Faster Than Sight

Can you imagine flapping your arms as fast as a Hummingbird's wings?  Can you imagine a mechanical model doing the same?  The friction alone would wear it out in a very short time.  The engine that drove it would have to be tiny but very powerful.

Think about how minute changes in the wing surfaces of a Hummingbird allow it to move in any direction with amazing agility.  The control necessary to keep from dashing itself into an object or the ground is astounding. (I'm running out of "superlatives" here.)  It is essentially fueled by sugar water.

Starch is the most abundant source of energy in the human diet.  It is a polymer of glucose which is a monosaccharide, one of the simplest forms of sugar.  It is created within plants to store energy by bonding multiple glucose molecules.

Most table sugar and sugar added to foods is sucrose which is another simple sugar.  It is concentrated in plants such as sugarcane and sugar beets to such extent that it can be easily extracted commercially.  It is often victimized as the source of obesity in humans.  It really isn't the sugar's fault; it is ours because we eat too much of it and don't burn those calories off.  Sugar is pure fuel to our bodies.  If we don't burn it, we store it as fat.

If we burned energy at the same rate as a hummingbird we probably couldn't consume enough of it.  Instead, we invent things to save labor and in that saved time we consume more sugar.  It seems crazy to me that we buy riding lawnmowers to save labor and then pay for gym memberships to burn off calories.  I think a better solution would be to flap our arms faster.

My wife caught a number of great pictures of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) at the feeder this week.  The photo below intrigued me because the wings were beating so fast, they were essentially invisible to the eye.

 Conformity

This morning I have been watching a beautiful red Cardinal flitting around outside my window.  He has been on the porch, perched on a nearby tree limb, sat on the edge of the bird bath and now is simply hopping around in the grass looking for a meal.  He stands out from the various shades of green and brown that are the primary colors of this summer morning.

Most birds blend in with their surroundings.  They are various shades of gray, black, brown and yellow with sometimes muted reds and blues mixed in.  Their coloration helps them to blend into the canopy of the trees they inhabit.  They want to hide rather than to stand out.  Over the years of their evolution into unique species, they have conformed to their environment.  They blend in.

Most people are that way.  They try to blend in.  They choose behavior that doesn't make them stand out as a target yet one of the strongest human needs is for recognition.  Fear drives us to blend in while the need for recognition pushes us to do things which bring us to the attention of others.  Sometimes that need for recognition can be self-destructive.  The attention is gained through destructive behavior.

If we could all just learn to be who and what we were designed to be I think we would all be better off.  Conformity suppresses creativity and hides talents and gifts that could make valuable contributions.  Being true to self will allow our strengths to shine and garner the recognition that each and every person craves without resorting to destructive behaviors.

I'm certainly no psychologist -- just an observer of human nature.  I also love to observe closely the natural world around me.  Yesterday while doing some cleanup around the entrance to our property, I found a wild Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) growing in a shaded area.  It certainly doesn't conform to what we generally view as summer flowers.  Its bloom is unique, it likes shade and the color is vibrant.

 Making Sense

There is so much in this world that doesn't make sense.  Most of it involves human behavior.  I'm sure that if I understood all of the factors that went into shaping a person's worldview I might begin to understand, but such is impossible for man.  We just have to accept that people are each wired differently -- both from their genetic makeup as well as their life experiences.

Even the concept that what one perceives as strange behavior seems perfectly natural to another is difficult to comprehend.  Our life experiences, education, and the influence of friends strongly biases us to see behaviors that are not common to our like-minded friends, family and acquaintances that we find those "strange" behaviors difficult to understand.

The opposite side of that is for one to become so used to odd behaviors that they begin to accept them as completely natural and common.  The danger in doing so is that truly dangerous behaviors are allowed to go unchecked.  Those who fall into this category see those of the previous category as being bigoted, racists and worse.  When this occurs, they become guilty of the very thing they condemn.

I must admit that I am a little biased against anything that looks like a wasp.  I have been stung more than once, and the experience is not pleasant.  Yesterday I found Black-and-yellow Mud Daubers (Sceliphron caementarium)  on one of the Jalapeno Pepper plants.  My first inclination was to find the wasp spray.  I decided I didn't want to spray them while on the pepper plant because I didn't want to possibly consume the chemical.  Instead, I became intrigued by their behavior and took their photograph.

