- Government does not create jobs. If you are the incumbent you did not create jobs. If you are the challenger your opponent didn't kill jobs. Sorry, it didn't happen. Private companies and individuals create jobs.
- Government is already several times the size it was designed to be here in the United States. We don't really need new programs. Whatever new programs you want to introduce, we don't need them. Whatever programs you want to keep but change, we didn't need them when they started. If you want to cut programs, where would you like to start and how can I help you get started?
- The incumbent and the challenger are both human. There is no sinister intention in your opponents motives. I was on the City Council for 4 years and met a lot of people in elected positions. Not one of them was trying to screw people. Not ONE. They all think they are doing something good for others. Some are really wrong, but not evil.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Election Time Again
It is time for voting again next Tuesday. It is about time! I am so tired of the never-ending campaign ads on TV. If I were ever to run for an office high enough to do TV ads I like to think I would do it differently. Here are a few points I would remember when making my ads:
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Zefram Cochrane
Last night I was watching the movie "Star Trek: First Contact" again. In this movie the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation come to the aid of Starfleet during a Borg attack. As they destroy the Borg vessel a smaller vessel emerges from the large one and jumps through a temporal whole that takes them back a few centuries. The Enterprise follows the Borg back to the time of Zefram Cochrane, the great scientist that developed the Warp Engine in the mid 21st Century.
First the Borg tries to destroy Cochrane and his group of scientists to keep them from succeeding and make them easier to assimilate, a plan that is again thwarted by Captain Picard and his amazing crew. The Borg also try to build a communication device to contact the 21st Century Borg to have them come and assimilate Earth at that time. This is also unsuccessful. Eventually they manage to help Cochrane succeed and make first contact with the Vulcans and save the Earth from assimilation and destroy a 24th Century Borg queen in the 21st century.
When they first meet Cochrane they don't find the heroic figure they've all been taught about in school. What they find is a slobbering drunk who happens to have a great idea and less noble motivations (in the mind of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenbury anyway) than what everyone has been taught for 300+ years. At every turn Enterprise crew members are watching Cochrane's every move in awe and utter fascination until finally he tries to run away from these fanatics.
This makes me wonder what I would do if a bunch of people showed up, purporting to be from the future, and started hanging on my every word and action. What if something I was doing that didn't seem that great to me was something that would change the world and make the future better because I had lived. I guess such a thing may be happening. There is a famous quote that says:
First the Borg tries to destroy Cochrane and his group of scientists to keep them from succeeding and make them easier to assimilate, a plan that is again thwarted by Captain Picard and his amazing crew. The Borg also try to build a communication device to contact the 21st Century Borg to have them come and assimilate Earth at that time. This is also unsuccessful. Eventually they manage to help Cochrane succeed and make first contact with the Vulcans and save the Earth from assimilation and destroy a 24th Century Borg queen in the 21st century.
When they first meet Cochrane they don't find the heroic figure they've all been taught about in school. What they find is a slobbering drunk who happens to have a great idea and less noble motivations (in the mind of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenbury anyway) than what everyone has been taught for 300+ years. At every turn Enterprise crew members are watching Cochrane's every move in awe and utter fascination until finally he tries to run away from these fanatics.
This makes me wonder what I would do if a bunch of people showed up, purporting to be from the future, and started hanging on my every word and action. What if something I was doing that didn't seem that great to me was something that would change the world and make the future better because I had lived. I guess such a thing may be happening. There is a famous quote that says:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. (Marianne Williamson in A Return to Love)Maybe she's right. Maybe we should step up and let ourselves be great. It may be that we are needed to make the world a better place (we are). On the other hand there is a danger in being prideful. Just ask Saul (Old Testament), David, and Solomon as well as many others in the scriptures. They started out humble and did great things when they were trying to just do the everyday right things. It was when they decided they were great that they made their biggest mistakes. Maybe there is another quote that could also apply:
Don't try to be a great man, just be a man. And let history make its own judgments (attributed to Zefram Cochrane in 2073)I guess I am willing to give it a try.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Lanes not Trains, but also ...
