Dreams need Action

     I saw a poster recently it said "Dream until your dreams come true." It's a cool saying but lacks substance. Dreams won't come true unless you take some action, so do something to make your dreams come true. We dream about many things, achieving financial success, winning an athletic competition, finding true love. You name it and people will be dreaming about it.

     If just dreaming about it was all you needed to do, then we would all be rich, famous and talented. I'm sure you've heard about those lucky few that win the lottery, but don't you want to have more control over your destiny than luck. There are lucky people but when you look into it, you find more often than not, the person worked hard to reach their goal. Luck may have played a role but it was persistence that opened the door. There is a saying that sums it up, "The harder you work the luckier you get."

     The dream is the end goal, but without the journey, it wouldn't be as sweet. That's why some people that achieve an unexpected goal without effort don't appreciate the dream. Your achievement of making your dream a reality is heightened by the journey that got you there. Overcoming struggles make you a worthy dream warrior. Your journey may even be more important than the dream. I've been on many journeys and I still have many dreams but my best memories came from my journeys. "Just Saying...."

     

A Dark and Scary Night

    It’s a dark night, that intense darkness that you might imagine around the turn of the century when only gas lanterns lit the streets. There is heaviness in the night air. The wind blows the leaves into swirling whirlpool along the river walk. Rain soaked streets, shine ominously from the reflection of the gas lanterns. Though it’s not possible, the wind, rain and cold make it seem darker than a starless desert night.

     With great anticipation I step across the threshold dressed in my finest Halloween costume. And I might add, the scariest one I’ve ever worn yet. I thought long and hard about whether I should don this deeply disturbing costume. Just wearing it paints a cloud of darkness over my usually cheerful spirit.

     It took many hours for me to decide which of the two costumes to wear. Each costume was equally as hideous as the other, but both with a cadre of admirers and haters. It was much too hard to decide so I cut them in half. I’m wearing Hilary on the left and Donald on the right.

     If that doesn’t scare the hell out of you, I don’t know what will.

Is it the End of the World as we know it?

     Is that how you think of life these days? There seems to be nothing in the news that talks about the positive things that the future holds for us. Is it because these are terrible times or is it because we are lead to believe these are terrible times? The Internet, newspapers and TV news media runs on bad news, actually it thrives on bad news. This has always been the case but we hear it 24/7, which wasn't the case prior to the Internet. I've always tried to be positive but it seems hard, when we are constantly bombarded with bad news.

     In truth everyday is the end of the world, as we know it, because it is always changing. But don't take this as a negative, because all change is not bad. In fact many changes are good even though we may not realize it at the time.

     I recently started reading a new book called Progress by Johan Norberg. The book takes a positive look at our current times, reflects back on "The good old days." The author points out ten reasons to be thankful for living in today's world. As it turns out "The good old days" weren't that good for many people. It's easy for us to remember the past with fond memories. I do this frequently but the mind is funny in that way, erasing the bad memories and pushing the good memories to the forefront.

     Although I've just started reading this book, I like the positive approach it takes. I feel like it has given me a shot of positivity that I needed. The book gives facts about the past that we may not be aware of unless you are a history buff. Looking at these facts it's not hard to see that we are much better off than our ancestors.

     There is one quote in the first chapter that seems particularly appropriate this year.

"Whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground, where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." Jonathan Swift

     I believe this book, Progress by Johan Norberg should be recommended reading for all people that feel a little depressed with life at times. It might just be the right medicine you need to change your outlook. "Just Saying..." 

Guns Don't Kill People, People Kill People

     I'm sure you've heard that phase often and it's true but there's more to it. The gun lobbyists want you to believe that the more guns we have the less problems there will be. The truth is guns don't solve problems people solve problems.

     So the link between both of these statements is 'People'. The answer to all our problems is how people treat people on a daily basis. If we treated each other with dignity, I'm sure the American public would feel better walking around town without a gun strapped to their side.

     The gun manufacturers and lobbyist would never agree with that last statement because it affects their business. That's expected but is it really the right approach? The violence around the word is out of control, which I suspect most rational people would agree.

     People of the world have many different beliefs and opinions, which seems perfectly fine to me. We need to hear other opinions. New ideas help our minds grow and expand. This will help society progress. Some people are very passionate about their beliefs, which is great but debates can become heated. Discussing opposing viewpoints is an important step in solving problems but it works better without the influence of guns.

     What would the current race for the presidency look like if the candidates were packing sidearms? It's a scary thought. So instead of choosing to open carry for protection why not choose an open mind for progress.  "Just Saying...."

Provel

     Provel cheese is distinctly St. Louis as is pork steaks, toasted ravioli and thin crust pizza. Provel is a processed cheese made of cheddar, swiss and provolone. Despite the fact the provel consist of three cheeses critics will say "It's not even legally cheese". If it is made from three legal cheeses how could that be?

     Judah Friedlander from 30 Rock called it melted plastic from the 80's. That's just cruel. Imo's uses it exclusively on their pizzas but Pi rejects it, even to the point of wearing shirts with Provel crossed out.

     You've heard the line from the Jeep commercials "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand". It's a catchy phrase and somewhat condescending but it gets the point across. You feel like your missing by not driving a Jeep.

     Well, I think it's high time we stand up for Provel. We need a t-shirt that says, "Provel, It's a St. Louis thing you wouldn't understand" and maybe on the back of the shirt it could say "It's called a pork steak, get over it".

     We're from St. Louis and we take our traditions seriously. “What High school did you go to?” -------- ”Just Saying…”