It's About the Smile Under My Mask Thing

Dear America,

"We either make ourselves happy or miserable. 

The amount of work is all the same."

Carlos Castaneda

indeed

speaking of work...this girl has been in throes of adjusting to major life changes, having taken a union job at a local grocery store!  Yes, you heard me correctly -- this girl a officially a card carrying member of a union, something I never saw coming, no question.

Whatever.
Having lost my nanny gig at the onset of the pandemic, I had to immediate find employment.  And while most companies were forced to work remotely, and even other companies had to entirely close its doors, grocery stores were of the few opportunities available.  So yes, I jumped on that like white on rice (available on aisle two, section 12, rows 1 - 4, on the right).

I'm play a minion part within a large corporate chain; I punch in on a time clock upon arrival, going to lunch, returning from lunch, and at the end of the day; I get paid weekly; and after four months of hard labor, must still await the six month mark to be eligible for any benefits.  Oh, and I start my day at 3 a.m...pretty much six days a week.

And I strangely love it.

I get up about two a.m. with my french press already filled with the daily grind and only awaiting for the tea kettle to fulfill its duties to get into some hot water.  My lunch, breakfast, depending upon how you look at it, is fetched from its overnight chill and placed in a small cooler, while I've popped a bagel in the toaster.  It's up and atom and out the door, aiming for about 2:22 each morn (not that I fret if I'm off a wee bit, it just seems to be about the time I make my exit into the night).  All in all, this allows me to arrive in the store parking lot in time to enjoy about 15 minutes of sipoing coffee and soaking up the moonshine amidst the abundance of peace and quiet before the hustle bustle of the day shines through and then some.

Truth be told, I think this crazy hour has become my favorite time of day.  Just me and God, having a moment all too ourselves.  And it is good.

But no rest for the weary, a paycheck doesn't come about once a week for nothing (wait, unless you're on unemployment... bada bump ba).  (But we ain't got time to talk about that right now...save for another time and place).

Anywho,
Each day, I hit the ground running, concrete floor and all, from the moment I step foot inside the automatic doors, meeting up with a welcoming committee of a rather brisk temperature, universally recognized as super cold, along with a spattering of night crew, each up to their eyeballs with product lining the aisles, cardboard and sheets of plastic strewn about, with the accompaniment of cheesy canned music bouncing off the walls from produce to the freezers to the deli and back again...nothing escapes this gawd awful collection of tunes that is repeated over and over again, day after day. nothing.

And strangely, I love it.

While at the end of the day, I am often carefully recorded as having clocked five to six miles, walking the store, handpicking grocery orders, with only a half hour lunch in the middle of it.  This store takes everything I got out of me, every single day; and proud to say, that after only a few months, my arms and abs and legs are the most toned in years.  Can you carry two twelve packs of Coca-Cola under each arm, place them in the cart, only to have to unload, once to a holding bin awaiting pick up, and in the second, to do it all over again to take them to someone's trunk... like multiple times in a day, and still keep standing?  Yeah, that's what  I thought.    It might be said that I should be paying them for the personal training coming free of charge, but I'll never tell.  wait, maybe I just did.  ah, who are we kidding, it's not like the ole G Thing ever goes viral like the covid, right.

People thank me daily for my service, and I'm like, really?  seriously? say what?
um. awkward. 
According to me, G, that phrase should only be used for true heroes --  like our service men and women all across the globe, or, perhaps even more timely, our police departments nationwide.  ah, yes, indeed,  (That would also be a good conversation to have right about now. But, not today.  I'll  save that for another time, too.)

And even though my department is dealing with some gnarly growing pains these days, I can strangely admit that I still love it.  I love it all.  The smile under my mask tells it all, I'm sure.

Today's day, here on the old G thing, is simply about making an observation about humanity.

And a scroll to the top of the page will sum it up quite nicely.  Castaneda is so right.

We are always at choice, no matter the set of circumstances, to set our attitude straight.

It is the same amount of work to be happy or miserable, indeed, indeed.

How powerful a statement is that?!

I see it play out, at work, every day; those who arrive miserable, stay miserable, and work their misery to the bone day in and day out.  I see it play out at work all the time.  It's rather exhausting, really,  That part of my day I could surely do without.

I can't be bothered with that nonsense.  All I want to do is work my ass off, give the people what they want, and go home at the end of the day fully satisfied with a good hard day's work.  And besides, I'm just so grateful to have the job in the first place!