About 2 months ago now I attended the Republican State Convention in Rochester Minnesota. I am a fan of Jeff Johnson and I strongly supported him from the start and was pleased when he was endorsed. While there I got this button:
This is, of course, a reference to adding lanes to highways and major roads instead of adding light rail corridors in the Twin Cities area. I believe in this. Each new Light Rail track costs more than the previous one.
The Green Line that was just finished cost taxpayers over $1,000,000,000 to build (I apologized for the lack of specific numbers). The Blue Line, as it is now known, cost almost $1,000,000,000 to build and the Bottineau Line, which is an extension of the Blue Line is expected to cost over $1,250,000,000 to build between now and about 2020. The Southwest Line is also slated for somewhere in the same range. This is money that WE WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN. The Line while in operation DOES NOT make money, it loses money on each and every fare, to the tune of 2:1 ratio.
Proponents claim it is needed to serve people in underserved neighborhoods. The Hiawatha (now Blue) Line travelled along a road with the nearest residential areas more than a block away. There was no unfilled need. It has resulted in new construction, which was what they were aiming for, but even with that new construction it will never be able to create enough ridership to not cost more than it makes. The trains can't hold enough people to make a profit. This is also true of the Northstar Line Commuter Rail, by the way. The Central (now Green) Line travels down the middle of University Ave and has, in one month of operation, resulted in more train-car collisions than the Blue line has had in several years. It also loses money and has the added bonus of eliminating A LOT of parking in front of businesses causing it to be economically detrimental to the areas served. There are few places to add new housing, so it can't do the same social engineering that the Blue line did.
Future lines include the extended Blue (Bottineau) and Green (Southwest) Lines as well as another Red Line on the end of the Green Line (maybe we could call it the Santa Claus line) and a possible line to the middle of a farm field in Washington County. Bottineau would connect Target Field and the Target Center to Target's campus in Brooklyn Park (shouldn't that be called the Red Line?). The Southwest Line connects downtown to Eden Prairie, because we all know how much the rich people on that course use public transit.
So I don't want tax dollars spent on dumb projects. I drive, so sue me. I don't like that my vehicle and gas taxes to go projects that at the least don't make my driving experience better and at worst make commuting a headache. I don't like throwing good money after bad. I favor using taxes charged to drivers to improve the drive. So "Lanes not Trains" works for me, to a point.
I try to think rather than follow blindly. I know that an acre is 43,560 square feet. I know that lanes are around a rod in width (16.5 feet) and a lane-mile uses about 2 acres. If you add a lane each direction you are adding about 4 acres per mile to a road or highway. Through North Minneapolis there is a section of I-94 that it 5 lanes in each direction, or about 20 acres per mile, about 1/32 of a square mile per mile. It is actually quite a bit more than that because of median width and side vegetation areas. That is a lot of acreage used on one road. If all highways were 5 lanes each direction it would be FANTASTIC for driving, but you would have to displace a lot of people from their homes. I know this can't be the right answer.
My objective in writing this post is not to provide the ultimate solution to all problems. I think it is important for all involved to think about the future. While I don't think trains are the answer I also realize that you can't just keep adding lanes forever. I have witnessed the opening of lanes and the heaven it creates, for a few years. I have also seen expanded roads become jammed again. I know that part of this is due to people changing their route from unexpanded roads to the newly expanded roads and that some of the new congestion would go away if we expanded all of the highways like they need. I also know that at some point we will need more new lanes as population grows.
One solution I heard while in college was for people to work from home in small communities away from city cores. This was a great idea and it would work NOW if employers didn't distrust employees working from home and if employees working from home actually wouldn't give employers a reason to distrust them. I have a home office that I have been working from for about 8 years without any problem. 5 of them have been working for myself.
