Naked As A Jaybird

With the start of 2012, one of the pressing questions for most people is "What is wrong with America?". There is no single answer and I hope to discuss some of my thoughts throughout the year. One thing that is for sure is that we just don't make things in America anymore. I don't know if this trend started with the new "information technology age", or with Republican trade and tax policies, or just with the greed of corporate America to make more profits by going to places with cheaper labor costs and taxes. I have heard the term "buy American" by many groups, hoping to spark the economy and grow jobs. I thought I would try it, so I went to my closet to see where I stood so far. I was amazed. Based on what I found, even though I was buying from American companies, almost all my cloths were made or assembled someplace else.

I started with pants. My Levi blue jeans were made in Mexico, and somewhere I had never heard of, Lesotho. My Chaps were made in Egypt, Old Navy made in the Dominican Republic & the Philippines, Dockers in Thailand, Eddie Bauer in the Dominican Republic, Hager in Guatemala, and even my dress pants from Bill  Blass and Murano were made in Mexico. 

I then moved on to the shirts. Again Arrow, who advertise as being a USA company since 1851, makes their shirts in Bangladesh & Viet Nam , Kenneth Cole made in China, Croft & Barrow made in Taiwan, Jos. A. Banks made in the Philippines, Van Heusen made in Viet Nam, The Express made in Indonesia, and Eddie Bauer made in Hong Kong. Even my Bubba Gump Shrimp t-shirt was made in Honduras.

In the shoe category my Rockports were made in China, my Nikes made in Thailand, my beloved Florsheims made in India, my Bostonians made in China, and even the Giorgio Brutinis purchased at the Shoe Carnival were made in China (not even Italy).

Even my underwear was not made in America. Hanes T-shirts made in Haiti, Jockey shorts made in Honduras, and the ever popular Fruit of the Looms made in El Salvadore.

Based on this unscientific assessment, if I had to wear only made in America clothing I would be, as my mother used  to say, "naked as a jaybird." If you are not familiar with men's clothes, check out your own closet and see if you find any surprises. This onslaught of foreign made products does not stop with clothes but is apparent in almost everything that we buy. Even the walker that I got at the hospital to use with my hip replacement was made in China, TV's and the power tools I just bought at Sears no less, were made in China. Even "this" computer used to compose this posting, that I purchased from Dell, hailed as a great American success story, was "made in China".

If you are not making anything, you had better have something to sell that everyone wants or needs. Right now we are not filling that bill either.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year. "This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" Psalms 118:24

I feel truly blessed to have made in through another year and to have awaken to another day. There were many who did not make it to 2012. My Pastor, Dr.Kevin Cosby, preached on the topic of time today, and it really brought home a message. All of us have the same amount of time to work with, 86,400 seconds in a day. We cannot carry any over and we can't get it back once it is used. Because of this we should be guardful of each and every day to maximize our time and focus our lives and energies on those things that give the highest return.

On several occasions my wife has said to me that she didn't have time to do something, or that she was too busy. I tell her that she has the same amount of time as everyone else. It is just a matter of how you chose to use it. We spend too much time doing second things first. A lot of time it is because of how we set our priorities. We waste time on secondary issues or with people that don't result in the achievement of anything. Rev Cosby noted that the mistakes we make with time are 1.) We overexaggerate yesterday 2.) we overestimate tomorrow, and 3.) we underestimate today. Today is the day to rejoice in and not be burdened by what happened yesterday or fearful of what will happen tomorrow.

The year 2011 had a lot of blessings and a lot of burdens.  Our daughter obtained her associate degree in medical coding, yet still has not found a job. The kitchen remodeling project was completed but bills have not been paid. I still am employed , but no raises or bonus received at work, while the recession continues to cut into my 401K. But, I know that I am blessed  and I am grateful for today. I look back over my life and I could be a drunk, into drugs, in jail, or just not here, like some of the people I grew up with. I don't make new year's resolutions anymore. Yes, I have goals for the year, things I want to do before the end of the year and in a positive manner. But I will keep my agenda in mind each day and be glad in it.

