Thanksgiving week is here. The suggestion for when to take your turkey out of the freezer is now. Candy for the Advent Calendar is purchased. Jonathon is a Wiseman in the church pagent. Black Friday now includes a trip through the Paducah Park to see the lights. This is the Holiday Season.

Other Voices intrigues me. We desperately need to hear them. Many of us sit silent as others who enjoy speaking fulfill their passion. The good ideas that are never heard are many. Leaders once in office assume the rest of us are the obedient flock. We should listen and follow without question.

During my over 32-year career at Southern Illinois University, I learned that the same people seem to make the decisions that govern us. Never has there been a time when introverts needed voices.

‘All will be well,’ We say. ‘Surely our leaders have already had our unusual ideas and found them wanting,’ We proclaim. ‘Who will listen,’ We ask?

‘We have the best answers for you,’ the Leader says. Be quiet and obey. ‘Do what we mandate and do it with humility,’ the Leader commands.

‘I am hungry and cold,’ Little Girl says softly. ‘No one sees me they pass me on the street,’ Little Girl observes. ‘My father is dead and my mother is ill…it is my job to earn bread for my family,’ Little Girl whispers.

‘How will you be blessed at Christmas if you do not work,’ Leader proclaims. ‘Your skin is the problem… your race is dragging you down,’ Leader says. ‘You poor folks must avail yourselves of opportunity,’ Leader smiles a toothy grin.

‘America for Americans,’ Throng cries out. ‘The poor among us are dragging down our economy,’ Throng observes. ‘Tax cuts for the rich is the answer…the benefits will trickle down,’ Throng assures.

Why are your clothes wet,’ Little Boy asks Little Girl? ‘Has the Trickel Down not reached you as yet,’ Little Boy asks? ‘I have searched but the good paying jobs Leader promises are not available to me,’ Little Boy says with tears in his eyes.

‘I slept in the rain,’ Little Girl says. ‘I was by the front door of the restaurant but the rain blew in on me all night…I suppose that is the Trickle Down Leader is speaking of,’ Little Girl said softly…

It’s another cold, crisp day in Little Egypt. Our present is the future we thought about yesterday. Thanksgiving is next week. Christmas comes next. Happy New Year! MJ and I were talking about the changes in Carbondale. Hangar 9 closes on January 1st. It has been a local Club for many years. Our Mall was once the place to be, especially during the Holidays. Now almost empty, it is sad to pass it. Businesses that have been part of our lives disappear. Things change.

So we know change is certain. I have thought of when so often. When I retire, get older, or take another cruise, now is the time for when.

Planning is good I hear…it can be overdone. Committees gather to ensure that nothing changes in their church. They meet in the middle of a maelstrom of change. The Democrats were counting on their reliable constituents to give them the win. Reliable Constituents had changed enough to result in the loss.

There is a time for everything. Employment opportunities present themselves when the time is right. Relationships come together under the right stars. Age has nothing to do with opportunities. Many develop the height of their skills in their golden years.

We travel on a spinning Earth. About 1 thousand miles per hour at the equator. We do not feel the movement because we are all traveling at the same speed. Such is life. ‘In the year 2025 if man is still alive, if woman can survive, they may find…’

‘Whoa…stop the world and let me off,’ Neva J said with a dizzy look. ‘I fell onto the couch and it is not nap time,’ Neva J continued. ‘It is time to begin the Christmas cleaning and food preparation. ‘When I lost my balance it seemed like the 57′ Chevy when I take it out of the drive and put it in reverse,’ she observed.

‘We have experienced a Space Directional Reverse,’ Chet dryly observed. ‘We are no longer going forward we are backing up, Chet said. ‘The result of this unprecedented reversal is our moving back through time,’ Chet clinically observed.

‘Chet, are you saying that we are going to experience life the second time around,’ Billy B asked? ‘How fast will this unusual event happen,’ asked Billy B?

‘Follow me to the University Mall…it is popping with excitement,’ Jane laughed! ‘It is like a walk backward in time,’ Jane giggled…

Today there is a taste of winter in the air. Nothing grand but tomorrow it will be 10 degrees colder. It does not seem possible autumn will soon be 2 months old. December in Southern Illinois is a winter month. Five PM seems late. It is dark. Nine PM is bedtime. Farmers customarily, in days of yore, went to bed in the dark and rose in daylight or before if they had cows to milk. Perhaps I should get a cow. For most of my life, I worked at night. When we took a Holiday we left at night. The night is quite peaceful and good.

