I pledge allegiance...

Throughout our lives we have stood before the flag and pledged our allegiance to the United States of America. One flag. One country.
When we begin to add other flags to that pole, we begin to divide. "A house divided cannot stand." This is why I oppose the flying of the confederate flag. It represents a divided nation not the United State. It separates us.
During elections in this country, we have historically sported buttons, placed signs, attached bumper stickers, adorned hats and t-shirt, etc for the candidate we support. Historically, at the end of the election, the signs come down and the other election memorabilia goes in the drawer or in the trash. The elected officials begin their task of governing. They disagree and work on their perceived best policies but the focus is supposed to be actual governing - working for the benefit of those they represent.
Oddly, in recent years, the signs did not come down, the hats did not come off and one name is proudly displayed in yards and on flags. It's as if their allegiance is to that name first or is somehow equal to allegiance to the United States. It's as though that name is now branded onto the United States flag. Defending that name is now equal to defense of the country no matter what that person does.
It's a disturbing dynamic. 
That person has attorney's arguing that they cannot be investigated, impeded or arrested for shooting a person on fifth avenue. 
I took another oath.
...I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same...
And then there is a problem. What follows is a promise to obey the orders of the president - commander in chief. What if that commander is violating the Constitution I also swore to support and defend?
For me, the answer is easy. "I pledge allegiance to the United States of America.. and "I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same."

It's just a little music store....

Every day at the Porch Music Store something happens to lift me up. There is magic about this place that is beyond anything I can explain. It's the people. Being there, among them, lifts me. They inspire me to be better. They inspire and motivate me to want to do more and do better, no matter how I may feel when I first walk in the door.
Now with over 100 students, parents, grandparents and friends walking through our doors every week there are many magical things happening. We see the best of the best in our community.
They tell me stories. Stories about struggles they face and how music is lifting them. Parents tell me about how music lessons with our amazing instructors are helping their children grow in other ways. Our instructors are often willing to work with younger students than many others allow. One parent expressed her gratitude this week as she described how her daughter is blossoming from her voice lesson experience. Her speech is improving. She talks a little slower now and others are noticing that as well as her increased confidence. Mom is hoping to get her to stop singing her homework answers though.
We love taking time with customers to understand their goal in purchasing - especially a first instrument. Today I enjoyed time with a young man who was looking for the right one to help him de-stress from his job. He spent a long time with us and walked out with the prettiest ukulele we had and already playing two chords.
Many of our students come a little early for lessons just to see what new things might be in the store. We often have instruments that aren't common. They are respectful and I look forward to letting them try them out. Some come early to dust or tune instruments for us because they see that as important and want to help. I love that they care and feel invested!
We have a wonderful group of collaborators in the store. Our instructors are loving, caring, kind, and talented. The depth and width of their knowledge is a huge part of our success. Deanna and Ashleigh set a tone and gently guided us from the beginning. Those that have followed - Zach, Elizabeth, Mike, Preston, Trish and Vicki - have built on that foundation. Holly and I see our job as helping to let their lights shine. And we are lucky to have that light shine near us.
And then, there are more.... John has been a huge supporter and has his musical corner in the studios - he is our "back to the future" musical "Doc". I can call on Kathy and Laurie for their backup and advice. Clark is our thinking person for process. Ron is another thinker for making processes better and solving problems.
More than one person has told me that they were uncertain that we could make it when we first opened our doors. We were too. But those same people are still coming in and they are collaborating.
Now in our forth year, roots are growing. Perhaps they share my weird philosophy - "Be scared but do it anyway." And when you get a lot of differently thinking people all working in the same direction, amazing things happen.
It's just a little music store but there's nothing small about all the people who walk in the door. What is special about a place is always the people who fill it!

Troubled Times

We all have times when our minds are troubled. How do we deal with it? The people around us are either part of it or close enough to sense that we are troubled. They have their own vested interest. When we have a vested interest in a situation, it's hard to have empathy for the other person. Some of us are better attuned than others. In the end, we are left our own lot to deal with one way or another. It's all relational. What price is paid and who pays most?

Many of us look for someone to support us. We want someone to justify our end of the trouble. We want them to be our champion or make us feel good about our reasoning. And so we grow our trouble. We grow a bigger circle around our trouble.

Perhaps a better course is to step back. Go a totally different direction for a while. Walk away. For me, spending time with a friend or family member who has nothing to do with any of it, and knows nothing about it, is cathartic. Just simply spend time with them. Don't talk about troubles. Don't worry about anything. Just spend time with them. Share some memories. Share that very moment with them. Ask nothing of them. Just be with them for that moment in time. You will walk away feeling renewed and hopeful.

When I do this, it reminds me of who I am. It reminds me of what I feel is most important. It helps me to re-focus. And quite likely if it is someone you have known long, they have seen troubled times with you. They may even sense that you are troubled. But they are respectful and loving enough to let you have this moment with them in peace. And they are thankful for you not bringing a trouble to their doorstep. 

Ultimately, it is our trouble. The other person cannot and will not solve it. They could clear the waters or muddy them. But it is still ours to resolve. It can be nice to have someone to talk to from time to time but we usually know the answer for ourselves. We just struggle with ourselves to do what we know we need to do. 

So, in troubled times, seek someone who has known you a long time. Spend some time with them and don't trouble them. Listen for clues to who you are and what is important. Then act accordantly. 

Avoiding the Quicksand

What we say, what we do, what we read, who we surround ourselves with, all contribute to how we feel. It begins with our thoughts. This has long been a struggle for me. First, I am my own worst critic and can worry myself into being frozen into inaction. Until I can push past the echoing in my mind, I feel mired in quicksand with no hope of freedom.
The most powerful quicksand escape route seems to be thankfulness - out loud and in purposeful thought. If I can start with a pattern of waking up and going to sleep recounting everything and anything to be thankful about, it seems to open my mind to possibilities and action plans for the things that challenge me.
Reading things that inspire me or humor me or recalling someone I witnessed overcoming a challenge also helps. For me, it's work to redirect that internal looping sense of gloom and doom. Being surrounded by very positive and motivated people is important. Recounting in my mind, and out loud to them, how thankful I am to have them in my life provides the right momentum to get myself back on positive ground.
In my younger days, I thought I was uniquely troubled with challenges and set backs. It seemed others had it easier or better somehow. That thinking, in itself, was a debilitating loop. It caused me to focus on external factors instead of taking charge of my own action or inaction that could improve my lot.
One day, perhaps I will learn to walk past the quicksand. At least I've learned how to get out of it a little sooner.