The Troops Come Home

The last of the US troops have come home from Iraq. A true Christmas blessing. I want to give the President some thanks for standing his ground, setting a timeline, and ending our involvement. The American people were duped by a President, who in my opinion stole the election, and was placed in office after some suspicious circumstances and a Supreme Court ruling. Then after being supported after 9/11 duped us again with false information and a terrible military plan to attach Iraq. Hopefully the killing of Osama Bin Laden, by this President will lead to us eventually also ending our war in Afghanistan. God bless the troops that did their jobs and this song by Stevie Wonder symbolizes what should happen next.

Someday at Christmas men won't be boys
Playing with bombs like kids play with toys
One warm December our hearts will see
A world where men are free

Someday at Christmas there'll be no wars
When we have learned what Christmas is for
When we have found what life's really worth
There'll be peace on earth

Someday at Christmas man will not fail
Hate would be gone and love will prevail
Someday a new world that we can start
with hope in every heart

Someday all our dreams will come to be
Someday in a world where men are free
Maybe not in time for you and me
But someday at Christmastime

The Apprentice

Our eight year old granddaughter Makenna (The Con Artist) has been spending the week before Christmas with me and my wife. She conned her way out of school early after the Christmas pageant to come home with us and hasn't left yet. So for seven days she has been the apprentice of a professional shopper, my wife.

Things started off slow. She had to have a few extra clothes, since she didn't bring anything with her. This led to a trip to Target for a hooded jogging suit, socks, slippers,some new underwear, and because the weather was a changing a fur lined hooded coat and ear muffs. Of course while they were out she also participated in the process of picking up a few things for her brother and sisters who were not able to speak for themselves.

Each day after this, the apprentice went out into the world of the mall and observed the high level experience of Christmas shopping with a pro. In the house came toys, electronics, clothes and a variety of gifts for all our children and grand kids. At the end of each day I could hear the phrase of "I like shopping" being echoed from the apprentice with awe. Needless to say, she had no real concept that when Granny was buying these things using cards and coupons, that no money was changing hands, and that Paw Paw would be actually paying for them later.

As she showed off her purchases and who was getting what, money was not an issue. I tried in vain, even showing her my empty wallet, that I didn't have any money. It is difficult to describe how consumer credit works to an eight year old, after watching the master shopper at work.

However, this all has a silver lining. Since I hate to shop, and my wife knows this, I was left free to stay at home and wrap presents, watch TV, and remain stress free throughout this whole period. I also knew and could easily see that my wife came back from the mall a lot less stressed when she went with Makenna, than she ever would have been with me. I also had the time to go out on my own and buy the few gifts that I was specifically tasked with getting.

The Apprentice will go home tomorrow, with a great experience to remember. She will also have a heads up on all her brother and sisters gifts. We will see if she can keep the secrets.

Christmas Past

Christmas is right around the corner and like most people I think about how Christmas was in my past, knowing that the future can never live up to those days. I'm a baby boomer, born in 1949 after the war. Little did I know that Christmas as we know it was commercialized during and after the war in the 40's.

The Santa Claus that we saw, the jolly fat man in the red suit and beard, was an image contrived by marketeers to sell toys and products during the holiday. Saint Nick was standardized by Norman Rockwell paintings and brought to life by the department store giant Macy's. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas was a song from a movie, and became famous as it tugged on the heartstrings of Americans and  service men overseas for their first Christmas at war away from their families. And Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer was song by the singing Cowboy Gene Audrey. His most popular recording  ever was the "B" side of another record.

So the Christmas I knew had only been around for a decade. None of this mattered then. We were all excited about Christmas. We were out of school. We were going to get toys and presents, watch TV and play with our friends and relatives. It was a week long party with family and friends until New Years.

I grew up in a family were my father passed away when I and my two brothers were all under the age of 10. My widowed mother took care of us as best she could. She worked everyday and we had some social security payments from my father. We didn't think we were poor since the conditions and other people who lived around us were all working people. We thought of ourselves as middle class since we didn't have to live in the projects. Today, I guess we would be classified as the working poor.

It didn't take us long to figure out that Santa Claus wasn't real a coming from and that the toys were coming from momma. After all we didn't even have a fireplace. We didn't care, all we knew was that when we went to sleep and woke up the next morning the toys were there. The one things that sticks with me about Christmas was that I always want a bike, and it never came. I couldn't complain too much because my brothers never got one either. I found out later that my mother was afraid that if we got a bike someone in the

neighborhood would take it from us, or we would get hit by a car, so she never bought them. The kids in the neighborhood usually came to our house, and they would brings toys and games we could all play together. We would visit family and friends later in the day for dinner and I would get a chance to sit with the men and watch football.

