The Best and The Worst of Times

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.

It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity...

It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness.

It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,

We had everything before us, we had nothing before us.

We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way . . ."

"All going direct the other way." Somehow with the news of AIG's latest and greatest claim to fame this morning of it's plan to give out 165 Million dollars, the "other way" that Dickens speaks of seems to indicate the other way we are all going directly to is in fact, hell in a hand basket. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 (of course, unless you're entitled to a bailout), do NOT go directly to jail, even if you are well deserving of doing so, it seems.

I don' t know about you, but I'm one of the so called "little people" or middle class or what is quickly becoming the group falling through the cracks. I'm not entitled enough to skate through on my "last" couple of million bucks or downtrodden enough to qualify for free handouts from the government (yet). I'm simply in the group of trying to be responsible and pay our bills the best way we can amongst growing unemployment or shrinking salaries. The ones making do with what we have, rather than trying to find ways to work the system or have someone swoop in and rescue us or pay our way.

Granted, day to day living is not always a bunch of laughs. I seem to have missed the memo where I was promised that life would always be fun or easy. Silly me, I was raised to find ways to take care of things that were my responsibility. While I'd love to live high on the hog all the time with penthouses, expensive vacations and lots of "toys", I was taught that I was old enough for my wants not to hurt me. I learned that if I can't afford something, then I have to wait until I can and make do with dreams until I find a way to make it happen. In doing so, I learned to appreciate the good things even more when they arrived or were earned. I learned pride and perseverance. Qualities all that need we are going to have to find again and learn to teach those survival skills to our children..many of whom have never heard the word no or had to do without.

So news this morning of yet more stupidity on MY hard earned dime is purely starting to piss me off. It turns out the division that is receiving the "gift" of our tax payer money in the form of bonuses, is the division whose risky contracts caused massive losses to the insurer in the first place. Has the world lost all sense of reason? Am I the ONLY one that sees the irony and idiocy in all of this? The taxpayer funded bailout (I refuse to call it the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, what a load of manure...playing with semantics won't make it more palatable) is in effect being used to REWARD those that cause it to be needed in the first place. The vivid image of a cat chasing it's tail comes to mind.

I personally don't give a flying flip that AIG is "contractually" obligated to pay these bonuses...the game and world has changed and along with it the rules. The excuse that they would be sued if they didn't fork over the money doesn't hold water with me. Let the people that helped cause this mess sue to get their blood money, I double dog dare them. If they have the kahonas to file a public lawsuit and face the public outrage, I say, let them go for it...but do NOT just meekly hand them the money. Make them actually do some work for it. Lord knows, they didn't do work or practice due diligence to earn it in the first place. When are we going to start putting our collective feet down and say we're mad as hell and NOT going to take it anymore??

The government and our illustrious administration is all over the place on every single issue put in front of it. They manage to come down on both sides of every issue, sometimes within the confines of a single speech. First we're in a catastrophic crisis that is going to get hellaciously worse. Then as of last week, all of the sudden, maybe it's NOT as bad as we thought? HUH?? Excuse me??? It just all leaves you scratching your head and saying what in heavens are they all thinking? ARE they thinking at ALL or is everyone just throwing a dart at a big board of possible outcomes and using it as the message of the day? No wonder the stock market and consumers are totally devoid of direction or confidence. I have said many times in the past 4 to 5 months, that my head is going to literally explode one of these days as I listen to yet one more speech or lecture from our leaders. Maybe that's the grand master plan...To have as many of us stroke out from frustration over the mixed messages, ineptitude and confusion being spread by those we elected to higher power.

I'm here to say, just as many others more learned than I am..that life is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. You can bet your bottom dollar on it or take it to the bank (just make sure it's a solvent one). We have all enjoyed the decades of excesses and must now fall back to earth and our roots. Many of us in our 40's or 50's remember our parents teaching us right from wrong. Somehow that message got lost or ignored along the way in the name of profit or greed or keeping up with the neighbor next door. We allowed ourselves to make excuses or allowances for why we deserved to have more than we had actually earned. It's now costing us all.

It's going to be painful, but not fatal. We are capable of fixing this mess and finding a sensible middle ground on which to now live. Will our world ever be the same again? No, I personally don't think so. This is not just a localized problem in our nation, it's a worldwide meltdown. The world and all our ways of living are now changed. Given the scope of the mess we're fighting our way through, we never should have been living life the way we were in the first place. Moderation and common sense are going to have to prevail.

