A reminder for today about doom, gloom, and worry

Friends, this one is going to be short and sweet, but I believe it’s come to me for a reason. There is no shortage of posts, opinions, op-ed pieces and the like predicting everything from imminent nuclear war and the horrors that would follow to the collapse of our country/your country/civilization, to what is commonly abbreviated as TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It). Images abound of pain, suffering, and the never ending tide of mankind’s inhumanity to other members of mankind. It’s little wonder that so many are falling into a seeming never ending spiral of despair, depression and feeling that nothing is going to get better and we’re all doomed.

I ran across this article and it had such an impact on me that I will now post a link to it here. Don’t be misled by the title – it is NOT what you think. Trust me. Read it and see. God grant that, like me, it lifts someone out of that cycle and helps them realize that there IS still beauty in the world, that like “Doctor Google,” constant ingestion of media, social media and internet is NOT good for you, and that we all need to remember to stop, take a breath, and appreciate the bonds of love and joy that we have between our friends, our family and the people around us.

God bless, my friends.

https://mashable.com/article/doomsday-clock-2022-probability-of-nuclear-war

The Courage of your Convictions

First of all, thank you to all those who continue to visit The Takedown and who keep track whenever new posts are put up. I am forever thankful to see that from time to time, new people come along and find my posts here worthwhile to them. If anything I have said, posted or written has been a blessing to someone, then I thank God because it wasn’t my wisdom, believe me.

As many of you may know, I have been furloughed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even with the lessening of so many of the regulations and “suggestions” put into place it has been an uphill battle for me to get back to work. I work in the medical field in several areas and many of those fields still require you (or want you) to wear a face mask. Despite the fact that I have a medical exemption, many still will not hire me because they either (a) feel it is not safe, (b) say it is not safe or (c) some combination of the two. However, that’s not what I’m talking about, today. That’s something I cannot help; an exemption that exists because of my own medical condition. Today I’m touching on something else – namely what any one of us will do in order to work and, by extension, where any of us will draw the line when it comes to standing for what we know is right, i.e., having the courage of your convictions.

Let’s face it, this is not a concept that is in vogue. Oh, it sounds good during election time, or when someone is trying to garner support, but we’d have to look long and hard to find anyone who, when the chips were down and it truly came down to having to count the cost of standing for what they believed in were actually willing to do it. I, myself, was in such a position not too long ago, as was a friend of mine, and in both of our cases, it cost us a job.

My friend, who I will not name here as I do not have his permission to but who I am proud to know, turned down a job he was offered because one of the conditions of the job was that he had to be vaccinated. He, like me, believes that there are a myriad of very good reasons to not take the still experimental Covid-19 medication (which is not a “vaccine,” despite the attempts to retroactively change the definition to make it one) and so he has not accepted it. He was faced with a clear choice in which he could have hedged, dodged or even outright lied to the person in order to secure the work. Instead, he realized (in his own words) that to say you stand for something and then not do it is worthless, and it wasn’t worth his integrity. He didn’t rant, he didn’t lecture, and he allowed the person to set the limits on the job offered. However, he politely refused the job and told the person why. He stood for what he knew was right, even though it cost him and could, conceivably cost him more in the future. It wasn’t worth sacrificing who he was.

In my case, I was offered what I thought would be a marvelous position as a medical assistant. I would be working in a school setting alongside a provider, using both my skills as a CCMA and also my skills as an EMT should an emergent situation arise. I would be working to build rapport with parents and students as well as ensuring that all students, whatever their background or social/economic status were treated equitably and with respect and kindness. Then I found out that part of my work would involve something called “Plan B.” The person I was speaking to about the position was firing off information slightly faster than an auctioneer and so I paused them and asked them to clarify what “Plan B” was. I pretty well knew, but wanted it said aloud. “Plan B” is a colloquialism for what is commonly called the “morning after” pill. It’s an abortive medicine, according to the person I was speaking to. Now, in point of fact I realize there is a hot debate about the differences between the morning after pill, abortive medicines and the like, but this person explained that yes, I would be handing out a medication designed to prevent or terminate a pregnancy after a person has knowingly had unprotected sex. I also had no need (or right, it was implied) to notify the parents as the students “had the right to ask on their own.” I was then asked if this would be a challenge. I didn’t even have to think before answering that yes, that definitely would. It would violate both my own moral standard as a professing follower of Christ, and my own ethical standard as an EMT to provide that medication and, in essence, be asked to hide the information from parents. The tone of the phone interview changed and I was told they needed to do some checking (they also asked if I was vaccinated, which I am not) but they would “get back to me.” As of this writing I haven’t heard anything.

