairs bedroom in front of the big round vanity mirror with microphone (hairbrush) in hand while Patti Page and I sang a duet of “Around the World”. I had to make all the moves and facial expressions since she was locked in the 45 record.

Then when TV entered our home, it introduced us to Lawrence Welk and Ed Sullivan. There was also music based game shows such as “Name That Tune” and “Musical Chairs”.  And let us not forget American Bandstand. Those “cool” kids in Philadelphia would determine my fashion choices, hair styles and dance moves.

To avoid writing a “War and Peace” sized piece on the music of the ‘60s and ‘70s, let’s just say that I now daily immerse myself into that era.

For my birthday, last month, David bought me two JBL portable Bluetooth speakers. My house has become a large boom box and it can take me wherever I want to go.

Whether it’s singing along to protest songs with Don McLean or love songs with Adele I’m singing and dancin’. For memories of bedtimes with Nick & Nora I listen to Joanie Bartels sing “You Can Close Your Eyes”. This always washes my eyes with good tears. And my early marriage years with David can be summed up with any Country Western song. We had “Crazy” times with both Patsy and KD.

Everyone can mark their lives with musical memories. Most memories conjured by music are usually good and are yours for the taking. Even the sad moments, like when I played “Tears of a Clown” over and over while suffering the devastating loss of what’s his name, now make me smile.

I challenge you to turn off the news and turn on the music. With technology, you can replay any musical memory you want. You will find that it draws from and, in turn, strengthens your emotional base. I think your spirit will feel lighter…mine does.

The beauty is that no two people have the same music historical profile. Yours is unique and you lay claim to those memories…take them out of storage and enjoy them.

Another reason that I appreciate technology… I now know the real lyrics to “Louie, Louie”.

 

PS: I will have a Thanksgiving Day post for my kindred spirits.

The word “love” appears 310 times in the King James Bible, 348 times in the New American Standard Bible, 551 times in the New International Version and 538 times in the New Revised Standard Version.

Seems like the newer the version, the more Love is mentioned. I don’t quite know how that happened, but I’ll take more Love wherever I can get it.

I use the word love a LOT… and I mean it every time.

When I first meet someone I obviously don’t know who they are…but I know they’re someone new. Everyone presents uniqueness that I can get only from them. Ahh, more spice for my “stew of life”.

I have liked probably 95% of all people I’ve met in my 65 years. With each person I’ve met a “loading bar” is created. The dot at the far left of the bar is “like”. As we share time, laughs and experiences together the bar starts to fill with color… we’re filling the “love bar”. Liking someone is just a starting point for creating love.

Nora, my daughter has synesthesia. This is a neurological phenomenon in which she sees numbers and letters simultaneously as colors. In the same manner, I see each person’s love bar in color. No two are the same and everyone adds unique colors to my mural of Life.

I am aware there are different types of love. For example, the love I feel for David is one unique love. To simplify it, I would say that I wanted THAT love in my life every day. In 44 years (40 of them married) I have never felt that about another person…other than my children. This to me is “being” in love. (Can’t say I’ve always liked him, but I’ve always loved him).

I believe that people too often think that “being” in love is the only relationship that can get beyond “like”.  I wish to remind them that it’s mentioned up to 551 times in Bibles…not just once.

Yes, you can love throngs of people all at the same time. I know it can be done, because I do.

You might wonder about the 5% that I don’t like on first meet basis. Some of them have been poopy people and I just avoid them. The rest, I wait to see if at another time and another place, we might like each other. If we do, a new “bar” is created.

So, you can imagine my joy when I’m in a group of people that I love. The explosion of colors I see are better than any “trip” I took in the ‘60s & 70’s.

So, Trump took the 5^th set.

Last night I could see the writing on the wall, we were going to have another MR. President.

With a knot in my stomach, heart pounding and acid flowing through my system I withdrew to the bedroom to watch anything but election coverage. I watched the Weather Channel for a while as they played music and showed scenes of nature’s beauty.

At one point, with the sound muted, I flipped through the major news channels. Everyone’s faces looked like they were at Devil’s Tower when the aliens exited their craft in “Close Encounters of the 3^rd Kind”. I didn’t need to read what was written on the ticker tape scrolling across the bottom of the screen , the faces said it all.

I went to sleep with Perry Mason as background sound while I made my personal connection to God through prayer. I controlled what I could.

I woke up at 2:20am and couldn’t go back to sleep so I bravely decided to face my demons. Turning on the TV I noticed that the channel David last watched was TCM. I knew he had accepted the inevitable when, before I had dozed off last night, he asked me what I thought about living in Canada.

When I turned to CNN, there he was…President Trump flanked by his android Pence and his youngest son “Mini-Me”.  The strange thing is that I didn’t feel sick. I wasn’t devastated. I felt surprisingly calm. My prayers had worked. In my conversation with God I asked for strength, clarity and compassion going forward. I controlled what I could.