Now it is your turn. Think about what you could do to make things better. The country is in need of your brain, in gear. After you think, go out and act.
This is, of course, a reference to adding lanes to highways and major roads instead of adding light rail corridors in the Twin Cities area. I believe in this. Each new Light Rail track costs more than the previous one.
The Green Line that was just finished cost taxpayers over $1,000,000,000 to build (I apologized for the lack of specific numbers). The Blue Line, as it is now known, cost almost $1,000,000,000 to build and the Bottineau Line, which is an extension of the Blue Line is expected to cost over $1,250,000,000 to build between now and about 2020. The Southwest Line is also slated for somewhere in the same range. This is money that WE WILL NEVER SEE AGAIN. The Line while in operation DOES NOT make money, it loses money on each and every fare, to the tune of 2:1 ratio.
Proponents claim it is needed to serve people in underserved neighborhoods. The Hiawatha (now Blue) Line travelled along a road with the nearest residential areas more than a block away. There was no unfilled need. It has resulted in new construction, which was what they were aiming for, but even with that new construction it will never be able to create enough ridership to not cost more than it makes. The trains can't hold enough people to make a profit. This is also true of the Northstar Line Commuter Rail, by the way. The Central (now Green) Line travels down the middle of University Ave and has, in one month of operation, resulted in more train-car collisions than the Blue line has had in several years. It also loses money and has the added bonus of eliminating A LOT of parking in front of businesses causing it to be economically detrimental to the areas served. There are few places to add new housing, so it can't do the same social engineering that the Blue line did.
Future lines include the extended Blue (Bottineau) and Green (Southwest) Lines as well as another Red Line on the end of the Green Line (maybe we could call it the Santa Claus line) and a possible line to the middle of a farm field in Washington County. Bottineau would connect Target Field and the Target Center to Target's campus in Brooklyn Park (shouldn't that be called the Red Line?). The Southwest Line connects downtown to Eden Prairie, because we all know how much the rich people on that course use public transit.
So I don't want tax dollars spent on dumb projects. I drive, so sue me. I don't like that my vehicle and gas taxes to go projects that at the least don't make my driving experience better and at worst make commuting a headache. I don't like throwing good money after bad. I favor using taxes charged to drivers to improve the drive. So "Lanes not Trains" works for me, to a point.
I try to think rather than follow blindly. I know that an acre is 43,560 square feet. I know that lanes are around a rod in width (16.5 feet) and a lane-mile uses about 2 acres. If you add a lane each direction you are adding about 4 acres per mile to a road or highway. Through North Minneapolis there is a section of I-94 that it 5 lanes in each direction, or about 20 acres per mile, about 1/32 of a square mile per mile. It is actually quite a bit more than that because of median width and side vegetation areas. That is a lot of acreage used on one road. If all highways were 5 lanes each direction it would be FANTASTIC for driving, but you would have to displace a lot of people from their homes. I know this can't be the right answer.
My objective in writing this post is not to provide the ultimate solution to all problems. I think it is important for all involved to think about the future. While I don't think trains are the answer I also realize that you can't just keep adding lanes forever. I have witnessed the opening of lanes and the heaven it creates, for a few years. I have also seen expanded roads become jammed again. I know that part of this is due to people changing their route from unexpanded roads to the newly expanded roads and that some of the new congestion would go away if we expanded all of the highways like they need. I also know that at some point we will need more new lanes as population grows.
One solution I heard while in college was for people to work from home in small communities away from city cores. This was a great idea and it would work NOW if employers didn't distrust employees working from home and if employees working from home actually wouldn't give employers a reason to distrust them. I have a home office that I have been working from for about 8 years without any problem. 5 of them have been working for myself.
Now it is your turn. Think about what you could do to make things better. The country is in need of your brain, in gear. After you think, go out and act.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Ordain Women
Recently at General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there was a protest. It was not the first time the group calling themselves "Ordain Women" had protested and it likely won't be the last. One of the leaders of this movement, Kate Kelly, was excommunicated this June (2014). This will probably only incite more protests.