In this time of Covid -- amidst the nightly protests for Black Lives Matter -- amidst absurd calls to de-fund the police -- amidst schools moving entire classrooms to online learning -- amidst the turmoil in the headlines -- I feel so blessed to begin my day in the peace and quiet of a parking lot, communing with nature and God and the elements, while all the rest of my community is still resting under the covers in sweet slumber. 

For most people, it's a rare occurrence to entertain the night while the rest of the world sleeps.

But for me, I'm lapping it up every twenty four, and strangely, I love it. I'm smiling under my mask right now.  wait.  not wearing a mask at the moment...now in the sanctity of my home, and sitting here, communing with my blog for the first time in months.  Oh, what a joy it is.

Life is strange.  It has so many turns, a winding road that leads us this way and that way all the days of our lives.  You are just as surprised as I am that this girl has taken a Union job...go figure.

But what is it that I've been saying...oh, right...
strangely, I love it.  Indeed, I do.

Not sure when I'll have a chance to come back, but when I do, trust me -- it will be on the heels of eight hours, six miles, four hundred items picked, all beginning at two o'clock in the morning.

two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate?

A hard day's work.

LOVE it.

Make it a Good Day, 
G 

It's of Infectious Things

Dear America,

Infectious Thoughts for Good, Unite

originally composed and published for PARADE readers, and distributed throughout the nation in local newspapers, sharing with you this morning A Prayer For The World, by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner:

Let the rain come and wash away 

the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds 

held and nurtured over generations.  

Let the rain wash away the memory 

of the hurt, the neglect.  

Then let the sun come out and 

fill the sky with rainbows.  

Let the warmth of the sun heal us 

wherever we are broken.  

Let it burn away the fog so that 

we can see each other clearly.  

So that we can see beyond labels, 

beyond accents, gender or skin color.  

Let the warmth and brightness 

of the sun melt our selfishness.  

So that we can share the joys and 

feel the sorrows of our neighbors.  

And let the light of the sun 

be so strong that we will see all 

people as our neighbors.  

Let the earth, nourished by rain, 

bring forth flowers 

to surround us with beauty.  

And let the mountains teach our hearts 

to reach upward to heaven.  

Amen.

and for more inspiration, sharing Maria Shriver's recent post --

We are all in uncharted territory. I knew this to be true as I sat Thursday evening watching the Governor of California issue a historic “stay at home order” for the entire state for at least one month. As I watched the press conference, I felt the seriousness of the moment. The projected statistics were sobering, and as I listened, I could feel the anxiety and the fear rising up in me. I sat for a moment on my couch unsure of what to do or what to think. Then I closed my eyes to remember the dawn of that very morning.

When I opened my eyes after my meditation, the sun was breaking through the trees. It was actually beautiful. It appeared like a crystal shooting rays through branches. As I looked, a thought popped into my mind: We are all—each and every one of us—a diamond, a crystal, a ray of sunshine in another person’s life. We are each desperately needed at this moment. Our light is needed. Our ray of hope is needed. Our joy will make someone’s day. We’ve got to know that.

sharing

sharing

let's just think about that word for a moment -- from sharing the burden of a worldwide, community virus to sharing the words of hope to get us through it, we are sharing everything.  Some might say, we are sharing at a deeper level than ever, perhaps in ways similar to that of September 12, 2001.  (And what a Day After that was for the nation.)

The connections we truly share with one another, every single day, whether through avenues of a bustling economy connecting main streets from sea to shining sea -- or through the avenues of mindfulness...the essential responsibility of passing on a good education in each new generation, to the depth and breadth of celebrating our religious independence while congregating with one another within our spiritual communities -- sharing a certain connected-ness with one another is as vital as our daily bread.

Oh we get it now (again.)

Sharing this sea change with all the world is becoming a tumultuous affair -- it's overwhelming, really. 

We truly need each other more today than we did yesterday.

Imagining how free spirited we once were, whether it be in our words, our bodies, or our presence of mind...popping off on twitter just doesn't seem all that essential right now, does it?

The sun is struggling to come out from behind the clouds and make things aright once more.

We will get there.

Just not exactly the way we thought...perhaps taking a little longer than we thought...perhaps looking a little darker before it becomes a little brighter, than we thought.

We will get there.

With a little help from the Rabbi and Maria, we are reminded of both the power of prayer and the transformative power of using our words in the express purpose to encourage, enlighten, and illuminate the spirit inside each and every one of us to move forward together, harmoniously, e pluribus unum, while sharing the one common denominator shared by all -- that here, and now, that there by the grace of God go I. 

