Jim Vuksic's Blog, page 6
May 13, 2018
Giving Birth Does Not Automatically Earn One the Title of "Mother"
Giving birth does not entitle a woman to claim the title of Mother any more then getting a woman pregnant entitles a man to claim the title of Father. Titles should be earned.
Earning the title of Mother involves always striving to provide the child for whom you share responsibility an example of how to live a good life through actions, not words. The adage "Do as I say not as I do!" doesn't cut it.
Reward a child when they have earned it and punish them when they deserve it. Do memorable things with a child as often as possible. This often means having to do what they want rather than what you would rather be doing. Those memories will remain with them long after you are gone. Listen to them when they need to talk. Talk to them when they need to listen. Most of all, never stop loving them. Sometimes they will do or say something that makes loving them difficult, but you must do it anyway. Children need love the most when they least deserve it.
For those of you who have truly earned the title of Mother, I salute you on this your special day. Happy Mother's Day!
Earning the title of Mother involves always striving to provide the child for whom you share responsibility an example of how to live a good life through actions, not words. The adage "Do as I say not as I do!" doesn't cut it.
Reward a child when they have earned it and punish them when they deserve it. Do memorable things with a child as often as possible. This often means having to do what they want rather than what you would rather be doing. Those memories will remain with them long after you are gone. Listen to them when they need to talk. Talk to them when they need to listen. Most of all, never stop loving them. Sometimes they will do or say something that makes loving them difficult, but you must do it anyway. Children need love the most when they least deserve it.
For those of you who have truly earned the title of Mother, I salute you on this your special day. Happy Mother's Day!
May 10, 2018
There is No Such Thing as an Unexpected Death
Occasionally one will read about or hear of someone dying unexpectedly. The death of some people I have known has come as a surprise, but their eventual demise was never unexpected.
Every life form, whether it is human, animal, plant, or insect will eventually die. Even some inanimate objects such as planets and stars are said to die when they cease to exist.
May I offer a suggestion? Expect everyone you know to die someday. The time, location, and circumstance may be unknown, but the fact that they will eventually die is not. So, treat each time spent with them as special. Be nice, be understanding, be patient, be helpful, be cooperative, be considerate. Then you will have no regrets when the day comes that you find out that they are no longer available and you will never have the opportunity to treat them better than the last time you were together.
Another suggestion: Live each day as if it were your last. One day it will be.
Every life form, whether it is human, animal, plant, or insect will eventually die. Even some inanimate objects such as planets and stars are said to die when they cease to exist.
May I offer a suggestion? Expect everyone you know to die someday. The time, location, and circumstance may be unknown, but the fact that they will eventually die is not. So, treat each time spent with them as special. Be nice, be understanding, be patient, be helpful, be cooperative, be considerate. Then you will have no regrets when the day comes that you find out that they are no longer available and you will never have the opportunity to treat them better than the last time you were together.
Another suggestion: Live each day as if it were your last. One day it will be.
April 11, 2018
Social Websites: Potential Pitfalls for the Naive and Gullible
My four adult children and four grandchildren all maintain active "Face Book" sites and occasionally chastise me for being old fashioned and out of touch for refusing to follow their example. They point out the advantages such as staying in touch with old friends, making new friends, updating activities and physical changes within the family. They roll their eyes and scoff at my concern that social websites have greatly increased occurrences of identity theft, personal attacks, crime victimization, and fraud.
My specific concerns and personal evaluation regarding participation in social websites are as follows:
Friends - People who think they have a lot of friends just think they have a lot of friends.
Acquaintances - Some associates may not actually be who or what they claim. For instance, a beautiful young female fashion model may actually be a 250 lb. male truck driver.
Too much information is a dangerous thing. - Example: A friend of one of my daughters recently posted a series of pictures documenting her family's two-week vacation at the beach. They returned home to discover that their house had been broken into and several expensive items had been stolen. I cannot help but presume that the fact that they had also posted their new address upon moving into said house ten months prior to proudly sharing their vacation fun on-line may have had a direct relation to the robbery.
I would hope that social website users would consistently utilize common sense and extreme caution when determining what and how much information to share. Human nature being what it is, I presume that this is not actually the case among a good many participants.
My specific concerns and personal evaluation regarding participation in social websites are as follows:
Friends - People who think they have a lot of friends just think they have a lot of friends.
