Friday, July 29, 2011

Buttons

A couple weeks ago I reached into the pocket of a new sport coat and pulled out the complimentary bag containing 2 buttons (a large one for the front and a small one for the sleeve). I gave the bag of extra buttons to my wife Rhonda. I don’t know where she stashes them, but she knows how to sew and will occasionally patch things up for me. My grandmother (Mom’s mother) kept her extra buttons in a coffee can (the 2-pound size).

Grandma kept this can on the floor in her sewing room. It was hardly a room; even as a small child I recognized that. Dad described such rooms as “so small there’s no room to change your mind.” There was room for a foot-powered sewing machine, Grandma, a visiting grandchild, some bolts of cloth, her mending and her can of buttons.

I don’t know for sure how the can ended up in my possession but it has been largely ignored. That red and white Butter-Nut coffee can has been sitting quietly forgotten on a shelf in our kitchen for several years. It had blended in with the other old-time country kitchen decorations so I never really thought about it.

Saturday, I took it off the shelf to examine a two-word phrase, “Specially Mellowed,” on the can that had caught my son Nathan’s eye. Having forgot about the can’s contents and presuming it empty I was surprised to find that it had some heft to it – Grandma’s buttons. It was like finding an old friend. I spent the next hour happily examining its contents.

Along with a few coins, some hat pins, hook and eyes, small buckles and paper clips were Grandma’s buttons. There must have been several hundred of them. They ranged in size from a Kennedy half-dollar to that of a pencil eraser.

Some of the buttons had a colored fabric cover, many were shaped like flowers, there was even one shaped and textured to resemble a seashell. In addition to the most popular color, kind of a white/off-white/egg shell/lace/beige/ivory/bone/vanilla/pearl mix, there were buttons of pink, purple, red, blue, green, gray, black, silver, gold and so on. They were made out of plastic, metal and wood.

After I had dumped the 50-plus year old contents on the table Nathan joined in the fun. By waiting he was able to avoid getting the blame for messing up a clean table cloth with dust, dirt and debris. With the help of his younger, stronger eyes we found real treasure.

There was an old metal button with the seal of the state of Oklahoma (a long way for a button to travel). The button was so small and faded that it was only visible under a magnifying glass. Several buttons had “U.S. Navy” stamped on them, others just had the anchor. Grandma’s four sons had been in the navy, while Grandpa had served in that branch in both world wars.

There is also a WWI U.S. army collar button. It has two rifles crossing each other with a large F (signifying company) below them. Grandma had one brother, Walter. He died as a young man in France in WWI. Perhaps this button had belonged to him.

Grandma kept these buttons in a can marked “Specially Mellowed.” It’s a clumsy little saying created many years ago by somebody in the Butter-Nut marketing department, but I like the meaning. Specially – Made for a special purpose. Mellowed - Pleasantly smooth; softened by maturity or experience, relaxed and good humored.

At 52, I’m mathematically closer to 70 than 30, but I don’t feel old – foolish, but not old – and I’m still looking for my special purpose. Like a button we are all designed for a special purpose, and as we age our rough edges should be smoothed out. The button that is knotted up too tight is usually the one that pops under stress. So stay relaxed, good- humored and hang onto your buttons.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Fair Weather

Today the thermometer will top 95 degrees in the shade with the air so thick it’s hard to see clearly, but that what’s we wait for up here in the north. It’s the reason people stick around (or return) after five months of winter. I like to tell people (without any prompting) that I prefer January weather to July.

In the winter people up here stay inside and mind their own business. In the summer they are expected to go fairs and festivals. There aren’t too many of those in January.

I like good food, but I prefer fair food, and I know I’m not alone. Last week I worked at the beef stand at Bar-B-Q Days in Belle Plaine. There were men beneath the bleachers cutting up the meat. I stay out of their as I don’t want to lose a finger. Nor am I suited for making the sandwiches and wrapping them up “just so.” I really have no business being in anything resembling a kitchen – but there I was.

I had the easy job. In exchange for a ticket or two I handed over hot barbeque beef sandwiches, cold pop and water. In only a few hours hundreds were served.

There were the hungry paramedics on hand to save lives, the Shriners fresh off the parade needing refreshment (“drink up Shriners”), visiting royalty in all of their glamour (I didn’t see William and Kate), mothers and their children with sweaty red faces, brutish men with their shirt sleeves hacked off, politely asking for “just one”, women picking up supper for their working man, (“He’ll be tired and hot when he gets home from work”), carnival workers in a hurry to get back to the rides, kids I went to school with who now have grand kids.

Most of the tasks at these events are done by volunteers. I am a rather poor example as I have got into this role rather late, and I am not yet fully immersed in the position but I can recommend it.