I have mostly avoided writing on this topic because I have a feeling that these women don't want to hear what a man has to say on this issue. The fact of the matter is that in the Church men are more friendly to the idea of ordaining women than most women are. I don't think the Lord is going to change the operation of his church to ordain women. It may happen and I'm OK with that, but I would not hold my breath.
In the Church there are many opportunities to serve. Some of them require priesthood offices or keys but most do not. Some require a female touch and can't be done by a priesthood holder. Actually about half the callings are that way. There are no auxiliaries for women or girls in the church that are presided over by men. The Primary, which includes boys, is presided over by women in every congregation in the church and in the church as a whole. The priesthood quorums are presided over by men because they are composed of men and boys. There are a few examples of men presiding over both genders, such as Bishops and Sunday School Presidents. I will stop the litany of callings at this time except to say that most other callings in the Church are available to be held by either gender.
I think there are many reasons why individuals in the world think it is important to ordain women. In the history of the Christian churches throughout the world and throughout time priests have used and abused their positions to get gain or power over others. In our religion this is referred to as a sin called Priestcraft. The scriptures tell us that "no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood..." (see Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-46). The priesthood in our church is NOT a sign of higher status, but is a service opportunity.
Another pressure point has to do with the history of court decisions. In the US the supreme court has said the separate is inherently not equal. The idea is that if you can't have equal things you can't be equal. There is no such thing as equality in this mortal existence. Miss Kate Kelly is an attorney, so I can see where she was blind to this fact. Often attorneys get confused on this because their whole profession is based on taking people who are unequal and making things equal. They don't realize there is no way to make everyone perfectly equal in this life. All people are equal before God, who is the only true source of justice. This doesn't mean they are equal in things. The more we try to make people equal the less equal they tend to be.
The thing that "Ordain Women" misses the most is that women are treated better in our church than in most churches or organizations in the world. They think they want equality, but they already have the closest they can get. Priesthood would be a step downward and we don't want to do that to the women we love.
I have mostly avoided writing on this topic because I have a feeling that these women don't want to hear what a man has to say on this issue. The fact of the matter is that in the Church men are more friendly to the idea of ordaining women than most women are. I don't think the Lord is going to change the operation of his church to ordain women. It may happen and I'm OK with that, but I would not hold my breath.
In the Church there are many opportunities to serve. Some of them require priesthood offices or keys but most do not. Some require a female touch and can't be done by a priesthood holder. Actually about half the callings are that way. There are no auxiliaries for women or girls in the church that are presided over by men. The Primary, which includes boys, is presided over by women in every congregation in the church and in the church as a whole. The priesthood quorums are presided over by men because they are composed of men and boys. There are a few examples of men presiding over both genders, such as Bishops and Sunday School Presidents. I will stop the litany of callings at this time except to say that most other callings in the Church are available to be held by either gender.
I think there are many reasons why individuals in the world think it is important to ordain women. In the history of the Christian churches throughout the world and throughout time priests have used and abused their positions to get gain or power over others. In our religion this is referred to as a sin called Priestcraft. The scriptures tell us that "no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood..." (see Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-46). The priesthood in our church is NOT a sign of higher status, but is a service opportunity.
Another pressure point has to do with the history of court decisions. In the US the supreme court has said the separate is inherently not equal. The idea is that if you can't have equal things you can't be equal. There is no such thing as equality in this mortal existence. Miss Kate Kelly is an attorney, so I can see where she was blind to this fact. Often attorneys get confused on this because their whole profession is based on taking people who are unequal and making things equal. They don't realize there is no way to make everyone perfectly equal in this life. All people are equal before God, who is the only true source of justice. This doesn't mean they are equal in things. The more we try to make people equal the less equal they tend to be.
