Trusting is fairly difficult for most people. We burn others and we get burned by them. Promises made get broken on a regular basis. Sometimes the promisor had no intention of keeping the promise at the time it was made. We get deceived. At other times, things happen that cause the promisor to change his mind about keeping the promise. We feel hurt and/or disappointed when we are on the receiving end of the latter type of broken promise. But we are usually not too angry with the promisor in this scenario because we almost always get some kind of explanation as to why the promise could not be kept. We WANT to believe that the promisor had every intention of fulfilling the promise when it was made. It is very unsettling to believe we were victimized by a serial liar.
Humans crave consistency and reliability. This seems to be hard-wired in us. We like that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. We like it when our cars start each morning. Uncertainty is one of our most formidable enemies. In the realm of human relationships, however, we learn from sometimes painful experiences that we cannot always rely on others doing what they say they will do.
We are flawed by nature and we have this wild card quality known as free will. So it is not rational for us to believe that humans will always keep their promises. Of course, this deep-seated need for consistency and stability is not based on anything like rationality. It is purely emotional and primal.
I have disappointed others and been disappointed by them. In back of my disappointments, I have learned, is an unrealistic failure on my part to factor in the many different reasons why people don't do what they say they are going to do.
If you are blessed enough to be in a loving relationship with someone, you have probably found that you can trust the person 99% of the time (or maybe 90-95%). I think the starting point for being in a loving, trusting relationship is this: we must learn to trust ourselves. What do I mean? First, we have to have an honest and accurate view of ourselves.. including all strengths and weaknesses. Next we have to get in the habit of making those promises to ourselves that we are sure we are going to keep. If we are brutally honest about ourselves we will not make internal deals with ourselves that we have no intention of honoring. If you lie to yourself about yourself, there is a really good chance that you will also lie to others. Self-assessment is simple but not easy (to borrow an expression from the 12-step groups). I am working hard on it at this point in my life. To the extent I have been successful in this endeavor, my happiness has increased.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
Lust for Truth
In my younger days, I was very involved with politics. I donated to the treasure chests of various campaigns. I kept myself informed on the issues of the day, and even worked on a couple of campaigns. One day I woke up and realized that it just doesn't matter. Regardless of which party is in charge of government at all levels, there are certain paths that we go down. I am not commenting at the moment on whether the paths are positive or negative. But there does seem to be a certain inevitability about them.
1. More people need more help with more aspects of their life. Self-sufficiency is an outmoded concept that most people learn about only in history books. Those who try to practice it today are dismissed as wacky and dangerous "survivalists."
2. It has become much more fashionable and politically expedient for governments to borrow more money than to raise revenue through taxes. Our $20 + trillion national debt is solid proof of that. I fear very much how this problem will be resolved one day.
3. Each one of us perceives that everyone else is getting more "handouts" from the government than we are.
4. Most elected officials will do and say anything to perpetuate themselves in their current offices. It is generally easier to make money (and a sweet pension) in government than in the private sector. Your upside on salary is finite when you work for the government. But, if you are an elected official, you usually can keep your job for as long as you want. People re-elect incumbents without much thought.
5. Free speech took a hard hit after 9/11/2001. It has been taking a series of softer, but no less effective, hits under the idea that "hate speech" must be deterred, punished and ultimately silenced.
6. Politicians rarely ever disagree without being utterly disagreeable. This started during the Obama administration and has accelerated rapidly in the last 10 years.
7. Money funneled to candidates, parties and so-called action committees has ruined campaigns and guaranteed that elected officials will pay more attention to those who bankroll them than to the people. I note this is not new. This has been the case for at least 150 years. The Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 has made it worse.
Truth cannot be found among those who purport to represent us. Where is it? Can it even be found among human beings?
I am coming to believe that truth can be found only in faith in a higher power. What we create here on earth is flawed and very often motivated by a lust for fame, power, riches and fear of our own mortality.
(Edited on 9/25/19)
1. More people need more help with more aspects of their life. Self-sufficiency is an outmoded concept that most people learn about only in history books. Those who try to practice it today are dismissed as wacky and dangerous "survivalists."
2. It has become much more fashionable and politically expedient for governments to borrow more money than to raise revenue through taxes. Our $20 + trillion national debt is solid proof of that. I fear very much how this problem will be resolved one day.
