The Miner

There was an old miner that made a small fortune in gold but that was not all of his riches. When he was a boy he grew up around miners, yet, since his daddy didn't mine he was estranged to them. He heard his daddy denigrate them and call them drunks and lazy bums. It seemed harsh to the boy but he did witness their dirty clothes and some laughing and drinking in barrooms as he walked the sidewalks of town by the ginmill doorways. He was too young to realize that their course behavior was a snapshot of some folks, of any folks for that matter but not the actions of all miners. Still, his opinion was sullied long before he grew to be a young man. He never intended to be a miner, it never crossed his mind since his interest lied in woodworking and furniture making. He worked laborers jobs on farms and ranches, he dug ditches and cut firewood, he even moved fill dirt off of mine areas while he apprenticed in woodworking. He eventually became a journeyman woodworker and after he made some money he ventured to buy some land and start a homestead. He bought a tract in the hills and began clearing a serene spot in the woods at the edge of a small brook to build a house. One day he was dragging some rocks up out of the brook and a shining glint caught his eye. He reached into the water where he thought he saw something and pulled up a gold nugget. He couldn't believe his eyes! Just like that, he had found what is equivalent to money laying on the ground, just laying there, he didn't have to earn it. He sat back on the stream bank and laughed. After a moment of laughter, he jumped to his feet and danced a little jig. He was amazed at how rejuvenated he felt after working so hard in the dirt and rock and mud. That's when it struck him that he was no different than the hard-working miners of his youth that his daddy looked down his nose at. He worked with his hands to build beautiful things and he worked on his land to make his home. He got dirty and often suffered minor injury but he was contented. He was also a kind and generous man. He wasn't a drunkard and he certainly wasn't lazy; but now he felt something different, he felt transformed and he couldn't say why. He continued to work at making furniture, built and worked his homestead, and mined for gold in the evenings, yet something was different within him.

That first big nugget, though it opened up amazing opportunities, it was not the fortune; he had to search for more to amass his tidy sum. He learned techniques and applied new ways to mining and gained experience with each new nugget. As he aged and his hands struggled to make his beautiful furniture he still kept mining because he enjoyed it; he was a miner. He liked to work in the earth and learn new methods. He discovered much more than gold and things that it could buy for himself, he could share his wealth with others which brought him more happiness.

Theo Wilson

Theo Wilson is a poet and a YouTube activist who wondered about the people posting racist comments on his videos, and where they were getting their facts. So he adopted a pseudonym and joined their conversation. If y'all google his name there's plenty of information available and he gave an excellent Ted Talk that everyone should listen to, and then relisten to it with an open heart. When Uncle Bubba heard it he was struck by many things but one thing in particular, however, he'll share that in a moment. First here are some poignant excerpts from an interview Mr. Wilson did with Ted Talks. These excerpts will give you a glimpse into the caliber of person and the deep thinker that Mr. Wilson is.

"WILSON: When I went undercover, I found a lovely plethora of characters, luminaries like Milo Yiannopoulos, Richard Spencer, and David Duke. All of these guys were thought leaders in their own right, but over time, the alt-right movement ended up using their information to fuel their momentum. And I'm going to tell you what else led to the momentum of the alt-right - the left-wing's wholesale demonization of everything white and male.

One thing kept screaming at me through the subtext of those arguments, and that was, why should I be hated for who I cannot help but be? Now, was a black man in America, that resonated with me. I've spent so much time defending myself against attempts to demonize me and make me apologize for who I am, trying to portray me as something that I'm not, some kind of thug or gangster or menace to society. Unexpected compassion - wow. Never in a billion years did I think that I could have some kind of compassion for people who hated my guts.

WILSON: And let me be clear about the difference between compassion and sympathy. Compassion is my spiritual duty as a human being, but that's different than - well, a lot of people interpret that compassion as a sympathy. I don't have sympathy for them. You see, compassion figures out how you got to where you are. Sympathy is having compassion for where they ended up.

And that's a very, very key distinction that has to be made. I get how somebody could be born on that side of the divide and end up where they are. But I also get that we all have brains, and we can do our own bit of education, and we can figure out exactly what data points that we're missing. And why don't you care to do it? That was a question that I had.

WILSON: The most important thing that I think that we could get from this is that there is unhealed trauma on every side of the racial divide. There's trauma, man. And a lot of people talk about the trauma that black folks have, the post-traumatic slavery syndrome. But then there's also a trauma that white folks experienced, and that experience comes from the fact - and I made a video about this, about how slavery wounded white people.

You don't get to be a part of a force that did that much damage to other peoples without somehow having damage done to yourself at some level. Every time somebody saw somebody lynched, even if they were white, that was damage. If you witness a murder, that's therapy for life, right? One murder - right?

So what does it say when the whole culture gets a lynch mob out and goes hanging folks? You think little Billy, the first time he sees a black man burning from a tree, ain't going experience some kind of trauma? That's going to show up some kind of place, right? That - all of that has a cost. The great tragedy of racism is that we are all human, is that we all lose a piece of our humanity." (http://kuow.org/post/theo-ej-wilson-what-happens-when-black-man-goes-undercover-alt-right)

His statement about trauma on both sides is the thing that hit Bubbie like a hammer between the eyes. It was an epiphany! Thank you, Theo. Though the topic was racism, Bubbie suddenly realized that we all have PTSD in every area of our lives. To back up for a moment, to Uncle Bubba PTSD was something that happened to war veterans and victims of horrific accidents and such. But suddenly he realized that it is, in fact, a condition stemming from any event that an individual is unable to reconcile in their mind; its torturous, toxic thoughts. We all have these that layer upon layer all ingrown like the rings of a tree.

