What former American President’s words most captures your attention in modern times now?

“Evil acts of the past are never rectified by evil acts of the present.” (Lyndon B. Johnson)

A young lawyer of twenty eight years old who’d recently moved from a small countryside village to a growing capitol city saw his first opportunity to act upon his passions. For he sensed the country was moving in the wrong direction and had decided to speak publicly about his concerns. So he chose to warn a gathering of young men at a debating society in Springfield, Illinois about the dangers of those who advocated slave whippings, lynchings and other forms of mob violence in a nation deeply divided by slavery. In doing so, he seemed willing to embrace this Lyceum movement which reached its peak during the antebellum era before the Civil War and was characterized by high interest in social and cultural reforms.

Know then it’s important for all Americans to seriously ponder the contemporary importance of Abraham Lincoln’ s words in this famous Lyceum Address delivered on January 27, 1838. For in this speech, he focused on the critical need to maintain our Democracy’s system of “checks and balances” in pursuit of lawful action and respect for human rights. How relevant these issues thus foreshadow what’s at stake in this country’s current political crisis now. For consider the consequences if a similarly ominous scenario of fractured ideals that happened during Lincoln’s time reappeared due to MAGA” takeovers with “Fascist” political intentions? Would such extremists obtain power to rule local, federal and state government operations uncontrollably at will? Would such new leaders thus be considered above the law? While under such conditions of tyranny’s presence, what groups of people would be persecuted with such fair and equal application of the law lacking? 

I thus invite you to carefully read a one paragraph excerpt below from that historic talk which revealed Lincoln’s timely advice about what American Democracy should mean for “ALL” in future generations.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S LYCEUM SPEECH WORDS

“Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of seventy -six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor;–let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character of his own, and his children’s liberty.”

So in this critical election time, a “trillion dollar” question emerges. Are Americans willing to preserve democracy in 2024 in the face of rising threats to our longstanding Constitutional framework? Click on the link below to obtain a more extensive discussion of this important topic. Take a look as well at some authentic newspaper clipping at the end of this blog which depict realistic scenes of slavery’s stain on American values from which Mr. Lincoln addressed about on that historic day.

BLOG SOURCE

https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/lyceum.htm

HISTORIC NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS

How would you describe a great passion affecting you throughout your entire life?

“The power is between your ears. The power is in your heart.” (Jim Brown)

Think back to your entire life and try to identify some events that have driven you to unconditionally embrace the “ups and downs” of your human condition. Recall those unforeseen past events that popped up to inspire thoughts of happiness while alternatively noticing those times of adversity that most shaped the strength of your heartfelt soul. With 2024 soon to arrive, what expectations could you also make that this source of inner and/or outer driven passion would remain a strong motivator of your decision making process? In my case, it’s vital to express the importance of being a fanatical Cleveland Browns supporter throughout my entire life. So allow me to cite a few reasons why this violent game of NFL football played by a team with a little elf insignia made such a “big deal” to me?

It started in my childhood in Northeast Ohio, when I attended my first Browns game at the cavernous arena of old Cleveland Stadium. On this momentous day, a young fullback named Jim Brown moved his sleek body around the football field seemingly with little effort as opposing defenders failed to tackle him on numerous occasions. When they did manage to bring him down, he’d slowly rise from the ground with little emotion and return to the huddle to produce his next spectacular run. You might imagine then the lesson impressed upon on my curious mind that day to work hard in life with solitary determination to succeed.

So when I moved to South Florida as a teenager, my heart longed for this former hometown team, the Cleveland Browns, one of my only living connections to a happy childhood past in this city. I tried out for the high school football team being undersized, yet aspired to be the next gifted wide receiver like Paul Warfield or Gary Collins. I attended winning Miami Dolphins games at times stubbornly wearing the latest Cleveland Browns hat and jersey attire. I vigorously collected mounds of statistics about my favorite Browns players like Bernie Kosar and Ozzie Newsome before “Fantasy Football” play online ever existed.

It also happened in my freshman year of college at the University of South Florida that I fortunately met my future wife Ruth in the dorms during the inaugural showing of “Monday Night Football”. How coincidental it seemed then that my beloved Cleveland Browns were playing the New York Jets when I met this girl from Long Island who actually liked football. For I could definitely “blather” to her at length about my Browns passion and she would willingly listen. As time went on, her cousin would move to Cleveland, marry an avid Browns fan and whereupon graciously open up new opportunities for me to visit my former hometown for fun yet challenging Browns game experiences. In this regard, I vividly recall enduring zero weather conditions with her during a Browns double overtime playoff win and walking miles to the stadium to see a Monday night game thriller.

