We say one thing and do another. We all are guilty. It is human nature. Suffer from disconnect we do. We are so removed from the people who make decisions that affect our lives…we are on another Earth.

It is a lovely fall day. I saw my friend from Giant City Lodge at the post office. He is an eternally friendly person. MJ reminded Brooks that we must set aside time to enjoy our lives and be happy. The view from the Writing Porch is as good as it ever has been. Peace comes from within. Christianity is a comfortable garment that is worn easily. We must never adopt the rancor evil thought marginalization and fever dream of others whatever the station or megaphone.

You must dance with the one who brought you—I have heard it said. Neva J taught me to love all people, and Jesus taught me the same. I do not change. When I sang the old hymn, ‘I have decided to follow Jesus…no turning back…no turning back…I meant it. Each time I feel a little blue or down in the dumps the kindness of those different than me lifts me.

I watched a fascinating movie entitled Another Earth. The thesis was seeing another earth in the sky and wondering if our doppelgangers were inhabitants. The star discovers that her other Earth self was there and had been just like her until a change in her life’s walk caused her to go down another path. She was the one who had the misfortune to be in a car accident where she was drunk and accidentally killed a woman and her child. She subsequently did prison time for it and had to leave her education behind and begin cleaning houses instead of a promising science career. Her Other Earth self did not have the car wreck or the manslaughter conviction.

We are expecting a real-time fork in the road. There are consequences…

The rain is falling on Election Day. The leaves are letting go of their tree home. Thanksgiving is ahead. Hope is secure. We love drama. Drama captivates us often. We live in a Democracy. We must avail ourselves of the blessing of freedom and choice for ourselves and our neighbors.

Often, we believe that what works for us will work for everyone. I enjoy walking in the woods daily, while others prefer the inside of their homes. Some of us are extroverts, while I am an introvert. Many wore their faith on their sleeve. Others have a quiet faith that does not require trumpeting.

This morning, I walked through the rain and wind to vote. I was accompanied by diverse, friendly people. One lady had her baby covered from the elements. She smiled as I held the door open for her and her child. My neighbor greeted me warmly. Voting was a fun, peaceful experience devoid of hidden agendas. Each person at the Poll wants many of the same things: a happy world, peace, and a taste of prosperity. Shelter against the coming cold. Food when they are hungry. A comfortable bed to lay their head on.

Each of us is deserving of Grace. We have been recipients of it on many occasions. We have received a second chance. We sighed in relief when we were afforded the benefit of the doubt.

People bring me great pleasure. A smile brightens my day. My brilliance has not brought me success. The Grace of others has lightened my load. Understanding is a gift of the angels. To see through another’s eyes is a gift. Feeling the pain of loss hunger…marginalization…is a lifelong lesson.

We are one Human Family. Dividing us is an insult to our kin and to God.

The autumn rain is falling. I am sitting in the Writing Porch which my friend Ira Kaye describes as a beautiful room. I agree. As I spend time on the Writing Porch I think kind thoughts. Anxiety leaves. My vision of the future becomes less murky. The look of the raindrops striking the pond is pleasant. A Great Blue Heron walks leisurely by. It is a happy Monday for him and me.

I watched a cartoon this morning describing the pine trees of Maine. I want to go back and see the pine trees. The Writing Porch causes me to reflect on the big porch at the first bed and breakfast we stayed in at Mr. Desert Isle in Maine. With a glass of red wine in hand and the beauty of Maine surrounding us, it felt good.

Our Nation is a Beautiful Room. Living in such a wide open land with all types of topography climates and people is a rare blessing. As I sat on the elaborate deck during our Maine Stay last month I felt there was no more lovely natural setting on Earth. Indeed there is so much beauty in our Beautiful Room that it is overwhelming…

My Writing Porch is open with a vista of view. Freedom is my view. There are no political shackles. There is no dictatorial requirement or death. Freedom of thought and speech is guaranteed.

