Being or Doing

Many of us struggle every day with the insurmountable to-do list in our minds. We mentally check the items off one by one, only to add ten more for each we check off. We measure our worth and the success of each day by the number of items completed, vowing to try harder tomorrow to get through the list. The depressing news is that we will never get through the list because, somewhere inside of us, we have decided that the list gives our lives a sense of purpose and worth. So what is a person to do? On one hand, this mental to-do list is making us miserable but we are reluctant to let go of it. If we were to find a new way of measuring self-worth and a way of making it through our days without checking items off a list, we would lessen the stress caused by an endless list and make our days richer.

We all know what needs to be done throughout the day. With that in mind, we need to stop worrying about the items on the list and start living in the present moment. For instance, the other morning I was walking the dog. The sun had not yet come up although there was a pinkish, orangeish glow in the east. To the west, the last stars were twinkling and the moon was setting over the horizon. The air was crisp, the leaves were crunching under my dog's paws and the silence was filling the air. I could choose to run through my day in my head as I walked, making sure the to-do list was in order or I could choose to enjoy that special moment between night and day. I chose to enjoy the moment. And now I have an amazing memory to relive whenever I want.

But what happened to the list? Well, I ignored my list that whole day. I lived each moment, enjoying it, letting the next moment take care of itself. At the end of the day, I went to bed, content, relaxed and fulfilled. My list was not making demands on me. Rather, the list became smaller and the items that are impossible to check off completely disappeared. I started to control the list instead of the list controlling me. The next morning, I woke up refreshed and lived in the moment throughout the day again, always aware of a manageable list for the day but never overwhelmed by a demanding taskmaster.

Living according to a mental to-do list becomes a downward spiral. We are unable to check off all the items so we have a sense of failure, which leads to a sense of lessened self-worth. That leads to an inability to check off all the items on the list which makes us feel even worse. This destructive pattern becomes the fabric of our lives and we start wondering why we feel so badly. But living in the moment enriches our lives. We concentrate on one thing, engaging each of our senses to fully appreciate what we are doing. We then move on to the next thing, knowing instinctively what needs to be done. As each pursuit is completed, we feel a certain degree of satisfaction, a degree of pleasure. We take this feeling to the next pursuit, eventually compounding the feeling of fulfillment. Life becomes an uplifting, supportive spiral in which we perceive greater satisfaction with our lives and a heightened sense of self-worth.

So why do we continue to live with a mental to-do list controlling our lives? With it, there is a sense of security and a sense of control, even if it is a facade. Making the choice to live in the moment can be scary for those of us who have been trained to live by the list for years. But I can assure you that there is a happier, more fulfilling life waiting beyond the list.

Attack Ads

It is the last week before the election and things are really heating up. The attack ads are everywhere. Local stations run them constantly, news reports on them, candidates refute them. Between now and election day, they will dominate the airwaves. But what are attack ads really? Why do candidates use them and who is behind them anyway?

Although attacks ads are designed to discredit the opponent, the truth is attack ads are designed to make voters disinterested. A disinterested voter is less likely to vote. So why would people want others to not vote? Because they have a feeling that their supporters will and, if they can discourage their opponent's supporters to not vote, their candidate wins. See how easy that is? They don't really want to discredit the other person, just make the rest of us sick of the election. That is one reason why we need to not pay attention to the ads. Voting is part of our responsibility in this democracy. If we don't vote, we don't perform our civic duty and we don't have the right to complain about what we don't like.

Attack ads are misleading half-truths blown out of proportion. A tidbit of information is packaged to make the target of the ad look like a self-centered dimwit. Nothing is sacred when attack ads are written. During the last presidential campaign, Sarah Palin's family life was attacked. I've seen ties to the Mob exploited and questionable moral values highlighted. These, however, are not the norm. The people who write these ads are adept at reading the cause of the discontent in America and exploiting that. So, although we are perceiving the ad to be attacking one person, in actuality, they are making fun of voters, assuming that we are so gullible we will willingly believe what we are told without question. At their very core, this is what attack ads are, a mockery of the American people.