What's at the heart of your tree?

They can begin in childhood and depend on one's personality, environment, resilience and coping skills in avoiding more damage that life dishes out.  And life doesn't slow down to let us recuperate and fix things to make them right, at least within our own minds. Sometimes we are weighed down by one event when we're clobbered by another; bad things happen in 3s as Granny used to say. Bubbie supposes that this is why psychologists were invented, to help us work through these trauma, PTSD things before they became too full of themselves but that's a thought for another day; for now he wants to say that though we've all been damaged in some way, everything can heal and if y'all don't pick at the scab too much, that scar may not be deep. In Bubbie's view, look inside yourself and see if y'all can find those scabbed over wounds, the ones that haven't healed, have some compassion for your heart and find a way to get them healed; Jesus is a good place to start.

Old Hogs

Uncle Bubba really likes his hog. It doesn't matter if he's just sitting on the porch admiring her resting in the sunshine or sitting on her back as she takes him on a ride. Recently he watched a YouTube video about Harley Davidson's biggest challenge in the future and that's the fact that their core demographic of customers are aging and will eventually fade away, and the young bucks just aren't into motorcycles as much as playing video games. The video also postulated that the younger generations are more inclined to buy crotch rockets because they're faster and cheaper. It's a hard argument to contradict. Harley's are expensive. Sportbikes are fun. But for a while now Uncle Bubba has been tired of the Harley Davidson paradigm. Short of their sportier bikes targeted at younger riders, most of their cruisers are just getting too many comfort features that in Bubbie's view take away from the ride and add to the cost. It wasn't until he thought about the info that the video presented that he realized that all these comforts do go hand in hand with older riders. Aside from Bubbie, there's not a lot of old dudes that want to ride stripped down bikes of their youth. They want low vibration motors, 6-speed transmissions, soft comfy seats, farings loaded with radios and stereo speakers, GPS, LED lights, heated grips, and on and on. These new bikes are practically 2 wheeled cars! That just ain't Bubbie taste. He likes to feel the bike as it rumbles under him and he likes to listen to the motor and the wind and the sounds of nature and the environment. He doesn't want to be distracted from the ride with a radio or GPS, clock or cell phone. He wants to be connected in spirit to the band of Wild Ones that came before him. Easy Rider and Born To Be Wild. All the brothers and sisters that rode not to show off their style and make a fashion statement but because a bike was their primary choice of transportation due to their rebel hearts. It wasn't about comfort it was about freedom. Uncle Bubba likes the idea of being in that pedigree. He reckons that every rider likes that idea and feels similarly but in Bubbie's view, it's a lot easier to connect the dots without the radio distracting him.

Ain't That The Way?

Uncle Bubba had a cow that was about to calve, he just knew it because he had a busy couple days lined up. Yet he remained vigilant though it added to his busy schedule; he didn't mind. He rode by her daily on windshield inspection and noticed some telltale signs: a switching tail, kicking at her belly, turning in circles, and other signs of discomfort fall into this category too. Separation from the herd is another sign. No one likes to have a kid with all their friends watching, and cows are no exception.

On Sunday, Bubbie and Sweet Pea went to church and as they arrived home that afternoon they drove up to their homestead to see the cow lying in the field and without a doubt she was definitely in labor. Uncle Bubba dropped Sweet Pea off at the house and then punched the accelerator and darted across the field. As he approached the momma, the calf’s front legs and dark nose were out but it was obvious that momma was having some difficulty. Bubbie didn't hesitate and dove right in. As luck would have it, Sweet Pea had quickly changed her clothes and scampered across the field to witness the birth. Uncle Bubba called to her to hurry because he was going to need her help. He had been pulling at the calf's legs and asked Sweet Pea to take over while he worked on getting the shoulders and then hips out with the contractions. Within a few moments, the calf was born. Momma was exhausted.

She eventually got up with their encouragement and quickly found the calf and started licking it and making momma moo grunts to her. She licked the calf and licked and licked some more. She then found its umbilical cord and snipped it off just at the right length. It was very cool that she knew exactly what to do. Uncle Bubba and Sweet Pea stood and watched in awe and amazement at the miracle of birth and new life. It took a long time for the little girl to get up on those wobbly long stilts of hers, but when they left the barn to come in for supper, she was up and nursing.

It had been a long few days of waiting and wondering so now as they sat at the table reflecting upon the event they smiled contentedly at one another. Just that morning Bubbie had been out checking on the momma cow before the sun had shown its face and a pack of coyotes ran across the back fence line, no doubt awaiting the birth as well. In the dim dawn light, Uncle Bubba reached into the cab of his pickup truck and grabbed his .270. He braced it across the hood and touched off a round with his squinted eye peering through the crosshairs of the scope. The coyotes turned tail and scrambled and disappeared into the woods. In Bubbie's view, ain't that the way that it is? When a good thing is showing up in your life, if we don't guard against it something will come in and snatch it away. How many blessings do we miss because we failed to prepare?

Say What?