3. Each one of us perceives that everyone else is getting more "handouts" from the government than we are.
4. Most elected officials will do and say anything to perpetuate themselves in their current offices. It is generally easier to make money (and a sweet pension) in government than in the private sector. Your upside on salary is finite when you work for the government. But, if you are an elected official, you usually can keep your job for as long as you want. People re-elect incumbents without much thought.
5. Free speech took a hard hit after 9/11/2001. It has been taking a series of softer, but no less effective, hits under the idea that "hate speech" must be deterred, punished and ultimately silenced.
6. Politicians rarely ever disagree without being utterly disagreeable. This started during the Obama administration and has accelerated rapidly in the last 10 years.
7. Money funneled to candidates, parties and so-called action committees has ruined campaigns and guaranteed that elected officials will pay more attention to those who bankroll them than to the people. I note this is not new. This has been the case for at least 150 years. The Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 has made it worse.
Truth cannot be found among those who purport to represent us. Where is it? Can it even be found among human beings?
I am coming to believe that truth can be found only in faith in a higher power. What we create here on earth is flawed and very often motivated by a lust for fame, power, riches and fear of our own mortality.
(Edited on 9/25/19)
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Lust for Strife
It seems as though we humans are constantly looking to self-identify with groups within the larger society. Whether the groups are religious, political or based on love for specific pro or college teams, so many of us seek comfort, security, validation, status and other things that feel good by way of a group or organization. Of course the concept of associating with "like-minded" people provides us with the basic rationale we need to become part of a group. But I see other darker aspects of becoming part of an organization- whether large or small.
Organizations define themselves in large part not by the values and beliefs they espouse but rather by the dislike of non-members of the organization. Religion is the most obvious example. How many deaths have occurred in the course of world history because of religious strife? Co-existence is never an option. Instead, the very existence of other religions is an abomination to many adherents of a faith. Better to wipe them out than try to live in peace with them. Short of killing, we have the nearly universal practices of discrimination in more "civilized" societies. "I won't kill you because I am not a savage, but I also will not associate with you in my business or personal life." P.S. I am not thrilled about the prospect of your moving into my neighborhood either. The latter sentiment applies to religion/race/national origin and sexual orientation.
The Democrats and Republicans in 21st century America are guilty of the same thing. They do not, as a general rule, work together and compromise to solve real problems. Instead, most members of Congress speak in sound bites about how irrationally the enemy party is acting. Legislation does not get passed. Or, as we have seen recently, legislation gets passed in the House and dies in the Senate. The president therefore acts via executive order and is accused of unconstitutional behavior. When we look at how these people perpetuate themselves in office it is inevitably through the negative attack ad. Remember that Democrats are supposed to loathe Republicans and vice versa.
So we have a pathological need to associate with various groups. Sadly, it also seems that we have an innate need to demonize non-members of our groups. I am speculating that the cause of this need is rooted in ignorance, fear and generalized feelings of insecurity.
(Edited 9/25/19)
Organizations define themselves in large part not by the values and beliefs they espouse but rather by the dislike of non-members of the organization. Religion is the most obvious example. How many deaths have occurred in the course of world history because of religious strife? Co-existence is never an option. Instead, the very existence of other religions is an abomination to many adherents of a faith. Better to wipe them out than try to live in peace with them. Short of killing, we have the nearly universal practices of discrimination in more "civilized" societies. "I won't kill you because I am not a savage, but I also will not associate with you in my business or personal life." P.S. I am not thrilled about the prospect of your moving into my neighborhood either. The latter sentiment applies to religion/race/national origin and sexual orientation.
The Democrats and Republicans in 21st century America are guilty of the same thing. They do not, as a general rule, work together and compromise to solve real problems. Instead, most members of Congress speak in sound bites about how irrationally the enemy party is acting. Legislation does not get passed. Or, as we have seen recently, legislation gets passed in the House and dies in the Senate. The president therefore acts via executive order and is accused of unconstitutional behavior. When we look at how these people perpetuate themselves in office it is inevitably through the negative attack ad. Remember that Democrats are supposed to loathe Republicans and vice versa.
So we have a pathological need to associate with various groups. Sadly, it also seems that we have an innate need to demonize non-members of our groups. I am speculating that the cause of this need is rooted in ignorance, fear and generalized feelings of insecurity.
(Edited 9/25/19)
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Social Security At Least For Now
I went to a presentation on Social Security strategies last night. The speaker told us that the program is "fully funded" for the next twenty years. That is good news for those of us who are currently collecting and do not plan to live for more than twenty years. I am not in that category. I was born in 1960. People born in that year later years do not get to collect their full retirement until age 67. Anyone can begin collecting benefits at age 62, but if you do that you lock in a reduced monthly benefit for your entire life. If you wait to begin collecting benefits until age 70, you get a nice little "bonus" for waiting.