The thing that "Ordain Women" misses the most is that women are treated better in our church than in most churches or organizations in the world. They think they want equality, but they already have the closest they can get. Priesthood would be a step downward and we don't want to do that to the women we love.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Perfection
In the scriptures we are told to be perfect. "Be ye therefore perfect ..." was the admonition from Jesus. We are also told that when we are resurrected we will have a perfected body. I have always believed that this meant we would all have two arms with a hand and 5 fingers attached to each, two legs with a foot and 5 toes attached, a straight spine, perfectly spaced ribs and organs that work, a full head of hair, etc. That is probably what it really means.
I have recently thought a little about this. I have started watching a new show "Growing Up Fisher" about a guy who is blind and a lawyer. In the first episode he cut down 4 trees with a chainsaw while his family watched and he also parallel parked a car. It is supposed to be based on a true story. It is a funny show and it makes me think. There are people with no hands that eat and change diapers with their feet. There is a famous motivational speaker with no limbs. Beethoven composed his last symphony after he was completely deaf, and it is extraordinary. Stephen Hawking has written several books by typing with his eyes because he is completely unable to move from Lou Gehrig's Disease. People do amazing things and some of them have never had anywhere near a "perfect" body.
I think about people I know. People are each unique. I wonder if perfected bodies would mean the things that make some people special would be gone. What would it be like for someone who was blind their whole life to see in the eternities. What about someone who learned to do everything with their feet suddenly having arms. I guess this is what they dream of, but I wonder if this would make them a different person than the one we love. I hope not.
Maybe the admonition to be perfect means to be perfect in our own way. Maybe the real goal is to become our own best self and to perfectly love others the way they are.
I have recently thought a little about this. I have started watching a new show "Growing Up Fisher" about a guy who is blind and a lawyer. In the first episode he cut down 4 trees with a chainsaw while his family watched and he also parallel parked a car. It is supposed to be based on a true story. It is a funny show and it makes me think. There are people with no hands that eat and change diapers with their feet. There is a famous motivational speaker with no limbs. Beethoven composed his last symphony after he was completely deaf, and it is extraordinary. Stephen Hawking has written several books by typing with his eyes because he is completely unable to move from Lou Gehrig's Disease. People do amazing things and some of them have never had anywhere near a "perfect" body.
I think about people I know. People are each unique. I wonder if perfected bodies would mean the things that make some people special would be gone. What would it be like for someone who was blind their whole life to see in the eternities. What about someone who learned to do everything with their feet suddenly having arms. I guess this is what they dream of, but I wonder if this would make them a different person than the one we love. I hope not.
Maybe the admonition to be perfect means to be perfect in our own way. Maybe the real goal is to become our own best self and to perfectly love others the way they are.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Baptism Day
Today I attended a baptism for a new adult member of our congregation. I thought I could share a little about why I like to attend baptism services.
The first thing is the feelings related to the experience. There is something special about a baptism service. The Spirit always seems to be in extra abundance to witness to us the correctness of what we are witnessing. Another thing is the combined feelings of those in attendance. Being there with a couple dozen other people to support our new friend feels loving and peaceful. The feeling is so strong that it is hard to describe in words.
Another thing that impresses me about baptism services is the unique aspect that we hold the service in the Primary Room. This is the room the children meet in. I find it as a gentle reminder that we are told to be like little children in our faith. Christ said that if we would humble ourselves and become like a little child we could return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven. At this service we had an opening song from the Children's Songbook, "When I Am Baptized." The closing song was "I Am a Child of God" which is also traditionally a children's song. It is so loved that it has been added to the Hymn Book. I love that we, as members of Christ's church, love our children's songs. I think they help us to be like children the way He meant us to be.
Finally, the new member gave us her testimony after being baptized. I enjoyed hearing how she feels good about her new understanding and how accepted she feels here. This is the right result. With faith and a lot of love we can make it home to our Father together.
This is not my last time attending this great event. Welcome to the church, sister.