Uncle Bubba cranked on the steering wheel and pulled his pickup truck into the parking lot of the gin mill. He and his buddies just came off of a successful hog hunt and they were gathering at the watering hole for a refreshing beverage and recount the morning's events; this is how legends are born. Uncle Bubba walked into the darkness of the bar and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the change in light and he could feel cigarette smoke sting his sun weary eyes. He dimly recognized The Captain at the far end of the barroom and then the afternoon sunlight broke in and the rest of the crew bounded through the door. They bellied up to the bar and the tall tales started immediately. For the uninitiated, wild hogs have exploded in population across the US and they are wreaking havoc on America's farmlands. Wild boars are classified as pests because their diet of roots leads to them tearing up the ground, killing plants in the process and hastening erosion. Uncle Bubba's crew doesn't go out to just shoot them, rather they catch them using dogs and then pen them up and fatten them on grain before harvesting them. Back at the bar, they are laughing at the day's events and as usual most of the jokes are about Cousin Earl. It just seems to be that way and in Bubbie's opinion, it's because he brings it on himself.

Earl was bellyaching about how he strained his back when he tried to pick up one of the hogs to carry it out of the woods. The boys howled at that because it was one of the smallest caught. Then his wrist hurt from this and his neck ached from that: it's always something with Earl, he's a bit of a hypochondriac. Generally, the crew rolls their eyes when they see him coming and they aren't displeased to see him go, he can wear y'all out with his complaints. Uncle Bubba tries his best to hang in there with him because they've known one another since they was babies and he kinda pities him because he knows that hypochondria is a symptom of other things, mental and emotional what-have-yous. Wistfully, Bubbie hopes that Earl gets over whatever ails him before it's too late, after all, it wears on Bubbie as well; he, like us all, has his own issues and challenges of life to deal with. Bubbie would love to be standing at the bar laughing with his buddies with Earl on equal footing and not the brunt of every joke but that's just not the way life works.

Thankfully, Uncle Bubba and Sweet Pea have a different philosophy of life that not only helps them cope but makes for a pleasant and blessed existence. Wanna know their secret? Take good care to guard your heart and listen to what comes out your mouth. They believe that what goes into their eyes and ears winds up in their hearts. Is it sugar or vinegar? That's why they don't watch any news and only watch select TV shows. They aren't on Facebook and avoid social media in general. A clean heart leads to a clean mind and what is in one's heart is what come out of their mouth. Of course, they're only human so they have their hard times like anyone else, but by listening to what comes out of their mouth they can cut the negativity off before it festers and becomes a lifestyle. Uncle Bubba clarifies that it's more like thinking about what you're about to say just before you say it and is it a good thing or bad. Is it a complaint or does it enrich the conversation? It's a choice to say only favorable, just, and virtuous things. It's like this, you think and then you do. If your thinking is off then your communication through what you say and do is off, and vice versa. As scripture says, "As he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). Bubbie admits that it's a learned skill and a practiced choice. He wasn't always this way, he came up from being just as rough a character as anyone but in Bubbie's view, having the choice of the way he was versus the way he is, is a no-brainer. Life today is way better, healthier, and happier.

What's Your Problem?

What's Your Problem? People. Uncle Bubba proposes a mind experiment that's easy to try. Picture your life without people. You are the only one that exists. Imagine that you wake up in the morning a fix yourself a nice breakfast, maybe a nice hot coffee to slowly wind up into your day. Then, without people, what does your day look like? What are your responsibilities? Remember, there is no one to interfere with your day, no one to throw a wrench in your plan. You're free to do, think, and say anything you want without judgment or concern for hurting some's feelings. Of course, this means that there is no one to gossip about, speak ill of, or worry about. You'll have to find new things to fill up the time spent on that and burn that energy in a people-less way. Bubbie reckons that it only leaves the basic necessities of acquiring food and having a decent shelter. Perhaps once they're secured your desire would be to add some luxuries to your life to enrich your life and make it more comfortable. You would do it only as you wish because there isn't anyone else's ideas, tastes, or needs to concern yourself with. There's no one to second guess you or question you: "Why'd you do that?" or "I don't care for that." What would your house look like? Where would you live? What would you do with your time? What would you surround yourself with? Would you venture out to explore?

Without people, there would be a lot less drama in your world. There would be less added responsibilities. There would be less conflict and your problems would drop by probably 90%. It's quite a realization when you think about it. But there are people and we have to live side by side with them. They will rub up against you and create some challenging situations that will not often be pleasant. People create problems. In Bubbie's view, living with people can be painful unless we choose to make good decisions and use learned skills that produce a good attitude and maturity. And in case you haven't thought about it, you're a real pain in someone else's butt too. Don't be a problem.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody! Uncle Bubba has a couple resolutions that he wants to put out on the table so that he's more likely to stick to them. The first is probably the more difficult of the two: to stop cursing. He came up in a time when cursing was thought to be a sign of being dim-witted, or as Bubbie's granny used to say, "Cussin' is a neon sign to a shallow mind." Folks reckoned that the use of four letter foul words was due to lack of sufficient vocabulary to express oneself. Well, Uncle Bubba has been disappointed in himself for how easily cuss words slip from his lips; his mouth gets ahead of his brain. It really struck him this Christmas season while shopping, you know, being around the general public in crowded stores, which is hard on a country boy. He was aghast at how often he heard the biggie, the mother of all curse words, the F-bomb being dropped by fellow shoppers. It's become such a casual thing! And it wasn't just lowlife types but middle-class and upper-class teenage girls as they huddled over one another's phones; even within families! It was disturbing and made Uncle Bubba sad when it should have been a joyful time anticipating the celebration of Jesus' birth. Jesus, the one who sacrificed his life to save Bubbie's life from sin, if not us all.

Uncle Bubba knows that it's as much a habit to cuss as anything so it will be a process of listening to what's rolling out of his mouth and the wherewithal to correct it until the habit is changed. It will take an effort but he's up for the challenge. Besides, it's also about his family; he'd want his granny to be proud and he aims to be a good example for his grandbabies.

