Quite frankly, I am really worried about the state of the American people. People just don’t seem to be normal anymore. Just go out into any public place, and you are sure to see what I mean.

Where is truth and honesty? The Bible says that a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.

“Just do your own thing”, has been the prevailing cry for decades now, and I think we are beginning to reap the harvest from this attitude. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of good people around, but I fear they are now the minority.

Most of it is hidden. You can’t see the lies beneath the smile, or the devious plans they have in their heart.

I am sick of lies and evil plans of destruction. And don’t even get me started on fidelity!

Do we really have to try to destroy anyone that gets in the way of our supposed happiness and goals? What ever happened to “The Golden Rule”-Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Now instead we have, “Do unto them before they they can do it to you”. How our morals have changed!

In the work place, you will see people who have one set of conduct for the work place, and another for their personal life. And don’t you dare try to challenge them on it or they will see that you pay dearly. I don’t know about you, but I’m still the same person when I get home from work that I was when I was there. I still have to live with myself either way.

I know I am “old fashioned” and don’t “know where it is at”. And quite frankly, I don’t want to know. I use to be quite happy living in my ignorance; thinking that people were basically good and honest and that truth always won out in the end. Where did my innocence go, and how do I get it back?

Our first big holiday of the summer is coming up, and although I have to work I hope all of you get to get out and enjoy it. A lot of people are going on their first “camp out” of the season. There are so many parks to choose from, I’m sure it is hard just to decide which way to go. As long as you are with friends and family you are sure to have a wonderful time.

But let us first remember those lives who have gone on before us to make our lives better. And give them the honor they deserve.

Love to you all!

After all of these years of using “throw away cameras” I finally went out and purchased a digital camera. And I’ve been having a lot of fun lately taking pictures.

When I take a picture, it is just that. A nice picture. But when someone like Winston Rockwell takes a picture it is art. What separates a person like me enjoying a hobby and someone who can bring a picture to life is not in the ability to take a decent picture. It is a gift. And not everyone has it. That doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy taking pictures. We can all have fun at it. And some of those pictures are treasures to us even if to no one else. You can enjoy taking pictures just for your own personal satisfaction.

I find that I really enjoy the beauty of nature. Who can improve on the things that God made? I’ve also found that I really love old barns and buildings. There is just something about them that appeals to me. I don’t really know why. Maybe it is the thought that there is a story there just waiting to be told. The story of a life that was once lived there, but now forgotten.

Sometimes when I am out cruising the countryside, I will come across an old dilapidated building ravaged by the elements but standing proudly: refusing to give in to time. Maybe I admire that. I am really fascinated by them for what ever reason. Maybe it is just ”Rural America Nostalgia”.

As I go through the countryside snapping away with my new digital camera, I probably won’t ever come away with a masterpiece, but I sure am having fun!

When I went to my last book signing, a lady came by my table and looked at some of my poems. She picked up a copy of The Simple Joys and read it. She then looked at me and asked, “Did you write this on a computer?” When I told her that I had, she said, ” Well, there. See. ” She seemed to think that I was being hypocritical by using a modern convenience to write about the simple life. I beg to differ.

The poem is more a longing for a simpler time and way of life. And an appreciation of the simpler things in life. We don’t always need as much as we think we do.  And although we need money to pay our bills and to live, in the end it is not money that brings us happiness.

Although we use modern day appliances and electronics to make our lives easier, it does not take away from the fact that our lives would be much less complicated sometimes without all of the high tech items our lives revolve around today. I enjoy modern living as much as the next person, but I wasn’t trying to take away from the modern day world that we live in. I only wanted people to appreciate the simpler things in life as well.

The things in life that are pure, and true, and honest. We’ve lost so much of ourselves to society at large. I just wish we could reclaim some of that and remember who we really are and what is really important to us. What really makes us happy. And in the end, I don’t think it is about how many new toys we can acquire. Try to hold onto the things that bring lasting and eternal value. I truly believe that real joy comes from the simple things in life.

That being said, would I wear a diamond ring, or use modern day appliances, or use a computer to make my life easier? You bet your sweet blog I would!