Rise and fall. A lesson of how history....... repeats itself?

   About this time each year I attempt to clear out some of my books, packing up older ones  and putting  new titles in their place. This usually happens every year and because I do this each year, for me, history does repeat itself.
   I have a number of history books and as I cull through the collection, often I will get distracted by titles or topics.
   One of the courses I took in college was entitled the "Rise of Western Civilization”, not really an exciting course, especially  because it was taught on  Saturday mornings. But I came across the text  was used in class, a thick, heavy book....lots of words.
   Much of the history of western civilization has deep roots in  Roman history. As I paged through the text,  I was attracted to the section that discussed the reasons for the rise of the Roman Empire and the suggested reasons for its decline, as offered by famous historians.
   Many will claim  the Roman Empire never really fell, only that it adapted to a changing world.  But few who study history will deny the numerous attempts of other nations and cultures to overthrow  the 'glory days' of Rome.  Perhaps it was not the attacks by others who caused the 'fall,',  but  the Roman people themselves. Not being around in 476 A.D. makes it difficult to personally observe the reasons, but as I reviewed the explanations in the text, there were some strikingly sharp and frightening similarities to today's society.
   The introduction of lead pipes to the water system, replacing the old aqueduct system had a severe  negative impact upon the health and welfare in the Empire.  Even today, lead is still a poison with impact upon the safety and welfare of  society. What scientific discoveries today, for the good of  mankind, will have the potential to kill us in the future? Some claim the push toward the use of nuclear energy may be the next great health disaster. Or will it be  wind turbines?
   Civil wars and internal conflicts sapped the strength of the Empire. Although it has been 150 years since our Civil War, perhaps the U.S. attempt to keep peace around the world has sapped our strength to improve our quality of life.
   Abandonment of old beliefs, religious and/or political, led to confusion and unrest. The moral strength of the Empire became compromised and questioned. While beliefs and ideals  change over time as society changes, an orderly transition in imperative in an effort to avoid chaos.
   At its peak of world power, Rome encouraged the practice of birth control, leading to a decline in its population.  Birth control was also seen as a tool to reduce sexually transmitted diseases, spreading out of control, the result of a society that had lost its moral and religious compass.
   Political misdirection and politics played a major role in the 'fall of Rome'. Failure to have a workable constitution and with a government controlled in large part by a small, rich aristocracy and with 'liberal thinking' rulers, created a tremendous drain on the financial and political resources of the  once rich and wealthy Empire. And under the weight of a vast and expanded bureaucracy, the government found itself unable govern effectively .
   Easy living and a population that became lazy destroyed the belief that hard work and commitment would lead to a strong and effective society. It was the world's first real confrontation with the negative impact of 'too much welfare' in a society.
   The flow of gold and other riches away from the Empire to pay for luxury items, items with no real personal value, was one of the final 'nails in the economic coffin', preventing the Empire from ever regaining its world economic leadership.
   Now, I am not saying that history ever repeats itself, but there are some lessons that could be learned here. I realize that it is not 476 A.D. and the world has changed. My question is...how much have we really changed? (Perhaps I should have stayed awake in class more, even though it was  Saturday morning, I could answer that question.)

Have you ever noticed....

   There are a number of things going on in the world that we probably never notice or just take them for granted as the way we live our lives today. This is not a judgment, only an observation. But it does and maybe should cause a renewed awareness in certain human behaviors, although I believe many of the larger companies have already done their studies and are well aware of 'how' people behave and live and do things to supports these behaviors.

   Have you ever noticed the number of people who light up a cigarette within just a few seconds of exiting a store, especially a grocery store. They barely get outside and already have taken a couple of “good deep drags” often followed by a cough or two ('good' is not used in a positive context here). And after loading the groceries into the car, they drop the half smoked cigarette on the ground. Some will stamp it out while others just let it burn. What an expensive waste of money, but I am sure the cigarette companies don't mind and I am also convinced the person who drops the cigarette has never smoked in the car  before!?!?

   Similarly, there are many who will “light up” just before going into the store, take a puff or two and dispose of the cigarette in one of those oddly shaped plastic “butt holders” often place near the entrance. Have you noticed the color of the plastic disposal containers? They are usually either gray or a 'pinkish' color. No message here, just an observation on my part.