The second resolution is challenging as well but he presumes will take much longer to engrain it into his lifestyle. As Bubbie put it, he's opting out of so much technology. We all talk about what a time waster it can be, especially folks in his age group when chirping about "lazy" gamers. But how is he any better? It just recently occurred to him that his friends that do nothing with or know very little about technology are busy. Either they don't care to know and are too busy to learn or too busy to learn and too busy to bother: it's the chicken and the egg scenario. Anyway, he realized that back in the day, he'd sit down and look through a magazine. At the end, he'd put the dang magazine down because he'd finished with it and he'd find something else to do. With browsing, there is no end! We spend hours lost in rabbit holes as daylight turns to dark. Well, Bubbie for one has had enough. He's ready for a change. He wants to get up and move, to take action on something, anything; he wants to be busy creating things. He mentioned that he knew that he was swimming against the current because society is moving towards more technology, but he really doesn't care. In Bubbie's view, ya gotta get the blood pumping. Ya gotta act on a resolution, participate in the process. Sure, things will have to be unraveled before being knitted back together but that's the fun of the challenge. I thanked him for his heartfelt New Years wishes and waved goodbye as I walked to my truck, and he yelled to me with a smile and a big wave, "No battle is won by marching backward so advance! And Happy New Year Y'all!"

We're All In This Together

Uncle Bubba has been more or less missing from action due to a tumultuous 2 years of personal challenges. After many attempts to reach him, I finally made contact and was able to catch up to what was happening with he and Sweet Pea, but honestly, he didn't speak much about the past. Instead, he jumped back into what's going on in the world around him and his opinion of it. He mused at his timing to emerge from the peace of a backcountry wood, with fake news and sexual allegations spraying rich white men in the public eye like arrows shot from an army of Amazon women that circled around the canyon walls and climbed the cliffs to ambush their enemies. What is scarier, the dangling threat of a false accusation that is tried in the court of Twitter or the trend of skipping over a fair trial? But no one with ears cares about that now, they just want to linch somebody; and so it goes.

I asked Uncle Bubba how he thought that we got here? He told me that, his opinion, we've created an online society of projected lives and trolls, where both hide their true identity and virtually behave without the watchful eye of God; like uncivil, unconscionable animals. Then, as is bound to happen, that behavior becomes so familiarly engrained in the social psyche that it manifests itself in the real world of carnality and it's tyrannical doctrine robs us of our historical, hard-fought rights and freedoms.

In Bubbie's view, we need to get a grip and get a life. There's nothing wrong with trying new things but there's also nothing wrong with sticking with what works. Let injustice be revealed and a light shine on unrighteousness. Then let the accused face their accusers and present their defense to their peers, and all stand-up and suffer the consequences; we're all in this together.

As I Lay Dying

Uncle Bubba read the novel "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner many years ago and found it profoundly disturbing on many levels; he surmised that many people felt this way, but who knows? The story is written about Addie Bundren, the wife of Anse Bundren and the matriarch of a poor southern family, she is very ill, and is expected to die soon. Her four children wrestle with there individual perceptions of the event and the rather sizable questions of existence and identity. Addie's unorthodox wish to be buried near her blood relatives rather than with her own family is at the core of the story and sets of a tumult of actions by the family to honor her wish. In a critique of the story in Sparks Notes, Uncle Bubba would agree with the assertion the, "As I Lay Dying is, in its own way, a relentlessly cynical novel, and it robs even childbirth of its usual rehabilitative powers. Instead of functioning as an antidote to death, childbirth seems an introduction to it—for both Addie and Dewey Dell, giving birth is a phenomenon that kills the people closest to it, even if they are still physically alive. For Addie, the birth of her first child seems like a cruel trick, an infringement on her precious solitude, and it is Cash’s birth that first causes Addie to refer to Anse as dead. Birth becomes for Addie a final obligation, and she sees both Dewey Dell and Vardaman as reparations for the affair that led to Jewel’s conception, the last debts she must pay before preparing herself for death. Dewey Dell’s feelings about pregnancy are no more positive: her condition becomes a constant concern, causes her to view all men as potential sexual predators, and transforms her entire world, as she says in an early section, into a “tub full of guts.” Birth seems to spell out a prescribed death for women and, by proxy, the metaphorical deaths of their entire households."*

Not long after reading it, Bubbie put the novel out of his mind as anyone would an unpleasantry, but now it has resurfaced in the back of his mind as the matriarch of his own family, his mama is withering as he sits at her bedside. He is not only a witness to her ending from this life, but also a spiritually adept chronicler of the players in the Broadway show of her life. As he looks down at her and studies her features he can easily recall her best and beautiful youth. She was a petite, black haired beauty that could sing like an angel. Her enigmatic personality was complex and confusing to her children and much like the characters in the aforementioned novel, each had a vastly different experience and relationship with her. Uncle Bubba lovingly brushes back the hair on her forehead and considers himself blessed to be a Christian in these trying times; perhaps more devoutly Christian than his siblings as far as he can see, not to slight them for it but to grieve for them in their struggles to navigate life and this tense moment. Again Faulkner's cast of characters drift into his mind and he reckons that he's played each role in his mama's play. Cash Bundren, the eldest Bundren child and a skilled carpenter. Bubbie can sit in any corner of this ol' house and see his handy work. Cash is the paragon of patience and selflessness, almost to the point of absurdity. Darl Burden is the most sensitive and articulate. Jewel, the bastard child of Addie and Whitfield the minister. Jewel has a proud, fiercely independent nature that most of his family and neighbors confuse for selfishness. His passionate, brooding nature, however, reveals a real love and dedication to his mother, and he becomes a fierce protector. Vardaman is the youngest of the Bundren children. He has a lively imagination, and although his ramblings at the beginning of the novel border on the maniacal, Vardaman proves to be a thoughtful and innocent child. Bubbie has been all of these and none of them at one time or another, he feels that poignantly now at this tired time of transition.



