It’s obvious that the Dumbocrats love nasty, death-loving Muslims more than they do the USA. The results of our election this week have forced me out of retirement to express my opinion about Iran’s hatred for the USA, and Israel continues to foster a love for the annihilation of both countries. They continue to want an atomic weapon. I say, let’s give them one. I recommend President Trump deliver at least one via one of our great bombers, and drop the package off over Tehran. Let them use their ingenuity to catch it before it hits the target.
Once they experience the result an A-bomb has on humanity, they might finally realize why we are against them having one. Or maybe it would only strengthen their resolve to continue their stupidity.
When I asked my friend and fellow Lion that question, Optometrist Dr. Smith replied, “Probably 500, but I’m guessing it’s more like 1000.” That gives us a huge opportunity to serve the blind. As the blind-and-deaf Helen Keller challenged us in 1926 to become Knights of the Blind, she gave us something to work on. Back then, she was so far ahead of us in this topic that it was scary. Thankfully, the Lions Club International decided to adopt blindness as a pillar of service. We have been striving to help blind people ever since.
Statistically, there are over 12 million people over the age of 40 in America who are classified with visual impairment. Out of that 12 million, over 1 million are legally blind.
Lions have been supportive since Helen Keller presented her challenge to us. For instance, we invented guide dogs and the white cane.
The World Health Organization (WHO) cites five causes of vision impairment and blindness:
1. refractive errors
2. cataract
3. diabetic retinopathy
4. glaucoma
5. age-related macular degeneration
Many more reasons are apparent, like accidents and disease, but there are too many to discuss now.
I am proposing a new way to serve the blind to Lions Clubs. Many newly diagnosed blind people are above the age of sixty. When they are struck with the diagnosis, they are devastated as they would be if they heard they had cancer. Older people have trouble adapting to the condition. The loss of independence is devastating. The loss of mobility combined with losing independence makes living stressful. Yet, people adapt, but often with a significant loss of personal dignity.
About thirty years ago, a young couple from the south suburbs of Chicago, both blind, decided to do something positive with their lives and formed a support group they called OASIS. They worked hard to turn their handicap into something positive. They figured they could help people get back into life even with the lemon they were handed. They met with a handful of vision-impaired individuals and led them in prayer and discussions about handling hard things. Kim and Joe used their personal experiences as positive motivation to encourage others to do the same: lead everyday life as well as possible without sight.
Five years ago, the Frankfort Lions became aware of OASIS through our neighboring Mokena Lions Club. Together, we joined them by sending money to help them with their work. Since then, Kim and Joe Kuster, the originators of OASIS, have retired and moved to Tennessee to be near their grandchildren. This left the two clubs with a more significant opportunity to keep the organization going and self-supportive. It has been a full year since the Kusters left, and we are still in business and are growing in numbers.
We have learned that people with visual impairment, especially older ones, enjoy the company of people with the same affinity. They feel comfortable with each other, knowing they are not standing out as being different.
OASIS brings together a community of people in similar situations. They come with someone who can drive them and sit around a table with people they can talk to and share experiences with. A facilitator leads them in prayer and motivates them with ways to overcome hardships. Often, they lead the group to share how they handle situations. The leader introduces them to items that make life easier, like large print calendars, talking clocks, and magnifiers. Every meeting is different from the one before. Lions serve a snack and kibitz with the attendees. They clean up and assist with a game if one is played. A favorite is bingo.
I am telling you this because OASIS is an instrumental and helpful organization within this community. I am sure you also have many people within your realm who could benefit from a vision-impaired support group. We would be happy to help you start a chapter within your club. If you wish to help but are not ambitious enough to begin your own OASIS chapter, you may want to assist OASIS in several ways. Our most urgent need is for volunteer drivers who can adopt a visually impaired person to take them to and from OASIS meetings once each month. Our second largest need is money to run the meetings and expand services.
You can donate to OASIS (a not-for-profit 501c3 organization) by clicking the OASIS website link below.
Hold on to your seat. I am still alive and mentally aware. This post is a necessary alert to my readers who have not heard from me in several months. I needed a long rest from writing blog posts. The rest was welcome, although it is easy to fall into the habit of ignoring Grumpajoesplace Blog.
