Clearing Clutter

Saturdays are good days for clearing clutter. Of course, I could actually be physically doing that, as in cleaning our house, however it obviously takes less effort to instead clear up and update a few things which have cluttered my thoughts and this blog over the past weeks, and in some cases years.

So let us begin...

Yes, I do officially have sleep apnea. I have been ordered to use a CPAP machine, which I picked up Thursday.

I've been warned it may take some getting used to, which is an understatement. I actually had no problem initially, but now I find myself spending so much time hooking up this gizmo and trying to make it fit so I'll be comfortable that by the time I get it positioned correctly I'm too frustrated to sleep. I'm not giving up by any means, but I will admit that I'm going to have master this thing...losing sleep because I'm so preoccupied by "preparing" to go to sleep seems somewhat senseless.

===============

I've mentioned perhaps too cryptically at times that I set a Lenten goal of repairing some lost relationships. In truth there is one relationship which has been my primary focus, my relationship with my eldest brother, Stan. It's a long story but Stan "disowned me" a couple of years ago and to my shame I let him. Anyway, I vowed that during Lent I would do my best to undo that damage...and I then proceeded to procrastinate for the entire 40 days. Stan's birthday was on Easter and I ended up attempting to email him the day before. I suspected he had my email blocked, but I got no indication that what I sent him was rejected. I also didn't get any response.

I chewed on that for this past week and then tracked down his current phone numbers. That's how bad it was, I mean we've been so 'estranged' that he moved out of state without telling me, evidently more than a year ago.

So anyway, today I mustered up the courage to call, and ended up leaving a message. Not long afterward, Stan called back. We got past the initial stuff that started this division as quickly as possible, and then got onto more substantial matters like catching up with each other's lives.

I know I feel a great deal better to have our "feud" set aside and I truly think Stan does as well. At least we have a line of communication open. I'll settle for that for now, and pray I won't let pride clog it again.

===============
An update is long over due on the Gomez family who were displaced by hurricane Katrina and lived with us for 6 or so months.

They are all doing well.

Amy spoke with Lee the other day. They, like all families, have some issues to deal with - none of which I plan to publicize - but everyone is healthy, they're still living close by and they're still succeeding in their reassembled lives. Lee is an active member at our previous church, surrounded by loving people which is a very good thing. Ana is preparing to go into the Navy, once some issues are resolved which may take a while. John' is still in high school and apparently still a handful, but he's doing better academically and Lee's long time goal of having him graduate from a "good" high school seems within sight.

I'm very proud of Lee and how she's weathered all the storms in her family's life...not just Katrina.

==============

As to my more recent "dream" of how I wished the Rutgers Women's basketball team would handle the controversy surrounding the racist remarks of Don Imus and the collateral hoopla. Apparently that wasn't too far-fetched of an idea after all.

In case you didn't get to read or hear the team's statement made by their coach the day after Imus met with them, it's posted below in its entirety.

"We, the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights basketball team, accept Mr. Imus' apology, and we are now in the process of forgiving. We still find his statements unacceptable, and this experience is one that we will never forget.

"These comments are indicative of a greater ill in our culture. It is not just Mr. Imus, and we hope that this will serve as a catalyst for change. Let us continue to work hard together to make this world a better place. As adults we must be leaders in society. We must put children and morality above all else. And we must allow children to be children."

"The healing process must begin. As for the members of the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, their focus needs to return to their studies. We ask that you respect that. We would also like to thank everyone for the tremendous outpouring of support throughout this very, very difficult time."

===================

I suppose all this stuff could be considered unrelated blog clutter, but as I reflect upon it I'm not so certain.

I think I can look at these seemingly disconnected topics and realize they share a common thread, at least for me.

What I see is that I have to be willing to adapt to change even though it may be uncomfortable, and I remind myself more often to take my focus off the prevailing clutter in order to see the future...and perhaps God's will.


"We can not solve problems by using the same type of logic we used in creating them." - Albert Einstein