Honoring John Lewis

J Lewis Official website

Once you lose your fear, you're free
                                                      John Lewis

John Lewis, a truly and true American icon was given the final honors due a man of his legendary reputation as someone who championed not only Civil Rights but Human Rights, as well. In addition to the countless dignitaries who attended, 3 former Presidents, Bush, Clinton, and Obama, spoke with the grace and dignity befitting both their former office and the quality of the man they were there to honor. A fourth, Jimmy Carter, sent a heartfelt letter of condolence.

Although all spoke with reverence and eloquence, it was former President Barack Obama, who, when delivering the eulogy, perhaps captured the spirit of the man best, challenging ALL Americans to continue Mr. Lewis's legacy by resisting the current administration's apparent attempt to suppress voting rights. Reminding people that Lewis often risked death and was arrested 45 times to demonstrate his belief that the power of the people rests with our RIGHT AND OBLIGATION TO VOTE, the former President added that the only wasted votes are the ones we don't use.

Conspicuously absent from today's celebration was our current President, Donald J. Trump. Many found fault in this and with good reason. However, I did not. In fact, I was glad that he was not there. In my opinion it would have been a hollow gesture. John Lewis did not approve of Mr. Trump ("like" is irrelevant in this case) because, in his eyes, this President represents everything that he spent his life fighting against - exclusion, bigotry, racism, vanity, excess. So, in a sense, the President DID honor him by NOT attending. At least it was an honest response - for a change!

However, I can't help but think that Mr. Trump's additional refusal to attend came from his need for self-preservation and obvious narcissism. How could a man who, especially lately, has had tremendous difficulty stringing two coherent sentences together possibly hope to compete with the stirring oration of the likes of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama? Clinton is a noted public speaker and Obama often speaks sublimely of concepts like the dignity of man - while Mr. Trump rambles on about dishwashers.

As Mr. Lewis reminded us in his final correspondence, to be published on the day of his funeral, 7/30/2020, inspired as ALWAYS by love, the job is not done:

I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe.

We will truly honor him and those who came before by living up to the creed. 

*https://www.ajc.com/john-lewis/john-lewis-last-words/GGQ6MKJTIBHGHJ7RQXZVLQFHUA/

F LoBuono

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP: Texting and Biking.

F LoBuono

One of my regular features on Social Media is You Can't Make This Shit Up. As the title suggests, I designed it to add some snarky humor in an effort to understand human behaviors that most of us would find at least unusual, if not downright bizarre.

Generally speaking, they're not too hard to find. Here's a classic example:

It was dusk as I was walking home after one of my frequent sojourns into the heart of town. It had been a warm day and was turning into a lovely evening. I had South Broadway virtually to myself with just one woman walking on the other side of the street. Someone on a bicycle, riding in the opposite direction, was approaching us. As the rider got closer I could see that he appeared to be a young man, probably in his late teens. He was riding in an upright position, peddling with his legs but without his hands on the handle bars.

That's because they were being used for texting on his cellphone!

It became painfully obvious (literally) that he was more interested in his texting than to paying attention to what might lay in front of him. That's because he failed to notice the parked car that was directly in his path!

With a resounding BOOM, he smashed into the back of the car and went heels over head off his bicycle. It was loud enough to startle both me and the woman walking across the street and to run towards him to make sure that he was all right.

We reached him about the same time, while shouting almost simultaneously, ARE YOU OK? Amazingly, we found him dazed but not seriously hurt.

He was in the process of picking himself up off his ass (also, literally) and checking to make sure that he was indeed not seriously injured. I don't remember if he thanked us but he did indicate that he was alright. He found his phone, which had been knocked out of his hands, and preceded to inspect both his bike and the car for whatever carnage his collusion may have caused. Amazingly, it seemed to be minimal. How he managed to do so little damage to himself, the car, and his bike, can only be described as miraculous! However, I'm sure that in the light of day, he was going to be one hurting cowboy.

Composing himself, phone now in his pocket, he got back on his bike and continued on his way. The woman and I looked at one another, shrugged our shoulders, giggled about the whole thing and went about our business, too.

