For Better Or Worse

I'm back in my blogger seat. Last week at this time I was waking up in the hospital trying to shake off my pneumonia. On 5/13 we had to call 911 has I woke up incoherent and having trouble breathing. I have had really bad colds and flu before, but nothing has ever grabbed me so fast and so hard. Fortunately, I had a great medical team working for me and today I feel awesome.

I can't continue without saying how much my family and friends helped me through this ordeal. When I left in an ambulance I was worried about what my son would be thinking. I never want him to be scared or worried. Fortunately, Papa was able to pick him up and take him back to his house. Jimmy was not worried about me, which worked out great. I didn't have to worry about him.

My wife was the key to my speedy recovery. She never left my side. She got me out of my hospital bed and into my wheelchair which helped expedite my pneumonia. She fed me when I couldn't feed myself. She helped move me so I didn't get sores. She kept my spirits up when things got complicated.

She did all this and there were no cameras to be found. Our life is reality unlike the many "reality" shows on TV today. I'll used the Jon & Kate Plus 8 show. My wife and I used to enjoy watching the show. It was helpful to see different parenting techniques. They always used to say that they were just a regular family that happened to be on TV. Then they got famous. Being famous was addicting to them. Even though they are having "issues" they wont pull the plug to save their family.

Yet, there is my wife. Elbow deep with problems and no glory. We have had our fair share of "for better and for worse". We have been a couple for 23 years. Married for almost 19 of those. We have fun. We are friends and we always will be. We understand that this is a team. Each gives and takes. We balance the good and the bad. Are we perfect? Hell no. Are we happy? Hell yeah!.

I'm happy with my life because I know I have a team to support me. Just as I know I would support my family and friends. Family and friends, the best medicine in the world.

It's Pure Imagination


Over the weekend the latest of the Star Trek movies was released to huge success. I didn't see any on the news, but I'm willing to bet there were people dressed in costumes of various characters of Star Trek. The same will be true true when the latest Harry Potter movie comes out this Summer.
And if there are anymore Star Wars movies the fans will be there in full wardrobe too.

I like Harry Potter books and I like Star Wars, but I've never been so big a fan to feel the need to dress up as Jabba the Hut or Hagrid. Yet, I've grown to respect the uber fans. I used to pass them off as uber geeks, but felt I was being mean.

I realized there was no difference between sci-fi fans and sports fans. We don't look twice when we see a grown man wearing a football, baseball, basketball or hockey jersey. I've seen Cub fans wait in cold and rain to be able to buy tickets for the season. Very similar to those who wait in line to buy movie tickets. I myself have owned a jersey or two.

When I was in 5th or 6th grade I wanted people to call me "The Fonz". It was a release to be somebody else, for awhile. But, then you have those who go way over the top. Documentaries have been made about some of these fans;

On Hulu.com
Harry Potter fans, We Are Wizards
Comic book heros, Confessions of a Superhero

On Netflix
Star Wars fans, A Galaxy Far Far Away

Sports fans flock to Madison Square Garden to watch the NFL Draft live. That's when college football players get picked to be millionaires.

I don't do all that stuff, but I do respect the passion involved. As we grow up we start to lose our passion for things. I think that is sad, and I don't know why it happens. Or maybe it's just me.
I'm passionate about my family, that's easy.
I enjoy computers, but I could drop that for a day outside in the warm sun any day.
I love good food, but unless you're eating it, it is boring.
My blog brings me joy. I like hearing when I've touched people with my words.

How about you? Tell me what you're passionate about.

Real Change

First. Thanks to all who were concerned about my well being in regards to my turtle episode. I'm doing fine and I'm going to the wheelchair shop tomorrow to get the needed adjustments so that shouldn't happen again.

See, I am making changes. I read that others would like to make changes, but they don't know how.

Well, I think it is easier than you might think.

