Their names are Chris, Nick, Tim and Dan and Ron. They come to Church every Sunday. Usually Nick and Chris hold the doors open for everyone arriving and say hello. Chris is also an alter server and participates in the mass very enthusiastically. Nick also helps out by helping me do the collection. Not to leave Tim out, at the end of the mass he collects the donation basket and brings it to the priest. Ron usually helps by putting out the candles and and getting things reset for the next mass. Nick and Chris at the end of the mass again very enthusiastically hand out the church bulletins telling everyone they hand it to that they will see them again next Sunday. And as I look over at Dan during the mass he tries his best to repeat some of the prayers and songs that he can remember.

Chris, Nick, Tim, Dan and Ron are all handicapped to varying degrees. Each of them have their own limitations. But what is so great is that they really are apart of  and are involved in our church. Our church is a small one compared to most of the others in the area. But what I like about it is that its small enough that you get to know a lot of the people and interact with them. Everyone seems to sing and and get into the music of the service which I myself enjoy.

Chris, Nick, Tim, Dan and Ron all live in a group home not to far away. They have a several people that are always with them to assist them and drive them to their activities. I believe Chris, Nick and maybe Tim also have a job during the week at a place called Opportunity Enterprises where their skills are used at what ever ability they have to produce products. It gives them income, provides them with a meal and gives them a sense of purpose to I believe.

Their care takers take them out sometimes to restaurants and they go on trips to summer camp, Disneyland and different events. All in all they have a pretty full life I think and they regularly interact with the community in a pretty positive light.

It wasn’t that long ago that their life would have been a lot different. It was late 1960’s and I would make a weekly trip with my mother to visit my dad at a state hospital. At the time he had MS and was put into a state institution that was an hour and a half away from our home. It was hard to go there and see the way they treated people. People like Nick, or Tim or Dan would have been strapped to a wheel chair and put into the hallway where after years of neglect they would sit there just starring out maybe rocking back and forth. They would have been in a hospital gown and the foul stench from their catheter being broken would be in the air as you walked past them. Left over food from their breakfast would have been stuck to their face or hands. Their nails may not have been clipped in ages and food was packed under their nails. Then every few minutes someone or several people would be moaning loudly like an animal in a trap. This went on all day every day. The majority of these people didn’t have visitors. If any of them still had their wits about them to any degree walking by them you were afraid and didn’t want to interact with them.

The memories still haunt me and I have to wonder what happened to all those people. I’m glad things have improved for people like Chris, Nick, Tim, Dan and Ron but with all the government cut backs it wouldn’t surprise me if they went back to warehousing people again to cut costs. I hope not.

Reality TV shows I’ve got to believe have peaked. Or maybe I’m just hoping they have. Take the new ABC show Splash as an example. Though I do like Louie Anderson as a comedian I don’t think anyone really wants to see him dive into a pool and of course make a big splash! What else is he going to do? Then they must think we are idiots in that lets see who’s going to win the compitation Chewy the short midget, Louie the heavy weight, the freaklishly tall Kareem the former basketball great or one of the youthful young athletes that are competing? How about the reality shows where a bunch of young people are put together in a house  to fight, to fall in love or lust, to go crazy and then be awarded a whole bunch of money because they were the last one standing because they lied and cheated and stabbed everyone in the back to get there? What are we teaching our children? What responsibility do these entertainment companies have to us? None of course, they are corporations looking to make a buck.

Its funny the recent new series developed by Roma Downing and her husband Marc Burnett (who happens to produce some of those trash shows) about the bible is apparently knocking the socks off the ratings! Not that I’m a bible toting Christian but good for them. A good example of making a positive show that tells a story and apparently is making alot of money. Lets hope they do more than just that.

Would it be so wrong to show motivational shows? Even the show “Shark Tank” which features everyday people trying to get thier dreams off the ground is something worth watching. Especially when they recap what happened down the road after they got the help from the investor. Making peoples dreams come true, don’t we all want a part of that? Even the show “The Amazing Race” you know darn well the older couples are going by the wayside within the first few weeks. They don’t even have a chance. Why not do the “Amazing Race” with all older people, we will still see and experience the different culture of the different countries that they visit, we will still see the “Travelocity Roaming Nome” commercial, it will just be a little more even between the teams, a little more honest I would hope. I don’t think in my time left on this earth that Reality TV Shows are going anywhere soon.

Ok I guess thats enough on my saopbox for the week. I thank all my new subscribers for joing us and I hope I entertain you with my thoughts and please share the love by telling your friends to subscribe as, the more the merrier!

The mention of possible Social Security Cuts to help the budget crisis in Washington DC is not the right answer. If anyone knows me they know that if someones trying to take something from me I’m going to have to fight for it. No, let me state that differently. I don’t mind giving to someone who needs it but our politicians are so far removed from real life that they cannot make effective decisions on our behalf. They are asking us to help them out of a mess that they created. Like subsidies for the oil companies! Are you kidding me! Four billion was the total in subsidies last year for the oil companies that had profits in the billions also!

The average salary of a basic congressman or senator is about $174,000.00

Can you believe it? I know a few million people that would easily do that job for less than half of what they are paid. Plus they get a ton of benifits. The average congressman or senator after serving five years is fully vested in the retirement plan. On average they get about $60,000.00 a year in retirement and are able to continue recieving their health benifits that you or I the average Joe couldn’t possibly afford.

These are the men and woman deciding what benifits we get. As of yesterday I gues the president is considering cutting social security and medicare and medicade to help with the shortfall they are experiencing. I think the politicians have it wrong. They are put there to serve us the american people not the corporations who are making billions in profits. Why do companies that are that profitable being given hand outs?

I’m sure I’m not the first one to ask this and I’m sure nothing will change. No I know something will change and its not them its us! Its the old “have’s and the have not’s”! Talk about taxation without representation. Maybe we need our own “Tea Party” I wonder what we can throw in Lake Michigan how about the politicians! Social Security cuts should be off the table, how about corporate subsidies, $500.00 toliet seats, $100.00 hammers and $20,000 white house pictures of staff! I’ll bring my camera and blow it up at Office Depot for less than $100.00! Remember the movie “Dave” the guy that looked like the president and was an average Joe like from Iowa. Where is a good “Dave” when you need one?