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Archive for the ‘Lifestyle’ Category

Setting Goals

January 24, 2010

“Shoreline” © R.L. Herron

We, as a society, talk a lot about setting goals. Goals for our education, goals for our marriage, goals for our children, goals for our jobs and our careers, goals for retirement. Lots of goals. Some as simple as reaching the end of the shoreline in the distance.

Our goals often suffer setbacks as we pursue them. Some setbacks can’t be helped. Others, when you examine what brought them on, should never have happened, because they do not conform to conduct consistent with principles of personal and social ethics.

Perhaps that violation of ethics is what irked me so much about what happened to the goals of teenager Lauren McClusky.

Perhaps you read about her.

If not, you should have. This young lady recently found herself at the center of a dispute over the name she chose for charity concerts she’s produced for the past three years.

The name: McFest.

What’s so bad about that? Good question. They were music festivals she chaired for charity. She chose the name because her surname happened to have a “Mc” prefix as part of it (as did the young lady who was her co-chairman). It seemed a natural.

In 2007 and 2008 her festivals raised $30,000 for the Chicago chapter of Special Olympics. All good things, wonderful things, particularly coming from one so young.

Since her concerts were being so well received, she tried to have the name McFest protected. That’s when her problems began.

(more…)

Posted in Lifestyle, Non-Fiction Writing, Politics | Leave a Comment »

Winter

January 19, 2010

“Winter Mailbox” © R.L. Herron

When you live in a northern climate, there are a lot of bad things about winter.

The worst part about this winter, from a photographic perspective, is the lack of snow (never thought I would say that).

They’ve even had snow in Florida this year and, as far south as Miami, have recorded the coldest January in ten years. We’ve had cold days and some snow, but we’re far behind our average. Not that I’m complaining.

February still has the potential to be brutal, and shoveling is not my favorite winter sport.

It’s warming up a bit this week. Not much. It’s above freezing and what snow we had is melting. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just beginning to look old and dirty outside. I guess the winter blahs have hit me.

So, I wish it would snow.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want as much as the picture above. Just enough to brighten the scenery, give it a fairy tale glow, and make venturing around the local parks and lakes with my camera worthwhile.

I also wish I had a client right now for whom I could do some design work or writing. I sometimes wish I had a place in Florida, too, where it’s supposed to be warm enough for shorts in January, even if it isn’t this year.

While I’m wishing, I wish there was more I could do for the unfortunate victims in Haiti. I wish we had world peace, too, but don’t worry, I’m not about to try twirling a baton for you (I’ll leave that to Sarah Palin).

I’ve never been one to stake my life on wishes. For better or worse, life must be taken as we find it. For the time being, I’m only thinking of doing more photography in the spring, while I snuggle warmly indoors with my lovely bride of almost forty years.

Now that I think about it, life could definitely be worse.

Posted in Lifestyle, Storytelling | 1 Comment »

Finding Relief

January 17, 2010

I find the picture above to be soothing, and soothing is something I needed this past week.

My heart goes out to the poor people of Haiti, struggling to survive after a devastating earthquake, the worst in 200 years, in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

Somehow, as satisfying as it has been to hear the outpouring of worldwide concern, my mind keeps going back to one moment.

I found it appalling to hear the comments from the small-minded evangelical bigot who claimed the destruction was somehow deserved, because Haitian people had made a pact with the devil.

I won’t give him, or those who actually listen to this fool, the satisfaction of repeating his name here. He’s not worth it.

This was the same sorry excuse for a human being who claimed Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was heavenly retribution for a sinful New Orleans. It’s also the same asshole (I’m sorry, there is no other word I can use for him) who claimed similar reasons for the 9/11 attacks in New York City.

What Pure Bull****
He would do well to remember the “good book” he professes to follow that says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39).

In his deluded view of caring for his fellow man, he seems to have forgotten this admonition.

I hope everyone, regardless of their faith system, will remember that verse, and allow their empathy and concern for their fellow man to reach out with an offer of support.

Don’t let any such morally corrupt person sway your concern for men, women and children in dire need.

When you do send support, beware of the scammers who prey on concerned people at times like this. Use only legitimate groups you trust, such as the American Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services, or Doctors Without Borders.