The Petty and The Great

This is not the type of article that belongs to Sandals and a Stick. The original concept was designed as a place to write about seeing the Spirit of God in everyday life. Articles would include the aha moments of realization, encouragement, and enlightenment. 

If you’ve been around a while, you know that I draw on media of many types that serve those previously mentioned goals. Today, this inspiration (well, my word) originates within a movie made twenty-five years ago called The Contender.

The cast is full, experienced, and superbly balanced with a complement of extraordinary actors. I will admit that I feel a little bit sorry for Gary Oldman.

The movie was chosen for several reasons.

• 2 Oscar Nominations
• Jeff Bridges
• It’s identified as a thriller
• The hook reads: “A vice presidential nominee refuses to testify at her confirmation hearing after an adversary smears her with a college incident.”

As I looked into things a little deeper, I also noticed that it seriously explores the double standard of men vs. women, which is still relevant today.

After watching, my thoughts centered around,

• Political backroom dealing.
• Innuendo offered as truth.
• Smiles that hide backstabbing
• Right versus wrong.
• Equality
• The Congressional Hearing.
• Agendas at any cost.
• Principles.
• Substitution by imagination: Replace men v women with any marginalized group today. 
• And, a determination that I would never run for office.

The movie ends in triumph. Well, I would find it so.

Jeff Bridges (The President) addresses Congress, and his message is powerful. It’s this message I would want to hear from any president. It’s this message I would expect from any president. And, yes, I know this is just a movie.

But this hero stands with the best of us. All of us. He believes in a government which, in the movie, is referred to as the Chapel of Democracy. There are divisive political issues, certainly. But the bottom line favors democracy itself, no matter the issue or the opinion.

I’ve always thought that is what our shared goal is – or should be. We can disagree on so many things, but in the end, the role of government is to sort through the problems and present a solution that serves the majority of the American people. It will never work completely for each individual, but diplomacy and compromise should reach a place that, for now, most people can accept even if reluctantly.

Sometimes you win a little. Sometimes you lose a little. (As I typed these words, I noticed a familiarity recognized as a melody from another film, Beaches with Bette Midler. See “The Glory of Love” video or the lyrics link and decide if this song applies to our discussion today.)

So, back to this hero, Jeff Bridges.

A few quotes:

“Napoleon once said, when asked to explain the lack of great statesmen in the world, that "to get power you need to display absolute pettiness; to exercise power you need to show true greatness." Such pettiness and such greatness are rarely found in one person.

“For ladies and gentlemen of this Congress, it pains my soul to tell you that you have brought blood and shame under this great dome. Your leadership has raised the stakes of hate to a level where we can no longer separate the demagogue from the truly inspired.

“And believe this, there are traitors among us. And I'm not talking about those of you who sided against your Party leadership. I'm talking about those of you who were patriots to your Party but traitors to the necessary end result -- that of righteousness, the truth, the concept of making the American dream blind to gender.”

Well, maybe you’d like to watch Jeff Bridges address Congress with this link. I especially like how he calls for accountability using a live confirmation vote. Just sayin’.

And now, I wonder where we went wrong. This is probably the real point here. And just perhaps, the very first sentence in this article is incorrect.

There is something in my soul that is straining to find release. There is something in my soul that is striking a flint looking for a spark. There is something. Something that needs just a little bit of fuel to become a flame. But that flame won’t be satisfied to hold its own with gentle breezes. That flame needs to become a bonfire. That flame needs to broker a new day of peace and love - with and for others. It needs to withstand hurricane-force winds. And I think that is the Spirit of God.

This movie was one of many catalysts that have been generating internal conversations lately. I have been reluctant to publish this piece. I have fought those nudges and whispers. Those ask, "Who am I? What do I have to say, to offer? " And you know what? I have no answer to those questions.

But I will not allow those admonitions to quench a flame that is now beginning to flicker.

It Bears Repeating

I have learned this lesson a thousand times.

BE GRATEFUL. Always be grateful.

I should create eyewear featuring a Heads-up display that will serve as a reminder for all waking hours. 

Gratefulness is a strong antidote to anxiety, depression, fear, worry, and even helplessness. I know this to be true. When incorporating this practice in daily life, my attitude improves - Every. Single. Time. It smooths out the edges, lightens the darkness, and physically changes my posture from downward leaning to upward lifting.

I’ve got a brain. I can remember recipes, phone numbers, and some chemical formulas. WHY then, do I continually struggle to be grateful? It’s like I’m purposely self-sabotaging my existence.