Full of Stories

Just under the surface, at any moment, I have a story itching to pop out. Every once in a while, someone who hasn't known me well or for long will say, "Is there anything you haven't done?" Suddenly, I fear I've told too many stories and perhaps like the father in Big Fish, the stories sound larger than life.
There are plenty of things I have not done but as a curious person willing to step out of the comfort zone, life has been interesting and full. Perhaps it's the story teller in me that searches for more. Stories are everywhere and everyone has a story.
More than the places I've seen, the people I've met stand out the most. My regrets revolve around missed opportunities with random people I encountered. While walking across a beach by the Yellow Sea in China, a young woman stopped me. She beamed a smile and said "It's nice to meet you" in perfect English. I smiled back and echoed her greeting, then walked on. I should have talked with her.
In York, England, a woman opened a conversation. She was a school teacher from Melborne, Australia with a keen interest in Viking history. We chatted a short while. Later, sitting alone at dinner, I wished I had asked if she had dinner plans.
One of my favorite stories is about a crazy night in New York City when I didn't shy away from an opportunity. It started at a women's workshop at a retreat in upstate New York the weekend before. (and that is another story) When several of the women learned I would be flying out of New York City, they encouraged me to go down a day early and see their town. They told me about a bookstore and a local hang out in Greenwich Villiage and described how to get there from Grand Central Station. The idea of walking around New York city scared me and I declined to commit to visiting despite their giving me instructions on how to navigate. They went home and I stayed a few days at the retreat.
After they were gone, and without having their contact information, I decided they were right. I should see the city before flying out. Things were quite different in 1979. Grand Central Station had not been restored and was a dirty, run down mess. As instructed, I rented a locker for my bags, then set off by foot down 42nd Ave. In those days, 42nd Ave. was also run down, dirty and filled with seedy looking "storefronts" and even seedier looking characters. "Just walk like you know where you're going and don't make eye contact," they had instructed this young, rural, inexperienced traveler. I walked miles, and miles, and miles but did actually find the bookstore and their favorite hangout nearby.
Suddenly, as evening set in, it struck me that I had no place to stay and didn't know how to get in contact with anyone I had met. Just a few women were sitting in the bar. One woman was sitting alone writing post cards, so I struck up a conversation. She was from Seattle, her name was Maurice, and she was traveling around the country meeting cousins she suspected might be gay. Her New York City cousin worked til 11, so she was filling time til they met for the first time. Then she was staying with him. She was humored by my predicament and current plan to hang out until the bar closed and hope the bartender had a heart. She offered that perhaps her cousin would take pity on me but they had never met.
Then magically, two women from the retreat workshop walked in; one from Great Britain and the other from Germany. They were staying with Marty, who had also been at the retreat. She was a carpenter and working to renovate an old building she had bought in Manhattan. She worked another job until 11. We had no cell phones back then and there was no way to know, but they felt certain Marty would take me in as well.
So, with my problem solved, these three women - fellow travelers in a foreign place - were my companions for a crazy night in New York City. We wanted to see the lights on Broadway and along the way we stopped in any interesting pub we encountered. It was a night filled with laughter.
Marty's building was on a street that looked and sounded like a war zone. Despite the heavy bars that barricaded the thick door, I couldn't sleep a wink hearing gun shots and sirens all night. But I was safe and in the morning she guided me on using the subway to retrieve my bags and catch the bus to the airport in time.
Stepping way outside my comfort zone, this was one of the most foolish but most memorable adventures. I should have kept contact with those women. In several years, I would be in Washington state and could have seen Maurice again. Some years later, I would be in England several times and perhaps could have seen that woman again. I suspect Marty had great success as she was early in the development of blighted areas of Manhattan. But at least I have the story to tell.

"DO SOMETHNG!"

If you are a gun owner and second amendment advocate, you should be most motivated to put an end to gun violence. The increasing gun violence, mass shootings and the resulting fear throughout the country is, indeed, a threat to your freedom to own whatever gun you want. Gun violence is an insult to those who are lawful and own guns.
The majority of gun owners are not going out and killing people. There are 120 guns per 100 people in this country. (https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/05/which-european-country-boasts-the-most-guns-) If we put it in perspective, the vast majority of gun owners are NOT committing gun violence.
Our problem is that those who are, are doing it in a big way.
It's similar to the effect of a plane crash. Millions of safe flights happen every day. One crash killing a large number of people creates high anxiety about flying. A series of similar accidents causes panic. Two involving the same plane or airline WILL get action. The manufacturer and the airline understand the problem. They waste no time getting to the root of the problem and preventing it from happening again.
Gun owners! This mass shooting problem is coming to roost where you live. While I don't own a gun now, there was a day I needed/wanted a few. I don't want my rights infringed on because of a few very deranged people who should never have access to any weapon. That needs to be our focus! What is motivating them to want to kill people? Fix that. How are they getting access to weapons of mass destruction that they are not mentally capable of possessing? Fix that.
We cannot just say "the problem is not guns, it's blah, blah blah" and do nothing.
If we want to protect our second amendment rights, we had better get this right. I am certain that no one on either side of this debate is OK with mass shootings. So, it's time to get seriously focused on resolving this issue. "DO SOMETHING!"

