Exercising With The Kids

Today, during my run, I saw a lady jogging with her son, a boy about ten or eleven years of age. They were having a nice conversation as I passed by.

It touched my heart to watch the two of them them enjoying time together in this healthful and interactive way. It's rare to see parents exercising with their children. Think about that for a minute. It's almost tragic.

Time with our children is precious. In a few short years, this boy will be hanging out with friends and following his own interests. Exercising with his mother will no longer seem very appealing. But for now, he still enjoys it. I'm so happy that his mother capitalized on this short-lived opportunity.

A boy and his mom going for a jog together - what a beautiful sight! More families should do this. Think of the common health problems that could be averted - depression, substance abuse, obesity, juvenile diabetes. Plus, you get to spend some quality time with the kids out in the fresh air. What could be more important?

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved 

  

Marital Equality

I'll have to tune in to Fox tonight. I want to hear right wing zealots complain about the Supreme Court upholding people's rights. Totally hilarious!

Machete Attack In New York

Yesterday, a crazed homeless guy with a machete attacked a woman in Bryant Park in broad daylight. For those who aren't familiar with New York, Bryant Park is the calmest and safest public place in the entire city. 

The perpetrator had been arrested 23 times previously including once for - get this - menacing people with a machete. Why has this person not been committed to a padded cell, far, far away from innocent people and sharp objects?

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved 

  

A Good Night's Rest

I love to get a good night's sleep. I still remember that one time when I tried it.

New York Minute 11 - Late Evening Subway Ride

Ah, what interesting people one meets while riding the subway in the late evening! Beware, children, the witching hour approaches!

A small but intense-looking young man entered the car and offered the all too familiar pitch: "I'm homeless. Could you please help me out?" 

The man explained that even though he had showered and was wearing clean clothes, he was still homeless and needed our help (i.e., our money). 

Nobody contributed. So, the guy added some additional commentary: 

"Instead of robbing and stealing," he explained, "I'm doing this to help me get back on my feet."

Ponder those words for a moment. Effectively, the guy is saying that if this panhandling gig doesn't pay the bills, his next choice is to start committing violent felonies. Now, that's comforting!

Whatever happened to GETTING A DAMNED JOB? Apparently, employment ranks further down this fellow's list:

1. Panhandling
2. Robbing
3. Stealing
4. Jail
5. Starving
6. Overdose
7. Rehab
8. Perishing in the elements
9. Getting shot by a cop
10. Hey, maybe I'll think about getting a job!

The guy didn't win any donations or any sympathy, so he moved on to the next car.

A moment later, a dreadlocked man entered the car, sat on a plastic milk crate, and sang a fairly good rendition of 'Happy' while beating on bongo drums. He encouraged passengers to dance. No one did, but his playing elevated the mood it the car.

And that's just how quickly things can change - in a New York Minute.

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved 

  

Citizens of Buffalo

What is the proper name for citizens of Buffalo? Are they Buffalonians? Buffaloids? Bills? Buffalads and Buffalasses? 

Who Is More Confused?

I don't know who is more confused, the NAACP lady who thinks that she's Black, or Donald Trump for thinking that he's presidential.

Wells Fargo Ad

Today, I watched the Wells Fargo ad that has inspired controversy in some circles. The ad is touching and beautifully done. Many people report that watching it moved them to tears. 

But some other people became very upset when they watched the ad. Where most of us saw love, they saw sin. Where most of us saw family, they saw evil. 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and everyone must acknowledge their feelings honestly. I felt a little jolt in my own heart at one point. It's natural when dealing with a situation that might be foreign to our upbringing. 

But ultimately we would do well to question such simplistic gut level reactions. Are they justified, or are they based on a fundamental lack of familiarity?

Those who based their reaction to the ad on religious teachings might want to take the analysis a step further. Watch the ad again while keeping in mind the teachings of Jesus. He taught us to be charitable, to feed and tend to others, to help the least among us, to refrain from judging our neighbors, and ultimately to trust in the power of love, His love and the Father's love. Or, in this case, a mother's love.

If you can do all of that and still think that this ad depicts evil, then I'll keep you in my prayers. Because you need all the help that you can get.


Wells Fargo Ad on YouTube

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved 

  

Friends Of Friends

Ah, the surprises of social media! You click on a friend's page, see a short list of their friends and suddenly realize that, despite all attempts to erase the event from memory, you've slept with one of them.

Taking A Moment To Appreciate My Good Fortune

I spent some time writing this past weekend, and I'm very pleased with one chapter in particular. It benefits from that inexplicable magic for which the author can claim no responsibility - it just seems to happen when the conditions are right. (A couple of friends who previewed the chapter concurred with this assessment.) 

I'll post a link tomorrow. Today, I'm just going to relax and reflect upon how lucky I am to be able to write and share each chapter in real time. It's The process can be a little scary - there's no going back once something is out of the bag - but it's thrilling to watch it all come together. Thank you for your support and for all of your generous comments.

Media Frenzy

I feel tremendous empathy toward transgender people. I can't imagine the day to day burden of feeling as though you're in the wrong body or the horrible fear of being tormented or ostracized if discovered. If that had happened to me, I probably wouldn't have survived.

I have always been a huge fan of musician/composer Wendy Carlos. I felt that she handled her transformation with class and dignity. That had to be an ordeal for a public figure at the height of her popularity in the 1970's.

Bruce/Caitlin Jenner. I understand that this identity issue has vexed her throughout her life. I wish her the best and support her decision to go public. But how public is necessary. She'll be starring in her own reality show - a new one, not the one that made her family famous for being famous. She posed for the cover of Vanity Fair. She launched a Twitter account under her new name and became the fastest person to reach a million followers (faster than President Obama, the previous record holder). 

But can someone explain why has Caitlin chosen to be so blatantly public with this transformation? Isn't this supposed to be a personal journey, the resolution of deep intimate conflicts that haunted her privately throughout her life? It seems like one more big Kardashian-style publicity grab. "Hey, look, my Twitter account set a new record!" 

Congratulations, Caitlin. You could have been a hero to millions, just as Bruce was. But you chose to become a self-serving media hog in the process. Doesn't your family/step-family make enough cash with their vapid TV show, personal appearances, sex tapes, and tasteless selfies? Did you really have to jump onto that bandwagon with them? 

You are, of course, free to make as much money as the public is willing to fork over to follow your every thought. God bless America! Just please forgive me if I don't fall for the role model nonsense that I have been hearing all day. I am ecstatically happy that your public disclosure might have the side effect of reassuring trans people that they, too, will one day find acceptance. But you disgrace the dignity of this very personal issue by trying to turn it into yet another Kardashian cash cow.

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved