High School Graduation

Onward thru the Fog….

You have come to a very significant time in your life.  Graduation from High School or College is a very “Real World” experience. What I mean by that is, now the path you decide to take in life is totally up to you.  Others can suggest, recommend, or give you their best wishes. But now, the path you choose is your own.

There is an old “Country” saying. “Sometimes you need to go find a quiet hillside, sit down and have a long talk with yourself.”  That, I have done many times and I feel is the best piece of advice that I can pass on to you.   There will be moments when you will look ahead and the uncertainty of the future will seem so scary that you will hesitate and there’s nothing wrong with that. Stopping briefly to “think things through” is a very redeeming trait.  The main thing is that you continue along your path and not falter. 

 Don’t let uncertainty stop you from attaining your goals in life, whatever they are.   Allow yourself to enjoy life and what is ahead of you with the confidence and understanding that even thought the path ahead will not always be clear, you have within you what it takes to continue forward.   

Onward thru the fog.

Pause...

Back to Balance Therapy (BT), but for now, I will have to wait until our insurance company comes clean with paying the existing bill. It seems they gave a verbal approval but now have not paid for any of the BT so far so. What does that mean to me, that I don’t get the treatment I am suppose to get.  Isn’t it funny how with insurance it’s a game of  “Tag”? They are more than happy to be a part of their game, they seek you out to become a member and expect you to be a member “in good standings” meaning God forbid your late with a payment. But when there is an actual need for them to step up and pay for something it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 

So, here we go, let’s call them and find out what’s going on. Ready?

 1 ringy dingy, 2  ringy  dingys,  3 ringy dingys. Connect and the phone is answered by a automated answering machine in which you have to spend the next 6 minutes  punching numbers to get to the right person..  Then there is dead silence making you wonder if you have been disconnect and just as you finish a few choice words , you hear “Please standby to speak  the next Customer Service Representative, you are number “pause” 34” which means anywhere from  10 minutes  to 20 minutes of listening to Barry and  Celine sing to you.

After what turned into 30 minutes they finally answer , they put you on hold while they look up your record. Then they want to review all the information  you gave them during the 6 minutes of key punching you had spent  at the start of the process.  Finally, 9 times out of 10 you are told that their records show that they are not you primary insurance so they are not responsible for paying the bill.   Then they tell you that you need to contact your other insurance company and hang up.

I have decided that this is how I am going to answer the phone when I see that it’s them calling wanting to know why my payment is one day  late.  It will go something like this.

Hello.

Pause….. This is the Glass Residence.

Pause….. to speak to….. John…. Dial 1,

Pause….. to speak to…. Sylvia….  Dial 2,

Pause.... .to speak to….. Samantha…..Dial 3.

Pause…..to find out if we are even home….. dial  4.

Pause…...Sorry, it seems we are not at home at     

                 this  time,  but  to speak to one of our Bill

                 Paying Representatives  ….Dial  5 .  

Pause ……. We’re sorry, no one is available at this   

                   time that wants to talk to you,  but

                   you can leave a number and we will get

                    back to you as soon as possible or,  

Pause…….. You can also reach us on line by going to our website 

Pause……… www. gotohell@kissmy.com  

Pause……… Or.

Pause……… You can just wait patiently, watching your mailbox for the payment on the
                     date we have told a member or you company the last 2 times you have called 
                     regarding when we will pay this bill. Or….

Pause…….    You can look out your window and see if you see any

                      PIGS FLYING…….

Pause…….    Thanks for your time and have a great day.

Pause……..    Goodbye Idiot.

Laughing to keep from crying….

Onward Thru The Fog……….

Raised Country, Raised Right...: A Country Christmas Eve.....

Raised Country, Raised Right...: A Country Christmas Eve.....: " &n..."

Is That All There Is?

We took a ride out to see and take our first trip across the new Nevada/Arizona Border Bridge.  We sat in a line of cars that must have been 4 miles long for about an hour waiting our turn.  Once we got there, the actual trip across the bridge took about 15 seconds and you couldn’t see a damn/Dam Thing.  Nothing but a concrete wall on each side which was so high that all you saw was sky. Once you cross that bridge so quickly, without any hoopla or dramatic fanfare it can very easily bring one obvious  thought or mindset,  “Is that all there is?”

