We attended the new Wes Anderson movie this morning. I would like to live in Wes Anderson’s world. Everything is a bit off-center, and that’s how I like it. I was thrilled to see a few more movies advertised that I want to see this summer. Going to the theatre is a big deal to this old man. I recall spending most Sundays as a boy in the Orpheum Theatre in Eldorado, Illinois. In those halcyon days, you could watch the movie over and over for the same 35 cents. I was Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and John Wayne. The world kept on turning as I munched on popcorn and spent the day in my church.

The Pandemic has altered going to the movies. So many new releases come to television very quickly. Ticket prices are high due to the demand in our area. More people create more revenue. Nevertheless, a darkened theatre and the magnificent screen create another world. A good movie can cause you to forget time and place. You are in the movie with the actors.

Movies stir the imagination. Movies are art, and they produce artists in the audience. Jennifer said that this morning was her first morning movie and her first Wes Anderson movie. She liked both. Movies are a large mirror held up to life. We see ourselves in the films and often work out issues that we have encountered.

The Orpheum was my home away from home. I was never turned away, and I always had a friend in film. We develop a sense of place at the movies. If the flick is about the future, we imagine what it will be like. If it is about the past, we see where we have been. If it is about current affairs, we realize that humans are much more alike than they are different. The Theatre invites us to embrace diversity and inclusion. We think new thoughts and see the world from a different vantage point. No matter what bias we have been exposed to, movies show us a considerate perspective of how others, different from us, live work, and struggle.

Movies are good for what ails us. They are better than castor oil. They are medicine for the soul…

This has been my kind of day. Rain and more rain. I love moseying around in the rain. Mosey is my word from Jennifer, which she says applies to her woods exploring, and it applies to mine as well. I enjoy winging it. I always have! So often in my early years, I couldn’t, but now I can, and it’s a treat. When it rains too hard, I rest in the shelter and think deep thoughts by Jack Handy. I take a thousand photos of the same scene, and they all look different to me.

Of course, we cannot always Wing It. Life brings a book of rules that is heavy and cumbersome. Some people carry the Book of Rules on their backs due to the extreme weight of the treatise. Now with this required burden, many of us seek additional burdens to bear. We are spiritual creatures, so men in their wisdom devise additional rules for the faith they oversee. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen, but they have taken care of the ‘not seen’ part. Rules from what you wear to how you speak and who your friends are are in the thick catalog. How you spend your money and how much you give to the faith community that you are a member of. Just thinking about God and his mysterious ways is discouraged if it is not in the tome. Folks watch from without the church and wonder why anyone would want to be a part of such suffering.

I remember when poor people were Democrats. If you carried a lunch pail to work, you voted for JFK. My family told me that Republicans were the political party for the rich. We were not rich. There were no virulent missives regarding the opposing political party. Good people were in both parties, and many of the beliefs of each membership overlapped. I was a Reagan fan. He inspired me. He seemed to do more with a wink and a nod than many could do with hard political labor. This was before the Book of Hate was completed. Now, if you are a child of God, you are Republican. Democrats are WOKE. No one seems to care much about what people refer to as WOKE, who have empathy for others and acceptance for all the little children of the world…Jesus taught that.

Winging It is fun. Follow your heart and not your head. Everyone has a place at the table. No one is forgotten, and everyone is heard.

‘I am going to the woods to hear the Preacher,’ Jane said. ‘Many are leaving their churches to hear his message,’ Jane continued. ‘All are welcome and no one is turned away,’ Jane smiled. ‘Wealthy folks and those who have nothing are renewed by his thoughts and simple message of love,’ Jane observed.

‘The Preacher joined me in an Old Fashioned at the Lodge,’ Chet winked. ‘What a good guy, he had some thoughts on government that sounded simple yet profound,’ Chet said. ‘The Preacher noted that government that makes you afraid is not good government,’ Chet observed. ‘He noted that God’s Table is open to everyone without exception,’ Chet commented.

