"T-Ball Society"

It is baseball season, the national pastime. Baseball has a special place in the hearts of most Americans. As a boy, I belonged to the Boy’s Club and played baseball at the local park for the first time when I was about eight years old. I remember taking my bicycle down Western Avenue to Welles Park on Saturday mornings to play my first organized games. Back then, we didn’t even have uniforms, only hats and T-shirts. We learned how to catch, throw and hit from young coaches who seemed much older to us “little guys”. I remember hitting those first balls out of the infield, and the crack of that bat; there was no aluminum back then. Some of us were better than others; some caught better and some hit better, but we all loved the game. There were no girls on those teams back then (it was the Boy’s Club). We were broken down into teams, and we were given a schedule of games we were to play throughout the summer. We had practice two or three times a week, and we kept score in every game. Yes, we had winners and losers, because in games we learned competition.

Today, kids still play baseball in local communities at different parks with different organizations; and some differences in the way the game is taught. The games today are sometimes played with “mixed teams”, both boys and girls together. The youngest players learn to hit the baseball from a “T” instead of from a pitched ball, and they usually don’t keep score. In today’s world, we don’t want our children to realize that some kids may not be as skilled as other kids. Today we live in a society where we are in a constant worry of hurting the feelings of one person or another; this is the “everybody is great” philosophy that has made the words “ambition” and “winning” seem like bad things.

I guess I’m an “old fashioned” guy, I believe we all need to learn about winning and losing when we are young, because if we don’t learn it then, we are surely in for a big shock later on in life; nobody wins every time! If a person is told that they are “great” all the time, they will never understand that in the “real world”, they may not be “great all the time”; yes, they may fail.

We have a pervasive belief in America today that everybody is entitled to everything, regardless of effort or dedication. There is a belief that there is a conspiracy to keep people from having what they want by some “agenda of the rich”. What this philosophy fails to recognize is that most of those “rich people” started out as regular folks who applied themselves and took risks to attain their wealth and position, and along the way, they suffered some failures but went forward instead of blaming others for their failures.

We have a political movement called “OCCUPY WALL STREET” that believes that those who have attained success should give away what they have worked for to those who have failed to work for anything. We hear talk of inequality of wealth from these dissidents, but these people failed to see that the Constitution doesn’t give anyone a guarantee of success. You, as an American, are given a chance and it is up to each individual to use that chance, or to throw it away. If you throw it away, either through laziness or not taking advantage of what America offers, your failure belongs to you, not your neighbor.

Life, like baseball, will have winners and losers, and a “T-ball” mentality will only produce losers. Nobody is going to set up a perfect life for you, like a ball on a “T”. Life will be thrown at you, and you better prepare yourself to have a “batting eye” or you will “strike out” and you have no one to blame but yourself. Remember, we all start out on the same “ball field” in America.

"You Can Tell This Book by Its Cover!"

I have a small library in my home; it is my most peaceful room. I have a small love seat and an easy chair, three lamps and five bookcases which are filled with numerous works of both fiction and non-fiction. I have a record player in the room; it is the only place where I can listen to my treasured vinyl records, no matter how good CDs may be, there is something about that soft and crackly sound of a vinyl album.

My favorite author is Ernest Hemingway, and he has been since high school. Hemingway put his entire life experiences into his writing and they were almost impossible to put down. I also like John Updike, Leo Tolstoy and Ayn Rand. I sometimes read some Shakespeare when I know no one is looking!

Living in a university town, I am fortunate because each year they have book sales at both the book store and the library. I have the opportunity to buy last year’s text books, and being a history buff, I feel quite blessed about this. I also have the opportunity to find books which, over the course of time, I have either worn out, or forgotten about. I found a copy of a book called “The Earth Abides”, a science fiction work I read when I was twelve years old; I can’t tell how elated I was to find and purchase that book!

America is a treasure trove of literary excellence, with authors of every type from philosophy to humor and even “do it yourself books”. I know the INTERNET has given the local library a “run for its money” when it comes to attracting readership, but there is something about holding a book in your hands, smelling those pages, and escaping into the printed word. I hope America never loses its value of the printed words of legendary authors. Longfellow, Sandburg, Steinbeck, Buck and Hemingway wrote words that should never be lost, and I hope they never are.