What’s the Boot of Truth? It’s simply this, best expressed in the stanzas taken from the poem The Present Crisis, written by James Russell Lowell and perhaps better known from the hymn Once to Every man and Nation. Written to oppose the debate over slavery as well as an impending war with Mexico, the words resonate today as much as they did then. I close with them and say simply this – when the time comes to stand on what YOU believe in, what choice will you make? God grant that you have the courage of your convictions, and stand firm for what you know is right.

Once to every man and nation 
Comes the moment to decide, 
In the strife of truth with falsehood, 
For the good or evil side; 
Some great cause, God’s new Messiah, 
Offering each the bloom or blight, 
And the choice goes by forever 
Twixt that darkness and that light. 

Then to side with truth is noble, 
When we share her wretched crust, 
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, 
And ’tis prosperous to be just; 
Then it is the brave man chooses 
While the coward stands aside, 
Till the multitude make virtue 
Of the faith they had denied.

May God bless you all richly today, my friends.

Remembering times that were truly tough – and the people who got through them

Hello again all! Thank you to those who have continued to check this site and to those who have newly come here and keep coming back. No, I didn’t disappear off the face of the Earth, but I will say frankly that I had a very good reason for not updating this blog in a while, which I will share succinctly. My wife was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and as you can imagine, that rather turned our world upside-down for a time. By the unmerited grace and favor of God, however, her prognosis was positive, it was able to be corrected surgically, and there is no further trace of the cancer since that time. The recovery has gone well, and our lives have gotten back on an even keel.

It was that experience, however, that was one of the catalysts that has prompted me to put up this blog post today. That experience helped me get my head on straight in a world that, to many, seems to have gone crazy. The media seems to be pumping out fear 24/7 and when it’s not pumping out fear, it’s pumping out confusing and contradictory information and when it’s not doing that, it’s doing BOTH. The whole Covid-19 pandemic (or “scamdemic, depending on whom you speak to) shows no signs of going away any time soon, or at least not so long as those in power on both sides of the political aisle can continue to use it for their own gains. (Yes, I’m looking at my OWN Governor with a baleful eye on that one) It seems like the majority of comments you see and hear are along the lines of “2020 has been SO horrible, 2021 just has to be better!”

But wait a second. Let’s stop. Seriously. Stop. Take a breath, then take another. Let’s consider that statement, and let’s look at some history. Before I do, however, let me say one very – VERY – important thing. I am an EMT by trade. I know that to some segments of the population, Covid-19, just like influenza and a host of other things can be deadly. I am not minimizing that fact, nor am I attempting to minimize the suffering that has been caused by those in power TO those who have been forbidden to see loved ones and family, who have lost jobs and livelihood, or who have lost family members. That needs to be understood. The point of this post is to bring to the forefront of our minds the fact that even DESPITE all those things that may have happened, this is not, truly, “the worst it can be.”

In 1969, Hurricane Camille came ashore in the lower South of the US. After weakening it moved into Virginia and in some counties dropped as much as TWO FEET of rain. In Davis Creek, Virginia, 50 people were killed of which 23 had the same last name. The father of the family was working that night and after the flooding caused by the rain had subsided he found he had lost his wife, daughters in law, 3 sons and two grandchildren, all at once. That’s what he came home to.

