Thursday, February 28, 2013

THE POPE ~ Resigns

My pope stepped down today. Pope Benedict XVI thought his health was jeopardizing his pope-position. Wow! Seriously? Whodathought?
Pope Benedict XVI

Yes, the pope resigned. He actually stepped down today among a pomp and circumstance of catholicism that I never, ever saw before. I do understand that 700 years ago, Pope Celestine V in 1294 resigned after only five months and his resignation was always referred to as the "Great Refusal."

A time of deep contemplation and reflection...

Why did the pope do this? No pope in the current history of the Catholic Church has ever done that in this way. Not even our elder statesmen in the political arena has done this. Today's events were a major spectacle. Major.

Media is mentioning "Schism"...

The schism that everyone keeps referring to is the ugly sexual abuse that the Catholic Church hid for so many years. Will this latest event hurt our church? As our church watched the participation decrease in Europe and America, the Catholic Church was chided about the need to worry about this.

I don't blame Catholics for child abuse and neither should you. But, the church hiding it and protecting those abusers was wrong. Totally wrong. What I hope for with any new leader is a transparent governing of the Catholic Church. We must honor women, gays, people of color and other religions. We must respect all people; no matter their beliefs.

In doing so, we may honor those before us who humbly cherished Catholicism as a way for us to live and respect our God in the way we believe. As my Mason grandfather and Agnostic grandfather brought the drama of opposing religious views into my family, we all learned to love each other based upon what we perceived each of us carried individually in our hearts. And the grandmothers? They married the grandpops didn't they?

And the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.


Written by: ~ EL on staff with W.E.T. River Trips
And, please kind comments on the religion... heard all the negs before.
Photos by: salon.com of the pope

Friday, February 22, 2013

US Postal Service ~ USPS 2013

Our mail is in shambles. With a $15.9 billion loss, is anyone getting regular mail? Or is your mailbox or postal box just filled with advertising circulars and ads? Does anyone even get paper mail anymore or is that the realm of old folks without computers?

I read with interest the latest missive from our Postal peeps. USPS is always raising the stamp prices, but the latest news from them sounds like that giant corporation is losing a lot of money trying to provide the mail for those who need mailing services. And, the USPS is also losing a ton of money trying to support their benefits packages including their retirement funds. Now, the latest scheme to make money; tada! retail clothing line? OMG! Sounds familiar...

This morning, I was running a bunch of errands for the company. I had to stop by Office Depot to pick up a bunch of office supplies. Then, I had to head over to the Post Office to pick up a very important piece of mail that was suppose to be delivered today. By the time, I fought through the traffic, I made it to the post office line by noonish.

I stood in line and marveled at how everyone in line was an oldster (including me). No young folks. No one whom might have been born in the 80's. Same stuff was decorating the lobby for the last 30 years; myriad packages, tons of colorful Hallmark cards, lots of packaging tape and the weary people standing in line.

My turn! As I walked up to the desk, I smiled brightly and told the representative that I was here to pick-up our company mail. I reached into my purse and I discovered the postal key was missing. Oh, yes, the owner had borrowed my key and forgot to give it back to me!

"We do not give out any mail unless you have a key" she said without even glancing up!

But, I had driver's license AND a business card AND a check from the company with my name on the freakin' check! As I handed over the documents, I asked her again for my mail.

"We do not give out any mail unless you have a key. You can purchase another key by filling out this form." she murmured without looking up again.

Holy ShiiiiiiZ! The woman would not budge off of her bureaucratic stance. Ok. I was really mad, but inside my head, I kept hearing the chant, "... told ya so... told ya so..."

So I left without the mail. And, yes, I was hopping mad! But, one of the reasons I even attempted to get my mail without the key was because I have always been able to get my mail that way... WITHOUT THE KEY. So I suppose, I should be applauding the USPS for their added security.

Now, let's see if I can receive my regular residential mail. Seems their postal carriers have a bit of dyslexia. Oh, did I tell you that my (3) blocks got together and exchanged phone numbers and email addresses? Why? Because our postal carriers seem to mix up our numbered streets all the time. At least, we can warn our neighbors that I have their mail or they have my mail when our mail is mis-delivered.

Oh, I hear the mailman at my door....

 
Buddy Holly sings Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues
http://youtu.be/JOmzzSNnkHk


Mailman, bring me no more blues
mailman, bring me no more blues
one blue letter is all I can use

She wrote me only one sad line
told me she's no longer mine
Mr. Mailman - that'll do for some time

Cry - like never before
so hard - couldn't cry no more
shoo shoo mailman - stay away from my door

Mailman, bring me no more blues
mailman, bring me no more blues
one blue letter is all I can use



Hmm... seems the same advertising circulars, real estate offers, plumbers and house keepers ads have once again filled my home mail box. Stuffed full, I pulled my mail out... walked to the garbage can... threw the entire mess away. At least this time,  I actually got my mail!

~ EL
complainin' again about nuttin'

Thanks to USPS for being our mail service.
Thanks to Buddy Holly for his song, "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues"
Oh, yah... thanks to Google for youtube.com properties.