Category / Personal

by Greg

GregsHead on Facebook

Greg Campbell - GregsHead.net - BlogFor a few years now I’ve been trying different ways to share content from this site with friends and others on Facebook. First, back in the day, I imported RSS items as “Notes”. That presented a few problems as some items (videos in particular) were not imported, and I think some of the notes were truncated. I only learned that after many incomplete posts. It was like I never finished a story! 🙂

Then I found NetworkedBlogs, an app that was more feature-ful, allowing me to have people sign up to follow my blog on Facebook. It would also automatically post the blog as a link on my Facebook wall. Neat. And better still, you could see all the formatting of my site (including the missing items from the first way mentioned above.)

The one drawback was that (at least originally) people needed to allow access to their information in order to “follow” me using this app, and I wasn’t sure if anyone was even seeing the posts anyway since it wasn’t me, but an app that was posting the links.

So, I decided to make a page for my head!

The official GregsHead.net Facebook page is conveniently located in your browser at www.facebook.com/gregsheaddotnet. (Easy enough to remember…) My plan is to not only more easily promote content from this site via that page (the daily posts) but also to have some other fun interactions there like a quick link, a video, a follow up on something I wrote about on the blog.

It’ll be like the bonus coverage for GregsHead.net! (I know… it’s what you’ve always wanted.)

Also, I do plan to offer a way to purchase my three published books there, as well as any that I may publish in the future.

It’s your one-stop-Greg-the-writer shop! (Again, definitely what you’ve always wanted… right?) 🙂

If you are encouraged, challenged, inspired—or, confused?—by things you’ve read here, and you’re a Facebook user, I’d appreciate you “liking” my page and joining in the additional conversation there. It will be a nice way to keep in touch, keep up to date, and keep … the change?

And of course, feel free to use the convenient “share” and “like” buttons on posts to allow other folks to see things posted here and join in.

Thanks for reading, and I always welcome responses/rebuttals. Now there’s another place to leave them.

by Greg

Yearning For Less

“I wish I had more time!”

I am saying that far too often these days. And, it sure seems true when I think it and/or utter it.

I am finding that I wake up tired most days, and often go to bed later than I thought I would. And understandably, have much to do in the middle of each day.

We are a family of eight, after all. And two of the eight are two and three years old. They need plenty of assistance, and beyond that they seem to have the most … aggressive? personalities of all eight of us! So, of course, there will be long day. Maybe most.

But it feels like more than that.

Last fall, Jen got to travel to California for about a week to visit with friends, and meet new ones. (She also attend a workshop called HeartChange that she really loved! We highly recommend, if you’re on the west coast.) Just before that we had a family vacation where the couple different places we stayed were so stark in their decor that it was truly one of the refreshing pieces of our down time. While in California, the simplicity of environment—and simplicity of daily schedule—came up in conversation and Jen became even more convinced that she really wanted a much simpler life. Even if only for a season, schedule and stuff needed de-cluttering.

Unbeknownst to her, I had made plans with my parents to do a pretty big kitchen transformation project! Not only did that involve ripping out the carpet that was in there and replacing it with a nice laminate flooring, it also involved a hefty amount of getting rid of things! I knew Jen had been thinking of that, so we took the first step.

New Kitchen

The Great Kitchen Transformation of 2011!

It was not just well-received, she loved it! She had been hoping to do a little rearranging upon her return, and this major “rearrangement” was the catalyst for much more!

We set to work in the girls’ bedroom. We had some great success in there getting rid of several large bags and/or boxes of things. (The thrift stores like us… I think?) And then we made some progress in a few other rooms (though there’s more to go there, to be sure!) … slowly, but surely we are thinning out. Trying to live a bit simpler.

It actually seems to be a sentiment that several people we know are echoing. Life is too full, too busy. Time to simplify. A friend wrote about living simply on her site recently, too.

So why do we want simple? Why do we feel so over-stimulated?