As we got older toys began to give way to school clothes. But even that was alright, because we had something new. When it got to the time when I could work and save a little money, I was so glad to be able to buy some little things for my mother. It didn't take much for her and she had worked so hard for us. We lived away from my grandparents, and my aunts and uncles had families of their own, but my momma never complained about not   getting presents for herself.

For me it was very little stress, back then. Not like it is now. Worrying about getting the presents and then paying the bills afterwards. My wife is stressed out about the Christmas dinner, who, what and where will it be. Not only as a parents with grown children, we also want to take care of the grandchildren, who still see the fun in Christmas  and remind me of what it was like in Christmas' past.

Early Riser

All of my life I have been an early riser, out of circumstance versus desire. I actually hate getting out of bed in the morning. Growing up as a kid, school always started at 8:30 a.m., and moma didn't play that being late for school. If she had to get up to go to work, everybody had to get up to go to school. After the fourth grade I had to take the bus to school, public transportation, two buses using a transfer. So I had to get up even earlier. Weekend ends weren't much better with chores assigned on Saturday mornings and Sunday School on Sundays.

After my school age years there was my time in the military. As you can imagine this was even more regimented with morning hours meant for activities and leisurely sleep-ins heavly frowned upon. After basic training things loosened up, but by then the habits were set.

Then comes my working life, which has resulted in getting up for the daily shift five days a week for as long as I can remember. This early riser thing has been enbedded into my being. Even choosing the 8:00 a.m. morning service for church. I am a creature of habit, rising in the morning to sit on the edge of the bed, take a shower, brush my teeth and shave, dress, get a cup of coffee, read the  paper, and head off to work or to complete the tasks that have been circulating in my head overnight for the day.

I say all this to get to the fact that since I have had a hip replacement, I have not been able to get around much for several weeks. I have also been off work. So, I have been able to "sleep in". Getting up and out of bed at 9:00-9:30 a.m. What a treat! However, this all came tumbling down this weekend when I needed my spiritual replenishment. I needed to go to church! As  the younger generation would say "OMG". Getting up at again at 6:30 a.m. was a battle of wills between good and evil. One voice was saying "Stay, you don't need to leave this warm bed, it can wait", while the other was saying " You can do it, you need to do it, move your body and get up." Good prevailed and I did make it to church. It was amazing that as soon as I got there and the choir began singing, how much better I felt, with no pain at all.

Anyway, I'm back on the early riser track again, with things to do, and a purpose for the mornings.

Handyman's Helper

Due to my recent hip  replacement I have had to solicit the help of an assistant, my wife Donna, to carry on the handyman duties around the house. It is amazing how little things that we take for granted pop up once one is incapacitated. It is also funny to watch my wife address them, since I was always responsible for handling these things silently and behind the scenes. I look at this as good practice for my wife to become a more rounded individual. Since she is the creative mind of the household, projects are forever taking place, usualy  thought up by her and implemented by me. If left to my own accord the house would look the same as inside as it did ten years ago, except for a few minor changes. However, I really love what she has done with the place.

Anyway, the first thing she realized was how many light bulbs are in the house. Also, how many  different sizes, types, watts, etc. Invariably they start going out one at a time. First the small spot light in the family room over the fireplace, then the large flood light in the kitchen, then the small light in the bathroom, the appliance light in the refrigerator, and the halogen light outside in the night lights around the house. First, I had to show her where the light bulb stash was in the garage. Several cases required her to  buy light bulbs from hone depot. But at the end of the day the lights have been replaced. She has also learned where the main water shut off valve is located and the downstairs circuit board. This is important knowledge for and homeowner. 

Yesterday we tackled the dreaded snaking procedure for a clogged drain. She also completed on her own, with my assistance, placing some glass film on the windows around our front entrance way door. She was tired of the plain glass and the ability for people to look directly into the house when coming up to the door. She did a masterful job. It was difficult at time watching her do the steps without interjecting how I would do it and taking over. But she read the instructions, measured the space, cut the film insert, and after some frustrations got her done. 

Our, her, next projects involve putting up new curtain rods and curtains as well as decorating the house for Christmas. This should be fun, since I don't think she knows where all the Christmas items are, and the effort it takes. Happy Holidays