All Posts Tagged With: "Family"

Protesting Injustice – the Paradox of Civilization

I have written about this before. It is a tough subject for me because my judgement seems to fail to understand appropriate degrees of protest. How much can you piss people off before you are deemed ‘across-the-line”? When we speak of social justice we are talking about the advancement of civilization. The more just a […]

26Feb2025 | Gary Clark | 1,072 comments | Continued

Family As A Barometer – The Highs and Lows of Life

Most of us do not like to talk publicly about our families. When we do we are praising someone for a public accomplishment, like being on the honor role at school or getting a promotion at work. The underbelly of family life generally is taboo. And why not? It is nobody’s business what our family […]

1Feb2018 | Thomas Franklin | 1,119 comments | Continued

A Vet on Jules Street

From a facebook post by my Brother’s son: A Vet on Jules Street (A haibun) It seems like an odd duality really, in regards to time. Memory can do this. I’m taken back to when I was a boy sitting on my Grandparent’s front porch on Jules Street; so many years ago, but just yesterday. […]

23May2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued

Sadness, Depression, Grief, The Deep Struggles of Life

Let’s get personal about the issues of sadness, depression, and grief. I can see these things playing out in my family – my parents, siblings, in-laws, my children, my nieces and nephews. These sensations are not all-or-nothing. There seem to be degrees of sadness, a continum. My personal life has covered the spectrum. I believe […]

17May2016 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued

Emotional Disturbances of a Friend

My friend is having emotional disturbances in his live – again. I recognize this as his problem – but still I feel sadness. He has lost his family over bitter disagreements about child raising. He attends a therapy group where he can talk about what happened. He reports his findings. There are several in the […]

28Jul2014 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Faith or Ideology – Checking Personal Morality

This guy “Francis, Pope” made some comments recently regarding Christian ideology. He must be famous or something because the internet is frying cables in dispensing his remarks. Who he is is not as important was what he said. I believe that words and ideas stand alone, regardless of who conjured them. Mr. Francis said something […]

10Dec2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off | Continued

The Oddities of Genius

Have you ever known a genius? Genius is usually a word used to describe certain traits of intelligence. We might say a genius has a passion for learning and has unique processing capabilities. They generally show a creativity and intelligence beyond their peers. Some definitions are more fixed or measurable, like the score on an […]

15Jun2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off | Continued

Old Women Talk and Gay Marriage

My mother is eighty-five years old. She has been living alone the past two months after my father, her husband of sixty-three years, passed away. She asked me to help refinish her dining room table – and what are you gonna’ do? So I sanded and polished while she sat and talked. I was surprised […]

7May2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 8 comments | Continued

Trayvon and Black on Black Violence

NOTE TO READERS: This post originally contained a racist cartoon image at the top right. Some found it offensive and we agreed. We removed the image and apologize for any hurt. The new picture is of HELL – which is where I am going if I don’t change my ways. I have a facebook friend, […]

27Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued

Schizophrenia – A Family Affair

I am convinced that mental illness permeates my family. There are no diagnosis – no testimonials of counselors or case workers. There is fear. Fear of venturing to ask any questions. Fear of unknown possibilities. Fear of helpless damnation. Families keep secrets because families are ashamed. And that, my friends, is the problem. Ignorance abounds. […]

13Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Youth Violence – Not Just Fight or Flight

Mark Twain used youth violence as a humorous anecdote necessary to the maturing process of young boys. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer two boys (one is Tom) confront each other on the street; they taunt, tease, dare, and then scuffle. Tom is victorious when the other boy cries ’nuff!’ Not one sociologist at the time raised a stink about Twain’s portrayal of youth violence.

