Are You a Packrat?

Perhaps you will recall media accounts of what authorities have found when they investigated the homes of deceased “packrats”? The worst case ever reported was that of a widower who had lived alone for many years and who had accumulated so much “stuff” that it was stacked from floor to ceiling in all the rooms of his house, allowing only aisles through the rooms for passage. One day the inevitable happened - an avalanche of books, newspapers, and magazines fell on the man, trapping him in a standing position in one of the rooms. After two days, someone heard his calls for help, and he was finally freed with considerable difficulty.

A packrat is a person who suffers from a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) known as “compulsive hoarding.” The term “packrat” derives from a rodent that is noted for its hoarding habits. In its most extreme manifestation, victims of compulsive hoarding can become incapacitated and disabled by their hoarding habits. Their lives can become so disorganized and unmanageable that they become isolated from social activities. As you can see, compulsive hoarding is no laughing matter.

The worst local case of packrat behavior was pointed out to me a couple of years ago. A friend drove me past a home near where he lived in which the owner had accumulated so much junk that it had spilled out of the house, onto the porch, and into the yard of the occupant. This packrat had saved old newspapers, magazines, greeting cards, bottles, cans, jars, junk mail, broken appliances going back decades, old broken-down rusted automobiles, and old furniture - just to mention a few of the items. The case had been reported to the authorities, but nothing had been done up to that time.

My father-in-law was a packrat. While his wife was living, she managed to keep his hoarding tendencies somewhat under control, but after her death he lived another 21 years in which to accumulate “stuff.” While his packrat condition was not as severe as that of the persons previously mentioned, it was still a serious problem. My wife tried to control her father’s packrat tendencies just as her mother had, but she could not exercise as much restraint upon him without resistance.

As an example, her father had started using the formal dining room table for his “file cabinet.” To the eyes of a casual observer, the table looked like an unorganized pile of envelopes, documents, receipts, outdated grocery coupons, and other assorted items. One day my wife, being the neatnik that she is, sorted through the mess and achieved what she considered some order to the former pile of papers. When her father discovered what she had done, he was considerably disturbed saying, “I used to know where everything was, and now I can’t find anything!”

After the death of her father, my wife and I had the task of clearing out all the stuff that he had accumulated over the 21 years. We started with the two-car garage. Although he had owned two cars, he had never parked them in the garage; they remained on the driveway for several years without being driven, and he wouldn’t sell them. Her father had been an officer in the U.S. Air Force, so we found old air force magazines, some of them dated back to the 1960s, stacked floor to ceiling in the garage. It was necessary to hire a truck to cart off all the junk in the garage and the house to a sanitary fill.

Next, we attacked the items in the house. After sorting through all the junk and separating the useful items from the rest as we prepared the house for sale, we found that after three full days we had successfully cleared our all of the items. Whew!

In one of his famous routines, George Carlin says that a house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. And in the case of packrats in particular, that is the truth!

I have found a site that offers 10 suggestions for helping packrats to get organized. The address is:

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011119f.cfm

Do you know any packrats? Do you have any interesting packrat stories to share with my readers? If so, we would love for you to share them with us.

Tarring the Tar Baby

At his first press briefing last week, the new White House press secretary Tony Snow used the phrase ‘hug the tar baby” to describe comments he might have to make on the National Security Agency (NSA) wiretap and phone traffic programs.

Many people of all races might consider that phrase racist. Historically, that phrase has been used as a derogatory term for black Americans. Most Americans today place that phrase in the same category as “Little Black Sambo” and “Aunt Jemima.”

I thought it might be interesting as well as entertaining for you to read my interpretation of "The Tar Baby" as an allegory for the war in Iraq.

Cast of Characters

Uncle Remus: Charles Rangel, black Congressman who has been critical of the war in Iraq.

Brer Fox: Osama bin Laden

Brer Rabbit: The Bush Administration

The Tar Baby: The War in Iraq

Judge B’ar: Democratic Congressman John Murtha, who has called for the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq

Miss Sally: The midterm voters in November

The boy: You, the Reader

THE WONDERFUL TAR BABY STORY

“DIDN’T the fox (bin Laden) never catch the rabbit (Bush), Uncle Remus?” (Rangel) asked the little boy (You) the next evening.

