Thoughts

Thoughts is a collection of life lessons learned in my 90-plus years.

My lifetime has been a great time to be alive. Shared telephone lines have become smart phones that connect worldwide; televisions have evolved from tiny black and whites with rabbit ears to giant screens filled with color; air travel has evolved into space travel. Oh, the marvels of mankind! And Oh, the evil of mankind. 

As a child, I also lived through World War II. I watched my father go off to war. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, suffered wounds that did not keep him from serving with the Occupational Forces after the war in Europe ended. 

Life, I have learned, is about love, family, neighbors, country, our whole world. It’s about trying our best to do what’s right, to fight what’s wrong. Life is about questioning and learning; it’s accepting that which can’t be changed and changing for the good that which is in our power to change. Life is about being responsible for self, and often times others  — our children, those who can’t help themselves or can’t defend themselves. Life is about choosing to believe in God, or not to believe. Life is about love and loss. Life is about hope.

In my life’s journey I’ve learned mostly from three sources:

• Trial and error (a time waster, but at times necessary).
• Parents, of course, plus the wisdom of others (very good, but needs testing).
• Seeing life from different views as I grew from childhood into my adult years, and now into my “silver-haired” years.

Each of us chooses  our views, our beliefs. 

Some among us are eager to tell others what we should believe, what is best for us, or who we should accept or not accept as “one of us.” Many of those eager-to-lead-us claim to be speaking “for God.” Since they don’t speak “for God” with one voice, I conclude that most are not speaking for God at all. 

Jesus asked, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”  He instructed: Take the plank out of your own eye, then see more clearly how to  help the brother with “the speck of sawdust.” His words are found in Luke 6:41-42.

Unfortunately, many of us don’t see the plank unless someone puts a mirror in front of us. Some won’t see it even then.

We have much to gain by asking ourselves what we believe, and why we believe it. We also need to test our beliefs and verify what we assume to be our “facts.”

Each of us has the responsibility and the right to determine personal beliefs. And while there’s nothing wrong with sharing one’s beliefs, explaining one’s beliefs, none of us has the right to insist that others believe our beliefs.

Beliefs, just because we have them, are not always true. At times, they are based on faulty information.

Hopefully, we all will arrive at our belief state-of-mind thoughtfully and wisely. Since none of us is all-wise, it is possible that we may, in time, find some of our beliefs and views about life are wrong. We may want to re-think them, and if necessary, correct them.