It struck me that yesterday I had a vote. Today I have a voice.

I will continue to post my observations. even more religiously than I have in the past. (pardon the pun)

I will look for every path laid before me where I can make a difference.

In the days and months ahead we will be hearing who will be in positions of power. Trump’s cabinet will be interesting, as will be his Supreme Court candidate. Excellent fodder for my posts

I am moving forward with faith and strength knowing “We’re not in Kansas anymore”.

It’s been exactly one month since I’ve exposed myself to the Presidential campaign land mines and the resulting shrapnel. I went to bed each night feeling so much better than when I was absorbing the toxins of the daily campaign. I controlled what I could.

Tonight, will be the first time the sound will be turned up for the news networks when I watch the election results.

It’s 3pm and I’ve voted. I have not ever had this much apprehension before a Presidential election. Over the years, I’ve won some and I’ve lost some. With the elections that I “lost”, I never felt that my future would be drastically changed by someone that embodies everything that opposes my morale convictions. The two choices have no shades of grey for me, just black and white. I controlled what I could.

Equally as frightening are the hordes of Trump followers. They honestly don’t see that the King has no clothes! Whether they win or lose, I still expect many of them to act like hooligans.

Not knowing who the next President will be, what would each candidate do if elected regarding just a couple of issues happening today that they will face tomorrow?

Item one, today, in Marrakech, Morocco, climates negotiators representing 100 countries are meeting to implement the Paris Agreement on global warming. This is BIG. Hillary supports the agreement. Donald, on the other hand has said that he would “cancel” the deal if he is elected. When French Environment Minister Segolene Royal said, “The wealthiest countries live as if there were three planets” he could have included Donald in that group.

Item two, yesterday, Kurdish forces entered the ISIS held city of Hamam al-Alil in Iraq. During their advancement into the city, they discovered a mass grave containing over 100 decapitated bodies. One hint of the atrocities that will be discovered as they canvas the city.

Meanwhile, the combined forces of at least 9 military groups and countries are successfully taking back Mosul in Iraq and they are also making headway into Ragga, Syria. These two cities are major hubs for ISIS. The advancing forces have encountered a wave of car bombs that ISIS uses as an offensive weapon. The collateral damage from these huge bombs is devastating. But, they are advancing.

If elected, Hillary would continue to support this initiative understanding from experience what a challenge is was to coordinate all the different countries, groups and militias to work together for a common cause and goal. Especially since they all hate each other…just not as much as they hate ISIS.

Trump on the other hand has called the coalition effort a “total disaster” criticizing them for giving notice of their attack.  But then he doesn’t see the citizens hovering in the corners of the buildings being bombed. Maybe he knows how to defeat ISIS without all those other guys, but he’ll only tell us after he’s elected…like all his policies.

That’s only two issues that will be affected by the decision we make tonight. Add to that the differences between them on healthcare, deregulation, tax reform and human dignity.

Am I nervous? Heck, yes! If Scarlet were here I’d tell her “… tomorrow is NOT just another day”.

Before I write about the topic above, I want to say that my avoiding all media coverage of this campaign’s daily tit-for-tat has been great. I haven’t listened to this much music since that Moody Blues 8 track tape (ahhh, Knights in White Satin…).  The speaker-sized strobe lights and burning incense in our living room back in 1967, took me as close to Haight Ashbury as I would ever get. But there were flowers in my hair.

Back to the Apocalypse and the reality of current events. ISIL leaders, in their propaganda, foretold of The Final Battle of The Apocalypse that would take place in a nondescript village in northern Syria. That village is Dabig and is, or should I say was controlled by ISIL. Over the week-end they lost the village in just a few hours to Syrian rebels backed by Turkey. They (ISIL) have declared that the REAL Apocalypse battle will come at some other time. (Yeh, THAT’S the ticket…we had the wrong date).

On Monday, US backed forces began a drive to force ISIL out of Mosul in Iraq. In just a few days ISIL has lost ground in both Syria and Iraq. Keep an eye on Raqqa in Syria. It is the self-proclaimed capital for ISIL. All the ISIL members and their families will be migrating there. This will no doubt displace present residents and cause even more atrocities.

I would like to hear from the wives of the ISIL members. This cannot possibly be what they bargained for. I can see it now on Bravo:The Real Housewives of Raqqa. Get a few martinis in them and who knows what we’ll find out. I shudder to think how this show would compare to their counterparts in the US, Britain and Australia.

The forces that are continuing to battle and push back ISIL are US, Russia, Turkey, Iran, the Syrian government, Syrian rebels and Kurdish militia. The problem that exists is that many of these enemies of ISIL are also enemies with each other. Not great bedfellows.