I believe there are three of the Mud Daubers in the picture.  I don't know for certain what they were doing but after reading some about them I suspect they were searching for food -- either tiny insects or possibly nectar from the flowers.  I think it likely they were providing a beneficial service.  I don't really know enough to know what I don't know in this case -- just like in the case of some human behavior.

 Designed Fit

Have you ever noticed that pollinator species tend to choose specific flowers?  I am certainly no expert on the subject, yet it seems to me that species such as Hummingbirds, Bees and Butterflies are very discriminatory in the flowers they choose to land on.

We have different types of flowers, most of which are either native species, or closely related to native species, in our flower beds.  The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds like the Texas Lantana right now, but we know from past observations that they will go to the Texas Sage equally when they are in bloom.  However, they seem to ignore the Gaillardia and the Coneflowers.  Likewise, we see certain species of butterflies that prefer the opposite and still others that only visit other species of flowers which are in the meadow.

Design is important.  I'm referring to the specific shape, size and function of various body parts of these creatures.  The long beak of the Hummingbird is well-suited to reaching into trumpet-shaped flowers whereas the butterflies appear to be more suited to flowers that don't require reaching into a deep well to access the food supply.

Everything we see or build is designed with a specific use in mind.  Whether it be a rocking chair on the front porch or a military aircraft, design is based on use and functionality.

Why do humans sometimes think they should ignore their own design and attempt to be what they are not?  It puzzles me.  It's their choice, but still, it puzzles me.  We don't see that in nature.

Below is a Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) perched on a domesticated Gaillardia.  Their caterpillar stage is especially fond of oak trees of which we have many.

 In Disguise

There are many who claim that during the Cold War, the Soviet Union placed "sleeper agents" among U.S. citizens that were able to blend in and appear completely non-threatening to the general population and who were unidentifiable by government agencies.  Their role was to blend in, hidden, until needed for some type of covert, or overt action against the country.  They quietly lived what appeared to be a normal life until or unless, activated.

It was the ultimate disguise.  Your best friend might be a foreign agent, and you would never know it.

Some might claim the same is happening today although the powers behind such actions are different.  Your next-door neighbor might not be as benign as they appear.

I have no desire to stir up fear, merely to create an illustration of behavior that was developed by mimicking behaviors that are common in nature.  The cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, so it doesn't have to rear the young.  Other behaviors are more overtly parasitic in nature where one species lives directly off of another.

Dasymutilla bioculata, in the photograph below, is commonly known as a Velvet Ant.  This one was passing near our fire pit the other night and I was able to take the picture.  Velvet Ants are actually a parasitic wasp.  Notice that its coloration is similar to some of the paper wasps which are common here.  They lay their eggs inside the cocoons of other wasps.  Upon hatching they frequently kill their hosts.  Their stings are extremely painful.

 Aggressive Home Invaders

Yesterday was tree trimming day around our place.  We have several large Sweetgum trees that needed some shaping up.  One of them contained a birdhouse which I had not seen any birds approach.

We've only been here since mid-January and things like the undesirable branches and the birdhouse were left by our predecessor for the new owners to handle.  There are a couple of other birdhouses, one of which was featured in a previous post with a nest of baby Eastern Bluebirds in it.  No birds would come near the birdhouse hanging in the Sweetgum tree.

I decided that since the birds didn't like the birdhouse in question, I would remove it from its prominent place.  After trimming limbs which had grown near it, I unhooked it from its perch and let it drop to the ground.  I quickly found out why the birds avoided it as a number of red paper wasps came boiling out of it in search of something to blame for their short drop and abrupt stop.

After batting the most persistent of them away with my sweaty cap, they learned to keep their distance from me but continued to remain in the neighborhood.  Wasp stings are not something I desire and when younger, would react somewhat severely to them.  Needless to say, I was wary of the tiny, winged warriors as I completed my task of trimming the tree.

In recent years there have been numerous stories of home invaders in the news.  I find it disturbing that someone would think it is an acceptable thing to do.  As I think about it though, I realize it is simply animal behavior.

In nature it is not uncommon for animals to occupy burrows created by other animals (think Rattlesnake in a Prairie Dog hole).  Animals will slip into a temporarily unoccupied den and then defend it by force.  In this world of increasingly animal-like behavior by humans I suppose it was only a matter of time that such things as home invasion and adverse occupation would occur.

Below are a couple of photos of the birdhouse in question.  The first shows the entire house while in the second you can see the dislodged Paper Wasp nest resting on the bottom.

