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Articles And Reviews

 

 Articles and Reviews

 

 Article by Susan regarding the fate of some of our elders,   Thought provoking.  

Protect our old ones

 

            The door to a ground floor apartment opens.  Framed in the doorway is Carla Simmons, her head bent forward, her shoulders slightly hunched, her back bent from years of wear.  There is a glint in her right eye from the lens implant as it catches the sunlight.  Hanging on her left wrist is her handbag which she has chosen to match her shoes.  Her left hand grasps a black wooden cane.

            With her right hand she holds the knob on the front hall closet door to steady herself as she steps down onto the cement walk.  Once through the door she moves forward.  Her gait is slow and shuffling.  She transfers the cane to her right hand as with her left hand she reaches out for a stronger arm to give her support.  She never leaves her apartment alone.  She doesn’t drive; her license was taken away a long time ago.  Transportation to and from her doctor’s appointments is taken care of by a friend living near by.

            Carla’s memory stretches back through a life lived alone for twelve years, the fifty five years spent with her husband, the times she lived with her mother, father, five brothers, and three sisters in Chicago and before that in rural Pennsylvania.  She is ninety five years old, and will probably reach one hundred if only to show the naysayers of the world that she can do it.

            Her time is spent on what she calls her ‘projects’.  What is going on deals with junk mail.  Carla considers these mass-produced advertisements to be personal mail since her name appears at the beginning of the letters and also it is also interspersed throughout.  Not comprehending the concept of computer generated mailing lists and prepared form letters, she had been astounded to hear from psychics, mediums, astrologers, and mentalists who claim to see great things, a complete return to health, and windfalls of great wealth for her.

            “Me!”  She exclaims excitedly, “Me!  They did research on me and write these long letters telling me all these wonderful things!”  These ‘gentlemen’ contacted her and she believes they have her best interest at heart.  She calls them her ‘scientists’, believes in their claims to be world famous, and especially in one man’s naming himself the ‘Nostradamus of the North’.  After sending the money they say is necessary so they can process the forecasts, profiles, tarot interpretations, and other readings, she receives folder after folder, getting different copies of similar reports, and in many cases, multiple copies of such reports.  Since each report comes with another advertisement, she automatically returns the envelope (with money of course) and receives multiple copies of sets of cassette tapes with their accompanying books.  Every report sent to her contains such a return envelope and she always feels that she needs to send more cash.

            Carla had once believed that people should never stop learning.  At one time she read extensively; magazines and books on a wide variety of subjects were always in her hands and she could converse easily about a great range of things.  Self-improvement, exercise, and health through the use of natural, organic supplements were things she also believed in.  She had always loved traveling; expanding her horizons by meeting new people, seeing places where history happened, and experiencing first hand this wonderful country of ours.  However, due to the massive influx of junk mail into her home, her self-improvement and reading has become solely the reams of advice issued from her ‘scientists’.

            Her mail includes the temptations of sweepstakes entry forms, and the repeated reminders from each prize give-away entity.  “My scientist is Canada predicted wealth and look…here’s a letter saying that someone in my town with my initials is going to win a million dollars!”  She faithfully reads every word of every entry, noting on envelopes the prize amount.  Unfortunately, she also notes the amount of money that she sends back with the entry forms.  Because she does send it--$20 here, $40 there…to the tune of $500 to $1000 every week.  Trying to tell her that legitimate contests do not require fees to enter does no good.  She persists, claiming that she has been promised substantial prizes by continuing to return the legal-looking forms.

            Carla is very trusting and has bright visions of tomorrow.  She would love to have millions of dollars so she can donate good sums to worthy causes as well as provide generous gifts for her family.  She believes that these sweepstakes will pay off.  For years she has been following their instructions—initialing, signing, returning the proper forms with the proper fees.

            The volume of mail keeps growing.  For hours every day she sits and reads every word of every form.  There ceased to be any other activity for her.  She doesn’t travel to visit family anymore because she might miss an important mailing or not be there for a shipment of some prize.  She doesn’t even go about the city she lives in.  Being taken out to dinner by visiting family prompts her to comment, “It’s been years since I’ve been here!”   Just driving around the area she looks and says, “I don’t remember that”, “I don’t know how to get there”, and “I’m a stranger in my own town!”

            Being fixated on winning those million dollar giveaways limits Carla’s life.  Every day she waits at the mailbox and is rewarded with at least twenty contest entries, several of which are usually duplicated—and she will open and read each one.  At least five hours every day is spent doing this.  She watches no TV, listens to no music, reads no books or magazines, spends no time with family or friends unless they come to her and even then, they need to wait until she is finished with her mail.  There are times when she puts off eating her lunch because she is too busy with her ‘projects’.  This is detrimental due to her need for nourishment; also because lunch time is when she takes her medications.

            Use of the U.S. Mail system to advertise and sell products is a privilege that many upright and outstanding companies use for profit.  This is a convenience that many people appreciate.  What is not appreciated are those unscrupulous entities that bilk unsuspecting people of their hard-earned savings.  In the minds of those folk raised in a time when trust in government agencies was simply the way it was, it is their idea that if the U.S. Mail delivers letters, forms, and advertisements to their homes all of it must be completely legal.  They are wrong.  Carla has been scammed by at least two ‘sweepstakes’ and by a man ‘up north’.  Her bank account has been frozen until investigators can clear up what has happened.

