Same Thought, Different Perspective

On NPR this morning someone pointed out that in Tienanmen Square, the person standing in front of a tank had courage. The second person said that the tank driver and his commander were the brave one's in stopping the tank. Clearly, a person would just crush beneath the tank but the driver and his commander were the one's that went against the might of the military to stop. They were the one's that had to stand inside the military and explain why the human rights of one person was as important. Clearly many of us saw the man standing in front of the tank and doubted about the safety of the man. Our perspective is important.

In Iran there is a movement to have people stand up for their rights and face the might of both the political party and the religious leaders in pointing out that they are in fact the reason for a country. I guess unless things are taken away from us we will not realize how important our freedoms really are.

On the morning talk radio here in Topeka, Dave Ramsey talks to people that are just striving to get out of debt and those newly arrived. I think he needs to have a program where those that have made it share experiences of how they live once they achieve financial freedom. We have been pretty much debt free for 10 years and fully understand the concept of income and outgo. If we want a new(er) car we save to get there. We don't have to worry about borrowing money to replace the big window in the living room the same month as replacing the A/C A Coil. Just this week I was talking to a retired friend who bought a new house a few years back. In spite of selling a nice house and having all their parents pass away, they are still making payments on the new house. Makes me wonder what they must think each month as they make that house payment.

Oh well, I didn't start this to gloat, only to point out that problems and solutions can and do look differently from different perspectives. This has been the week of deaths and I'll add another name to that list. Don Coldsmith a Doctor from Emporia who wrote about 40 books on the Plains Indians passed away at the KU Med Center. While at the Western Writer's convention he suffered a stroke. I would hope that when I die, I'm doing something I enjoy with a group of people I want to be with. At 83, he had lived a good life and I hope his family finds the memories of his life and his books ample reward for his life. He was one of the writers that gave a human face to the Plains Indians that made me aware of the depth of their lives and gave me a compassion for the true founders our our country.

Gave a great day out there.

MUD