Acquaintances - Some associates may not actually be who or what they claim. For instance, a beautiful young female fashion model may actually be a 250 lb. male truck driver.
Too much information is a dangerous thing. - Example: A friend of one of my daughters recently posted a series of pictures documenting her family's two-week vacation at the beach. They returned home to discover that their house had been broken into and several expensive items had been stolen. I cannot help but presume that the fact that they had also posted their new address upon moving into said house ten months prior to proudly sharing their vacation fun on-line may have had a direct relation to the robbery.
I would hope that social website users would consistently utilize common sense and extreme caution when determining what and how much information to share. Human nature being what it is, I presume that this is not actually the case among a good many participants.
March 7, 2018
Do Not Mistake Nationalism for Patriotism
Negative criticism directed at any individual or group of citizens who openly protest philosophies and/or activities exhibited by government representatives which they perceive to be unjust, unfair, and/or immoral is often justified under the guise of the critic's patriotic obligation. The critics proclaim themselves to be true proud patriots, duty-bound to challenge and chastise unpatriotic activity.
The Merriam-Webster English Dictionary provides the following definitions:
Patriotism - Love of country.
Nationalism - Devotion to national interests, unity, and independence.
If one truly loves someone or something, one is morally bound to point out and attempt to correct any flaws, bad behavior, and wrong doing by the person or institution one professes to love. True patriotism requires such a response toward one's country.
Nationalism, on the other hand, may be utilized to inspire good or evil and bring out the best or worst in a nation's activities. Some prime examples of the utilization of nationalism to promote evil and wrong doing are Nazism, Fascism, and Communism.
So, those who kneel during the playing of the National Anthem or participate in marches to protest racial and cultural prejudice and bigotry, and excessive force exhibited by some police officers are being patriotic. They love their country too much to witness its standards and international reputation be diminished or smeared by the bad behavior of a few ignorant or bad citizens.
The Merriam-Webster English Dictionary provides the following definitions:
Patriotism - Love of country.
Nationalism - Devotion to national interests, unity, and independence.
If one truly loves someone or something, one is morally bound to point out and attempt to correct any flaws, bad behavior, and wrong doing by the person or institution one professes to love. True patriotism requires such a response toward one's country.
Nationalism, on the other hand, may be utilized to inspire good or evil and bring out the best or worst in a nation's activities. Some prime examples of the utilization of nationalism to promote evil and wrong doing are Nazism, Fascism, and Communism.
So, those who kneel during the playing of the National Anthem or participate in marches to protest racial and cultural prejudice and bigotry, and excessive force exhibited by some police officers are being patriotic. They love their country too much to witness its standards and international reputation be diminished or smeared by the bad behavior of a few ignorant or bad citizens.
February 11, 2018
The Small Bang Theory
Spoiler alert! This blog post has absolutely nothing to do with either the scientific "Big Bang Theory" or the popular television sit-com of the same title. It has to do with life itself.
Like almost everyone else, while growing up, I had hopes, thoughts and dreams of experiencing an extremely enjoyable, very successful and noteworthy life. Now, at 70 years of age, I look back upon my life and evaluate what I have learned and how it all turned out.
I was born into and raised a relatively poor family. We never owned a home or car, never ate in a restaurant or went on a vacation. However, we always had a place to live, enough food to eat and clothes to wear. Since everyone else in the neighborhood was in the same financial shape, it didn't bother me. I had good and loving parents. That was enough.
I left home at 14 to attend a Roman Catholic seminary located 200 miles from home. I left four years later. It was 1965. The United States' involvement in Vietnam had evolved into a full-scale war. Seven boyhood friends and I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and we all served a 13-month combat tour in Vietnam. Upon being discharged, I got a job with the H.J. Heinz Company and retired 33 years later as the manager of the company's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania facility. In 1970 I married my late wife. We were together for 35 1/2 wonderful years and had 5 children. I now have 4 wonderful adult children and 4 fantastic grandchildren. I have visited 43 of the United States and 5 foreign countries. Life is good.
Looking back, I realize that my life did not consist of any extraordinary accomplishments, exciting adventures or outstanding achievements. It is made up of a thousand little things, few of which would be considered exceptional or extraordinary by any standard. So, when it comes time to exit this life, I will do so realizing that dying is no big thing. It is nothing compared to the wonderful little things that led up to the grand finale.
