Last month we were in Edinburgh for five wonderful days.  My good friend Elizabeth asked me, at a meeting of the Civil Service Council earlier this month, what was my most memorable memory about my United Kingdom Adventure?  I replied that it was the coolest weather in July and August that I had ever experienced.

The entire time that we were in Edinburgh I felt like I was experiencing mid to late autumn temperatures, and I throughly enjoyed the experience!

Scotland is a fascinating country and Edinburgh is a mysterious…beautiful…suspenseful city.  We were there during the world renown Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  The Fringe is the world’s largest Arts Festival.  “in 2015 it spanned 25 days and featured 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues,” according to wikipedia.  The Fringe was established in 1947.

When you first arrive at the Fringe the enormity of it is overwhelming!  There are so many eager young people emotionally and adroitly advertising their show and the value of attending it that you feel that you would like to take them all in.

We attended two or three shows per day while we were there and one of the most unique that we were privileged to witness was, “Jo Jo Bellini,” who sang Tom Jones songs for an hour while she cooked the audience lunch.  The lunch was delicious!

We also were in attendance for a lovely magic show performed by Asian actors, entitled ‘Snap,’  that was not only beautiful but also compelling in the mystery of the magic.

The Play Small Hours…was one of the most thought provoking that I have seen.  It was two women setting in arm chairs…discussing their lives over several sessions…until you discover…that one of them has been deceased for some time…and that her dramatic depiction is the memory of the living member of the friendship.  This clever Play stayed with me long after I left the venue.

Once again being with our dear friends Jeff and Margo added so much to our European experience.  They have lived in the United Kingdom and France for twelve years or so and to experience the joys of discovery of Europe with them increases our joy ten fold!

We saw the most delightful Improvisational Comics, Stu and Gary,  who perform year round in Edinburgh.  I marvel at the quickness of wit and agility of Improv performers…they are truly something to behold!

The first performance we attended was “Junkk” which consisted of the most talented young men who performed musical numbers on truly what was Junk!  The musical numbers were tremendous and their comic energy and musical professionalism  was inspiring!

Edinburgh captured my imagination and desire to return to this magical…mysterious…beautiful place.

It has done me much good and has benefited me beyond measure to travel to other lands and see with my own eyes that God has created a wonderfully diverse humanity that is neither better or worse than American dogma.  It is just different and beautiful…and complex…and to be appreciated and admired as the wonderful gift of the inhabitants of our small blue ball called Earth.

I met a man who was in a wheel chair on the first evening that we were in Edinburgh.  He asked me if I could lend him an arm as he rose to walk through the line of Mexican food ordering that we were in.  His friendliness and genuine humanity touched me and set the tone for my entire visit to Edinburgh.  He said that he wanted to visit the United States but that his partners’ Visa had been denied…although they would reapply.  His warm open nature and his admonishment to me to enjoy all that I could see of the Fringe and Edinburgh…was one of the most significant connections that I have made in my now four visits to Europe.

This past Sunday our Pastor, Rev. Janice West, preached a compelling sermon regarding material riches and our obligation to them.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”  Mark 10:25 KJV

Donald J. Trump Jr tweeted a picture of a bowl of skittles with the caption, “If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you three would kill you.  Would you take a handful?  Thats our Syrian refugee problem.”

This past Sunday Mary Jane, Aaron, and I saw the new Oliver Stone movie, Snowden.  “When Edward Snowden left his job with Booze Allen Hamilton, an NSA contractor, he flew to Hong Kong and subsequently revealed thousand of classified documents to Guardian newspaper columnist Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewen MacAskill.  Mr. Snowden came to international attention after the Guardian and the Washington Post published the materials,”according to wikipedia.

The classified information that Mr. Snowden revealed was that the United States was collecting information from the American publics’ private phones, computers, and emails in the pursuit of national security.  The question, is Edward Snowden a traitor or a whistle blower and a hero?

More often than not I have found that the rich and powerful were recipients of being in the right place at the right time.  Also, often their riches were aided by a considerable ‘leg up’ by financial gifts and family that were able to put them into contact with influential people to aid them in their success ladder climb.

I have often wondered if the Christ of the Christian faith and the New Testament measures your success as his follower by how much paper money you were able to accumulate?

The marginalization of people who are less fortunate than others is as old as the scriptures.  Does monetary wealth equal adroit leadership skills and political brilliance?  Are suffering members of the human family no more important than a bowl of candy?  If the Skittles analogy is true then it can be used for any group that is outside the Leaders’ definition of Valuable Humanity!

Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

All of us are walking the same path of life that we did not ask for, work for, or earn by some special merit of our own…or our hard work.  I wonder sometimes if we are not all in the foyer of a great house…and the Creator is watching us through the peep hole in the door…to see how we treat each other…our brothers and our sisters…our family…before he opens the door?

This life may indeed be the audition…let us play our part well!

The last historic town in the United Kingdom that we journeyed to was York.  This was after nearly three weeks of fun and enjoyable education in Red Hill, London, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Edinburgh during the Arts Festival entitled the Fringe.

As we were setting high in the viewing stands, next to the Castle, to watch the Royal Military Tattoo in Edinburgh…I could feel myself coming down with a cold.  You know the feeling…a creeping malaise…accompanied by a runny nose and a sore throat…and a cough.

So we enjoyed very much the tremendous show…and returned back to our flat extremely chilled!

York, is fascinating!  When we arrived I was is some disbelief that we were staying behind a large iron gate that was just behind the Minster.  I hate to admit that I first thought that the great cathedral was called the York Minister?  I soon discovered my American error.

The York Minster is the Cathedral and Metropolitical church of St. Peter.  The denomination is the Church of England and the Churchmanship is Anglo-Catholic.  It is one of the largest in Northern Europe.  York has had a christian presence since the fourth century.  “The church was damaged in 1069 during William the Conquerers’ harrying of the North, but the first Norman Archbishop, Thomas of Bayeux, arriving in 1070, organized repairs,” according to Wikipedia.

We stayed in the Garden House just behind the gate that is just behind the Minster.  It was a lovely flat with the most unique stairs.  We were told that they had been uncovered during the excavation for the basement of the flat and that they dated back at least 600 years.

I watched the most intriguing British Television Program entitled, “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell” which was based on the best selling novel by Susanna Clarke, that began in York.  The time setting was during the Napoleonic Wars and began with a Magicians Guild in York and the spellbinding conjuring of Mr. Norrell upon bringing to life busts in the Minster.

The Minster had the most resonate majestic bell that sounded on the hour and that we could enjoy fully due to our proximity.

On our last night in York my dear friend Jeff had asked me to accompany him to an evening designed to introduce him to prospective employees in his business, in Leeds.  This turned out to be one of my most memorable events during my three weeks in the United Kingdom.  Jeff and I have been friends for 45 years…and I was struck with the malleability of time!  He asked me to say a few words about our beginnings as friends…and it was as if the 45 years had evaporated.

I met some wonderful, sweet people in Leeds and their kindness to me was enriching.

York has a mystical quality about it.  It is as if you are communing with many souls that were there in earlier times.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell would say that it was magical!

Presidential Candidate Donald Trump laid out additional features of his Economic Plan, should he be elected President.  Candidate Trump promises to simultaneously cut the current highest tax bracket from 39.6% to 25% while subsequently requiring companies to give six weeks maternity leave to new mothers and concurrently building up the military to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Candidate Trump pledges 4% growth, which has not been seen in the United States since Bill Clinton was President and that was primarily brought about by the technology revolution.

“Oxford Economics, a British forecasting firm, estimates his proposals would cut 1 trillion a year from the economy, a much bigger hit than occurred during the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009,” according to CNN.

Candidate Trump has regularly assured the American people that once his tax returns have been audited that he will release them to the public.  His son, Donald J. Trump Jr, said today that his father might not release the returns saying that, “Because he has got a 12,000 page tax return that would create…financial auditors out of ever person in the country asking questions that would detract from his father’s main message,” according to CNN.

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was simply overheated until a bystander took a telling cell phone video that showed her wobbling badly and apparently falling into a vehicle.  Later that day it was revealed that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia.

Former President George W. Bush assured us that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and that he had to send troops immediately or the result would be a mushroom cloud.  Later we found that the information was doctored and incorrect and the death of thousands of American men and women was perpetrated on a false idea.

Former President Clinton told us that he did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky…he pointed his finger at us and looked us in the eye.  Later he explained in his deposition that it was all in the meaning of the word is…it was all about what “is is?”

Former President Nixon exclaimed, “I am not a crook!”  Later he resigned in disgrace for choosing to lie and thus making the cover-up of the crime of Watergate much worse than the actual crime.

It is little wonder to me and not a mystery that we are tired of falsehoods…half truths…and having our intelligence insulted.

Donald Trump says the most outrageous statements that I have ever seen a Presidential candidate make.  He has normalized bigotry…misogyny…xenophobia… ridiculing the disabled…and violence towards anyone who does not look and act like what his extreme rhetoric deems worthy of former American greatness.