It's not as bad as it sounds to find new ways of doing things. There will be positives amongst the icky stuff to come. We'll find who we can depend on and rediscover or find in the first place ways to enjoy ourselves and families without the distraction of so much "stuff" getting in the way. We will learn if we're smart enough to pay attention, that there are more things important than getting a new car every year or going on several fancy vacations a year so we can compare pictures with our friends and have a contest to determine who had the best time or spent the most money. Who knows? Simple pleasures just may be rediscovered along with the joy they can bring. To learn appreciation for living life without so much pressure to always have more and the finding that even the more is never enough.

We have to stop the stupidity of letting the inmates rule the asylum. To continue to let executives or those so used to "playing the game" keep sliding things past us on the rails of excuses or reasons why things CAN'T be changed, has to stop. The government has to develop a backbone, stop trying to please everyone and start handing out consequences for bad behavior. Let the big boys fail...nothing is TOO big or TOO important to fail. Someone or a better organization will rise to take their place.

It's the American way. Now we all just need to remember what that way is and work to build a better more stable foundation that has some common sense...and learn to savor the good things before always needing more.

The lyrics of a Styx song, "The Best of Times" come to mind...

Tonight's the night well make history honey, you and I..
And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time
And stay with you here tonight.

I know you feel these are the worst of times..
I do believe its true
When people lock their doors and hide inside.

Rumor has it its the end of paradise
But I know, if the world just passed us by
Baby I know, you wouldn't have to cry.

The best of times are when I'm alone with you
Some rain, some shine, we'll make this a world for two..
Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime.

We'll take the best, forget the rest
And someday well find these are the best of times
These are the best of times

The headlines read these are the worst of times,
I do believe its true.
I feel so helpless like a boat against the tide.

I wish the summer winds could bring back paradise
But I know, if the world turned upside down
Baby, I know you'd always be around.

The best of times are when I'm alone with you
Some rain, some shine, we'll make this a world for two..
Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime.

We'll take the best, forget the rest
And someday we'll find these are the best of times..
These are the best of times.

And
So my friends we'll say goodnight..for time has claimed its prize.
But tonight will always last
As long as we keep alive memories of paradise...

Superstition Is To Blame

Forget for a minute that we’re in the middle of the most troubling frightening worldwide economic downturn of our times. Totally disregard the fact that there are people in the world with no respect for human life and are instead full of hate and determined to do harm to others. Never mind that we have an as yet untested (thank God) inexperienced new administration in our country that has stumbled badly coming out of the gate. It all pales in comparison to this…

Today is Friday the 13th. Not just any Friday the 13th mind you. It’s one of a trio we will have in 2009. The first was in February, this one in March, and then the last will come in November. To have three Friday the 13ths in a single year is not a common occurrence. Statistically, it’s only possible to have the 13th fall on three Fridays in a single year every eleven years. Lucky us. With all that is going on around us, it almost seems to be poetic justice that we have this occur this year too. Heck, at this point, why not?

Even the most non-superstitious among us will take pause and notice a Friday the 13th. We make movies around it, architecture is changed to avoid the number 13 and some will even alter their plans in order to “be on the safe side” on this day…just in case. It’s folklore of the most persuasive kind. The type that feeds upon itself and permeates our consciousness almost against our will.

Where does all this superstition come from? Nobody knows for sure. Some theories believe that it may date back to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune.

Meanwhile the belief that numbers are connected to life and physical things, called numerology, also has a long history. People are subconsciously drawn towards specific numbers because they know that they need the experiences, attributes or lessons, associated with them, that are contained within their potential. Some believe that Numerology can ‘make sense’ of an individuals life (health, career, relationships, situations and issues) by recognizing which number cycle they are in, and by giving them clarity.

Here are 13 more facts about the infamous day, just for fun. At the very least it will add to your Trivial Pursuit scores. At most, it will give you a little more insight into human behavior and perhaps the origins of your own beliefs.

1. The British Navy is said to have built a ship named Friday the 13th, or the HMS Friday, which on its maiden voyage left dock on a Friday the 13th, and was never heard from again. This story seems to be a legend. The Royal Navy Museum states on its web site that this story, which has been told before, is a hoax. “There has never been a Royal Navy ship named HMS Friday – or after any other day of the week for that matter,” the museum states.