One statistic that I heard last night startled me and made me feel sad: for those who are currently collecting benefits, the benefits on average make up 53% of their total income. That seems really high to me. Apparently, to the greatest extent in almost 80 years, retired people are truly living on Social Security. I feel for these people. Even if your benefit is $2,000 month (and this is an above average benefit), you are looking at $24,000 per year. If that is 53%?of your total income then you are living on $46,000 per year. Given the cost of living these days, that is not a lot.
So when I talk with people in their 20's and 30's I always urge them to save and invest-- even if they have to curtail spending and defer gratification. Most of these folks believe that Social Security will either 1. Not be around when they reach retirement age OR 2. That Congress will raise the full retirement age to 75 for people in their generation. You don't win popularity contests when you advise people to save and live below their means. But for people in Generation Y and younger generations they may not have any choice.
You can find out where you stand in terms of benefits by going to www.ssa.gov OR www.socialsecurity.gov
One statistic that I heard last night startled me and made me feel sad: for those who are currently collecting benefits, the benefits on average make up 53% of their total income. That seems really high to me. Apparently, to the greatest extent in almost 80 years, retired people are truly living on Social Security. I feel for these people. Even if your benefit is $2,000 month (and this is an above average benefit), you are looking at $24,000 per year. If that is 53%?of your total income then you are living on $46,000 per year. Given the cost of living these days, that is not a lot.
So when I talk with people in their 20's and 30's I always urge them to save and invest-- even if they have to curtail spending and defer gratification. Most of these folks believe that Social Security will either 1. Not be around when they reach retirement age OR 2. That Congress will raise the full retirement age to 75 for people in their generation. You don't win popularity contests when you advise people to save and live below their means. But for people in Generation Y and younger generations they may not have any choice.
You can find out where you stand in terms of benefits by going to www.ssa.gov OR www.socialsecurity.gov
Sunday, July 6, 2014
World Cup 2014
Even this championship, held every four years, has become a polarizing issue in America. Soccer has been growing steadily in popularity over the last 30 years. More young people are playing or have played youth soccer than at any point in our nation's history. Yet to a substantial plurality of Americans, soccer remains a "foreign sport." American football with its helmets, pads, powerful hits and painful tackles is still considered by many to be the only real type of football. So I found myself watching World Cup games because our sons were very interested in them. The United States team was fortunate enough to make it out of the group of death (Germany, Portugal, Ghana) but lost in its first knock out game to Belgium. When I mentioned watching the World Cup to a few of my adult friends, I got very mixed reactions. Most of them were negative. "I don't watch that crap", "Soccer is so boring"', and "I only watch sports where something happens." These are some of the replies I encountered at the at the mere mention of viewing World Cup matches.
What is the explanation? I have no idea. Speculating is what I do, though. I seemed to detect some type of correlation between Real Americanism ( i.e., conservatism) and lack of interest in the World Cup. Who knows? I have to admit that I never played soccer competitively - only in gym classes. But I have to say that these men are tremendous athletes. I do not fully understand soccer strategy but I do recognize skills such as speed, agility and the ability to make good passes. I have heard on Twitter and elsewhere that we in America pretend to like soccer every four years when the World Cup is contested. I see the humor in this, but I think it is becoming less accurate a description as time passes. More and more people from countries with a rich soccer tradition are moving to the United States. I am guessing this will mean that over time, the US men's team will make it to the semifinals or even the finals of the World Cup.
What is the explanation? I have no idea. Speculating is what I do, though. I seemed to detect some type of correlation between Real Americanism ( i.e., conservatism) and lack of interest in the World Cup. Who knows? I have to admit that I never played soccer competitively - only in gym classes. But I have to say that these men are tremendous athletes. I do not fully understand soccer strategy but I do recognize skills such as speed, agility and the ability to make good passes. I have heard on Twitter and elsewhere that we in America pretend to like soccer every four years when the World Cup is contested. I see the humor in this, but I think it is becoming less accurate a description as time passes. More and more people from countries with a rich soccer tradition are moving to the United States. I am guessing this will mean that over time, the US men's team will make it to the semifinals or even the finals of the World Cup.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Short bio (part two)
It is really difficult to write about substance abuse-at least it is for me. Everyone experiences alcohol and drug use in a different way. Alcohol and drugs were forms of escape for me in my awkward adolescence. Here I was in an all-male environment with no chance to meet or even talk to girls. Many of classmates were rich beyond anything I could imagine. I could not compete in the arena of wealth of power. I was not a star athlete. My grades were good but not outstanding. In short, I had nothing in which I could excel. Then, one evening, very unexpectedly I discovered that I was "good" at drinking. What I mean by that is that I could consume large quantities of alcohol without any (apparent) ill effects. Getting alcohol in the 1970's in New Jersey (and many other states) was easy because the drinking age was 18. I was tall for my age so I could pick up a case of beer or a large bottle of vodka without ever being asked for ID starting at about age 16. I became a drunk in high school.
