Good advice. I wish someone had cared enough to explain all of this to me 50 years ago. I'm 65 yrs old now and I am trying to be a better person, not a follower. It's too easy to be lazy after retiring. There are so many excuses. Some are legitimate, like pain. But, moving actually helps the pain. So there's that.
I've been un-WUNC (my new favorite acronym) since around 2019, when I up and quit my job, because I couldn't stomach the unethical side of the long term care business. I was blessed to have a husband who made a good wage and I had 2 small pensions I was receiving monthly (remeber those) so I could afford to quit. It was January 2019. My husband retired that August. He was the locomotive engineer who drove the METRA train from Kenosha, WI to Chicago every day. My job was downtown Kenosha. We moved to Florida and the pandemic happened, along with the Kenosha riots. I like to think we were guided to our early retirement by God to keep us from the bad things that were happening in Kenosha/Chicago and in Nursing homes in 2020. Everyday I thanked God we were in Florida, not the least of which was because of the warm weather. :-) .
I appreciate your story. I do believe you were guided at the right time and to the right place, and I suspect that your thinking and reflection and some divine intervention led you to make such a big move, which turned out to be a blessing.
As an aside, I used to take the bus from Chicago to Kenosha to visit a close friend. This was 20 years ago, but I have such fond memories : )
It's clear that leftists are good at using the The Five Rules of Propaganda.
Sociologist Charles Tilly invented the acronym WUNC (worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitment) to describe the traits that successful social movements have. Leftists, most visibly in their public protests and riots, are good at WUNCness.
But it's interesting to note that the leftists' fabulously successful use of the Five Rules of Propaganda and of WUNC has only been possible because of their control of the media.
I'm delighted to find your Substack through the comments section on another (Michael Yon.) I started to give this article a quick skim, then slowed down and made myself read it. The segue from personal responsibility - to showing how malevolent actors are bending our thoughts, and thus are actions - is thought-provoking.
If you don’t think that the powerful will conspire with each other for their own benefit you’re a bit short of a full load. That Kennedy quote makes on wonder about his untimely demise, but that would make me a conspiracy theorist. I subscribe to Michael’s substack and it seems like the commenters there are close to my thinking. A lot of veterans there, as am I.
Great article. Very insightful: "It's also true that if you think evil thoughts you will become more evil. Someone starting down a path of criminal activity will move deeper into that realm." As a woman with a terribly sinful past who has been saved by Jesus Christ, I can testify to the truthfulness of that. Its especially true with sexual sin. I'm in my late 60's and it blows my mind that the things we used to hide and cover up because we knew they were wrong and shameful, are now celebrated. I think pornography played a big part in this.
Fantastic essay, David. Thank you. I agree with you wholeheartedly that we have to continuously strive to improve ourselves, and that are thinking - esp. our "self talk" - can either sink us or help us swim and survive. Not that it is easy, especially right now. In any case, great job addressing such an integral component to survivorship.
I should have included this quote, but I just found it:
"How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of standing still. Forget your mistakes, but remember what they taught you. So how do you become better tomorrow? By becoming better today." ~ Benjamin Franklin
This quote nails it. You can edit your essay and add it in, and it will be in there going forward, without emailing your subscribers a second time. It will be available to anyone seeing the post after you edit it. This quote is worth it.
Good advice. I wish someone had cared enough to explain all of this to me 50 years ago. I'm 65 yrs old now and I am trying to be a better person, not a follower. It's too easy to be lazy after retiring. There are so many excuses. Some are legitimate, like pain. But, moving actually helps the pain. So there's that.
I've been un-WUNC (my new favorite acronym) since around 2019, when I up and quit my job, because I couldn't stomach the unethical side of the long term care business. I was blessed to have a husband who made a good wage and I had 2 small pensions I was receiving monthly (remeber those) so I could afford to quit. It was January 2019. My husband retired that August. He was the locomotive engineer who drove the METRA train from Kenosha, WI to Chicago every day. My job was downtown Kenosha. We moved to Florida and the pandemic happened, along with the Kenosha riots. I like to think we were guided to our early retirement by God to keep us from the bad things that were happening in Kenosha/Chicago and in Nursing homes in 2020. Everyday I thanked God we were in Florida, not the least of which was because of the warm weather. :-) .
I didn’t understand it 50 years ago either.
I too think you are right about God's influence.
I appreciate your story. I do believe you were guided at the right time and to the right place, and I suspect that your thinking and reflection and some divine intervention led you to make such a big move, which turned out to be a blessing.
As an aside, I used to take the bus from Chicago to Kenosha to visit a close friend. This was 20 years ago, but I have such fond memories : )
It's clear that leftists are good at using the The Five Rules of Propaganda.
Sociologist Charles Tilly invented the acronym WUNC (worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitment) to describe the traits that successful social movements have. Leftists, most visibly in their public protests and riots, are good at WUNCness.
But it's interesting to note that the leftists' fabulously successful use of the Five Rules of Propaganda and of WUNC has only been possible because of their control of the media.
I hope that their control is slipping. People might be starting to see through the B.S.
I'm delighted to find your Substack through the comments section on another (Michael Yon.) I started to give this article a quick skim, then slowed down and made myself read it. The segue from personal responsibility - to showing how malevolent actors are bending our thoughts, and thus are actions - is thought-provoking.
If you don’t think that the powerful will conspire with each other for their own benefit you’re a bit short of a full load. That Kennedy quote makes on wonder about his untimely demise, but that would make me a conspiracy theorist. I subscribe to Michael’s substack and it seems like the commenters there are close to my thinking. A lot of veterans there, as am I.
Great article. Very insightful: "It's also true that if you think evil thoughts you will become more evil. Someone starting down a path of criminal activity will move deeper into that realm." As a woman with a terribly sinful past who has been saved by Jesus Christ, I can testify to the truthfulness of that. Its especially true with sexual sin. I'm in my late 60's and it blows my mind that the things we used to hide and cover up because we knew they were wrong and shameful, are now celebrated. I think pornography played a big part in this.
Jesus said to watch your thoughts, think about good things. He was actually giving survival advice, not just platitudes.
I'm glad you found Jesus. You are a beautiful daughter of God!
Very sound and refreshing rudder
Fantastic essay, David. Thank you. I agree with you wholeheartedly that we have to continuously strive to improve ourselves, and that are thinking - esp. our "self talk" - can either sink us or help us swim and survive. Not that it is easy, especially right now. In any case, great job addressing such an integral component to survivorship.
I should have included this quote, but I just found it:
"How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of standing still. Forget your mistakes, but remember what they taught you. So how do you become better tomorrow? By becoming better today." ~ Benjamin Franklin
This quote nails it. You can edit your essay and add it in, and it will be in there going forward, without emailing your subscribers a second time. It will be available to anyone seeing the post after you edit it. This quote is worth it.
Updated it. Good idea.
Thanks. Stay brave, stay free.
You are not wrong.
Thanks