2. The ill-fated Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on Apr. 11, 1970. The sum of the date’s digits (4-11-70) is 13 (as in 4+1+1+7+0 = 13). And the explosion that crippled the spacecraft occurred on April 13 (not a Friday). The crew did make it back to Earth safely, however.

3. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor.

4. Fear of Friday the 13th, one of the most popular myths in science, is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

5.Quarterback Dan Marino wore No. 13 throughout his career with the Miami Dolphins. Despite being a superb quarterback (some call him one of the best ever), he got to the Super Bowl just once, in 1985, and was trounced 38-16 by the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana (who wore No. 16 and won all four Super Bowls he played in).

6.Butch Cassidy, notorious American train and bank robber, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.

7. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug. 13, 1926.

8. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

9.Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

10. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. “It was bad luck,” Twain later told the friend. “They only had food for 12.”

11. Woodrow Wilson considered 13 his lucky number, though his experience didn’t support such faith. He arrived in Normandy, France on Friday, Dec. 13, 1918, for peace talks, only to return with a treaty he couldn’t get Congress to sign. (The ship’s crew wanted to dock the next day due to superstitions.) He toured the United States to rally support for the treaty, and while traveling, suffered a near-fatal stroke.

12. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number — 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

13. The seals on the back of a dollar bill include 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle’s head, 13 war arrows in the eagle’s claw and 13 leaves on the olive branch. So far there’s been no evidence tying these long-ago design decisions to the present economic situation.

So, there you go..take it as you will or with a grain of salt. Don’t forget if you spill that salt, to toss some over your right shoulder though, can’t be too careful! Don’t walk under ladders, be careful not to break any mirrors, open an umbrella in the house or let a black cat cross your path today.

Lord knows, with the world in the shape it’s in, do you REALLY want to tempt fate?? See a penny, pick it up. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to carry around those 4 leaf clovers a few days early. Better safe than sorry.
Just a thought. (Knock on wood *wink*)

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Superstition

Stevie Wonder

Very superstitious, writing’s on the wall,

Very superstitious, ladder’s ’bout to fall,

Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin’ glass

Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.

When you believe in things that you don’t understand,

Then you suffer,

Superstition ain’t the way

Very superstitious, wash your face and hands,

Rid me of the problem, do all that you can,

Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin’ strong,

You don’t wanna save me, sad is my song.

When you believe in things that you don’t understand,

Then you suffer,

Superstition ain’t the way.

Very superstitious, nothin’ more to say,

Very superstitious, the devil’s on his way,

Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin’ glass,S

even years of bad luck, good things in your past.

When you believe in things that you don’t understand,

Then you suffer,

Superstition ain’t the way.

Bad Moon Rising

On the way home tonight, the feeling in the air was unmistakable.

The breeze was warm and the sky was filled with a bright full moon speckled with spotty clouds drifting over it..almost obscuring it from view for a few minutes before it would once again illuminate the night sky.

I’m a totally rational female (telling the CT Yankee to shush, we can’t all be as stoic as you are..and the term “rational female” is NOT an oxymoron!) most of the time, almost too much so on some occasions..to the point of being too serious. Yet, as the years are passing by, I find that I have opened my mind to more possibilities than those that are easily proven by science or logic. I’ve come to the conclusion that there are so many things in heaven and earth we will never fully understand the purpose of, but instead we will just have to feel or take on faith as valid life lessons when events happen…with no rhyme or reason or proof provided.

I was brought up with a deep seated faith that to this day is a basic part of who I am. I have an abiding confidence and take comfort in the knowledge each and every day that a greater power created us all and watches over us..guides us. Those feelings, that absolute certainty, serves me well as I navigate through any uncertain times in my life or when the world becomes a scary place.

That said, my mind has also expanded to include the possibilities of things…influences in our environment, that affect our lives. Things that can’t be proven or touched, but are there nonetheless. Do I live my life based on what my horoscope tells me? Of course not. Do I have a healthy curiosity and allow for the possibility that there are many things we do not know or understand the mechanics behind it all in this world that will influence our lives and the events in our lives? Do I choose to investigate all the different nuances that might affect our time on this earth? Yes I do.