Uncle Bubba can hear his mama's big clock in the other room: tick... tick... tick... tick... tick... tick... Time is all they have now. It may be short or tick on slowly and inscrutably. The players will enter and leave to play their narcissistic roles until the final scene, which we all know, like in the novel only sets off the beginning of a story. The will look upon her face but like Narcissus will only see their own reflection as when he caught sight of his own reflection in a pool, he sat gazing at it in fascination, wasting away without food or drink, unable to touch or kiss the image he saw. Uncle Bubba floats in and out of these early memories and false realities to reassure himself of the reason that he his here in the first place. In Bubbie's view, he is honored to share this time with his mama and be a good and faithful son until she decides that it is time for that chapter of his life is closed.




* SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on As I Lay Dying.” SparkNotes LLC. 2003. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/asilay/themes.html (accessed December 27, 2016).

Who Do You Agree With?

Uncle Bubba was driving down the road in his old Ford pickup truck with the windows down and the radio playing. He was taking in the scenery and the beauty of nature and fondly thinking on his loved ones and how fortunate he is to have good relationships that enrich his life. He knows that not everyone is so fortunate, and truth be told there are some people that Uncle Bubba doesn't have a good relationship with; of course, he's human and we are born into this imperfect world. However he has renewed his mind to think upon the best things of life and not dwell on his disappointments and failures. He watched a hawk soar over a meadow, effortlessly gliding on the air and marvelled at it's beautiful markings and grace in flight, yet knew that it was hunting and looking to dive on some unsuspecting furry little rodent. He aimed his eyes back on the road as an old song came on the radio, it was Bob Dylan singing, "Gotta Serve Somebody".  Man that's a good song! Uncle Bubba tapped his fingers to the beat of the song as he took in the simplicity of the lyrics; simple but so powerful, so true. Relationships are so tricky; aren't they? When we are in a relationship, be it an acquaintance or a full blown partnership, we are in agreement with one another; we have commonalities, mutual likes and ideas, goals, etc. But it gets complicated when the people that we are in agreement with do things that we don't agree with. Sure, we never know what people do in the dark but what if things come to light and something's unseemly and you think it's immoral? Do you remain in the relationship, justifying your part? Do you cling to it to get what you want, even though that means compromising your principles?

Uncle Bubba drove on through the back country roads, through shady woods and sunny meadows. He crested a hill and the road ran along a swift running brook that ran beneath the hardwoods. With his window down he could smell the moisture that hit the back of his throat with a tanginess. It smelled wet but clean before he drove back out into the sun; the brook meandered and disappeared behind him. He passed an old farm house with a manicured vegetable garden grown in the side yard. A herd of cows grazed out yonder. They were variegated in brown, white, and black and curiously all facing the same direction as cows do.

Uncle Bubba told me that he knew a man, Mr. Sims, who was betrayed by a man and angry enough about it that he was willing to use a gun to gain retribution; thankfully he didn't. Not too long after that, a dear friend of ol' Mr. Sims was betrayed in much the same way by Mr. Hill whom he thought was a friend. It just so happened that Mr. Sims was also a friend to, and very much in agreement with Mr. Hill; they did business together. Well what do you think ol' Mr. Sims did? Did he stay in agreement with spiteful Mr. Hill, his friend's betrayer, or walk away to be a good friend? After all, Mr. Sims knew what it felt like to be badly betrayed: the pain, the sense of loss. Well ol' Mr. Sims stayed in agreement with shady Mr Hill, which revealed the content of his character. Yes, he tried to still be a friend to the man harmed but it was an impossible task as long as he stayed in agreement with the offender. In Bubbie's view, before we are too hard on ol' Sims we should realize that too often this is how most of us would act. We try to stay in the middle but staying in the middle doesn't make a good friend. No, just 'cause we do it doesn't make it right, righteousness is a difficult thing but that doesn't mean we shouldn't live that way. Mr. Sims choice to compromise his values made it easy for Uncle Bubba to walk away from his friendship with ol' Sims. As his mama used to say that you're known by the company you keep.

Johnny Cash was a-singin' on Bubbie's radio as he turned into his drive, "You can run on for a long time, run on for a long time, run on for a long time... Sooner or later God'll cut you down..." Dang thats a good'un! Bubbie pulled up to the end of his drive and put his truck in park. He sat and listened to that song and reminisced about the wonderful sights he just saw. He marvelled at the majesty of nature. He watched the laundry that Sweet Pea had hung on the line sway in the breeze and he reckoned that he was about the most blessed man alive. He surely married the right woman and they've been growing closer and stronger for over 30 years now. That's what folks do that stick together. He smiled about her as he looked over her neatly planted flower garden.

Liars lie. They have to because if they stop the foundation of their relationships crumble. Cheaters cheat. Once a cheater, always a cheater; that's the way they respond to pressure. Thieves steal because they feel entitled to take what they want. That friend that's a backbiter is running you down when you're not around, you'd better believe it. If you discover that you're in agreement with someone like this, run and don't look back. Don't waste your time trying to fix them, don't wait for things to get better, don't hang on to get what you can from them. Leave. No one needs fake friends and users. In Bubbie's view, you may think that you can sidle up to a skunk but you may not want to; you'll be carrying that stink on you for a long, long time.