            This is not the quality of life our elders should have.  This is not what we should have our parents, grandparents, great grandparents subjected to.  What they deserve is to live out their years in security and in the love of their families.  We need to protect them and ensure that their remaining years aren’t ripped away from them because they have had to be declared incompetent to handle their own money and required to change not only their established and comfortable routines, but also their living arrangements. 

            I advise everyone with elderly and possibly gullible loved ones to be aware of what is coming to them through the mail.  Check out what is being pitched to them, sold, and resold.  Save them from throwing away money earned through a lifetime of hard work and wise investments.  Save them from disaster.  Show them you care and throw out all those advertisements and contest entries with the rest of the garbage.      

 Also published online at:   http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Susan_Smeltz 

 

 Another article by Susan.  This, also, deals with relationships with family members, but she gives a broader meaning to healing.

 

Peace—When we finally mature

 

            I am of the “Boom” generation, born six years after WWII ended.  I grew up in a time of relative world peace; although I recall the Cold War and having to participate with my classmates in air raid drills.  The siren would go off we would jump from our seats and duck under our desks.  It was so much fun at the time—after all class work was disrupted.  We would giggle and whisper to each other while curled up on the floor.

            There were stories of people escaping from East Berlin, propaganda and lectures on how evil communism was.  In our eyes, all Russians were bad.  There hung over a dread of nuclear war.  People built bomb shelters in their yards.

            I suffered through my adolescence during the 1960’s.  The baby boomers were making noise; not only with the rock & roll explosion (add to that the “British Invasion”) but also with protests against a war they felt they shouldn’t be a part of.  We also voiced strong opinions of the faults of the previous generation.

            That generation had been born in a time when even American society had definite classes.  It seemed that you either had servants or you worked as one in one way or another.  This generation loved America, a country that was isolated from the rest of the world.  When wars began to erupt those new Americans felt strongly that they needed to help.  December 7, 1941 came and they got their chance.  Many in this country cheered when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, many others still wanted to remain isolated.

            America’s foundation had been as a colony of revolutionaries whose passion was to begin a new country.  This was seen as radical, even treasonous.  We can barely have a tiny inkling of their dedication, their willingness to sacrifice everything they owned and even their lives so that they could win the shining goal they pursued.  We can understand their reasoning, and we know the history, but we can’t feel what they did.  We do not judge them against the law; to the Founding Fathers we feel gratitude. 

            America became a haven for those escaping tyranny and poverty.  At the time of WWII so many people living here still spoke the languages of their old countries.  They had left behind the place, but had also left behind families and friends.  When suddenly there were soldiers rounding up ‘undesirables’ and raining terror onto people who only wanted to live in peace, these Americans were outraged.  They, and their family members born here, wanted to go over there and “kick tail”.  That’s what they did.  Theirs were personal victories.

             We hear their stories but we weren’t there.  We can never fully understand the deep resentment, the hatred of those nations that waged war in their attempt at domination.  The methods they employed included invasion, theft, torture, and murder.  Out parents’ generation was first hand witness to those things.

            When I was in high school and needed to learn a foreign language I decided on German.  I recall my mom’s expression of shock that turned to distaste when I told her.  I will always remember what she said, “Don’t you know what the Germans did to the Polish people during the war?”  I thought I knew.  But all I had was a few hints, a mere rough idea.  I also didn’t care, especially about her feelings.  There was that slanted opinion against another people, just as she had stated dislike of the Japanese for what that nation had done.  I was a child of the ‘60’s, and open minded.  Her bias just made me all the more determined to learn the German language.

            But I wasn’t open minded, was I?  I was yet a child.  I was starting my first drawing on a new sheet of paper.  What I didn’t understand was that my mother had an extensive portfolio of wonderful art stored away.  I didn’t understand this until I was much older.  Finally, I realized that the immature contempt I held not only for my mother but for all of that generation was without foundation.  I simply didn’t understand them or myself.

            I’m not saying that racial, ethnic, or religious prejudice is justified for any reason.  It definitely is not.  It divides, it conquers.  Only through trying to understand why the feelings are there, working out compromises, and then forgiving can we mature.  That’s why there’s peace between my mom and me.  This lesson should be learned by everyone.  Then and only then can we all grow up.  Then can we live in peace together and plan for a better tomorrow.

                   

(Article regarding the New Age movement)

 

A New Age

 

           

            What is this New Age Spirituality?  Simply put, it’s spirituality for a New Age.

 

            And this New Age would be….?

 

            Wikipedia.com defines it as a ‘broad movement of late 20th century and contemporary Western culture, characterized by an eclectic and individual approach to spiritual experience.”  Those in authority in established religions say that this is wrong and immoral.  They point out that these groups of seekers have no Holy Book, no Handbook for Living.  There is no central dogma that has been passed down among a church hierarchy to lead the congregation in what should be believed.  These men were also worried about their positions as stepping stones to salvation.

