A New Formation

The skies in my area commonly have Canada Geese flying.  We see them and hear their honking throughout the year.  These sights and sounds are treats every time I encounter them.  This week something different was in our sky.  The colors were not the same, the size was larger, and their sounds were strange.  The only familiar part was the birds flying in a "V" formation.  It was exciting to both see and hear Sandhill Cranes silhouetted against a cold blue sky.  I was so excited I failed to count them, however, a good estimate would place their numbers around forty.

This was an impressive formation of birds and their constant communications proved delightful.  The sounds were constant and seemed to move up and down the line of birds.  I imagined they were in telling each other about how to keep the formation shaped and directioned.  They may have even been commenting on the gawking humans below.  The formation undulated, constantly changing, and the only constant was a southward direction.

I wondered about the instincts that urge these large birds to migrate from Canada to Florida and back each year.  My mind considered what abilities they had to execute the migrations.  How did the birds get into this cycle that takes them such extreme distances to utilize specific environments?  They have to get what they need; food and places for young to grow and survive.  Life tries very hard to continue.

The Mind In Control

Seems like this season brings more stresses and concerns.  "How will I get it all done.  Oh, there's another gathering I should go to.  Where can I find that certain gift?"  These are a few of the questions we ask ourselves.  I deal with the process a lot better than I used to.  I suspect part of that is due to having learned what is expected.  But, it still overwhelms me from time to time.  The additional, non-routine, activities and processes all tend to agrivate a peaceful state of mind.

I've learned to recognise some of the states my mind gets into.  I now know when I'm starting into a depression cycle.  I can see the signs of an anger state when I feel angry with almost everyone.  Even knowing what the indicators are, I don't seem to be able to change the feelings.  When I know I'm thinking thoughts that lead to depression, it would be logical to change the direction.  To think other thoughts.  It isn't that simple.  Just being aware of the emotions helps a little, but they are still there.  It is frustrating to have my mind in control instead of me being in control of my mind.

Generation Music

The Pastor was presenting his sermon and mentioned, "...if you are over sixty you know what I'm talking about..."  His reference was to his mother's admonishment, "Don't point.  It is not polite."  Each generation seems to have their own music and the preceding generation either doesn't like it or doesn't understand it.  What concerned me, as I thought about it, was something more than a difference in music preference.  We seem to have lost standards of politeness.  Not only is there a generation that doesn't know what it means to be polite, they don't have a substitute standard.  There are folks now who think it is normal and acceptable to just do whatever they want.  They are no longer concerned with how their actions affect others.

What troubles me about this behavior is that a society needs standards.  As long as there are rules concerning what is deemed acceptable behavior, and the members of the community accept those rules, the community can function.  Everyone knows what is expected of them and what the limits are.  With no standards, or with some in the community deciding they will not obey the rules, it becomes nearly impossible for the rest of the members of the group to interact.  Each individual behaves with his or her own set of rules and others don't know the rules.  How can anyone interact if they don't know what is expected?  Additionally, the individuals may change the rules from time to time.  This makes it even more difficult because their rules cannot be learned by the other participants in the community.

Perhaps it isn't polite for me to point out a lack of standards.  It seems to me that we all need limits of some sort.  I've been searching for the limits most of my life.  Several of them I have found and I live by them.  There really are some, "Thou shalt nots."  There really are some, "Thou shalts."  Be polite.  If you don't feel it is necessary to be polite, then obey God.  I will know how to relate to you and develop a relationship.