Magical Moment 475, "Senior-ity Rules"

Well, today I discovered where every senior citizen in northern New Jersey is at 11:00 am on a Wednesday. The grocery store. I've always connected really well with older people. Probably because we have the same taste in music and movies. And bedtime. I used to play piano for nursing homes and retirement communities in college (something I would really like to get back into), and always felt very at home and grateful to be there.

So it really, really bothers me when I see people make rude comments to, or about seniors. Today I saw several instances of honking, eye rolling, and general impatience and disrespect at the Food Lion, and began to think about society's relationship with senior citizens. And well, this is how I think it should be.

Let me put it this way. In the military, whenever I was in the presence of a high-ranking officer or NCO, I pretty much made sure I had my act together. Not that I knew anything about them. I didn't know if they were a good leader or not. But the one thing I did know from their visibly worn rank, was that they've been here waaaaay longer than me. And that deserves a little respect, regardless of who they are personally. So if a Colonel was taking her sweet time in the check out line in front of me, I wouldn't make a snide comment like, "Hurry up!" I'd stand there quietly and wait. And if it looked like she was having trouble carrying everything, I might even offer a, "Can I help you with that Ma'am?"

That's how we should treat senior citizens. Like Colonels and Generals. And senior citizens should treat the rest of us like they outrank us. If I say or do something disrespectful to Vern Goldenblatt from the Bingo Hall, he ought to have the right to hem me up at attention and give me the chewing out that I deserve.

See those wrinkles and white hair? They might as well be a polished silver star on a starched uniform. Straighten up. Keep your mouth shut. Treat them with respect. They outrank you.

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-...

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