You're The One

Yes, you're The Chosen One.

You have tremendous power over yourself, over others and over your environment. Mind you, nothing supernatural like in TV or movies, but amazing and substantial power nevertheless. All you've got to do is think positive... believe it... and work at it responsibly.

I can choose to be whatever I want to be, and do pretty much whatever I want to do... within laws and maybe within physics. Norman Vincent Peale was the first to teach me that, but there are a multitude of others that say the same thing. Don't wait for Godot... quit waiting for somebody to help you or for somebody to help.

A self-reminder: Just do it.

- © 2008 by Willy,
one of The Chosen Ones
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Past and Future

I did not perceive it the same way my parents did, when, as a kid of 10, my family left Cuba for Miami in 1960, a year after Fidel Castro took over.

Like many other countries, Cuba had been governed by one dictator after another and many people were poor and ready for a change.

A young leader came out of nowhere promising change. A young leader that spoke eloquently and passionately. Compared to previous despot, he was the knight in shining armor that would literally take us away from all this. Everybody was in love with him.

Nobody questioned who put him there... where he got his money, who his friends were or what he really believed in. He said he would bring justice and equality to all. He said he would help the poor, bring universal free medical care, and clean up our tarnished reputation.

Everybody wanted change but nobody thought exactly what these changes would be, do and cost. So by the time the opposition went silent, the people's guns had been taken away and there was no liberty left for any. Disagreement ended against bullet-ridden walls in local neighborhood "street court." Everyone was equally poor and hungry, except for Fidel and his committee. Free health care had no doctors and thus was worthless. There was no free press to publish anything but propaganda. There was no real church left either, just a facade. Cuba had been knocked down even below Third-World status, a million were killed and millions left.

Our election-year rhetoric in this country has reminded me much of what happened in Cuba.


Would we in this marvelous country fall for young charismatic leaders with unknown backers who promised change? Would we think about it and ask what kinds of changes? How will they be carried out? What will it cost us? What would they do to us?

Would we?

We have. Two years ago we went for change and elected a Democrat majority congress. Have the last couple of years been good for you? And for the country? Vote for more change this November and we're REALLY going to get it!

We’re not a Third-World country, you say? It happened in Germany, too.

- text © 2008 by Willy
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Working Versus Being There

Why work hard versus just going to work? Why do-the-right-thing and "upset" others instead of just being a buddy and not caring if things get done? Why contribute if you can just do a minimum, chitchat and blow off the day?

I don't know.

That is, I don't know otherwise. Although the word fraud comes to mind as well as irresponsible, immature, useless, and other.

I quit a professional organization three years ago, after 34 years of very active volunteer work because the board was choked down with old deadbeats that didn't do much but get in the way. I got annoyed, recommended that they yield their seats to up-and-coming young 'uns, and quit them.

Deadbeats thrive at work. I always thought the true purpose of a deadbeat is to have a somebody to lay off when layoffs came (but this may not be true, since deadbeats are very friendly good ol' boys). Or maybe their function is to have somebody available for the boss to grade lower than me and thus enable a Gaussian distribution, albeit skewed.

I got rid of a very nice deadbeat a few years ago after three years of no work output. It is frustrating sometimes to work in a place with deadbeats who come in at 9 or 10, take a couple of hours for lunch, then leave early... if they show up at all... be they high-up muckety-mucks or entry level. They can't be avoided, since they permeate society. Personally, I want them away from me, as far as possible. After all, I became an engineer to build machines, not to have to deal with [shudder] people problems. Machines work.

Similarly, I got rid of my deadbeat fiance, "The Ex," last year after 4 years of living together... about 4 years too late. I found great relief when she finally left.

Although there is no training class on how to deal with deadbeats, one thing to consider is that we have been entrusted to be good stewards of our company's money or God's talents, entrusted to you to do a specific job. Another is that we must exercise due diligence in the process. There must be the right work ethic.