We are tired of lies…when the truth would have served the teller better and been so much simpler.  Political Double Talk is easy to spot and sickening to listen to.   Before lobbyist, and their pockets lined with money, totally take our democracy into the Twilight Zone…we need clear truth telling and detailed solutions to complex problems.

Believe me…and trust me…are not the answers…but they are selling well in this elections cycle due to the….Black hole…and total vacuum of what politics has become.

As I set remembering the 9/11 attacks I am struck with how vivid the memory is.  I was just getting ready to leave for work when The Today Show broke in with a news flash that a plane had apparently hit the World Trade Center and their first inclination was that it must have been a small aircraft.

Quickly it became apparent that it was not a small aircraft due to the size of the gapping hole in the side of the North tower.  Within a few minutes…on live television was the horrendous crash of United Airlines Flight 175 into the South tower.

At this point I alerted my family that our country was being attacked.

At 9:43 a.m. American Airlines 77 crashes into the Pentagon.

At 9:45 a.m. the White House evacuates.

At 10:05 a.m. the South tower of the World Trade Center collapses.

At 10:10 a.m.a portion of the Pentagon collapses.

At 10:28 a.m. the North tower of the World Trade Center collapses.

At 10:48 a.m. a plane crash in Pennsylvania is confirmed.

As I proceeded to Southern Illinois University I seriously wondered if this attack would include locations like SIU.  I spoke with Mary Jane and my friend, the former Chancellor, Jo Ann Argersinger and admonished her to be especially careful as radical elements might be looking for opportunity to hurt University leaders or former leaders.

I waked through the Student Center which was packed with student watching the news coverage.  One student called out, “I am just here to find a Rag Head to kill!”

I was broken hearted and in despair at the genocide that had been perpetrated on our beloved country…and I was frightened at the xenophobia being expressed.

“One day after the September 11 attacks, Le Monde, the famed French newspaper, ran a front page editorial under the headline ‘NOUS SOMMES TOUS AMERICAINS,’ or we are all Americans,” according to Mental_floss.

Buckingham Palace broke with tradition on September 14, 2001 when the Queen allowed her troops to play the Star Spangled Banner to honor the many United States citizens who had died on 9/11.

“Standing beyond the palace railings, many of the 5,000 Americans broke down in tears and held their right hands over their heart in salute,” according to the Telegraph.

The United States Congress joined to sing God Bless America on the Capitol steps on the evening of 9/11.

For two years after 9/11 I wore pins on my suite lapel commemorating the tragic event.

We were united after 9/11.  We all knew that we have to get through this together.  We are stronger united than divided.  Political Party was no longer relevant.  George W. Bush exhibited leadership in his initial response to the terrorist.  New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was a study in leadership under extreme stress.

Truly we need the spirit of unity that came to us so naturally in the dark days of 9/11.  Unity in our wonderful country…including all races, creeds, and colors.  Acceptance of religions that are different from ours…and a return to the bedrock belief that the greatness of the United States comes from the embracing of its’ diversity.

Last month we had the great pleasure of taking a tour of the Cotswolds in England.  The Cotswolds are 25 miles wide and 90 miles long.  This area is a grassland containing several stone built villages.  The villages are made of Cotswold stone which when weathered becomes the color of honey.

The Cotswolds are truly fascinating!  Our Tour Guide, Tom who was born and raised in the Cotswolds and who attended Shakespeare’s school in Stratford-upon-Avon, began our eight hour tour by taking us to one of the highest points in the region for a majestic view of the rolling countryside.

In the first village we stopped in I found the most delightful little book store and a 1925 edition of the Wind in the Willows.

Tom recounted to us two unusual sporting events that at one time were popular in the Cotswolds.  The first being a shin kicking contest where the contestants placed their hands on each other’s shoulders and summarily kicked the others shins until one of the two fell to the ground.  According to our guide this practice has been discontinued for obvious reasons.

The second contest is a cheese rolling contest whereby a large round cheese wheel is rolled down a steep hill and the contestants race to the bottom of the hill alongside the cheese wheel in the valiant attempt to catch the racing cheese before it reaches the bottom of the hill and thus win the contest…which is the obtaining of the cheese!

The quaint beautiful villages can easily transport a person to a time long ago.  Their Medieval peaceful ambiance is captivating.

One of the most interesting locations that we visited in the Cotswolds was a stone henge.

It is said that whoever counts the number of the stones in the henge and then recounts them…will never come up with the same number twice.

Then, there is the castle!

