Goodbye mercury

Mercury retrograde only has a couple more days to screw up our communication. I must say it has not caused me much of a problem. In fact things seem to be taking a turn for the better. Although I am not looking forward to the upcoming holidays.They have become a lonely time for me since my family has dwindled down to almost nothing.

Thanksgiving is shared with my oldest son, who usually cooks the turkey, while I cook everything else. It gives us a lot of leftovers since it is just the two of us. This year I am planning to invite a couple of friends who are alone. Waiting to see how that turns out.

Christmas is another matter. For me it is the saddest day of the year. I miss having family to cook for. Most of my family now lives in other states and the ones who are here, with the exception of my oldest son, don't care to include me in their plans. As someone said to me this morning- that's their problem. And it is!

I try to the best of my ability to do for others. I just finished crocheting another dozen baby caps and a blanket for the first baby of 2000, born at Cibola General Hospital. I always make fudge and share it with friends, especially with the husband of a deceased friend.

This year I had fun ordering outfits for my youngest great granddaughter, who was two in September. I have never meet her, but I enjoy seeing pictures of her on Facebook. She looks like a handful!

Even though the holidays are not my favorite time of the year, I try to make the best of them.

On this Veterans Day

During the four years that I was a columnist for the Cibola Beacon I was honored to have the opportunity to interview this local veteran as the traveling Vietnam Wall was displayed in Grants, NM. James is since deceased, but remains a hero in my book, "Spirits of Cibola County". This is his story:

            James A. knows firsthand that following and trusting an all-knowing entity greater than oneself will lead us to extraordinary experiences. James was the most talked about veteran during the recent viewing of the Vietnam Moving Wall in Grants. I am honored that he trusted me to tell his story.

            A member of the Sioux tribe, James was born in South Dakota. There were eighteen children in the family and fourteen lived to be adults. Both his father and grandfather were Presbyterian ministers. James remembers prejudice, almost hatred, between the Sioux and the white man.

            Because the Bureau of Indian Affairs could not pronounce tribal names they were changed to biblical ones. His father’s name, Fights the Bear (because he was mauled by a bear) was changed to David. His mother, Morning Dove, became Mary.

            With such a large family, James said, “I had to work to buy my own clothes and learned early that if I wanted something I would have to work for it.”

            He began working on a cattle ranch when he was eleven. After being shamed by a boy for wearing a second hand shirt he had purchased, James vowed he would always have money to buy new clothes.

             In school James was interested in sports. He was a runner, played baseball and basketball and participated in track. Even though he was the only Native American in his high school, he does not recall prejudice touching him. James joined the Marine Corps in 1957, shortly after graduation.

            Among other assignment s, James volunteered for several tours of duty in Vietnam. His most harrowing experience occurred in 1969 as a staff sergeant, in charge of seven men. They were on a special operations mission.

            James recalls, “We were given the wrong maps and dropped off in them wrong location.” Their confusion lasted for two months.

            James trusted his training and his spirit guide. He said their daily goal was to find a way out. Their biggest concerns were ambush and heat stroke. The temperatures rose to 120 degrees during the day, causing them to consume salt tablets like popcorn. They traveled mostly at night because it was cooler, moving less than a mile each night.

            James said, “We survived off of Mother Nature. We made water from leaves and ate snakes and lizards.”

            As time went on the parents of the men were informed they were missing in action and presumed dead or prisoners of war. James finally led his men to a place he knew, ironically called Indian Country. It took another month for the military to officially inform families that the men were not dead.

            James was not honored for getting his men out alive. He was actually reprimanded for getting them lost, even though it was not his fault. This might have caused an ordinary man to become angry and give up. James rose above the injustice of the experience and moved on.

            During an ambush in 1971, James fell behind a termite mound and was bitten by a cobra snake.

            Reliving the experience, he said, “I was in such intense pain I walked toward the battle field hoping to get a bullet in my head or heart. Then my Indian guide took over and I forgot about my pain.”

            One by one James helped six fellow Marines to safety. Others noticed the seriousness of his leg wound and he was given needed medical care. He was recommended for the Navy Cross and awarded the Silver Star. He still has mixed feelings about the award.

            In 1972 James was wounded during a medical evacuation and lost his right kidney as a result. He fought three medical boards to stay in the service. He has had one failed kidney transplant and has been on hemodialysis for sixteen years. He also suffered a stroke in 1986 due to the snake bite.