In 1900, a hurricane hit Galveston, Texas. The final death toll is believed to be between 7-12000. At the Saint Mary’s Orphans Asylum (what we would call an orphanage today) there were 93 children and 10 sisters. After the storm had passed, only 3 children survived, and none of the sisters.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1917 – the Mon Blanc explodes in the harbor and kills over 1700 people in an instant. Entire families gone. Parents without children, children without families. People horribly maimed and scarred for life.

Consider the years of the Great Depression here in the United States. Thousands upon thousands out of work. No Federal stimulus plans, no unemployment insurance, nothing like we have today. Influenza after WW I, where millions died, worldwide. If nothing else, consider the fact that influenza– the flu – something that you don’t have executive orders, new rules, “the new norm,” etc. spoken of 24/7 – kills an average of 250-500 THOUSAND people, world wide, per year. EVERY YEAR. Drunk driving, overdose, gun related violence, the list goes on and on of causes of death that far outstrip Covid but aren’t made much of because there’s no gain in ratings, fear or power to be had. You’d think Covid was the single greatest killer since the bubonic plague. It’s not even close.

This is the worst it can get? It’s the worst it can be for us? It’s unbearable? Horrible? The worst year ever? We still have heated homes, running water, food pantries, the ability to communicate instantly with our friends and family (for the most part – please read my above statement), to be entertained, to have access to medical care and ….the list goes on and on.

Friends, at its core I believe this is an opportunity for all of us to stop, look and take stock of what’s really important in our lives. To not give in to the fear – to make a conscious choice to not give in. To not “awfulize,” as is said in REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy), and believe that this is the worst, awful, unbearable, and we just can’t take any more. It wasn’t true at the beginning, and it’s not now.

You still being alive, breathing, and reading this means you still have a chance. A chance to change. A chance to look up instead of down, to be positive instead of negative, to choose to keep going instead of giving up.

DON’T GIVE UP. People, countries and whole populations have had it much worse. We’re soft here, in America, and have forgotten what real adversity is. This isn’t it, when you get down to it.

HANG IN THERE.

God bless, my friends.

An update and a tip of the hat!

Hello again all! Things have been a bit busy on this end as they have been in most places, but I had an opportunity to share some information and a good story as well, and so here I am. For those that check back and those that have stayed, thank you! For those who come by and decide to stay, thank you! I am glad that anything I post finds favor with those who read it.

First off, my furlough from my job as a medical assistant has, unfortunately, become permanent. I’m o.k. with that, though, for the reasons mentioned in a previous post as to why I was furloughed and the fact that it helped others. It’s also not horrible in that as I was not fired I am free to reapply with them for any position I am qualified for, and they will be giving me a generous severance package since I was let go through no fault of my own. I find that to be incredibly kind, more so because they will provide it even if I find work elsewhere. So now the hunt for work begins, and I will be praying for guidance on that score. For those of you who do, I would appreciate your prayers as well.

On a second note, in our polarized, political world, we often forget that there comes a time when we need to put politics aside and separate them from people and their actions. I neither like nor agree with the political stance and comments made by many of the Avengers actors such as Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo, for example. That being said, they deserve and are hereby given a MOST hearty “WELL DONE” for their actions in the news article I am going to link to, and their kindness toward a young man who saved his sister from the vicious attack of a dog, suffering fairly grievous injuries while doing so. Let’s not become so partisan, so polarized that we forget to offer praise when actions call for it, no matter who the person may be.  The link for the article follows.

God bless, my friends!

https://au.news.yahoo.com/boy-speaks-avenger-chris-evans-saved-sister-dog-attack-044930975.html

What’s your price?

First off, friends and readers, my apologies for the time that has passed since I have posted here. To say the least about the most, as my brother used to say, I have had many challenges both personal and in my family that have kept me away. That’s part of life, though, and I’ll not complain. They have, thankfully, resolved themselves well, and I have the chance to come back again and post.