Anyway, in college I continued to drink like a fish while becoming a respected member of one of Cornell's 50 social fraternities. I squandered the opportunity to develop my potential. I graduated with a major in classical language and a minor in philosophy. My GPA was very mediocre due to my perpetual drunkenness. Somehow I managed to get a respectable score on the LSAT. After graduation I enrolled in law school at American University in DC. I knew absolutely nothing about law as a profession. I chose this direction mainly because my college academic advisor pushed me that way. He was well aware that I lacked the discipline to pursue a masters or doctoral degree in classical language. Law school was absolutely awful. I would talk anyone out of going. In the 1980's I at least had a good shot at landing a job right out of law school. Today the jobs are much harder to come by. More importantly, though, the profession demands that you worship two false gods: money and status. After 20 years of practice in both the public and private sectors, I looked in the mirror and did not like the person I saw. I had been a drunk lawyer and a sober lawyer. Neither condition was very satisfying. I had been too miserable for too long. I had destroyed a 15 year marriage through a combination of drinking, deceit and simply being one unpleasant person to be around. I was a pathological liar whose biggest lie was that of being happy with my life.
My life began eight years ago when I met the woman who would become my wife. I saw the possibility of not only being in a loving marriage but also being stepfather to two amazing kids. I felt that by the grace of God I had been given a wonderful and powerful opportunity to review and reset the priorities of my life. Now I am a parent and a husband. I delight in simple tasks that keep our family moving forward. I no longer have the need to go to black tie events and mingle with people whom I despise. I have a freedom that sustains me more than a high salary or an expensive lifestyle. I have people who depend on me. There is no greater gift than being part of a loving family and knowing how great it feels to give and receive love within that family. My LUST FOR LIFE began in 2006. An essential part of this way of thinking is my recognition that I GET TO DEFINE WHAT LIFE IS AND WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY. I no longer wake up each morning and fret over what others might think of me. I wake up with complete gratitude for the life I have been able to create. I value things such as learning, helping people in need and being a good listener. I previously valued money, appearance, prestige and influence. When I shook off those worldly bonds, I found freedom and a level of happiness I never thought possible.
Very sorry this was not exactly a short bio. Anyone who is still awake after reading this deserves high honor and praise.
Until next time....
JY
(Edited 9/25/19)
Anyway, in college I continued to drink like a fish while becoming a respected member of one of Cornell's 50 social fraternities. I squandered the opportunity to develop my potential. I graduated with a major in classical language and a minor in philosophy. My GPA was very mediocre due to my perpetual drunkenness. Somehow I managed to get a respectable score on the LSAT. After graduation I enrolled in law school at American University in DC. I knew absolutely nothing about law as a profession. I chose this direction mainly because my college academic advisor pushed me that way. He was well aware that I lacked the discipline to pursue a masters or doctoral degree in classical language. Law school was absolutely awful. I would talk anyone out of going. In the 1980's I at least had a good shot at landing a job right out of law school. Today the jobs are much harder to come by. More importantly, though, the profession demands that you worship two false gods: money and status. After 20 years of practice in both the public and private sectors, I looked in the mirror and did not like the person I saw. I had been a drunk lawyer and a sober lawyer. Neither condition was very satisfying. I had been too miserable for too long. I had destroyed a 15 year marriage through a combination of drinking, deceit and simply being one unpleasant person to be around. I was a pathological liar whose biggest lie was that of being happy with my life.