‘Let us fish for a while and tell tall tales,’ Preacher said. ‘More are coming and we must not be rigid about a staring time as God’s message is timeless,’ Preacher noted with a sly smile. ‘Did you like that one? I just thought of the timeless part and thought I would share it with you,’ Preacher laughed. ‘Why would we hurry when God has given us eternity to ponder his creation and our place in it,’ the Preacher asked? ‘The shackles we wear we have forged over a long time, and their weight is heavy,’ Preacher observed. ‘Look at the birds of the air, they toil not, neither do they spin, yet they are arrayed in splendor,’ the Preacher said as he pointed to the birds.

Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from the Department of Homeland Security. The Senator was forced to the ground and handcuffed when he attempted to ask Secretary Noem a question. No, you are not having a nightmare, this is real in our America.

It has been said that power corrupts and ultimate power corrupts absolutely. The plow horse used to wear blinders to prevent the animal from looking to the left or right, thus being deterred from its mission of plowing the field. Or, as in one of my favorite television programs, Veep, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus portraying her as the Vice President of the United States, accidentally walking through a glass door. A political lobbyist hearing of the accident laughed heartily. We do not laugh when the shards are in our hair.

There is a reason that other countries have locked their political dissidents in gulags and thrown away the key. A lack of empathy and respect for viewpoints different than their own. Power shifts like the weather. It is hot today and cold tomorrow. The winds of change are blowing. It is easy to get caught up in the blame game. The coarsening of our society has been happening all of my life. The Southern Illinois Town I grew up in has a pool that was long sought by hard-working families. Recently, those managing the pool were forced to make a public statement that anyone caught using foul language will be asked to leave immediately. Why would there be a need for foul language at a pool in the summertime?

If we continued to poke each other’s eyes out, we would all be blind. Perhaps this has already happened. No matter who you are and the greatness of your knowledge and abilities, there is someone who disagrees with you. Such is life. Jackbooted Thugs took over a country in some of our lifetimes. I was born just a few years after the end of World War II. As Jews were marched into concentration camps, Germans hollered, ‘Goodbye Jew.’ When Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower required German citizens to see what their military had done to the Jews in the camps, they averted their eyes from the horror. We like living in a Free Country as long as the freedoms are what we want. Remember, the weather is changing.

‘First they came for the socialist, and I did not speak out-because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionist, and I did not speak out-because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me. Martin Niemoller

School is out. It is time for life lessons. I have always loved learning. I did not have the same affection for school. The regimented structure of education bored me. The human element intrigued me. Air conditioning was not common in schools when I was a student. Multiple fans were the norm both at school and at home. We attended into June, and it was hot. I was wondering what Daniel Boone or Frankenstein were doing with their summer.

‘Let’s go to the movies,’ Chet said. ‘There is a double bill playing of Frankenstein and Dracula,’ Chet grinned. ‘Nothing compares with Halloween in June,’ Chet laughed. ‘Once I fell asleep and dreamed that Frankenstein walked out of the silver screen and asked me which way to the Men’s Rest Room,’ Chet winked. ‘When he returned, he had bought me a Coke and a bag of popcorn,’ Chet observed. ‘Frank is not a bad fellow, and he has a wicked sense of humor,’ Chet said. ‘He told me that he had to get away from his wife as she had a loud voice,’ Chet said. ‘He wondered if he could bunk with me for a night or two and said that he had cigars for both of us,’ Chet chuckled. ‘Cigar Good.’ Frankenstein said with a wide, open-mouthed grin.

‘Chet and I are buddies,’ Frank said. ‘It is so much fun at his house that I have yet to return to the Missus,’ Frank observed. ‘Chet and I eat Oscar Mayer Wieners out of the package and then smoke a stogie,’ Frank noted. ‘I sent a postcard to the wife and told her that I was away on business and would return in the fall after school starts,’ Frank said as he blew smoke rings. ‘I have been reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne,’ Frank said. ‘I have learned much,’ Frank offered.