Dehumanization is a dangerous thing

This nation's history of slavery and lynchings has always troubled me. Our treatment of Native American people has troubled me. Our internment of Japanese Americans during WWII troubles me. The Holocaust troubles me. Our current treatment of asylum seekers and those wishing to immigrate to this country troubles me.
How is it so easy to convince a large number of people that dehumanization is acceptable - even desirable? It troubles me.
Our national soul is in trouble.
Only truth and compassion can fix it. We cannot fight dehumanization with dehumanization.
Truth will prevail.
Oddly, at this point many spit in the eye of truth. As I watched reactions to the Mueller investigation and hearing, it was troubling. First, few have even read parts of the report. Then, as facts are revealed, they cover their ears. "He looked like he has dementia." "He's just a figure head for the democrats." No amount of facts or substance of the investigation reached them. Their interest was not in gaining truth but in finding ways to dismiss truth.
This has been carefully cultivated. Investigative reporting is "fake news". Our judicial system is all part of the "deep state". Scientists cannot be trusted. Our allies cannot be trusted. You must be loyal to one source of information.
With all of these filters carefully in place, truth is lost. Breaking through these filters is extremely difficult. Attempts will likely invoke anger and greater resentment.
So what do we do? Have compassion. "They know not what they do."
Read, watch and listen. Seek as many sources of information as you can. Remain fact based. Be aware of what these followers are reading, watching and listening to that is creating the filters.
Then keep speaking truth clearly and softly. Don't be lead into dehumanization. Be careful in your deliberations. Exemplify what you know is right.
In our every day life, we can create a better example. Be a little kinder to those in our community who may be feeling anxious about the state of our union. Be a little kinder to those who may be part of the cause.
Be fearless. This one is the toughest for me. I know, I can be labeled in such a way that these followers will feel justified in dehumanizing me. And once dehumanized, there lies great risk.
"Democrat" and "liberal" have been spit at me as verbal daggers and I'm certain other slurs lie just below the surface.
Faith carries me. Faith that love and truth always prevail. Faith that the lost can be saved. Faith that if this world is lost, the next will be a welcome home.

Inhumanity starts with words

When we know there is inhumanity and we justify it or simply turn our heads away, we are spiritually broken. It begins with name calling and fear bating. The goal is to dehumanize and demoralize the "other". What follows is an acceptance of violence.
We're watching it play out over and over again. As the words escalate to bully proportion, they become a trigger for explosive behavior. It does not matter what side you are on, it's ugly and it's dangerous. If you are doing it, it's hurting you as much as it's hurting the target of your words or actions. If you leap to the bully level of outrage over inhumanity and injustice, you too are capable of inhumanity and injustice.
Truth, reason and patience are the key. Yes, speak out against inhumanity. Speak truth. Speak reasonably. Keep doing it with the belief that seeds are being planted in even the most hardened among us. As violence rises, be steadfast in non-violence in both words and deeds.
If we want to see an end to the division and hate mongering that's sweeping our country, we have to be that change. We have to live that change. We have to be what we want to see.
We do need to speak out clearly and boldly before it's too late.
We have never had a president that so openly stoked the fires of division and distrust using ugly rhetorical diatribes. He follows with policies that are dehumanizing and unjust. He is using his power to diminish accountability through the systems of government intended to serve as checks and balances against tyranny. He's labeling dissenting voices as un-American or enemies of the people.
He dehumanizes his adversaries and opening endorses violence against them. He alienates our allies and praises those who traditionally seek to undermine democracy and our place in the world. Environmental protections have been rolled back. Public lands and National Parks which have been national treasures and being decimated. This administration has been rife with corruption and ethics violations including indictments on a variety of criminal charges. All of these combined will have long lasting and devastating effects.
What is most concerning is the number of good and decent people who are willing to turn a blind eye to the inhumanity and walk lock step with him.
Yes, we need to speak out. Many of these people are now locked in to narrow sources of information. They are not hearing about the policy decisions that those sources know would not be popular. Those sources are telling them not to trust any other sources for information. We somehow need to find a way to get them to look out their windows. Hopefully, we can do that before the tornado bears down on them as well.

How we respond - spiritually

How we say things matters. Often I skip past headlines or social media posts that are incendiary even if I may agree with the underlying view. Name calling and personal attacks are not going to get us anywhere. It just divides us more and shuts down productive dialogue.
The types of policies, behavior and actions that cause me the most dismay, are ones that lack heart, cause suffering and, I believe, will have negative long term consequences. If that is where my values lie, I need to respond with heart, do no harm and consider the long term consequences. A great deal of strength, patience and careful consideration are required.
It's not unlike dealing with an unruly child. Labeling them, shouting angry words, or other attempts to whip them into submission are not going to be effective and may cause long term emotional harm and actually increase the undesirable behavior. We are best to focus on the behavior and facts. We need to help them understand a positive approach. That requires time, patience and emotional discipline on our part.
As we talk to one another - as we respond to headlines and social media posts - we need that same discipline. Focus on behavior and facts. Take time to frame an argument. The other person may still disagree but they will struggle to find you disagreeable. Know what you are talking about and be factual. Labels and angry words provide no context. If you are reacting emotionally, those with opposing views will as well. Then we are simply shouting slurs over a void.
Study the teachings of MLK and Ghandhi. They framed a very clear message and were very careful that the message was not lost in the delivery. A non-violent practice applies as much to our words as it does our actions. They were methodical and disciplined. They spoke truth.
We too must speak truth with a deep commitment to non-violence. It is a long and difficult path but it is the one that is spiritually healthy for us and the world around us.

We need to get our Hearts right!

We need to guard ourselves against dehumanizing those with whom we disagree. It sickens our spirit and it sickens our nation. Democracy requires great heart and a determination to ensure that all voices are heard. Our strength is in our ability to have open dialogue and respectful dialogue that leads to solutions to societal needs.
No matter what side of the political spectrum you may fall, take care not to dehumanize others. Don't generalize and stereotype. Focus your attention on policies, behavior and actions that you support. It's tempting to be outraged and poke at the most outrageous. But that just shuts people off from listening to reason.
It's easy to get swept up in emotion and generalizations. Some find it fun to be snarky and spout quick shutdowns. It happens on all sides but I am most concerned about it coming from the leader of this country. It's unseemly and it's destructive to the values of a democracy.
We see this leader trying to shut down the press crying "fake news" when it's a story he doesn't like.
We see this leader dehumanizing any politician that isn't supporting whatever he wants.
We see this leader decimating the USDA with a sudden move from DC and firing any scientists that won't agree to go.
Early in his administration he limited access to scientific information held by the government concerning climate change.
He dehumanizes asylum seekers and immigrants in general.
He dehumanizes women in general and most especially women of color.
He pulls out of international agreements and alienates our allies.
He avoids working with congress - even in cabinet positions that remain "acting" appointments.
This president and the party he leads work to limit a full and open democracy. It is a slippery slope that began the day President Obama was elected as they determined that no matter what he tried to do, they would be against it. This president just broadened the approached to include anyone and everyone that doesn't agree with him - citizens, politicians, justice system, FBI, CIA, the press, institutions.....
The biggest argument I hear for why it's ok to overlook these things is that the economy is good, unemployment is low and the stock market is up. Then why do we need to shut up anyone who is pointing out those being left behind? Why dehumanize anyone when we are doing well and could lift them up too? Why limit access to data about issues we could be addressing with this great economy?
Are we selling our national soul, our democratic values, for a dollar?
We need to get our hearts right! We need broader context. That requires all voices with informed and careful deliberation of facts. The greater the emotional response to an issue, the longer we should take to research it. READ!