I have been busy editing my latest attempt at telling a tall tale. I started writing a story in 2014 and will finally be sending queries to agents in the hopes of a miracle. The book is titled Scooter and Bonnie: Space Rods. Look for it at your favorite bookstore. That is, if it ever gets published. The way I figure it, I won’t get to sell it from this side of the grave.
In other news, I’m tired of grieving. I expected my brother to leave since he was ninety-four. The surprises were my daughter, 63, and my sister, 86. Now that my list of relatives has diminished and I remain at the peak of the ancestry pyramid, my grief curve should trend downward.
Since I adopted Clint Eastwood’s philosophy, “Don’t let the old man in,” I’m learning that it is much easier to say than to live up to. My legs are definitely giving up without constant exercise. I asked my doctor what I can do to make walking easier, he said, “Walk.” There was a time when I was only four score that I walked several miles a day. These days, I barely make it around the block. I’ve replaced walking with sitting, and now my butt hurts along with everything else. My intake of alcoholic beverages has increased, but still not to the level of getting a noticeable high. To me, that is a sign that I have room to drink more.
The news we get about the war in Iran is depressing. I can remember reading about the overthrow of the Shah in the 1970’s. Most of the news concerned how well the Shah had adapted Iranian society to Western ways. The new guy never impressed me with his ability to lead a modern country. Turns out I was right. The simple fact is that our Constitution is in direct opposition to the ways of Islam. A true believer in Islam violates the freedom of religion, the right to free speech, and fair trials. Since we believe women are also covered by the Constitution their rights become nil in the Islamic system.
One of the terrible things they want to force on us is Sharia Law. Never will I allow them to replace our system of laws with Sharia. To me, Sharia is primitive and Barbaric.
Muslims believe that Christians worship multiple gods, while they believe in one true God. Their feeble minds cannot accept the concept of three persons in one God. Truth be told, neither can I, but I accept it on faith. Here in Frankfort, IL, where I live, there are many Muslims, and we also have a mosque. Some of the neighboring suburbs are loaded with Muslims, and one can identify the neighborhood by trying to read the business signs. Another tip is the word “halal” used to identify meat products. The best I can decipher is that halal is similar to the Jewish word for kosher.
The Muslim population in the US is growing rapidly. As they increase in number, so will our societal problems. Most of the Muslims that I know personally are nice people, but their religion, customs, and practices frighten me. It will take a change to the Constitution to make me comfortable around them. They are hypocrites of the nth degree, but as long as they remain in their communities, I’m okay with them.
If we ever get to the point of revising the Constitution to allow Muslims to live here peacefully, I would also include language that limits the number of them who can live here, and also make them sign a pledge to live by our laws. There shall be no slaughter of children for dishonoring a lunatic father who has been brainwashed to believe that all things Muslim are the only way to live.
Why do we ignore friends, sometimes for years, and then go out of our way to attend their wake? I don’t know how you feel about this topic, but I get myself into a tizzy over missing a wake. Over the years, wakes have caused me extreme anxiety. I found that missing the wake of an associate, acquaintance, co-worker, friend, sibling, or life partner depends on how close the individual is to me. By close, I mean genetically. Of course, there is a second level of closeness that involves distance or social association.
As I approach my own wake, my attitude is shifting. I never thought of missing a wake when I was more physically robust. Now, as my physicality diminishes, I am no longer bothered by not attending. Really, what can I do for the person involved? Most of the time, I don’t know anyone there, and the only guy I know is in the coffin. I pass by him, say a prayer, thank him for being my friend, and keep moving. Sometimes I will introduce myself to the widow and tell her how I knew her husband.
When it is all done, I look for friends I know to catch up with them and learn about their lives. Finally, I retreat and go home feeling good about giving the dead person a farewell. Did the deceased have a better outcome by my visit? I will not have a clue until I reach him after my own journey to the afterlife. At best, attending a wake at which the only one I know rests in the casket or an urn might make a difference to the widow or children of the deceased.
