June 16, 2010

I'm very pleased to note that Gwynn and I recently celebrated my 79th birthday, a month after we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. Unlike geezers who don't like to reveal their age, I feel so great, and greatly surprised, that I have lived this long that I'm now looking forward to octogenarianhood.

Considering the mileage and the roads traveled, with the daily assistance of several prescribed pills, a number of elective nostrums, and a healthy diet that often features Gwynn's creative salads, I'm in relatively good shape. Currently, there is just one annoying exception. I learned a while back that pains I felt in my shoulders and upper arms came from injured rotator cuffs. The left one had been strained and the right one had been irreparably torn. Exercises I do at home and some I do in a nearby indoor pool help a lot.

Health definitely has not been the most troubling issue in our lives. We would like to own a home near water where winters are warmer than those we have in Atlanta. We each own a house that must be sold before we can buy elsewhere. Both houses need some gussying up before they will be ready to compete in today's picky-buyers market. In addition, both houses contain accumulations of things that require decisions as to what should be given away - and to whom - what should be sold - and for how much - and what do we feel we must keep. Progress is slow. Meanwhile, we web search listings of houses for sale in warmer climes and try not to be frustrated knowing that it might yet be quite a while before we can begin to live happily ever after in a home of our own. It sometimes helps to remind ourselves that we're very lucky that neither natural nor man-made disaster has left us destitute as has been the utterly disastrous bad luck of countless others, especially in recent months.

I often think of you, my relatives and friends, and sincerely regret that circumstances keep most of us from being together more. One of my hopes is that when Gwynn and I finally have a more stable life that situation will change.

Now, as I prepare to close this rather long post, please forgive me for sharing an unpleasant concern I have when thinking about our country.

For decades I have waited for someone more knowledgeable and more influential to begin an eventually effective movement toward a constitutional amendment that will require short, relatively inexpensive political campaigns for the offices of President, Vice-President, Senator, and Representative. I suppose this could take as long as it took to allow women to vote, but movement toward those ends should begin now.

Many of our problems are the consequences of the lack of beneficial laws and regulations or, if they exist, their nonenforcement, and too many laws and regulations that are enacted and enforeced to benefit relatively few. Too many of those who govern us constitute a political class whose lives have little in common with the great majority of us and who are seriously influenced by large financial contributers. Because of the high costs of campaigns very few politicians can afford to ignore offers of contributions from those who wish to influence their legislative and executive decisions. Major contributors bankroll campaigns and accrue influence. They benefit greatly as do media revenues, especially television revenues. Politicians enjoy the privleges of their class. It is a well oiled,win-win-win game played by the winners' rules . Clearly, neither the contributors nor the media nor the politicians affected will want to dismantle this mutually beneficial system.

I see no way of significant change occurring without a constitutional amendment. As a politically independent,very concerned citizen, I ask: Where is "the Tea Party" on this issue? Does anybody know? I hope you care.

Oh,yes - while I'm being heavy - I also think about religion. Here's a seventeen-syllable poem (a haiku) that distills where I am today in that

process:

A Hypothesis

Like the "subconscious"

- a bridge to infinity -

"God" teases reason.

By the way, although my postal address remains the same for the time being - 300 West Parkwood Rd., Decatur, GA 30030 - mail also reaches me when addressed to 1984 Jordan Terrace, Atlanta, GA 30345; my home phone number is now 404-634-9532; my cell phone number is 678-200-2474; and my e-mail address is now cliff-lutton@comcast.net.

Love, good health and happiness to all.

U No Hu