The Odds

     Gambling holds no fascination for me.  The odds have to be against you; however, some people seem to be lucky and win.
     When we are young, the odds seem to be in our favor of  having many more years of life.  As we get older and see many of our relatives and friends come to the end of their lives, we feel sad but also lucky that we have more time left on this earth.  We know that in an instant an accident, a stroke or a heart attack can cut our lives short.  Sometimes we may wonder if we have a time bomb inside us ready to go off when we least expect it.  Will our body finally wear out and say, "That's it!"
    We don't know what's going to happen in the future, but we can try to put the negative thoughts out of our minds and replace them by being thankful for the time we have.  We don't want to gamble with our lives but try and stay healthy, eat right, exercise, and follow our doctors' advice.  Hopefully, we can beat the odds and be among the lucky ones to live long and healthy lives.   
 

Failing

     It wasn't that long ago that when students failed a test or a subject, it was their fault.  Maybe they didn't  pay enough attention in class, didn't do homework, didn't study, couldn't retain the material, or had difficulty because of a low IQ.  Perhaps the parents didn't prepare the young child to be ready for school, ready to read, or ready to learn in a classroom.  Perhaps a quiet time and place was not provided for study at home. 
     Now some say the schools and teachers are failing, perhaps by not teaching the right curriculum with satisfactory methods so that the students learn, score well on tests, and are ready for college or work.  It doesn't seem the students are to blame for failing.  They just need better schools and teachers.
     Students today also have other problems that prevent them from doing well in  school.  Their unsupervised activities outside of school, their usage of alcohol and drugs, and their poor attitude towards learning may be big factors contributing to failure.
     Parents blame the schools; schools blame the parents.  All adults need to realize what they must do to improve the problem, but the students also need to be responsible to prevent failure.

Moderates

     Many citizens don't like the Republicans because they feel they are too far to the right and refuse to appreciate the moderate viewpoint.  The tea party movement, the influence of conservative religion, and the constant negativity causes many moderates and independents to tire of the Republican rhetoric.
     In his rebuttal of President Obama's State of the Union speech, Gov. Daniels stated that Republicans believe government is meant to serve rather than supervise.  Some supervision, however, is essential to ensure that businesses, banks, schools, and the environment continue to function properly.  Government needs to supervise and aid public educational institutions and not let government funds be funneled off to private schools through vouchers.  If parents want to choose private schooling, they should pay for it themselves.
     Government supervision is not advisable in private personal matters.  Women should be able to decide what to do with their bodies.  Gays should have the same rights as everyone else.
     If the Republicans want to win in November, they need to show that they will serve all citizens, protect their freedom, and not limit their rights based on religion or ultraconservative values.  They should show how  government can improve the public school system without throwing it away in favor of business or church run schools.  Moderates want a president who can honor and serve all Americans.

Workers

     Many citizens don't like the Democrats because they feel they hand out too much money to the nonworking citizens who then don't have the incentive to get a job.  Generation after generation remain on the dole while working people through taxation pay for welfare.  It almost seems like the Democrats are buying the votes of the welfare recipients.
     In the State of the Union Address, President Obama stated that we need an economy built to last where hard work pays off, that if you work hard, you could do well enough to raise a family.  He said everyone needs to do their fair share and be responsible.  If only he and the Democrats would agree with the idea that he who works shall eat.  Of course, no one wants anyone  especially children to not have enough to eat, but parents should be working instead of taking welfare checks.
      If the Democrats want to stay in power, they need to insist that able-bodied adults need to work.  The image of the welfare recipient getting a free ride repels the average middle class American.

Who's the Bully?

     Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior to intentionally hurt another person which can include name calling, mockery, rumors, and character assassination.  We often picture bullying as one child trying to intimidate another which has become something that teachers are being trained to recognize and prevent.
     We should also recognize adult bullying often used to control or dominate a discussion or debate.  In order to look better than a competitor, adults may paint a negative or exaggerated picture of their opposition.  Bullies believe the worse the other person looks, the better they will appear.  Many of our politicians have mastered the art of bullying.

Forward to

     What do you look forward to?  Probably something more pleasant or eventful than the present moment, maybe the end of something and the beginning of another: rest after work, free time after chores, peace after chaos, or just a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.  Often we look forward to an improvement in our lives: regaining health and mobility after rehab or other hard exercise, accomplishing a goal, or finishing a project.  We also look forward to special events, family gatherings, parties, vacations, or just going out to dinner and a movie.  And in the midst of winter, many of us look forward to spring.

     Hopefully when you look back on what you had looked forward to, it did produce the pleasure or reward that you had expected; however, we may want to get more satisfaction and contentment out of  our daily lives, out of the present moments.  Waking up to a new morning with our bodies and minds functioning well, having some companionship with family and friends, and being aware of nature's beauty and bounty can give as much satisfaction as any upcoming special event.  Finding contentment in work and chores, doing the more unpleasant yet necessary tasks of life, and trying to keep our spirits up during hard times may be difficult, but we can practice appreciating each breath we take and each moment we live. We can learn to love winter as much as spring.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Religious Rights

     U.S. citizens have the right to believe in their own religion and the right not to believe in any religion, but they do not have the right to impose their religion on others.  Evangelical Christian conservatives are trying to do just that.  They promote legal restrictions based on religion.  Laws limiting or against abortion, contraception, same-sex marriage, and sex education are examples of such restrictions based on religion.
     Other religious and non-religious groups do not believe in these restrictions but value the separation of church and state.  We all have the right to our religious beliefs and the right to try and influence our political leaders, but we should not expect the U.S. government to make laws based on religious beliefs.