There are opportunities almost every weekend to give back to your community (or county). The Scott County Fair runs July 27-31. This will be my second year of driving a “people mover,” which is not a very fancy name for a golf cart. It’s really fun – you get to drive around and pick up people and take them here or there. The conversations last only for a few minutes. It’s like speed-dating (not that I would know), except you’re in a golf cart and no phone numbers are exchanged. Here is the website for more information: www.scottcountyfair.com/

After the county fair there is Derby Days in Shakopee, August 3-7.
(www.shakopeederbydays.com/getInvolved/volunteer.php). There are plenty of volunteer opportunities available for this event. Last year I got to be a bingo caller. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. There is a lot of pressure in calling out numbers. The pacing has to be just right – too fast and some of the players can’t keep up, too slow and people get impatient. And of course you have to keep your numbers and letters grouped properly. I heard about a guy in some town out west who mistakenly called “G -7,” instead of the correct “B-7.” He was never heard from again.

In Jordan they have Heimatfest on September 10th. Although I have no experience in volunteering at this event I plan on offering my services. I can take tickets, call out numbers for bingo or drive a golf cart. (www.jordanchamber.org/heimatfest/)

Next year on the third weekend in July I will be back in the stand at Bar-B-Q days in Belle Plaine. I generally don’t plan that far ahead – but for those of you who do, here is the website for more information.
www.belleplainemn.com/chamber/Bar-B-QDays.php

I don’t have any plans to attend the St. Paul Winter Carnival next January. I will be inside reading a book if you need me for anything.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Read.

For my friends, family members and the 36 faithful readers of this column it will come as no surprise when I tell you that occasionally I will have an opinion on a matter. Even though I want to believe that my opinions are offered only after reasoned and thoughtful consideration, I know that is not always the case. When a person is wrong enough times he begins to accept it (which is not the same as expecting it). The person who thinks he is never wrong will never accept being wrong. That person can never know what they don’t know.

The things I don’t know could fill volumes – so I read. I was reading the July 2nd edition of World Magazine when I flipped the page to Janie B. Cheaney’s column, Becoming Readers. Since this was on page 24 of a magazine comprised largely of words it seemed that the author was after more than just inspiring people to read. She wrote:

“I remember the moment when I became a reader. I always liked to read, but that's not the same thing. What made a reader of me was a novel I received through a children's book club.” (The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier) “…the story itself had reached out and grabbed my hand.

“Words arranged in sentences, built into a narrative, made me bigger. It's a bit like creation itself: light spoken into being, coalescing into atoms, combining into molecules, becoming elements. Writing imitates creation by ‘speaking’ ideas into being."

According to Cheaney, readers share in the creative experience. “…they interact with the book in a conversation that alters perception, expands sympathy, provokes anger, or refines argument.

“Not everybody is a reader, in this sense. C.S. Lewis, in An Experiment in Criticism, made the claim that even in a highly literate society, readers (those who get something from books that they get nowhere else) are the minority. Most people read for two reasons: entertainment and information. Both needs are legitimate, but can be met in other ways, especially today. The third reason I would call enlightenment—letting the ideas created by written language challenge or change us.”

I learned how to read from my mother; but Jon Logelin taught me how to read to learn. Mr. Logelin was one of my high school English teachers. He was passionate about reading, especially books written by Kurt Vonnegut.

In spite of my being an unwilling and unruly student, Mr. Logelin taught me to listen for the author’s voice as I read. By doing this I learned to appreciate another’s perspective.

Although Mr. Logelin and Ms. Cheaney communicated the importance of becoming a reader of books, I would suggest that news and political commentary be read as well. We all have a responsibility to learn as much as we can about current events and our political climate.

Read and listen to other points of view besides your own. You might learn that you may be wrong, or hopefully you will understand another’s perspective better. There is no honor in reading or listening to only that which you agree with. If your only source of news and information is one-sided you are only seeing half of the coin.

If you read Ann Coulter, read Maureen Dowd as well. Thomas Friedman and Charles Krauthammer will give you opposing views, as will Paul Krugman and George Will.

My daughter, Jennifer is a Kindergarten teacher. She spends much of her school day reading to her students and teaching them to read. She gave me a shirt with one word on the front: Read.

I think that is a marvelous suggestion. Of course, that’s just my opinion.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Billfold

I only have two credit cards in my billfold – any more than that and I’m just asking for trouble. A few weeks ago I decided it was time to clean it out. It’s been years since I carried it in the back pocket of my pants (promotes poor posture), but it was becoming too thick even for a coat pocket. The small amount of cash I carry with me was not the problem. It was the other items that stretched it beyond its original design.

There were business cards from people I don’t know and will probably never contact – those I threw (the cards, not the people). I also had some expired coupons (I never remember to use them – therefore they become annoying clutter). There were shopping lists of things I purchased or have done without so long they no longer matter – they were tossed.