The first thing is the feelings related to the experience. There is something special about a baptism service. The Spirit always seems to be in extra abundance to witness to us the correctness of what we are witnessing. Another thing is the combined feelings of those in attendance. Being there with a couple dozen other people to support our new friend feels loving and peaceful. The feeling is so strong that it is hard to describe in words.
Another thing that impresses me about baptism services is the unique aspect that we hold the service in the Primary Room. This is the room the children meet in. I find it as a gentle reminder that we are told to be like little children in our faith. Christ said that if we would humble ourselves and become like a little child we could return to live with Him and our Father in Heaven. At this service we had an opening song from the Children's Songbook, "When I Am Baptized." The closing song was "I Am a Child of God" which is also traditionally a children's song. It is so loved that it has been added to the Hymn Book. I love that we, as members of Christ's church, love our children's songs. I think they help us to be like children the way He meant us to be.
Finally, the new member gave us her testimony after being baptized. I enjoyed hearing how she feels good about her new understanding and how accepted she feels here. This is the right result. With faith and a lot of love we can make it home to our Father together.
This is not my last time attending this great event. Welcome to the church, sister.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
People are the Same
We all know that people are the same wherever you go. So say Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.
Since Dad has been in assisted living I have had the opportunity to visit him regularly and see a lot of different people. Most of them are older than me. I asked Mom a few years ago what it felt like to turn 80. She said it didn't feel like anything. She didn't feel like she was 80, she just was. Even though Dad is now 83 I can tell that he feels like he's still young, but with a body that doesn't quite work like it once did. Finally I remember Mom telling me that when she moved Grandpa and Grandma, her parents, into a nursing home Grandpa said he didn't want to be around all those old people. He was over 90 at the time, older than all those old people.
I took Dad to lunch the other day. He decided to sit at a table that was already occupied by several ladies. Everyone at the table, including Dad, seemed to be dressed and groomed much like they would have been 30 years ago when they weren't so old. Most of the ladies had makeup on that didn't hide much of their age. These are normal people. They lived for a while before I was born but they don't feel old.
I remember being in Elders Quorum meetings a few years ago. In the Church most of the active men are ordained Elders when they are 18 or 19 or when they have been active members for at least a few months. I went to an activity which was somewhat athletic and after being there a while I realized that I was 10 years older than the next oldest person. I hadn't even thought about it. I have never been athletic so I just thought that was the reason I was so much more out of shape than everyone else. In quorum meetings on Sunday we had a teacher who was 10 years older than me and then me and then everyone else was more than 10 years younger than me. I was offered an opportunity to start meeting with the High Priests, which I did. High Priests tend to be older.
In observing people throughout my life I have found that most children are little people waiting to understand enough to be adults and adults often have many of the same attributes and habits they had when they were little. Age does not seem to have a large effect on the way we think, but mostly on the way we act out what we think. I look at old people, the way they talk, the way they act and the look in their eyes. They are little children still at play but in a grown up world.
Dad has that playful look in his eyes, maybe a little extra. I think that's why I feel good when someone compares me to him.
Since Dad has been in assisted living I have had the opportunity to visit him regularly and see a lot of different people. Most of them are older than me. I asked Mom a few years ago what it felt like to turn 80. She said it didn't feel like anything. She didn't feel like she was 80, she just was. Even though Dad is now 83 I can tell that he feels like he's still young, but with a body that doesn't quite work like it once did. Finally I remember Mom telling me that when she moved Grandpa and Grandma, her parents, into a nursing home Grandpa said he didn't want to be around all those old people. He was over 90 at the time, older than all those old people.
I took Dad to lunch the other day. He decided to sit at a table that was already occupied by several ladies. Everyone at the table, including Dad, seemed to be dressed and groomed much like they would have been 30 years ago when they weren't so old. Most of the ladies had makeup on that didn't hide much of their age. These are normal people. They lived for a while before I was born but they don't feel old.