My life began eight years ago when I met the woman who would become my wife. I saw the possibility of not only being in a loving marriage but also being stepfather to two amazing kids. I felt that by the grace of God I had been given a wonderful and powerful opportunity to review and reset the priorities of my life. Now I am a parent and a husband. I delight in simple tasks that keep our family moving forward. I no longer have the need to go to black tie events and mingle with people whom I despise. I have a freedom that sustains me more than a high salary or an expensive lifestyle. I have people who depend on me. There is no greater gift than being part of a loving family and knowing how great it feels to give and receive love within that family. My LUST FOR LIFE began in 2006. An essential part of this way of thinking is my recognition that I GET TO DEFINE WHAT LIFE IS AND WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY. I no longer wake up each morning and fret over what others might think of me. I wake up with complete gratitude for the life I have been able to create. I value things such as learning, helping people in need and being a good listener. I previously valued money, appearance, prestige and influence. When I shook off those worldly bonds, I found freedom and a level of happiness I never thought possible.
Very sorry this was not exactly a short bio. Anyone who is still awake after reading this deserves high honor and praise.
Until next time....
JY
(Edited 9/25/19)
Short bio (part one)
Happy 5th of July. We saw our weather transform from hot and humid to cool and dry in the space of 12 hours. Today the weather is nearly perfect in the Lehigh Valley.
In the unlikely event that anyone is interested in learning a bit about me, I am writing a brief biographical sketch. I was born 6 months before John F. Kennedy narrowly defeated Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential election. I was born in New York City. I do not remember meeting my biological parents because they gave me up for adoption after I was born. Thirty days after my birth I was adopted by two wonderful people from New Jersey who had been trying for years to have their own children. My father was 39 and my mom was 33 when they became my parents. Unlike many adopted children these days, I never searched out my biological parents. I do not have any regrets about that.
I grew up as the only child of my parents. Over the years I have learned that only children often develop personalities and traits that are very different from people who were raised with siblings. There are many, many books on the subject of birth order so I will not attempt to describe all of the ways in which only children differ from children who have brothers and sisters. Suffice it to say that I find it much easier to be alone than to be in the company of others. This makes all relationships challenging, as you might expect.
I grew up in a very wealthy bedroom community in central New Jersey. My parents were comfortable financially but also extremely frugal. They were both children of the Great Depression. They spent very little and almost always chose to repair things rather than replace them. My dad owned his own business and worked with his hands. He and my mom were college sweethearts from Cornell University. Mom was in charge of all things financial and dad was the one who made his business successful. They both worked hard but also had a fun social life. We spent most summer weekends at our house on the New Jersey shore.
Reading came very easily to me. My parents were very good about reading stories to me as I sat in their laps. Eventually, sometime before my 3rd birthday, I began reading on my own. In kindergarten I was given a reading test. The teachers said I was reading on a 6th grade level. I attended public schools in our community through the 8th grade. As I was preparing to go to high school, my parents became very worried about "racial tensions" and well-publicized incidents of race-related violence in our public high school. So they decided I should go to a private school in our area. I applied to and was accepted by The Lawrenceville School. At that time it was an all boys' school with about 500 boarding students and 200 day students. I would be a day student as we lived less than 4 miles from campus. I struggled during my 9th grade year since I had been accustomed to coasting through 7th and 8th grade with minimal effort in middle school. By 10th grade my grades began to improve but, sadly, that was also the year I discovered substance abuse.
To be continued...,
(Edited 9/25/19)
In the unlikely event that anyone is interested in learning a bit about me, I am writing a brief biographical sketch. I was born 6 months before John F. Kennedy narrowly defeated Richard Nixon in the 1960 presidential election. I was born in New York City. I do not remember meeting my biological parents because they gave me up for adoption after I was born. Thirty days after my birth I was adopted by two wonderful people from New Jersey who had been trying for years to have their own children. My father was 39 and my mom was 33 when they became my parents. Unlike many adopted children these days, I never searched out my biological parents. I do not have any regrets about that.
I grew up as the only child of my parents. Over the years I have learned that only children often develop personalities and traits that are very different from people who were raised with siblings. There are many, many books on the subject of birth order so I will not attempt to describe all of the ways in which only children differ from children who have brothers and sisters. Suffice it to say that I find it much easier to be alone than to be in the company of others. This makes all relationships challenging, as you might expect.
I grew up in a very wealthy bedroom community in central New Jersey. My parents were comfortable financially but also extremely frugal. They were both children of the Great Depression. They spent very little and almost always chose to repair things rather than replace them. My dad owned his own business and worked with his hands. He and my mom were college sweethearts from Cornell University. Mom was in charge of all things financial and dad was the one who made his business successful. They both worked hard but also had a fun social life. We spent most summer weekends at our house on the New Jersey shore.