Hope is the currency of the realm in our Beautiful Room. The sky is the limit. Everyone has a place at the table…

We have fallen back. It is 4:14 P.M. soon it will be dark. Pastor Kerry preached a lovely sermon regarding our upcoming Election, not from a political stand but from a Christian view. We are a bit anxious an understatement. Media aids in our discontent. Our political/religious rhetoric has become superheated. We race to determine who can get the best zinger in first. Cutting remarks barbed statements mean words have been substituted for courage.

Church and state have become the feet of the statue in Daniel in the Old Testament a mixture of iron and clay. It is impossible to determine where the divisive politics ends and the Christianity of many churches begins. Iron and clay do not mix…

All media sources have bias. The secret is all of us have biases. With our best efforts, it will never be completely removed. Politics was not designed to be the religious answer to a diverse nation. Democracy is hard…it takes a lot of work. The Vision of the United States is a Refuge, …The wretched refuse of your teeming shore’ is not easily achieved.

The first lesson I learned as a manager and then manager/administrator of a large department at Southern Illinois University was I had to look at things from the Big Picture. The question was not what was best for me but what was best for everyone. Not keeping a few friends and neighbors happy…keeping those who have no voice nor advocate happy. Not catering to perceived friends but loving perceived enemies.

Democracy is a work in progress…it is never completed. Hate is not the answer. Acceptance of each other is the beginning of grace. The loudest among us are insecure. Gasoline on a fire does not extinguish it…

Soon we will light the Christmas Candles. The little flickering light will pierce the darkness that surrounds us. Faces from across the Earth will smile into the flame and think of the Prince Of Peace…

‘It is a lovely Saturday…let go rock climbing,’ Billy B said. ‘The Saturday before Election Tuesday will be ideal to take our minds off politics,’ Billy B continued. ‘Whoever wins it will pale compared to the Rush that we will get from climbing the face of a cliff with Salmon Salad Sandwiches,’ Billy B laughed.

‘Tony, I know you do not like egg salad sandwiches so I will make you Salmon Salad,’ George said with a male crush grin. ‘I am down for some rock climbing,’ George continued. ‘Maybe when we go rock climbing you will tell me how you get free pie from waitresses,’ George gushed…

‘Don’t look now but I think we are in a Seinfeld Episode,’ Chet said. ‘I watched this episode on TV,’ Chet continued. ‘Are we dreaming or is this the alternate universe again,’ Chet asked?

‘I do not understand how the fat content in my blood test is so high as I am careful of my diet…however I have been eating a lot of low-fat yogurt,’ Giuliani said.

‘Wake up Billy B and fasten the carabiner…before Chet falls,’ Jane called out! ‘It is dusk and soon will be dark…tonight we set the clocks back,’ Jane said. ‘We do not want to be late for our final journey to the Election,’ Jane admonished.

‘This is a pristine view,’ Chet observed. ‘I can see the entire nation from The Precipice,’ Chet said with tears in his eyes. ‘So…we decide where we have been and where we are going Tuesday,’ Chet whispered. ‘What would President Washington do…what would President Lincoln do…what would my hero…President Kennedy do,’ Chet asked as he spoke to himself…

Today begins the Holiday Season. It’s time to think of turkey, dressing, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—the joy of Christmas.

A time of year that fosters reflection. Where have I been and where am I going. We are renewed daily. Our lives are a series of happenings. They connect with a loose thread. The thread becomes a strong rope as we age. Yet each day is new. Each day is a snapshot of the whole. ‘Hold your friends close and your enemies closer,’ said the Godfather.

The past is good for learning. What did not work before probably will not work again. The Holiday Season is our reset button. If every time we had an evil thought we replaced it with a good thought…how happy we would be.