If you don't understand these concepts, then please quit and go be homeless on Florida beaches... you'll fit better there. Lead, follow or get out of my way.

- text © 2008 by Willy
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Why Do It?

Have you thought it out? Asked yourself why you do what you do... and gotten a clearly-defined answer?

If so, congratulations! You are part of a very small minority.

(Let's exclude money, sex and power, which, according to Sigmund Freud, are the answers to everything.)

Most of us answer with a generic answer because we really don't know ourselves and don't know why we do things... haven't figured out what drives us, what the emotional needs are, or what is it that makes us feel good.

No matter what the question is specifically, the answers are always the same... for the fun, enjoyment, excitement, feelings, relaxation, fitness, curiosity, being outside close to nature, and (lately) saving gas.

Fun being #1 by far.

The question may be why work, why play, why bike commmute, why hike, why feed the ducks, why landscape, why bike solo, or why a beer with friends.

Why date a floozy?

But it doesn't matter what the question is, the answers are always the same, and it's always a combination of answers. One fellow says he bike commutes for fun, not for the gas savings. I argued that whether he wanted to or not, he was savings gas. Can't but.

The world has no simple answers to simple questions... unless you're 5 and still believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

- © 2008 by Willy
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Not From Around Here

I've lived in this very small southern city for 37 years, but I'm not from around here and neither is anybody else. Population here tentupled in the last fifty years. We live in California, whereas the rest of the state is in the south. The only rednecks I know are imported and playing at construction.

This, indeed, is a lovely city. Not just for its great jobs and low poverty, low crime and no fear, beautiful view of valleys and mountains, terrific outdoor recreation, and lack of traffic congestion... but also because of its people. Not only do we have many outstanding citizen, but we seem to lack the large mass of idiots pervasive in most societies. Oh, we do have the occasional bigot and bully, but at least an order of magnitude lower than other places. People are genuine and sincerely nice, and there is comparatively little animosity or strife. I have true happiness and a feeling of comfort which is not true outside the city.

For example, a while ago I tried to buy me a gentleman's farm in the surrounding area. Tried several times, actually. Realized that the local country bumpkins were too much for me... at squeezing more money and at neglecting to say the truth (like the land won't pass a perk test for septic tank).

Then there's the neighbors who have a meth lab, the boys that have hunted in that land for generations, and the bubbas that have nothing to do and are jealous, spiteful and destructive... while you work.

So I gave it up, decided to stay in this wonderful city and be glad that I'm not from around here.

- © 2008 by Willy

P.S., yes, I'm still a machine person versus a people person.
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Want to Save the World?

The Pope just denounced "insatiable consumption" as a threat to the world's environment.

We're killing the world allright. In many ways, Mother Nature is upset at us, and one day she's going to blow our fuze. Want to help yourself and save the world... all in one shot? Let me give you some suggestions by example.

I live in the south, where summer consists of most of the year. When my fiance lived with me, the utilities bill was well over $300 a month during hot summer months. We struggled with the thermostat settings on a continuing basis. When she left, I raised the upstairs thermostat setting to 89, shut down the downstairs unit (I don't get in until late), and the utility bill shrank to a little over $100 a month. This summer, I've gone greener... I've shut down both units and bought a $97 window air conditioner for my bedroom, which is the only room I need to be cool, in order to sleep good. Since most electrical generation in this country is coal and oil powered, I'm doing something to reduce our pollution... because of me, less fuel has to burn.

When I bought my current hillside home in 1991, I could see clear to the next county. Now some summer days I'm lucky to see the valley below.

I bicycle to work near-daily on a good day during summer. I have fun, enjoy nature, get fit, save gas money, and prevent several tons of auto exhaust pollution a year... my own car's. I run errands on the bike on the way home, although on Saturdays I do crank up a car to pick up groceries, bird food, and other big or temperature sensitive items. On Sundays, I don't use a car either... I start from the house, bicycle to breakfast and do a long and slow ride for fun and fitness. And I'm NOT a young man.