Jennifer told us that being raised in Alabama they have warm clothes for winter and wear them for a day or two. Winter has shortened its grasp on SI. I remember snow at Halloween and many snow-covered Thanksgiving. Black Friday was a cold day to shop till you drop. We put up our outside Christmas decorations early knowing the weather was going to get bad. Now each day is a choice do I need a sweater or light jacket or will short sleeves do the trick.

Ice is naughty, not nice. I fell on ice a few years ago and broke 3 ribs. They hurt to this day. MJ tells me they will get better. I suppose I will not notice them 30 years from now. I walk like an old man in the snow. I am old but do not dwell on the condition. Jonathon got me a walking stick for the Woods. This may be the winter I start using it. I had a stick that looked a bit like Moses Staff in the Ten Commandments Charlton Heston Movie. I walked with it in Eldorado as a youngster. Moses had nothing on me.

Steve and I traveled to Eldorado in his Vintage Chrysler. We played Christmas In The Country on the radio. Cars used to have humongous steering wheels. You needed the large wheel to steer without the aid of power steering. On the way, we would stop and enjoy an Italian Beef sandwich at Mr. Snacks in Christopher. In the backseat, I had a lovely outdoor painting for Neva J that I had paid off $5 a week at Downs Furniture store.

When we arrived, Neva J had her Christmas Tree erected. It was a foot tall and festooned with little bells. There was Christmas Coffee Cake to enjoy. The antique coal stove was cherry red with heat. Once you entered the home, you were warm all over unless you left the kitchen.

Control is a bad thing. When we seek to control others we neglect our own lack of it. Purposeful peace comes from acceptance. Some of us are satisfied that we know what is best for our neighbors. Our assurance comes from our blinder-obstructed vision of reality. If something is good for us it must be good for everyone. Control Freaks are especially dangerous in leadership positions. Leaders are often so out of touch with the lives of those they lead that their policies are anathema.

We understand the big things are important. But the trivialities should be left to discretion. Look we do for faith and acceptance of who we are. Not who someone wants us to be. Woods provides a great example of live and let live. Trees grow in their own way. Some bend to follow the Sun. Others seek the comfort of a nearby stream. Leaves change color in a kaleidoscope of beauty. They fall peacefully to the ground where they are still resplendent. Wild Turkeys graze and Deer forage with no thought of controlling the other.

The Woodpecker joyously pecks. The melodious sound of his given work fills the Forest. The Wind In The Willows provides a wonderful example of different animals living harmoniously. Badger Mole Ratty and Mr. Toad have merry adventures.

‘There is nothing…absolutely nothing…half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats,’ Ratty said to Mole. The Wind In The Willows Friends illustrates how wonderful it is to have diverse friends.

I did it my way is our refrain. We seek people like us with our bag of bias slung over our shoulders. Our friendships are dictated by our political/religious views. Isolated we feel. Lonely afraid anxious, and paranoid we suffer. How did our world change while we were watching it with open eyes? We did what the Great Leader said. We hated all the right people. We exalted ignorance and diminished wisdom. They told us where to sit and stand and speak. Bad was good right was wrong, and facts were meaningless. We sought god who would avenge the wrongdoers. Of course that did not include the Chosen.

An experiment United States. An experiment…life. It is short. Do we think it was God’s plan to give us joy for the morning and let us die before sunset? A Biosphere if you please. Angels study our movement. Reports are written. Is killing and bloodshed death destruction…enemies all acceptance the Chosen Few the Thesis…

Onward we go to the next thing. Life is a series of challenges. From the chill of change when we left our mother’s warm womb until the light at the end of the tunnel. We do not know what is coming next. A bit exciting I think. There is always something to get out of bed for. Amid the change, we are surrounded by unparalleled beauty.

A smile from a stranger. The warm hand of a friend. The fact we are Temporary on this planet. The hope for eternity.

Where could we go for a more exciting ride? Life is a roller coaster. Daily, we are called on to react to what is next. Some days are quiet, and others are full of excitement. I was remembering our lovely Maine Holiday last month. What fun to be with dear friends. I have visited Maine so often that I feel like a Mainer.

We are off to Paducah, Kentucky for Black Friday. A new restaurant and a new experience for the day after Thanksgiving. The Kentucky Oaks Mall is still vibrant. Paducah residents love their Mall. MJ and I visited Elizabeth many years ago at a Candle store in the Mall. She got us hooked on the artist Tom Clark’s Gnome sculptures. When Elizabeth explained the story of each piece they came alive and spoke to us. It is fun being friends with a Gnome. They are delightful and inquisitive. They do not eat much. Gnomes bring the hidden side of Earth alive.