Like almost everyone else, while growing up, I had hopes, thoughts and dreams of experiencing an extremely enjoyable, very successful and noteworthy life. Now, at 70 years of age, I look back upon my life and evaluate what I have learned and how it all turned out.
I was born into and raised a relatively poor family. We never owned a home or car, never ate in a restaurant or went on a vacation. However, we always had a place to live, enough food to eat and clothes to wear. Since everyone else in the neighborhood was in the same financial shape, it didn't bother me. I had good and loving parents. That was enough.
I left home at 14 to attend a Roman Catholic seminary located 200 miles from home. I left four years later. It was 1965. The United States' involvement in Vietnam had evolved into a full-scale war. Seven boyhood friends and I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and we all served a 13-month combat tour in Vietnam. Upon being discharged, I got a job with the H.J. Heinz Company and retired 33 years later as the manager of the company's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania facility. In 1970 I married my late wife. We were together for 35 1/2 wonderful years and had 5 children. I now have 4 wonderful adult children and 4 fantastic grandchildren. I have visited 43 of the United States and 5 foreign countries. Life is good.
Looking back, I realize that my life did not consist of any extraordinary accomplishments, exciting adventures or outstanding achievements. It is made up of a thousand little things, few of which would be considered exceptional or extraordinary by any standard. So, when it comes time to exit this life, I will do so realizing that dying is no big thing. It is nothing compared to the wonderful little things that led up to the grand finale.
January 14, 2018
The Most Important Space on a Tombstone
While visiting a cemetery, many pay close attention the the birth date and date of death inscribed on tombstones. They are enthralled by a birth date from a previous century or dates indicating an exceptionally long lifespan.
I never pay much attention to either date. In my mind, the dates inscribed on a tombstone do not matter. What is truly important is the space separating the dates. To me, that space represents the time in between birth and death. We do not get to choose when we are born or when we will die. We do get to choose how we make use of the time in between. Hopefully, we do not waste or misuse too much of it.
I never pay much attention to either date. In my mind, the dates inscribed on a tombstone do not matter. What is truly important is the space separating the dates. To me, that space represents the time in between birth and death. We do not get to choose when we are born or when we will die. We do get to choose how we make use of the time in between. Hopefully, we do not waste or misuse too much of it.
January 10, 2018
Just Who Do You Think You Are? (Deja Vu)
I recently received a private message from a Goodreads member who misinterpreted some of my comments to be disrespectful to and dismissive of self-published authors' work. They asked "Just who do you think you are?" Their inquiry had a familiar ring to it. A quick review of my blog files revealed that another member, perhaps the same member, sent the same message a couple of years ago. The following is my original reply in the form of a blog post, originally published April 29, 2015.
Just Who Do You Think You Are?
The title of this blog post is taken directly from a private message received from a gentleman who felt that the previous blog post, titled It is Absolutely Unprofessional to Attempt to Redefine Professionalism, was a personal insult. After asking just who I thought I was, he went on to inform me, utilizing very unprofessional language, that it was none of my business that he chose to refer to himself as a professional. He is absolutely correct. One may refer to oneself in any way that one wishes. He may have assumed that the final two paragraphs of the aforementioned blog post were written with someone like him in mind. If so, he may again be absolutely correct.
I very seldom respond to private messages, but I felt this one deserved a response, not because of the opinion itself, but the crass and disingenuous manner in which it was expressed. Just who do I think I am? I know exactly who I am. Like everyone else, I am the sum total and end result of my life experiences.
Formerly: Seminarian (4 years - St. Mark Seminary, Erie, Pa.), U.S. Marine (Enlisted in 1966 - Vietnam Veteran), Musician (guitar & bass - 8 years), Management Career (H.J. Heinz Co. - 33 years), Husband 35 1/2 years).
Currently: Retiree (14 years), Proud Father (4 adult children), Proud Grandfather (4 grandchildren), Widower (10 years), Road Trip Aficionado (visited 2 countries & 43 states by car), Avid Reader (60 years), Published Author (one novel - my first and last). Quite satisfied with my life - past and present; looking forward to the future.
You, who inspired this blog post, now know who I am and how I got to be that person. Just who do you think you are? If totally satisfied with who you are, fine. If not, you can always find out what must be done to become the kind of person you would like to be, and then do it.
