PATHS AND TAKING STOCK

     There comes a time when one must stop and take stock, run an inventory. Part of that is to think about the paths we have chosen or which seem to have kind of grown on us and whether we are satisfied with it. This is good for an individual as well as for a nation, or in fact, any political entity or organization. It is why there is often a routine look at the mission statements of groups.
     The most important group which needs a mission statement renewed and revitalized is the United Nations. Frankly, right now it is a waste of time. Its troops do nothing to help people to safety upon being attacked or they themselves have caused harm to the country in when they are stationed. The troops sent to Haiti after the earthquake just about added a second layer of devastation when they gave it the "gift" of cholera! And then people choose to pick on the Clinton Foundation because it did not do enough!!!! Seriously? Sometimes I think that G-d Himself finds Haiti to be too much, even for Him. In any case, I am finding myself on empty when it comes to the UN which has its various groups mostly composed of violators of human rights who then pick on certain countries in the most hypocritical manner. So much for the UN and its chosen path.
     What about individual countries? Well, think  about the path that Russia has chosen and why anyone is surprised is beyond me. The history of Russia is that it never works unless there is a strict dictator or dictatorial system in charge. From the Czars to the Soviets to Putin, any time when there was an attempt at democracy it was weak, doomed to an early death and its criminal structure is so interwoven with its governmental structure, with a flexible definition of criminals and criminality, so interwoven that I daresay that improvement is beyond achievement at this point. Not a good path for them - nor for the world and certainly not for America.
     Countries are loath to choose proper and strong paths for their national existence and definition. Instead, the government officials, the main political parties, have run scared in the face of challenges, allowed smaller, more extreme parties to flourish and once more we have the rise and strong growth of right wing and left wing parties of the extreme ends of the scale and the major parties give in and refuse to stand up to them. So what do we get? We get a scene at UCL (a university) in England where the group of people inside, listening to a speaker from Israel, was mobbed by a screaming horde of shouting, screaming and physically threatening semi humans meaning to attack in any and all ways and the kids inside and the adults inside had to be escorted by police thru the crowd in order for them to get out safely. And the administration? Oh, they are investigating if there indeed was such a happening!! Paths again, paths chosen and for sure, the wrong paths.
    Robert Frost must be wondering why people do not read his poem about paths and the one not chosen. In fact, any poet or philosopher thru the ages must be rolling over in their graves, wondering where and how the human race has gone off track, lost its way and found itself in such a position as now.
     As for our country, we have a sexual predator running for president, a woman who has been badgered and belittled for her ambitions, for her determination and for the faults of her husband. "She should have controlled him" is what I heard yesterday. Really!! What should she have done?Sealed his zipper? Washed out his mind? Given him hormones to defuse him? Instead, she took a deep breath, made a difficult decision and got on with life and for that she is blamed. Her mistakes in life have been viewed under a Hubble telescope and innuendos have come forth like the high tide.
     The country and its citizens have gone berserk. The shouts of hatred, the threats and the statements, including from a US Senator who suggested that perhaps someone should shoot Clinton, the anti immigration venomous statements, the virulent statements of poisonous anti Semites, now the torching of religious institutions - where and how have we become so lost, gone so far down the wrong paths and more important, how do we get back on the right one? Trump supporters are threatening, like Third World dictators, to lock up Clinton should she lose the election (G-d forbid). They are threatening to punish her in every way possible and shut her down if she wins (please make it so!) and thus their responsibility to the country, to finally have a functioning one wherein the Republican party finally remembers that they are Americans first and then somewhere way down the line, Republicans, well, where is that path?.
     And over here, in our own little insignificant corner of the world, we still have the money rules way of life, the over development of the area, the exceptions made for developers and the threatened Reflection Bay development right next to us, not only a massive residential area, but also to include retail properties, huge multi story garages unlike any in the surrounding areas, and dense building within its borders. The questions of contaminated dust with poisons floating thru the air, coating the surfaces of the Village and the lungs of the residents, the question of proper drainage, the blatant violation of perpetuity, of the rights of those who bought on the golf course borders, the lies - all count for nothing to the Commissioners as Waldman gets his way, along with a vicious attitude of now I'll show them!
     The individuals who have taken on roles of rulers of the Village and I mean that seriously as they rule over all, cutting out all who oppose, all who would think and ask questions, allow a paper to be run by semi senile editors - these people have abdicated their responsibility towards the Village residents and allowed Levy and WPRF to run rampant over us all. For example - replacement versus repair - capital improvement versus repair - quite a simple choice there and yet here we are, scheduled to pay about one million dollars to REPLACE the AC system in the Clubhouse - not repair it - and yet where is David Israel who evidently has been elevated to the ranks of Galileo and Jackie Robinson - and any other names wish to be included- excuse me while I regurgitate! SO where is he - I dunno. Contemplating his navel in his hidey hole, thinking of benefits he can get or how to strengthen his control even more, wonder about why he is becoming Public Enemy #1 within the Village? Well, I dunno, so let's go find the Shadow for maybe he knows. Or Levy? Or Eva and let us pose hard questions and let us get the thoughts of true lawyers and not Tennyson, puppet on a string of David Israel.
     So finally the paths for individuals. As I look back at the trail behind me I am somewhat surprised at the effect I have had on others, on the friends I have made, at the thoughts I have verbalized and at the influence I have had on others throughout my life. Perhaps I would or should have made different decisions were I to do it all over again but perhaps not. Does it make sense to sacrifice a more secure retirement for doing the right thing or was that a foolish decision? Are we satisfied with our kids and now the grandchildren? Oh yes, on that one but you know, it was not easy or always smooth, but evidently the paths we chose, though sometimes lost in the overgrowth, those paths were found again and well , they proved to be the right ones. Mistakes were made and had to be dealt with, and challenges were there as well.
     I have tried to stay on the good paths but sometimes have wandered a bit astray. Time and time again I try to ignore the ignorant and their ridiculous statements, but I admit, difficult to do, so when the same ones make the same statements and they are just so dumb, or so blind, or so erroneous and the temptation to take them down, well.....sorry, but I am human.
     The path not taken, the paths not taken? Well, we will never know, but we need to look at the ones we are on right now and think. It has been often said that we, or an individual, would go to the ends of the earth for a friend or a loved one or for a principle or belief. Well, great, but how does one get there, to the ends of the earth? What paths does one choose and how does one make sure that it is indeed the correct paths? Heavy responsibility and remember - the butterfly theory of life so our little decisions can and do have larger consequences. So walk, walk straight and proud and decisively but always with a sometime look back and a reevaluation, an inventory moment. Good for the soul.