Jesus Wept

If this was a Christian nation, we would be focused on doing the things Jesus taught us to do. We would want our government - our tax dollars - to help the poor, the sick and the elderly. We would want our government to welcome the stranger.
If this was a Christian nation, there would be an expectation that those who are extremely wealthy would contribute much to the types of things Jesus taught us to do. Recall the rich man that asked Jesus how to get to heaven. Did Jesus tell him to keep collecting as much money as he could?
If this was a Christian nation, we would be focused on the well being of all children. We would be working to ensure that every single one of them was safe, fed, and loved. We would know that serving those needs was serving Jesus.
If this was a Christian nation, we would set the highest standards within our land to eliminate corruption and abuse. Unscrupulous money changers would be confronted. Those who might be tempted to follow that path would be invited to the table to learn a better way.
If we were a Christian nation, we would practice compassion, respect and humility in everything we do. We would be fearless and steadfast in our mission to end suffering. We would "stand on the rock where Jesus stood".
Instead, there is hostility toward all these and often most vehemently from those who insist this is a "Christian Nation". It's no wonder the numbers of those associated with Christian churches is dwindling. Too often the Christian label bears no resemblance to the teachings and practices of Jesus. It's being lost in a selfish, twisted, tribalistic separation from the one whose very name is carried.
If this is what a Christian nation looks like, Jesus is weeping.

Growing Opportunity

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas A. Edison

At the end of my working my life, my greatest joy is mentoring young people. In them, I am reminded of my younger self - at 15, 21, 30.... I see their promise. I see their great strengths and hope. Like me, they will fail to see opportunities in front of them. Like me, they will think life is throwing obstacles in front of them. And hopefully, like me, someone will help them weave the wild waters.
We need mentors. I need them still. Along the way, I have had many. Some simply planted a seed in a short moment they spent with me. Some invested in me and helped guide me through many years of learning.
Every mentor I have had helped me see Opportunity when I saw none. The best helped me see the work required to turn that opportunity into success. One simply told me where she saw I was most gifted. It was a one minute exchange. Another spent some hours with me sharing his personal experiences and teaching what would then become an unexpected success. Another spent a bit over a decade leading me by his example.
As I look at my potential impact today, I remember all three. I may, with just a minute of investment, help a young person see something they have not seen. I may, with just a few hours of investment, help a young person discover an opportunity to succeed they had not expected. I can, with time, guide a young person to be the kind of mentor I hope I have learned to become because of the years mine offered me.
At the end of my career, I hope to leave this to those who follow - put on your overalls - get to work - it's opportunity that will be rewarded.

The "Fake News" Battle

What can we do about "Fake News"?
At our fingertips, we have access to a world of information. We can type in a question and a list of resources appear with potential answers that relate. It's easy and it's interesting. There are research centers, fact checkers, analysis sources, government information sites, and endless amounts of information both reliable and not so reliable. You can even find out what sources are deemed the most reliable.
If you care about truth, take the time to explore. It's easy to get snookered by catchy memes and commentators with an agenda.

Here are some sites that I often go to when trying to understand greater context.

https://www.pewresearch.org/ - This site is rich with facts. Recently I saw a meme that suggested Muslim immigrants were preparing to take over the US. I went here to see how many Muslims now live in the US (1% of our population) and the projected number of Muslims in 2050 (6% of our population).
 .
https://www.snopes.com/ - This site has been around a long time and is a great resource for checking all kinds of things - political and non-political rumors.

https://www.factcheck.org/ - This site is primarily focused on political accuracy. They also provide links to their source data so you can check for yourself. These links provide further resources for you to check relating to a wide array of topics.

https://www.politifact.com/ - Another site for checking political information and links to source data.

The better informed we are, the better our decision making. Before picking up the mantel and crying "fake news," check it out. Truth is not fake. You might wish it wasn't in the news but then it's just news you wish wasn't being talked about.