Partly it’s that we just have too many options. Whether it’s entertainment options, or activity options, or social options, home schooling options, or even work-related options (maybe that applies even more to me being self-employed?) and then throw in there family “options” (like One Kid Nights and date nights and just regular family activities…)

Goodness! There’s a lot to do!

Just thinking of the things I leave undone every day, there are so many books I am currently reading (and many more I want to read … have you seen my list?!) then there are a good many shows in my Netflix queue (including tons of documentaries that I’d love to watch … sometime?). That’s all after the work I need to get done each day, and—as I’m sure you’ve noticed—I’ve made writing a priority again, too.

So where do we breathe? When do we rest? Where is the quiet? The silence where we sit with our Father and learn from him, enjoy being his kids?

I really don’t know.

It could be that we are avoiding just that. But I don’t think so. Sometimes we do busy ourselves to ignore painful things, or things we in some way dread. That does work for a while, and in the end, will produce the same, tiring results.

I think it’s even more pervasive that that, if possible.

There’s some restlessness embedded in our culture that must have a full schedule, that must have a full cupboard, that must have all the things we need and might need.

At some level, it’s rooted in our level of trust in God to take care of us.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

But is it only that? Perhaps. Is it bad to have stuff? Not inherently. But have you noticed how the more stuff you have, the more you need to have (like even, parts and accessories for your stuff), then the more you need to repair your stuff, then the more you need to buy things to keep your stuff in…

And the more events you do, the more people you meet, the more things you’re invited to do…

Which leads to needing more money to do more things, and to have more stuff…

More, more… MORE.

And thus, the yearning for simplicity.

Somehow, Jesus managed to live his life in skin as a homeless vagabond that never lacked for companionship (until the final days of his life) and he also managed to live arguably the most impactful life ever lived. Perhaps a full schedule or the most things don’t really lead to a better life?

“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

I’m not sure if we Campbells are being asked (by God) to sell our possessions. I mean, it clearly says that in that verse from Luke, but so far that conviction is not in my heart, nor Jen’s. But maybe this hunger (however large or small) for simpler will eventually lead there? We’ll see.

For now, I do know that there is a deep longing in my heart for simpler. Less stuff. Less options. More rest. The phrase “less is more” comes to mind.

The tricky part is how do we get there. That’s the next part of our adventure I think.

I’m curious to see how Jesus unfolds that in our life. (Some “busyness” currently seems “necessary”.)

Further thoughts will be shared on these pages, of course. And if you are so inclined, would love for you to join the conversation below!

But only if you have the time. 😉

Scripture quotes from Luke 12, from the New Living Translation.

by Greg

Hugs

Alex Campbell

I am a hugger. It’s one of the main ways I express love, especially to my kids. (I think it has rubbed off on them, too, as I must get a hundred hugs a day! I love it! And I always welcome it, even if I don’t feel like I have the time.)

One time we definitely don’t miss the chance to give hugs is right before bed. Whether it’s after they are already in their beds and I am about to leave the room, or as they are heading up to get ready for bed, or after we finished reading under the low incandescent light in my office.

We don’t miss the good night hugs!

Tonight as Alex was hugging me good night following another very interesting chapter from the Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R.Tolkein (love his extra initial!) I had a brief realization that this nightly ritual was definitely only for a season. As I patted Alex on the back and got in one more squeeze, I slid back and gently grasped his arms and said, “You know Alex, there will come a time when you are living in your own home, with your own family, where we won’t get to do this hug every night.” (Alex is particularly good at remembering to get the good night hugs in… and sometimes he’s also good at forgetting that he already did get his good night hug in) 🙂

He looked at me and a look of understanding and realization swept quickly across his face. His words followed not too long after, “Yeah,” he admitted, “But… we’ll have sleepovers.”

My heart smiled at the quick remedy that Alex devised for the future reality he hadn’t ever really considered. What do you mean I won’t get to hug my Dad good night every night??

Like most things in life, we easily take such small (but meaningful) things for granted. Until they are gone, or in this case, until we realize we won’t have them forever.