Halfway through the ‘Ber’ months…how did this happen so quickly? We are ‘Marching To Pretoria’ Neva J often sang as I got ready for school. Indeed we are marching toward our goal. My goal is peace and happiness for all. No more war John Lennon told us in his famous Christmas Carol. We brag on ourselves and pat ourselves on the back for our upward mobility…yet we kill each other and let the children go cold and hungry…

‘So this is Christmas,’ is once again our challenge. No more war hunger or a roof over you’re head. The theme of the Holiday Season is caring for our neighbors wherever they are from…

The weather is good for Halloween. Rain and chill with grey skies. When we moved to Eldorado I was five. My life had been disrupted. Mom and Dad were considering separation or divorce in Chicago. They came south to start anew. We moved into a Victorian house that had numerous fireplaces. It was heated by the fireplaces and a coal furnace in the basement. The Coal Man came regularly. On the first morning, my eyes were fastened shut by the matting, and cold at night. When I got them unstuck it was frigid. Neva J called out that Dad was starting fires in the fireplaces. Soon I heard the sound of shaking down the clinkers in the furnace. In those days much discussion ensued as to the best coal to burn. Bituminous won the competition with Anthracite. Eldorado was a coal mining town. My bedroom was a broom closet. To enter I climbed into the little bed from the doorway. I heard creaks and groans all night and people whispering as I watched strange shadows on the walls. Neva J found a large dead rat in the bathtub. We were not in our lovely ranch-style home that reminded me of Beaver and Wally’s house on Leave It To Beaver.

There was an ancient well in the backyard. It had a heavy round stone covering its opening. Eerie sounds came from the covered well. My aunt and uncle lived with my family for a month. We watched Eldorado High School Football from the wrap-around front porch. The bright football field lights cast an etheral glow as they illuminated the players. I looked for more rats. My cousin Brenda walked me to Hillcrest School. She was in eighth grade and I began first. I felt like I was living in a nightmare. Nothing was as it had been. Soon President Kennedy was assassinated. Neva J cried when I arrived home early from my first days in first grade. Cousin Billy loved Universal Studio Monsters. Frankenstein seemed comforting contrasted with my changed world. As time passed, I found the Orpheum Theatre, Frankenstein Dracula Wolfman, and The Mummy. Dracula had no defense when shown a cross. Dr. Van Helsing was my hero. I settled into Southern life. When I see shadows I turn the lights on…

At Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale, I heard from the crew supervisor at Anthony Hall that a Malaysian student worker had seen a ghost in Anthony. When she went to the third floor of Anthony she discovered a woman dressed in a white blouse and dark floor-length skirt sitting in a chair in the hall. The student called the woman as she sat silent. Anthony Hall is named for Susan B. Anthony beginning as a Women’s Dormitory. The Anthony Hall Ghost Story spread across Campus until the Vice President asked for a full report. The Crew Boss took me into the attic of Anthony showing me an old framed photograph of women in the building who looked like what the frightened student had seen. The Malaysian Student Community was large in the 1980s’ and the Ghost Story traveled through it quickly. No Malaysian students would work in Anthony Hall after the incident…

It is a windy wonderful day. The beauty is overwhelming. The World Series is in full motion. The Yankees are still alive. I am recording vintage horror shows on Turner Classic Movies and there is discussion of when we are going to erect the Christmas Tree.

Paducah, Kentucky is the town of our Black Friday desire this year. A wonderful Art Colony and a great Mall. We old folks seek closer drives for our day after Thanksgiving pleasure. The 2024 projects are done for this year. A major painting project and necessary landscaping were finished in October.

The Election is less than a week away. I marvel at the view through the Kaleidoscope is so different when we put it to our eye. Hate and fear do not rule the day. A sense of place of who you are of where you want to go is the GPS for success.

I enjoy silly. Humor brings me rest. A light touch is the key to leadership. Do not take yourself too seriously. We say we will not pass this way again…but what if we do…

Billy Crystal looked concerned the other night. Spike Lee did as well. Baseball is a fun game. One day you are heroes the next zeros.

Each year when I return from Maine I miss it. Margo and Jeff were much fun. When I see them I remember our beginning over 50 years ago. They look the same to me.

Miracles happen if we want them to. Hope is a powerful drug. It is natural no side effects. We can have happy joyous leaders. We do not have to be mad all of the time. People different than us can be our best friends.

Kindness follows me. People from many countries have helped me. I travel light. My baggage is not heavy. Fear does not color my actions. No need to explain no need to brag. I seek humility. The road of the humble is the road of Christ. I have followed him for 56 years.