Since that time, I've seen at least 3 others riding and texting, too. And, before you think it's just being done by juveniles, one of those was an adult.

In addition to the obvious danger posed by riding a bicycle without constantly keeping your eyes on the road ahead of you, I thought that operating one was supposed to take you away from the rigors of being constantly connected to technology! What could possibly be so important as to risk your life for a text?

But, I guess that's just me.

No, my friends, You Can't Make This Shit Up.

Today's MOZEN: Let's Golf!

F LoBuono

Sometimes, when times are tough, like they are now, the only things we can truly count on our families, good friends, and our strength of character. However, we can't always totally depend on family and friends - they often have their own issues to deal with. 

So, when we find ourselves truly alone, we must rely on our strength of character, i.e. the moral compass that guides us to do the right things for the right reasons. We achieve this through the teachings of those we respect and admire (like our parents) and our applied experience through years of trial and error to make decisions based on a desire to provide for the common good, not only for our selves and our loved ones, but for the world at large, too.

With that in mind, I would like to point out that our President, Donald J. Trump is, as of this posting (7/18/2020), golfing at his private resort in Virginia. And, yet:

- Nearly 140,000 American deaths have been attributed to the COVID-19 Pandemic and there has been no empathy from the President towards the dead or a true plan for the Nation's recovery. He has not even attended a briefing on the subject in weeks.

- Our city streets our exploding in violence as the rift between communities and the police has reached the breaking point.

- Unannounced and unidentified Federal Law Enforcement agents in unmarked cars, as allegedly instructed by the President, are arresting and detaining American citizens in Portland, Oregon without warning or probable cause.

- Rep. John Lewis, a truly great American and Civil Rights icon, passed away on Friday. And, still, their has been no statement of grief or solidarity from Trump's White House.

But, the President's golf game is NOT to be impeded!!!

Folks, I may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier but I do believe I know what makes for true Strength of Character. AND, DONALD J. TRUMP  POSSESSES NONE OF THOSE ATTRIBUTES.

What a sad, petty, vindictive, pathetic glob of a man. It is SO far beyond politics and has been from the beginning of his Administration. This is not about being right - it's about doing right. And, the right thing to do is to VOTE THIS BUM OUT by an overwhelming margin in November. By doing so, you will have demonstrated your very own Strength of Character.

That is all . . . 

Today's MOZEN: WWJD?

Photo: Karen Ellis

Lately, I find myself battling with those selfish individuals who obstinately refuse to wear a mask over their noses and mouths in public for the duration of this terrible pandemic.

Despite the overwhelming evidence presented by the scientific, research, and medical communities confirming that by doing so we can significantly reduce the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus, they find many lame excuses not to do so. These include:

- Wearing one is more dangerous than the virus itself.
- It infringes on their rights as Americans, therefore it is unconstitutional.
- And, perhaps, the weakest of all - god made us in his own image, therefore wearing one is a sin against god.

- Science clearly refutes the first claim.
- No where does the Constitution state that your right to do something you simply want trumps another's to prevent that action if it directly causes them harm, handles the second. It's as if their stubborn resistance to basic logic, common sense, and simple human compassion make them even more American.
- And, for the last, often heralded by Evangelical Christians, I offer them these questions: If there was even a chance, just a chance, that by wearing a mask you could save ONE life, even a stranger's life, would you do it? What would Jesus do (WWJD)?

The response is usually crickets, i.e. total silence.

Friends, there is nothing like trapping the clueless by using their own misguided, nonsensical dogma to refute their arguments. Unfortunately, because they are so blinded by their ideology, it falls on deaf ears. But, we can take heart as they will be judged by providence in the end (nod, nod, wink, wink). I just hope that they get there before their selfish, limiting doctrine gets me first.

And, yes, Jesus would wear the goddamned mask!!

That is all . . . 

Today's MOZEN: GET IT?!

Somethings, I just don't get. And, I'm never gonna'. I don't need to. It's your thing, not mine. That's a good thing. It's simple - if it rewards you and harms no one, then go and get it.

Got it?!

