I have been trying to focus on lighter subject but I think with my birthday right around the corner I am kinda stuck on the things that I think matter.  Before you read this keep in mind I spent the Holiday in the Hospital this year so don't think I have anything or anyone in mind.  The Holidays always bring people together who might have differences.  These are people who have to put on a good face for the family or the in-law's.  I think the same thing happens at Church.

  You see my mind never quits.  To sleep at night I use the tools of distraction to get my mind to slow down enough to sleep.  I have found that if I have the radio on, it distracts my thoughts long enough to let me go to sleep.  I have always had the need to know how things work and have put a lot of effort into study how everything around me works.  I enjoy getting a new piece of equipment and going over how it works.  I will study the prints and take things apart on a brand new item to satisfy my need to know not only what it does, But how it does it.  I know it's weird but thats me.  You see when I get on an Airplane to fly I know how the parts for that plane are made. (I was a plant manager for a jet engine parts manufacture for years.)  You see I don't sit down and wonder what could happen. I know the weak links.  I know first hand the strengths and weaknesses of the manufacturing process.  This is a good thing when it comes to flying. I know that the process produces a near flawless plane every time it is followed.  This works the other way also.  There are some  things I observe and think " I am glad those people are not making planes." As you may see my mind works overtime on such things.

   Getting back to the distraction  thing I have been wandering if we do this same thing with our relationships to some extent.  Just like that early AM thought that you should not be in bed wasting time just laying here, but working on something important that is on your mind? Have you ever been talking to someone and think,  I should not be talking to this person about the weather, war or politics.  We should be be having a conversation about things that really impact our relationship.  I am talking about the basic things we all need from our family and friends.  Love, Support, Encouragement.  But no, We turn on the radio. We distract ourselves with the noise of subjects that we can agree on, we stick to the safe stuff.  Why do we hide from the solution?  Is it too hard to face. I think that the more we learn about the process of listening to and understanding someone who thinks different than us on any given subject the more we realize that it takes some hard work to except that person for what they are.  It takes effort to love and support someone who you do not agree with.  So we stay on the narrow road of tried and true subjects that everyone agrees on like, what the weather is doing.  I know what your thinking.  I battle this even as I put my thoughts down right now.  It goes something like this. "It's not worth it, every time we try to talk about that it goes bad."  It only makes things worse.  I say all of this to show you that I have put a lot of thought into this question.  My question is                  WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE PEOPLE THINKING?   

    I have found that I can figure out how something works most of the time.  On the other hand I haven't made that much progress in the field of how people work.  It use to be very simple for me.  I surrounded myself by people who supported my way of thinking and I refused to consider anything new.  This kept things simple.  No conflicts.  It seemed to work.  Well one day I decided to ask A question and I found out why things stayed so simple.  It was as simple as moving people like me to the edge.  Just a nudge from being lost.  What do most people learn to do in this situation?  They sit there and shut up.  They talk about the holy standard or about how happy they are that they are not like "That lost group way over there." Is this a distraction? Some would say there are things way more important than if your love for God has led you to believe that the style of your garments will sway Gods mind on judgement day. 

     I am the person who when someone says "look over there" I look at there hands.  I am looking for the real reason things look like they do, not how you want me to see things.

I have seen so many Magic tricks that I don't take anything for face value anymore.  

  Are we so distracted by the slight of hand that we can not see what is really happening?  Are our thoughts so molded by the pressure of others that we no longer think for ourselves?    

   I think most everyone would say that someone who treats his fellow man with disrespect has no standing on larger issues. So why do we fall for this trick so often?  Faith or Family, it seems we kind of like the distraction of the lesser issues.  They are easy to follow.  We are successful at meeting this or that goal and it makes us feel good about ourselves.  The important things that we are overlooking are right in front of us but we are looking to the right or left and don't see them.  I wander if for most, that is just how they like it.