During the recent rains, I heard that almost all the roofs leaked and the runoff water created potholes. They have so many problems, they don’t know where to start fixing the mess. Our country’s in the same kind of mess. Well done politicians!
Raoul Pascual started doing cartoons for his office mates in his old job as a designer in a marketing/ publishing company in Burbank California. After leaving the company, he decided to keep in touch with his friends by sending them original cartoons based on some joke emails he received.
During the recent rains, I heard that almost all the roofs leaked and the runoff water created potholes. They have so many problems, they don’t know where to start fixing the mess. Our country’s in the same kind of mess. Well done politicians!
I picked up my grandson from school the other day. He was dressed sharply and every strand of his hair was in its proper place. He carried a small pouch just big enough to carry his notebook, pen and cell phone. He was very proud of himself because he was among the select few who had gone on a field trip for Leadership training. What a surprise.
February is an interesting month here in America. It's jam packed with events like Ground Hog Day, Chinese Lunar New Year, Superbowl Sunday, Abe Lincoln's birthday, Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day, Ash Wednesday, Susan B. Anthony's birthday, National Flag Day of Canada, President's Day (George Washington's birthday) and Leap Day (Feb 29 --- an extra day which happens every 4 years). February is also Black History Month -- wait! Why are the African Americans the only race (in this melting pot of races) that has a month dedicated to them? Is this fair? Who decided these things?
Water --- what a great invention. Life wouldn't exist without it. I remember the first time I was conscious of the effects of rain was right after a storm in the Philippines. We had an outside fish pond filled with goldfish. When it overflowed with rain water, the goldfish escaped into the street canals. The neighboring kids were excited to find colorful goldfish in the sewers. The streets were cleaned of debris. The tree trunks were drenched and dark. The birds were busy feeding on the earthworms that emerged from the soaked soil. My older brother and I raced our paper boats in the canal rapids. Everything was clean. Zero pollution.
Did you know that I am also a Property Manager? It was a week of legal mumbo jumbo for me. One of my people wanted to install solar panels on his roof against the wishes of the other residents. Another one is trying to game the insurance system --- because of a burst pipe, he wants to replace all his floor tiles and repaint his whole house. We towed a car for illegal parking, the tow truck driver messed up and cracked the tire reams that cost a thousand bucks. Now the tow truck company doesn't want to tow for us anymore. We had to return 2 sets of internet equipment because the units would not connect as advertised. A relative needed to evict squatters in her property and those people aren't leaving quietly. They want to get paid.
My high school just had a reunion but I wasn't able to attend. Thankfully, my classmates shared pictures. I recognized but a handful of people. The rest were senior strangers. I looked at the ugly guy in the mirror and I surprised even myself. My classmates wouldn't have recognized me if I bumped into them. Before it was just my baldness but now I'm noticing the age spots, the wrinkles, and especially the puffiness around my eyes.
The big event for me this week is the birth of my granddaughter! We're so thankful for our healthy bundle of joy and her healthy Mom. She's everything we prayed for … down to the dimples. I have friends who have difficulty getting pregnant and others who experienced complications so I don't take this gift for granted. God is good.
I had to wear several of my different hats: my technical hat, my artistic hat, my business hat, my counseling hat, my friendly hat, my not-so-friendly hat, my dog sitting hat, my diplomatic hat, my chef hat, my grandfather hat, hats … hats … hats. God has gifted all of us with so many "hats" and He challenges us to use the best one for specific situations. And, busy though I may have been, I find joy knowing that I have so many hats to choose from. Life is full and exciting.
In the news today is the forced resignation of the proud President of Harvard University. I say proud because she blames rather than apologizes for her racial beliefs and extensive plagiarism. I've said it before and I'll say it again --- the education system in the US is broken. College institutions 1) don't teach young people positive values, 2) they offer no guarantee of future employment yet 3) they drown them in debt. Except for a few complex degrees towards health and scientific professions, one has a better chance of employment from a vocational school. It's no longer shocking that the waiter serving your dinner may be a college graduate balancing life with a 50k student debt.
We often greet each other with a "Happy New Year" but there are new years when it's anything but happy --- especially knowing that the coming year isn't going to get any better. I believe we are in that scenario. I don't know anyone who is optimistic about the months ahead. Let's try to remember that even now, there is hope … there is always a silver lining somewhere.