One T-Shirt at a Time

180 more days

I heard another of Mr. McCain's TV ads yesterday. He is now actually saying in so many words that we should vote for him if we want lower gas prices, because he will see to it that we drill for oil right here. That means off shore - all along our coast. It means in areas which until now have been sacred to wildlife and beauty. And this, in order to lower gas prices maybe seven to ten years from now, and for a relatively short period of time after that.

Even big oil man, T. Boone Pickens, is now pushing as hard as he can for alternative sources of power: solar and wind.

I don't understand. The environment - this world God made - is so precious to me. Life itself - human life, animal life, plant life - just has to be more important than money.

I guess that's a large part of why I blog. It's how I can, in a very small way, do at least something toward trying to help. I'm reminded of a day a few years ago. I was visiting in California. My son-in-law looked at me and asked, "Are you going to save the whole world - one T-shirt at a time?" I was wearing a tee with a small tree on the pocket, and the motto under it saying "Save the trees" or "Save the forests" or some such thing. And I realized I do have a number of tees that tell us we should save whales or polar bears or the ocean, or whatever.

Isn't that what it's all about? Don't we all, in small ways, as opportunity presents itself, have to do whatever we can to save the world? No one can do it alone. It takes all of us, just a little bit at a time. We don't really have to think about it. Good people everywhere do it every day, just by living their daily lives, lending a hand to one another or pitching in for the community. But sometimes it takes something more - like voting in one of the good guys, or writing a letter to your congressman (and hoping he or she is one of the good guys).

I don't sit around wondering how I'm going to save the world. Honest I don't. But I do get so frustrated trying to figure out how or why otherwise good people can look around them and not want to preserve what we have.
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On a brighter note -

My youngest posted very briefly yesterday. A cute, funny one.
She's at Fetal Positions. Wish she'd find time in her busy life to post more often.

Baseball and Blogging

I was having a telephone conversation with my three year old grandson the other day regarding a baseball game he and his dad had been watching. Now, you understand, that what passes as a conversation, especially on the phone, consists of an announcement on his part that this event had taken place, followed by a series of questions on my part to which he answers, "Yeah!" This time he did then ask me a question, which his mom had to translate for me. He asked if I had ever seen a baseball game. My answer was, "Yeah!"

It started me on yet another reminiscence. No, I did not inflict this one on a three year old.

I have attended many baseball games. But way-back-when I attended a game between the Phillies and the Tigers, at Connie Mack Stadium. Saw Connie Mack himself, too. I have no recollection of who won the game but I do remember the summer sun and the climb up to our seats, and the hot dog that I ate and the old man waving to the crowd. A lovely, warm memory.

My grandson is, of course, not only the cutest, but the most accomplished three year old who ever lived. He has the added advantage of living 3,000 miles away from me so I only get the cleverest and funniest side of him, and never hear any whining or tantrums or see any bratty behavior. I get to see pictures and read his mother's blog entries (Fetal Positions II: beyond the pregnancy chronicles). She is a talented writer and poet and manages to paint me wonderful pictures in words. She is too busy these days to blog every day. But I check every day to be sure I don't miss anything. She writes about her son of course, but adds commentary on our world - politics, the environment, her observations on mankind.

Shameless plug: Just look over there to your left and click on Fetal Positions II, under My Favorites. She is most definitely my personal favorite.