It seems that periodically we humans as a group devolve just a bit. We temporarily lose our integrity, good manners and compassion. Those tend to be very dangerous times when we become angry and suspicious of anyone not like ourselves. We fall for arguments that blame our woes on certain groups. Somehow we aren’t as nice to one another as we ought to be.
The Germans lived in one of the most sophisticated and learned societies on earth. After World War I the country fell apart at about the same time that ugliness reared its head all around the world. There was a nationalistic, protectionist fervor across the globe that some say resulted in the Great Depression and only deepened as economies tumbled into a death spiral. Isolationism ruled the day. Literally every nation had the attitude that the needs of the natural born citizens had to come first. There was great suspicion of anyone who was different. In Germany a demagogue promised a way out of the need and want, a better future, a stronger country. The people were hungry and ready to try anything. They hailed their leader as a savior little realizing that the price of their salvation would be one of the most horrific chapters in the story of mankind. Continue reading “Common Ground”
This did not begin as a banner morning for me. I jumped on my scale first thing, just as I have been doing for weeks, only to discover that I have somehow gained weight in the last couple of days rather than losing. So much for living off of a low calorie count of fruits and veggies and low fat meats, not to mention three mile walks each day. Next, as I ate my two hard boiled eggs and a banana I perused the news on CNN learning that Donald Trump carried the day in the latest primaries. To top it all the big rain that I was counting on for my plants didn’t seem to have materialized in my neck of the woods. We got some sturm und drang but only a smattering of precipitation. I was bummed out but determined to be the master of my own outlook on life when I saw today’s Google doodle peeking curiously out of the corner of my laptop screen. With one click I was soon grinning like a kid who had discovered a big refrigerator box in the middle of the living room. I forgot all of my temporary woes.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was not a great fan of Nancy Reagan when she was the First Lady. It wasn’t so much that I disliked her as the fact that she simply didn’t impress me. My mother, on the other hand, saw her as a quintessential woman. She was in awe of Nancy and often commented that those of us in the younger generation would do well to learn from her. My mom and Nancy were from the same generation so I suppose they understood one another more so than I was capable of doing. It was only after Nancy Reagan had left the White House that I realized what an strong and caring person she really was.
I’ve been sitting on a blog topic that is dear to my heart for quite sometime now. I suppose that I realize that the only people who will agree with my thoughts on this subject are those who are already in my choir. In other words there is little chance that I will change someone’s mind but I have reached a point where I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t at least try. 
All It Takes Is A Little Love 