I think Alex continued to elaborate on his plan, mentioning “playing Madden” in there somewhere. 🙂 I was honestly losing myself in my own realizations of that time that will someday come. Thinking of the quietness of the home … and the much fewer hugs.

I did manage to respond that I’m sure we’ll find some ways to get together for some “boys” time. And I’m sure we will.

Thankfully, these few hours later, I’ve also remembered that I do still get nightly hugs. I do have Alex here in my house, every night, and every day. And, if God has numbered my days so, I hope that though I may not have them as readily available, I should be the recipient and giver of many more hugs as time moves forward and this family increases. What a joy that will be, too.

But for now, I will take every chance I get to accept hugs and give hugs to these precious people God has given me. I’m so glad to be their Dad. 🙂

by Greg

Two Spaces, Or One?

Being one who has loved writing for as much of his life as he can remember, you’d think that the basics of grammar and punctuation would be the proverbial “old hat” by now, right? Well, sadly, I must admit to a(n incorrect) habit that I just CAN NOT break.

ONE space, Greg… NOT TWO!

It’s not something I made up. I was definitely instructed to do so. TWO spaces after a sentence. That’s how you do it.

But apparently, it’s not.

One day I needed to get to the bottom of this conundrum, so I turned to trusty Google for the answers. And of course, it did not disappoint.

I found an article published about one year ago now cleverly titled, “Space Invaders“ The author not only unequivocally states that the proper spacing is ONE space, he also points out some of the reasons we have used—and were taught to use—two spaces.

For example, he explains:

Every modern typographer agrees on the one-space rule. It’s one of the canonical rules of the profession, in the same way that waiters know that the salad fork goes to the left of the dinner fork and fashion designers know to put men’s shirt buttons on the right and women’s on the left. Every major style guide—including the Modern Language Association Style Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style—prescribes a single space after a period. (The Publications Manual of the American Psychological Association, used widely in the social sciences, allows for two spaces in draft manuscripts but recommends one space in published work.) Most ordinary people would know the one-space rule, too, if it weren’t for a quirk of history. In the middle of the last century, a now-outmoded technology—the manual typewriter—invaded the American workplace. To accommodate that machine’s shortcomings, everyone began to type wrong. And even though we no longer use typewriters, we all still type like we do. (Also see the persistence of the dreaded Caps Lock key.)

I miss my typewriter … but I guess it got me into this bad habit!

The problem with typewriters was that they used monospaced type—that is, every character occupied an equal amount of horizontal space. This bucked a long tradition of proportional typesetting, in which skinny characters (like I or 1) were given less space than fat ones (like W or M). Monospaced type gives you text that looks “loose” and uneven; there’s a lot of white space between characters and words, so it’s more difficult to spot the spaces between sentences immediately. Hence the adoption of the two-space rule—on a typewriter, an extra space after a sentence makes text easier to read. Here’s the thing, though: Monospaced fonts went out in the 1970s. First electric typewriters and then computers began to offer people ways to create text using proportional fonts. Today nearly every font on your PC is proportional. (Courier is the one major exception.) Because we’ve all switched to modern fonts, adding two spaces after a period no longer enhances readability, typographers say. It diminishes it.

So there you have it, folks. From now on I will aspire to present my elocutions in properly punctuated form: one space, not two.

I thank you in advance for a good measure of grace while I form my new habit. 😉

by Greg

Plans

You really never know what is coming next in life. That makes it difficult to plan out what you might do in a year, or even a month. (Sometimes the next week!)

But it’s not a bad thing to have a plan. A “if-everything-works-out”, best-case scenario.

In mine, I will read at least 24 new books in the coming year. (Not counting the Bible, and/or books of the Bible, which I do plan to read again in 2012, too.)

Typing that makes it sound less impressive (and less insurmountable) than it usually feels.

My goal is to finish at least a couple books a month. The issue is, many of the books on my current reading (or “to read”) list are the 800-1200 page variety.