 If you didn’t know it, you would have thought it was just another gully jumper bridge, not a bridge that took four years to build and millions to make.  There was no way to tell that you were on the tallest man made bridge ever made that stands 900 feet off the surface of the Colorado River below.  

In this case, you don’t get the full impact of the magnificence of the bridge unless you step back and look at it from a different perspective.  Its then, when you look at the new bridge from another viewpoint that you say “Oh my God, look at that, that’s amazing!

Then, I got to thinking about how we perceive other things in our lives.  One of them  being our freedoms that we have living in our country.  I listen to the news each evening where they talk about what is happening “over there”. How the people of some countries are being treated, by their own governments or leaders. There are still places on this earth where your lifestyle or way of living is already set in stone from the moment your draw your first breathe.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Perception,

Think about it, how fortunate we are to live in a country where we have so many choices.  A country where we are able to pick how, when and where we are going to live and are given the opportunity to attain what it is we want out of life. The fact that we have these choices were not easily attained.  They were fought for and died for by men and woman who felt that having these choices were worth their sacrafices. 

 Unfortunatley, some people feel that our politicians have the ability to control what it is we can or cannot achieve in life. They feel that the policies and guidelines that our fore fathers put in place are being abused to the point that we no longer have control of our own decisions. To me, these perceptions are only a way for those in  finding ways of trying to  apply  their own expectations of what a government should be.                   

Yes, we do have the freedom of speech but that does not mean that we need trying to force our perceptions on our neigbors, trying to change their perception of our country just to attain ones own wants and expectations. In trying to make our politicians the source for all of our problems we are only making excuses since we are the voters who placed each and everyone of them there. Then of course to you who immediatly cry "I didn't vote for him".  Well, the majority did, if your canidate had been put in their place I can almost guarantee that then, the problems causes would be shifted to another source.

Perception is only a word for how one looks at something. It can be used either in a positive or negative way.  It can also be used to set one’s goals in life. A person will only rise or fall to the level of expectations that they set for themselves.  

How and what you choose for yourself to do with your life and what you want to attain in life should depend on you and only you.  Yes, good advice is priceless, but the final decision needs to be yours.

 Every once in while we each need to take a step back and look at your life and where your heading.  My father use to say a person needs to find a tall hillside every once in a while, sit down and have a good talking with yourself. If one continues down life's path without checking their direction occasionally, you can easily become lost.

The old saying ‘To Thine Own Self Be True’ is still one of the most important rules that can help you make it through life.   If you do that, then there should never be a time or place when you find yourself saying “Is that all there is?”

The Sailor and the Princess...

Once upon a time, in a land not far away,  lived a lonely sailor. He was a very sad sailor who had been broken hearted more then once in his life.  He had come to feel that there was no one in the world that could give him true happiness.  He had decided that there was very little meaning in his life and had started to not care about what his future held.  His life became a blur and fell into a lifestyle of wild abandonment with a total disregard for the people around him.  He had come to the point that he felt he was not worthy of a true love. 

Then, one night while at a ball in a castle called “Studebakers’ a beautiful princess approached the sailor and asked him for a dance.  He had watched the beautiful princess from a distance but had been afraid to ask for her favor in dance because he was afraid of rejection.

They danced into the night, laughing and learning about each other until it was time for her to leave.  The sailor so wanted to ask her for a date but again being afraid of rejection instead gave her his card and suggested that he would be pleased to dance again with her. 

Fortunately, for the sailor, he met the beautiful princess again at another ball and by the end of that night it was obvious to both that a very special relationship was starting for them.  From that moment on, the two became unseperatable.  To the sailor’s amazement and joy, the princess began to show him that he was able to love someone and to give his heart freely without fear of being hurt. 

Within a short time they were wed and started a life of love, joy, compassion and friendship that this old sailor would lay down his life before he allows it to end. 

          And The Sailor and The Princess

          Have  and will  live Together,

              Happily   Ever After…    

Listening to the Messages Given...

Years ago, I was standing out in our back yard watching a beautiful thunderstorm come in from the southwest.  I had a cigarette in my hand which at that time was an almost constant.  Watching the flashes of light followed by the booming of the inevitable thunder  I inwardly said, “Wow, that’s beautifull”.

Right then, from somewhere over my shoulder a voice very calmly said,  in almost a whisper, “yea, I hope your around for the next one.” 