Just Who Do You Think You Are?
The title of this blog post is taken directly from a private message received from a gentleman who felt that the previous blog post, titled It is Absolutely Unprofessional to Attempt to Redefine Professionalism, was a personal insult. After asking just who I thought I was, he went on to inform me, utilizing very unprofessional language, that it was none of my business that he chose to refer to himself as a professional. He is absolutely correct. One may refer to oneself in any way that one wishes. He may have assumed that the final two paragraphs of the aforementioned blog post were written with someone like him in mind. If so, he may again be absolutely correct.
I very seldom respond to private messages, but I felt this one deserved a response, not because of the opinion itself, but the crass and disingenuous manner in which it was expressed. Just who do I think I am? I know exactly who I am. Like everyone else, I am the sum total and end result of my life experiences.
Formerly: Seminarian (4 years - St. Mark Seminary, Erie, Pa.), U.S. Marine (Enlisted in 1966 - Vietnam Veteran), Musician (guitar & bass - 8 years), Management Career (H.J. Heinz Co. - 33 years), Husband 35 1/2 years).
Currently: Retiree (14 years), Proud Father (4 adult children), Proud Grandfather (4 grandchildren), Widower (10 years), Road Trip Aficionado (visited 2 countries & 43 states by car), Avid Reader (60 years), Published Author (one novel - my first and last). Quite satisfied with my life - past and present; looking forward to the future.
You, who inspired this blog post, now know who I am and how I got to be that person. Just who do you think you are? If totally satisfied with who you are, fine. If not, you can always find out what must be done to become the kind of person you would like to be, and then do it.
November 17, 2017
Celebrating the 4th. Anniversary of "Jim Vuksic's Blog"
Tomorrow marks the 4th. anniversary of Jim Vuksic's Blog. To date, it is comprised of 141 posts, including this one. It has attracted 99 registered followers and the accumulated posts have been viewed 9,542 times. Certainly not impressive when compared to professional blogs, but much more popular than I, its author, had anticipated when the introductory entry was posted on Nov. 18, 2013.
Occasionally, a reader will post a comment or "Like" to express their personal opinion of a particular topic. Every comment is acknowledged and receives a personal response.
I wish to thank those who have viewed the blog from time to time during the past four years and hope that Jim Vuksic's Blog continues to attract and merit your attention. Comments and opinions are always welcome and very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jim Vuksic
Occasionally, a reader will post a comment or "Like" to express their personal opinion of a particular topic. Every comment is acknowledged and receives a personal response.
I wish to thank those who have viewed the blog from time to time during the past four years and hope that Jim Vuksic's Blog continues to attract and merit your attention. Comments and opinions are always welcome and very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jim Vuksic
November 5, 2017
Some Times You Win. Some Times You Lose.
Some times my confidence level regarding success in an endeavor has been very high and other times failure appeared to be the more likely outcome. In either scenario, I always tried my best.
In 1966 I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and soon realized that I had no desire to pursue a military career. However, I was determined to serve my time, which included a 13-month combat tour in Vietnam, honorably. I was equally determined to do only what was absolutely required of me personally - no heroics, no volunteering and no desire for promotion to the the higher command ranks. As a result, I completed my service with the rank of Lance Corporal (E-3) and an honorable discharge. No impressive citations or medals.
I got a job with the H.J. Heinz Company as an office clerk. and quickly discovered that I could adapt well to the business model and possessed sufficient intelligence, discipline and ambition to achieve a high level of success within the organization. Five promotions and thirty-three years later, I retired as the manager of the company's food processing facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I spent some of my retirement time obtaining the basic knowledge and writing skills required to produce a work of which I would not end up being ashamed or embarrassed. That said; I had no illusion that my novel would become a best-seller or even achieve commercial success. I did it just to see if I could. The end result proved both presumed outcomes to be correct. Seven years since publication, the novel has sold only 1,029 units, earning me the magnificent sum of $2,358.34 in royalty payments.
Lesson learned: Some efforts will succeed and others will fail. The secret to succeeding much more often than failing is to never delude oneself into believing one is more intelligent, courageous and physically or mentally capable then one actually is. Recognize your strengths and admit to your weaknesses. Proudly accept the accolades when you succeed and acknowledge and accept personal responsibility when you fail. Occasionally succeeding does not make one a success and occasionally failing does not make one a failure.