Back to the Apocalypse, I know that it’s supposed to be a battle between Good and Evil. There’s obviously a difference of opinion of who’s the good guys. But like the song says, “Nobody is right if everybody is wrong”.

I believe that the Apocalypse will not be one defining battle. I believe it is a slow moving, steady, solid battle that we are soldiers in from the time we are born. We are fighting it daily, folks.

I am covering my battleground by living my life with enough compassion to counter the evil actions of another person somewhere on this planet. I believe that there are more good people than evil people in our World, and that is how the battle will be won. When the good people drown out the evil souls and all you hear is the Golden Rule being embraced, that’s the End Times to me.

I pick a daily imaginary “compassion vs evil” opponent. (I know they’re out there, I just don’t get specific). I try to use my day to create as much peace as I can. It can be done by sending a word of encouragement, smiling at and looking into the eyes of everyone I talk to and trying to give as many people a laughter vacation that I can. I look for their spirits and strive to continue to recognize that we are all equal. Hopefully the good Karma created by this approach can neutralize the negative Karma created by another citizen of Earth. Poopy people are everywhere but they are the minority and we can defeat them with a weapon they do not possess…compassion.

Just think…what if everyone waged this moral war. That’s a Yikes!

But in the name of open-mindedness, if and when I get the new date for the Apocalypse in Dabig, I’ll let you know so you can put it on your calendar…I’d suggest that you use a pencil.

With that being said, I will go back to listening to Sade.

 

Ok, so I am ready to speak out regarding the upcoming Presidential elections. To prepare for this I have cut myself off from any media coverage of the candidates. It’s been 5 days since I’ve kept up on the shenanigans of their pasts. I gave up caring if Donald played Doctor as a child or if Hillary tore the heads off her dolls.

First, let me say I told ya so. In my post, dated 8/31/15 on Bullying, I put up red flags regarding Trump and his tactics.  Even before that, the post, dated 7/4/15 on the Republican Circus ended with the sentence, “I already am familiar with one candidate…Donald Trump. My retort…every circus needs a clown.”

So, here we are and he’s made it to the final stretch…or as we volleyball people say, they’re going to a 5^th set.

I have been very honest with everyone near me that I will be voting for Hillary. I don’t care that she urinates the same way I do, I care about her experience. Let’s get that clear.

Regarding the emails…I will not discuss this issue after this. Whenever I ask myself “What was she thinking?”  my answer is always “Probably the same thing you were thinking when you gave that nice young identity thief your Visa number thinking you were paying your cellphone bill…at 5:30am on a Sunday morning. OR The time you gave access to your computer to that nice young Indian lady named Delores that was in San Francisco USA.” You’d think the “USA” she added when I asked where she was located should have, shall we say, given me pause.

Frankly, I don’t care what Hillary DID with emails before we realized the dark side to that technology. I only care what she does now that she knows and understands it better.

This is a person that does know how the system of the global world works. She has sat through eye-to-eye meetings with good and bad world leaders and held her own. She has earned the respect and trust from the majority of these leaders. The others don’t intimidate her.

She understands the political system. My firm belief is that we will undergo a restructuring process of the entire system as it exists. The shattering of the Republican party has already occurred and that is only the beginning. But until then, we need to stay on a track with what we understand.

My impression of Donald Trump is that of a buffoon. He used the word “bigly” twice during the first Presidential debate. Having never heard that word before, I looked it up in the dictionary (the book version). As expected, it does not exist but the two words that would be immediately following it are “bigmouth” and “bigot”. Hmmm.

I can’t understand all the people following and supporting him. It’s like they are behind Goofus from the Highlights magazine. (He’s the kid that always made the don’t do decisions). Heck, Donald was probably the kid that circled all the hidden objects and did the dot-to-dot…in ink or crayon. And have you ever noticed that he has the same hairdo as Dennis the Menace?

I’m not going to make a litany of Donald’s continuing megalomaniac actions. Not enough time. I very seriously consider him a threat comparable to other dangerous leaders. Hitler is the obvious example, but unfortunately there are many more.

Another tidbit to consider is what will happen if the Donald is elected. He either will quit, get impeached or assassinated. That leaves us with Mike Pence. Think about it folks. This is a man that authored legislation in 2000 that wanted the money that was earmarked for HIV/AIDS medical research moved to what he called “conversion therapy”. That’s right, let’s talk them out of being gay.

He’s also a big pro-gun supporter. And, in his own words, “Global warming is a myth.” Yikes! He’s the one that we should be watching.

So I’ll vote for Hillary and hope and pray there are enough people that share my perspective to get her elected. And I’ll only start listening and reading about the campaigns again when they go back far enough to determine who was potty trained first…my money is on Hillary.