   Moving on, there is no question in my mind the cell phone has changed the world, changed human behavior and will continue to do so as the technology continues to grow and expand. ( I am waiting for the day the cell phone will be able to do a 'full body transport' from one location to another. Don't laugh! )

   As I took the dog out this morning, shortly before 7:00AM, three cars passed, each with the driver talking on their cell phone. What ever happened to the concept of “hands free”? All managed to wave as they passed by. “Good morning all!” Let's see,,,one hand holding the phone, one hand waving to me and …..who's got the wheel?

   I will admit that my cell phone etiquette could use a 'make-over', but to watch others can be almost comical, especially the teenagers.

   In a recent trip to a clothing store I noticed a young girl was sending a friend pictures of the jeans she was purchasing. The jeans, 5 pairs of them, were all lined up in a row. I am assuming it was a friend. Come to think of it, it may have been her mother although, I doubt it! The person on the other end of the connection must have given approval as the girl raced off to pay the cashier and check out.

   There is a warning about..”casting the first stone” and I admit that I have not always demonstrated to best cell phone behavior, When was the last time you were in sitting in a restaurant with others close by. I am referring to a real restaurant, not the fast food type. There are so many different and unique ring tones and email and text alerts that it can often get pretty noisy. But, I'll admit it. I have check my phone on occasion, but I had good reason. Let's see! What excuse can I use this time?

   I do like having the ability to take a quick picture with the phone though, and I am learning that I can take the picture and send it to my computer at home. Beats taking the film out of the camera and waiting for days to get the pictures back only to discover they are all fuzzy or out of focus.

   By the way, unless you are someone famous, please don't ask me to be in a 'selfie'. I don't do 'selfies'!, although I might consider one with the Boston Red Sox.

   Have you noticed the people who walk by the candy display in the store, tear open a package of candy, take several pieces and put the bag back on the shelf. I am not talking about children here, I am referring to the number of adults, popping one or two into the mouth and then a couple more in a pocket or purse. If I were the store owner, I might consider moving the candy display closer to the door and checkout,

   It's late in the evening, just after dusk. Small towns in Maine tend to have just one or two traffic lights, if any at all.. As you approach the light, it changes from green, to yellow and red. You quickly look around. No other cars in the area. Do I stop or... if it's safe... should I keep going?
   No one but me will ever notice.      :)

                           

                                                

Beneath the melting snow....

   Revealed beneath the melting snow from this year's long, cold winter are the joys and sometimes the 'wrath' of Mother Nature. We are well into the month of April and while other regions of the country have experienced the warmth of the sun and the blossoms of the early springtime flowers, this has been a long winter for us. It has only been the past few days that it has actually felt like springtime has finally arrived with temps getting into the high 40's and low 50's. But finally, even in the dark and quiet of the night, one can hear the water from the melting snow on the roof trickle to the ground and perhaps by the end of the week, the snow on the roof will be completely gone.

   As the snow melts, small patches of grass dot the yard. But in the back yard, protected from the sun by some very tall trees, the snow is still well over a foot deep. The good news is that as it continues to melt, it will help to fill the backyard 'frog ponds' . Here's hoping the frogs, buried deep in their muddy winter homes, survived the winter's cold and ice.

   Along with the spots of green scattered about are spots of brown. But, I'll pass on that discussion and just go get a shovel and start to clean them up.

   Beneath the bird feeders is a hefty collection of bird seed and already the squirrels and chipmunks have done a pretty good job of cleaning up after themselves. They are not afraid to warn Lucky to 'stay away' if he is out in the yard and while he attempts to chase them up the closest tree, they continue to chatter back at him.

   And speaking of Lucky, he has rediscovered several of his missing toys, buried deeply in the snow, left outside just before our first major winter storm.

   I have come to the conclusion that Mother Nature has her own method of pruning and clearing the dead branches from the trees. It's called 'the wind” and we certainly had our share of wind this year. The result was more drops of limbs and branches than I can remember in many years. And there were also a few trees that fell too, fortunately in the direction away from the house. Once the snow is completely gone, it's going to take a bit of time cleaning up this year

   Walking across portions of the remaining snow that still covers the ground, the layers of ice under the snow crack and break. There appears to have been a 2-3 inch layer of ice coating the ground before the heavy snows hit, and the sooner it melts, the better it will be for any surviving grass.

   It is interesting to follow the little tunnels beneath the ice and snow. I assume they are the result of the “under snow” network set up by the the various critters seeking out food and safe haven. There is a rather large tunnel opening just below the bird feeder in front of the living room window and often a chipmunk will peek out of the opening before venturing farther toward the food supply making sure the big black dog is not within sight.