So who is behind all this? Everyone. The candidates support the use of the ads, even though they routinely deny it. The money they use for these ads come from a variety of donors, and you can bet that if it is a corporation or political group paying for them, the candidate who wins will owe someone a lot. And, even though the groups paying for the ad have "grass-roots"-sounding names, they are usually paid for by corporations who have a lot to lose if real change were to come to Washington. For this, you can thank the Supreme Court, who recently ruled that corporations enjoy protection under the first amendment. Finally, any voter who passes on the "information" in these ads as if it was true are also guilty of mocking the rest of us.

So what can a person do? First, vote on election day. I won't tell you for whom you should vote, although if asked, I'd be happy to tell you. But by not voting, you are denying your civic duty and allowing "them" to win. Second, hold your candidates to a higher standard. They will listen to their constituents if they want to gain office. Call or write your candidate and ask them to forgo the attack ads and denounce any that someone else pays for. Personally, I would be tempted to vote for the devil if he would run a truly clean campaign. Ask the candidate to run on their platform and outline where they stand on issues over which they have no control but do have influence. Finally, do your own homework. Learn what a candidate is about and where they have stood previously. The information is available if one takes a moment to look. If we become active, informed voters, those who support the attack ads will stop treating us like sheep.

The founding fathers, in part, formed the Electoral College because they feared what would happen if the general public elected the president. Alexander Hamilton wrote, It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. What was true then about electing a president is true today in all elections. We should use thought and reason to elect those who govern us, not choose because of an emotional reaction to an ad designed to mock us and make us relinquish our civic duty.

Paying Doctors to Sell Drugs

NPR recently ran a few stories called "Dollars for Docs," a disturbing piece of information about doctors being reimbursed by drug companies. Although many doctors received only a small amount from drug companies, many received over $100,000. So what are they doing to earn this money? You name it. A large majority earn a small amount from sitting through a presentation, then commenting on what they heard. Others are going on office visits with drug reps to discuss the advantages of certain drugs. These doctors are usually considered experts in their field. Some doctors give presentations to large groups of doctors and are well compensated. This system benefits both the doctors and the drug companies. Doctors make money on the side and drug companies have credible spokespeople encouraging others to write more prescriptions. But are there any downfalls?

You bet! Although the drug companies say they use only upstanding physicians, ProPublica.org has found out otherwise. "A review of physician licensing records in the 15 most-populous states and three others found sanctions against more than 250 speakers, including some of the highest paid. Their misconduct included inappropriately prescribing drugs, providing poor care or having sex with patients. Some of the doctors had even lost their licenses." (propubica.org) Some compensated doctors had no specialized degree, even though they said they did.

Another downfall is the information being distributed. Many of the compensated doctors encouraged prescriptions to be written for uses other than what was approved. In other words, if the medicine was approved for headaches but had a side effect of helping to lower blood pressure, compensated doctors were mentioning this side effect as if it were an approved medicine for lowering blood pressure.

I am disturbed by this information, as many should be. I have a family member who is dependent on prescription medication for his quality of life. When I go to the doctor, I want to know that, if I need medication, the prescription is being written based on the best information possible. But I am disgusted by the blatant disregard the drug companies seem to have for the end-users of their products and the interest paid to their bottom line. Maybe if more people were aware of what was going on and got upset, the system could change.

You Are What You Eat

I am off to the grocery store today but it won't be to a WalMart Super Center. I will be heading to a regional chain and the farmers market. Why? Because even though I like low prices and am trying to save on groceries, I prefer to not support the Chinese economy or a corporation that has its own interests over mine. Call me a snob if you must, but I will not be shopping at a WalMart.