The Art Colony is in Lowertown Paducah. We have spent many hours enjoying fine art in its confines. The Fine Art that Lowertown has to offer is as good as any we have seen. The coffee at the coffee shop is to die for.

Santa Claus has many elves who help him with Christmas. He relies on them heavily. At this writing they are busily crafting toys for good girls and boys…and all are good in Santa’s Book.

‘Bring me some more cherry wood please,’ Horatio said. ‘I am making a rocking chair of Susie and she like Cherry,’ Horatio informed all listening. ‘Susie lost her mother this year who often rocked her in a big Cherry Rocking Chair…Susie would like to have a Rocker just like it only her size,’ Horatio smiled.

‘Jose has asked for warm clothes and a new pair of shoes,’ Liz said. ‘His Mom has been sick she worries about Jose having no coat and holes in his shoes,’ Liz continued. ‘Jose’s Dad was killed in El Salvador before they immigrated to the United States,’ Liz explained with a tear.

‘Billy B wants a Bozo The Clown punching bag some Rock-Em-Sock-Em-Robots and a Big Swinger Camera,’ Mabel noted. ‘His Mom and Dad divorced and money is tight,’ they eat commodity cheese and drink powdered milk,’ Mable continued.

‘Hit the deck, rubberneck; it’s Christmas,’ Neva J proclaimed with a wide grin. It looks like Santa has come. Would you like a glass of real milk?’ Neva J asked with joy.

Birthdays bring magic. They are a time for reflection and renewal. Last night, Iron Mike Tyson did not have the youth to defeat his 30-year-old challenger, but then again, who would? With birthdays comes wisdom. Perhaps it is wise not to get into the ring with a challenger 30 years younger than you are.

We want to cheat time, and we are certain we can be the ones to beat it. Birthdays are transitions: appreciation of the past and a clear eye for the future.

Aaron has a birthday today. I am so proud of him. He is a man of many talents. He chauffeured us to Maine and made my Holiday infinitely more enjoyable.

Aaron is a great judge of character. A dedicated and hard worker. A leader.

As I carried him into our little house on 7th Street in Elkville I knew my life had changed. All for the better.

I saw Aaron with his little blue hat. He cried lustily. I fed him his first bottle. When he was little I asked him if he could keep a secret from Mommy. He replied that he could. I told him Mommy was going to receive real flowers the next day and that he must not tell her so that she would be surprised. He assured me with a big grin that he would keep the secret. MJ said that Aaron asked her that night if she liked flowers… not artificial ones like she had but real ones. She replied that she did. Aaron told her that some were coming for her tomorrow.

It is a lovely day in the neighborhood. The birds are singing. A little dog is running. Aaron’s birthday is tomorrow. A joyful time. An exciting time. A time to throw off shackles of worry. Time to seek a better tomorrow.

I am using my Christmas present that I received in August. The new Mac nearly does my writing for me. It is quick and sleek. Something I never was.

Santa Claus is coming to town. He knows who has been naughty or nice. I am trying to be nice.

‘Are you as excited as I am about Christmas, ‘Billy B asked Chet? ‘I have asked for a Big Swinger camera,’ Billy B said. ‘Money is tight but I hope Santa will come through for me,’ Billy B winked.

‘I am hoping for a Daniel Boone Action Figure,’ Chet replied. ‘The AF looks just like Fess Parker,’ Chet noted with glee. ‘Thelma says I should go to Sears and visit the Old Man to ensure my request is lodged,’ Chet laughed. ‘I watch Fess Parker portraying Daniel Boone weekly,’ Chet assured.

‘We shall go to Carbondale to Sears we will load into the 57′ Chevy right now,’ Neva J proclaimed. ‘Call Jane to go with us,’ Neva J giggled. ‘I will take him some Merlot to put him in a good mood,’ Neva J said with authority.

‘My goodness Sears is decorated magnificently,’ Jane exclaimed. ‘I brought the Sears Wish Book with me to point to Santa what I want,’ Jane said with assuring sound. ‘He knows me he has been to my house,’ she said.

‘Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas,’ roared Santa! ‘What brings the Eldorado Kids to see me,’ Santa asked? ‘Could it be a Big Swinger camera and a Daniel Boone Action figure…what do you desire sweet Jane,’ Santa inquired? ‘The elves are loading my sleigh early this year due to budget cutbacks,’ Santa laughed.