            Also, those raised in such environments, where exclusive training was dominant, don’t approve of groups of dissidents who don’t believe in God.  And they don’t think those people should be allowed to continue their search or to practice their spirituality in the way that’s right for them.

            Here’s just a little reminder—this country that we have the privilege to live in was founded by rebels…a group of dissidents.  They were radical and treasonous, but that didn’t stand in the way of their zeal, their passionate dream of making the place one where people were free of tyranny.  Those Founding Fathers were willing to give up their worldly possessions even their lives.  Today there are people who stand with firm and unshakeable beliefs as taught to them by a holy book and a church hierarchy;  I will uphold their right to do that.  Do they applaud the fact that New Age Seekers have the right to walk on their own paths?  Would they be horrified if any freedom was taken away from those ‘dissident’ groups?  Those organized religions don’t like what they learn about the New Age.  I say, they don’t have to practice any of it.  The same goes for me and others like me…we shouldn’t be expected to practice what others preach.  The last time I looked, this was still a free country.

            That holy book is a problem for many people.  When examined, it becomes a collection of myths, fables, and stories gleaned from other cultures, lessons written by well-meaning prophets who wanted to keep a conquered people in line and give them hope, books of history and laws, and writings designed to support political and personal beliefs.  Also, writings and dogma needed to incorporate the beliefs and practices of Pagan culture in order to ‘win them over’.

            When considering what writings would go into this Handbook, the orthodox church leaders were lobbied not only by mainstream believers but also splinter groups like the Gnostics.  The church tolerated the Gnostics but didn’t approve of them.  After all, this radical group was preaching that no intermediary, or even a church was necessary in order to experience the Divine—one could and should seek and experience Deity first hand.

            I mention the Gnostics because of one named Marcion.  He had made a list of writings that he felt should be in this bible.  The man had definite biases.  He was extremely Anti-Semitic and wanted Christianity completely separated from Judaism.   He insisted that Jesus wasn’t born of Jewish parents but sprang from the mind of God full grown.  This was the atmosphere and such were the people who were trying to help compile the Handbook.

            No.  New Age seekers don’t use the Christian or even Jewish bible as their instruction manual.  They draw on beliefs and practices from many major religions and incorporate all those things into their lives.  These are people who believe that spiritual enlightenment is a personal thing.  And by the way; it’s erroneous to say that New Age people don’t believe in God.  The divine is known by many names and is viewed in different manners by other belief systems, including Wicca and Paganism.  The Divine is often seen as a Creative Force that is two in one.  The Chinese expressed it as Yin and Yang.

            Misunderstanding and prejudice are too easy to come by.  What follows is hatred.  Yes, even though many won’t admit it…their anger becomes evident and their willingness to listen shuts down.  This has always led to trouble in the past.

            We need to listen to each other.

 

Check out:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_age

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mbible1.html

 

 Reviews

 

 Susan's first book--A Story of the Wyrld--is a work of fantasy fiction.  It is a familiar theme, that of overcoming great evil, but Susan presents it with a twist.  Wonderfully well told, this is enjoyable reading for all ages.

.  There is much imagery in the writing; readers are brought into the action of the story as well as the minds of the characters.  The story takes place on what is called The Wyrld by its people.  The book begins with a mythology and history.  This sets the scene and tone of the rest of the book; it also explains why the various races of people on the Wyrld do not live in full knowledge of each other.  Suspicion and fear had long ago caused a separation of the different types of people.

 

Wyche is a Wise One; special people who are healers and work the Craft.  She lives with her husband and children in a home presided over by her mother, an old woman, also a Wise One.  Wyche’s young son Karl begins to see that his destiny also lies in the Craft.

 

All is well, but troubles arise.  The people are farmers…their crops seem to be failing.  There is either too much or too little rain.  Droughts come; insects or foraging animals destroy what is left.  It is discovered that other villages, even those far away are faring the same.  Things are worse to the east.  There come rumors of men driven to steal from still-prospering people.  The rumors include destruction and murder.  All is made more terrible because the thieving men are led by man who becomes the embodiment of all that is evil in the Wyrld. 

 

Elves had hidden themselves from the Humans; few feel they should go to assist the Wise Ones that have the courage to use their skills to fight against the evil from the east.  E-Lan is one of these; only she and her student wish to join a ritual that will save the Wyrld.  E-Lan pleads with the Elves, but to no avail.  Only the two of them set out in the darkness to find the Human women.

 

Wyche, her friends, and her mother are the only Wise Ones who take action. The others doom them to failure.  Wyche’s husband and son brave the darkness also, persuading the villagers to make a stand.  Karl convinces them to refuse to be afraid and simply allow the power of evil to overtake them.  Human Wise Ones and Elves are joined by tiny fairies and creatures made of the matter and forces that make up the Wyrld on a dark night that is rank with the horror of an immense enemy as Karl, his father, and the villagers stand in a black wind, doing what they consider their portion of what their Wise Ones are intent on accomplishing.