Yes, I am slightly crazy. But mostly, I just love learning about people, events, history, places, things. And I do just love to read.

Here’s a look at what’s currently on my reading radar screen:

  1. *Being George Washington – Glenn Beck
  2. *Original Argument (a modern translation of the Federalist Papers)
  3. Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
  4. Never Give In! The Best of Winston Churchill Speeches – Winston S. Churchill
  5. Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism – Ronald J. Pestritto
  6. Choosing to SEE – Mary Beth Chapman
  7. The First Commandment – Brad Thor
  8. Spilled Milk – Michael J. Scott
  9. *The Introvert Advantage – Marti Olsen Laney
  10. *One Thousand Gifts – Ann Voskamp
  11. 7 Tipping Points That Saved The World – Chris and Ted Stewart
  12. Sacred Fire – Peter A. Lillback
  13. For You They Signed – Marilyn Boyer
  14. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy – Eric Metaxas
  15. Several C.S. Lewis books

I am realizing as I make this list that such a list would be far too exhaustive. I have way more than 24 books in mind but I think those above are the next dozen or so in the queue, even if they are not entirely in the order I plan to read them in. I am also very good at fitting other stuff in along the way! For example, I’ll probably pick up the next book in the Brad Thor/Scot Harvath series. (I’m reading through his older stuff after reading Full Black this past fall.) And I am also planning to complete the Lord of the Rings trilogy with my boys in 2012.

Basically, it’s going to be a very well-read year, if things go according to plan!

If you’d like to see more books I am reading, plan to read, have read, you can sit and watch the little changing book image in the right sidebar (each one is clickable). Or, you can just visit the page(s) created by the Now Reading plugin for WordPress that I use to organize all this stuff.

I’d love for anyone reading, this to read along with me on some or even all of these books. (It would be a bit strange if you liked all the same books as me…) 🙂 And, if you have any that you’d recommend I add, please suggest them in the comments.

May 2012 bring you many blessings from God (true blessings may not always seem to be blessings at the time) and many great moments along the way, from books and otherwise.

by Greg

No Comparison

I have this friend.

He’s pretty amazing at everything he attempts. He has a lot of the same interests and capabilities, and does a lot of the same work as me, only a lot better. He can build smarter web sites. He can code (well) in several web programming languages. He’s even a handyman kinda guy, who can build just about anything. (Wonder if he uses duct tape?)

There are days I think, “Man, I should just quit right now! My friend can do all this stuff I’m trying to do so much better than me. Sheesh!”

I have these other friends.

They have been in the hospital with their beautiful baby boy almost the entire 3 months he has been alive. (When they weren’t in the hospital with him, they were at home—not sleeping—just to make sure he would make it through the night.) It’s not looking good. There are people all over the world praying for this little guy (with God, all things are possible) who is suffering from a terminal genetic disorder. (Though, actually, adding to the difficulty is the fact that the doctors aren’t even sure what is causing all that is happening to his tiny body.)

There are moments where, when I look back at the very emotionally and physically and spiritually draining year (plus) that we have lived through in 2011, I am tempted to think, with my heart heavy for my friends, “Well, I suppose I should be thankful that all that I have been through can’t be as bad as what they are facing, and all they have been through.”

What is it about our hearts, our inner selves, that must compare?

Whether it is, “I’m not as good as him…” or, “I guess I’m better off than them?” … there is a strong tendency to compare.

It’s why we judge. It’s why there are prejudices. We are constantly looking at others lives in comparison to ours.

But there is no comparison.

I am me. You are you. You are the most perfect you. And quite likely, no… most definitely, you are not me. (And of course, I am not you.)

And, we shouldn’t be.

God made a world full of diversity. There is diversity beyond our imaginations in all the rest of his creation, and when we’re having a good day, we can see that there is beautiful diversity in Us: the Crown of His Creation.

I’m not sure why we do it. I am thankful that God keeps developing my trust in him to the point where I am doing it much less often. But I still do.

And I should not.