“He (bin Laden) come mighty nigh it, honey, sho’s you born—Brer Fox (bin Laden) did. One day atter Brer Rabbit (Bush) fool ’im wid dat calamus root (lies, deceptions, and misinformation as a pretext for the invasion of Iraq), Brer Fox (bin Laden) went ter wuk en got ’im some tar, en mix it wid some turkentime, en fix up a contrapshun w’at he call a Tar-Baby (War in Iraq), en he tuck dish yer Tar-Baby (War in Iraq) en he sot ’er in de big road, en den he lay off in de bushes fer to see what de news wuz gwine ter be. En he didn’t hatter wait long, nudder, kaze bimeby here come Brer Rabbit (Bush) pacin’ down de road—lippity-clippity, clippity -lippity—dez ez sassy ez a jay-bird. Brer Fox (bin Laden), he lay low. Brer Rabbit (Bush) come prancin’ ’long twel he spy de Tar-Baby (Iraq), en den he fotch up on his behime legs like he wuz ’stonished. De Tar Baby (Iraq), she sot dar, she did, en Brer Fox (bin Laden), he lay low.

“‘Mawnin’!’ sez Brer Rabbit (Bush), sezee—‘nice wedder dis mawnin’,’ sezee.

“Tar-Baby (Iraq) ain’t sayin’ nuthin’, en Brer Fox (bin Laden) he lay low.

“‘How duz yo’ sym’tums seem ter segashuate?’ sez Brer Rabbit (Bush), sezee.

“Brer Fox (bin Laden), he wink his eye slow, en lay low, en de Tar-Baby (Iraq), she ain’t sayin’ nuthin’.

“‘How you come on, den? Is you deaf?’ sez Brer Rabbit (Bush), sezee. ‘Kaze if you is, I kin holler louder,’ sezee.

“Tar-Baby (Iraq) stay still, en Brer Fox (bin Laden), he lay low.

“‘You er stuck up, dat’s w’at you is,’ says Brer Rabbit (Bush), sezee, ‘en I’m gwine ter kyore you, dat’s w’at I’m a gwine ter do,’ sezee.

“Brer Fox (bin Laden), he sorter chuckle in his stummick, he did, but Tar-Baby (Iraq) ain’t sayin’ nothin’.

“‘I’m gwine ter larn you how ter talk ter ’spectubble folks ef hit’s de las’ ack,’ sez Brer Rabbit (Bush), sezee. ‘Ef you don’t take off dat hat en tell me howdy, I’m gwine ter bus’ you wide open,’ sezee.

“Tar-Baby (Iraq) stay still, en Brer Fox (bin Laden), he lay low.

“Brer Rabbit keep on axin’ ’im, en de Tar-Baby (Iraq), she keep on sayin’ nothin’, twel present’y Brer Rabbit (Bush) draw back wid his fis’, he did, en blip he tuck ’er side er de head. (Invasion of Iraq) Right dar’s whar he broke his merlasses jug. His fis’ stuck, en he can’t pull loose. De tar hilt ’im. But Tar-Baby (Insurgents in Iraq), she stay still, en Brer Fox (bin Laden), he lay low.

“‘Ef you don’t lemme loose, I’ll knock you agin,’ sez Brer Rabbit (Bush), sezee, en wid dat he fotch ’er a wipe wid de udder han’(more troops), en dat stuck. Tar-Baby (Insurgents in Iraq), she ain’y sayin’ nuthin’, en Brer Fox (bin Laden), he lay low.

“‘Tu’n me loose, fo’ I kick de natal stuffin’ outen you,’ sez Brer Rabbit (Bush), sezee, but de Tar-Baby (Insurgents in Iraq), she ain’t sayin’ nuthin’. She des hilt on, en de Brer Rabbit lose de use er his feet in de same way (US is getting stuck in Iraq). Brer Fox (bin Laden), he lay low. Den Brer Rabbit Bush) squall out dat ef de Tar-Baby (Insurgents in Iraq) don’t tu’n ’im loose he butt ’er cranksided. En den he butted, en his head got stuck. (The quagmire in Iraq begins) Den Brer Fox (bin Laden), he sa’ntered fort’, lookin’ dez ez innercent ez wunner yo’ mammy’s mockin’-birds.

“‘Howdy, Brer Rabbit (Bush),’ sez Brer Fox (bin Laden), sezee. ‘You look sorter stuck up dis mawnin’ (quagmire in Iraq),’ sezee, en den he rolled on de groun’, en laft en laft twel he couldn’t laff no mo’. ‘I speck you’ll take dinner wid me dis time, Brer Rabbit (Bush). I done laid in some calamus root (lies, deceptions, and misinformation), en I ain’t gwineter take no skuse,’ sez Brer Fox (bin Laden), sezee.”