In 1966 I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and soon realized that I had no desire to pursue a military career. However, I was determined to serve my time, which included a 13-month combat tour in Vietnam, honorably. I was equally determined to do only what was absolutely required of me personally - no heroics, no volunteering and no desire for promotion to the the higher command ranks. As a result, I completed my service with the rank of Lance Corporal (E-3) and an honorable discharge. No impressive citations or medals.
I got a job with the H.J. Heinz Company as an office clerk. and quickly discovered that I could adapt well to the business model and possessed sufficient intelligence, discipline and ambition to achieve a high level of success within the organization. Five promotions and thirty-three years later, I retired as the manager of the company's food processing facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I spent some of my retirement time obtaining the basic knowledge and writing skills required to produce a work of which I would not end up being ashamed or embarrassed. That said; I had no illusion that my novel would become a best-seller or even achieve commercial success. I did it just to see if I could. The end result proved both presumed outcomes to be correct. Seven years since publication, the novel has sold only 1,029 units, earning me the magnificent sum of $2,358.34 in royalty payments.
Lesson learned: Some efforts will succeed and others will fail. The secret to succeeding much more often than failing is to never delude oneself into believing one is more intelligent, courageous and physically or mentally capable then one actually is. Recognize your strengths and admit to your weaknesses. Proudly accept the accolades when you succeed and acknowledge and accept personal responsibility when you fail. Occasionally succeeding does not make one a success and occasionally failing does not make one a failure.
July 27, 2017
70-Years-Old, Whether I Like It or Not!
Tomorrow will mark my 70th. birthday. I would rather not be 70; however, it beats the alternative. It seemed like an opportune time to contemplate my life to-date and determine if it was worth the effort.
Life is nothing more than a series of experiences. Some are wonderful and enjoyable. Others are terrible and sometimes terrifying. The majority are a series of mundane, barely noticeable experiences, soon forgotten.
I have had some wonderful, memorable experiences:
A 35 1/2 year marriage to a beautiful woman, wonderful mother and true friend - Fathering 5 children, none of whom ever disappointed and often have made me very proud - A successful 33-year management career which provided sufficient monetary compensation to allow me to begin a very comfortable retirement at the age of 53 - Being the grandfather to 4 fantastic grandchildren, whose parents allow me to spoil them to my heart's content - Reasonably good health, much to the bafflement of my doctor who constantly reminds me that I don't do many of the things I should be doing and do far too many things that I shouldn't at my age.
There have been a few bad experiences which I would rather not have experienced, but realize are a necessary part of life. Until one has experienced pain and disappointment, one cannot truly appreciate pleasure and satisfaction.
7 boyhood friends and I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and went off to war. Only 5 of us returned home - One of my children was killed in an accident - My wife died of cancer at the age of 56. There were other experiences which aggravated and made me angry at times, but not serious enough to contemplate or even bother remembering.
Looking back on all those life experiences, both good and bad, I ask myself - If given an opportunity to go back and do it all over again, would I? Damn right I would!
Life is nothing more than a series of experiences. Some are wonderful and enjoyable. Others are terrible and sometimes terrifying. The majority are a series of mundane, barely noticeable experiences, soon forgotten.
I have had some wonderful, memorable experiences:
A 35 1/2 year marriage to a beautiful woman, wonderful mother and true friend - Fathering 5 children, none of whom ever disappointed and often have made me very proud - A successful 33-year management career which provided sufficient monetary compensation to allow me to begin a very comfortable retirement at the age of 53 - Being the grandfather to 4 fantastic grandchildren, whose parents allow me to spoil them to my heart's content - Reasonably good health, much to the bafflement of my doctor who constantly reminds me that I don't do many of the things I should be doing and do far too many things that I shouldn't at my age.
There have been a few bad experiences which I would rather not have experienced, but realize are a necessary part of life. Until one has experienced pain and disappointment, one cannot truly appreciate pleasure and satisfaction.
7 boyhood friends and I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and went off to war. Only 5 of us returned home - One of my children was killed in an accident - My wife died of cancer at the age of 56. There were other experiences which aggravated and made me angry at times, but not serious enough to contemplate or even bother remembering.
Looking back on all those life experiences, both good and bad, I ask myself - If given an opportunity to go back and do it all over again, would I? Damn right I would!