All of the above statements I have made touch me profoundly, as I am a lover of free speech and our 1^st. amendment. This being expressed, I would like to bring something to your attention. Some books should be allowed to go “out of print” never to be resurrected again! On April 25, 2012, the province of Bavaria announced that it was planning to publish “Mein Kampf” again for the first time since 1945. This isn’t the work of Nietzsche we are talking about, this is the work of a man who most normal people regard as the most EVIL MAN IN HISTORY! Now, I must admit that I have read a great portion of this work, and it is a blueprint of Hitler’s twisted logic in his guidance through the NAZI philosophy. This has been available on the INTERNET for a long time, and I’m sure that a plethora of “low foreheads” have enjoyed the ravings of the “Little Corporal” to their hearts content.

So, why am I so upset by this coming out in book form again? This is just like Mao’s “Little Red Book” that the hippies and SDS folks liked so much during the ‘60s, and twisted them into some of those OCCUPY MORONS we have today.

Germany had Wagner, Freud, Brahms and Beethoven, this is the heritage that they need to remember and promote. Raising the image of early NAZISM is not what you should be remembering. Remember when Hitler had those books burned; perhaps this one should have been in that fire!

"It Wasn't a Laughable Moment!"

How many of you remember the T.V. show “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In”? Way back in the late ‘60s, this show was the “hippest” thing on television; everyone from John Wayne to Sammy Davis Jr. made appearances on this show. Perhaps the most famous appearance on this show was made by Richard M. Nixon, who spoke those famous words “Sock It To Me?” on a cameo spot during some fast paced gags. Nixon, who had the persona of a quiet and conservative guy, was the admitted hit of the evening, and many said his appearance on “Laugh In” was a turning point toward his election. I watched it and I really thought it took some nerve for Nixon to do this, as he was known for being a private and somewhat shy person. Later on, another very hip show called “Saturday Night Live” (perhaps you’ve heard of it) made quite a few jokes at the expense of Richard Nixon (courtesy of Dan Aykroyd). Dana Carvey had quite a time, as he invoked the image of George H.W. Bush in a satirical extravaganza, to which the senior Bush was delighted and perhaps a little flattered. Aykroyd also had some fun with Jimmy Carter on several occasions. Phil Hartman did a few bits mocking Bill Clinton, and Will Ferrell had a good time poking fun at George W. Bush on several occasions.

Comedians from Bob Hope to Jay Leno have had a good time laughing with and at our Chief Executives, from “Ike” to “G.W.”, presidents have been under comedic scrutiny; most of the time the humor has been done with a measure of respect, without any rancor toward the person in office.

I am sure many of you know the name Jon Lovitz; he is an alum of “Saturday Night Live” and has appeared in several motion pictures and other television shows. He is famous for his character “Tommy Flanagan, the Compulsive Liar”. Mr. Lovitz has a degree in Theatre Arts from the University of California at Irvine. His father was a medical doctor to the “Jackson Family” of musical fame. Like many of the people in “show business”, Mr. Lovitz is a Democrat, and he voted for Barack Obama in the last Presidential Election.

A few days ago, Mr. Lovitz “unloaded” on our President Barack Obama. A “pod-cast” called “The ABC’c of SNL” turned into a tirade by Lovitz aimed at Barack Obama. Laced in profanity, Lovitz called Obama a “F@#king A$&hole!” (You fill in the blanks) in regards to the President’s tax plans. Lovitz said “If I make a dollar and out of every dollar I’m taxed at 50, half, 50 cents…”, well the rest isn’t too complimentary toward our President, to say the least. This wasn’t good-hearted satire, it was genuine anger toward Obama and his policies, and it’s not limited to Jon Lovitz. Lately, there have been other “show-folk” who are distancing themselves from our current Chief Executive.