            James retired in 1979 with the rank of First Sergeant E-8. He and his wife, Louise, of Acoma were married in 1970. At the time he was a recruiter for the Marine Corps. James is very proud that one of his grandsons is planning to become a Marine.

            Characteristics that are important to James are honesty and respect. Even though he is retired he is still “a dedicated Marine who believes in God, country and duty- in that order”. He would like to see young men who are having trouble adapting consider the military for new direction.

            James made daily trips to the Vietnam Moving Wall while it was in Grants. He was drawn to the wall because of respect for his fallen comrades. Perhaps he was sent to touch the hearts of people who were not in Vietnam and still do not understand what happened there.

            James knows that any material award pales in comparison to knowing deep inside that he does his best every single day to trust and follow his spirit guide. He is a real live hero we can all learn from.

Spur of the moment

I noticed that the Grants High School band director was offering a Veterans Day performance and also was asking for pictures of veterans. I asked my son, who is a 35 year veteran of the US Army, if he had a better picture than the one I had on file. He did and I sent it on. I also asked if he wanted to attend the performance. He said he did.

 Sergeant Major Jeffrey A. Gunn, US Army, retired. The photographs of the veterans were displayed on the wall behind the band as they played a variety of military based music.

Neither of us had ever been in the Performing Arts Auditorium. It was built after my three children graduated from Grants High School. It is a beautiful building and seats 600. The performance was wonderful and we were glad that we attended.

Gratitude

November does seem to be a month when our thoughts go to what we are grateful for. It is easy to be grateful for those souls who agree with us, but what about those who do not? In looking back at my life I now have a different opinion of those souls.

There have been several people in my life who have taught me by their example what I do not want. They have acted much like a mirror. It is very possible that I am most grateful for them. I also feel sorry for them because they are still stuck exactly where I left them. It is interesting how we can get ourselves caught in a web of negative energy. Sometimes it takes years to break free of the tangle.

We go along walking on a path, following someone who we believe has all the answers. Then one day we wake up and realize that we are not on this planet, called earth, to follow anyone else.

Sharing a positive idea

One of my Facebook friends offered a positive idea a couple of days ago. It was a 30 day gratitude challenge. It included simple things like, what smell are you grateful for and what technology are you grateful for? I thought it was a wonderful idea that can be adapted to anyone's life.

Day two was about technology and I am still thinking about my answer, which was a computer. It has allowed me to connect with friends all over the world and I am very grateful that I have one. I can keep track of not only my friends but, their family members and their pets. I love seeing a picture of a dog or cat and knowing exactly who it belongs to. The same is true of babies and children. My computer has given me access to friends and their lives that never would have been possible otherwise.

My computer also makes it possible for my writing to be shared through Amazon, absolutely free, making it possible for my thoughts to assist others going through similar situations. I am no expert on life, but I do believe sharing my experiences is what I am supposed to do. It is my purpose while I am here. At the moment I have three E-books on Amazon, all reasonably priced.

In the past, if it were not for the fact that I have a computer I would not have been able to spend four years as a columnist for our local newspaper, which gave me a push to become a motivational writer. So there you are, the reasons I am grateful for the technology creating a computer.

Seriously what time is it?

I usually get up at 7:00 a.m. to take my blood pressure medication and let my dog out, even though I wake up about an hour earlier. This morning was the dreaded change the clocks back to standard time. I think Arizona has the right idea. Just leave the clocks alone.

Back and forth every year. Then I have to adjust my meds, which I take three times a day. Plus my dog has an internal clock and needs to be be let out no matter what time the clock says it is. I really wish someone would decide on something and stick to it.  

Don't be afraid

Here we go again! Another Mercury Retrograde. So far I am finding the energy of the universe very positive. For the last few years mercury has not caused me any problems. I know to be aware of communication snags and not to sign any important documents. I do not feel it is anything to be afraid of. It is just a shift in energy.

It is causing me to think of people who are afraid of black cats and Friday the 13th. I don't fall for that. I think a lot of the fear generated is the result of believing what others tell us to believe. I am learning to take one day at a time and to find things to be grateful for. I believe it is all about how we react to the things that happen. There are always two choices- a negative or a positive reaction.

I remember at the end of 1999 there were those who got a kick out of convincing people that something horrific was going to happen at the stroke of 12:00. I don't recall much happening except that it turned into 2000.

I suppose there are bad things everywhere, but you have to use your own brain and stay grounded. I am a firm believer in following your intuition, the voice of your soul. You can't go wrong staying on the path it leads you to.