Not sure what to title this

Having worked in a skilled nursing center as a facility liaison, I got to know the residents rather well. In the 'twilight of their lives' they shared with me stories of their youth and expressed their fears. Fears not related to their dying or of their future, rather for our future. They expressed with me the love for their family members and friends struggling with today's world. Naturally they did complain about their current situation-not one of them showed true joy and satisfaction for being in a care center. But they were grateful for good employees who showed sincere care and concern for those in their charge.

In the time that has passed since I left, I have watched the obituaries closely looking to see who has since passed this life. Many of those I shared time with have since died. For some it truly was a blessing; to be reunited with loved ones. As I read their obituaries, I was able to learn more about these people. It was easy to see them as simply 'old'. But they were once just like me: young, full of life, happy and active.

One of the true joys of my time there came when a resident would share a smile or a thank you. The occasional hug was always welcomed-I may have even received a kiss on the cheek from some of the sweet little grandmas.

The Greatest Show on Earth (Cover your eyes)

So I went to the circus the other night. My last trip to the circus was when I was about five. My memories of that experience are random and incomplete. I recall the animals, the clowns and the colors. And I also remember the odors. Much of the blame goes to the elephants and big cats. But I have to believe that some credit gets pinned on the performers. So 29 years later, the odors haven't changed, I'm less afraid of the clowns (but not much), and I still enjoy the sites and sounds.
I had a great time and I left pondering how amazing the entire show was. I expected it to last an hour to an hour and a half. The show was two and a half hours long. I can't point out any part of it the circus I didn't enjoy . . . save one. Earlier that day I was listening to the radio. One of the radio hosts mentioned the very tight costumes worn by the female acrobats and dancers; he also mentiond the disturbingly form fitting costumes worn by the men. He wasn't wrong. I wasn't looking for it, but sure enough . . . Having never worn 'stretchy pants' (and without any plan on doing so) I can't say how convenient they might be for the stunts and tricks they peform. And seeing how I don't attend the circus very often, averaging one trip every 16 years or so, I'm making a bigger issue of this than is necessary.
In summary: circus, good. Costumes, not good. All in all I had a great time and I actually do look forward to going the next time the circus comes to town.

Olympic Gold?

I have watched with increased attention as the US Olympic teams have succeeded and even exceeded expectations in some events and fallen desperately short in others. But what has in many Americans minds caught their attention is the controversy surrounding the Chinese women's gymnastics team. Are some members of the team too young to be competing? Is this considered cheating? I have listened as sports radio hosts have literally been cheering against not just the Chinese gymnasts, but against all Chinese athletes. Is this a result of the alleged cheating or does it stem from the Chinese success in winning gold medals; in a sense replacing the US as the dominant athletic nation? Maybe both.

Regardless the reason, in my mind their exists a bigger issue, one that extends beyond the potential evidence that may or may not prove Chinese cheating: A government that white washes the truth and even worse, exploits the children competing in the name of their country.

Personally I have a deep respect for the Chinese people. I have know and worked with several Chinese citizens. The problem I have is with the government's abuse of the people. To take a child from a loving family and "train" them into world class athletes is not only detestable, it violates the very ideals of the Olympic Games; which is another story for another day. Now I don't claim to possess a deep understanding of the Chinese government, so I must be careful in choosing my words. However will increased freedoms come to the people of China, if some of the alleged Chinese improprieties they've reportedly been involved in, come to the attention of the world's leaders and the IOC? Will the Chinese government continue to try to hide behind a wall more impenetrable than the Great Wall that stretches across their great nation?

Drawings

From the time I was a child I have had found great joy in drawing. I believe everyone can draw. You may not be as good in the eyes of others or even yourself, but we can all create something. My ability to draw humans is pretty weak. However, when it comes to animals, I seem, at least to me, to be more talented. But I don't want to get to preachy here. I simply want to share my talent. In so doing, I am not claiming to be extremely talented. I just want to share a gift the Lord has blessed me with.

Our Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley

There have been many mighty and noble men who have walked the earth. There have been men of great physical strength. But hardly any of them can stand toe-to-toe with President Gordon B. Hinckley. I feel that as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to a degree, those not of our faith, we all feel we had a bit of ourselves invested in this great man. We felt as though he belonged to us.