Lord of the Flies and the Mueller Report

In 9th grade English, we were assigned to read the book "Lord of the Flies".  If you have not read it, put it on your summer reading list. From the moment I turned the first page, it captured my imagination. It's about a group of boys who get stranded on an island and attempt to govern themselves. Before long, things go very badly. I loved the character, Ralphie, who desperately tried to do the right things and get the group organized but few listened to his ideas.
I was excited to get back to class and discuss the book but others in class weren't reading it or didn't like it as much as I did. Terribly disappointed, I tried to get the class interested. But they just did what they had to do to get through the class.
I'm feeling that same sense of disappointment over the Mueller report. It's not hard to read and it's fascinating. If it seems like too many pages, just read the summaries at the beginning of each volume and the conclusions at the end.
How can any American not care that the Russians interfered with our election? Volume One of the report lays out some startling evidence of manipulation by Russian operatives. That interference has not stopped and failure to acknowledge it and directly confront it leaves our country vulnerable to widespread foreign interference. The volume also shows startling evidence of parallel activities by members of the current administration's staff as well as evidence tampering. While the investigators could not prove direct agreement to collaborate between the two parties, there is a great deal of circumstantial evidence to indicate that coordination was happening.
Add that last possibility to the findings in Volume Two. That volume outlines overwhelming evidence of obstruction. Mueller clearly stated that the president was not exonerated. Attorney General William Barr argued the opposite with an odd logic. His logic is that if criminal conspiracy (erroneously labeled "collusion") was not proven, there could not be criminal obstruction. Say what???
By his standards a person can commit a crime then successfully thwart the investigation and cover up the crime, then escape prosecution for both the crime AND the obstruction.
In this case, there would be no checks and balances for power and corruption.
We have a real problem here. Our constitution is built around a balance of power - Judicial, Congressional and Executive. Central is the rule of law. The thought was that the Judicial branch could offset the political influence that may come with executive and congressional branch power and control. With longer appointments, the judicial branch should have longer perspective that spans political will and is most focused on constitutional intent. But something went wrong.
The judicial branch, through a policy under which the Mueller team was guided, he determined that a president could not be indicted while in office. That leaves the judicial branch of government powerless. In case of potential criminal activity by the executive branch, only congress is now the safeguard through impeachment. Actually, now only the Senate is our safeguard. Only the Senate can hold the president accountable for federal crimes. ONLY the Senate and only after the House has raised impeachment. That's not a balance of power. That is not what the constitution intends. But that is what we now have.
Meanwhile, we have a president who is continuing to obstruct investigations into potential wrong doing. Every effort is being made to obstruct congress from seeing evidence. By the Attorney General's standard, that obstruction is perfectly legal unless a crime is proven. Really?!?
During the campaign, this president said he could walk down 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and everyone would still love him. With the current situation, as president, he could do that and not be indicted. He could ensure that evidence was buried. And if Senate Republicans "still love him", he could escape accountability.
It's an insane twist. We're headed toward having the same type of "democracy" that Russia has.

Tune your spirit

We talk a lot about strategies for taking care of our bodies. We know we should eat better and get more exercise. It seems to me, we are not very good about discussing strategies for taking care of our spirit. What are the day to day things we can do to keep us spiritually healthy? It's an inside job.

Whatever your religious belief or your belief in no religion at all, there is a spiritual part of everyone one of us. That spiritual part of us is driven by how we think, speak and act. And there is universal spiritual truth. It is just TRUE. That truth is what I believe is God. When we align with that truth, our lives change for the better.

It begins with how we think. We are in charge of that. No one else makes us think one way or another. It takes practice and discipline just like learning any kind of skill. Many of us have a really hard time with this. We allow negative thoughts to dominate. We focus on self loathing, disappoint or anger with others, desire that are unfulfilled and dozens of other thoughts that drag us down. These make our spirit sick. 

What we think drives what we say. As we allow negative thoughts to dominate, the words we say follow the same pattern. We speak self deprecating. We criticize others. We make snarky remarks. We talk about all the things we don't have or can't do.

Those thoughts and words then drive how we act. We avoid doing things that we know we can and should. We treat others badly. We are easily overwhelmed and angry. Others see a dark cloud around us. We act as though everyone else and everything else needs to change to make our world right. Our spirit is sick and it shows.

How do we change that?

We hold great spiritual power. It is just true. No one else can give it to us. We need to learn to tap into it and use it. 

It begins with what we allow ourselves to THINK. It's not always easy to stop negative thoughts. A world of trouble surrounds us. So how do we change the negative around us?

Your thoughts control what you are tuning in. Your words are the volume. These and your actions are what the audience experience with you. Imagine a radio. Your negative thoughts are the static and squeals. As you speak negative, it increases the volume. The rest of the world experiences your words and actions. You are in control of the radio – that's YOU.

Start with tuning in to a positive thought. Every time you find yourself slipping into worry, self doubt, blame... stop. Retune the radio. The best start is Thank you. Start a mental list of all the good things around you. Wake up with “thank you”. Thank you for the roof over my head. Thank you for my feet and hands. Thank you for my sight. Thank you for those in my life. Keep doing it every time a negative thought crosses you mind. Make a game of it. One negative thought requires 10 thank you's.

As you re-tune your thinking and focus on what is good around you, you will value those things more. As you value them more, you will care for them better. Then as good things come into your life, you will focus more carefully. And you will attract more of what you value.

Even in difficult situations, there are opportunities to be thankful. You'll begin to look for them. It will calm your spirit. You will find what you expect to find if your spirit is tuned in. You will need to build that belief and that spirit little by little. Much like an unused muscle, it needs to grow strong over time with constant practice and attention. You will regress. Start again.

Flip the negative on it's head. You believe someone has wronged you, focus on someone who hasn't. Value them. Show them you value them. Then be thankful.

At my lowest points when I have allowed my spirit to grow weak, I've picked up inspirational books. I write to remind myself of the importance of spiritual focus. Life is constantly challenging us. Often, for me, it takes a little kick in the pants to remind myself that I'm not doing my best at what I know I can do. But I can look back and know I am better this decade than I was the last.

Now, quite often, a magical thing happens. The other day I chatted with a neighbor with whom I sometimes exchange a short conversation. We don't know each other well. He started the conversation with “you are really positive, thoughtful and optimistic....” and then asked me my opinion about something. It struck me that in just a few conversations and simple chit chat, I had given him an impression of what I would hope to be my essence. Oddly, I nearly reacted with a negative about myself. Instead I walked away inspired to keep tuned in and turning up the volume of that kind of spirit.

I recalled the 19 year old college me whose friends commented that they had never seen me smile. I recalled the 20 something me sitting in a foreign country seething in remote anger about all the wrongs I had endured in my young life. I recalled the decades of poor choices and stupid mistakes. I recalled a dark night when I believed there would be no better tomorrow. And then I embraced the magic of knowing that all of those things did not and do not need to define me TODAY. Today, I am thankful for what all of those experiences taught me.