Today's MOZEN: Why I Write

Words and photos by F LoBuono

Many people often ask me, why do you write? Well, many people haven't. In fact, no one has every bothered to ask me at all. But, after thousands of posts with very limited response, I often ask the question to myself, why DO I write?

I suppose that some of it has to do with having a masochistic personality. I enjoy the feeling of pissing into the wind. Or, perhaps it can be seen as a sort of mental masturbation - when the act is done at least there is some sort of satisfaction.

However, the real reason that I continue to bang away at an electronic keyboard is that it provides me some level of comfort on long, lonely, rainy nights - like tonight - when no one is around and most of the world's so-called normal people have long since taken to their beds. I have my thoughts and the challenge of breathing life into them by the words I choose to represent them. It's as if they are the children I never had. They become my friends, my companions, and solace.

Plus, I am free to express myself through the entire gamut of human emotion, should I truly possess the skill to share them - love, anger, hurt, laughter, fear, all from the comfort of my living room couch. There is no need for formality - at all. I can appear before my friends sans pant, should I so choose, without fear or reservation, freeing my mind to wonder where it may - and, share it with you should you choose to grant me access to your space.

The issue of who makes that choice is an entirely different matter - one that I have no control over. I can't make you read what I am offering. It's still a free Country. Therefore, it cannot be the main motivation to write. However, what I can command is what I think, feel, and subsequently share. I believe in the strength of my friends, i.e. my words, and that they will sustain me in the times when no one else could or would. In fact, they are with me here and now, filling, sustaining, and, satisfying me without complaint - the type of friends we could all use a little more of.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT: Equality is a Beautiful Thing

All words and photos by F LoBuono

South Nyack, NY.

With a nod to Thomas Paine, these are the times that try men's souls,* it seems for years now, despite the occasional periods of economic boom and prosperity, we have been facing enormous challenges. We are slowly but surely destroying our planet, evidenced by the extreme increases in the world's temperature. Many would argue that there hasn't been a political schism among us this vast since the Civil War. School shootings, mass murder, and mayhem have become so common as to now be part of our regular vocabulary. We still send our sons and daughters to foreign lands to fight seemingly endless wars. Immigration is not fixed, nor is healthcare. We've lost our standing in the world as a bastion of freedom and solidarity. And, racial divisions seems as contentious and potentially explosive as they've ever been. So, despite what a misguided Administration sells as Make America Great Again, there seems to be little, if anything, great about us right now.

And, if that hasn't been enough, we are being faced with the enormous challenge presented by a deadly, pernicious foe known as COVID-19 or, the Corona Virus. It has taken a vicious toll on America and the entire world, not only physically and economically, but emotionally and even spiritually, too.

But, as I've written before, if we play it smart, care for one another, and not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed, we may not only survive but, find new and better ways to live.

One of the positives that I have seen come from our latest struggles is a re-awakening of the role that race has played in this Country from its very inception. I will spare you the facts and figures that support my claims that minorities have been shit on for far too long. I know it and YOU know it, too!

And, it's finally coming to a head.

Statues erected in a different era with a mindset that lacked little, if any, awareness of the real person behind the marble or granite image have got to go - SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS TIME. For example, the image that was once Christopher Columbus is now KNOWN to be TOTAL BULLSHIT. This is no insult to the Italian-Americans who once hailed him as a hero. This is the REALITY of the man. And, if you know the image to be false, why would you oppose its removal from a place of honor - that he DID NOT DESERVE?

The same can be said of the removal of all statues venerating Confederate Civil War figures. They are NOT heroes to be admired. Seen in the clear light of a new day, they were traitors to their oaths to OUR nation, AND supported the enslavement of their fellow man. So, again, I ask what is it EXACTLY that people find admirable?

In addition, ALL symbols are created in MYTH. Therefore, they are often seen as untouchable or, as the actor Tom Hulce playing Mozart says in the film "Amadeus", expected to shit marble. Mozart was making a point that admitting their vulnerabilities shouldn't make them less admired. In fact, it should make them more so because it makes them human.

However, we as humans tend to fear change - especially if we are comfortable in our ways. And, that generally means white privilege, a term that many white folk resent. It's true that most people, me included, were not born into families of wealth and position. We proudly declare that no one gave us anything. We earned EVERYTHING we have achieved by the sweat on our brows and the strength in our hands. I am no different.