When the “Hollywood” people start to move away publicly, Obama must admit to the fact he is in real trouble. You don’t have to be a conservative to move away from the Obama policies anymore; all you need to be is an informed American, who has seen what over three years of Barack Obama has done to our nation. Perhaps, in November, it will be America’s turn to “Sock It to Barack Obama”!! Maybe we will find out who “The Compulsive Liar” really is!!

"Chancellor Obama?"

What happened in January of 1932? Quick answer: Adolph Hitler was granted German citizenship! This was something that changed the course of German history greatly. The German Republic was in great disarray, there was rampant unemployment and runaway inflation. The German people were being pulled in many different directions by several different political movements. The treaty that ended WWI left Germany holding a debt that was insurmountable, as they shouldered the complete blame for the conflict. Germany was drowning in debt and hunger, and the people wanted someone to save them, and someone to blame for their circumstances, and Adolph Hitler supplied both of those needs.

How did Hitler attain his position? Hitler twisted the German people and manipulated their constitution. In July of 1932, the NAZI Party was holding the largest block of power in the Reichstag (German Parliament), as they received 37.3% of the votes in the previous election. This was not enough to control the government, but it was enough to make quite a bit of noise. The sitting President, Paul Von Hindenburg, appointed Adolph Hitler Chancellor of Germany in an attempt to pacify the radical NAZI members of the Reichstag. All this accomplished was giving Hitler a powerful “foot in the door” into German government. On August 2, 1934, Von Hindenburg died in office, leaving Germany without a leader. The void was quickly filled by the Chancellor, who promptly assumed the Office of President. After he assumed office, the Reichstag was burned to the ground in a mysterious fire. A dissident Jew was blamed for the fire, and this incident marked the death of the German Republic as Hitler, for the good of Germany, became their first, and only “Fuhrer”, with powers that were unable to be challenged by anyone; Hitler “back-doored” his way to become the Dictator of Germany! He had unlimited EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY, HIS WORDS WERE LAW!

Does anybody remember an incident last fall when our President, Barack Obama, said he wanted his administration to “move more aggressively in the use of EXECUTIVE POWER to govern in the face of Congressional OBSTRUCTIONISM…”? This is the same man who openly criticized former President George W. Bush for alleged abuse of power while in office. There have been several questions raised about Mr. Obama’s appointments which were made without any Congressional approval since he has taken office, as they seem to have been done outside the parameters of Constitutional authority, which Mr. Obama seems to disregard.

Mr. Obama’s newest slogan is “WE CAN’T WAIT”! It appears that Barack Obama believes we should push our Congress aside in order to achieve what he feels is “best for America”. I remember he told lawmakers that he “…wanted something on his desk in four to six weeks…” in regards to his healthcare initiative, and when it passed, we were told to pass it before we read it, by Nancy Pelosi, and the “rubber stamp” Democrat Congress did just what Obama said. The Constitutionality of this initiative is now being examined by the Supreme Court, which Mr. Obama has openly criticized as an “unelected body”.

It certainly seems like Barack Hussein Obama has little use for our Constitutional rule of law and the separate branches of our government. Perhaps, Mr. Obama wants to be “CHANCELLOR OBAMA”, then, who knows, perhaps “FUHRER”?

"Hate Speech?"

Were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin or George Washington extremists? Were the words used by these men inflammatory toward others? Was Jesus an extremist? Did the words Jesus used cause others to become enraged or hateful?

I am a “constitutionalist” and a Christian, and I follow the words of Jesus, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, so I guess I’m some type of extremist too.

Jesus preached about obedience to God and His laws, and to love one another as you love yourself. I don’t quite understand what makes the words of Jesus so “inflammatory” or “extremist”;, but some folks do.

Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and George Washington used words that condemned oppression and lauded free expression and equal opportunity for all Americans, and they included those words in the United States Constitution; that Constitution says all men are to be treated equally under the law, and all men have the right to express their views without fear of retribution from the government. Obviously, words that “incite” or preach hatred toward others are subject to scrutiny.

During the administration of George W. Bush, there were many instances of words that were less than flattering, and sometimes bordering on “character assassination” in regards to our former Chief Executive. Images of George W. Bush portrayed as “Hitler” were rampant from those who opposed the President. President Bush never answered these type of attacks in kind; he was, and still is, a “class act” and totally Presidential in his actions.