All we are meant to do is to stay connected to him, listen to him, be loved by him, and then live life with the people he asks us to: rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. None of us is better or worse than another. We may make choices that are better or worse, but even in those, we are not the ones who are to judge others and mete out praise or punishment (unless we’re in some official capacity to do so).

[T]he Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

We’re not competitors in life. We are fellow pilgrims. We have the same Father, and the same Oldest Brother. And the same Spirit he promises to those who will follow. Life lived together with him is vibrant and deep and there’s enough to go around, through the highest and lowest we go through.

It’s a lie that we should be as good as that guy, or that we’re not as good as that girl. We can’t have it any better or worse than anyone else. We have it exactly as he wants us to. We’re right where we’re supposed to be, especially if we’re listening to—and following—His lead.

Then there’s no comparison.

by Greg

On Being Thankful

This is the day we are thankful. All over our country we spend the day—even the whole weekend—thinking about the things for which we are thankful.

Sometimes we have cute ways of saying it. You know, like the annual “go around the table and say what you’re thankful for” exercise. Or maybe it’s a more tactile expression, written on paper or some other tangible medium.

Sometimes we are just quietly, introspectively thankful.

But on this day, we are Thankful.

And even though I have one of those brains that is always going, always thinking, always processing, always introspectively examining and pondering … and also despite the fact that I am wont to buck almost any tradition… I’m certainly not exempt from being in this frame of mind come late November.

In fact, there are quite a gamut of things I’ve dwelt on today, grateful that God has either been the Giver (James 1:17) or he has walked with me through it.

One of the first things I was grateful for today was a dinner that I got to prepare and share with some new friends one year ago this day. They were new friends to us, had known them only a few months. But they had already been so welcoming and loving toward our family that our kids readily adopted them as their third set of grandparents! I felt a kinship with Wayne, too, as he was a prolific writer (something I have aspired to be) and definitely marched to the beat of his own drum (something to which I also aspire).

The reason I am extra thankful for that one particular meal we shared together (besides the fact that I always love to make food for people, and visit with people) is that just two months later, Wayne would no longer be with us.

Ordinarily we would have been visiting with family that day. With Jen’s family, or perhaps my family … or both? In fact, that had been the plan: to join my parents who were with my sister and her family after the birth of their daughter. However, various circumstances kept that from happening … and when we found ourselves with an open Thanksgiving Day, we were delighted to find out that our new friends had found themselves in just that same spot!

Who could have known that there wouldn’t be very many more meals we’d all share together?

I think that’s a great reason for being thankful. I read a sign tonight, it was a picture of a sign actually. It said, “It’s not happy people who are thankful, it’s thankful people who are happy.” Indeed. Somehow it’s a truth that is at the core of our makeup. The “power of positive thinking” perhaps. Whatever it is that is behind it, there is a deep reality in the power of our perspective, our attitude.

I can go through my days worried about how I am going to pay our mortgage this month, or afford the repair work for our van (or really, the new van we need to be saving for!), or how I can better help equip my kids with the right tools they need for life, or even just spend my days being bogged down by the details of all the various projects I juggle for my work. Those things are indeed important, but perhaps not mine to struggle with.

When that is my focus, I might miss the chance to have an impromptu Thanksgiving dinner with someone whose presence I will not much longer share. I might miss an opportunity to see my wife’s beautiful heart in the way she expresses a thought she had or something Jesus is teaching her. I might miss (and sadly, have missed) the tender, loving heart of one of my sons or daughters so open and fully extended to their Dad (whom they often seem to view as so much more than I know that I am).

All because I was so focused on the things that seem to need attention—or change—rather than savoring the gifts that the Giver has already provided.

Like my beautiful, precious wife. Like our six amazing children. Like the family that God has surrounded us with: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and even non-blood family.

And how about a roof over our heads? All the crazy freedoms and luxuries we have in this country? (Though, perhaps that is not really always—or ever?—something that we should be thankful for, at least, not in the way we usually think we should be.) How about the incredibly difficult year that 2011 has been for our household? More importantly, the fruit that we’ve seen Holy Spirit grow in and around us as a direct or indirect result of that?

There is an unending list of things we can be thankful for. In fact, it’s really more of a reality to live in (a paradigm, or perspective) rather than a list to check off.

Jen said it best today when she commented, “I’m really not any more thankful on this day than I am any other day. I’m not sure how to be!”

When you can breathe thankful, that is certainly the case. “Always be thankful.” Not just a command to “do it”… or else! But an invitation to the fullness of life that can be known when we shift our focus from our own efforts and abilities (or lack thereof) to gratitude for his provision, his caring… and his extraordinary capabilities. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

So as this Thankful day comes to its close, I am thankful. For the day spent with nearly all of our close family. For a belly full of delicious food. For a quiet house full of Sleepers, without whom my life, even I myself would not be the same. I’m thankful for my Father who loves me, and even likes me. 🙂 That he wants to be with me, and me to be with him, still amazes.

And I’m thankful for Wayne. Glad for the very short time God crossed our paths. Looking forward to the rest of the path crossings God has in mind for me during the time I have left, however much that may be.

We can’t know. We only know now. We have now.

And for that, I’m grateful.

by Greg

Transformation and Process

One of the most amazing things to me in all of God’s creation is the butterfly. From gross slimy larvae, to slightly cuter (but still sort of gross) worms, to goo inside a cocoon, to a beautifully colored, light and delicate airborne display of it’s Designer’s creativity. It is truly incredible.

But this post is not about butterflies.

Another incredible process in creation is the making of us. By combining the DNA of one man and one woman, a new person is formed. It grows from one cell (is it really just one cell??) to a cluster, and then more… and somehow in that ball of “goo” is YOU, and ME. Throughout the course of the 35-40 weeks, we gain more of the parts we will need for life in this world, all developing while we live in water!? And by the end, the birth process is designed just right for the separation of mom and baby, till a new, separate, wonderful life has been added to the world.

But this post is not about babies.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

There is definitely a theme of restoration throughout the gospel. It’s what Jesus was all about. He came to “seek and save the lost”. He healed people. So many hurting people. And he loved them. He didn’t turn them away, or heal grudgingly… there are times when it says he healed everyone who came to him, of any malady that might be plaguing them. He could, and he would.

And he does. And I’ve seen it.

I have recently witnessed rebirth. Someone who has for so long been crushed by unwillingness (or inability?) to be loved (by others, and even self) finally having walls broken down, eyes renewed to see all the God is offering through this life lived in Him … years of work He’s done building trust in Him mixed with an intense, four-day weekend of revealing that life to the full that he wants for us all… culminating in a new beginning.

It was the cocoon. It was heart surgery (as well as mind/spirit/soul surgery). It was the final stages of a hard labor.

And we have a butterfly. A healthy patient. A new life.

I read a book recently that brought up the caterpillar-to-butterfly transition. Here’s what it said:

“I love how God has been changing me one small bit at a time. Sometimes I don’t even notice he’s doing that until I’m in a situation and I watch myself respond in ways I never would have before. I am enjoying immensely the [person] he is allowing to emerge.”

“Just like a butterfly taking wing from its cocoon. Isn’t it sad that we thought we could press people into spiritual change, instead of helping them grow to trust Father more and find him changing them? You can’t press a caterpillar into a butterfly mold and make it fly. It has to be transformed from the inside.”

And transform God does. Not just once, at one time, but over the course of our lifetime. That butterfly goes through many stages, and there are noticeable markers along the way, and we do too, but our transformation is a life-long process, a journey. In fact, that’s really what the Kingdom boils down to: a reality that God is inviting us to join him in. A fresh way of looking at him and the world he has made and inhabits, and also a different perspective on us and who he sees us as. We are his friends (Romans 5), his adopted children (Ephesians 1, Galatians 3-4, many more) and it “gave him great pleasure” to give his own life to set us free from sin and shame. Incredible.