The people of the Cotswolds seemed to live at a slower pace than the hurry scurry world at large.  They’re friendly manner and settled demeanor was refreshing.

Earlier this month we visited Stratford-upon-Avon the town where Shakespeare was born.  Stratford-upon-Avon is located in Warwickshire, England, on the River Avon.

Shakespeare was born in April 23, 1564.  He died on April 23, 1616, at the age of 52.

Although there are no records of Shakespeare’s education it is assumed that he attended; King Edward VI Grammar School from the age of 7 until the age of 14 in 1578.

The courses were taught in Latin and students were expected to converse in Latin during the long school day.

Shakespeare was born on Henley Street.

This is the original floor that Shakespeare walked on in his birth home.

One of our most enjoyable events while we were visiting Stratford-upon-Avon was attending a performance of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.  The Play was performed in the Swan Theatre.

This classic story of the struggle of a man who has sold his soul to the devil for a few years of fulfilling his every carnal desire was poignant and revealing.  Whatever the poor deceived Doctor’s wishes and desires were, Mephistophilis was careful to fulfill according the letter of the contract…but certainly not what Dr. Faustus had imagined the fulfillment to be!

We were all sitting close to the stage with Jonathon and I sitting with our knees touching it.  Jonathon even became a part of the performance when a piece of chalk that Dr. Faustus had flung hit him!

Faustus and Mephistophilis were interchangeable in the two lead roles and this was determined by they’re meeting on the stage at the beginning of the performance and both lighting a match.  The match that burned the longest was Mephistophilis.  Faustus and Mephistophilis were totally dependent on each other.

The church of the Holy Trinity is where Shakespeare is buried.

I thought the statues modeled from prominent characters in Shakespeare’s Plays were fascinating!

As you can see from the above picture…I was so inspired by Shakespeare…I now have what I affectionately call, Portable Shakespeare.

Oxford University was established in the twelfth century.  Among the University’s famous alumni are: C S Lewis,  J.R.R. Tolkien, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Caroll, Stephen Hawking, and Bill Clinton.

The “Great Hall” in Christ Church College is the inspiration for the Hogwarts Dining Hall depicted in the Harry Potter films.

The Bodliean Library is another iconic Oxford building that is used in four of the films as the Hogwarts Infirmary.

The New College Tree that is inside the grounds of New College beyond the Bridge of Sighs is also shown in a Harry Potter film where Draco Maufoy tells Harry Potter “you won’t last ten-seconds” under a tree.

One of our most enjoyable dining experiences while in Oxford was at the Eagle and Child Pub which was a favorite of the Inkling’s writers group.  This group included C S Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Oxford is a city like none that I have visited.  Dear friends of ours gave us a watercolor of Oxford several years ago and I have been intrigued by the idea of visiting the University/City ever since.  They are history professors and during our friendship both were invited to speak at Oxford due to their expertise in their Discipline.  Our friend Peter had been invited to speak at the High Table while Jo Ann was speaking at the Low Table.

In searching for the University I quickly found that it is co-mingled with the town.  Oxford is a place that I felt most at home in during our United Kingdom Adventure and at one point during a tour we were taking, as we sat in the Library and as our guide was speaking to us I had the strangest feeling of deja-vu?

When we first entered the Eagle and Child and were searching for a table two gracious people, professors I assume, hurried to give us their’s, as they were just finishing up their dinner.  When we asked how we could repay them they pleaded for us to not vote for Donald Trump.

Last month on July 28 we visited the infamous Tower of London.  This was our second visit to the Tower, with the first being in August 2012 when the Olympics was in town.

“The Tower of London was founded in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England” according to Wikipedia.”  The Tower has served variously as an armory, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of England” Wikipedia.

Although the Tower is known for its’ use as a prison and a place of executions, prior to World War I and World War II only seven people were executed there.

We began our Tour conducted by a throughly colorful character; one of the proud ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London, The Beefeaters.

All Yeoman Warders, “are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former senior non-commissioned officers or petty officers with at least 22 years of service.  They must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal” Wikipedia.

Of course the Tower of London was where one of Henry VIII’s most famous wives was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded; Anne Boleyn.

Above is a monument on the Tower Green that approximates the spot where the beheadings occurred.

I found the Ravens fascinating to observe.

Or Henry’s…perhaps wishful thinking…suit of armor.

The Tower has a brooding melancholy atmosphere to it…quite fascinating in its’ historic splendor!

Of course one of the most iconic images is Tower Bridge.

To tour the Tower of London is to both commune with the past and the spirits of history.  It is a unique experience that leaves an indelible impression.