When the Cleveland Browns unceremoniously left town to become the Baltimore Ravens in 1995, I sadly mourned not having a team to follow. Three years of personal loss would follow until a new Browns team would return to Cleveland in 1999. Unfortunately, my passion for the Browns would again be severely tested as this latest franchise version failed miserably throughout a twenty three year period. Over this time, I would witness a losing team led by thirty six different quarterbacks and numerous head coaches fired. Yet I could not “shake thoughts” of a winning tradition of Browns football forty years past and remained stubbornly loyal to the team by vicariously watching many of their games on TV throughout the struggle. Taking advantage of a more flexible time schedule in early retirement, I would also travel overseas to witness a Browns game in Tottenham, England. 

In December, 2023, my Cleveland Browns fortunes suddenly turned for the better. A seasoned quarterback with championship game experience named Joe Flacco who’d previously posted an 18-3 winning record versus the Browns was brought in to play for them at the end of this season. Four straight wins later, the Browns now qualified for the 2023 NFL playoffs. With an elite leader at QB, a top notch defense and a savvy front office, this latest version of the Browns has a legitimate chance to play in the coveted Super Bowl for the first time in the team’s illustrious history. Do you think my toleration of so much emotional pain and suffering for this team has been worth it? You bet it has!

“Things take the time they take. Don’t Worry.” (Mary Oliver)

What practical ways can one use to “gear down” to the natural pace of wild nature?

Continue reading “Feeling My Caribbean Crawl” →

How does the Caribbean island flow of life appeal to you?

“Such a natural mystic, blowing through the air.” (Bob Marley)

If I could summarize in two words what best describes why Caribbean cruising appeals to me, I’d utter strongly “Go Natural.” For I cope with so many others each day at home in South Florida in what I call unnatural survival confusion. How refreshing then that our first stop in Falmouth Bay, Jamaica seemed to be the ideal antidote in the tropics to reassess such an urban crisis of the mind.

Consider then how this beautiful island shrowded by “Blue Mountain” mysteries and lonely Caribbean shorelines evokes for me a much calmer state of mind. Or perhaps, it’s my admiration for the chosen dialect of many “locals” who speak in plain talk about making life less complicated than it is. Such common phrases as “No Problem”, Ya Mon”, and “Bless Up” thus resonate with me as a way to simplify decision making, worry less and just be myself at all time. Under such casual circumstances, I struggle less understanding for instance why in Jamaica a popular Catholic Church lies next to a beer factory, to what extent looking black or white matters, or how risky it might be to try natural herbs from the jungle to ease pain in my aching knees.

Perhaps most of all, the issue of unity comes to mind when I reflect on Jamaica’s authentic influence on my life. For as I gaze wondrously at how life here flourishes with so much diversity of plant, animal, and humankind here, isn’t it more natural then for us to similarly co–exist peacefully in “One Love” as Bob Marley once uttered in a soulful reggae song? Enjoy my latest photos.

When life gets boring, what can you do to change this perspective?

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes including you.”(Anne Lamott)

Have you given much thought lately about how to deal with those idle times in travel when you just feel really bored? What are you usually doing for example during those potentially long wait times at the gate when your flight takeoff’s been noticeably delayed? Or what about those seemingly endless sea days on cruises when there’s nothing but ocean to surround your view? Furthermore, does your attention span drift off in dullness as you sit in a car as a driver or passenger too long each day on road trips?

Maybe it’s time then to “shake matters up” a bit during such frustrating slowdowns and get more creative to productively pass the time. For in fact, a recent poll by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) found that engaging in more feel-good vibes of creative action can directly improve your physical and mental health at anytime.

No, that does not mean you should just text away or chatter with your friends on social media when you’re feeling bored. But what you choose to do creatively as I’ve often found fun to do makes for a more positive handling of these tediously challenging, travel moments.

1. Listen and sing along to the lyrics of some of your favorite radio and streaming enabled songs.

2. Act like a kid again and create simple mind games with words and/or numbers.

3. Draw, doodle or brainstorm in writing about a topic you love.

4. Create something real with your hands like a blossoming paper flower, funky neck pendant or a colorful holiday ornament from scratch.

5. Use silence to inspire short spurts of meditation, visualization, or chanting to quiet your mind chatter.

6. Dial up your favorite podcast to arouse a cathartic release of a laugh, or cry.

7. Playfully interact with animals feeling how they view the present moment.

8. Utilize special effect tools  on your I-Phone Camera to make your photos more visually appealing. 

In my lengthy history of travel, I’ve often found there’s oftentimes nothing to do but wait in potential boredom for a transportation or booking task to proceed. Yet I’ve usually created beforehand a positive mindset strategy to think and act creatively for experiencing these slowdown waiting experiences as the present moment calls. Observe then the creative potential in the following photo set taken from our recent travels.

