The Garden

Among the hobbies that I enjoy doing, gardening isn’t very high on the list of accomplishments. Now, don’t get me wrong – I actually DO take quite a bit of pride in our yard and our garden. I love being able to snip fresh flowers for bouquets, and to harvest fruits and vegetables. But when it comes down to it, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to dedicate to what I’d really like to do if only I could. Every few months or so, I have one of those rare weekend days where I can just take advantage of the time and the weather to haul, schlepp, dig, rake, clear, organize, and neaten. And when all is said and done, things look nice… for the moment. But unlike a static work of art, a garden is, of course, a living and breathing thing - and it takes maintenance. That is exactly the part that my life just doesn’t allow – today. For the most part, I have culled down the garden enough to the point where things are taken care of by the automatic sprinklers, and are somewhat self-maintaining. But still – the alstramaria need yanking. The roses need pruning. The fruit needs tending. The potted plants need watering. And that is where my time is just limited. So throughout the summertime, the garden begins to suffer a bit, and I just sigh as I fantasize about someday retiring.

When I retire, I want to be able to throw myself into gardening. I don’t care if the plants require maintenance, as I’ll finally have the time to be able to do just that. I’ll be able to tend to different areas of the garden myself! I’ll have the time and the opportunity, wherever we end up by that point in time, to completely clear out key areas to match a carefully planned landscape of my own design. I’ll be able to create arbors where flowers cascade around us, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. I’ll be able to grow vegetables and take pride in gathering them and preparing them. Most importantly, I will gain an incredible bit of serenity and sense of pride by doing it – myself! Whether it be fifteen minutes here, a half hour there, or a full day somewhere else – the garden will be my palette and will finally reflect my potential, and not just be a glimpse as it is today, based upon my limited time.

More importantly, I want to USE that space – not simply maintain it. I’d like to have a patio surrounded by fragrant flowers, where we can entertain friends to an evening dinner. I’d like to be able to have a drink (or twelve) out there in the dusky evening as bright green parrots squawk overhead, standing out against the rainbow sherbet of a California sunset.

When I face frustrating “head thunk” days in the office, or dealing with people who are just needier-than-they-really-should-be, I cast my thoughts forward to a time where I can put more of my efforts into our surroundings, knowing that the investment of my dirt and sweat will result in a serene environment.

Someday…. Ahhhhhh… someday.

Jihad on You!

Trying to keep up with the affairs of the world is a daunting task, to say the least. Whenever we read an article or witness a broadcast about some sort of conflict, the challenge involves framing the issue within its proper context, which can include a variety of descriptors such as culture, language, religion, color, age, etc. Yet, despite the location of the conflict, the people, the culture or any other factor, many of these conflicts really can be boiled down to a common denominator – I/we don’t like what you are doing so I/we are going to prevent it/suppress it/make it illegal/condemn you for it.

Conflicts in the Middle East? Extremists believe that not only they need to live by an exceptionally strict moral code, but so does everybody else. And by Allah-la-la-la-la-la, they are going to force you to do what they say!

Condemnations and intolerance from the Vatican? Apparently, some sins are worse than others. And while it seems to be ok to sin like mad as long as one confesses and is absolved, other things are deemed by mortal men to be so atrocious as to be unforgivable by God. So in the name of the all-loving-all-forgiving-God (how ironic?) the church condemns you if you don’t do/believe as they do.

Cray-cray threats from communist governments? ONLY their view is right, and any variation from such a viewpoint is clearly a threat against the people, punishable by death-from-a-thousand-cuts or some such.

Sure, this is an overly simplistic viewpoint, but I’m hoping you all see my point – there seems to be too few cases of “live and let live” and too many cases of “you are doing what I want you to do so I’m going to make you change or condemn you.”

So without further ado, I am going to present a little list of things that I believe should happen in the world:

I’m a foodie, but I want to be skinny. So I want to be able to eat as much fattening sausage and cheese as I want each and every morning and never gain weight from it.

I like a peaceful hood. So I want everyone in the neighborhood to stop littering, stop tagging, and stop playing any form of loud music that I don’t like.

I want to get all the benefits of government programs but not have to pay for them at all – that includes taxes.

I want to not have to work for a living. I should just get everything for free.

I want to have the most perfect garden ever – but not have to tend it.

I want to have the body of a Greek muscle-god, but never have to go to the gym.

I want all the kids in the neighborhood to stop playing soccer in the parking lot near the house, but to instead just stay home and read and do their homework.
I’m not a Christian, so to me it is a waste of time for anyone to go to church. So clearly, because it is all about me, nobody should go to church anymore but instead spend their Sunday mornings instead doing things that are constructive – and by constructive, I mean things that I personally would approve of.

See where I’m going with this? The fact is, the world is NOT all about me. It isn’t all about what I personally want. It isn’t all about making just me happy. Nor is it all about you, or your church, or your race, or your country. So, to sum it up, I have one message out there to those people or cultures or religions who insist upon trying to tell others what to do – Quit wasting so much time telling your neighbor how to live. Seriously! Life is precious. Instead of wasting so much time trying to direct the life of your neighbor, doesn’t it make more sense to instead spend your time building a more quality-life for yourself?