I am winding down the final semester to achieve my Associate’s Degree in Medical Assisting and in doing so went to an orientation class prior to beginning my hours serving as an intern at a local medical facility. During one of the breaks I was speaking with some of my classmates and was regaling them with stories of jobs that I have had, including ones I have left because of ethical challenges. One person looked at me and said something that I have heard in many forms and many ways, namely, “Well that’s easy for you – you can afford to lose your job. I can’t.”

The classmate’s statement made me stop and think. Was she right? Was I just taking stands because my wife also works and so I don’t have to be as concerned about losing my job? Was it truly easier for me? As I looked back over my life, I had to honestly say no. Whether I had been taught or had learned it, from an early age I had a central belief; nothing is worth my sense of who I am, my honesty, my principles and when I entered the medical field, my ethics. At the end of the day, I had to be true to who I was, the oath I had taken, and what I believed. No job, no money, no recognition or promotion, no “getting along” was worth sacrificing that. Does that make me “better” or “more moral/ethical” than anyone else? I don’t think so, no. It makes me who I am.

Sadly, we live in a world where that is not the case. I think of the “MeToo” movement that I referenced earlier. When the first courageous person stood up, the one who as memory serves actually had something to lose, and exposed what had been going on, suddenly it seemed everyone jumped on the bandwagon including people whose fortunes were comfortably made, and had nothing, really, to lose. Yet very few people seemed willing to ask a very pertinent question, which was why they didn’t have this same integrity, same care for themselves, same unwillingness to tolerate this horrible monster that Harvey Weinstein and others have been made into back then when they said it happened to them? I believe the answer lies in the same sentiment that my classmate expressed. It wasn’t worth it to them. Their work, their career, their fortune was worth them sacrificing their body/principles/morals in order to get what they want. The “price,” so to speak, was too high, and they weren’t willing to pay it and possibly have to pay the cost. (By the way, contrary to our somewhat chronocentric view, sex for promotion/achievement/to get what you want is as old as mankind, and has been freely practiced by both sexes.)

It doesn’t have to just be in this case, either. We see that same sentiment expressed in many different forms and in many different situations from abusive bosses to “favorites” who are co-workers that take advantage of that position, to unfair or unethical practices in the workplace:

• “I can’t afford to lose my job”
• “I really need this promotion”
• “I don’t want to make waves”
• “I don’t want to lose my career”

My question to you today is this: what’s your price? Do you have one, or have you even considered that you may have one? It’s something only you can answer, but it’s something that I believe every one of us MUST answer before we are put in the crisis moment. I know that I don’t have a price, and I know it only because I’ve been there. Has it cost me? Oh yes it has. Believe it. Has it been worth it? YES IT HAS. I hope that in each of you lies the strength to not have a price as well and that when the time comes, you’ll stand firm and say “No. It may cost me everything I’ve worked for, but I won’t knuckle under, turn my head, and pretend I don’t see anything. Who I am, and what I stand for, is worth any price.”

God bless today, my friends.

 

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed.

A very happy and blessed Easter to you and yours, my readers and friends. Here at The Takedown I celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on the third day and so I leave you with this image:

However, in whatever day you celebrate it, may you have a safe and happy day. God bless, my friends.

Situational Awareness MATTERS. Well done, gents, or “I love a happy ending!”

A story guaranteed to warm the heart, but also to remind us that at any time, at any moment, someone with evil intent, a mental breakdown or a psychotic episode can endanger not only ourselves, but innocent people around us. Now, more than ever, paying attention to our surroundings and the people in them is an important thing. Be aware of your surroundings, be aware of the people in them, and be aware of what to do in case an emergency occurs!

Don’t be one of the ones who cowers, closes your eyes and hopes for the best. DO something! The life you save could be your own.

Well done, gentlemen. Well done, indeed.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/08/03/delta-passengers-restrain-unruly-passenger-threatening-to-take-plane-down.html

Hello again! Some new news and an update!

First off, I hope all of you had a most excellent Easter/Resurrection Sunday. I was blessed to have spent the time with my family and at the local church we attend, and so passed the day quite well and with much happiness.