A man that I respect and adore…and who tends to be more stoically rational than anyone in Connecticut is (which is saying a lot since they don’t tend to be quite as ummmm..animated..as we are down South)…believes in ghosts. I figure if he can believe in ghosts, then I can allow for the premise that the moon and stars affect our moods and at times the events that occur due to those changes.

So, with that in mind..tonight’s full moon stuck with me. The song “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revivial immediately came to mind in conjunction with the current mood in the nation and the events of the past few months. As a teacher and flight attendant, I will swear..even though there is absolutely no scientific evidence to prove it that I’m aware of..that behavior changes during the time around a full moon. At school you can feel the extra energy of the kids and the almost manic need to be moving all the time…a lack of concentration occurs. In the air, the planes and airports are filled with impatient people. Passengers are more on edge and more likely to be aggressive in both anger and in the way they will pursue the opposite sex.

I’ve been observing the behavior of myself and others around full moons all my life. I’m pretty sure I was born on a full moon. I am convinced that people go a little crazy around those times. The week or so leading up to the full moon feels literally like a rising tide of emotion…people get a bit jumpy, things seem more dramatic. I drink more caffeine, sleep less, talk faster and dream more. I’ve even been known to go shopping, to a movie or sit at the edge of the water at midnight on the evening of a full moon.

Since the full moon shining down on me this particular evening seemed to somehow make me a little more anxious and a little more reflective..I decided to do a little research (yes, I was geeky before geeky was cool) and see what I could come up with. What I discovered was very interesting given the world events of the past year. The moon is in my sign (Virgo) tonight and here’s what I uncovered…

The Full Moon in Virgo on March 10, 2009 clashes with Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces, prompting a battle between security and change. Throughout the week, this unsettling influence will reignite the stressful Saturn-Uranus opposition that took place in February 2009 and November 2008 (and will occur again in September).

If you’ll remember, last February and November is when the U.S. financial markets tanked to new lows. And of course, February marked the launch of the gargantuan United States stimulus bill. Change was in the air (and still is), along with a widespread escalation of fear about the economy. Fortunately, Uranus, the planet of upheaval, and Saturn, the planet of materialism, have moved apart somewhat, but this month’s Full Moon will draw them together energetically to challenge our comfort zones again.

Full Moons are notorious for heightening emotionalism, and this one may be particularly rocky, especially for Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. So try not to overreact to whatever situations you find yourself in, and take some quiet time to get centered if you feel overwhelmed. Think before you speak or react to situations.

Most importantly, this is a wake-up call. Change (Uranus) opposing the status quo (Saturn) is a necessary step in freeing ourselves of restrictions and outmoded ways of doing things. You may want to ask yourself how this cosmic “battle” mirrors your own fears about change, and then work through whatever feelings come up for you.

It’s all about freedom - and intent. Uranus in Pisces illuminates the spiritual principals of attracting what you focus on. It’s not about denying what you’re feeling, but if you can also visualize (vividly!) a better tomorrow for yourself, your community, your country and the world, it will come to pass, step by step…if you work to make it happen.

I found all of this to be very interesting, especially given the circumstances we all find surrounding us in society today. Do I plan to change the way I live my life because of the information I discovered? Of course not. When the course of my life changes, it happens because I make informed decisions and at times simply have to operate and react on faith and intuition…so far that way of living and reacting has served me well over the years. It’s also true though, that it’s part of my general personality to always want to have all the information I can gather to make the best decisions I can. I’m a “thinker” by nature. I enjoy the exercise of stretching my brain and have been known to frequently tell my students that I want to learn something new each and every day of my life. Knowledge is indeed power.

In a time where there is so much world uncertainty about the economy, our jobs, the direction of our country and our very future..I believe it’s a good thing to allow for the things we can’t see or touch or explain away with logic. The planetary pull does affect our world, that is a scientfic fact. The tides rise and fall due to gravity. The sighting of a probable comet as a star guiding the Three Wise Men was written to herald the birth of Jesus in the Bible. Asteriods have been assumed to have caused havoc with our world’s development and climate when they crashed to earth over our history. The night sky has long been a source of mystery and literally a provider of guidance to destinations as travelers and explorers from Magellan forward looked to the heavens to find their course.

Given all of this..who am I to dismiss what might be?

~”There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your
philosophy. “- Shakespeare (Hamlet)~