22Aug2010 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued

Comments on a Life of Chaos

Did you ever know anyone who just seemed to live their life in constant chaos? Most likely. Chaos can become a part of our cultural understanding of the world around us. People raised in chaos often live chaotic lives. Some attempt a life of moderation – but under duress often resort to extreme chaos or […]

28Aug2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Caring For An Old Dog

Sadie is almost sixteen years old, her birthday is next July. She is beginning to show the inevitable signs of aging. Sadie has moved from the definition of ‘Senior” to something resembling ‘Elderly.’ Watching her age is painful – and presents moral and economic delimas. Sadie is half Schnauzer and half Cocker Spaniel – sort […]

20Feb2009 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

The Staying Power of Hannah Montana – and Miley Cyrus

I have written before that I know more about 1521 C.E. Europe than I do about pop culture in America today. But this magazine of ours has prompted me to look around. I even wrote a post on Lindsay Lohan. Hannah Montana’s name came up recently because she was selling out a concert in Kansas […]

11Dec2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued

Do What You Do On Purpose

‘I have talked and written at length in articles for this magazine about the lifestyle choices that my wife and I have made for our family, but I feel it would be appropriate to spend some time on why we make those choices. Having a purpose in your decision is as important as the decision […]

10Dec2008 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued

The Two Nap Dilemma

My children are in different stages of development. That makes life hard when you are trying to be appropriate with them and maintain your own sanity. My son doesn’t really need two naps during the day. He has been sleeping for about an hour in the morning and for a little over two hours in […]

6Dec2008 | bryan | Comments Off | Continued

Thoughts On Original Sin

Some Jungian analysts suggest that original sin relates to family of origin.The idea is in order to be ‘saved’ from the original sin one must escape the dysfunction of one’s family of origin. Original ‘sin,’ as defined by theologians, takes many different forms. We are born with the sin of Adam, for instance. Or we […]

25Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued

Wicked – A Garden of Good and Evil

You can’t beat a good story in the hands of a skilled craftsman. Gregory MaGuire has crafted a Fabula story in “Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” The story has the freshness of spring flowers in a perennial emerald green garden. But this story is not for the faint […]

6Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued

Coming to yourself – escaping parental domination

We commented in an earlier post that ‘original sin’ equates with escaping the dysfunction of your family of origin. That includes escaping the domination of parents. Parent are powerful – the most powerful two people a child will ever experience. That is the fundamental triangle of life, Father, Mother, Child. The lens through which we […]

29Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

I am a house-husband, not a space man

I am a house husband. I think that there is still some social barrier within me that creates a stigma around staying at home with the kids. I create my own stigma, I guess, I still feel a little weird when telling people what I do. Its a lot like telling them that I am […]

24Sep2008 | bryan | 6 comments | Continued

Being a House-Husband

I am a house-husband. That is, I stay at home with the kids and my wife works full time. We are a non-traditional family, I guess, and it suits me fine most of the time. I get the impression, though, that the pats on the back that I get from people are not always genuine. […]

22Sep2008 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued

McCain’s Health Care TAX

Senator John McCain again figures on the lack of sensibility by 51% of the population. He may be right. But we will investigate his Health Care TAX position for laughs. Suppose you are a young family. The husband makes, say forty thousand dollars a year. The wife also works and makes twenty-five thousand dollars a […]

12Sep2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued

Joe Biden DNC Speech Text & Video, 8-27-2008

Joe Biden was emotionally introduced by his son Beau. Beau is the Attorney General of the State of Deleware. He is also a Captain in the Army Guard – in a unit that is being activated for duty in Iraq. Beau Biden is on his way to Iraq. Here is the Biden speech: I love […]

28Aug2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Jesus, Lindsay Lohan, and Family

Son, When did Christianity go crazy? History suggests it was about twenty minutes after Jesus returned to heaven. The flirtation with sanity continues, but a reluctant populace defies the message. Reluctant in many ways. “I’ll give you my problems Jesus, but first we have to properly prepare them. Problems are things we have to work […]

19Feb2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Stimulating economy, stimulating hope

Son, We in this country are on the verge of a recession. I see two realities in this prediction – one is an academic understanding of economics – the other is the real human disaster of poverty and despair. I’ll speak first to economics – it is important to understand some basic principles. A recession […]