Here Uncle Remus (Rangel) paused, and drew a two-pound yam (midterm election) out of the ashes.

“Did the fox (bin Laden) eat (defeat) the rabbit (Bush)?” asked the little boy (You) to whom the story had been told.

“Dat’s all de fur de tale goes (the troops are still in Iraq to stay the course),” replied the old man (Rangel). “He mout, an den agin he moutent. Some say Judge B’ar (John Murtha) come ’long en loosed ’im—some say he didn’t (Murtha's call for removal of US troops in 2006). I hear Miss Sally (the midterm election in November) callin’. You better run ’long.”

Spirituality and Religion

It seems today that there is a battle going on between the Bible Thumpers and the Bible Bashers. Either you believe in Jesus and rub it in everyone’s face, or you worship nothing and rub that in everyone’s face. Is there a middle ground? I believe there is, and that is the practice of Spirituality.

What is the difference between Spirituality and religion?

Spirituality is personal; religion is public.
Religion deals with the trappings of mystical and metaphysical experience; Spirituality consists of the experiences themselves.
Taking communion is religion; how you feel during the experience of taking communion is Spirituality.
Spirituality is a personal working out of one's beliefs on what is most important to one, whereas religion connotes a top-down system where some authority figure tells one what to believe and think.

Popular etymology among the later ancients (and many modern writers) connects the word “religion” with religare "to bind fast" via notion of "place an obligation on," or "bond between humans and gods." Spirituality came from the Latin word for “to breathe”. However, while spiritus meant breath originally, it came to mean `soul' during the Augustan era, taking over from the word anima `soul' (from which English gets animal, animate, etc.), which, interestingly, also denoted `breath.' Spiritus became the accepted word in Christian Latin writings.

Picture the following scenario: You are going on a trip. The desired route has been carefully plotted, and you feel confident in reaching your destination with minimal hassle. Casually, you mention your trip to your neighbor. "But wait," says he, "I know a much better way to go." He then proceeds to give you directions. They sound complicated, but he's a smart fellow, maybe he knows something you don't. The day of the trip, you take his advice. You get where you are going just fine, but you realize that your own directions would have done just as well. And so it is with religion.

It has been said that religion is simply an accident of birth. If one is born into a Catholic family, they are raised as such, and therefore usually remain Catholic. Even if they become disenchanted with their original birth religion, most people never actively change it. Therefore, religious intolerance is largely a matter of "The way I was raised is better than the way you were raised". This then becomes an excuse to attack people of different belief systems on the basis of superiority.

This is how one person described the difference between religion and Spirituality:

“My own awareness of the difference between religion and Spirituality came upon me when I was around 15 years old. I was born into a very religious family and going to church on Sunday, at least, was a must. So, one beautiful Sunday morning I got up and prepared for church. I walked to the building by myself and it hit me; I didn't need to go into this structure to find ‘God‘(at least the version I was taught to believe in at that time). I walked past the church and kept going to a local park. There I sat, talking to the Divine, truly feeling His/Her presence. After I left, the feeling stayed with me. I was a better person that entire week - all I had to do was recall the feeling of total peace I felt in that park. So, I did not have a ‘religious’ experience - I had a ‘spiritual’ one.”

Religion is for people who are afraid to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there." Anonymous

The main difference between Spirituality and religion is the freedom to choose your own path towards enlightenment and, ultimately, recognition of your divine self. There is no one who can tell you how to find your personal truth or your blazing, undeniable truthful connection with the Great Spirit. (God/dess, the Creator, the Infinite, the One, (or the Many) or whatever represents the Divine to you.

There are many paths to enlightenment.
Be sure to take the one with a heart.
- Lao Tzu

GIVE ME THAT OLD TIME RELIGION (HYMN)

Give me that old time religion]
’Tis the old time religion,
’Tis the old time religion,
And it’s good enough for me.

Makes me love everybody.
And it’s good enough for me.

It has saved our fathers.
And it’s good enough for me.

It will do when I am dying.
And it’s good enough for me.

It will take us all to heaven.
And it’s good enough for me.

In the 1960s, it is no wonder that the searing words of Nietzsche made headlines: "God is dead!" reverberated through the media and through the thousands of little white churches across the world. Perhaps more appropriate words would be: God as we knew God is now dead. But the good news is that with the dawning of a new age of awareness, the divine is being reborn. We are all becoming more and more aware that our lives are fuller with a sense of spiritual connection. But the God of our fathers has not walked the information highway! Instead there is emerging a new fusion of spiritual concepts that come from every point on the globe.