‘Santa we all want surprises…could you just bring Peace On Earth Goodwill To All this year,’ Jane asked tearfully. ‘I have my Sears Wish Book marked but Kids are afraid…we want safety at school and at home,’ Jane whispered.

‘You know it has been sometime since I felt afraid,’ Neva J said. ‘I do not recall the last school shooting,’ Neva J continued. ‘Could I see the unusual Big Swinger Photo you have of the Angel at the door of the school,’ Neva J smiled through her tears…

Not everyone is happy. Some have their sadness magnified during the holidays. Life brings joy and sorrow. Sorrow hangs on our shoulders like a wet blanket in winter.

Harkening back to things that make us feel better is a good thing. Music helps. Geographical locations that bring us peace help. Friends help. None of us know the burden our neighbor is bearing. I heard Kentucky Governor Beashear say he believed we are all God’s children and would not be mean to kids. What a lovely thought from a leader.

We are children seeking acceptance and understanding of grace. We know it when we feel it. Where everyone is King and Queen in their home. Where everyone feels at home in their Country.

“It’s just thumb and walk and wait and I’m still 500 miles away from home…’

‘Teardrops fell on Mama’s note When I read the things she wrote She said, ‘We miss you, son, we love you, come on home’ Well, I didn’t have to pack I had it all right on my back Now I’m 500 miles away from home.’

‘Away from home, away from home Cold and tired and all alone Yes, I’m 500 miles away from home…’ Bobby Bare

We want to go home. Create Home for someone…

Longfellow wrote, ‘I heard the bells on Christmas Day.’ The poem was written during the Civil War, a time of strife, division, and death in the United States. Henry said, ‘Their old familiar carols play, and mild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

So it goes with us. The Bells are ringing in our divided nation. We will gather around our Christmas Trees, eat our Christmas Pudding, and thank God for his gift of the Christ child. As we wish our neighbors well and think of the poor, can we imagine that families unlike us are doing the same?

‘I simply can not wait for Christmas, Jane said with glee.’ ‘I have been waiting for it all year,’ Jane added. ‘This year we are going to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for Christmas,’ she laughed as she rubbed her tiny hands together.

‘I have the Merlot packed,’ Neva J exclaimed. ‘We will have steaks at the Peddler,’ Neva J grinned. ‘I can not wait to ride the Sky Lift,’ she winked.

‘I am especially excited that Rosie is coming with us this year,’ Chet offered. ‘She often spent Christmas alone until Neva J made her a friend,’ Chet said. ‘Rosie loves JFK,’ Chet noted.

‘Rosie was shunned by her family for being an old school Democrat,’ Billy B said. ‘They are all fans of Barry Goldwater,’ Billy B explained. ‘It seems to me that culture has invaded politics in many ways…there was a time when all poor people were Democrats,’ Billy B continued.

‘Could it be that politicians are playing with us to obtain what they want,’ Chet smiled slyly?

The leaves are graciously giving up their positions on trees. Fall Rain has a way of expediting the process. We humans are involved with our concerns while nature goes merrily along.

Rain soothes the soul. It brings the troubled heart into focus, especially with Classical Christmas music. Our year on Earth will soon pass. Another is waiting in the wings. Troubled we are as we seek comfort in institutions. Hope we have as we look skyward for inspiration. Our best efforts are flawed. God’s message of love is eternal.

Fear has an inordinate place in our psyche. We have many problems and want a leader to solve them for us. Rain gently falls. Leaves are doing their thing. Tomorrow is another day.

Christmas is nearing. We erect the Christmas Tree on Sunday. Believing in the bedrock principles of Christ’s message brings comfort. In the good days and the bad Jesus loves the little children all the little children of the world. Red yellow black and white…all are precious in his sight.

Robert Fulguhm wrote the bestseller, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten.

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?’

I watched a documentary on the Heaven’s Gate Cult. We are susceptible to suggestions from those who have a skewed idea of life. You will recall their mass suicide as they prepared to leave Earth in a flying saucer. The history of the Cult goes back many years before the mass suicide. We humans are searching for answers.

Think.

A happy life requires our participation. No strongman is going to rescue us. Hate with the strength of water from a fire hose is wrong. We were taught it was wrong and nothing has changed.

We are diverse. Faith is diverse. If you doubt that look at the theocratic governments in the Middle East. How is it we think we have the corner on God’s Market?