What happens to one of us effects, affects, infects, and connects us all.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's to the simple Things

Dear America,

"Though it may feel otherwise, 

enjoying life is no more dangerous 

than apprehending it 

with continuous anxiety 

and gloom." 

 #286, Alain De Botton, writer, 

from a little book of inspiration,

  "Nothing is worth more than this day" 

by Kathryn and Ross Petras

so just to be clear, there are a lot of winners in today's pandemic climate...

Number one on that list might just be the dogs.

In our neck of the woods, it was common, in the middle of the day especially, to see dog walkers taking the household fur-man out for their midday stroll.  

It was just okay.  

It was just the best a dog could get some days.  

For the very lucky dogs, the mama of the household carried out the task, crossing that off her list in short order before moving on to the next thing.

NOW -- not only is the dog walker taking a leave of absence, the mama is joined by her other half, and kids, if they have any.  And the dogs, oh they are looking so deliriously happy.

Prediction, when the worst of this season has passed, the dogs of this world will need a round of pet therapy to cope with the return to the way we were...

Take Out is a winner, too.

If you have that In N Out urge, there is a drive thru open to satisfy it -- and in So Cal, it's available until about 1 am!  IKR

After the last couple of weeks staying close to home, that spin through the drive thru made me feel human again.  Not to mention, there is just nothing like In N Out; and I will gladly debate that topic until the cows come home.

That cheeseburger with grilled onions -- what a gastronomical sensation.   Yes, many swear by the Double Double, but the simplicity of a single layer of the perfect cheese to meat ratio, wrapped up with that greasy smear of onions, lathered in thousand island, and nestled between two toasted buns and accompanied with a healthy helping of cold, crispy lettuce and tomato is where its at, baby.  

Ah, I ate it so fast.  Too fast.  

I just might have to circle round again today. 

What else?

Guessing Nestle's Toll House Morsels are up there on the winners list.   Everybody is home and who doesn't love a freshly baked batch of chocolate chip cookies?  

Might just add that it's not just baking that's up -- but that grilling, roasting, broiling, boiling, frying, sauteing, flambeing, and chillin'  are all at an all time high.  Bon Appetit must be so proud of all of us right about now, and the nation of foodies they we have become.  

With many a cheap meat in my fridge, honing in on the foods to feed an army for at least a month -- I have already done my share of  recipe searches for the proper way to cook a London Broil, as well as, hundreds of ways to cook the tried and true pork butt.  The boys in the house favor to call it a pig's butt, but I think of that as being rather crude; with that kind of talk, might as well go all the way and call him Wilbur while you're at it.

Of course, in just the first few days of panic, our local Vons was cleaned out of every meat known to man, from the little piggy's to the wagyu beef.  Talk about shock.  

The butcher is restocking, but slowly.  The store is asking patrons to only shop for a week's time, to allow for the whole community to find something to eat.  I think people are abiding, unlike that order from our governor to Shelter in Place.........

seems Californians all had the same idea in mind over this past weekend -- to hit the beach.

Well, it was glorious outside. there is that.

And yes, I'll admit I spent two days in a row either laying still on a beach towel soaking up the sun or walking along the water's edge.  It was the first couple of days of sunshine and warmth in quite some time.    And besides, it's not like we all lined up next to each other and passed around the sunscreen..lots of space separated everybody.  Matter of fact, if you encroached on the recommended six feet of social distancing between, that friendly smile across from you faded into a piercing stink eye in a heartbeat, even if you're kids went to the same school.

So dogs are winners.

Nestle's Chocolate Morsels, winners.

In N Out, along with all the other fabulous take out in the world...

and the beaches of California....

Winning.

Oh and there is one more thing --  and really, this is where I should have started.

God.

God is winning. 

Prayer is probably at an all-time high for this day and age.

God working through human nature is winning -- building upon the principles and values that unite, console, heal and help, in order to bring us through to the other side of this pandemic is connecting the world of communities and families in demonstrative and amazing ways.

Just maybe, we might be finding ways to change for the better when all of this is said and done.

Can we get by with less?

Can we find happiness in the simple pleasures?

And although this may sound extreme, but just maybe we home school every child until the age of eighteen?  It couldn't hurt.

Life, itself, is creative.  And nothing is impossible with God.