Resolutions, Intentions and Wishes

In this new year in which my sole resolution was to write more, I'm struggling to write.  I suspect the old boy in the image above might have some pungent commentary regarding my resolution.

What is the reason that causes us to fail in implementing our resolutions?  I suspect it is simply the root of the word itself -- resolve.  We fail for lack of resolve.  That leaves two solutions: 1) don't make resolutions for which you haven't already developed the resolve to complete or, 2) develop some resolve!

I think all of us have good intentions.  That is what most lists of New Year's resolutions is in reality, a list of good intentions.  I'm sure there is a legal definition of intent because it is a word used in certain criminal charges such as "intent to kill."  I'm thinking of the word more in the way of a wish perhaps?  We all wish to be better and to do the things we know we should do, but we fail to back that wish with "intent" or, better yet, "purpose."  We merely think that by wishing a thing it will be so.

I suspect many of you who made resolutions for the new year are experiencing similar struggles with executing on those "wishes."  I believe the best approach is to adopt a resolution of working on one thing at a time, throughout the year, throughout your life.  We all know of areas in which we need to improve.  For some, it might be a simple bad habit such as failing to take out the trash on a regular basis.  For others, it might be some destructive behavior such as smoking, or eating too much.  The key is to select a single area for improvement and to focus on changing your attitude and your behavior in incremental steps.  Set goals regarding that behavior.

For me and my goal of writing, it is to set aside a period of time each day in which I write.  I already have that time and you are reading the result.  This is because of a resolution that I set about 1 1/2 years ago.  The next step in that journey of "writing more" is to set aside an additional period of time each day in which to write -- not merely just to assemble words on a blank page, but to focus on something a little more in-depth than the daily post to this blog or, journal if you prefer to call it such.

It might not actually seem to be contributory, but I have read more the last couple of days.  Reading what others have written can help develop one's own writing skills.  The words of others provide examples of structure, style and content which may or, may not be applied to one's own work.  One of the things I am reading currently is a diary kept by Captain Harry C. Butcher, USNR, called "My Three Years With Eisenhower."  It covers the years 1942 through 1945.  If you know anything of history, you will immediately associate that period of time with Eisenhower's role in World War II as the Commander of Allied Forces in Europe.  If you are a student of WWII, I highly recommend the book.  It is highly readable.  My daughter loaned it to me some time back and I am just now getting around to reading it.

Anyway, back to resolutions, intentions and wishes; it is still early in the year.  Don't set them aside just yet, but realize that changing habits is difficult.  The best approach is the incremental one.  Also, expect to fail, but understand that failure, in the case of changing habits at least, doesn't need to be permanent.  It's like falling down; don't just lay there on the sidewalk complaining, get up, brush off, staunch the bleeding and get back to it.  We all carry scars.

Now, to schedule additional writing time today....

Trash or Treasure

I went with my Realtor spouse to view a piece of land the other day and in an isolated area near the back of the property we came across this interesting piece of art placed strategically near a pond.  One can only assume the proprietor to be some eccentric character wishing to brighten the otherwise normal landscape with this beautiful object which must represent something particularly special.  It certainly caught our eye.

It reminds me of a George Strait song, "The Chair."  Also, the interesting assemblages of Stanley Marsh III in the Amarillo, Texas, area come to mind where he has artwork erected on his various properties such as the "Feet of Colossus" wearing athletic socks.  I suppose both Strait and Marsh are connected through another song, "Amarillo by Morning," which was the first George Strait song I ever heard.

I was, quite frankly, surprised that there wasn't a mound of beer cans beside the chair.  If that had been the case I would merely have attributed its presence to some typical backwoods East Texas hunter who eschewed the typical camouflaged blind for a more open position from which to pursue his sport.

Perhaps the chair was placed there by some mother deer who wanted a place to sit and watch her children playing in the meadow.  The location being somewhat remote, it is likely she would have had a book in hand rather than the pervasive cell phone, while watching her offspring gamboling through the tall grasses as she sipped a tall glass of iced tea.  Cell service was definitely spotty, but the camera on mine worked perfectly.

I never cease to be amazed at the things one finds when people are oblivious to the visual impact of their surroundings on others.  We are all guilty on some level of normalizing objects which to others are annoying on some level.  I find this greatest among pet owners who become insensitive to accumulated pet hair on their furniture and rugs.  It becomes acceptable through its pervasiveness.  As the spouse of a Realtor I am frequently reminded that such behavior seems to be the norm rather than the exception.  It is astonishing the number of people who wish to sell their property and won't even take the time or, effort to conduct a thorough cleaning.  That failure can be expensive.