What's Up With Grandma?

Uncle Bubba has been taking care of his ailing mother with the loving, empathetic partnership of Sweet Pea. They make sure that her needs are met with care and concern. One void in her life that they cannot fill is her social life. Fortunately, it's often that Mama Bubba has guests stop by the house for short visits, to check on her and perhaps brighten her day. She holds court and small talk is made of the weather, of children and grandchildren, of the goings on at church, and so on. The exchanges are cordial though Mama is lost on current events and is often forgetful. These visits are obviously the result of how she lived her life in regard to taking an interest in the lives of others.

Just the other day, Bubbie ran into a woman that owns a small gift shop who knows Mama and has for years. She expounded glowingly on just how sweet and genteel Mama is and how fondly she thinks of her. "She's in the top echelon of people I know and I pray for her daily. Please give her my love."

This is typical of the encounters that Bubbie has in regard to his mama. However, he has a sister that cannot for the life of her figure out why people think that their mama is all that. She has a strained relationship with mama as perhaps most children do with their parents and even justifiably so. This is not written to judge Bubbie's sister but to point out that family and friends are often two different relationships. His sister will assert, "I can't figure out why on earth anyone would want to sit around with an old woman and talk about nothing? I just don't get it."

Well, Uncle Bubba has a lot of friends and many of them are older, senior people. He enjoys their company for many reasons, or he wouldn't take the time to bother with them; he wouldn't take the time. In Bubbie's view, senior people have so much to offer because of their life experiences. They talk with sincerity without competition or one-upsmanship. They offer advice to be taken or not. Bubbie doesn't always agree with the advice of his senior friends; however he takes it into consideration and objectifies it from their point of view to opinionate if it's valid and usable. And all of this is knowledge is easier acquired when it comes from someone that is not a parent, someone whom does not have any authority in your life. As Bubbie says, "I don't have to keep making mistakes to learn from them, I can just as easily learn from the mistakes of others... and it's less painful." These friends of Bubbie's are the patches that make up the quilt of his life. They bring richness and color to a, sometimes, drab existence. The other thing in Bubbie's view is compassion. He knows that by God's Word we are supposed to honor our elders, and that one day he will be the senior, housebound codger whiling away the endless hours hoping for a cheerful knock at his door. That's what's up with grandma.

Vapin'

Uncle Bubba's a pretty chill, laid back kinda dude. He's a live and let live feller as long as you don't bother him. So it was interesting to hear his take on smoking and the new vaping especially since he's a non smoker. It came about because Earl stopped by with one of those E-cigarettes and was blowing steam like a frozen locomotive.

"Earl, do you how ridiculous you look with that thing?" Bubbie chided.

Earl stood beneath a giant white cloud that billowed out from his pie hole. His vaporizer thing-ma-jig looked like he was sucking on the end of a modified duck call; it was about the same size and shape.
"I don't really care Bubba." Earl retorted, "It's better fer me then them expensive cigarettes."

Bubbie, as if not even hearing Earl's reply quipped, "That's gotta be real convenient when you gotta use two hands on something, ain't it Earl?"

"Well I put the dern thing down Bubba when I gotta use two hands." Earl shot back. Uncle Bubba glanced a laughing look my way and we both chuckled.

Earl eventually drove off, his driver's window cracked open and another monstrous white cloud swirled up and out into the wind. That's when Uncle Bubba offered his passing view on smoking and vaping. He told me that he never really cared if someone wanted to smoke, so long as it didn't hurt him. But then again we are trained from a young age to avoid things that are emitted from others bodies. We are told to cover our mouths when we cough and sneeze, at least most of us are. We are told to never spit, especially on the sidewalk. We are taught to wash our hands and all of this to avoid spreading sickness and disease. So in Bubbie's view it's an odd thing to actually see the smoke and vapor residue that is emitted from someone's lungs that pass through their esophagus, mouth and nose. Of course it's also an odd thing that someone would roll up some weeds in paper and light them on fire to breath the smoke in deeply in the first place, it don't make practical sense. And now he reckons that these E-cigs are healthier, or so we've been told, but sharing your vapors with everyone around you is a bit much.

I have to interject here and say that I agree with my Uncle Bubba's point of view, as I often do, adding that I can't fathom the attraction of the vape lounge. It's hard for a nature loving, fresh air seeking country boy to grasp sitting in a large enclosed room of smog so thick that you can't see through the windows. I've never been in one, but I've been in a lot of smoky ol' barrooms and these look to put those to shame. But as my favorite uncle says, to each their own.

Uncle Bubba Reduces Fed, Returns Power To States

Uncle Bubba called and asked if I'd come over and give him a hand with some work, which I was happy to oblige. He had a small mountain of brush to clear and a couple loads of stuff that had been collecting in his barn of which he'd finally had enough of and was taking it to the dump. Since we had a stretch of mild winter days he figured that it was a good remedy for cabin fever to do some early spring cleaning, real early. The notion must have worked on his spirit as well because we had a great conversation as we rode along in his pickup truck along the wet, back country roads. In light of the new Trump presidency he told me that he could downsize the Federal Government and reduce spending a just a few simple moves.

"Take FEMA for example," Bubbie said, "That's nothing more than a closet stimulus package that's used to funnel money to states in the guise of disaster relief. Sure, there's legitimate disasters and we're fortunate to live in a country that helps it's citizens in such a way. But with a little research anyone can see that there is a lot of money allocated and spent that the Federal Government just doesn't have and ya have to wonder where the oversight is." Uncle Bubba expounded, "I'll tell ya why no one looks into this agency, because it's political suicide to question the legitimacy in assisting disaster victims: the press would have a field day!"