A go to a phrase that has nearly become cliche these days, 'we're all in this together' -- delivers a nugget of absolute truth.  We are all in this together.  And what has become also crystal clear, is just how connected we are, altogether.  Our lives, our lifestyles, have been built in and upon a highly social structure; from restaurants and bars, to fitness clubs and sports, to congregating at church. our arena of choice in most every culture, and especially here in America, is one of being together, through thick and thin,

How delicate and elaborate an economic ecosystem we have among our diverse and unique collective of people, of enterprise, from the small business (99% of all business) to corporations; it's like a Jenga tower of Babel in backgrounds, biography, and breed. and each relying upon the other to continue to participate. The laws of circulation, the laws of attraction, the laws of abundance, are continuously, and magnificently, and intimately connected all the live long day.  We feel it, even when a fraction of us falls down.  

And even though I may be rambling here at the end of this day, it's a good ramble.  The thoughts in my head are overflowing with possibilities, choices now endless, as every day carries with it the opportunity to improve upon the day before, large or small, for each day is precious.

In the last two days, squeezed in the hours leftover after sunbathing and beach walks, I have shredded every unnecessary piece of documentation that I have hoarded in my office for the last two years; and I have disposed of the lemon tree --  clearly showing signs of being on its last limb --  after thirteen years of faithful production.  Of course, it leaves this planet along with a grateful heart of every tart, roasted chicken, and batch of lemonade that came with it, and then some.  

It's roots were so root bound, it made me sad.  I had no idea that this poor dwarf of a lemon tree was basically surviving through a respirator, by the looks of it.  Timely ironic.

And what a relief it was to take it out of its misery.  It was time.

New beginnings are welcome here.

Out with the old, in with the new.  Dust out the cobwebs, including the lovely Charlotte, and free the energies for something greater, if only for a healthier, more sanitized, sparkling new attitude.

To everything, there truly is a season.

Even as I sit here gazing out the window to the deck, assessing the lemon tree void, it feels okay.

And sometimes just okay, is okay. 

really.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Pandemonium Thing

Dear America,

"There are some days 

when I think I'm going to die 

from an overdose of satisfaction." 

Salvador Dali

and yet others, it's the coronavirus.

yeah, not even sure why I'm jumping into this blog today, of all days, and especially after a couple months of utter silence.  But it is, after all, the Day After an Oval Office address to the nation.  There is that. (Go ahead and fact check it.)

The critics are harsh this morning, alive with fresh fodder, and picking apart Trump's every word, limb by limb.  I'm surprised they haven't added sound affects.  It seems the Left, from journalists to congress, would rather have this president and leader of the free world fail than applaud his efforts, even if that were to mean giving the upper hand to a global pandemic. 

Cue up pandemonium.

 

Ah! but they forget how Trump gets things done.   He's like,  oh, it's on.

Russian collusion?  Nope

Election interference?  Nope

Quid pro quo with Ukraine?  Nope

Ah, we got him now -- covid-19 -- this should put a nail in his coffin.

Of course! the media wants you to believe that all the president did last night was add confusion among the prevailing winds of woe and anxiety.  W.H.O.'s on first, what's on second, let's just end the day on the fact that complete and utter disaster is looming and even our president is stoking the fire for alarm. 

eeghads

Yes.  Market volatility is to be expected.  Basically, after the initial shock and awe, it's like a big, big whoop within six months time. And besides, most people who play in the stock market are in it for the long haul.

Yes.  A little inconvenience and extra cautionary measures is self-explanatory and just plain proper, the right thing to do when living in community with one another.

And one day, this, too, shall pass.

Does it really rise to the level of rushing out to stock pile toilet paper? seriously?

what a trip to be in the head of one Salvador Dali...

Did you know there is such a thing as The Dali Universe? 

Here's another Dali-svengali-esque guote -- 

"Wars have never hurt anybody except the people who die."  

yeah, it's a little dark for such a cheerful morning. 

The thing is, in the wake of all this woke global pandemic, from academia to sporting events to any gathering where two or more are gathered for whatever reason, one thing's for sure and for real -- the contagion of fear is highly mobile, crosses oceans, and spreads news, whether true or false, faster than you can say boo.

What is the narrative our media -- let alone the entire universe of the W.H.O. --  wants you to hear?

What -- or who -- is the force that we should be most afraid of?

What's so wrong with having a fighting spirit, to not only meet this pandemic face to face, but crush it, even if that means total suspension of entry into the United States from places where the epidemic has run amuck?

 

Is it still okay to be happy in our day to day, even after hearing the news of both Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson coming down with the illness?

When it's this hard to make heads or tails out of any of this, all I want to do is crawl under a rock and stay there.

oh it's just another day, a day in the life of an American girl.  