Share five things you’re good at. (Jet Pack Prompt – 12/4/23)

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose” – (Dr. Seuss)

My current Jet Pack blog primarily features personal recollections of the present moment in travel. So it’s quite clear that the following assets I possess as a person enhance efficient use of my time, energy, and finances where and when I wish to go. So consider the five examples demonstrating these qualities below taken from recent roadtrips. 

Strong Defensive Outlook – As the old adage goes “it’s better to be safe than sorry” when it comes to location time and place. Witness the quick decision, for instance, I once made to evacuate a rustic lodge location when experiencing first sight of a raging wildfire spreading nearby in Granby, Colorado.

Ability to Improvise – For each vacation, I typically consider, various time and distance routing itineraries that can be reasonably accomplished. For example, notice whether a clockwise or counterclockwise plan would have best covered the circled destination items in the map below pre-planned for a recent road trip last year.

Keen Situational Awareness – It’s rarely enough for me to just show up and read about past history as it supposedly happened. For I like to feel the sensation of living those times instead using all of my senses. Notice the awkward heaviness then that I experienced in holding a real musket used in the Revolutionary War period in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Striving For Inner Peace – Wherever I am at home or abroad I prioritize showing up for serenity when I can. In this Northern California photo taken in a friend’s backyard, I could clearly envision this spiritual backdrop as an impetus for my yoga and meditation practice.

Healthful Habits In Travel – Why pack on the pounds as I stay idly in the car on those long road trip vacations? Instead I prefer to take time to get out and about on some walking paths around towns to allow me to make wiser food choices than just eating out all the time. Witness then the variety of healthful choice options I considered then during a visit to a weekly Farmer’s Market in San Luis Obispo, California.

How does one’s dedication to work hard impact your life?

“Most things are more rewarding when you break a sweat to get “um.”
(Matthew McConaughey)

Whenever I think about the boundless freedom offered in this country, I must accordingly consider what degree of “blood sweat, and tears” it took for our ancestors to achieve that objective. You see we are all ultimately immigrants over time when you consider our historic family line of descendants, many of which once crossed vast oceans or challenging land terrains under difficult circumstances to find new life meaning. So it’s nonsensical to me why so many today narrowly define their Americanism in an exclusionary and thus non-multicultural manner. As for myself, I embrace the diversity of South Florida where I live every day knowing that this cultural transition to new life in America to be hard for newcomers to handle.

So with that thought in mind, I suggest taking a close look at immigrant adjustment around your neighborhood. Who’s up early on weekdays making sure that those impressive lawns and shrubbery are shapely cut? Who’s safely driving the public school bus for children on busy highways and maintaining order? Who does your young son or daughter successfully team up with in soccer game play? Who’s running around busily taking orders at your local Mexican or Chinese restaurant? Who’s tediously picking those fresh vegetables and fruits that you love to eat? Who’s patiently attending to the elderly at a nearby senior living center? Who’s carefully drawing blood” at your next physical checkup?

We earned our right to be free. So why not let these hardworking newcomers do the same? Take a look at a few murals from my road trip travels that might offer some hope in moving immigration matters in the right direction.

Describe a past experience in your life that makes you feel best about yourself today?

“Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” (Dr. Seuss)

The idea of traveling seems to be a “second nature” habit with me as I think back to the ease of getting away from my Fort Lauderdale home in various ways. I mean how would you react if you lived in close proximity like me to a major International airport and bustling cruise terminal as well as in close access to several high speed expressways tempting me to move in the northerly direction out of Florida each day? Picture as well my residency in South Florida almost always devoid of seasonal extreme where I can get outside most days in the sunshine to just casually dream of the freedom to play anywhere and anytime I want.

So you might say I feel best about myself during those moments of travel anticipation that I’ve frequently experienced preceding each trip. For whether it’s a cruise, flight, or road trip, my positive attitude soars, thinking in those times of an easy escape from the subtropics into pleasure filled fantasy wherever I will next be. To mark these hopefully informal occasions, I often dress down for comfort as much as possible for ease of departure in a loosely worn lumberjack shirt, matching overalls, and sturdy walking shoes. During these pre- vacation times, it’s reassuring to know as well that our trip returns will become easier,  knowing we have steady condo neighbors nearby, willing to stay in touch with us by phone and take in our mail.

I must admit, however, that the hours before we embark on any of our vacations seem typically busy with packing, finance, and health related decisions to make. But foremost in my mind then, I’m “flying high” just living in the ecstatic moment, knowing that I will soon fulfill my lifelong love of travel again. So as we soon go off our next Caribbean cruise vacation on “Princess” in early December, I hope to share some of this latest excitement with you from Jamaica, The Caymans, Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia when I can.

How do you feel when surrounded by some good books?

“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious ways that you are sorting the wisdom contained in all books through your skin, without even opening them?”