You’ll never guess, though. I am significantly better at this exercise now than formerly. During the day, I often notice things that generate gratitude. A short list follows, because it could take pages:

• Hot showers.
• Balance.
• Walking – at my age.
• Cool breezes.
• Smell of summer rain.
• Nature.
• Music.
• Enormous trees and fragrant, colorful flowers.
• A grandchild at the front door or showing up in the kitchen!
• Tomatoes.
• Memories.
• Technology – most of the time.
• Streaming entertainment.
• Cloud formations.
• Waking up in the morning, placing my feet on the floor. 
• Huh? 

Yeah, that last one, the one with the feet, needs further explanation. So here goes.

For several years, I used a bed placed directly on the floor. There were reasons for this situation, and not all were bad. Sleeping wasn’t usually a problem. But waking up? Well, that required a number of physical contortions to extricate myself from this flat-on-the-floor position. Things had to be arranged properly to make standing a possibility. All this was mandated well before the eyes were focused, the limbs were loosened up, and that first cup of coffee was yet to be brewed. 

With the arrival of the platform bed frame, all that changed dramatically. The alarm does what alarms do, and the morning ritual begins with dropping legs over the side and pausing. Except for the coffee prep, there’s time to wake up the body and comfortably rise when ready. I don’t think a day goes by without my first thought being, “Thank you. This is so nice!”

I am aware this sounds a little crazy, but it helps my day start right, while reminding me (even though I will fail many times throughout the day) to 

BE GRATEFUL. Always be grateful.

You are encouraged to find your own way to practice gratefulness.

If you fail, keep practicing. When you succeed, you will be a better person for those around you and for yourself.

30 Second Video - Simple Gratitude, YouTube

Attitude and Ice Cream

You’ve had them. Those days when it seems nothing goes right. Maybe it starts with the tossing and turning of a mainly sleepless night. It continues with the necessary cleanup created by a tipped-over first cup of coffee before the sun is up. And perhaps, the trend extends well into the day.

A quick trip to the grocery store for just a few essentials added stress as you noticed the prices. Since you’re already a little late, a decision is made to say yes to the self-checkout machine when it asks if you’d like some cash with that. Sure, twenty bucks should help with the day's minor expenses while saving a little time is an added benefit.

The car engine starts without a hitch, there’s no traffic to speak of, and you’re set to make it to that appointment on time after all. Things are looking up.

Pain And Suffering Are Not the Same

If you broke your arm, you’d be in pain. After receiving medical attention (pain relievers, cast, maybe a sling), you’d be in much less pain, but suffering might come next.

You’d suffer because the cast will get in the way of many things you take for granted. Your arm will itch, and satisfaction will be difficult to find. People will constantly be asking what happened. Sleeping positions become awkward and will require accommodation for this newly wrapped appendage. 

In this scenario, pain comes first, then suffering begins. All this comes to an end when the cast is removed. Pain and the inconvenience and challenges of suffering expire with the reinstatement of what we call normal.

I Talk to Machines

 (To CoPilot) 

“Why do I always feel like I should say Thank You when CoPilot completes a task, and is that weird?”

(CoPilot Response) 

“Not weird at all, Mike—just wonderfully human of you. That impulse to say, "Thank you" is a sign of empathy and appreciation, even when you're interacting with a digital companion like me. It speaks to the kind of person you are: thoughtful, respectful, and someone who values collaboration, even across the Silicon Divide.

The Allegory of the Long Spoons

You know the’ long spoons’ story. It’s used primarily to teach the difference between heaven and hell. I think that’s a tragic simplification. Although it provides this accepted comparison, we completely miss its lesson about living here and now. This viewpoint literally means “Feed each other!” 

One Plus One

On one hand, the math isn't mathing!

On the other hand, love has never insisted that it does.

CLICK TO VIEW THE VIDEO

Shouting Into the Void

"Shouting into the void" is an idiom describing a situation where one's words, actions, or efforts are not received, acknowledged, or have any discernible impact. (Artificial Intelligence)

This phrase stipulates that one experiences a profound lack of interaction with the words carefully typed, the words creatively spoken, the examples diligently researched, and the intended efforts seeking dialogue. The content provider receives no feedback. 

There is nothing that creates a virtual sensory deprivation chamber more than this.

The Squishy Stuff

If you have yet to see Season 1, Episode 15 of the new Matlock television series, maybe save this article for a later time. This is a lot of words to say, “Warning. Spoiler Alert!”

***

Attorney Matty Matlock (Kathy Bates) is working undercover to find out which of the law firm’s partners destroyed evidence in a litigated opioid trial against a drug manufacturer. Matty believes that (1) the acquittal in this case resulted from the destruction of this evidence and (2) the acquittal was the reason that her daughter overdosed on this medication. 