Make it a Good Day, 

for it might be your last, 

G

It's About Thoughts and Things

Dear America,

Thought Crimes, the saga continues

From The Hill, both of them:

“Let me repeat: Nothing in the Bolton revelations, 

even if true, 

would rise to the level 

of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense. 

That is clear from the history. 

That is clear from the language of the Constitution...

You cannot turn conduct 

that is not impeachable 

into impeachable conduct 

simply by using words like 

'quid pro quo' and 'personal benefit,'"

Harvard Law School Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz

indeed

The thing is -- this is about giving Congress the license to bury an administration simply on grounds that they do not like the policy, foreign/or domestic, or based upon personal likes or dislikes...and that simply should never happen.  In this country, all grievances of an administration are settled by the people, at the voting box, not by the feelings or agenda of the House of Representatives.  

The phone call, itself, is crystal clear.  There was no deal made, no quid pro quo for dirt on Joe.  Did the president wonder what in fact happened between Joe, the private investigator, Burisma, and the Ukraine officials?  Yes. Indeed he did, as any president should, given the optics of nefarious deal making with a foreign entity, seemingly only benefiting the Vice President's family.

Bottom line: Ukraine got the aid. Who really cares if it was even put on hold?  It's American aid to a foreign country.  And besides, it's not even the governments money -- it's the people's money.  Perhaps we should consider putting holds on all kinds of foreign aid across the globe, like, stat?  

Hate to break it to y'all, but we really can't afford it.

Speaking of which, how does Bernie -- now the democratic front runner -- plan to pay for all the benefits he is promising?  Free college, college debt paid off, free Medicare for all, yadi yadi yada...with what seems to be a price tag of 60 TRILLION dollars over ten years?  Something like that.  And this isn't even taking into account all the boomers hitting the Social Security rolls over the next generation, or the number of people who will surely be added to food stamps when they lose their job under a Sanders Administration.

This is insane.

And Bernie doesn't even want to discuss it.  He's like, I don't need to tell you how it all pencils right now.  Because he knows, it doesn't.  It will never pencil.  There is not enough money in all the world to pay for it.

Reality check:  America is already over 23 Trillion dollars in debt, and climbing.  See the clock.

Just love looking at this clock...

Please note some of the other numbers -- like, the total UNFUNDED LIABILITIES.  This is referring to things the American government has promised to pay in the future....things like Social Security, government employee and veteran pensions, benefits negotiated for Medicare, Medicaid.

To cover just the unfunded liabilities from here on out -- with nothing new added -- we are currently at over $127 TRILLION dollars.  This equates to roughly $387 THOUSAND dollars per person. PER PERSON!  DO you have that kind of money?  

Let me answer that for you, according to the US Debt Clock, personal debt in this country totals over 20 Trillion dollars, equating to just shy of $62,000/citizen.  

If we put this indebtedness together -- the unfunded liabilities, per person, along with the personal debt, per person, we arrive at a total of nearly $450,000 for every American citizen!  

And Bernie wants to add to our indebtedness with a whole lot more of "free" stuff????

This stuff doesn't come free; it is anything but!

This indebtedness, these promises, only burden every man, woman, and child into perpetuity, and whatever comes after that!

It's called ball and chain vs free rein.

It's called lack vs abundance.

It's called unimaginable weight upon every shoulder vs peace of mind, body, and soul.

And more than that, history proves, socialism does not work ....literally.  Physically, it does not work.  Figuratively, it only works in our imaginations.  Economically, it does not work, let alone add up.  And more than that, it does the opposite of what anyone, including Bernie, says it will do, individually and collectively.

Socialism has never worked.

Other than that, it's a great system for 330 million people of all walks of life, to dream and imagine that it will solve all our problems.

And can you just imagine if all of this nonsense actually goes down?  Take, for example, this dad hitting up Elizabeth Warren with some unintended consequences of her plan to pay off college debt...after he has worked two jobs to put his daughter through school the right way.

enough said.

We can return to the story of the first grader coming home with a pillow case full of candy after his first Halloween, and he's asked to distribute equal portions of all of it to each of his siblings who didn't trick or treat the night away.  say what, he says, grumbling with every loss, from the pack of Skittles to each and every break of that KitKat bar.

In other ramblings on this day, this girl used to like John Bolton.  I used to think he was solid, mindful of war and policy and negotiation with both friendly neighbors and ruthless enemies. 

Boy, does that boy have an ax to grind; how juvenile not to wait until after the election to market his new book.  As if.   As if he could change the facts of the matter.

Let's refresh.