(Mark Twain)

If you like to read, what can be better than coming on down to sunny South Florida to hear your favorite authors read from their most recent books? In doing so, you might even excite yourself further amid the multicultural stew that exists in this ever changing region. I’m talking here about the November 2023 Miami Book Fair, one of the largest gatherings of national and international book exhibitors in the United States.

Know then as former Reading and English professor, I regularly attended this annual event at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus to enhance my teaching efforts with the fair’s timely works of literature to inspire my students to embrace reading books as a lifelong endeavor. I sometimes found time as well to converse “one on one” with authors about their writing works along the “Street Fair” grounds located in the heart of downtown Miami. In addition to  book talk activities, I also found spontaneous excitement in sampling new tastes in international food, witnessing creative performances of art, dance, and music as well as exchanging views with other serious book lovers.

So in the photo set below, check out the lineup of author talks that I attended this past weekend with some brief comments about their featured books.

David Brooks – “How To Know A Person”

The talented writer of New York Times and PBS television fame offered fresh hope through storytelling about how to engage in better conversations with kind regard for others. His timely advice included looking someone in the eye, listening more and posing thoughtful questions in order to see something larger in them to thus provide a better version of ourselves.

Maggie Smith – “You Could Make This Place Beautiful”

Writing this latest collection of poems became a powerful tool for Maggie to overcome her emotional trauma of juggling time as a full time Ohio mother and ambitiously driven writer. This strong stand she stated to overcome her serious depression state then provided  strong support for believing in “why can’t we have it all?

James McBride – “The Heaven on Earth Grocery Store”

With relaxing ease, Mr. McBride spoke about his past experiences working with kids in challenging institutional settings. He noted how these children of “special needs” who somehow managed to survive in such crisis filled environments inspired the chosen characters for this latest book.

Carl Hiasson – “Wrecker”

Mr. Hiasson’s past career as a Miami Herald journalist dictated later on that he’d expend great effort to research the settings and characters of his humorously entertaining novels. In talking candidly with this receptive crowd, he thus revealed some startling insights about how issues of racism, environmentalism, and illicit drug trade during a lengthy stay in Key West, Florida inspired him how to write his latest book.

Dave Barry – “Swamp Story”, Adam Mansbach – “The Golem of Brooklyn”, Ben Purkert – The Men Can’t  Be Saved”

The always satirically funny writer highlighted a three person panel with other humorists that proved to be a “wild wacky, and witty” affair. Imagine each of them cracking jokes about their recent literary efforts centered around scary encounters with python monsters, time traveling chiropractors, and a giant Jewish protector called a “Golem.”

Heather Cox Richardson and Tracy K. Smith – “Democracy Awakening – Notes on the State of America”

The assault on America’s Democracy from a historical perspective sparked interesting conversations between the Heather, the syndicated columnist/History professor and Tracy, an accomplished poetess and English professor then. But most interested me seemed to be their differing views about how their writing efforts came about by either conventionally planning the various writing drafts logically step by step or intuitively shifting to unpredictable immediacy of the present moment.

T.C. Boyle – “Blue Skies”

Just one look at this lanky looking hipster and you can sense he’s all about expressing “anti- establishment” viewpoints about materialistic American society today. So I observed then an emotional talk about his latest “Eco- Thriller” to be a fierce attack on why humans appear unwilling and unable to cope with “climate change” and “global warming”, which he felt would result in the ultimate destruction of our planet.

What nostalgic memories does the onset of autumn happen for you?

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” (Emily Brontë)

One of the most exciting aspects of our U.S. roadtrips happens in places that provide vivid memories of happy times of mine in the past. In this case, our recent Colorado bound roadtrip from Fort Lauderdale happened during the seasonal flow of Autumn’s turn throughout October into early November. You see I’ve lived in perpetually torrid South Florida for so long that simply sighting some colorfully falling leaves in the Rockies or bundling up to enjoy a cool morning of cheerful pregame festivities before a Cleveland Browns football game resonated as a hugely “big deal” for me at the time.

Autumn also happened to be an ideal time on this latest roadtrip occasion for my wife and I to enjoy a noticeable “uptick” in leisurely concert offerings in Louisiana ,Texas , Tennessee and Colorado cities visited along the way. Two vital ways to make these experiences more enjoyable meant booking our concert tickets ahead of time as well as arriving at our motel the day before each “gig” date happened. In such case, we could take our time during daytime hours to sightsee along such interesting highway “stretches” such as the famed Route 66 corridor still surviving in small town prairie land, the “Birth of the Blues” Highway Route 61 following the Mississippi River and the eclectic street car route along the Canal Street corridor in downtown New Orleans.

They’ll be more to come in future blogs describing details about each of the destinations we visited over the last month. As for now, enjoy my  latest photo collection in the authentic spirit of Autumn’s blissful turn.