I remember being in Elders Quorum meetings a few years ago. In the Church most of the active men are ordained Elders when they are 18 or 19 or when they have been active members for at least a few months. I went to an activity which was somewhat athletic and after being there a while I realized that I was 10 years older than the next oldest person. I hadn't even thought about it. I have never been athletic so I just thought that was the reason I was so much more out of shape than everyone else. In quorum meetings on Sunday we had a teacher who was 10 years older than me and then me and then everyone else was more than 10 years younger than me. I was offered an opportunity to start meeting with the High Priests, which I did. High Priests tend to be older.
In observing people throughout my life I have found that most children are little people waiting to understand enough to be adults and adults often have many of the same attributes and habits they had when they were little. Age does not seem to have a large effect on the way we think, but mostly on the way we act out what we think. I look at old people, the way they talk, the way they act and the look in their eyes. They are little children still at play but in a grown up world.
Dad has that playful look in his eyes, maybe a little extra. I think that's why I feel good when someone compares me to him.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Bedtime for Dad
I guess I decided not to wait a week to post again. I just thought I should introduce another cast member, my Dad:
This is my Dad, Clifford Mathias. He was born in 1930 in Rollingstone, Minnesota. He and Mom were married in 1952 in Winona, Minnesota, and shortly thereafter joined the Mormon Church. My Mom passed away about 6 months ago and Dad has been alone.
Until recently he was living alone at home and we have been taking care of him. Because of Parkinson's Disease he has some difficulty walking, talking and balancing. We recently moved him to an apartment with assisted living. We wanted him to be taken care of and were not able to provide the level of support he needed, especially after he broke his left arm in early January.
The day we moved him in to the apartment we got him settled in and the staff helped him get ready for bed. I happened to be there and he told them they didn't need to put him to bed because I could do it. From that day forward I have been going every night to tuck him in. I get there between 9:00 and 9:30 at night and stay until he decides to go to bed, between 10:00 and 10:30. I sit up with him and watch TV, usually news.
One night last week as I was helping him to bed he looked up at me and said, "I used to tuck you in at night." I looked at him and just smiled and he smiled back.
Dad's arm is getting better now. He can probably get himself to bed now, or will be able to pretty soon. I have no plans to stop coming. Last night as I was tucking him in he smiled at me as if to show that he understood that I didn't have to do this anymore but was choosing to do it anyway. I smiled back to let him know I wasn't planning to stop.
This is my Dad, Clifford Mathias. He was born in 1930 in Rollingstone, Minnesota. He and Mom were married in 1952 in Winona, Minnesota, and shortly thereafter joined the Mormon Church. My Mom passed away about 6 months ago and Dad has been alone.
Until recently he was living alone at home and we have been taking care of him. Because of Parkinson's Disease he has some difficulty walking, talking and balancing. We recently moved him to an apartment with assisted living. We wanted him to be taken care of and were not able to provide the level of support he needed, especially after he broke his left arm in early January.
The day we moved him in to the apartment we got him settled in and the staff helped him get ready for bed. I happened to be there and he told them they didn't need to put him to bed because I could do it. From that day forward I have been going every night to tuck him in. I get there between 9:00 and 9:30 at night and stay until he decides to go to bed, between 10:00 and 10:30. I sit up with him and watch TV, usually news.
One night last week as I was helping him to bed he looked up at me and said, "I used to tuck you in at night." I looked at him and just smiled and he smiled back.
Dad's arm is getting better now. He can probably get himself to bed now, or will be able to pretty soon. I have no plans to stop coming. Last night as I was tucking him in he smiled at me as if to show that he understood that I didn't have to do this anymore but was choosing to do it anyway. I smiled back to let him know I wasn't planning to stop.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Hello to the open world out there! It seems like most of the people I know have a blog already. As usual I am jumping on the bandwagon late. I can't imagine what I could possibly say that will mean anything to anyone, but I'm going to try anyway.
