Food for Thought

I don't know about you, but I receive at least one, and on busy days, two or three, of these emails a day. You know the ones I'm talking about. They're either political in nature, depending on the preconceived notion of the sender concerning my philosophical leanings, or they're inspirational. If they're of the political bent they will cannibalize the liberal or conservative agenda and-or the candidates who lionize the virtue of each cause in the upcoming elections. If inspirational-well they will make you bow your in head in shame if you don't pass on the words of love, inspiration and religious teaching to every innocent in your address book-amen, brother. Some of these emails have been passed around the Internet world at least twenty times and that's about the time I quit counting. At one time I kept a running tally just to see how many times I received the same inspirational or patriotic article. I kept this up until my Outlook Express program threatened to crash and burn.

I'm an old man. Not much I say or do is going to have an effect or impact, no more so than that of a pebble dropped in a still pond. Chances are there won't be anyone around to hear the slap of the tiny rock on the water's surface. Let's not waste time wondering who might be witness to the weakening ripple that laps its tired tongue against the muddy bank. Those of my dear and beloved friends still kicking and technologically articulate enough to own and operate a computer are, for better or worse, the receivers and senders of most of the emails to which I refer. These people, whom it has been my honor and privilege to call friend for so many years, have known me to be slightly to the right of Ghengis Khan when describing my political philosophy. Of course, those were the years when I still had the fire burning hot and righteously in my belly. Those were the post Kennedy Camelotian days. (The one Democrat I voted for and for whom I shed a tear during his inaugural speech and again at his funeral procession).