   Along the edge of the house, next to the foundation where the sun has melted the snow and warmed the ground, some of the early spring flowers are beginning to break the muddy surface and before long should be in bloom.

   The streets and driveway are coated in sand and reports are that local towns and cities used more sand and salt this year than in recent years. It was a bad year for ice and it will be interesting to see the damage that may have occurred to the plants and shrubs.

   One of the ways I keep track of the snow level is by checking in on my 'rock people”' the sentinels stationed around the yard. It has only been this past week most have popped their heads above the snow and it won't be long before they all will be basking in spring and summer sun.
    But for now, we'll just let Mother Nature stick to her own time table and her way of bringing things back to life... from beneath the melting snow. 

                            One of the several sentinels emerging from the snow!

* Several days have passed since I wrote this earlier in the week. With 60 degree weather, it is amazing how much snow has melted and with the exception of  just a couple of sections of the yard, we are pretty much snow free, the first time since December. May Spring really is here.!!!

Andy Griffith meets Dr. Phil...

   After the morning news shows, daytime television leaves a great deal to be desired. But then, most people are working and the audience during the day is probably much like me, retired or currently out of work or..... skipping work to watch the Red Sox. After all, earlier this week was the opening day of the 2014 baseball season

   Often after a brief post-lunch nap, I  awake to the theme song from The Andy Griffith Show. The first time this occurred, I thought I might have been dreaming, but that was not the case. The Andy Griffith Show appears to be part of the mid-afternoon ( retiree) TV lineup.

   Now to remember the Andy Griffith Show you have to be of a certain age, have lived and survived the 60's, remember when the only colors on the television screen were black, white and different shades of gray, (no, not the book!) and if you didn't have an antenna fastened to the chimney of your house you had something called 'rabbit ears, sitting atop the television set and if the reception was really poor even after moving them around a bit, you might wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the antenna tips.

   I rediscovered the Andy Griffith reruns from the 1960's several months ago and I must admit, it brought back some memories, not only about the show, but also the decade. At the time I was finishing high school and getting ready to go off to college and 'too cool' to watch the show. I thought it “pretty lame,” a small town police chief, a bumbling deputy  named Barney, an aunt named Bea and young kid named Opie. (I have since run across many  Opie's out there in the world.)

   I  learned after spending a bit of time watching several of the reruns, there may have been  subtle messages about life, more than just the down home flavor of growing up in Mayberry. Andy was able to guide and direct the characters of the show through many of life's simple but important lessons, lessons often overlooked today.

   In a recent episode rerun, Barney becomes upset and jealous when a local farmer from the outskirts of town attempts to woo his longtime girlfriend, Thelma Lou, away in order to propose marriage to her. As a hardworking farmer, he needed a wife to cook, clean and keep the house neat. . Enraged as Barney was able to get in his squeaky high pitched voice, he challenges the farmer to a fight. But Andy and Aunt Bea eventually intervene and bring peace and understanding to both. The farmer learns a few of life's lessons about about dating and finding a wife and Barney learns the importance of love and relationships.

   Fast forward to 2014. Barney and the farmer are working out their differences on the Dr. Phil Show.
    I am not a big fan of Dr. Phil and I am glad there are other, more family friendly shows, available at the same time. I find him often arrogant and obnoxious, rude and coming across as a know-it-all. For the sake of what the television networks consider a good television show, I often wonder just how real some the issues are that people are willing to discuss on national TV and... are the topics really appropriate for television or a public airing, especially when the kids are still awake.

   While Andy and Aunt Bea worked to teach Barney and the farmer lessons in dating, I suspect Dr. Phil would have taken a far more aggressive approach, having them square off on stage, look back into their family background and cry or get angry, study their failed relationships with parents and who knows what else.

   It is hard to determine if the outcome would have been the same with both sitting there on the stage, cameras running. But as I continue to watch some of the reruns of The Andy Griffith Show, I have concluded that there may have been more to the show than I originally thought. Even in the 1960's, many of the problems the folks of Mayberry faced were not that much different than today and perhaps the show was just a bit ahead of its time. And Andy's style? It seemed to work just fine back then. I know  it was only television entertainment back then, but so is Dr. Phil!
   I'm  not saying that Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) was the Dr, Phil of the 60's in Mayberry, but it might be fun to see them go head to head on national TV today, each with their own unique style.