Joseph Campbell suggested in his extensive research of religion and myth that religion is a metaphor no matter what mask it wears. Religion is a metaphor for the finite mind to comprehend the infinite qualities of deity. This deity, at its source, is the same regardless of the mask.

The concept of “Spirituality” as a way of communing with the Divine was born in the1960s when there were widespread revolts against every form of organized authority, including “organized religion.” Every establishment and every system of authority was thought to be corrupt and evil, including those which were religious — but of course, Americans weren’t prepared to abandon religion entirely. So, they created a new category which was still religious, but which no longer included the same traditional authority figures.

What is the difference between Spirituality and religion? Your answer to that question probably depends on your age. Younger people are more inclined to think of Spirituality as the belief in a higher power without the behavioral constraints and traditional customs of the established religions. Older people are more inclined to think of Spirituality as another New Age rationalization of poor discipline and pre-occupation with self.

Our religion is what we believe in. Our spirituality is how we live our religion in the world with others. Sort of like the difference between doing and being? The difference between religion and Spirituality today is that many if not most people who practice religion go into a building, sometimes a magnificent one that has all the trappings of a palace, and worship their King for an hour or two each week, while people who practice Spirituality weave it into their total being the way early Native Americans wove their worship of the Great Spirit into all the daily aspects of their lives.

If you need someone to define your life for you and to take responsibility for your decisions, then religion is a good place for you. If you can create your own connection with your own higher power without a go-between and know that you are responsible for creating your own divine self, then religious dogma will only oppress.

One problem I’ve always had with religion is that the various religions and denominations of religions have become “mega-cliques.” Those who need religion and have chosen one tend to think everybody needs it, and that their chosen religion is the right one.

The bottom line is that religion and worship are human inventions. Neither will grant anyone a pass into whatever afterlife there may be. Spirituality, on the other hand, which is the most deeply personal form of faith, is what may bring our souls closer to everlasting peace and comfort. At the very least, it could bring peace on earth, something that religion has failed miserably to do.

(The purpose of this blog post is not to advocate a particular belief, but to act as a catalyst for the discussion of the various positions that individuals have regarding their beliefs. I welcome the viewpoints of all individuals across the entire religious and spiritual spectrum)

Making a Decision

Everyday we are forced to make dozens of decisions - some critical and some trivial. Where we find ourselves now, for better or for worse, is usually the result of past decisions we have made. Each choice we make takes us down a different path: whether to go to college; whether to be an employee or an employer; whether to marry or remain single; whether and where to invest; whether to buy a home or rent.

The quality of our lives is determined by four major factors: the talent or aptitudes we are born with, the effort we are able and willing to put forth, the luck we have in our lives, and the choices we make. We have no control over the talents and aptitudes we are born with - we can only nurture and develop the talents and aptitudes we have. We have no control over luck, although we might put ourselves in places where luck has a higher probability of finding us. Our ability and willingness to put effort into our work often leads to a better quality of life. But, in the end, our lives are most affected by our ability to make wise decisions.

Finding the answers to this series of questions can lead one to make wise decisions:

1.What is the problem facing you? (Be certain that you state the question simply and clearly).
2.What are the facts relating to the problem?
3.What are the opinions relating to the problem? (Also, consider the source of the opinions).
4.What are the choices available to you in your attempt to solve the problem, based on the information you have gathered; and what are the probable consequences for each choice?
5.What is your decision up to this point?

If your decision involves values or moral judgments, you should consider them at this stage.

6. Examine your personal value or moral system, select the values or morals related to the decision, and rank them according to their importance to you.
7.How does the decision you have made stand up to your values or moral judgment?
8.What is your final decision?
9. Why do you think that decision is best for dealing with the problem?
10.What methods or means will help you to implement the decision?
11. If you later collect new information that indicates your decision should be modified or even discarded completely, what will you do?

What is the best and/or worst life altering decision you have made in your lifetime, and how do you account for making that decision?

Jill’s Dilemma

Jill is faced with a dilemma. She has two menfriends, Jack and Zack, who love her and want to marry her. Jill loves Jack, but she says she is not in love with him. She is in love with Zack, but she says she is not sure she loves him. What is the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone? Which man do you think Jill should marry and why should she make that choice?