I return to The Takedown with some news, namely that yours truly is going back to college! That’s right – at a young 47 I am going BACK to school to obtain a Medical Assistant Associate’s Degree. Much has happened in my absence, including a most unhappy stint at a local hospital after being hired in the ICCU. (That’s another post, and another subject, so be watching for it!) It cemented in my mind that if I wanted to put the skills that I have been given to use, as well as make the most of my EMT certification, I had two choices; work full time in EMS (which is problematic because of my epilepsy conflicting with having to work overnight hours in most cases) or get off my lazy backside, GET back to school and finish the college that I had started Lo! so many years ago.

Guess which one I chose?

Friends – if you take nothing else away from this, take this with you. You are NEVER too old, too far in your career, or too anything to make a new start. So long as you are breathing, you can make a change. DO it.

God bless, my friends!

An item of remembrance, and one of rage that should motivate us all

As the title suggests, this is going to be a two-fer, today. As one item is a note of remembrance, I’ll start with that.

On June 9, 2017, we bid farewell to a man who I believe can properly be called an icon; Adam West. Whether you know him from the Batman series from the 60’s, or his MANY roles and voice work in television and movies since then, the man truly took his popularity and embraced it, parlaying what originally was seen as typecasting into a rollicking career in the years that followed. (Everything from the Mayor of Quahog, Rhode Island, in Family Guy to the part of a superhero called The Gray Ghost in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series) Rest well, Mr. West. You will be missed, and thank you for the memories and laughter you gave us over the years.

Now on to the second point. I had the great misfortune to read a news article detailing charges being brought against a mother for having left her two toddlers in a closed, locked car for a number of hours while she spent time with her 16 year old “male friend.” The children, unfortunately, died but what is worse, even than that, is that  people in the apartment knew DAMNED WELL WHAT WAS HAPPENING and even went so far as to repeatedly tell the mother she should do something because they could HEAR the children crying, and yet did nothing further than that. Yes, you read that right. From the accounts thus far, no one called the police, no one smashed out a window on the car, no one did anything further than keep encouraging the mother to actually take care of her children.

The children were in the car, overnight, for a total of FIFTEEN HOURS.

No one did anything to help those children. No one.

Friends, if this story doesn’t leave you shaking with rage, I honestly don’t know what to say. Sad enough that these two children died from such neglect, but to think that the people around knew what was going on but did nothing to help simply boggles my mind.

If you take nothing else away from this, please – I beg of you – take this with you. Determine, right now, this moment, to not be a bystander. If you’ve never considered it before, let this article shake you out of that mindset and make you realize that there is real, tangible evil in this world. Determine that you will not stand for it – you will not simply turn your head and say, “Nope. Not my problem. I’m not getting involved.”

I leave you with this quote from Yehuda Bauer, which I have quoted before. It was made in reference to the Holocaust, but applies whenever any of us encounter a situation in which we have to make a choice to do something, or turn away and do nothing:

“Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.”

15 hours of suffering. Two children dead at the end of it. Was the mother to blame? The courts will determine that.

I can say, absolutely, that the ones who KNEW what was happening and yet did nothing, carry guilt as well, as surely as if they’d locked the car and left those children there.

God go with you today, my friends. Please – DON’T be a bystander.

 

Memorial Day – and what it means, no matter where you are

Here in the States, today is Memorial Day. It is, as I have mentioned in previous posts, a day that we set aside specifically to remember all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice; those who have given their lives to secure the freedoms that we, as Americans, enjoy. In peace or in war, in battle or behind the lines, those who gave their lives are remembered and honored, today.

That doesn’t mean, though, that this is something that is particular ONLY to the US of A. No matter where you are, no matter where you may be reading this blog from, stop and think of those who have died to secured those liberties and freedoms you enjoy – and remember their sacrifice for you today. If you’re IN the States, don’t let it just be a day off from work and a day to drink and barbecue.

Remember them – and never forget – today, or any day.

God bless, my friends, and thank you, Father, for such men and women as those we honor today!