I have a membership card to a store that I hate going to. It’s easier to vote than it is to get in that store. They never remember who I am. I have to show them the card every time I enter, plus they don’t trust me. Before I am allowed to leave the store after I have paid for my stuff they require me to show the receipt, and then they rifle through the items I just paid for 30 seconds ago. I reluctantly kept that card because once in a while I am sent there to “pick up a few things.”

The frequent movie-goers club card expired without winning the free pop and popcorn combination. I blame the folks in Hollywood because they haven’t given me reason to go to the movies with any recognized and rewarded frequency.

I saved the outdated pictures of my family. There are also gift cards and in-store credit cards with unknown balances. Those are saved. I also kept my library card, driver’s license and the two credit cards.

Most everything else I tossed. But then I discovered that the billfold had become so bloated by carrying around all that unnecessary junk I was no longer able to hang on to the important stuff – it just slipped out and fell to the floor. So instead of stuffing all that junk back in I got a new one, one that is designed to hold just what I need. But now I have to be careful and not fill it beyond its limits because once that happens its hard to get it back into its original shape.

I think that explains my Dad’s billfold. He must have kept stuffing more cards into it to keep all the other stuff in place. He had every major credit card (including Diner’s Club – for eating out I guess), and individual cards for all the major gas stations at the time: Standard Oil, Gulf, Texaco and Conoco. He also had credit cards for Sears Roebuck (as he called the store), J.C. Penny, Donaldson’s and Dayton’s.

All credit cards have a limit (even Dayton’s). You can only spend so much and that’s it. And the bill always comes due. The State of Minnesota shut down because we have maxed out our credit limit and don’t have enough money to pay our bills. As of Independence Day Governor Dayton and our state legislature still could not agree on how to get us out of this mess. We can’t keep increasing spending when we don’t have the money to pay the current bill.

We can continue to spend at the rate we are and raise taxes on other people to pay for it. But eventually we will all pay for it. As British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, “Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people’s money. “

Our government has been stretched beyond its original design so it no longer functions well. Let’s get the lights back and begin the work of cleaning out the clutter before our bills fold us for good.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Personality Type

The other day a friend of mine shared with me a list of myths about introverts. This sounds so much better than “the other day one of my friends on Facebook shared a link to ‘The Top Ten Myths about Introverts,’” because this description could conjure up an image of a lone figure in a dark room crouched over a keyboard spending time with his only friends.

I am not that person, but neither am I one who wants to walk around with a “Hello, my name is ____” badge in a room full of people (strangers or acquaintances). I think I’m somewhere in the middle. You, of course, will have your own opinions.

In general an extrovert needs to be around other people to get energized; an introvert needs solitude to get reenergized after being with a group. I am not professionally trained as a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, counselor or a member of a religious order. So I really have no business even writing about this, but I find it interesting – so there.

Carl King (carlkingcreative.com) put the list of myths together after he had read “The Introvert Advantage,” a book by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. So here are my comments about a list which was given to me by a friend which had been compiled by someone else after they read a book written by yet another person. Plus I am using the internet as a source (so you know it’s reliable).

Mr. King’s myth list (say it fast three times) is what extroverts believe to be true about introverts. The response is what I believe an introvert may say to an extrovert if pushed.

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk. “That’s like saying extroverts don’t like to listen. A good conversationalist is one who is both a good listener and a thoughtful speaker.”

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy. “I think your confusing shyness with being reserved. Not everyone is quick to show their cards. Some will choose to pass and not play. It is only after they have watched a few rounds that they will choose to participate.”

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude. “Now who’s being rude? Would you rather I toss out meaningless pleasantries to make you feel comfortable? An introvert would rather be direct and sincere than to run around the woods trying to become one of the trees just to fit in.”

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people. “It’s not that we don’t like people; it’s just that our friends are fewer and closer and may last a lifetime. It just takes a little longer to get to know us – but it’s worth the time spent.”

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public. “I just like to take it in smaller amounts. The stimulus, the conversations, the interactions must be taken in and mulled over. I need some time to sort it all out.”

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone. “Not always. Sometimes I need a few minutes alone to think. I can be very happy just daydreaming. But solitude can change to loneliness if there is no one to share my thoughts with.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird. “There you are being rude again. You think I am weird because I don’t always go with the group. I usually like to think things through and may choose to follow a different path than the one you’re on.”

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds. “What more name calling? Keep it up and you’ll never get to know me. I would rather be thought aloof than a fool who speaks and acts without thinking. I am just trying to be careful and considerate.”

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun. “My idea of fun is just different than yours. It may involve a more private and quiet activity. I need time away from the noise so that I can unwind and recharge my batteries.”

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become extroverts. “I don’t think I need to be fixed. Sometimes I need to be alone, and other times I need the company of others. I think that most people are like that. But please let’s dispense with the name tags, I will introduce myself when I am ready.”