Perspective and Expectations: Life's regulators

Years ago I had a very good counselor. Oddly, I cannot recall her name. But I remember many things she helped me with that I still carry with me. I also remember that she would take time off from counseling now and then to run a fork lift at a factory for a while. I can understand why.
Several of the biggest things I took away from it all I often revisit when things are tough. First, life has highs and lows. That's natural. But if our highs are very high and our lows are very low, we may need to look deeper at how we handle life. The goal is to keep the lows from being too low and the highs not dangerous to fall from.
The second was to check my perspective. Often, I read things into what another would say and I would over react. She helped me to see how my perspective was contributing to those highs and lows.
Third, was about expectations. Were my expectations of others realistic? Did I expect too little or too much from myself? Did I understand what others were expecting of me and were they reasonable? How were those expectations affecting those around me?
Finally, and perhaps most important of all, was to rate situations on a scale of 1 to 10. Ten would result in actual death. My reactions should reflect the reality of the severity of the situation. I was reminded of this one recently when talking to a restaurant owner. Before buying the restaurant, she was an ER Trauma nurse. When things got crazy in the kitchen, she would remind her people, "It's just scrambled eggs. No one is going to bleed out over this situation." Perspective.
If you're the cook and just burned 3 orders of scrambled eggs with 6 orders waiting, it feels like a freak out moment. If your assistant was supposed to be watching while you attended to something else, it feels like a freak out moment. On a scale of 1 to 10, no one is going to die.
A lot of our highs and lows are caused by our perspective about that 1 to 10 scale. If we are really bad at assigning value to the natural highs and lows of life, we're going to struggle. Perspective and expectations are our regulators. Those things are ours and ours alone. WE regulate our highs and lows. WE assign perspective. WE assign the 1-10 scale to situations we encounter.

What is normal for you?

If you are surrounded by kind and positive people, that becomes your normal. It's not that you and they don't face life challenges, troubles and even a little unnecessary dramas now and then but it's now and then. The majority of the time is positive. Even the challenges and troubles are met with encouragement and calm determination.
If this is your normal, facing loud, dramatic and divisive people is shocking. It's like hearing a siren go off in your normally quiet neighborhood. It grabs your attention and you wonder what is wrong. If it starts happening more often, it becomes alarming.
On the other hand, if you live in a city where the sirens and other noises are more common, you become immune to them. Unless it's the police coming for you or an ambulance that will carry you, you just go about your own business.
If we are exposed to chaos, abuse, corruption, etc., day after day, it can become normal. We will overlook it, excuse it, and even expect it. Over time we may begin to create our own chaos, abuse, corruption, etc.
We can see it in family cycles of abuse. We can see it on a national level with the degradation of civility. It is not new. Slavery required an acceptance of abuse as society overlooked humanity and excused behavior focused on an entire race.
It happens with a "them and us" mentality. If the person belongs to "us", we will overlook and excuse behavior. If it's "them", there are no limits to the punishment that we're willing to exact. We will assign "them" with every possible danger and affliction we can imagine without thought of truth. If it's "us", we will mask over the very dangers and afflictions we so quickly assign "them" in spite of the truth.
We can watch for the warning signs. If your first reaction to hearing a criticism of one of "us", is to say "yes, but he/she is very good at", you are avoiding the issue. Or if you immediately begin saying, "Yes, but 'they'" and divert the discussion to an affliction of someone who is not "us", you are avoiding the issue.
What is your standard of normalcy? What is your standard of consistency? How willing are you to seek and hold to truth?
Your spirit depends on it. Your immediate community depends on it. Your nation depends on it.
Our families, our communities and our nation cannot be healthy without consistent standards of behaviors and norms. It takes real work within our selves and in reaching out to those around us.
We cannot focus on changing others. But if we change what we are willing to accept, we will impact everyone around us. The opposite is true as well. If we are willing to accept less than we believe is right, it will also impact everyone around us. It's slow. But if we collectively work to improve the standards of behavior that are spiritually true, the best changes will happen. We cannot do it out of hurt or anger. We need to consistently speak and act in truth and love. Demonstrate with everything you do and say what you believe to be the highest standard. It is the very definition of "the Meek shall inherit the earth." While many understand it as lacking strength, it is the most powerful spiritual truth.

30 Trillion dollars for Medicare for all! Oh My!!!

There's been a lot of talk about health care. So, I did a little research. CMS.gov has a lot of statistics that line up with the site summary below. The Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker site does a nice job of laying it out in one paragraph.

"Health spending totaled $74.6 billion in 1970.  By 2000, health expenditures had reached about $1.4 trillion, and in 2017 the amount spent on health had more than doubled to $3.5 trillion. Total health expenditures represent the amount spent on healthcare and health-related activities (such as administration of insurance, health research, and public health), including expenditures from both public and private funds." (healthsystemtracker.org)

We're seeing an annual increase of about 6% since 2000. At this rate, we can expect health care expenditures could be more than 7.5 Trillion by 2030.  (I did a little math. If you want me to send my spreadsheet, message me.)

There are a number of variations of a medicare for all program being proposed. Bernie Sanders has arguably offered the most detail in his vision. Critics are pointing to the enormity of the cost - over 30 Trillion dollars in the first decade.
Let's look at our costs now. From 2000 - 2009, the cost was 16 Trillion. Our current decade is coming in at about 31 Trillion. If nothing changes to stop the 6% annual increase of health care expenditures, the next decade will cost almost 60 Trillion!!! It looks to me like that is a savings of about 30 Trillion dollars.
It makes sense that we would save a ton of money with a single payer system. The administrative costs are significantly reduced. It has to be an enormous task for one doctor's office to keep track of every insurance company's requirements. Add in the profiteering of insurance companies and high paid executive salaries and there is a lot of money taken out of the system. No doubt those insurance companies are going to be kicking and screaming.
We're talking about the possibility of having healthcare for ALL at half the cost of what it was going to be for some. Meanwhile, we are addressing the human tole many suffer with the current system. I'm listening. You should be too.

An odd loop

Several odd things have emerged with Attorney General Barr and the Mueller report. First, that a president cannot obstruct justice because they are in charge of justice. Second, that if no crime is proven, there cannot be obstruction of justice.
The problem with both those arguments is that they enable unchecked power and control. If a president can successfully interfere with an investigation, protect themselves from investigation of criminal actions, nothing can stop them. That leaves our country vulnerable to a president who would desire dictatorship. This would lead to elimination of the the three legs of democracy as the justice system would now be in complete control of the executive branch.
The congress' main job is to pass laws. While, on paper, they would still have that authority, without a separate and equal judicial branch of government, enforcement and interpretation of constitutionality of those laws would be in control of the executive branch.
The constitution provides a broadly worded oversight provision through impeachment for "high crimes and misdemeanors". Impeachment is, essentially, a congressional trial of a sitting president. However, if the executive branch can control investigation unimpeded, congress can be denied the factual materials required to make an assessment.
We are now in this odd loop that puts our democracy in a very precarious position. We've been there before but this time appears to be much darker and much deeper.
Never have we had a president who so openly admired dictators and totalitarian regimes. It's difficult to find a time in our history when so many of our people blindly accepted lies as truth or simply overlook the lies and wrong doing believing that some greater good is accomplished.
There is much that has happened over the last decades that have been eroding our democratic system. But this one is destined to put us in a loop that leads to total destruction of this great experiment.

"No natural music ability whatsoever"

Many years ago there was a little girl who wanted to become a musician just like her Mommy. Going into the 4th grade the opportunity arose to learn to play the violin. It required passing a test to determine musical ability. She failed. The music teacher determined that she had no "natural ability whatsoever" and he would not take her as a student. The little girl was crushed. Just months before, her mommy had died and she so very much wanted to be a musician just like she was.
The little girl's dad went to bat for her and insisted that the music teacher try so she started on the violin. And, she played it very badly. But, kindly, the music teacher switched her to the cello and she did much better. As she was ready to enter 7th grade, she excitedly looked forward to joining the high school orchestra BUT that year, they dropped the orchestra. What could she do? The new music teacher suggested that she learn to play the guitar and spent that summer getting her started. Then, she took lessons for some years from Mr. Young who was a student of Bill Huber Sr. And she sang under the instruction of Doran Gilhousen. She never stopped playing and singing.
That was my musical start. That first teacher would have never imagined that I would one day be co-owner and manager of a music store in Franklin. He was right that music is not a natural gift for me but it has been my refuge and the greatest gift in my life. I've learned to experience it from a broad perspective. I've combined the love of sound with the love of tinkering in a woodshop to make something and a love for words put to sounds. It's offered opportunity to get kids and adults excited about making something that might also make cool music. It doesn't have to be perfect or worthy of a great audience to bring joy. It's whatever you want to make it. It can be shared or yours alone.
All of these things combine to make Porch Music Store something very different than you might experience anywhere else. Holly and I saw something very different - an "everybody can" kind of space. We saw a space where anyone could find a way to experience and experiment with music. As it has grown, we have been blessed with collaboration of truly gifted musicians and instructors who share the vision of simply allowing others to find their own musical space.
The great Mel Bay once said something that I will paraphrase. It is not about your natural ability for music, it is about the joy you find as you explore it. That's what Porch Music Store is all about. That has been my experience and my musical journey. And I am so very thankful to all who have joined in and collaborated as well as those who continue to jump along.

Relationship Mindfulness

Our success, individually and collectively, is dependent upon relationships. The stronger and more healthy the relationships, the stronger the family, business, organization, neighborhood, community.....
Just one person can cause a substantial drag for everyone around them. Most of us can recall a workplace where one person wasn't pulling their weight or was constantly creating trouble and it affected everyone around them. Or that one person in the organization who consistently threw bombs to disrupt things or causing arguments among the group. Or that one family member who is constantly angry about something or at someone.
How we treat others matters. It matters most when there are problems to be solved or work to be done. There are always going to times when we see issues that need resolved. There are going to be times when we believe someone else is not pulling their weight. We're going to see wrong doing that need corrected. How we address it matters. We first need to be mindful of the relationship and the long lasting effect.
The difficult times are opportunities to build long term, positive relationships with long lasting success. Every time we choose to throw a bomb to try to fix it, we damage the relationship. We make it harder to achieve long term success. Often, the person on the receiving end throws a bomb back and the damage escalates. Nothing is solved.
At the heart of "do unto others as you would have others do unto you" is relationship mindfulness. It doesn't mean we need to agree about everything. It means we need to be respectful in all we do and say. Even if we believe the other person is wrong, we need to ask ourselves how we would want to be addressed if we were the one in the wrong. And we have all been wrong.
Relationship mindfulness is the single most important ingredient to success. We need to ask ourselves how what we are saying or doing affects everyone around us. Is it building a stronger relationship or damaging one? It doesn't mean we always tell a person what they want to hear or fail to listen to things we may not want to hear. We may even need to keep a distance from some who are obviously bomb throwers. We just don't throw bombs back and we don't burn the bridges that can lead to mutual understanding in the long run.

Upside down and Inside out

We throw a lot of labels around. Take something and through the right label on it and BOOM - it's viewed as worth something OR worth nothing. Labels go on the surface. They are intended to be easily seen and quick identifiers of something. But the label is worth nothing if there is no substance - no context - behind it. A good label becomes devalued when the substance - the context - behind it is devalued. The label is representative of a standard. When that standard washes away, the label looses value.
In business, we know that one bad review requires more than 10 to overcome the negative. We have little margin of error. Perceptions matter and they are driven by the experiences of those who deal with us. If it's the first time person deals with us and they have a bad experience, they may never come back. If we have dealt with the a dozen times and one time something goes wrong, they may give us a chance. They may no label us badly.
Also in business, we know we need to be very careful about our associations and collaborators. They need to align with our values. They need to treat people the way we would treat people. They represent our label and we will be labeled with them - right or wrong.
The label "Christian" is pretty important if you believe in salvation and afterlife attachments. It means "Christ like" - to be like Jesus. It means that we do the things that Jesus would do. That's a very high standard. We should be very careful about putting a Christian label on something. It's a very high standard. What does that label stand for? What did Jesus stand for? If it doesn't meet the standard, it doesn't get the label.
There's been a lot of turning that label inside out and upside down to try to make the label work. Doctrine can get in the way of what is right. Re-read the story of the Good Samaritan. Jewish doctrine prevented helping the man. What did Jesus say?
Find a Bible with all that Jesus said in red. Read just the red text.
Compare the things said by current leaders to what Jesus said. Compare your own thoughts and opinions to what Jesus said. Who is your teacher? Who is leading you?
Is upside down and inside out? Look for the spiritual answer.

Unlock the wonderful...

