Take Time for Living

Maybe the U.S. needs some sort of formal national ID card?

I've never had occasion to get a passport, because I never travel outside the U.S. With the so-called war on terrorism showing no real end in sight, perhaps it's time for all Americans to be required to carry some sort of passport-like national ID card, or perhaps not?

This is an extremely touchy issue, which it shouldn't be, really, if you think about it. Many nations require "papers" or government issued identification for their citizens. In reality, whether we want to admit it or not, the Social Security cards Americans have/carry really have become a form of national ID. If you don't believe me, think about the last time you applied for any sort of job, or state and/or local documents, and DIDN'T have to furnish your Social Security card or number. Yeah, I know.

In a world where there is rampant terrorism, in a country where we are just about paranoid about terrorists and illegal aliens -- why shouldn't we require a national passport or national ID system of some sort?

Maybe the U.S. need some sort of formal national ID card now -- but probably not.

Why not? Mostly because such a system really won't be any more effective than present forms of identification. Simply put, a formal national ID card is a redundancy. It will become simply one more document for which we'll have to pay fees, one more document the "bad guys" will find a way to falsify for gain.

Tell me what you think about the matter.

Technorati Tags: national ID cards, national identification, Social Security cards, take time for living

Perspective really limits us at times, doesn’t it? Break outside your box today

Two things happened recently to make me think about this matter of "breaking out" or "living outside the box," as the cliches go.

We had dinner with some old friends we've known since college days. They were in town for a convention, and since they live about 2,500-3,000 miles from us we make it a point to get together for an evening any time their careers bring them this way. It was a wonderful time. During the course of ordering, the guy had some fun joking with the waiter about specific menu items, service preferences, etc. It was done and received in good humor.

When the waiter walked away, my friend looked at me, winked, and said, "I really love to try to get restaurant servers to think break out of the box when they serve me."

In the second instance, my son was visiting as we sat watching a television news cast. A commercial came on for life insurance, the one in which a celebrity endorser (I won't name him, but his last name rhymes with "Aw, Heck") tosses out some life insurance quotes of a general amount and invites all of us senior citizens out there to call for free info. I was surprised by my son's negative reaction. It went something like, "What? That's ridiculous. Why would someone want to BUY $25,000 life insurance? Why, every company I've ever worked for supplies that much for free as a benefit." I was careful to explain to my son that many, MANY of us are either self-employed with no insurance of any kind, or "under employed" and in need of some insurance. That had honestly never occurred to him. I believe our conversation made him take at least a peek over the edge of his "career box" at the world the rest of us are living in.

How about you? Are your experiences, your day-to-day approach to live keeping you boxed it? Make an effort today to take at least a little peek outside your many boxes at the way others live. It's liberating!

Technorati Tags: life perspective, outside the box, take time for living

Life is just a serious as we wish to make it — but why not play instead?

I was struck today again by all the bad news in our world every night and day. With 24/7/365 cable "news" cycles, network news cycles, Internet news and blogs, daily newspapers and all the rest -- it seems we get a heavy dose of doom and gloom over, and over, and over, and OVER again.

Really, you've got to keep busy and pace yourself on all the media content out there, or you'll crack up. (I just heard a horrible, tragic news story about a woman who committed suicide in a last-ditch effort to leave her family insurance money to avoid a home foreclosure. How tragic is that!)

There was an old line on the now-ancient television series, "MASH," delivered by the show's often visiting psychiatrist. It was meant to be flip and irreverent, except it came off filled with the sort of wisdom that'll help you get through some tough times in life. You remember the line? It was one of the last lines in the entire series, and the last line the psychiatrist, Sidney Freedman, spoke on the show. Went something like this:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the ice."

The more frantic life gets, the more that sense of fun and playfulness appeals to me! I've never been much for video games -- I barely know a Wii from a PS3, and I've played neither. My idea of "play" means to just enjoy wholeheartedly the joy of being alive, making a game out of life's obstacles, and turning "challenges" into opportunities, to paraphrase some cliches.

How about you? Ready to put the doom and gloom aside today? Ready to go through your day with a sense of joy and playfulness -- regardless of circumstances trying to drag you down? Join me in diligently seeking to take time for living every minute of the day!

Technorati Tags: playfulness, doom and gloom, games, take time for living