Sal's Reflections

In the middle of the baseball season the New York Mets were floundering, and many fans were ready to wash their hands because of what appeared to be another dreary season.Last night those same Mets swept a very talented Chicago Cubs team in four games.Often in the middle of a venture ,or even a relationship we are ready to wash our hands and walk away.We get tired of failure and experience the pain of painful outcomes. The Mets adjusted in the middle of the season,added new players and found a momentum that has carried them to new heights.Success often requires adjustments,reflection and stepping out of our personal or organizational comfort zones.

We are capable of adding new dimensions,changing patterns and seeing the possible instead of the status quo.Even the wildest dreams can become real when we get off the deck and try,try again.

On Friday I had a Cat Scan and thinking it was like an MRI I was filled with anxiety.I in jest told the radiologist “please give me enough drugs so that when the test is over the DEA will arrest me.”Well to my surprise it was nothing like an MRI, and lasted only seven minutes.My day of worry and expecting the worst was in fact a waste of time and energy. This is true of so many things and situations that occupy our thoughts and fears. In my case they are usually not as bad as they seem ,and almost always there are constructive ways to deal with them when they actually occur.

I hope that whatever you and I are dreading today will be similar to my experience with the Cat Scan.

My friend Perry has moved back to Indianapolis to spend what he refers to “the end of his Rainbow days with his grand niece and her family.I asked him for one more part of wisdom before he left.He told me “I am going to leave this world with the comfort that I have no unfinished business with anyone that was important to me. Too many people spend days ,months and years wasting their time and energy in personal feuds.If you have unfinished business with anyone either let it go or make one more attempt to resolve it.I have seen too many people at funerals sobbing because they lost a loved one or a friend without ending years of anger and resentment.There is freedom in asking for or giving forgiveness”.I I will miss Perry but I have enough of his wisdom to last until my own Rainbow days.

There is a church across from where I live that feeds homeless persons in the morning and evening. The system depends on volunteers to prepare the food,serve it and clean up the cafeteria. Over 80 % of the volunteers are between the ages of 25 to 35.They are mostly profesionals who work these shifts before or after working hours. They are a most diverse group ,some are lawyers,others nurses,executives media producers and a host of other occupations. Speaking with them the one unifying theme is their desire to make a difference and to in their own personal way to “give back.”Couple this with the fact that the Peace Corps. has currently experienced the highest number of volunteers in the last forty years and it may change the perspective that the young are not caring and involved in making the world a better place.

I saw the movie “Malala” yesterday and am completely in awe of her courage and commitment to children worldwide.Historically hate groups see education as something that must be eradicated so they can maintain and control their warped ideology.ideology. Malalass father also exhibited extraordinary courage in publicly denouncing the Taliban, and giving witness to the truth that it was a corruption of the very nature of Islam.

It is beyond sad that over sixty million children are denied the opportunity to develop their full potential because of perverted ideas that allow no discussion or margin.The world must not be silent about these horrors,
and in particular we must consistently encourage our leaders to speak out on these human rights issues.

am not an expert on the 2nd Amendment and what we should do to address the ever present mass murders in America. However, I have a wealth of experience with kids at every level ,and have been exposed to many angry young men along the way. There is no one size that fits all situations but the perfect should not stand in the way of the good. I have never met a kid who did not in some shape or form want to fit in. When the choices are only negative the anger is like a magnet for hate and violence. We can save some kids and hopefully some lives by getting the congress off its duff to pass infrastructure legislation that gives kids a chance to work and be productive. We can widen the ability to feed every kid so that one in five doesn’t go to bed hungry. We can triple our attempts to minimize bullying in the schools, and we need to reach out to the kid who is now a loner, We must provide alternative ways to handle conflict as well as finding the resources for sports,bands,dance acting and any activity that get a kid involved. Instead of labeling the anger we need to find ways in the schools homes and workplaces to address it . We talk a great deal about American exceptional ism but we often cut the very programs and activities that promote the kind of results we desire.Getting a kid involved in helping others is a magic way to transform the personal pain into caring and compassion. I have personally witnessed the transformation of the so called” lost “kid by having him become a partner with one who has physical handicapping conditions. We also need to organize the zillion people like me who are ready and willing to volunteer to help schools, groups or anyone else that can make a dent.
I for one can no longer shrug my shoulders, weep and give in to the belief that there is no perfect solution. If we really give a damn we will find the will and the resources to at least lessen this madness.

I know so many wonderful people who never think of themselves as special.Everyday they completely fill responsibilities without fanfare,At home or work they are the building blocks that make everything function smoothly. They are the first to show up and volunteer when a friend or relative is in need, and almost always do this unobtrusively. It is worthwhile to pause and reflect on who in our lives fills this bill and to in some way today let them know how vital and valuable they are to us.