It was so clear, so close, so definite, but at the same time so obvious what it meant that there was only one thing to do?  I looked at the cigarette then another look at the thunderstorm approaching overhead.   I took one last draw of the crutch I had allowed to take over my life and dropping it to the ground,   I took back my life.  I’m not saying that it was easy, it wasn’t, but I did it.  That was almost 24 years ago. 

Recently, while driving us home from picking my wife's Mom and Dad up at the airport  I  listened to my family’s laughter and excitement of being together. I was thinking about all the different things my family is about to go through with my illness and how important it is for us  to share these times together.

 Right then, that voice spoke again.  The same voice, still mellow, over the same shoulder and just as clear as the first time 24 years ago. But this time it said “Yea, now let’s make sure your around for many more.”   

Well, where did that come from?   Again, the answer was so obvious.  I’m going to look at this sign in a positive way.  Of course I’m going to be around,  of course I’m going to do everything possible to be here, because my family needs me.  My family deserves to enjoy life in the best ways we can.  

This year, reach out and let your family know how much they mean to each of you.   Our love and compassion for each other can be the best way to show each other how important they are to us. 

Onward Thru the Fog... 

Believing is the Key.

His Sign…

By John C. Glass

Not long ago, I was sitting on my patio having my early morning 
coffee.   I had spent a sleepless night tossing and turning thinking about bills, work, and what the future held for my family.  It had seemed that no matter what I did lately, there was a grey cloud hanging over me that just wouldn’t go away.

I was confused over why my life had taken such an awful turn for the worse?  I had been “raised right”. My parents had instilled in me the good basic trait of honor, loyalty, caring that are the foundation our family had always felt were needed for a person to live a life of worth.  But lately it seemed that no matter what I did I felt I was being punished for something.  So much so that I was starting to second guess my beliefs towards the existence of an all powerful God.  

I didn’t understand.  If there was a God with such an understanding and love for His people, what had I done to seem to make Him turn His back on me?   I had been taught that no matter what, He was there and that He was always listening.  I had been told that no matter what happens I should keep my faith in Him.  I had been raised to follow His commandments, which I always tried to do, even though I knew I had faltered like most men do from time to time.  Still, I considered myself and hoped that others also saw me as a kind, considerate and loving man.

I dropped my head, closed my eyes and for the first time in a long time, I prayed to my God.  I told Him of my worries, my concerns, my fears and finally my grievance that it seemed He had forsaken me to the point that I was questioning His existence. 

Then, I challenged him.  I asked Him to give me a sign that He was still there for me, it didn’t have to be a big sign, no parting of the seas or window rattling earthquake.  Just something to tell me that He was still there and that what I had been brought up to believe was true.  I was not asking or expecting it to happen immediately.  I told Him that I would try to be patient and prayed that I would recognize His sign when it did come to me.  

 Returning from my prayer, I thought of what I had just done.  Did I deserve asking God for proof of His existence?  I thought of the old adage of being a “God Fearing Man”. Had I pushed Him too far? Where did I think I had the right to question His existence?  I opened my eyes and looked around.  So far the world had not stopped spinning nor had it opened and swallowed me up.  Actually I, for some reason, seemed to feel a little more at ease.

Before I knew it, my mind had shifted into neutral and I sat enjoying the warmth of the morning sun.  I heard giggling and the shuffling of children’s feet on the  sidewalk in front of my house then slowly they seemed to drift away,  allowing me to slip farther into a light nap.

Then, I heard “You…,“ No You”….. from my driveway and as I was trying to figure out if this was for real or a dream  there came the sound of light feet approaching my patio gate.    

 As if to settle the question, very quietly I heard a boy’s voice “Excuse me… Say Mister”.  There stood three young boys about ten or eleven years old. Two of them stood side by side holding between them a large sack.  Directly in front of them stood the third, his feet planted firmly and his arms folded across his chest holding two objects that I could not quite make out. 

Still not sure if I was up to or wanted to listen to whatever it was they wanted, I contemplated ignoring them.  Yet, there was something about 'the look" of  this young boy that reminded me of another young boy who had been hell bent on taking on the world about fifty years ago.  I acknowledge their presence and asked what I could do for them.

Surprisingly, he answered that it was not what I could do for them, but what they could do for me and with that, he started his magic.

“Sir, we are here to offer you the opportunity to buy from us these fine pine cones” thrusting one forward to show me.

