Sal's Reflections

Once while in a coffee shop in New York I had a copy of Hitler’s Priest on the table. An elderly woman with a heavy accent asked me what was the book about? After a few minutes she rolled up her sleeve and showed me the tattoo she had received as a child at Theresenstadt. She lost her father ,brother and many other relatives who were transported to Auschwitz. She and her mother were rescued at the end of the war, and ultimately she made her way to America. Despite the horrors of her childhood she assured me that she had a remarkable life.

I am sure that Moses complained to his wife about the behavior of their children.Growing up many parents thought that listening to Elvis Presley would lead their children to Hell. It has been the role of every generation to compare themselves to their children, and often the comparisons were negative. This phenomenon is still alive and well when it comes to the Millennials. It s often said they are rude,self centered and often act in total contradiction to the values of their parents.
It is only a small sample but I have a very different view of them. While living in DC I worked as a volunteer in a church soup kitchen. There were hundreds of volunteers and most were under the age of thirty five. Many were professionals that served the poor and the homeless before they went to their places of employment. To a person I found them to be dedicated,caring persons who treated the recipients of the program with care and respect. In the many conversations that I was privileged to have with them we often discussed their search for meaning and purpose. They all were ambitious, but this drive was complimented by a real devotion to community.
Put me down as one who has great hope for the future because of my personal experience with Millennials.

Persistence is that one characteristic that is the key ingredient in goal achievements. There are always those frustrating moments when it is reasonable to throw in the towel and quit.Frustration sets in and that little negative voice in our head yells “Why continue”? The reality is that so many times we are closer than we think ,and if we only persist the dream may happen.It really doesn’t matter that we haven’t figured it all out yet ,or that so far the attempts have failed. What matters is that we persist and try over and over again. We are worthy of the end result, but the goal does not merely come to the brilliant .It comes to the persistent.

The critical question is not whether one is a Republican,Democrat or Independent. These labels may put people into categories, but they do not get to the most critical question;what kind of country is America becoming?
Are we a country that takes basic health care away from children?
Removes Medicaid dollars from those that require Nursing homes?
Radically slashes funds for hospice care?
Allows new virulent pesticides that harm farm workers and children?
Ignores overwhelming climate science that has dire consequences for millions of Americans?
Drastically cuts funds from the State department at a time when diplomacy is so critical?
Treats the clean air and water as givens while treating pouters as “good old boys” hampered by unreasonable regulations?
Promoting the belief that if you are poor or homeless you are a moocher?
Preaching “small government”while invading every personal avenue of citizen;s lives?
Taking funding away from the Nurse’s education and training?
Decimating rural health care with a Health care bill that will leave increases in illness and death in its wake?
A nation that sees education and the arts as elitist and should be dramatically disdained?
The belief that the answer to defeat Issis and terrorism is military?

Every time I have made a decision to leave or widen my comfort zone“ I have grown in many ways.. The fullness of life goes way beyond the boundary of my “comfort zone “Risks and challenges have pushed me to develop new knowledge and resources. My world has invariably been enriched by risks and new experiences. Obviously there have been some mistakes made in these choices, but the pluses far surpass the moments and decisions that did not go well.

I do not have a magic wand, but I would suggest we not always settle for the mediocre just to avoid the anxious feelings of stepping out of the comfort zone; it’s too big a price to pay. Your challenges and risk experiences are opportunities to grow in many ways. It does not have to be a mammoth challenge but leaving your comfort zone ultimately helps you to deal with change. The unknown may be scary but so often when we take a risk we grow and are transformed for the better. If the big leap is too frightening try to make small changes that take you to a new level of peace and joy.It is not merely a slogan that says”You only go around once.” On the other side of that place you may not wish to go may be something you have always wished for “someday.”

This past week while on my way to Cafe Nero a man asked me for some loose change. He said he had not eaten in two days.I never give money to anyone on the street but told him I would be happy to have him accompany me for a sandwich at the cafe.I was thrilled that he agreed, and because he was so disheveled people avoided both of us while we selected the food.We asked to share one of the booths but the person was so appalled at the man’s appearance that he without speaking left the cafe.
I was not surprised to find out the the man was a vet that had been living on the street for years.He spoke little ,and I did not push him but gave him my card and told him that if he ever needed to talk to someone I lived only a few blocks away. We often say that men like him are so valued by our society ,and I wished in some small way to repay him for his service.

There is a chasm between those that believe that health care is a right and those that believe it is a privilege. I stand with those that believe that every citizen should have health care that is affordable and protects families. The Affordable Care Act is far from perfect but it was in my opinion a step in the right direction. If our politicians could focus on the common good they could over a period of time make the necessary adjustments that would make Health care more affordable and cover every person in our country. I have scrutinized the new attempt by the Congress and believe that it will be a disaster for millions of Americans. It so heavily favors those at the top and IMO naively puts forward concepts like multi state competition and health care saving accounts. As one who believes in the free market these sound good but they have no chance of being successful. It is time for us to keep the pressure on both parties and force them to produce a path that keeps the best of the current system while developing proven ways to improve the health and welfare of everyone.

March Madness is going on in Washington also. The Republicans have created a tournament in which they are sponsoring Gladiator matches. In the first rounds of the tournament Haliburton knocked out Big Bird. The Pentagon five hundred dollar hammer scored a unanimous decision over Meals on Wheels. In the quarter finals Governor Ostrich defeated the people of Flint by a TKO. Also In this round, The Koch brothers prevailed against the EPA.The Wall progressed to the semi- finals soundly trouncing public education, and will meet the New Health plan who whacked the elderly and Medicaid recipients. This tournament according to budget director Mick Mulvaney was enthusiastically supported by single mothers and out of work coal miners. They are tired of spending money on those who are on the margins and enthusiastically buy the Marie Antoinette motto over Mulvaney’s desk” Let them eat cake.”
The tournament sponsors agree that this will have no effect on trimming the budget, but have polled the public who would rather finance weekly trips to Mar a Lago and a second home in Manhattan then take care of the sick and elderly.

I learned a long rime ago that everyone has a self critic in their head.There is a constant voice that criticizes much of what we do.It reminds us of where we have failed, and frequently prevents us from experiencing a more joyful life. I have given that voice a nickname. I refer to it as “gloom and doom Sal”.I have learned to limit the effect on my self esteem by utilizing the words”Delete,delete delete.”

A good place to start with raising your self-esteem is by learning how to handle and to replace the voice of your own inner critic.That voice cannot own you unless you believe what it is saying. You are more than your feelings, and for every critical remark you can substitute positive speech and new beliefs.You cant completely stop the frequent reminders of your fears and failings.However you can minimize the damage it does and in the process more fully enjoy who you are.