As we rode on he suggested something that I had a difficult time arguing with as I ran the idea over in my mind. He told me that FEMA spends a fortune in logistics that a friend of his who is a FEMA Reservist told him about. For example, they pay all travel expenses: airfare, rental car, fuel, lodging, and a food per diem for thousands of employees to travel from state to state to aid disaster victims. They set up temporary offices with furniture and office supplies and computer networks. They send people from Florida to work in Minnesota and people from Minnesota to work in Florida. They send people from California to work in Maine and people from Maine to work in California... As Bubbie says, "...it's idiotic!" So here's Bubbie's view of that solution, since we know an estimate of how much money each state gets in disaster relief each year, the Fed should set up an account for each state and distribute it on request. Like a PayPal account. They would only need a few people in Washington DC to manage the accounts. They can get rid of all of the other FEMA employees which the states can then hire. That way the travel and logistic expenses are reduced to nil for the Fed, and the states gain knowledgeable employees that make and spend money in their own state; and in states with a state income tax, they get money back on their investment.

"OK, now that that's fixed," said Bubbie, "let's try another agency. How about immigration, I think they call it ICE? We allocate money in an account to be distributed among the states and let the states handle their own difficulties of illegal immigration enforcement since, like disaster funds are different from state to state." He went on to say that the money has to be distributed without a lot of conditions imposed by the Fed, trusting the states because that would just build up a need for more Federal resources that equals more money; the thing we are trying to avoid. We need to get out of the old mentality and keep our eye on the prize: a smaller Federal Government, less cost, and less federal taxes.

I said that it seems to me that something would have to be done about the magnitude of deportation since there are so many illegal immigrants to deport. Uncle Bubba said that deportation should be swift and humane. He suggested having countries bid on building and managing deportation facilities outside of US boarders. They would be nice housing facilities that would buy time to transition people back to their rightful countries of origin. By putting the onus on the host countries we alleviate our duty to manage the care and coordination of the deportees and they would be outside of the US.

"The thing about making changes is that too many people are freaked out by it. They are used to something and are unwilling to move even if the current situation is horrible; it's what they're used to." Bubbie went on with his view, "We have too many people today that use that argument that the conservatives want to go back to old ways and nothing could be farther from the truth. As a nation we try things and try to improve on things. If something doesn't work then we should either drop it completely or learn from our mistakes and move in a new direction; not just run off of a cliff because of a grand ideal that failed. If'n ya had a knock in your car engine you wouldn't just put the hammer down and drive it hard until you threw a rod; you'd park it and fix it so that it's running smooth again." In Bubbie's view it's really all about the money. If that is what the Federal Government is turned into then so be it. Let them be the bank for the states until the states can become self sufficient. But the bank doesn't loan money and then show up and do the work. The states should be responsible for their own budgets, maintenance, and issues.

"Why wouldn't we want our state government stronger with less influence from the Fed? Do you think your voice carries further in a small room of a few people or in a stadium during a concert? Your voice is more likely to be heard and have influence on the smaller state level than at the vast Federal level."

He gave me lots to think about and we got a lot accomplished at the farm as well. The air turned cold in the evening and we sat inside by the wood stove with full bellies from Sweet Pea's delicious cooking. We chatted about the day's work and some hunting and fishing. Hard work and fixing the world's problems: just another day with my Uncle Bubba.

Bubbie saw this and wanted it posted...

Which Came First?

http://www.LondonsTimes.us

Which came first the chicken or the egg? Who cares, they both exist. This is how my Uncle Bubba see things. The things that manifest in your life come from what you say and what you believe. As Uncle Bubba says, " It's a biblical principle." It's true, it's a commonly accepted truth. But it doesn't matter if you say things first and then believe them, or believe them first and then say them--it works either way. However, as we all know that thought is the parent of the deed, Bubbie reckons that what's in your heart comes out your mouth and I agree. This is the usual flow of information, we carry what's in our heart and then it overflows out our mouth. But that doesn't mean that we can't hear something over and over until it gets into our hearts.

This comes with a tale of caution as described by Uncle Bubba in a recent conversation. He told me of a time when someone that he respected, a family member that was older than him had often subtly put him down. It always made Bubbie feel bad and he just didn't get it but over time those put downs effected him and he became to believe that he had some shortcomings and character flaws that doomed him to sub-mediocrity. Later in life he discovered that what the family member said was untrue, it was their perception of things based on their jealousy and envious outlook. But it did a lot of damage to Bubbie and it took him years to recover from it.

"These things can work for the good as well as the bad" Bubbie recounts. "You can be glad or you can get mad. You can speak good things over yourself or damn yourself. And it works the same for others, you're either building someone up or tearing them down... it's your choice." Uncle Bubba went on to impart more of his homespun wisdom on me, "Sometimes we'll be just a-chuggin' along in life and everything is fine and then we hear someone say something that's outlandish and it sticks with us like burdock on a wool sock. It could be real or the biggest, fattest lie y'all ever heard; I mean a whopper. It hits ya hard and it leaves a scar. And if ya ain't careful and start to repeat it, it gets down inside of you and becomes your truth. Why I just heard a silly one the other day, a feller said that he doesn't want stainless steel appliances in his house by a lake because the moisture will make them rust over time. Well, that just ain't right and I wonder where he heard such a thing. I reckon that someone told him that once and he believed it even though we all know it ain't true. That's a good example of what I'm a-talkin' about. Now what if it was a lie about you or me? What if someone said a thing about you that was a whopper and people believed it? Why that's worse than anything because I can always admit a truth and redeem myself from it if I choose, but a lie is slander of which there's no defense because it never existed."