24Jan2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued

Apartments and Raising Kids

Dad, My wife and I have always lived in an apartment. Apartment life has suited us well, as we have moved every year, and we haven’t had the savings that we felt we needed to purchase a house. My daughter has always known her “neighbors”, and they were always closer than the other side of […]

23Jan2008 | bryan | Comments Off | Continued

Struggling with winter blues, 1-15-08

Son, I am struggling with the winter blues. Generally I enjoy the changing of the seasons. My perennial flower gardens are one of the great joys of my life – I know spring has arrived when the Hostas first peek out from under the warm blanket of mulch. Summer brings grandchildren baseball games, grilled hamburgers, […]

15Jan2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Google, searching for self

Son, Google is pretty cool. I entered my own name in the popular search engine. I entered my full name, Ohg Rea Tone, not knowing what I was hoping for. The results are rather enlightening. Historically people were named for their professions. Blacksmiths, those powerful men who forged steel by hand, became Smiths. File clerks […]

17Dec2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

having kids and making decisions

Dad, We are faced, as a family, with more life change. We have moved every year and even changed states three times in our short 5 year marriage. We are expecting our third child this summer, and we will have to figure out how to live in this little two bedroom apartment or upgrade to […]

10Dec2007 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued

Nebraska Mall Shooting

Son, Another tragedy in America, this time in Nebraska. A nineteen-year-young man walked into a mall with his step-father’s assault rifle and killed eight people before killing himself. The young man had a troubled life; the state estimated that it had invested $265,000 on his previous ‘treatment.’ This is not the first troubled youth to […]

9Dec2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Family Life and Family Values

Son, I respect the values you and your spouse have adopted. But life is not all or nothing – your choices have actually provided your family opportunities that others will not have. This is not criticism, this is a compliment. The ideas of no debt, of frugal money management, of thrift store shopping, of minimal […]

27Nov2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Simplicity and the Five Person Family

Dad, As you now know, my wife and I are having another baby. We are leaving the two child paradigm and entering into a new phase of family life. The idea of three children is a little daunting, but I think it will be good for us. The question becomes, “How do we maintain a […]

27Nov2007 | bryan | Comments Off | Continued

Of Mental Illness, church, and family

Son I wrote recently about depression. Meriwether Lewis was my inspiration – a man of undaunted courage who also suffered from depression. As noted, my case is mild, requiring a daily mental and physical discipline to keep all systems balanced. The discipline also requires staying connected socially. After all, at our primitive core, we are […]

21Nov2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Abortion – conflicting messages

Son, I just saw President Bush on TV stating that he believes, “…health care should be private because medical decisions should be between the patient and their doctor…” Whoa – Where did I hear that before? I don’t think the President was aware of what he was saying. President Bush just presented the fundamental argument […]

16Oct2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued

Washington Post and Faith

Son, I asked my brother to comment on some faith issues because I do not feel qualified – and I feel that he would have something to offer. He sent me an email with a link to the Washington Post. I don’t think he understood that I was inviting him to comment on our blog. […]

5Oct2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Proud to be an American!

Son, I wear my patriotism with pride. I am embarrassed by the representation of our American Republic by our current Presidential Administration. The current flavor of our Government is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind. The Second Amendment is not more important than the First Amendment, or the Fourth or the Fifth – […]

18Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Founding Fathers – Liberals all!

Son, I am fascinated by your ideology. You have achieved my dream for you – a dream that you would grow to be an independent thinker – a dream that you would base your thoughts on basic, solid, values. Your values are solid – belief in the basic goodness of humanity, belief in progress (let’s […]

18Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Babies Vs. Politicians: Who is Smarter?

Son, A national magazine recently had an article titled ‘Babies Vs. Chimps.” It felt like I was reading an article on ‘Babies Vs. American Politicians.” The study examined theories of general-intelligence versus cultural-intelligence. The different study groups “performed about equally well on ‘physical learning’ – locating hidden objects…understanding concepts of more and less, using a […]

17Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Angry Grandfathers Do Not Pray!

