Change

Someone said one of life's great ironies is that change is the only thing in life that remains constant.

Things can change for better or worse. When people say "you've changed" they usually mean it in a bad way. When we say "I've changed" we mean it in a positive way.  Laws change, leaders change, neighbors change, and seasons change.

Our relationships change when we say "I love you " for the first time. They also change when we say "I want to talk to you about incorporating spanking and domestic discipline into our relationship".

I am relatively new to blogging and what amazed me and also what drew me here was the love and compassion so ubiquitous amongst this community of bloggers.  While the love and compassion remains in full bloom as evidenced by all the prayers for the families of Emily, Bas, and others, the totally open and unabridged exchange of thoughts and feelings that flowed like a great river, seemed for a while to become more akin to a creek during the dry season.

What caused the transformation?  The misinformation from the articles in the news media was one thing. Blogger sending out their "adult content" policy message was another.  Although I have no personal knowledge, I know there are individuals who just seem to enjoy causing trouble.

I can understand stupid, thoughtless, or mistaken, because I am guilty of each of those transgressions. However, any action whose sole purpose and intent is designed primarily to cause trouble for another is just mean spirited. Like the bully in school or at work (yes, kids who were bullies just grow up and become adults that are bullies). So I say shame on anyone for being a bully!

We all need to belong, and this community is important, because for many, it is sometimes the only place we can get the answers, the emotional support, or sometimes just the "I understand" validation that is so vital to our individual well being.

Change is inevitable. How we deal with change is our choice.

OK, now that I have opined (and feel better), on a lighter note, I received this a while ago and it is all about changes here in the USA that have occurred in just over the last 100 years  (except the one about Canada....to my friends north of the 49th, I ask, is that law still in effect)?

Blessings to all,

George

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It was the year 1906 :

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.

A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost eleven dollars.

There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. With a mere 1.4 million people, California was only the 21st most populous state in the Union.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.

The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year .

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at HOME. Ninety  percent of all U.S. doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as "substandard."

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 

1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!

Cross word puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.

Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Eighteen percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !