If not now, when?

Ukrainian Wedding
(Leopold Geisbe, 1867)

Office workers getting close to retirement age often ask themselves, “If not now, when?”  If not lounging now, when?  If not traveling now, when?  If not adventuring now, when?

This question seems valid within that situation, but is actually quite valid within any situation.  We never really know when life will retire us, perhaps temporarily, perhaps for good.

This is especially apparent during wartime.  If you were a Ukrainian soldier and/or medic during the current siege, would you hasten to marry the love of your life? Would knowing that death come could before the ceremony is even complete deter you or inspire you?

It seemed to inspire those who participated in a recent Ukrainian wedding.  As Russian drones flew overhead, the medic bride and soldier groom were surrounded by fellow freedom fighters, all of whom echoed their Spirit of, “If not now, when?”

Resources

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/amid-war-ukrainian-soldiers-celebrate-051209001.html

 

Kinda Makes You Wonder

Mercury in 1975
(Public Domain)

While some fans were recently celebrating Freddie Mercury’s would-be 80^th birthday, others were likely wondering what, where and how Freddie himself actually is…

Is he aware of the continued hoopla concerning his former life?  If so, is he touched to the core of his continued being?  Perhaps not.  Perhaps he has already moved on to different realms.  But perhaps he was at these same celebrations, disguised as a dragonfly…

Ah, sweet mysteries of life!  We can hope to know and even think we know, but gray areas remain within the gray matter we often seem stuck in.

Resources

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/dont-stop-them-now-fans-205122351.html 

Drink down!

Back in 1731
(Painting by William Hogarth)

Whereas “Drink up!” used to be a common catchphrase among barroom buddies, “Drink down!” might be more indicative of current American trends.

Gallup recently reported that “only 54% of U.S. adults” are consuming alcohol, the lowest percentage of such that Gallup has ever noted.  Young adults have particularly cut down on alcohol, whereas marijuana consumption has remained largely stable within recent years.

Health warnings linking alcohol to “cancer and heart disease” may be somewhat responsible for this reduction.  “Johns Hopkins University emphasizes that no amount of alcohol consumption is safe, a message that seems to be resonating with the public.”

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-08-20-fewer-americans-drinking-alcohol/

Dolores had Hope

Dolores Hope in 1990
(Public Domain)

Although Dolores Hope had been greatly admired throughout her lifetime, many wondered how – and especially WHY – she so graciously fulfilled the role of Bob Hope’s wife for decades upon decades.

After all, it’s not as though Bob seemed to appreciate her steadfast devotion. To an outsider looking in, he seemed way more enamored with fans – the curvier the better - than with family.

The answer likely lies within the source of Dolores’ strength.  Her love was rooted more in Jesus than in any human being.  As a faithful Catholic, she viewed marriage as a holy sacrament - a relationship to be embraced not only with body and mind, but mainly with Soul.

Her lifelong devotion bore Fruits of the Spirit, not only for her, but also for Bob.  At the end of his long life, as the fanfare faded, he was inspired by Dolores to also embrace Catholicism.  The two of them are buried side by side within the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

Resources

https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/dolores-hope-remembered-for-deep-catholic-faith?redirectedfrom=cna 

Bucket Half Full

(Photo by Wolfgang Sauber)

Although a glass half full seems optimistic, a bucket half full may feel even more so.

Many folks, especially within their elder years, begin focusing upon what they call a “bucket list.”  It consists of things they still wish to experience before kicking the proverbial one.

Not a bad idea, generally…  Yet when it becomes so consuming that the rest of life pales in comparison, some reverse bucketing might be in order.  While tipping life’s bucket backwards, one can begin to feel gratitude, and perhaps even joy, for what has already biographically occurred.  One’s cup may then feel more full than empty.

Psychiatrist Sue Varna therefore advises: “Grab a pen and paper and highlight the moments that [already] brought you joy and made you feel confident and seen.  It only takes 10 minutes.”

Resources

https://www.today.com/health/mind-body/reverse-bucket-list-psychiatrist-explains-rcna593097 

 

Is a little old ant a sentient being?

 

(Photo by Stephen Ausmus)

There’s a well-known song titled “High Hopes” which tells of a “little old ant” that can “think” about moving a rubber tree plant.  Lyricist Sammy Kahn goes on to attribute a capacity for “high hopes” to this very same creature.

Whether an ant can “think” and even “hope” remains debatable, but whether an ant qualifies as a sentient being is becoming way more acceptable. 

In 1991 the Institute for Medical Ethics (IME) drew up a list of criteria for sentience that has been instrumental in establishing animal welfare policies.  This list includes the following: receptors sensitive to noxious stimuli, behavioral follow-ups to avoid such pain, plus receptivity to analgesics. 

Anyone who’s tried to noxiously discourage an army of invading ants could affirm the presence of these IME criteria within the ants’ responses!  Add a version of “High Hopes” to the mix as they desperately flee from human attacks…

 

Resources

https://academic.oup.com/book/57949/chapter/475704868#workid-UKAC0026318-book-part-17-boxed-text-1

Getting a Word in Edgewise

(Public Domain)

There are medicalized labels for all sorts of tendencies these days.  The heretofore “blabby motormouth” is now said to be a “conversational narcissist.”  (Discerning readers are likely wondering which is worse…) 

Suggested remedies are as plentiful as silver-tongued pronouncements, and HuffPost has plenty of both.  If you’re caught between a loquacious rock and a verbose hard place, here are some of its esteemed pointers: stay in touch with your own feelings as they’re arising, try not to take the situation too personally, recall the speaker's better tendencies, empathetically communicate when you feel the need to talk, and set an internal limit on how long you will continue with this one-sided pattern. 

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/how-to-deal-with-a-conversational-narcissist/