‘So are we in your dream, Chet or is this really happening, as Rosemary will say in a few years in Rosemary’s Baby?’ Jane asked? ‘What about Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, have you read it, Frank?’ Jane asked. ‘I am reading it now as it was referred to me by Mary Shelly,’ Frankenstein noted with a wide smile.

‘I like Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll,’ Invisible Man offered. ‘The through-the-Looking-Glass world of the narrative reminds me of how I feel knowing that no one sees me,’ IM explained. ‘No matter what my needs are, they are ignored by those around me as if I am not in their midst,’ IM said. ‘I stood in the Commodities Line with many poor people and watched as the workers threw the food at them and treated them less than human, and I understood their suffering,’ IM noted. ‘When I picked up a brick of government cheese and it appeared to be floating on its own, the workers fled and I laughed heartily,’ IM said. ‘Really, we invisible people have little recourse but to protest our inhumane treatment,’ IM offered.

‘Let’s eat,’ Neva J announced. ‘Gracing our table today is Frankenstein and the Invisible Man, along with Rosie and Abigail, who many refer to as ‘One Eye’ due to her missing eye,’ Neva J said. ‘Today there are no kings nor crowns, just good people that have been unseen and unheard for too long,’ Neva J said through tears.

Today is a soothing day. I walked on Campus and a squirrel played hide-and-seek with me. The campus was quiet. Wildlife is bold among us humans as they see a lot of us in University confines. We are one of the animals. I thought of the sacred beauty of academic freedom. Freedom of speech in its purest form. Knowledge is advanced through the open doors of the Academy. Any attempt to stifle this promised freedom is an abomination. If we want our education to be more than just a credential, we must have divergent opinions. The sublime dignity of education in opening up human potential and thought is paramount.

When I first came to University, I was amazed at the diversity. Everyone is learning and living together. Hope was in abundance as we broke bread around the table. No authoritarian figures, but people hungry for understanding. Knowledge is its own reward. I soon realized that my life had been cloistered. There was a giant world that I had not availed myself of. I was honored to sit in the presence of people different than me. I was humbled to be accepted. An African student told me that the international students wanted to work with me because I had no prejudice. This high commendation has stuck with me for nearly 50 years.

Living and working together is nirvana. Too often, we seek just the opposite of what makes us happy. The university has a wide open door of acceptance. Not the faux acceptance of the Doctrinaire or the Authoritarian, but the real acceptance of all who enter here is welcome. Peace comes for a purpose that is greater than I. Hope ensues from love. Love is a universal language.

There is peace at the University in its purest form. Yes, dissent happens and is welcome and not verboten. Marching in lock step with an authoritarian leader is something to be afraid of. History has shown that first the Leader goes after the agreed upon enemies, and once they are brought under control, the Leader goes after his own followers. The mystery riddle of Authoritarian Leadership is simple in that it is always about what is best for the Leader…

Yesterday I was taken aback to see multiple ambulances enter the Woods with their lights on and sirens pealing. I have been going to the Woods for the better part of 4 years, and it is marked by its quiet and serenity. I just read about someone falling from a cliff at the Devil’s Standtable Trail. The woman slipped and fell 55 feet to the ground, according to WFCN News. The woman sadly succumbed to her injuries on a helicopter flight to St. Louis.

We are never really safe. Safety is a myth we wrap ourselves in. I think often of my surroundings and the danger inherent in the environment. During the Ice Storm of 2025, a limb hit me on the shoulder as I trekked through the ice and snow. Today, I saw a tree broken in half and wondered if it had been struck by lightning. As a young man, I developed a habit of looking at my surroundings, including who is in my line of sight, all the time. The Old Man in by head is constantly calculating the danger quotient. I am neither an anxious person nor apprehensive. I do pay attention to where I am and who is with me.

We live in dangerous times. Some folks’ emotions are off the charts. Conspiracy Theories are fueling the fire. Bob Dylan told us that we are going to serve somebody.

‘You may be an ambassador to England or France. You may like to gamble, you might like to dance. You may be the heavyweight champion of the world. You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls. But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed. You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord. But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.’