However, we belong to a system that gives us every opportunity to take that chance and make something of ourselves. Unfortunately, that is not exactly true for all of us. People of color continually find themselves on the short end of the stick in housing, health, education, employment, and incarceration - so much so that it often seems like the hardly exist.

Nyack, NY

In response to that void, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was created. It may have been organized as a direct response to the disproportionate response of the police towards people of color, highlighted by the choke-hold death of African-American Eric Gardner (and, almost countless others) by a white police officer, but has now morphed into a broader movement towards overall racial equality in our society.

And, many white folk, particularly those ardent supporters of the police, have taken exception. They counter that Blue Lives Matter because the police regularly risk their lives in the service of others. Or, that All Lives Matter in attempt to show compassion for everyone.

Nyack, NY

But, they miss the point.

Acknowledging the struggle of minorities in no way diminishes your own. It simply addresses the need to put out the fire where the most damage is being done. Working to repair a wrong that has been festering on these shores for over 400 years is not to be feared or condemned. Oh, no, my friends. It is to be encouraged in every way possible. Nelson Mandela once said, a Nation should not be judged on how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest one.** This should be the very foundation of our society.

Perhaps, a sign that I saw draped over a porch while I was walking in my little hamlet of South Nyack, NY says it best:

South Nyack, NY

So, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, until we are ALL equal, none of us are. Yes, when Black Lives TRULY Matter, ALL lives will - blue, black, brown, white. Equality is a beautiful thing.

Nyack, NY

*https://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm

**https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/582479-a-nation-should-not-be-judged-by-how-it-treats

Today's MOZEN: Practicing Mindfullness

Words and photos by F LoBuono

Quite a few years back, I was watching a documentary series on my local PBS station. The topic, the world's great religions, has always been of great interest to me. Although raised in one of them, I now practice none - formally. Instead, I gleaned the parts that move me most from each and have used them to create my own belief system. To do this, at least a rudimentary understanding of each is essential. So, I was giving the program my full attention.

Although there are hundreds, if not thousands, of organized religions, the series decided to focus on the largest: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Tibetan Buddhism. There was one scene in particular that was so moving to me that not only have I not forgotten it, I try to employ it in my life on a daily basis. The segment was explaining one of the core principals of Buddhism - that of Mindfullness. As I understand it, the practitioners' ultimate goal is to achieve a sort of total peace commonly known as Enlightenment. And, that can only be achieved through the practice of Mindfullness, i.e. an active sense of your place in the world and that every action you take creates a reaction in return. Even the smallest gestures produce some type of response on some level.

To illustrate this concept, the scene involved a Tibetan Monk walking down what appeared to be ancient stone stairs deep in a forest. As he descended the stairs he noticed a garden slug crawling across his path. Instead of simply passing over the insect OR stepping on it, he bent over, snatched a leaf, used it to scoop up the slug, and moved it to safety.

Why would one even bother?

Because, that's the driving tenet behind Mindfullness - it is to have a sense of awareness to always do the right thing, simply because it is the right thing to do.  ALL living things have a life force that connects them to every other living being. Therefore, all are worthy of our respect. Moving the slug, the simplest of creatures, was a gesture of that respect for life itself. If we can take the few seconds it took to save an insect, think about what we could accomplish if we applied the same sense of compassion to our fellow human beings.

So, on a very hot early Summer's day, as I was making one of my daily sojourns into town, I looked down and noticed a worm struggling to traverse a sidewalk that was so hot I feared that it might melt. It was obvious that he wasn't going to make it. My mind quickly flashed back to that Tibetan Monk and the slug. I bent down, found a small stick and used it as a stretcher of sorts and moved that worm to a nice, cool patch of grass, and continued on my way. Whether the worm survived or not is unknown, nor is it ultimately important (well, maybe not for the worm). What is, is that I made the effort to do the right thing, again, simply because it was the right thing to do. That's enough. And, it wasn't that hard either!

Do the right thing. Practice mindfulness. Be aware of others. WEAR YOUR MASK.