Much Ado About Nothing

Once again a politician is unable to keep his zipper up. However, that should not be what people focus on. We are still such a puritanical society that peccadillo's such as this are more common place than people realize and should not be the focus. When one is unfaithful, only the parties that are hurt should be involved...not the rest of us.

Our outrage should be over the fact that this man, the governor of a state, left that state without anyone knowing where he was. Governor Sanford was gone a minimum of 5 days, leaving South Carolina without a Chief Executive. If a Category 4 Hurricane hit South Carolina, there would have been no Chief Executive to mobilize the people necessary for an emergency.

Governor Sanford was missing in action 2 years ago when wild fires burned up Myrtle Beach. Again the state was without a Chief Executive. No one was home to send out the National Guard or deploy the firefighters necessary to quell this conflagration.

Governor Sanford doesn't believe in telling anyone that he is not going to be "home". He doesn't think it's necessary to put the Lt. Governor in charge in case of an emergency. Additionally, now that Governor Sanford has told the world that he, in fact, met with his par-amour many more times than first admitted. Has anyone asked, who paid for these trips? Methinks the taxpayer.

This is the outrage! What politicians do privately should not affect us, unless their actions are criminal. Governor Sanford should not only resign, he should pay the state back for any trips he took on their dime. If not, he should be prosecuted.

Outraged for the right reasons,

Neelie

Wouldn't It Be Wonderful Or Not

On Sunday I watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". It is impossible to count how many times I've thought or said "how wonderful it would be to start out old and therefore have the knowledge we have as we've gotten older and then become younger"! The adage, youth is wasted on the young is so true!

This fabulous movie, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (who knew) shows us exactly what it is like to start out old and get younger as the years go by. In theory, it is a great idea...however it works fine until one is about 30 or 40. Then it truly goes horribly wrong.

I know I would not want to be a teenager again. The angst young girls go through (even today) is painful to even remember. We are never enough! Why is that? Boys don't seem to have the same lack of self-esteem that girls have. They seem to have everything under control. At least on the outside.

My 3 sons were more than self assured, they were confident as teens. I remember when Aaron was in high school. If he received a grade he felt was below what he believed he should have gotten, he had no qualms about going in to see the teacher and argue his point. In every instance, the teacher changed the grade to the one Aaron believed he had earned.

It made me quite proud to see him fight for what he believed he deserved. As a teen I would never have had that same ability or confidence! Girls seem to be under so much pressure. We always think we are too fat or too thin or too tall or too short...The experts say it's because of the pressure from advertisers who use seemingly perfect young women in their print ads or on the covers of magazines.

As I've gotten older I have developed a sense of myself. A confidence that allows me to walk into any room or situation and know that I'm enough. How wonderful that would have been when I was young. Perhaps I would be a different woman today! I don't know. Then again, I think I'm enough today.

Always changing,

Neelie

Life Goes On

This past week-end my cousin Shelley's granddaughter became a Bat Mitzvah. The party was in California. Jimmy and I could not be there, in spite of the fact that we truly wanted to go. All of the young cousins (my 2nd and now 3rd) have all grown up. They are beautiful and fun and I wish I could have been there with them.

A truth is that as we get older, we hold precious moments such as this, closer. We should have been there to celebrate with them. Our time here is so short, we should drink in every happy moment we can. We didn't drink!

Fortunately, Hillary and Julia took pictures and posted them on Facebook. It is not the same as being there with them all, but at least we get to see them and how they have grown up. Fun times are something we should never miss! We don't know when the next family celebration is coming or even if we will still be here to celebrate with everyone.

Life has taken a different direction this year and we have been unable to take part in the family events around the country. It is a pity! For as we know, tomorrow may not come. So I remind you (my readers) and me to never miss a party...at the very least, we should make every day a party. Then we won't miss any...

Party on,
Neelie

How Did I Get Here?

Two weeks ago I had a birthday. In fact, it was my 65th birthday! My question, therefore, is simple...how did I get here? It was only last week that I was 50. The week before that I was 35 and the week before that one was my 20th birthday.

I know I've said it before, but here goes "don't blink". I'm not certain how it happens that as we get older the years go faster, but they do! In fact, my last post was January 20, 2009 and here we are at June 11. Don't blink!!! Before I know it, it will be December 31, 2009 and another year will have come and gone.

It almost seems impossible that my chronological age is 65, for I only feel 18. It is only when I pass a mirror, which I do quite quickly these days, that I think "who is that woman"? I don't know the reflection in my mirror. The only image I know is the one in my head. The one at the top of this post.

How is it that I am old enough for Medicare? Truly, I don't know where the years have gone, I only know that I'm happy that when I wake up it's on this side of the grass...

Growing older gracefully,
Neelie