Retirement: Doing the Media Mash - 9/1/10-9/1/11

Whoa. What a year. The I Ching told me it furthers one to find helpers, and I did. More important, I was on a steep learning curve to convert skills from university to private business. Too bad I couldn't have stayed on a little longer to maximize my financial needs, but themz the breaks, yo. I need all the energy I can muster to get something together that will make everyone's life better.

In spite of the near stroke last year, I am confident that this morning's annual physical results will be better than last year. Poor me back then. Healthier me right now. For openers, diastolic was down 20 pts. Cool, huh? Body is shaking down, but in decent shape, when it ever does cool down and the smoke isn't too bad, I'll get back to walking.

Politics. It's a shambles. I do know a bully when I see one. I do know when someone does not have my best interests at heart. I know lies. I cannot abide bullies. I may even volunteer for someone or something, haven't decided yet. I did get through this record heat without cutting my hair, so I'm still on track for Locks of Love.

Life's work. Courtesy of Johnny B. Truant and the awesome Natalie, whose sharp eyes caught what would have been a tragi/comic error of epic proportions, I now have a Web site. Not ready for public consumption, of course, but it's my newest, biggest, greatest, shiniest sandbox! It's like finally having a bicycle after riding a tricycle for-ever.

After a summer of wildfires and no rain in Texas, earthquakes, floods, tornados, slow, wet hurricanes, and ice melt, I can confidently welcome you to the Wacky World of Unsettled Climate Change. Seeing that bare system sit on top of us for the last six months is a portrait in despair for those living in it, and defiance for those who deny it. Folks, I've lived long enough to be able to say that this may have happened time and time again in the history of the universe, but do not doubt that it is happening right now. The face of America is changing as grotesquely as a botched Hollywood cosmetic surgery. We will have to learn how to live in it. It won't be the same.

For one thing, education is paramount in a healthy civilization. Wars, not so much. Not at all. If we don't educate our children, we will regress as a species. We have too many tricky-ass problems to face and we need everyone thinking about solutions rather than aggression. I am so ashamed for the state I live in that we are ranked #49. That's out of 50. How can we let this happen?

Which brings me to call a spade a spade. Rick Perry is a huge danger to women, children, and the infirm. Can't go there right now. No sense courting a stroke. On the other hand, I am not 100% Obama at the moment. What I would most love is to see a strong, savvy, compassionate, intelligent person no matter what party who could wake everybody up. In a good, peaceful way. Not abandon them in time of need. I deeply resent the MSM for misleading us, slanting "news" to a political agenda.

Which brings me to social media. Once I finally got my goals straight, I next had to decide how much time I would dedicate to which platform(s). FaceBook was a good fit for me for a lot of reasons. The latest change, however, has gravely damaged my daily flow of information. It is making it harder to access one of my more enjoyable and useful networks, especially since I have an old phone and difficulty texting.

Tiny buttons, tiny type, tiny anything online is the Kiss of Death. Yeah, I have an iPod that I can rock out on a little bit, but it hurts my eyes if I use it too long. I can't afford an iPad, although most every dang member of my family DOES have one, so I'm more than loving on an iPad. I use it a lot while babysitting my grandniece. Who is right over there<--. Just sayin', everyone I know who can afford iPads allow their kids supervised play with them. When a 16 month old child can repeat the opening four bars of a toy playing "Ode to Joy," at exactly the same pitch and tempo, I can't wait to see how this plays out. 

I am working with some wonderful writerly women. I had an idea to interview each of them over the next six months to talk about their individual and group writing journeys. Stay tuned.