 Walking to the gate I looked down at the boy and the pine cones.  In one hand he held a cone that was still tightly closed and rock hard.  In the other hand was a fully opened cone oozing pine sap and shedding its seeds on my sidewalk when he shook it.  Obviously, I had no need for their products, but I couldn’t help wanting to see how strong the salesmanship in this young man was. 

“Yes, I must say, those are fine looking pine cones but tell me, just how could I use them, son?”  I asked. Without hesitation his comeback was “Why sir, you can grow your own pine cone tree!  Trying to catch him off guard, I responded “But that would take a very long time and I may not be around to see it grow tall.  What else could I use these pine cones for? ”


“They’re great for throwing at noisy dogs or cats” as he reached through the gate and pitched the still closed, rock hard cone to me.  Instinctively I caught it, and by doing so, I had become the “possessor” of the cone.  This would make it harder for me to give it back if I chose not to buy his product.  It was obvious this young man had learned the tools of a true salesman at a very early age.  I was impressed.

Stalling for time to figure out my next remark, I rolled the cone around in my hand then acted as though I was checking it’s aerodynamics by tossing it up in the air a few times.  I answered with “Hmmmmmm,  yes I bet they would, but… I don’t want to make my neighbors angry at me for throwing pine cones at their pets. Could there be anything else I can use these pine cones for?”

For the first time he seemed to be caught without an answer, he stood looking at his feet deep in thought, as he rolled the other pine cone between his palms. The two friends behind him nervously shuffled the almost full bag which surely held every loose pine cone for a two block radius.  Guessing that this sale was not going to happen, one of them started to thank me for my time when suddenly the salesman jerked his head up with a big smile, looked me straight in the eyes and said,

Sir, If you were to take and tie it to a stick, you would have a very nice Pine Cone Back Scratcher."    I thought about it for a  couple of seconds.  I mean it was quite obvious, it only made sense, he was right. Why If I were to tie this fine pinecone to a stick, I would surely have The world’s greatest and probably the world's only pine cone back scratcher.   
                            
Well, I had to have it.

“So son, you’ve sold me. How much do you want for these pine cones?  Again without pause his answer was, “For you sir,  I will let you have these fine pine cones for only 50 cents each, or four for two dollars, then turning to look at his two best friends with,  I have no doubt. a wink in his eye he threw his last pitch at me. Or give us ten bucks Sir, and you can have the whole bag.”

I called out to my wife to bring me two dollars.   The others two boy’s eyes lit up like they had just hit the lottery.  I proudly paid for my four World’s Greatest Pine Cones, thanked the boys for giving me the opportunity of buying such wonderful items and watched as they scampered down my sidewalk. 

As they left, the bag carriers slapped their #1 salesman on his back as he looked around for the next customer.  The last thing I heard him say was, “It’s simple guys, ya just gotta believe, if you believe, there’s just about nothing that can’t happen”. Then he turned back to me, threw me that smile one more time and we waved to each other.

 I sat back down and thought about what had just happened.   I smiled to myself thinking about the confidence the young boy had shown and his strong belief that he was not going to be turned down, no matter what. This young boy who had made the decision before he even reached my gate, that if there was anyone there to listen to him, he was going to sell that person at least one of his pine cones.

 He had not known what or who was around that corner but that didn’t matter.  He was going to get his message across to whomever he met, no matter what.  There was no second guessing that, because, there was no second guessing his beliefs.

It was only then did I realize that God had brought this boy to my gate to give me the answer to my prayer.   Stunned and yet at ease, I realized that I need not worry, nor ever again second guess the existence and the power of my God.  

I closed my eyes and prayed again, thanking Him for His sign that I “just gotta believe” and that if I do, He’ll always be there for me.

Lord…. Show me your way.

Being Afraid....

I have heard it said that…

 If you are strong,

 there is nothing to be afraid of.

If you are confident in yourself, 

 there is nothing to be afraid of.

If you live a good life and help others,

 there is nothing to be afraid of.

 And…

If you believe in God and his almighty power,

 there is nothing to be afraid of.

All these things I do believe true.

Yet, there are still others things

 that I am afraid of.

I am Afraid That….

My daughter will grow up, and ask me to let her go….

Others will think bad of me and shut me out……

I will fail to teach others the importance of believing in God….

I will not be kind enough to others……

I will forget what my Father and Mother taught me…

My children will forget me….

