2013 Journal Notes: From Forgotten Friends to Orangutan Communication

Because I am obsessed with getting rid of stuff and have been thinking about going through my old journals, I got one out and started reading it. Every time I do this I find names of people I don't remember. The one I was hoping to throw away because it was waterlogged is from 2013. With names like Marvin and Esther and Eddie and Adrian and Jenn. Who were these people? Another old crush who broke my heart around that time said he was going to jail for back child support but didn't go. Boy I could always pick 'em. I wrote, "I think I heard God say, 'You're following me nicely.'" Now, that would be something. Followed by, "Feeling much better? Hallelujah!" "Everyone in the world has the choice to let You rescue them or let Satan destroy them for now and forever." That's true. I wrote so many songs back then--so many songs. Oh, well. When Mom was alive and Michael was still speaking to me (such as it was), I was subbing back then, all over town before I got this job where I've been for 10 years. I used to journal a LOT. I came to a point where I didn't want to make any more junk to figure out what to do with. I wrote that I got a call from Bobby Horne in Knoxville. Before his wife died, I think. "They'd enjoy company because Bethany has gone to school! I could drive. I would go to Cape, etc." "I have my own beliefs," she said. I want to say, "How's that workin' for ya?" I don't know if that might have been my late sister. I have found the Answer. I have found God. I have found what I looked for all my life (in all the wrong places) and you just think I'm odd." All right Here it is: "Orangutan activist Rich Zimmerman's goal is to arrange Skype calls so orangutans can videochat with friends and relatives in other zoos. Many orangutans are separated from family when moved for breeding. Skype allows apes to communicate with friends and relatives they miss." Now that is something I definitely had forgotten. The Interspecies Internet? Primates, dolphins and pigeons already using touch screens "--may improve communication between dolphins and humans." Well, that certainly does take the cake. I wonder if this is one of those things DOGE has found that the federal government has been funding. Before I started reading my useless old waterlogged journal with only one interesting piece of information in it (above) I was reading Luke 23, where Jesus in handed over to Pontius Pilate. I guess everybody knows that Jesus did not do anything to deserve the death penalty, that he had been falsely accused and illegally charged. (He died for our sins, not his own). Had an interesting conversation in the laundry room with a young man who works at Walmart. We said he doesn't like the government, he thinks Trump is a "convicted felon." I did mention I thought the charges were bogus and he said again, "He was convicted." There was no use trying to reason with him, or that I thought the "30-something felonies" were just on a slew of emails supposedly supporting one charge that was not even a felony, was only a misdemeanor, not 30-something "felonies." I knew there was no point continuing the conversation in that direction, so we sort of changed the subject and went our separate ways. I see in the whole story of Jesus being crucified that what we have going on constantly is good and evil fighting over us. I told this young man that I believed in God, so I didn't worry about the economy. I really don't, but he had an argument, basically, the idea that he could have the same result (peace of mind) simply by not listening to the news and living his life. He said he was not religious, but he couldn't ever tell anyone their beliefs were wrong. I'm not sure I believe him because he definitely had some strong opinions. I can see there that we could both agree that not listening to the news is probably a healthy choice, and we agreed that the government had cheated the present generation out of Social Security and that they should have been teaching us all how to invest in the Stock Market instead of allowing us to believe that Social Security was going to support us. What I concluded from that is what I've been thinking about for a while now, that if we are all Americans there must be some things we can agree on, and maybe we could close the gap of this wide gulf that separates the Left and the Right. I don't know. Maybe I'm dreaming. What say you? ee on, and maybe we could close the gap of this wide gulf that separates the Left and the Right. I don't know. Maybe I'm dreaming. What say you?