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Friday, April 28, 2006

 

Back up

A couple of my readers thought my last entry was seriously downbeat. I was feeling a bit down, but I didn't think it showed that much. A survival-oriented attitude has served me wll in the past, and may yet again be needed in the future. But, for now, I'm back on top of the world.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

 

Setbacks

Every once on a while, when it seems things are going swimmingly, there is a big setback. We all like to build castles in the air and hate to see them collapse. So, then what? Sometimes, take a few minutes to mourn. Maybe, it will take more than a few minutes. And then, if you're a builder, you go back to work. You salvage what you can, find what went wrong, and fix it. And then you rebuild, better than before.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

 

Speeding by

Over the past month or so, there has been a new source of vim, vigor, and vitality in my life. I'm not ready to say more, but I am moving along with much more good cheer and energy than I'm used to, and in the process taking more steps to work towards my various goals, major and minor, and those necessary steps aren't nearly so much a burden as I've sometimes found them.
I'm been getting some long-overdue dental work done, among other things. Forward progress isn't so much a matter of giant leaps (Although I've had a few of those), as it is a matter of small but necessary steps.
At times, I've been in situations where these small necessary steps were just necessary, survival routine and drudgery. It makes a difference when they represent noticeably measurable parts of a plan. and it's nice to be able to look back and seen them as accomblishments, rather than just an indicator that it's time for the next chore.

Monday, April 17, 2006

 

Which comes first?

Last year I went through a course in credit management and learned how I could rebuild a ruined credit record. (First step, have an income, now accomplished; working on the next step.) But a driver's record is also tricky. I need to clear my Nebraska license suspension before I can get a WV license. And I need high-risk insurance to get the Nebraska license cleared. And I need a car to insure, and a driver's license to get insurance...wait a minute. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

Saturday, April 15, 2006

 

Easter

An Easter thought.
The proper way to celebrate Easter, and Holy week, for any professed Christian, is not to spend one day in church listening to hymns and sermons, and then forget about him until Christmas. Rather, it is to take up one's cross every day, following the Savior's example of obedience to the Father and self-mastery. It is to remember, not so much his agonizing death, as his teachings and exemplary life, and the promise of new life once the suffering and death are over. It's not about new clothes and the Easter Bunny; it's about sorrow turning into joy, a gift from a living, loving God.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

 

Springtime

I like springtime. Warming temperatures, new life, green and growing with flowers, and all sorts of bright promise.
But, even better than the earth's springtime, is the internal, emotional sort of springtime.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

 

Picking fights

I've been reminded of a talk that was given in the recent LDS General Conference on the general theme of anger and contention, one that I appreciated much when I heard it.
One of the reasons I haven't deal much with current events and politics on this blog is that I increasingly dislike the divisive tone of political discourse: It's either Hate the gays, or Hate the oppressive religious right: Hate the Democrats or Hate the Republicans; Hate the evil Bush Administration or Hate the terrorists. What ever happened to civilized debate? What happened to recognizing that those who disagree with you sometimes do have a point and admitting it? What happened to disagreeing without being disagreeable? What happened to attack the argument with reason, not the person with passion?
There are plenty of blogs that discuss current events and politics. While I have plenty of opinions, I dislike going unarmed and unarmored into battle; especially if I'm going to be arguing both sides of questions that really aren't all that important. For now, I'm still trying to improve my personal position.

Monday, April 10, 2006

 

Getting around

A recurring thought, from when I was walking across the country the summer before last. What are we all going to do when the price of gasoline creeps up to seriously interfere with our driving habits; not only for optional trips, but necessary ones?

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

 

Baching it

I found that the apartment I moved into was unfurnished, which makes things a bit difficult. The floor doesn't make a good mattress: I had to break out the trusty old sleeping bag I've carried across the country, and I have no place to store stuff or sit, except the floor. Showers are far more convenient than they were in the shelter. Food is rather harder: I don't have to share the refrigerator with 20 people, but I do have to do my own cooking. Communication (with a local phone) is much more convenient. I haven't picked a long-distance carrier yet. Transportation is difficult; I'm a mile and a half from the downtown area where I was doing my studies, so it's either ride the bus, which constrains my hours at the library rather badly, or walk, which consumes time and gets harder on the feet every year. If it were a matter of life and death or other dire necessity, I could maybe take another hike across the country...but I certainly wouldn't want to, and would go even slower. Medical and dental care are a bit easier. Most people have little idea how hard the comforts of life that most of us take for granted are, to people in a homeless situation.
I could make things a little more comfortable by spending more money, but extended perios of doing without can make for habits of frugality that I'm in no rush to break. I have long-overdue debts to take care of.

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