Caring for that which one has the privilege of having within one's care is the very definition of ownership.  It can be as simple as properly disposing of the trash rather than parking it in the middle of a pasture.

One In Every Crowd

It seems there's one in every crowd;

They make their presence known

By constant braying long and loud

And won't leave you alone.

You're just minding your own business

And they come running up,

Not for some act of kindness

Or, to fill an empty cup;

They're there with an opinion

About most everything

And act like you're a minion

To some evil king.

I'd like to take them to the side

And maybe beat some sense

Into their mangy hide

But, I expect they are too dense.

Instead, politely, I decline

To listen to their sass

As they keep on with their braying

The noisy little #$%#$%#$%!

Teleology and a Newborn Calf

Sometimes you really have to hunt to find them -- those newly born calves.  There's a lot going on in this photo -- like the spider web, the cow's nose almost touching it, some serious thorns and the calf's ears back, listening to my approach.  If the cow had acted normally I would never have guessed there was a new baby hidden in the tangle.  As I approached the calf, she move aggressively toward me rather than moving off in another direction.  She was ready to go into protection mode.

Animal behavior intrigues me.  I've been reading (just like a few pages to finish) "The Foundations of Ethology" by Konrad Lorenz.  It has been around awhile; it was one of my better-half's college textbooks.  It probably seems like a strange thing to be reading but, it's about the study of animal behavior.

Some of it is a bit of a struggle simply because Dr. Lorenz was German and his thinking/writing reflects that.  It's a style thing.  He uses plenty of big words that sometimes drive me to Google in a search for meaning -- words like "teleology" which is "the explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose they serve rather than of the cause by which they arise."  I would explain it as "why do they do what they do?"

When you really think about behavior there is a dawning realization that much of it is based on genetic programming.  The baby in the photo above is "programmed" to stand at his mother's urging and lift its nose to her while moving its untested legs in a fashion that propels it along her side to the source of its first nourishment.  The cow isn't "telling" the calf what to do although she sometimes will urge it in the right direction by moving slightly or nudging it with her nose, the calf "knows" what to do the moment it is born.  It runs its nose along her side until it finds the hairless faucet that is likely dripping enticement.

If you begin to break that behavior down into parts it becomes even more interesting.  How does the leg know how to move?  It takes a series of signals that must be transmitted through the nerves to the muscles and tendons to cause it to function properly.  It is born with that ability already there.  Expand that to the fact it must coordinate the movement of all four legs as well as the head and neck for balance simply to stand before it can begin to walk.  It is born with that ability programmed into its makeup. 

Back up even further.  How do the cells know to differentiate so that what begins as a mass of sameness divides into different types of cells that grow into different types of organs that perform very different functions which are all part of a connected and coordinated system that is the animal?  Some, such as Lorenz, attribute it totally to evolutionary processes that began millions of years ago in a single-celled organism; others to a Creator.  Whatever your belief system, it is amazing.  Hmmm...the fact that you are able to develop a belief system is amazing.

I think most of us have some level of curiosity about the world around us simply because we want to better understand ourselves.  Why do we do what we do?  What are the teleological aspects of our presence here on earth?  I guess that word is stuck in my head now....

My Response, My Responsibility

"Young padawan, you must first learn to master yourself!"

I don't recall that line being used in any of the Star Wars movies, but it might have been.  It does, however, fit my perception of the process of development we must all go through as we grow and learn.  It is a proficiency that is rare, but necessary for success and critical for leadership.

What do I mean?  The best way to explain is with an example.

Suppose you are in a meeting with an individual that tends to "get under your skin."  You suspect it is deliberate, but it might just be a part of their personality -- or, perhaps their background is so completely different from your own that you see things somewhat as polar opposites.  You are often angered by the things they say.  When angry, we are not at our best.  Anger clouds our judgment. It causes us to lose our train of thought and fail to reason clearly.  We say and do things that we regret.

To overcome those situations, you must first overcome your own proclivity to be angered by what is said.  You cannot take the words as being a personal affront even though they may be meant to provoke you.  You must learn to "set aside" your visceral reaction in favor of reasoning.  Stay focused on the issue, not on the perceived abusive behavior of others.  Control your own reaction.

