The highest point on earth is the crest of Mount Everest in the Himalayas. It is 29,031 feet high. Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa (Tibetian ethnic group known for their genetic adjustment to the high Himalayas and mountaineering) guide and Edmond Hillary (pictured) were the first to crest Everest and did so on May 29th, 1953 as a "present" to Great Britain's young Queen Elizabeth, who was coronated just a few days later. I was enthralled by the news as a boy and have had a life long fascination with Sherpas and Everest.
It is one of my earliest memories. Standing by the front door greeting my mother and newborn younger brother. I was three and a half. I knew that my brother would change everything. And he did…. followed by our sister seven years later.Michael died on Monday after a long battle with COPD.Michael followed his dream and moved to Israel in the mid-seventies, eventually settling on the kibbutz where he had been a volunteer years earlier.People may ask “if he wasn’t your brother, would he have been your friend?”
Most of us have a hard time admitting that we are "aging". Well, I am here to tell you, it happens whether you approve of it or not. With aging also comes a ridiculous increase in medical appointments, some for specific issues, some as preventative. My daughter often quips, "I don't want to adult today!". I am saying "I don't want to age today!". Hopefully we all age gracefully and with humility!Here's to our frame of mind, regardless of the frame of body!Happy Day to all.
In an exchange with Fred a few days ago, I was reminded that we started blogging in August 2006. That means for those of us who have blogged straight through, we are coming up on twenty years – 20 years – of blogging. That is over 1,000 blogs – 52 weeks x 20 = 1,040 blogs. I wonder how many words that translates to? Well, just thinking of that made me tired, and a little proud.
I, almost always, write my blogs on Saturday morning. My husband works on Saturdays and I generally use the time alone to gather my thoughts and write. This Saturday, my husband is coming home early as we are watching our grandchildren for the remainder of the weekend, through Sunday night. So, my time to write my blog is limited to Saturday morning. As I am staring at my computer screen, there are no words in my head. I find the best of my blogs just flow out of me, generally faster than I can type them. Today, there are no words coming.
In a text group with Friday’s blogger and a few others we often cover sports matters. The rejected offer by Kyle Tucker and the successful signing of Bo Bichette in less than 24 hours by the Mets came up. While I support the latter and was not necessarily looking forward to the prospect of a Tucker signing, I made clear throughout that not making an offer to Pete Alonso created a super large demerit across the resume of Mets president David Stearns.
Power makes people uncomfortable, yet it shapes nearly every part of life. In government, power decides who sets the rules and who follows them. It isn’t the existence of power that causes problems, but the lack of accountability around it. When leaders stop being questioned, power shifts from serving people to protecting itself, and that’s when trust breaks down.
In this ever more complicated age of computers, passwords, automated telephone banks, AI, Internet, text codes, phone apps, Zooms, credit cards, WiFi, clock violations, iPhones, false positives, cash machines, credit ratings, tax increases, trackers, local discounts, self driving cars, Ubers, home court advantage, fluctuating interest rates, inflation, gender bias, cognitive overload, spiraling healthcare costs and ever increasing insurance rates it's such a luxury to have someone knowledgeable and caring to hold your hand, understand and explain the rules of the game and guide you.