Actually, it would be ironic if you called me a snob since that is what you are considered if you shop at my favorite grocery store. Their prices are slightly higher at times, but they carry a wide selection of products, both local and international. They are continually introducing new recipes and tastes from around the world, sourcing out healthy ways to eat and encouraging their customers to try new things. Their flyers are more about the recipes than their low prices. I am always able to find what I want there without difficulty, except for Mom's favorite brand of mince pie filling. I supplement my shopping with a trip to the local farmers market. I try to support the local farmers; it is good for the economy. I also like knowing who grew the food I eat, how they grew it and when it was picked. Lately, you can't beat the apples for taste or the prices. During the summer, I was able to get bushels of green beans to freeze for the winter and each trip included some of the best tomatoes I have ever eaten. The only tomatoes that have been better have been ones that I have grown.

But many people shop at WalMart for their groceries and there was a time that I did also. An avid coupon clipper, I would arrive at the WalMart, purchase prepackaged foods and save a lot of money each week between the prices and the coupons. While there, I could pick up a new shirt, shoes for the girls and the latest video. True one-stop shopping at its best. But then I started paying attention. According to Frontline, over 80% of WalMart's 6000 global suppliers are in China. This means that many of the suppliers for its food are in China. Every time I spend money at WalMart, it buys more stuff from China, not the US. Not only am I not helping the local economy, I'm not even helping my federal economy. I'm helping China to get rich. There are enough people here in the States that need my help. As rude as it may sound, let the Chinese take care of themselves.

Beyond that, because WalMart is such a large corporation, it thinks that it can affect legislation and it does. It is lobbying against Country of Origin labeling on food. That means that if you purchase a bag of spinach, you don't have to know from where it came. If there is a recall on Mexican spinach because of salmonella poisoning, the bag of spinach in your fridge doesn't have to say "Grown in Mexico". You might end up eating tainted spinach, but that's okay. WalMart sells over-the-counter medication and prescriptions for your upset stomach. They also skirt the law when it comes to fair practices in hiring and wages and healthcare. In short, they don't want to spend money on or for their employees, don't want to be open about where they get their food and support the Chinese more than the US.

And they continue to worm their way into the society. Just the other day, I heard about a pyramid scheme that involved getting groceries delivered from WalMart, or you could pick them up, prebagged, at the store.

Today, I will be avoiding WalMart. I will be browsing the farmers market on this warm, sunny fall day, talking with the former principal who now helps sell apples at the family stand. I'm going today because the baker will be there with fresh bread and a friend selling freshly brewed coffee. I'll then journey to my favorite grocery store for the ingredients for a delicious homemade risotto and maybe a stew, all of which will taste better knowing I've done something good for the local economy.

Political Ads Cause Bullying!

Ok, slightly sensational, but you're reading.

And, there is truth to this statement. Bullying has become a national problem. It was shoved front and center a few weeks ago when a young man from Rutgers University jumped from the GW Bridge because his roommate decided to post live video feed of a sexual encounter. It is an issue though that schools have been dealing with for years. There will always be someone who, for whatever reason, believes that it is okay to ridicule someone else. When I was growing up, we were told that standing up to bullies would help improve our self-esteem. Usually, the bully backed down. Today, the bullying is more complex. The bully encourages other to gang up on one person. The bullies use the internet and texting to spread the word more quickly. Because of the supposed anonymity of the computer or because they are just more ruthless, the bullies are more and more vicious.

Which brings me to the political ads. Never can I remember the number of "attack ads" that I have seen lately. Thanks to the Supreme Court allowing corporations to contribute what they want, we don't even know who is sponsoring most of the ads. Sounds like anonymity to me. And these ads are taking half-truths or outright lies and tooting them like they were gospel truths. That is what many bullies do. So the people behind these ads are bullies.

Which helps me make my case that political ads are creating bullies. Imagine how much tv kids are watching these days. Imagine the ads that they see. The thought process becomes what is okay for the people running, or ruining, our country must be okay for me. If they can say mean nasty things about each other, then that is what I will do. Beyond this, more teens have less parental supervision to correct them when they decide to get vicious. What they have are attack ads.

So this is what I propose. The political ads should become more about what a candidate is going to do and less about how bad someone else apparently is. People should be required to state that they are the ones bashing someone else in the ads. And children should be taught that the internet is not anonymous and words hurt worse than sticks and stones. Then I wouldn't have to write sensational titles.