When I was younger, this one was very difficult for me.  I had the world by the ears and planned on conquering everything that stood in my way.  I took any and all obstacles as a personal affront.  It sometimes led to poor judgment.

One of the advantages of a few gray hairs is that they are usually earned through hard lessons.  Those lessons taught me that I didn't have all the answers, even though I may have thought otherwise at the time.  The issue was that I usually didn't have all the information necessary to produce correct answers.  Maybe the best response to the perceived affront is to question.  It is a tool that can be useful if correctly applied, or can be "fuel to the flames" if done poorly.  Many times, the types of individuals who tend to "push your buttons" are provoked if you question them.  They often will respond with indignation and increase their level of attack. 

The best way to diffuse your anger is to seek its source and then seek to understand why you see things differently.  Master your understanding and in doing so, master yourself.

I am posting this in spite of reservations about the wisdom of doing so.  I am not an expert in human behavior, nor do I have all the answers about how to deal with difficult people.  It is something that we all face at times and have to figure out our own way of coping.  My point in all of this is still, we need to learn how to master our own response to those situations.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." -- Proverbs 15:1

Sometimes that's easier said than done....

Machines That Know Us?

As creatures of habit, we humans tend to be very predictable.  For those of us who are married, we quickly learn behaviors and habits of our spouse so that we usually know how they might react to various situations, or whether they would choose one type of movie over another.  Familiarity aids us in developing the "sense" of knowing the other.

The ability to predict from observed behavior is something that is likely written into our genetic makeup.  It would logically be part of the set of survival tools that allowed us to become the dominant species on the planet.  We learned many, many generations ago that when certain things were observed -- e.g. a lion -- we needed to respond in a certain way -- run!  Developing the cognitive ability to recognize danger, or safety, or situations calling for decisive action were necessary for coping with the world around us.

Animals also appear to behave along the same lines.  People who are highly observant of how animals respond to stimuli are often extremely good trainers and achieve a level of effectiveness that appears almost empathic.  It is simply that they are observant of the cause and response mechanisms and able to employ them to affect behavior.

What sent me down this pathway today is an observation on Facebook by someone I grew up with that their automobile seemed to know their habits to the point it was spooky.  They got in the car to go to church at the same time they normally do on Sunday and their navigation system informed them, without any input, that it would take them 19 minutes to their destination of XYZ.  The immediate reaction was, "I think our devices know way too much about us!"

Pattern Recognition is a field of study that has been around for a long time.  In recent years computing ability has made it more accurate and more pervasive.  The field of statistics developed as a rudimentary way to analyze behavior and through mathematical modeling, predict likely outcomes based on past behavior.  Today, such modeling has been refined to the point that huge reams of data can be parsed into subsets which allow a tremendous amount of accuracy in predicting behavior.

In the instance of the example above, it is clear that the machine (their GPS) has the ability to recognize patterns at some level.  If every Sunday afternoon at 5:40 they start their car to go to church and approximately 19 minutes later they arrive there, a clear pattern begins to emerge.  If next Sunday they get in that car and start it at approximately 5:40, where are they likely going?  You get the picture.

Computers have given us the power to model behavior in ways never before imagined.  It will be interesting to see how more and more machines mimic human behavior.  It isn't so much that the machines are exhibiting intelligence as they are using predictive algorithms to solve problems almost instantaneously that analyze the situation and compare it to a database of behavior-response scenarios that allow the prediction of likely outcome based on a specific action.

Alan Turing once wrote on the subject.  He suggested that we shouldn't ask the question, "Can machines think?" rather, we should ask, "Can machines do what we (as thinking entities) can do?"  It seems the answer is yes.

Be Happy or Change

It seems that most people are bothered by silence
(I like silence.)
And feel the need to fill it with conversation
(I don't have that compulsion.)
That is often completely meaningless.
(I prefer meaning.)
They rattle on and on about things that have no bearing
(I don't like rattles.)
On anything and often about which they know little.
(I prefer to learn.)
Frequently they complain about the things around them
(I don't like complainers.)
And criticize someones behavior without stopping to think
(I want to understand.)
Why they are doing things that way or, why their method
(I don't like assumptions.)
Is what it is and not the way they would have done it.
(I like diversity in thought.)
Is it simply because they don't like themselves
(If you don't like it change it.)
And are uncomfortable with their own company?
(I'm happy with who I am.)

Cartoons vs. Video Games

Last night I woke up thinking about old black and white cartoons.  Something must have pulled my mind into the deep, dark recesses of my oldest memories.  I don't recall when we first had color television, but I know I wasn't very old.