We are living in the time of the lyrics of the song are playing out. Danger is inherent in lies and conspiracy. One of the first things I learned as a manager at Southern Illinois University was that my words had an inordinate effect on some. At times, what I said as advice was taken as gospel. Questions were assumed to be criticism. Words have power.

Today, we see the rise of Straw Leaders. Not leaders of natural ability or training but con men and charlatans. Their advice to their follower has danger embedded in it. We are being ginned up to fight and hurt each other. Not for cause but for effect on moving the Straw Leaders’ Political Agenda.

The Lost In Space Robot of the 60s popular science fiction show often said, ‘Danger…Danger Will Robinson, who was his primary companion. We need our own Lost In Space Robot today.

We are complex creations. We live with competing voices in our heads. Most of us begin with nothing. Altruism and empathy are valued. Then comes the jungle. We develop labels for those who have little. Lazy is a common brand we apply. Some in power tell us that empathy can be toxic. Our conscience is salved. Some become rich on the hard work of poor people. Isn’t life transactional? Did not God intend for us to avail ourselves of every advantage? Good business leaves many behind.

How did money become the measure of success? How did it become the goal of a fulfilling Christian Life? Political powers propose in their latest budget to cut billions of dollars in subsidies for the poorest among us. Many of these individuals argue that we should cut aid to impoverished people in foreign nations. They say we have to use the money for foreigners to assist Americans at home. The money proposed to be stripped away is Medicaid and food stamps, and insurance for millions of the poverty-stricken. The Bill provides billions of dollars for the ultra-wealthy in the form of tax cuts. Shall we do evil that good may come?

There are snares along our path. A corner cut here and a stop sign run there will enhance our portfolio. If no one sees the tree fall in the forest, did it really fall? Politicians enter politics with good intentions. Then there is the money and rubbing shoulders with those who have a lot of it. One thing leads to another, the song tells us. So many who have wealth look down their nose at the working poor if they have to pay the salary. Goodness, their health care is high and cannot be afforded by the elite. How could minimum wage be $15 per hour? That is a lot of money, the rich say. They should follow my model for wealth accrual; the 5% tells us. Acknowledge the magic of investments and the backs of the poor who labor in obscurity. God blesses his chosen, the top of capitalism tells us…the rest are there to facilitate our state of blessing…

As a lad, I do not recall so much heavy rain and daily significant wind. It rained down in buckets this morning. Before retirement, hard rain meant a call to campus for multiple leaking roofs. I wondered about my roof this morning.

Hard rain falls on all of our lives. Often, we feel overwhelmed. Problems do not walk in slowly on little kitten feet but rather with their Army boots on. A hard rain can make a person feel alone in a crowd. The person under the torrential downpour can watch their neighbors enjoying the soothing sound of peaceful rain while their house is being swept away.

Rain reminds us that we are all made out of the same stuff. We all get wet. Money and privilege do not protect us from the downpour. We may need a new roof and do not realize it. We are as confident as the little pigs in our homes. Hard Rain finds its way in.

The little girl sitting outside the Broadway Theatre begging for a crust of bread knows what Hard Rain is. She looks into the eyes of those who pass her. Many eyes do not see her while others avert their gaze. Her threadbare jacket is soaked through.

‘June is my favorite summer month,’ Jane exclaimed. ‘It is not too hot or too cold,’ Jane continued. ‘I prefer lukewarm as is spoken of in the book of Revelation,’ Jane laughed. ‘The beach is pleasant and accommodating,’ Jane mused. ‘There is still a long while before school commences,’ Jane offered. ‘I am excited that Neva J is taking us to Pounds Hollow today,’ Jane offered.

‘Let us load the 57 Chevy up with hot dogs and hamburgers along with an ample supply of Merlot,’ Neva J proclaimed. ‘I saw a groundhog come out of the tall grass and scamper across my path which is good luck I am told,’ Neva J said. ‘When the groundhog passed he winked and grinned as he said good morning,’ Neva J continued. ‘Mr. Groundhog told me that he was joining Mr. Beaver at the Hollow for a portion of summer joy,’ Neva J noted. ‘GH also told me to be ready for a surprise when we arrive,’ Neva J said.