Reading came very easily to me. My parents were very good about reading stories to me as I sat in their laps. Eventually, sometime before my 3rd birthday, I began reading on my own. In kindergarten I was given a reading test. The teachers said I was reading on a 6th grade level. I attended public schools in our community through the 8th grade. As I was preparing to go to high school, my parents became very worried about "racial tensions" and well-publicized incidents of race-related violence in our public high school. So they decided I should go to a private school in our area. I applied to and was accepted by The Lawrenceville School. At that time it was an all boys' school with about 500 boarding students and 200 day students. I would be a day student as we lived less than 4 miles from campus. I struggled during my 9th grade year since I had been accustomed to coasting through 7th and 8th grade with minimal effort in middle school. By 10th grade my grades began to improve but, sadly, that was also the year I discovered substance abuse.
To be continued...,
(Edited 9/25/19)
Friday, July 4, 2014
Independence Day 2014
Here in America we are celebrating Independence Day. As I began to think about the
idea of independence, I decided to start a blog. I am seeking independence from what I
perceive to be the restrictions of various social media. I have friends on Facebook from
all across the political spectrum. In addition, these friends have a wide variety of
religious beliefs or no religious beliefs at all. What I have found over the past few
years is that I am constantly editing myself on FB for fear of offending a portion of my
friends. I refrain from posting comments or even "liking" the posts of others for fear of
generating nasty discourse.
This blog to a great extent will serve as an electronic diary. That doesn't mean I will be
sharing an excessive amount of personal stories. To the contrary I will be posting mostly
on the following subjects: current events (including human interest stories), history,
political issues, religion and morals, human virtues and vices, and how society has been
transformed through social media.
I chose "Lust for Life" as the title of my blog. I did not do this as a homage either to Iggy
Pop or to the 1934 novel and 1956 movie about the life of Vincent Van Gogh. The title
comes from my personal belief that life is a gift that should not be wasted. Too often we
do things or fail to do things for the wrong reasons. Sometimes the right thing to do is keep
one's mouth shut or one's fingers off the keyboard. But at other times the need to say something
is so powerful that when we suppress it we wind up hurting ourselves mentally and
physically. Now that I am 50-something years old, I have finally decided to create a place where
I can express myself freely. I have come to realize that life has so much to offer and the world
we inhabit is filled with beauty. If you spend too much time focusing on news media you will
undoubtedly focus on the ugliness of the world created by the darker side of human nature.
For now I will wish all of you who celebrate it a Happy Independence Day. My only
cautionary advice is to remember to be sensitive to pets and veterans with post-traumatic
stress disorder when setting off fireworks and other explosives.
In my next post I will introduce myself to anyone who might be interested.
Cheers,
JY
idea of independence, I decided to start a blog. I am seeking independence from what I
perceive to be the restrictions of various social media. I have friends on Facebook from
all across the political spectrum. In addition, these friends have a wide variety of
religious beliefs or no religious beliefs at all. What I have found over the past few
years is that I am constantly editing myself on FB for fear of offending a portion of my
friends. I refrain from posting comments or even "liking" the posts of others for fear of
generating nasty discourse.
This blog to a great extent will serve as an electronic diary. That doesn't mean I will be
sharing an excessive amount of personal stories. To the contrary I will be posting mostly
on the following subjects: current events (including human interest stories), history,
political issues, religion and morals, human virtues and vices, and how society has been
transformed through social media.
I chose "Lust for Life" as the title of my blog. I did not do this as a homage either to Iggy
Pop or to the 1934 novel and 1956 movie about the life of Vincent Van Gogh. The title
comes from my personal belief that life is a gift that should not be wasted. Too often we
do things or fail to do things for the wrong reasons. Sometimes the right thing to do is keep
one's mouth shut or one's fingers off the keyboard. But at other times the need to say something
is so powerful that when we suppress it we wind up hurting ourselves mentally and
physically. Now that I am 50-something years old, I have finally decided to create a place where
I can express myself freely. I have come to realize that life has so much to offer and the world
we inhabit is filled with beauty. If you spend too much time focusing on news media you will
undoubtedly focus on the ugliness of the world created by the darker side of human nature.
For now I will wish all of you who celebrate it a Happy Independence Day. My only
cautionary advice is to remember to be sensitive to pets and veterans with post-traumatic
stress disorder when setting off fireworks and other explosives.
In my next post I will introduce myself to anyone who might be interested.
Cheers,
JY
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