It gave me a lot to think about after our visit. I was getting hungry so I went to Miss Ellie's Red Robbin dinner in the town square and ordered the lunch special. I looked out the window as I waited on my food but my mind was mulling over my conversation with Uncle Bubba. He made a lot of sense and I was sorry that more folks can't gain some insight from Bubbie. Then, slowly, the sounds of conversations started to fill my ears and I could hear some folks at nearby tables spreading gossip and complaining about others and I thought, which came first, the complainer or the complaint? Who cares, they both exist. In Bubbie's view, be careful what you think and what you say because that's what will you'll manifest in your life.

A New Day

I called Uncle Bubba to wish him a Happy New Year and to ask if he stayed up until midnight to see the new year come into being. I was surprised to here a cheerful, energetic voice on the other end of the line.
"Yes! Sweet Pea and I stayed up until one in the morning" Bubbie exclaimed. He said that he was so glad that 2016 was over.
"Out with the old and in with the new."

He said that when he awoke in the morning the clear, January sun was shining through the southeast window and everything just felt different. It felt fresh and he had an overwhelming of a new beginning. It is also the birthday of his son, whom he was looking forward to seeing later in the day. In Bubbie's view, it's best not to get too high, too manic about life, but keep a positive, balanced outlook and always remember to count your blessings.

Happy New Year 2017

As the clock clicks down on 2016, perhaps Uncle Bubba's most challenging year, he looks forward into the new year with joyful anticipation. He already knows one resolution that he is going to try and incorporate into his life style and it's easily remembered by the adage, "To waste one’s own time is foolish — to waste others’ is stealing." His intention is to be brisk. In doing so he can efficiently accomplish more in less time, which he knows will require him to be more direct; this will be a challenge. Bubbie believes in being active and cheerful as a lifestyle and anyone who spends time with him would agree. But if y'all know Bubbie he doesn't rest on his laurels, he's always seeking a new way to do things better and to be a better person so it doesn't surprise me that he is already looking to make positive changes to his future. In Bubbie's view the world will be a better place when we all take personal responsibility to be better, active, cheerful people.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! We hear this every year and for Christians, it is a reminder to celebrate the birth of our Lord. But over time and in this sped up world of impatience and intolerance the idea of Christ made manifest in Jesus is wiped from our minds like a leaf, swirling, sucked down into a spiraling backwater eddy at the edge of the world's commercial river, a torrent of glitz and greed. It's at the devil's pleasure that we argue about the expression of Merry Christmas, which distracts us from the reason behind saying it in the first place; aren't we all fools for falling into this trap. We attempt to prove our Merry Christmas righteousness by piling on the gifts and presents to those we feel obligated to provide. We worry about the size of the pile of painstakingly and begrudgingly wrapped presents under the tree for little ones indifferent to quantity.

This year, Uncle Bubba and Sweet Pea are spending the Christmas season a little differently, taking care of people that are in need. They are forgoing major, commercial gift-giving in lieu of giving of themselves in service to others. Not for any recognition, not for any personal gain, not to impress a single soul, but to honor their Lord--a God who gave us the gift of his Son who serves us.

John 3:17, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

In Bubbie's view, he hopes that everyone gets more than what they deserve for Christmas; and Merry Christmas!

Election Hangover

Now that election day is getting smaller in the rear-view mirror, Uncle Bubba is beginning to digest the results. As we sat at his kitchen table and shared in a couple cups of hot coffee he shared with me that he finds it interesting how angry people are whose candidate didn't win. Ironic as it is, they are quick to use name calling, finger pointing, and derogatory language to express their disappointment. He said that he has one question for these patriots; did they participate in any campaign; i.e, knocking on doors, phone calls, town hall meetings, conventions, contributing to advertising, putting up signs, etc? If so, they have a right to be disappointed and we should respectfully grant them the grace to recover from their election hangover. If not, they should accept the majority vote of our society and be a good and faithful citizen. In Bubbie's view, don't be the thing you're accusing all others of being.

Peace out!

Take Up Your Cross

Uncle Bubba was driving on the busy interstate when he came up on an old camper trailer in the slow lane. He slowed and looked for the traffic to do the same behind him, all the while surmising that the white vintage canned ham was rattling along as fast as the owners dare tow it. As he closed in on it he noticed a hand painted sign affixed to it's rear bumper.

Uncle Bubba followed it for a short while before waiting for a safe opening in the traffic to pull around and pass. He pulled along side the pickup truck that was towing the camper and he glanced over at the driver. She was a white haired woman. It was cropped short and there was a senior gentleman sitting in the passenger's seat wearing a cowboy hat. They looked to be the type of people that you'd like to spend an hour or two with, just to hear their stories.

But it was the sign that struck Bubbie. "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" While he had been traveling along with his trusted friend and beloved dog Frankie by his side, he had been mulling over some old relationships and lamenting the twists and turns of worldly ways. How sad that so many choose to seek after themselves and live to their own justification, ignoring the urging of their soul. As Bubbie glanced in his rearview mirror and watched the little caravan get smaller as he pulled away he was thankful that he chose to stick with his soul and thankful for the folks that cared enough to attach the sign to their camper. He reached over and patted Frankie on the head. In Bubbie's view we can justify all of our behavior but our ideas are just that... ours; all the more reason to base our behavior on God's word and save our souls.