I have a piece over at the Catholic Standard Today

I belong to a Facebook group called Game of the Day and this column came from the prompt given; what have you learned from this time of Covid-19? 

Catching Up Again

Part of the problem of posting articles linking them to the blog, is writing when you've submitted a piece. You don't want to walk over what you already wrote, or to lose out to pieces but I have to remember, there's always more and trust that the more will reveal itself.  So, here's a link to my most recent piece over at the Register, on the Lessons from the Lives of the Saints (suitable for November 1st). 

I'll also take this moment to remind people to vote on Tuesday, and to consider when you cast your vote, the hard reality of this time we live in, which requires we stand up more than we'd prefer, speak up more than would be comfortable.  We don't get to sit in our hobbit homes and worry about doilies.  We must go out and have an adventure...and when we do, we will be changed.   So vote.  Win, lose or draw, hold the people given the reigns of power accountable.   Call them when you read about something that troubles you. Ask them to act.  Ask them to look into it. 

Read what people are doing, even if it frustrates you to read it.   Write to them. Write to the paper.  Changing the culture, the political climate of the culture will require more than righteous wrath, political fire, or emotional appeals. It will require logos, pathos and ethos, in addition to witness.  We cannot presume outcomes, nor should we presume all acts will be in good faith.  We must scrutinize the newsmakers and the news, the laws and the lawmakers, and weigh all of them with are they true, are they good, are they necessary. 

Irrespective of outcome, we must not despair of either the capacity of our country to do good, to be good, nor of our ability to affect the world.  Begin today with whatever moves your heart.  Share your five loaves and fishes and trust, God will do the multiplying. 

Lessons Learned?

My favorite Star Trek Series is Deep Space Nine.  One of the characters that made it such a joy to watch, was Mr. Garak.  As a former spy, now exiled on an alien space station with the Federation in power, he forms an unlikely friendship with the straight laced Doctor Bashir. 

One day, Dr. Bashir explains to him why no one trusts his advice or stories by telling the tale of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. 

Mr. Garak asks if the moral of the story is what Dr. Bashir claims it to be, "Be honest."  Dr. Bashir asks, "What do you think the moral is?"   He answers, "Never tell the same lie twice." 

So when my daughter asked me, "What is the moral of Disney's The Little Mermaid?"  I had to consider, what did I want the lesson to be? 

I asked my friends on the internet, and gathered their wisdom, so without further adieu, I present to you, the top ten lessons that should be learned from Disney's "A Little Mermaid."

10) Never trust anyone with a creepy familiar(s).  

9) Learn Sign Language.

8) If your first act of adulthood involves selling your soul, mutilating your body and renouncing all the collective wisdom of your family and people, you better hope everyone comes to your rescue because this is not a good decision on your part. 

7) Crustaceans make lousy "in loco parentis." 

6) If the guy can't figure out it's you without your singing...maybe...you want someone smarter. 

5) If the girl combs her hair with a fork...maybe...you want someone smarter. 

4) Catchy tunes can make people forget your lack of character,  (See Ursula, Dr. Facilier, and Gaston).  

3) If the dog likes a character, this is a good person, marry her. If the dog doesn't like a person, that person must be a villain in disguise, attack and kill.  

2) You can marry all you wish, but few survive parenthood in a Disney universe. King Triton is a single dad monarch, and Prince Eric, an orphan for some time.   Sebastian is a singleton, Flounder seems to have no family, and Ursula, seems to have some relationship with Triton, maybe an evil Aunt or Sister, but there are no complete families anywhere.  You've been warned. 

1) Always read the fine print. 

Blog Lessons

This blog has been in circulation since 2007.  While there are certainly silly pieces aplenty and rants, there are also memories logged into cyberspace that shall remain as long as this blog exists.

So what have I learned blogging for the past 5 years?

1. Pay attention.  There are stories everywhere if you're not napping and even more when you actually do sleep, but those are usually messy.

2.  Much more happens than I remember. (See #1).

3. Time flies so we must be having fun.

4.  Do it now!  What you don't get to today will either be forgotten tomorrow or be much much worse. (That napping thing). 

5. Spell check and proof reading are nothing compared to my mom. 

6.  Remember what you wrote because someone will say something and I will think, "Huh?" 

7. Nothing cures looking for a compliment like a spambot response.  "Hello, I think you raise a really good point in a very interesting way.  Maybe you'ld like to see my thoughts on the matter."

8.  It's all in the eyes of the beholder.  I sweat over a piece, crickets.  I slap something up and there are skads of comments.  Be detatached or stop already, if you're in it for the ego...stop now or recognize the quiet you will experience is a necesary humbling for your soul.

9.  There is no prologue.  No one backreads a blog. (not even the author)  It's now and forward or nothing.  Also, everyday is someone's first date with your writing, so make it look spiffy. 

10.  There is a difference between fearless and foolhardy.  Write with courage, but guard the hearts and hearth of the home because while humor always contains a grain of truth, it should also be laced with forgiveness/mercy.  

That being said,  I now present a touch of our home life.   Monday was my son's 4th birthday and we have this little slice of his life from opening presents. 

Lastly, I'm very grateful to have a means of documenting my family's life because I stink at scrapbooks.  Happy Birthday Paul!