When we realize that, we emerge from the cocoon. Still a bit clumsy at first, but a new creation. A completely new creation. Beautiful. Magnificent.

His amazing handiwork.

There are so many ups and downs that life brings (even many of our own doing) but he is there with us in them all, and he continues to mold and shape us from within to be the perfect masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10) that he has planned for us to be.

What a process! What an amazing Father!

I love being a butterfly!

by Greg

Beautiful Skies

Darkened Fall Skies

I truly love the beauty of the fall season. This was the view out of my third-story window today. A very dark sky on the horizon, with fluffier white clouds above and blue sky (and sun) behind. And this was just minutes after a wet, heavy snow was showering down on us.

It’s more than just the colors of the leaves. And the sky. The angle of the sunlight this time of year does wonders with just about anything it falls upon. The colors, the shadows, and of course the contrast against magnificent skies!

And if that wasn’t enough, have you seen the skies on a clear autumn night? Beautiful full moon for most of the night. (It even accompanied me on an early morning walk just after sunrise today!) Close beside the bright large orb in the black sky you’ll find a smaller one, though seemingly just as bright. Jupiter is doing a little dance with its larger partner these last few days in November.

Somehow the sky has always fascinated me. I am drawn to it. I love to just stare up at it, marvel at its visible beauty, as well as the beauty of what we know of how it is made and how it works. Magnificent. Beautiful. Majestic. Breathtaking.

There is certainly beauty in every season, but if I ever had to be stuck in just one, I’d most definitely choose autumn!

Note: The photo does not begin to capture the beauty of the sky I saw, but the iPhone camera was all I had with me at that moment… 🙂

by Greg

Local Politics

If you’re like me, you got a sticker similar to this a couple days ago at your local polling booth. (Our son, Ian, was with me, and he actually got my sticker.) It is your badge of honor for participating in our great representative governmental system. This year may not have been the more exciting, national-level elections, but they’re still important.

Right?

When I scanned the ballot as I was casting my vote, I noticed that in many cases, the people running for the various local town, village, and county positions were unopposed. Some of them were listed as the representative for all of the parties! (How can you be backed by all of the parties?)

This made me wonder, why are we even doing this? I’ll admit to not being too plugged in to all the issues that face my village, town, etc, but I really didn’t know that these local representative positions were so unimportant as to have only one person raising their figurative hand to accept the spot! It actually made me want to run, just to compel people to look into the reasons you might want to cast your vote for whomever you end up choosing.

The trouble is, I don’t think that matters. We’ve become so politically polarized in our country that we just let the party that the candidate is listed under direct our vote. (That’s good for those chaps who were listed under all the parties!) It doesn’t matter what the person under that banner has done, or believes, or wants to do … as long as they have the right party flag, they get the vote!

The other piece is the glamorization of the national political elections. Any news you might hear about elections is often so heavily weighted toward the national elections, national issues, that the local races aren’t even noticed. They aren’t exciting enough to want to vote for (or apparently, to run for).

And in the end, I’m not even sure what our local government does. (Which is likely all my fault. I’m sure I could do a little investigating and fairly quickly find out at least more than I know now.)

So if I were to add my name to the ticket, what is it that I would be hoping to accomplish? Probably lowering taxes (we pay something like $23/1000 for our school taxes, plus town/county, and village property taxes) as well as trying to figure out why we need all that tax revenue in the first place!

Then, soon after that, I think I’d try to figure out a way to let other people in our community know (once I discover what it is) what exactly it is that our elected local representatives do for us. (If I discover that such positions are so unnecessary that there aren’t even people willing to volunteer to run for that office, then we can just probably do away with it altogether!)

So, this year’s elections are over. The unopposed candidates have been duly elected to their spots. But watch out in 2012 (maybe 2013, since 2012 is the big presidential election year…) you might have to make a choice which candidate you choose! And, since I am not affiliated with any particular party … I might just create a new one! 🙂

[post-tiles posts=’4′]