‘Look over there where Mr. Groundhog and Mr. Beaver are roasting hot dogs,’ Chet directed. ‘They are joined by Freddy Fox and Sammy Squirrel,’ Chet said. ‘Let us join them and discover what the surprise is,’ Chet suggested. ‘Where you find those merrymakers there is always an adventure,’ Chet said with a wink and a nod. ‘Last June they showed us the underwater home of the Creature From The Black Lagoon,’ Chet reminded the group.

‘It is good to see you,’ Freddy Fox said. ‘Today we shall find Godot,’ Freddy continued. ‘Though we have waited for him for many days he is coming to our cookout,’ Freddy noted with a dance. ‘Godot has the answers we have been seeking,’ Freddy winked and grinned. ‘He is wise and has been likened to God,’ Freddy whispered. ‘Godot is elusive and no one has ever reported seeing his face or shaking his hand,’ Freddy observed. ‘We have been made to understand that he enjoys Oscar Mayer Wieners right out of the package and not cooked,’ Freddy disclosed. ‘We brought several packages of Oscar Mayer Wieners for Godot and Chet,’ Freddy observed.

‘Goodness the wind has increase in the last few minutes,’ Billy B said. ‘I hope the wind does not blow our paper plates away,’ Billy B continued. ‘It is getting as dark as night and there is lightning in the sky,’ Billy B said with trepidation. ‘I want to be able to see and talk with Godot when he arrives and I hope the storm does not scare him away,’ Billy B advised. ‘I hear a melody that I have heard before,’ Billy B cocked his ears to listen better.

‘Oh I wish I was an Oscar Mayer Wiener that is what I truly want to be for if I was an Oscar Mayer Wiener everyone would be in love with me,’ the song whispered through the wind.

‘All of the Oscar Mayer Wieners are gone….’ Neva J said with surprise!

We reflect on the good old days. Those days burnished by memory. The gauzy picture our mind sees is soft and pleasant. In those days, we were happy and free. Work was fun, and life was easy. Problems seemed light. Hope was grand. We walked all day and never got winded. Planting and prospering were the order of our days. Our snow globe world was perfect. What happened outside our sphere was dim in our vision as we climbed the ladder of success. The revelers of the holidays, rum cake and rum for Neva J. Earl, brought smoked meat. We gathered around the round table and laughed the laugh of the hopeful and blessed. Tomorrow was another day.

The encouragement of friends is a treat. Imogene passed away recently. She told me what a good deacon I would be when I passed on the ask. I did not realize Imogene ever thought of me in any regard. Her opinion made my day. Rob often tells me how much he enjoys my photos, and at times, he compliments my writing. Rob will never know how much I think of him and his encouragement.

I think of my friend and tell him that I love and admire him. Confusion is a dark companion. His smile lights up a room. He is kind and considerate, and I have never spoken with him that I was not the better for it.

We are on the master monitor. God is watching us. We are more interesting than the finest Hollywood movie. Performers, we are on the stage of life. We miss the halcyon days when we are in the midst of them and do not realize now is our moment…now is our Halcyon Days! Whoever you meet, you touch their life. A sacred gift. We see the corporeal while God sees the infinite. We are learning our lines. Shall we enter stage left and depart stage right? Who knows what gifts we harbor? Who understands the deep thoughts we feel?

Sparks fly upward. We are in our place on life’s stage, and our part is next. Play your part well…,’ dear God forever,’ we cry. It is a short play. The Acts are compact and meaningful. Before us is the unknown person whom we are on stage to help. Be careful that you entertain angels unaware. Beneath the dirt and grime is a brilliant diamond. The gold of Ophir walks among us. We become irritated when we kick against the role we have in the Great Play. We chafe under the yoke of our performance. God is watching…