"Tell me I'm wonderful and I'll be wonderful." This old saying is full of powerful truth.
When I look at you and see what is wonderful about you and I tell you I see that, two things are happening to create something more. First, I am focused on what is wonderful about you. When I tell you that you are wonderful, you are focusing on the same. The combination creates a positive energy that drives more "wonderful". It attracts more positive to both of us.
This truth also applies to the opposite. Tell me I'm not enough and I won't be enough. It creates a negative energy that repels us.
The power of the relationships we have lies in what we are sending out. They are a reflection of what we think and say. We control our own thoughts and actions. If you are disappointed with the people around you, change the way YOU are thinking and acting. 
Encourage others and they will encourage you. Show gratitude for others and they will show appreciation for you. Applaud their successes and they will applaud you. Acknowledge and understand their pain and they will acknowledge yours. Look for ways to help them and they will help you.
If you are constantly focused on what others need to give you and their failure to meet your expectations, they will keep a safe distance from you. The relationship is not healthy for them or for you. You will be constantly disappointed.
Change your mindset to one of appreciation and gratitude. Show it consistently. Look for opportunities to unlock the power of wonderful. Prepare to be amazed. You will be wonderfully amazing in changing your own life and the lives of those around you.

Events and Traditions

Special events and annual traditions are really important because they build relationships. They provide opportunity for reflection, celebration and commitment to a future. Last Sunday, we celebrated our second Porch Music Store recital at the Franklin Elks Club. The joy of it brought me to tears more than once through the afternoon.
In reflection, we witnessed the progress of amazing young people at the beginning of their musical journey and expanding their musical journey. Some were part of our first recital at the Barrow Little Theatre last spring. Others were new students who, in just 6 months, were able to prepare for a recital performance. As I shared the pride of their families and instructors, I could not stop tears of joy.
We packed the Little Theatre at the spring recital. We had to limit the number of guests. Back then, just over 6 months ago, we had just 20 or so students. Reflection - so much has happened since then! Just after that recital, we expanded into the Porch Music Studios. Now we have 82 students! And there's capacity for more.
Last Sunday, we filled the Elks Club with 140 people attending and only around 1/4 of our students performing. Our timid adult students didn't want to perform, some of our young students were too new and others were committed to other activities. Thinking back just months ago and looking ahead to the next recital, the impact was again one of joy. Just 6 months ago, we could not have imagined this! In 6 months, where will we be?
I looked over at the instructors. They are a wonderful group of talented collaborators. I looked at the audience full of family and the parents/grandparents we see every week. They enthusiastically show support to all the other young people as they do their own. In the days after the recital the depth of their kindness and support was incredible. Tops was a parent asking about one student who did a wonderful job with a difficult piece and asking if they could bring that girl flowers. The young woman had lost her place in the middle of her performance, she held her composure and finished the piece beautifully. She may not fully understand but we saw great poise and character in how she handled it. It was more significant than if she had played it straight through flawlessly.
That young woman reminded me that we are not always perfect in what we are doing at Porch Music Store. But our true character shows in how we handle the difficulties. This recital has left me inspired to follow her example of poise and determination.
Special events and annual traditions are really important because they build relationships. They build lasting memories and inspire us to greater things.

Mr. President! Build that San Antonia wall!

Dear Mr. President,
Your recent siting of the border wall success in San Antonio is brilliant. It's easy to see how this can solve the whole wall thing and end the shutdown. There is no reason the Democrats won't agree to do exactly the same wall the entire length of the southern border!
Put that in the budget deal with specification to spend the same price per mile and this shutdown is over. Within months you can tell your base the wall is underway and way ahead of scheduled completion - no land disputes, no EPA concerns and no cost overruns. Boom! Done!
It will drive the media crazy as you repeat the winning success at rallies and in interviews. The new chant can be "love that wall". As the media questions, just do the same thing you and your staff have been doing these past few years. Your base will believe whatever you tell them. You tell the wall is done and it's done!
The whole wall thing will dominate the news. Democrats will go crazy. Meanwhile, you can point to actual data; Illegal immigration levels at a 20 year low, fewer illegals crossing the southern border, crime rates down....
Sarah Huckabee Sanders has your back on this one, Mr. President. She's great at this. Imagine the press conference...
Reporter - "The budget just passed and doesn't actually fund a wall. Is the president aware of that?"
Sarah - "It most certainly does. Don't you people read?"
Reporter - "But the fact is you cannot build a wall like the one in San Antonio, because there is no wall there."
Sarah - "Look - the fact is the President got a wall deal. That's what you should be reporting. He got the government re-opened. Millions of people are now back to work, thanks to this president!
Reporter #2  - "Does the president actually believe that a wall is being built? Facts don't back that up."
Sarah - "You people have fact checked this president to death. And nobody cares! Look! The facts are that illegal immigration is at a 100 year low. Not a single illegal immigrant can pass over that southern border now. It's over. Unemployment is the lowest of any civilization in existence! There are more super rich people in this country than ever before and we can thank this president for that."
Then the reporters start asking about income disparity and she's got that covered too!
Meanwhile, the whole Russia things gets buried.
Mr. President! Build that San Antonia wall!
Thank you,

Amused Citizen

What would George say?

Once an election is over, candidates have a short amount of time to remove campaign signs. It doesn't matter if they won or lost, the campaign is over and signs must come down.There are likely many reasons for that beyond signs cluttering our streets and roads.
Removing the signs represents a transition from campaign mode to governance. It's time to put the wounds of the campaign behind us and focus on the missions at hand. Whether we like the outcome or not, democracy has served its purpose.
Can you imagine making a flag of the mayor you voted for and hanging it in front of you house? Or your senator, representative, commissioner?
The flag waving and obsession over a particular office holder defies democracy. It's short sighted and divisive. We humans have a tendency to get caught up in celebrity hero worship that clouds our vision and ability to think rationally.
That human tendency is not new. In the early days of our country, George Washington was a great hero. He was so loved and trusted, that he held the power to shape the presidency into any form he wanted. It would serve us well to revisit his legacy and the wisdom of the path he set for the highest office of our land.
We have traveled far from his early vision. Before you raise a celebrity flag, consider the values of the one that we all claim. Visit President Washington's history. Compare that to what is happening today.
https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/