Quick Quiz on Whether or Not YOU Could Be a Congressman/Woman

A survey/quiz to see if you are smarter than or, at least, up to speed on recent news:

1. Do chimps make good pets?

2. Even if they do, should you give them Xanax?

3. Where does the government get their money?

4. ... therefore, if they give money away, who is technically paying for it?

5. Should you buy a home that you cannot afford?

6. If you cannot afford said home, what happens?

Anwers: 1. No; 2. No; 3. Taxpayers and business (they earn none of it); 4. Same as #4; 5. No; 6. The bank repossess it, a bailout happens, the irresponsible get the home back;

Note: This is not a political bias. It is an exercise in cause/effect and if words mean anything. It's not so much what people say that bothers me, it is when their "yes" does not mean "yes" and/or they are not intelligent enough to figure out that an animal that can lift 200 lb.s with each arm and is prone to aggression may not make the best of pets.

The Tired Run the World

"How ya' doin'?"
"Tired", comes the reply.

How many times throughout your week and year do you have this, albeit brief, but honest conversation? My father is fond of telling me that, "Tired people run the world."- his not-so-subtle way of telling me that I need to shut up and work harder.

And maybe for some that is true but I think that many of us are stressed out at work (putting in more than 40 hours and thoughts of it occupying us well into our home lives), trying to balance our family time, hauling kids around, and trying to occasional spend time with that person sharing our bed. Truth is, it all feels like work sometimes. It all feels coordinated, scheduled and laborious.

I, for one, want to stop. Even the 10 Commandments tell us that we are supposed to have a day off during the week. Given that 3 of the major world religions supposedly subscribe to this code its a pretty ecumenical barometer of spiritual health... and we take MOST of them seriously. We haven't killed anyone, slept with anyone's wife, built an idol to worship in the backyard- but rest seems like a suggestion. Like, "Why don't you take a break?"

But it is listed as an imperative, a Top Ten, something that is "holy" and set apart "to God". The truth is many of us will not get a two-day weekend that is hassle free but here are some steps towards planning your "holy day" off:

1. Leave work at the office (physically and mentally)
2. Do not take work calls/texts/e-mails (ideally, turn off your phone)
3. Plan time with people who fill you up spiritually and emotionally (and are not draining)
4. Do a couple of things just for you (take a walk, go for coffee, read a book, enjoy an album)
5. Play time with your kids/wife/husband/significant other (they need you relaxed to enjoy you)
6. Journal/reflect quietly. If only for 20-30 minutes, this time can really put some problems in perspective and let your spirit tune into the divine. When was the last time you had a spiritual epiphany while talking on your bluetooth, stuck in traffic?

God wants to talk to all of us and knows that without rest we don't function well. Sometimes, when I think about Him as a Dad, I think, He probably thinks of me like I do my kids when I know they are tired but won't go to bed.

Now, go take a day off. The tired will run the world while you rest.

Talking Too Much

The older I get the more I want to do and the less I want to say. That said... I will be launching a "sub-blog" in the next weeks. It will be a series of short and semi-short fictional stories. And while I know that there are a few people reading these posts but not commenting I am hoping that should you choose to be a reader of this upcoming blog that you would comment, observe, and help correct thinking, style, story, etc. as a way for us to help each other grow.

FYI, as usual, it will be a bit off the beaten path. Look for it in the next week or two under my home page or on my facebook account.