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Peanut Butter

By Linda H. Barnette

When I was 9 years old, my first pet, a sweet Chihuahua, got run over by a car and killed. Of course, I was totally heartbroken. As an only child, my dog had been my best friend.  But in a few months our neighbor’s cat had kittens, and she let me choose one to keep. She was an orange kitten, and I chose her because I had red hair and figured that we were a good match! I named her Peanut Butter.

At that time I had a red bicycle which I rode up and down the street almost daily because that long ago there was very little traffic on our street. The bike had a little metal basket, and one day I had the brilliant idea to put Peanut Butter in it so she could ride with me. She loved it and rode with me all the time. When I walked home from school, she would jump off the front porch and come running out to greet me, and we played for a while before I had to go inside. She would scratch the door for me to come out and run over to the bike to tell me she wanted to ride.  She was definitely the boss and seemed more like a dog than a cat.

Although she was an outside cat, my dad fixed her a bed in the little building behind our house that had been a chicken house in the old days. PB, as I called her, was my best friend, and I loved her very much.

One day we went across the street to visit my grandmother.  PB stretched out on the back step to wait for me as always.  Sadly, the cleaning lady came outside with a load of clothes to hang up, did not see her, and stepped on her. Although my dad happened to be home and rushed her to the vet, PB was paralyzed.

I kept her in a box in the warm kitchen and got her out several times a day to try to see if she could walk, but she never did. Finally, after a week or so, we made the decision to have her put to sleep.

Once again I was alone.

What Am I Missing?

By Kevin F. Wishon

“The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.” This is a quote from the psychiatrist and author, R. D. Laing. It’s a tongue twister for sure, but it reminds me of something that’s been on my mind.

With all of the discouraging news we are hearing, apathy is becoming a way to cope with the situation. The dictionary describes apathy as a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern. I understand. I even hear myself saying, “It’s time to tune it out or turn it off,” when it begins to be too much. However, deep within me, I feel apprehension over my periodic lapses of attention. If I’m failing to notice what is occurring, how can I know about and deal with the changes that will directly affect me?

Indeed, life is changing. This is nothing new. Yet, the rate that change is occurring feels accelerated. I believe most readers will understand the comparison between the two situations I’m about to describe. Lately, life reminds me of the difference that a video game player experiences when switching from easy to medium levels of difficulty. Now, the game is harder to play. Game objects are moving faster. You must think and move quicker. More obstacles and opponents are coming at you. There is no time for apathy. If your attention slips, then it’s game over and on to the next attempt at winning the level.

However, life isn’t a video game. With many situations, there are no do-overs. So, what are the changes I’m describing? The effects that the broader economy is having on what we buy and own, i.e., inflation as well as the additional fees and policy changes that are being added to the services we purchase each month. Additionally, with recent data leaks, a person may need to pause and think before sharing their personal information with a service, app, or business. Now, I’ve only described a few, but there are many more.

Understandably, we can do little about much of the changes I’ve described. Individually, I also understand we don’t control the interest rates or decisions businesses make. So, why even take notice? Would it not be easier to bury our heads in the sand? What is tolerable today may not be tomorrow. Like moths in a closet, a few fees, rates, taxes, and interest changes can take a considerable toll on a bank account’s balance. While there may be little we can do now, having a mentally prepared plan of action ready for the day that a change becomes intolerable will ease one’s mind.

Of course, more so than ever, we must be selective in noticing. Some changes are not worthy of our precious time and mental resources and lead to apathy. Still, we must take time to notice the changes that affect us. Only then can we adjust ourselves accordingly.

God Logic

By Stephanie Williams Dean

The virtual assistant, Siri, works with Apple operating systems using voice queries and a natural language user interface to answer questions.

Recently, I asked Siri, “How was the world created?” Her answer didn’t include the omnipotence of God.

But, without an absolute God, my life doesn’t make sense. My being, my thought processes, and everything else in the world are not just products of chance – because there’s no logic in random process.

Man was not the originator of the physical world. Nature was always here first.

Astronomical events such as the moon’s effect on tides or an eclipse prove nothing less than a design of precision and not one of chance.

If you look at the placement of the Earth in relation to the sun and moon, consider stable orbits and our seasons, you will see a logical and precise plan.

The universe obeys certain rules – they are like the laws to which all things adhere. The laws are precise, and many of them are mathematical in their nature.

The Bible also tells us that there are laws of nature…”ordinances of heaven and earth.” Natural laws exist because the universe has a Creator God who is logical and has imposed order. God’s plan was one that would provide a perfect environment suitable to sustain plant, animal and human life. Natural law is hierarchical in nature. Secondary laws of nature are based on primary laws of nature.

For our universe to be possible, these laws must be in the right order – and that order and logic never just existed on their own.

RWG Literary Corner

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