One of the best things about many of those old cartoons was the music.  I didn't know at the time, but found out later that most of the musical score was from famous classical compositions by composers such as Beethoven, Bach and others.  We were being educated as we were being entertained.

There was a lot of slapstick humor in those old cartoons.  Often, the punchline was literally that, a punch, or getting "whacked" over the head, or something similar.  It was a sure-fire way to get a laugh.

Later on, Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote took that theme to an extreme when the entire cartoon was about coyote's failed attempts to catch roadrunner and his being blown up, or crushed, or otherwise maimed by his own failed inventions.  It was funny because he was clearly the bad guy and the good guy always won.  He always came back for more.

As we had children and they watched cartoons, I was dismayed by the fact that the ones I had enjoyed as a kid were no longer considered acceptable because of the "violence" they portrayed.  They were replaced by lessons in how to treat each other and all about "feelings" while violence was condemned.  Children of that age and now, their children, have been taught, through cartoons and other children's programs, that violence is unacceptable, yet they have been freely allowed to play video games that portray graphic violence.

I don't know what caused me to wake up thinking about those old cartoons, but I enjoyed the memories.  Our generation has a healthy understanding of violence and its proper place in the world.  Younger generations struggle to separate reality from the fantasy of a video game.

Many people think banning weapons is the answer.  I suspect banning violent video games would be much more effective.  We need to go back to portraying the struggle between good and evil in a way that causes children to want to be the hero -- the good guy.  Instead, they are taught to have "feelings" that don't match reality.  It is a sad state we have fallen into.

Taking Measure

Sometimes our measure of things is confused.  I'm not talking about objects necessarily, but about anything we gauge.  How we measure depends upon our orientation and upon our reason for measuring.  We gauge things from within the confines of our own "box" -- this shell in which we live which consists of our body and cumulative experience.

An example:  If I need a board to cover a window during a hurricane, I am not particularly concerned with the accuracy of the measurement.  If the window is 3' X 5' the board needs to be slightly larger.  However, if I need the board to fit inside the window frame and yet cover the space completely, the measurements need to be exact, or very nearly so.

If I am building a gate and need a miter cut for a 45 degree angle for the cross brace, the cut needs to be very close to 45 degrees, but doesn't have to be exact.  After all, it is a gate and wear and tear will eventually show and I am not worried about it being perfect -- just close.  But, if I am building a piece of fine furniture and need a miter cut, it needs to be virtually flawless.  The joining of the wood should be so exact as to be invisible.

If my task is to fill a space, sometimes the answer is to find a pliable substance that can conform to that space rather than a rigid material that must be cut exactly.  Sometimes we need to consider why we are taking measure.

We judge things around us in the same way.  We gauge them -- take their measure.  We do this with people too even though we don't think about it in the same way.  How we judge -- take their measure -- depends on our relationship to them.

Sometimes our judgment comes from a rigidity that is built from experience completely different from the one we are judging.  We often don't realize the rigidity is defensive in nature -- it comes from out of the forces that have shaped us.

When we find ourselves judging harshly -- rigidly -- perhaps the first question we should ask is why?  What has caused us to have such a strong, rigid opinion?  Is it due to a past experience, is it merely a perception shaped by others, or is it an issue of right and wrong based on principle?  If principle, we must ask from where that principle comes.  Is it Biblical, is it societal, or was it shaped by our specific associations such as racially biased parents?

There is a lot of misunderstanding going on in the world today.  We measure motive and individuals on assumptions that may be flawed.  Sometimes the first measure needs to be of ourselves. 

Saving and Needing

Sometimes I tend to be a hoarder
Because I see the potential in things.

I can't seem to make myself throw away
Things as small as old strings.

I think, "But, what if I need it someday?
I would have to buy more of it new!"

So I tuck it away in a box or, a jar
Or, maybe a cabinet or two.

You just never know when such things might be handy
And to throw them out is such a waste!

In the fight against this old disposable society
I refuse to succumb to such haste!

So, like my grandparents who went through the war
Which followed the Great Depression,

Saving the things that might have a use
Is something of an obsession.

But, every once in a great big Blue Moon
I go through and toss and I burn

All those things I'd collected that might have a use,
Into rubbish they suddenly turn,

And I throw them away, they'll ne'er fit a need
They are wasting the space in our home

Until only a week or, two after they're trash
I realize I need what is gone!