Over the weekend I watched a very interesting documentary, Sicko. (You can actually watch the whole movie online with that link.) There was one part of the movie that hit me like a hug from Charo.

If you fast forward to the 1 hour and 4 seconds of the film there is an interview with Tony Benn, a former member of British Parliament. He was explaining how Great Britain affords universal health care for ALL its citizens. He mentioned that during WWII Great Britain had full employment, something they didn't have before the war. GB felt that if they could have full employment by killing German Nazis why couldn't they have full employment by helping people.

His quote,

"If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people."

Then at the 1 hour 6 minutes and 42 seconds point of the film he discusses why Democracy is the greatest thing in the world.

To paraphrase;

Everybody has the same ultimate power, their vote. Yes, from the Bill Gates' to the Joe Grabowski's, from the Supermodel to the plain Janes.

We all have one vote.

How those votes get organized is where the power comes from. When you have power you can meet the needs of your community. The film describes how the poor people of our society get discouraged and then don't vote. You can control people two ways; frighten them and/or demoralize them.

I do not know many "powerful" people. I do know a lot of people that cover all spectrums of our society. And when you listen, and I mean really listen, to them they are all saying the same things. They are all tired of the various levels of government wasting their time and money. And for what? We're supporting companies and banks that are making products people don't want to buy and charging us tons of fees to manage our OWN monies. All the while people are dying or going bankrupt trying to pay for medical costs and food.

We live in an age where communicating your opinions has never been easier. We can tell our leaders what we want right now. All you have to do is write that letter, email or make a call. Let YOUR elected official know what YOU want.

And if they still don't hear you, run for office yourself. Get out and press the flesh.

Here are some links to get you started.

Write to YOUR President of the United States, even just to say hello.
Write to YOUR U.S. Senator, and discuss your future goals.
Write to YOUR U.S. Representatives, tell them how you feel.

Write or call your Mayor or other local government. Take your power and use it. Don't get frightened and/or demoralized. Get moving, get involved.

If I have time to write my often silly blog, I have time to change my world.

I'm Tired

Have you ever been in a traumatic situation?

For example:

Trapped in a 747 on the ocean floor



Or stranded on a deserted island



Or stuck in your wheelchair with your head leaning back unable to reach your controls for four hours with spit filling your mouth because you can't swallow with your head leaning back.



(I couldn't an exact video match, but it will do.)

Of those three examples, I have experienced one of them twice. Can you guess which one?








(Just like in Dora the Explorer I'm pausing while you take time to answer.)









If you said, "stuck in your wheelchair with your head leaning back unable to reach your controls for four hours with spit filling your mouth because you can't swallow with your head leaning back.",

or like Dora,

"atrapado en su silla de ruedas con la cabeza inclinada atrás no para llegar a su control durante cuatro horas con escupir llenado la boca porque no se puede tragar con la cabeza inclinada atrás"

you're right.

Twice in 13 years I've been stuck like a turtle on it's back. This happened to me yesterday. It sucks because I can't do anything but wait for someone to get me out of my situation. So I thought about stuff. Granted it could be dangerous. But, I asked God they last time this happened to me, not to let me die like a helpless reptile. I knew I was not going to die.

I thought about my family, my work, my friends and my blog. In regards to my blog I was thinking about my political blogs. I'm pretty open about my opinions here. And some others who comment are very open about their opinions. The end result is we cancel each other out. Time wasted.

We need people to start using their ideas instead of just expressing their opinions. If you don't like the way something is being done, find a way to change things. When I was stuck and helpless I created a check list of what I need to do so that can't happen again. The pain I felt, and feel today, is nothing compared to how I felt when I realized my son was frighten by the whole situation. I can't let him feel that way again.

So, I'm encouraging all of my readers to stop complaining and start doing. I will no longer respond to complainers. I'm going to change my world.

Have a great day!

P.S.
Another traumatic event, being stuck in an elevator with Carol Channing, a mime, and a bad ventriloquist.