I will not be there, when someone needs me the most….

And, last but not least,

I will forget how fortunate I am…..

Lord, Show Me the Way.

Onward Thru the Fog... Same words, Different Meanings...

Many moon’s ago in Austin, a guy started a little business that I understand is still there down by the UT Campus.  Now don’t get the wrong idea,  I didn’t frequent that shop of Tie Dyed shirts, Incense holders, Bright Posters and Indian Rugs (smile) but I did enjoy their motto which was on the back bumper of just about every Volkswagen bus (old hippy van)  in Central Texas, including mine.  Their motto goes “Onward thru the fog”….

 Many, many, oh so, many years later, I have come to the conclusion that their motto does not stand for any one specific meaning but can be used in various translations and situations.   Here are just a few that I can think of.  

 #1 The Teen Years
 

These years can be some of the most terrifying years for anyone.  The “coming of age”, no matter how much a young adult thinks their ready, most are surprised over the amount of exposure that “real life” is being thrown at them.   One reason for this is the “commercial marketing” that is targeted at them from a very early age.  In most cases, if unsupervised, this marketing shows all the “GREAT” things that can happen through these years but not  the trials and tribulations that also will be found along their path of discovery.

If, we as parents, allow these well conceived and deceiving ploys to be absorbed unchecked, then we are allowing a very big thick fog bank to build in front of our young ones.. Even though they may say they don’t need your help, they do.  If nothing else quietly walk just off to the side of them letting them know your there if needed.  Don’t lose them in the fog.  Sometimes they are too embarrassed to call out for help when they realize they need you and then its so hard find them again. 

 #2 Marriages/Relationships

So many times I have seen couples that blindly rush into a relationship to the point that they become
 lost in the foggy dreamland of young love.   Then, when things get tight or they start learning each other’s little “intricacies” they stumble and fall. I’m not saying a couple cannot make a commitment to each other in a short time frame  my wife and I knew each other less than six months prior to getting married 30 years ago.  

Both individuals must understand that this decision needs to be well thought out, sitting down together and talking truthfully and not trying to “sell themselves” to each other.  By honestly sharing, goals, expectations, and fears of a relationship prior to commitment they can help lift the fog together.

#3.  Education

When I was growing up, completing a high school education was a big thing and allowed one to step into the workforce with sufficient knowledge.   If you were able to continue into college you were considered very lucky.  Now, college is almost a must, but just important is a good working knowledge of how to live, work and survive in the Electronic Age.

 The kids of today are so absorbed into this new world it’s scary.  It’s scary because their knowledge of this new electronic society is so much better than ours.  Don’t believe?  Hand a 9 year old child a laptop, or today's Smart Phone, stand back and watch.

 Unfortunately,  we baby boomers had already made it into the job market before the world of electronics  had made a working need of  the  Internet, iPods, IPads , Email,  Theirmail and Knowitallmail  part of the  “skills  needed”  job description.  What has happened is we “elders” have had to “catch up” by teaching ourselves this new world of the electronic workplace. 

The Electronic Employer, yes, it’s out there and if you don’t have or are not willing to learn these skills, your worth as an employee is foggy and it will only get thicker farther down you career road.  

 #4   Life’s Pitfalls  

 Sometime while going down one’s life path, there come pitfalls.  These are events, trials and tribulations that each of us sooner or later have to face.  There are some that can be solved, resolved or cured.  Its at these times that one must gather together what they have learned from living so far and use those talents and abilities to hurdle over these obstacles and continue on life's race.  Through confidence, faith, proper actions but probably most importantly, having  someone who supports you every step of the way can a person fulfil their destiny.    

 I  myself, am lucky…. lucky because I have a very special person that shows me her love and understanding and how much she cares.  My wife Sylvia has always been right beside me and I am calmed by her loyalty, bravery and willingness to do whatever is needed to help me make it through those time.  If not for her I know I would have fallen into one of these pits of self-destruction and not be able to pull myself out.

                                             
 Onward thru the Fog…

Four words that could have never been meant to be just a funny little Ha... Ha…  But I believe that they were put together as a sign, a reassurance that no matter what, if a person is willing to accept that their life goes along an uncertain path. That they or you can feel more at ease understanding that what life has in store for you can be  meet head on with a higher level of confidence and understanding of what is most important in your life.


Johnny
10/25/2015