Son, I’m with you. A continued, recurring illness in your little four year old girl is terribly frustrating. One of my favorite optimistic sayings is, “We should be grateful that we live in an era of modern medicine.” But what do we do when the health care system comes up short? I don’t have […]

16Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Praying for Help

Dad, It is Sunday morning and your granddaughter has a fever again. She finished her antibiotics two days a go, and this is becoming a frustratingly familiar story. People have been suggesting alternative medicines, our neighbor is a chiropractor, my mother-in-law is concerned about all of the antibiotics that my daughter is taking. At first, […]

16Sep2007 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued

Let Us Have Peace, Shall We?

Dad, Our ship’s boatswain used to tell us, “look for problems, you’ll find them. Look for solutions, you’ll not find problems.” I think this can be applied to our current political climate. I don’t like the administration, but I don’t want to hear about it anymore. I want us all to get to work on […]

13Sep2007 | bryan | Comments Off | Continued

Denial – Outdated Mythology

Son, There is a huge mistake by Addiction Treatment Professionals, law enforcement, and the courts in addressing the problem of alcohol and drug addiction. The dominant philosophy the past thirty years has been that the central problem is one of denial. That is to say, the belief that alcoholics and addicts have abnormally robust denial […]

12Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

A letter from Barack Obama…

Dad, I just got this letter from the Obama campaign. I want to share it because it represents why I will vote for him. I believe him. Bryan. ______ Dear Bryan, Six years ago, on a bright and beautiful Tuesday morning, a new kind of enemy came to America’s shores. We will never forget the […]

11Sep2007 | bryan | 2 comments | Continued

Addictions – Losing Control

Son, Dante wrote The Inferno. I am not sure about this – anyone can correct me if they wish, but I think Dante described the greatest sin as giving up control of your life to something external – gluttony, sloth, envy, greed, power, or addiction. The punishment for violating the greatest sin was total loss […]

11Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

Same turkey, different flavors

Son, As you are well aware, I like to bake a turkey. Not so much the turkey – but the turkey dinner experience. When I bake a whole turkey I like to prepare my favorite oyster dressing ( my own recipe.) While the turkey cooks I like to make my own bread (I have developed […]

11Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

responsible turkeys?

Dad, I am baking a turkey for dinner. Its a lot of work. Do you think that. accounting for the amount of work and the weight of the bones and stuff, that it is a better deal to buy a turkey at a dollar a pound than to buy, say, boneless skinless meats that are […]

11Sep2007 | bryan | Comments Off | Continued

Mistakes in parenting

Son, I feel a little embarrassed about giving advice on parenting. Your mother and I were talking last week and we both felt that our children turned out pretty well – in spite of us. I talk today about acting out of love – but that was not really my style. I was a parent […]

11Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued

Protecting children from themselves.

Son, Parenting is difficult. Your sister was in the Rainbow Honors Program in elementary school. When she was preparing for middle school she told me that she no longer wanted to be in the honors program. I asked, “Why not.” “Well”, she said in her 12 year old wisdom, “I don’t have enough time to […]

11Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

My daughter doesn’t want to go to school…

Dad, My daughter didn’t want to go to school today. She was screaming for me when I left. I was crushed, but I know that she enjoys school. She is discovering that this thing is for good, i think, and she wants to came home and hang out with her brother and I. It is […]

11Sep2007 | bryan | 3 comments | Continued

George W. Bush Presidential Library

Son, People can be funny, creative, facetious and sarcastic. Our local newspaper has a column called “It’s your call.” They allow people to call in and leave comments. There is little editing and the column gets heavy criticism from local officials. Today there is a clever comment: How about putting the George Bush Presidential Library […]

11Sep2007 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off | Continued

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The Fireside Post

All Posts Tagged With: "Family"