The lost of Civility and Decorum

I am sadden by the lost of civility and decorum in our society. While this may seem like a trend among the younger generation; it is really a trend across all generations. Lets be honest here, the younger generation learns by example.

Reality tv, political talk shows, and shock jocks on the radio all in a small part make it alright to trash other people. However, the main teachers are the parents. So we stand at a fork in the road and  must decide which road we will take. The one to a less polite society or the one that leads to a society that people can disagree with civility.

It is an individual choice we all must make. No one can make it for us. Which road will you choose to travel? 

Autumn's Enchantment

Autumn’s Enchantment
By
Delbert McGill


As memories of summer’s heat fades into the milky white mist;
With her  mystical fingers she reaches out to caress the leaves;
In shades of red, yellow, gold and brown she  paints the land;

Autumn comes forth like a maiden with a sweet kiss;
Her cool breath bathes and soothes the soul like a herbal tea;
Her gentle laugher cast wind tossed leaves into the sky like sand;

Some men think her an old lady in truth she but an impish child;
Playful and laughing she runs tempting us to join her merry dance;
Her songs take us back to a time long past to our own innocence;

Through wood and glen like deer and rabbits we ran so free and wild;
Her pipes plays a blissful tune until our feverish minds or lost in her chant;
From her temple we smell the drifting fragrance  from rich burning incense;

Lost in some strange fantasia dream we care not for worldly pleasure;
We join together in the enchanted dance of her cunning spell;
With hearts enraptured by mystic songs she weaves our cares away;

© September 16, 2006 By Delbert W. McGill

A Few Words About the Fall

   There are two times of the year that I love and that fall and spring.  Fall like spring is a time of transition.  It is a time where mother nature gives us a show like none other.  It is her last hurrah before winter’s icy hand brings us grey cold skies.  Old man winter has his chilly beauty and youthful summer array’s himself like a proud peacock.  Spring in her innocence walks about arrayed in hues of color
.
   Where Spring is an innocent maiden, fall is an impish enchantress weaving her spell of playful seduction.  She gives us time to pause and to reminisce on youth follies and good times with family and friends.  In her finery of yellow, gold, orange and red we see in her a time to give thanks and a time to laugh at our childhood fears of ghosts and goblins.  We think of harvest moons and bonfires.  We reminisce of high school homecomings and English essays.  We reminisce of our new clothes and the new notebooks that would soon be covered by doodles.

   We think of the fall painted mountains in the distance.  She is made of joys and pleasures, sorrows and regrets, combined in the mystical dance of life.  She is all this and more.  This playful enchantress whose spell holds us firm in her gentle hands.

   So as you stop to contemplate on her mysteries remember she is here all too briefly before old man winter chases her away.  Enjoy her while you can and follow her in dance.

© September 17, 2007 By Delbert McGill

Dale's Musings on Reality TV

When Reality TV Invades Real Life.

     I am a fan of the shows Survivor and Big Brother. The current season of Big Brother has been one of backstabbing and lying which is par for the course.  But one contestant has had it affect their  real life.
    A facebook page has been started about them.  The contestant’s place of business has been emailed and threats have been made toward her family. This was because they helped to get out one of the more popular players.
     People, these shows are just games and the people that play them are not like they are shown on tv. In real life they are no different from you or me.  The response by some fans of the show only reenforces the fact that our society has become less civil. Somewhere we have lost the arts of civil and polite discourse and I don’t know where are when.
     We need to relearn those fine arts and teach them to our children. We need to realize that maybe these types of games do not show the best attributes of people that are playing them. If they were then no one would watch them. Those of you that are angry need to step back and if you can’t contain your emotions you need to stop watching.

Musings from a middle age mind.

Remember when you could go outside at night and see millions of stars? Or when seeing an Jet flying overhead was a rarity? What about laying on the lawn and looking at the shapes of clouds and trying figure figure out what they reminded you off? Now you are lucky if you see only the brightest stars, don't want to see a jet at all but at least the clouds are still there.

Why do we need street lights? What useful purpose do they serve? I mean really they burn electricity. Electricity that comes most likey from either coal or natural gas. Which creates co2 that is one of the causes of climate change.

The same thing with stores that have lights on after they are closed. Or  a many other things we think we need but actually don't. When I was a boy we didn't even have central air or heating. We got along just fine.

Now I have allergies from all kinds of pollen that never even bother me when I was a little kid growing up in rural Union City Ga. We were surrounded by 50 acres of sage straw. Another 20 acres of pine, hickory and oak covered land that during spring and summer I played in. Never once did I get a sniffle or a headache.

Now I'm not saying that central heating/air are the cause but it is interesting that when we started staying inside most of the time that allergies have increased. However, then so have the number of people.  So who's to say one way or another.

What I am getting at is that maybe we just need to take a personal inventory of our stuff and see what we really can do without.  Not sayin' get rid of them but just do it to place things in perspective. We clutter our lives with both material and mental junk and need to clear that stuff out of the way.

Thanks for your time and patience.

Dale

(c) July 23, 2011 by Delbert McGill and Dale's Musings.