Here's the phone call that supposedly started it all (again).

It's a lot of thanks, equal admiration between countries, equal perceptions of other countries (like Germany, and France), a lot of can you find out more, let's talk again, let's find out about what really happened for the benefit of both our countries, we will talk, it's all good, thank you so much...

There was absolutely no muscle, no threat to withhold aid, no cost of doing business between the two countries, in any way, shape, or form.

And second, Adam Schiff is a compulsive liar.  He lied to the media/public right from the start.  First about Russia and the dossier, and now about this.  He not only created the narrative, he managed to invent all kinds of things in this phone call that did not even happen, and the media just accepted it as truth.

This House Impeachment is on TWO counts:  Abuse of Power and Obstructing Congress, culminating months of hearsay from the whistle-blower after the so-called whistle-blower blew the whistle to Adam Schiff's office.  (Same Schiff who has repeatedly lied that they have no idea who the whistle-blower is.) 

If any president, or person, for that matter, can be found guilty of high (thought) crimes and misdemeanors -- and in this case, making him guilty of impeachable offenses, simply for thinking about committing a crime, or contemplating actions that some may deem an abuse of power, or entertain a fleeting thought to secretly undermine our nation's security through ways of bribery or extortion, corrupting the integrity and honor of this fine nation --  then where are we really as a society? 

The Left continues to wage war upon President Trump's intentions, what he was really thinking, what he really wanted to do, how he really wanted to get the dirt on the Biden's at any cost, or else.  The truth is, reality didn't really play out like that, did it?

Is it really time to bring out the thought police? Is this where we are at, really?  really?

The thing is, Congress is obstructing its own body by acting in ways unbecoming of a congress, and i turn,  not getting a single, meaningful thing accomplished for the American people.

In the second thing, the true Abuse of Power is this gigantic waste of time called an impeachment trial, given that it is based upon nothing more than hate, and lies.  Lots and lots of lies.  The House simply hates who is living next door in the White House, and they won't stop the abuse until he is totally, and ceremoniously, vacated.

That, my friends, is called interference with an election.

Bolton, guilty.  Schiff, guilty, Pelosi, guilty. Schumer, guilty.  And the beat goes on.

All of them should be impeached so we can move on and get back to the business of making America great, again and again.

But then again, 

You cannot turn conduct 

that is not impeachable 

into impeachable conduct 

simply by using words like 

'quid pro quo' and 'personal benefit,'"

so that's this day in the life, over and out.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's to the Optimists of the World Thing

Dear America,

The difference between 

a flower and a weed 

is a judgement. 

-- unknown

whoa nelly, 

what happened to the last thirty days?

well, wrapped around the holidays, the nation's capital has been fixated upon the Articles of Impeachment generated from the House, and now, the trial itself, only just beginning in the Senate. All the while, President Trump continues to do his job.

From the economic forum in Davos, Trump:

This is not a time for pessimism; this is a time for optimism.  Fear and doubt is not a good thought process because this is a time for tremendous hope and joy and optimism and action. 

But to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow, we must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse.  They are the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune-tellers — and I have them and you have them, and we all have them, and they want to see us do badly, but we don’t let that happen.  They predicted an overpopulation crisis in the 1960s, mass starvation in the ’70s, and an end of oil in the 1990s.  These alarmists always demand the same thing: absolute power to dominate, transform, and control every aspect of our lives. 

We will never let radical socialists destroy our economy, wreck our country, or eradicate our liberty.  America will always be the proud, strong, and unyielding bastion of freedom. 

In America, we understand what the pessimists refuse to see: that a growing and vibrant market economy focused on the future lifts the human spirit and excites creativity strong enough to overcome any challenge — any challenge by far

The speech was good. Worth reading.

The ability for any one of us to bear witness, to actually see the good in our economy,  seems to rest in a personal judgement.  Translation:  for better or worse, America's future will be a direct result of which thought pattern wins.  Our collective mindset must resist any form of pessimism, and see the flower; for this power of belief creates our world into the world in which we live, word by word, thought by thought, without fail.   It's falls under the rule of the natural law of attraction -- and it happens with, or without, consent.

It's good to be back today.

2020 is well on its way and it's not only going to be a great year, it's the beginning of a fresh decade! For myself, this American girl is hosting her own economic summit!  Hearings have only just begun,..but the thing is, I feel good!  SO excited about what this year holds for me, for only good will come of it.

And my wish for you is just the same, for every thing under heaven begins with a thought, so make it good.  And may the optimists win.

Make it a Good Day, G