I named the blog The Cat and Mouse House because of the obvious connection to the cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. I, Tom, will most likely be the only one posting, at least to begin with. I will no doubt include the most lovely JeriAnn in a lot of my posts. I intend for this blog to be about us and the life we live together.
The first thing to do is introduce the players. There are just the two of us. I, Tom, am the one on the left and JeriAnn is the one on the right. This picture was taken in July 2013. I was born in 1970 in Golden Valley, Minnesota. JeriAnn was born in 1972 in Provo, Utah, along with a twin, TeriAnn, who died as an infant. We were married on June 17, 1995, in at the St. George, Utah, Temple. Although we have a strong desire to be parents we have not been able to do so. I am the youngest of 6 and have 11 nephews and 15 nieces. JeriAnn is tied for the youngest of 6 in her family and has 5 nephews and 2 nieces that we see regularly and a few others we don't see regularly (I'm not sure how many).
We live in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, which is a suburb of Minneapolis. In March of 2012 we purchased a home here after renting from my parents for many years. From 2007-2010 I was on the City Council here. This is the town where I grew up and I think it will be where we grow old together.
I am also a Mormon, the religion I was raised in, which my parents were baptized into in September of 1952. I served a mission for the Church from July 1989-July 1991 in the state of Virginia. Serving as a missionary was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I developed a deeper understanding of the gospel and a stronger faith. Over the years JeriAnn and I have served in many positions in the church. I am currently the Building AV Specialist and High Priest Group 2nd Assistant. JeriAnn is serving as a Librarian and as Bulletin Typist.
I am also involved with Toastmasters, an organization the teaches Leadership and Communication skills. I have been in Toastmasters since April 1996 and I am currently Vice President Membership at one club and Vice President Public Relations at another. I am also serving as an Ambassador for the organization, promoting a new educational program that is being rolled out sometime in 2014.
I hope to post interesting bits of our life together and expect to post around once a week if I remember to.
I named the blog The Cat and Mouse House because of the obvious connection to the cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. I, Tom, will most likely be the only one posting, at least to begin with. I will no doubt include the most lovely JeriAnn in a lot of my posts. I intend for this blog to be about us and the life we live together.
The first thing to do is introduce the players. There are just the two of us. I, Tom, am the one on the left and JeriAnn is the one on the right. This picture was taken in July 2013. I was born in 1970 in Golden Valley, Minnesota. JeriAnn was born in 1972 in Provo, Utah, along with a twin, TeriAnn, who died as an infant. We were married on June 17, 1995, in at the St. George, Utah, Temple. Although we have a strong desire to be parents we have not been able to do so. I am the youngest of 6 and have 11 nephews and 15 nieces. JeriAnn is tied for the youngest of 6 in her family and has 5 nephews and 2 nieces that we see regularly and a few others we don't see regularly (I'm not sure how many).
We live in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, which is a suburb of Minneapolis. In March of 2012 we purchased a home here after renting from my parents for many years. From 2007-2010 I was on the City Council here. This is the town where I grew up and I think it will be where we grow old together.
I am also a Mormon, the religion I was raised in, which my parents were baptized into in September of 1952. I served a mission for the Church from July 1989-July 1991 in the state of Virginia. Serving as a missionary was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I developed a deeper understanding of the gospel and a stronger faith. Over the years JeriAnn and I have served in many positions in the church. I am currently the Building AV Specialist and High Priest Group 2nd Assistant. JeriAnn is serving as a Librarian and as Bulletin Typist.
I am also involved with Toastmasters, an organization the teaches Leadership and Communication skills. I have been in Toastmasters since April 1996 and I am currently Vice President Membership at one club and Vice President Public Relations at another. I am also serving as an Ambassador for the organization, promoting a new educational program that is being rolled out sometime in 2014.
I hope to post interesting bits of our life together and expect to post around once a week if I remember to.
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