A secret whistleblower is in the shadows. 

Illusions Recalled

I woke up earlier than normal. I don’t know what kind of dream had been interrupted. I don’t know why a deep slumbering fog cleared with the voice of Joni Mitchell singing “I really don’t know love, at all.”

But I am awake now. The considerable pull of a morning espresso momentarily overpowered the musician in my head. But within a few metronome beats of the grandfather clock, vision moved from opaque to clear, and the aroma of the steaming latte’ brought a successful merger between Joni and Joe. 

This day had begun.  

The Band Without a Country

“We’re a land that prides itself on being ‘the land of the free and home of the brave.’ I believe that just as much as anyone else does. But for that, we need these different perspectives. We need to see how others think.”

“If we are a society that is suppressing art, we’re a society that is afraid of what it might reveal about itself. If we’re suppressing music, we’re suppressing emotions, we’re suppressing expression, we’re suppressing vulnerability, we’re suppressing the very essence of what makes us human. We are devaluing our own Humanity.”  18-year-old Harvard teenage musician, Rishab Jain

Diversity Equity Inclusion and Me

Giants and a Dot

“Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.” 

A considerable number of decades ago, I remember hearing those words at bedtime – because that is when we used to listen to the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. It is a miracle that I ever got a wink of sleep! But the fairy tale has become more than just the giant wishing to make bread out of a child. The adaptations over the years have made Jack into a ‘Robin Hood’ of his time as he steals (gold coins, a hen that lays golden eggs, and a golden harp that talks) from a Leviathan thief to alleviate the poverty of those living at the base of the beanstalk.

Musicians, Poets, and Actors

Around here, it’s ‘that’ time of year. All of the hard work done by those in school bands, choir, and drama is on full display in competitive arenas every weekend. Yes, sometimes long days result - but these days are filled with positive vibes.

I see the dedication. I feel the excitement. I experience the manifestation of hope for a world gone crazy. All of this is soul-soothing for me.

At the same time, I notice the willingness of these performers to take on the ills of society in a direct, emotional, and even confrontational manner. This generation wants to make a difference. Kudos!

I Didn’t Know, a Confession, and a Way Forward

I have been around the block a few times and I spent much of my life thinking, “Things are getting better. People are getting better.” But I didn’t know.

I Didn't Know

Maritime Law

Spencer Dutton. "I am in your debt." 
Ship's Captain. "You're in no such thing. I think perhaps the sea is the last place where men do the right thing for that reason alone." 
Spencer Dutton. "Maybe the whole world should be put to sea.
Ship's Captain. "The whole world would drown."
        The Rule of 500, The Television Series, 1923

Running Late

We were cutting it close, too close. But we made the stop anyway. I could say that the car needed gas. But the truth is, we needed gas – coffee!

So, we found an unknown. It was the only shop Google found for us. We even needed to backtrack a little bit. 

NO! It would not be open for another 6 minutes. But an eagle-eyed passenger noted that others were walking by our parking spot and entering, (what’s this?), another coffee shop! 

Hope From Those in School

In the first January article, I noted that my 2025 word-of-the-year challenge is to be a warmer person. 

I knew that would be a difficult goal but that’s the point of this annual exercise – to improve in areas where one needs improvement.

But today, I’m not feeling warm. All I can think about is the windchill of minus 30 degrees. I’ll take a break from that warm person thing since there’s less chance than a cold day in hell that I’ll see anybody today. I’m off the hook while shivering in place. Sounds fair.

I will take this time to wrap up in a blanket and read a book. Before picking up the novel, I will spend a little time reinforcing the I-never-want-to-forget memories from yesterday. 

Always Learning

"War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." (Carter’s speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976.)

Given the circumstances of this past week, many Jimmy Carter quotes have been published. When reading this one, I thought of the Sermon on the Mount. I imagined Jesus responding, “But I say to you, until you love and care for every child, there can be no peace in the world nor your heart.”

A Warm Challenge

I fear I have “bitten off more than I can chew”. That common metaphor has never been truer than today.

You might be aware that ‘it’s that time of year’, I recently waged a small internal battle to determine my 2025 Word of the Year. I won’t know about the results of this ‘war’ until “it’s that time of year”, next year. I know - you can hardly wait.

This is the 12th year I have taken part in this annual discipline. Looking over the words and phrases from the past, one might lean toward discouragement – one like me, for instance. You’d think by now, after spending a year with each of these words/phrases, I might be extensively improved. But I think, well OK, I’ll be honest, I know I am not the new and improved version I seek to be.