THE TIME IN BETWEEN

      Think about it. As I sit here and wait for information to come up, or for thoughts to coalesce, it is the time in between that is probably the most important and productive. When one sits and daydreams, one is thinking, creating and I always used to tell parents that it was okay for kids to daydream at times. Perhaps it was a theme, or a logical fact, or a burst of scientific understanding, or a creative thought - whatever, but daydreams and the times in between are the impetus for the hopefully forward movement of mankind. Unfortunately these times could also be the growth of nastiness and hatred, as remember the time Hitler spent in prison where and when he wrote his blueprint for horror, Mein Kampf.
     We need to encourage positive thought among ourselves and certainly in our chidren. Reward them for good ideas, for thinking positively, for coming up with solutions. All work and no play does not only make for a dull person, but for a dull and deteriorating world.
     Notice what happens when we jerk react, when we jump in without any forethought. It usually results in a huge load of trouble, trouble which could have been avoided if we had taken the time for the in between time. It gives us more time to understand the other, the situation we are in, and a good exit or step up or down, whatever is needed.
     When we do not make good use of this in between time, we lose a precious part of life. It gives no one the time to think, to laugh, to say aha! It gives no time for creativity and instead encourages a lock step mentality and that, my friends, is just no good, not good at all. 
     Lock step leads to gangs, to the acceptance of the strong man or woman who can lead and influence and give one an easy way for life - just follow and do not think. Just obey. Just follow orders and we all know what that means.
     Do not think that this only occurs in other countries and not in yours. Thinkof all the dictator wannabes in the world and then think of your own government, its orientation and the last time you sincerely and deeply looked into it, dreamed and thought about it and had some good thoughts. But then, did you act upon them? The thinking time, the in between times, need action as well.
     Now, my fellow Americans ( as it usually goes) think about our country. For too long we have lost the in between advantages. For some reason there appears to be a cult of nastiness and fear, of hatred and cultivation of power, of the courage to speak out the truth only when one is shoved out of the club. Then one can think back and evaluate what had just happened. It is then that one realizes that he had given up his all, his morality, his decency, his caring for others, all for the sake of power and a possible reflection of the leader's whatever to cover him as well.
     But we cannot only blame this leader, this twisted leader, for we must shoulder some of the blame. We get blinded by what is now permitted, to say awful things, to do horrendous deeds and then get excused, defended, or worse, praised. One can be cruel in an officially empowered position and it is the we in that situation which allows this to go on. If we all stood up and said enough! we could stop it all. We could use the in between time to think of better ways and methods, ways and means that were humane and favorable for growth in a positive manner.
     Think now, while waitng for whatever is next on your daily agenda. Think of the lock step paralysis we now have in our government, wherein people are afraid to speak out, march to the orders of a madman, an incapable, inefficient, corrupt, demented person who is a clear and present danger to himself, to us, to the country and the world. A man who frolics with our enemies, reveals secrets with his stupidity, imagines himself perhaps in the togas of the Caesars, who caters to the uber wealthy and to the base, the basest of the base at that. He has managed to take uncertainty in the world and turn it on its head and convinced some people that government by cruel twitterings is the way to go. His executive time is TV watching, Fox at that, though it seems there is some friction there - at last!
     He has no in between times and hence his backtracking, his outright lies and his ignorance and base hatreds. So, if he has none, it is incumbent upon us to have ours, to insure we take them and get the best out of them.
     Today, as so many of my readers face danger and disaster due to weather, or because they are of a sect or religion that displeases others, or running from threats and hopelessness, while waiting, while watching, perhaps one can think and take courage as others think as well. Put some  human brains together and we are better than the best computer ever. We just need to make good use of the in between time.
     I wish all in the face of danger, be it via Nature or manmade, safety, hope, and good results. I send my hopes to those in the Senate who have apparently lost their ability to think independently, who have ceded the advantages of the in between time to a ravenous and dangerous incompetent. And to those who have allowed hatred and prejudice, thoughts of violence, to run through your mind, take a moment of in between time and think of a world where you would not be so angry and a positive manner in which to achieve that. Try.