I also feel good about doing my bit to reduce middle east money and power. Hope we all get on board so that those rich arab muslim extremists eat their oil.

I'm trying to not overeat because I want to improve my overall health and fitness. I've reduced the amount of junk I buy because I have everything I need already, and my needs are small, and I go by the Salvation Army and Goodwill stores. I do agree with the Pope that our insatiable consumption is insane and is killing the world, and it's about time somebody high up recognized it... we little guys in the bottom knew it long ago.

I believe in fixing things from the bottom. In the same way, I really don't care who gets elected, because they are not going to do squat about the awful pollution, terrible economy and high gas prices. I need to save myself, and save this country and the world too.

It's me that solves the problem.

Want to join me?

- text © 2008 by Willy
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Are We OK?

One of the most interesting thing about this past year or so is my fresh understanding of "am I OK?"

I have observed people's behavior with a new perspective. My conclusion is that we're all screwed up. We're not OK. Everybody has a problem, and there's nobody out there that's immune, although there's shades of gray, degrees, or amount, that makes us different... from the walking wounded, to the dead man walking, to the murderer that done it, figuratively and literally.

It all centers on love, money and people. Everybody is looking for love... or at least a kindly smile... and everybody is looking for a handout of some sort. The problem is that seldom are they willing to provide that themselves. There are a lot more looking to receive than are willing to give... maybe a 100-to-1 ratio. It's all giveme, giveme, giveme. There's con men everywhere trying to swindle you, disguised as a pretty girl at the gym or as your best friend. We're depressed, we are dependent and we are crazy.

The most prescribed drugs in this country are antidepressants, at 118 million prescriptions in 2005 (and who knows how many self-medicate at the bar). Given that we are a nation of 300 million, this 118 is an impressive number. My doctor tells me that 40% of U.S. adults are taking antidepressants.

Solutions? There’s no need to explain yourself to others. Decide to take care of yourself. Detach! Seek solitude and do things on your own. Stand on your own 2 feet. Contribute. Give yourself a pat in the back. Be gentle with yourself and with others... and be kind to yourself and to others (but watch it and don't give the wrong impression). Laugh! Don't take things so seriously.

Decide to enjoy life!

- © 2008 by Willy
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Tall Mountain Hiking

I thought I was fit until this week. A week of full-pack backpacking in the Rockies at 10,000 feet humbled me in the climbs... at some places I could only go 30 seconds before I got winded. Although even then we did 10 mile days, it showed me that I need to drop newfound pounds and peg the load on the elliptic and treadmill so I can keep up with my daughter. Hill repeats too. Anybody got a hyperbaric chamber they can loan me? Next year I'm not setting the pace... I'll be in the back instead... so we now have healthy competition brewing. I've gotten soft by hiking and bicycling with buddies my age... I completed a recent hike with them in 4 hours that took them 6. We'll see in August, my next multi-day group hike.

In any case, it was a superb week of terrific tough trails, some suicidal snowfields to transverse, and gorgeous ridge views (thanks to the pine beetle infestation and decimation of the trees).

Have you ever gotten to an impassable 45-degree steep snow and ice field hiding the trail on the end of the second day? Too far invested, I decided to grit my teeth, crouch low, use hand on high left snow, short hiking stick on right low, pray, and move it. If I had slipped, there was nothing to stop me for a few hundred feet, although I'd be rolled into a frozen Popsicle before I hit the trees in the valley below. This suicide snowpass was nature's example of beautiful treachery.

The mountains climbs were a thousand feet at a time, then descend a thousand, and then ascend a thousand again, and again. Just a little more than I'm used to, with a fraction of the oxygen I'm used to. Superb! Exhilarating! Challenging! Healing! Scary!

Tomorrow I'm back to saving the world.

- © 2008 by Willy
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