Enough Aready!

The soft music is flowing from the radio. Bob turned off the news a while ago and I replaced it with soothing music. It is a brief respite from the stressful news of late.

I am tired of the negative news from everywhere. There are the multiple fires raging in the West, the threat of a nuclear war, the starving fleeing from the chaos of conflicts and genocide in Africa, Burma and Myanmar, the ingoing war in Syria, suppression in Iran, Russia and many other countries, the dysfunction in Washington, the terrible state of health care in our country, Harvey, Irma, etc. etc.

If course we watch and listen to the news. It is part of our psyche to be aware of the world in which we live, but there are times when enough is enough and we need a break from the suffering of those not as fortunate as we.

It is the awareness of the tragedies on this earth that makes us grateful to live where we live with the advantages we were given. We could have been born in Syria or as an untouchable in India. We also could have lived in poverty in an inner city in our country. It is true that this is the land of opportunity, but some circumstances prevent advancement for many limited by their environment and lack of education.

I look at my life. I was born to a solid family who valued learning and a strong worth ethic. I received an education that gave me many opportunities for a satisfying, useful career that provided independence and a life of security.

As I turn on the news I may become anxious, but in the end, I am grateful for all of the advantages provided me and now, in retirement, to enjoy the safe and beautiful surroundings of the Black Hills of South Dakota.

No hurricanes, no wars, no fleeing chaos, and for now, no fires. Gratitude is the word!

One Woman's Journey

She joined us at our table in the restaurant. Her mother had just died, her heart was filled with sorrow, and memories came pouring out. For the first time she seemed willing to share her story with us. (Details were lengthy and may not be entirely accurate by this writer),

She had grown up in Vietnam but because she was Chinese, she and many of her family had to go back to China. They were given only a few hours to pack a few belongings that they could carry on their backs. It was during the Vietnam war  They walked through the jungles. One of the group was an older relative that had to be pushed in a wheelbarrow. He never made the entire trip.

They boarded a small boat, crammed together. During the journey she was so sick she thought she would die. They travelled to Communist-free Singapore where they were interred in a refugee camp for several years. It was there that three of her four children were born.

At long last they found sanctuary in the United States. She and her family ended up in Denver where she opened a restaurant and supported her children while they attended college. She and her husband were opened seven days a week, saving their money in order to live the American dream. In time she and her family opened another eating establishment in the small town of Hot Springs, SD., far from the heavy competition in the large city.

In time she brought her mother over to join them. She helped in the kitchen of their restaurant, working each day, chopping vegetables for the buffet, until she became too old to stand for so long on her feet.

It took thirteen years to bring her brother and sister-in-law and their children to the United States from China. Finally they arrived, having to leave their oldest child behind because he had passed the age where he was considered part of the family. Her brother and wife joined them working daily in the restaraunt, willingly taking on the menial chores in the kitchen, while their two children went to live and work for an aunt in a nearby town.

Her past will always be a part of who she has become, an American citizen contributing to our country, with special Chinese food to satisfy hungry customers every day of the week and every day of the year with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas days.

In our small community her restaurant has filled a need, to be open for the hungry and the lonely, when all else are closed. One Christmas Eve a couple were stranded at home, all flights cancelled due to a winter storm. They drove back home from the airport to a house empty of groceries since they had intended to spend two weeks with family in Florida. They drove through the desolate streets of town. Her diner had an open sign, cheerfully welcoming one and all. The others were closed for the holiday Eve and the powerful winds and cold covering the area. The stranded couple found warmth and nourishment in the only place left open in a small town in America, run by an immigrant family from across the sea.

Not many of us born and raised in this country will ever be able to fully understand the difficult path that many immigrants follow in order to make a better life for themselves in America.

I am honored to have had her share some of her story. I am grateful for being fortunate to have been born here. Our country has a proud heritage of immigrants from many countries who paved the way for us who have always lived here. Thanks to all of you!

Small Town Politics

There are always two sides of every issue. This is especially blatant in the small town. The gossip flows swiftly, facts are distorted and exaggerated until everything is brought out in the open....if it ever does.

I watch in interest as my small town of origin takes sides on an issue, often similar to those in our town. There have been differences over a hospital, a library, mining and on and on. Both sides in both communities are passionate and vocal on their viewpoints. Compromises may come about. Victory for one side may leave bitter tastes in the losers. Whatever the outcome, feelings rumble below the surface, waiting for an opportunity to rise up to another challenge or to loudly state "I told you so!"

It is no different on the national level. There is passion on both sides and the voice of reason is often lost among the conflict. Calm, reason and compromise are reached at times, after the furor of the moment has receeded.

The latest in our community is a ruckus over the suspension of our city administrator. During the furor, sides were taken, a settlement was reached, our mayor resigned and our community was exhausted over the entire episode.

During the ruckus there was a ray of reason on our city council. That member wanted time, documentation and a decision based on facts rather than emotion. I was reminded of the doctor who attended me during my hospital stay. She wore a hijab. I asked her where she was from. She and her husband were doctors from Egypt and had become citizens of our contry.

I questioned her on the latest immigation laws and the possible effect on her travel plans to visit her family in Egypt. I was emotional but she responded to my frustration with the calm voice of reason and understanding.

"People are afraid."

There it was. Calm and inner peace showed through. I reflected on our difference. I was agitated. She was the serene voice of reason. A lesson learned.

I am grateful for calm and reason. It is still among us.

The Other Side of the Story

More hope!

As I wrote in my last blog, I intend to focus more on hopeful stories than the negative. (While still keeping informed on everything, including the negative, difficult to ignore when inundated by the media.)

Let's travel to St. Louis, MO. In the 1840's there were brawls when the Germans were against the Irish immigrants. It happened again with the newly arrived Italians. In the late 20th century there was tension with the influx of Hispanic and Asian immigrants.

It was the same story when the Bosnian refugees, fleeing civil war in Yugoslavia, settled in St. Louis in the 1990's. Most of them were Muslims and the citizens were fearful and resentful of these latest immigrants.

This fear and suspicion lasted for several years during which time these immigrants built their new lives. Soon they owned businesses, earned college degrees and transformed a former crime-ridden area with abandoned buildings into a thriving community in south St. Louis. Their community has lower crime and unemployment rates than among the general population. They started more businesses, are more skilled and are more likely to have an advanced degree. They are also less likely to be on welfare, food stamps or assistance from the government.

Today the mayor of St. Louis is welcoming Syrian refugees in spite of the backlash from terrorists attacks in Paris and California. So far only 29 have settled there. The 1950's census made St. Louis one of the larges cities in the United States. By 2010 the city had lost over half of its population due to the decline in manufacturing and the ensuing flight to the suburbs. The mayor knows from history that the refugees can revitalize the city.

There have been some immigrant Bosnians who supported the terrorists in Iraq and Syria, but they have been the minority. The mayor of St. Louis has a vision for a revitalized city. It happened with the Bosnian refugees and his hope is it will happen again with the Syrians fleeing war, poverty, hunger and scarce opportunities for an education.

With this attitude of a mayor who knows his history and looks toward a re-energized city, there is hope for the latest refugees pursuing refuge in our United States, a land of immigrants and a land of opportunity for all. From the beginning we have been a country of those fleeing war, religious or political persecution or those seeking for more opportunities for themselves and their children.

Way to go, St. Louis!