Every General Conference, or Stake and Ward Conference, we had the opportunity to sustain this great man. We looked forward to doing so and were equally honored to follow his teachings. How proud we were of him when he appeared on 60 Minutes and on the Larry King Show. He always represented himself and the Church well. He raised the bar and brought new found respect for the Gospel contained in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Everyone across the globe, in one way or another, has a memory of him that remain with them as a testimony that God lives and loves us all. I have chosen to simply relate an experience I had while I worked as a security officer at the Musuem of Art at BYU. I had the privilege to be in his presence on several occasions throughout the years. On one occassion, Sister Hinckley was receiving an honorary doctrate from BYU. This was her day. As President and Sister Hinckley approached the doors where I was stationed, you could see a huge grin on his face, one I can only assume came from the enduring love he had for his beloved wife. I opened the door for him and Sister Hinckley. As in times before, again on this day, I didn't have the privilege to meet him, to shake his hand. But I learned a lesson that day that will stay with me. I didn't need to meet him to know he was/is a prophet of God. I could feel it being in his presence. I could feel it whenever he spoke in General Conference. I could feel it whenever I read a message from him in the Ensign. I can still feel it now, despite his passing.

He truy was a prophet of God and I thank the Lord for allowing us to have the privilege to know this man. He truly was a mighty man.

Favorite Christmas Movies

With only a few days until Christmas, we have been inundated with Christmas movies. What I can't figure out though, is why at Christmas time do we see an increase in horror flicks? Or see so many James Bond reruns? Nothing brings the spirit of Christmas more into my heart than a good slasher movie or James Bond defusing a nuclear warhead while romancing a beautiful woman. Fortunately there are plenty of good "Christmas" movies to watch. I have made a list of my ten favorite "Christmas" movies of all time. Some are of the more serious nature and some provide a good laugh. The list, naturally, is based on the Christmas movies I have seen.

MY TOP TEN ALL-TIME FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

1. A Christmas Story
2. It's a Wonderful Life
3. Miracle on 34th Street (original version)
4. Mr. Kruger's Christmas
5. A Christmas Carol (many versions)
6. Home Alone
7. Polar Express
8. The Christmas Shoes
9. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
10. Elf

Honorable Mention: The Muppet's Christmas Carol, The Santa Clause.

I debated making a list of my least favorite, but many of what I think would make the list, I haven't seen. Besides, I'd rather focus more on the positive at this time of year. So, Merry Christmas everyone.

Why Can't We All Be Like Dogs?

I don't want to speak to loudly, for fear that the 'god's of bad things' will hear and find need to upset how happy I am right now with how my life is headed. I won't go into detail. Partially because I don't want strangers researching my life via this blog. But right now things are good.
I've often said that I could always find something to complain about, but most people don't want to hear it; and in all honesty, neither do I.
I did want to mention two things that have made me happy: 1) An old friend (old in the sense of we've known each other for a long time) and I are friends again. 2) My grandmother has finally found something to smile about. Tuesday night a friend of my mom, brought her puppies over for my grandma to pick one to purchase. Well, to make a long story short, she went home with two little girl puppies and her smile is a bright as ever-well, at least since before my grandpa died. As I saw the joy in her face, it reminded me of a program I saw once. The program was about children with facial deformities. They highlighted how these children were viewed as 'monsters' and shunned by classmates. One particular scene showed a young girl playing with her dog in the snow. It occurred to me that we have a lot to learn from dogs.
This dog didn't see her deformity. The dog didn't care who she was or what other people thought of her. This dog loved her because she loved it. How I wish that we all could have that same quality. That we could accept others regardless of who they are, what they've done, or where they are going. I wish we all could see the beauty that we all possess. I struggle with this too. And I don't believe it is so much a matter of tolerance. Tolerance to me shouldn't be a temporary aspect of accepting someone, where we 'put up' with them until they are no longer in our lives. And once they leave or we leave them, we can go back to disliking them.
There is no question that some people appear to be harder to love or be friends to than others. Maybe we should even include ourselves as one's some find difficult to befriend and include. I remember being in a single's ward while attending BYU and the theme of the ward was inclusiveness. What a concept many of us seem to struggle with. Why should one person be included because they look a certain way or act a certain way or excluded for the very same reasons? Who decides what is cool and uncool? In this battle for 'popularity' there are always two victims: 1) The group who causes the exclusion, and 2) The person being excluded.