Problems boy we got them. What is the cause of our dilemma? Is it impoverished people fleeing for their lives? Or is it greed? Are we the people of the Book as some Christians like to say? I have read the Book numerous times. I think in the scriptures. Did Christ focus on the rich? If riches are the manifest sign that you are doing the Christian Thing right…was Jesus rich?

Temperatures will get colder. Ice will form and snow will fall. Soon we will sit around the fireplace rejoicing in our pleasant lives. Christmas cards will be on the mantel the stockings are hung from. We will give to the poor hungry homeless. We will feel better.

‘We will walk together to school,’ Cousin Brenda H said to Billy B. ‘I am in eighth grade and you will begin in first,’ she noted. ‘What school would you have been in had you stayed in Chicago,’ Brenda H asked?

‘The School Of Hard Knocks,’ Billy B answered. ‘The house is scary,’ Billy B continued. ‘I sleep in a broom closet and I have to get into bed at the door because there is no room to maneuver once in the BC,’ Billy B exclaimed!

‘Shadows are on the walls of my bedroom and often when I awaken I see an old woman staring at me from the foot of my bed,’ Brenda H said. ‘Once the old woman gestured for me to follow her,’ Brenda H said with fear. ‘She led me to the backyard where an ancient well was…she lifted the round stone covering the well’s opening and cast me into the hole,’ Brenda H cried!

‘Did she have pupils in her eyes or were they all white,’ Chet asked as they sat in the first-grade classroom? ‘My night visitor Helen W has only white eyeballs and loves cats,’ Chet noted. ‘When I am in my upstairs bedroom I can hear her talking to her cat family, Chet shivered. ‘Billy B stayed overnight and although we were whispering she could hear everything we were saying.’ Chet said with trepidation.

‘Helen W is known throughout the town…she steals little girls and boys’ voices and gives them to her cats,’ Jane said with foreboding. ‘The Old Woman comes in the night and grabs the voices…she brings her cat with her to give the voice to,’ Jane continued. ‘Most of us have a talking cat or two,’ Jane laughed.

‘Brenda H what happened when you landed at the bottom of the well,’ Jane asked? How long did it take to reach the bottom and what was there,’ Jane continued to inquire?

‘I fell for the entire night it seemed when I hit bottom I was in my bed and the Sun was shining,’ Brenda H said. A kindly old woman came to my bedroom door and said, ‘Wakey…Wakey’…and then I was back in the well again, Brenda H continued. ‘At times when I doze off in class…I am in the well again…

The morning is inviting. October is fleeting. Happiness is ours if we get our minds right. Each morning brings new promise. As we prepare for the day we know that the winds of change are blowing. We do not see it with our eyes…we see its results. Action brings reaction. Movement creates inspiration. Inspiration produces results.

I say, ” Walk off the Blues.” In my younger days, if someone was down, they would say they had The Blues. Some would visit the tavern to alleviate The Blues. The next morning The Blues were still there.

A dynamic of hope and action produces wonderful results. We live in a fast-paced world that can be overwhelming at times. What we read, see, and hear influences our mood. Thought produces action action produces results. ‘As a man thinketh so is he.’

Make friends with someone unlike you. Have lunch with an immigrant. When a curse word enters your thoughts…say God Bless instead.

Listen to the words of the wind. It sings of love hope peace.

‘Why are you sitting by alone,’ Jane asked Tommy? ‘Come and have lunch with Chet Billy B and me,’ she invited. ‘We are telling Halloween stories and endeavoring to see which of us can tell the scariest one,’ Jane laughed.

‘I just finished telling about aliens surrounding my bed and escorting me outside and into their flying saucer,’ Chet said. ‘When I left the saucer I was back in our classroom, Chet said with eyes as wide as saucers. ‘I remember that you were the one who greeted me and told me to not be afraid,’ Chet said to Tommy L.

‘I had the same dream and was already in the saucer when the aliens brought you in,’ Tommy L. said. ‘They were operating on my legs and now I do not have to use a wheelchair…I use a walking stick that I bought at Giant City,’ Tommy L. said triumphantly!

‘The aliens told me that they had found the secret to happiness caring about each other and understanding their differences,’ Tommy L. said with a smile.