Trippin' with Susan Straley

Dear Friends and Family, Are you feeling blessed? Yesterday, as I was driving around exploring the Cleveland, Ohio area, it hit me once again how incredibly blessed I am. I drove there to stick my feet in yet another Great Lake on this trip.  Lake Erie is the lake that was on fire in the early 70's that spurred Congress to pass some legislation to protect our waterways.  The freedom to dump our waste into our joint waterways or on the ground is overruled by the higher cause of the common good.  I took a picture of people on the rocks next to the sign that told them not to do that.  We are so... Wow, I am so fortunate to be middle class and white and born in America during this particular era of history.  The advance in technology in just my lifetime (1950s-2020s).  And my freedom to travel comes from a societal and financial security not even imagined in some parts of the world or among the stuck or the poor in our own country. On my way driving from Michigan to here I entered a sm

It isn't days that are bad.  It is moments, and then you laugh with someone, or you see something that brings you out of that pain.  So just keep breathing through the pain or sorrow, because in a moment the feelings and experience can change. That is my wisdom for you today.  Ha ha.   I bring this up because it has been an interesting few days. For example, I was feeling lower then usual this morning.  Not sad, just not ambitious I guess. Then my camping neighbor came over and chatted a while and shared his experience with The Journey Continues: Alzheimer's Trippin' with George that he started and finished the night before.  (I had gifted him a copy.)  The praise and connection washed over me, gave me purpose again.  Thank you Jim!  He obviously put some thought into what he was going to say.  He said it was well edited and his emotions went on a roller coaster ride and he laughed and cried, "Sometimes at the same time!" I will tell you of a few other... ups and