Most of you probably know the name Louis Farrakhan as the head of the radical Nation of Islam. Mr. Farrakhan has made more “hate the white man” speeches than there are grains of sand in the Gobi Desert. His speeches are famous for their content of discontent with America. I’m sure groups like the “New Black Panthers” hang on Mr. Farrakhan’s every word, as they are quite unhappy with America too. They have also preached about violence against what they call “White America”.

Louis Farrakhan is endorsing an e- book which is condemning some of the images that have been projected about President Barack Obama over the last several months. There are the usual moronic racial pictures which indicate the low I.Q. of those who post such images, and as an American, I also condemn the idiots who trade on racial hatred; their words and images should be dismissed completely so they can go back to making their French fries!

There are other images that should not be discounted, those images of real political significance which show Barack Obama in the company of some infamous socialists and communists, and his political philosophy certainly merits his image to be shown along with those who came before him. Obama’s own words told of his gravitation toward militants and socialists while attending college (you can easily find this information).

Farrakhan, who is a “peddler of hatred”,must feel you should only peddle his form of hatred, and Barack Obama is “off limits” to any type of criticism.

All standing Presidents have been open to political attack; it comes with the territory. For whatever reason, Barack Obama wants to be exempt from honest criticism from any person or organization. Perhaps Mr. Obama doesn’t have the personal fortitude of George W. Bush, perhaps his skin is too thin (not a racial remark).

If you are a critic of Barack Obama, I hope you criticize him for being a really bad President who is a danger to America, and not something as stupid as pigmentation.

"Party Time, On Your Dime!"

For the last four years, America has been under a terrible economic strain. Large cities like Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York have had an explosion of unemployment. Millions of people who thought they had a secure future had all of their plans for retirement severely altered. Food stamps and welfare are now at an all time high across America; home prices have plummeted and the continued rise in fuel prices have had a devastating effect on nearly every citizen in our nation. Our national debt is at a record level and it climbs higher every hour; it has even surpassed our GNP.  This is a serious financial problem which, as a nation, we are not addressing with the urgency it merits. Every American home, with few exceptions, is facing budget cuts; we are simply running on empty all over America.

Our current President, Barack Obama, believes we can tax our way to prosperity, a plan not many authoritative economists believe is feasible, as it undermines the growth sector of the American business community.

Americans are a people who are usually willing to face a bad situation with firm resolve as long as we see some possibility of light at the end of the tunnel, but there hasn’t been much light lately coming out of Washington D.C.! We expect our tax dollars to be spent carefully, and with a frugal eye. Every nut, bolt, tomato, pad of paper or shoe lace should be purchased from the lowest bidding supplier when one is spending American taxpayer’s dollars.

As we continue to face this budget crisis, we feel it is the duty of our government agencies to use their best judgment in the decisions made for their expenditures.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been treated to a new scandal; the General Services Administration (GSA) has filled our television screen with the wild conference spent in Las Vegas, Nevada at a price tag of $830,000! Wild videos have spread through the INTERNET like wildfire showing members of the GSA talking about how much money they are able to WASTE!! This is all done in a light-hearted party atmosphere. The videos are NUMEROUS with many different people, not just a select few.

The GSA is now in front of Daryl Issa trying to explain away this “fun-filled romp”. I don’t think they will find a sympathetic ear from this committee. Under the watch of Barack Obama, the budget of the GSA was HEAVILY INCREASED, PUSHED UP NEARLY 600%!!! I guess they really needed that extra money, especially if they are in the business of WASTING IT!

How much money have we lost because of this administration, not only on foolish expenditures like the one perpetrated by the GSA, but on failed investments like SOLYNDRA.

Every American household is in a budget pinch right now, watching every nickel, dime and penny. We are limiting our travel to save fuel, we are using coupons whenever we can, all in an effort to make ends meet. We deserve better from our government.  We deserve leadership that truly understands the predicaments Americans face on a daily basis. Look at the examples we have seen, over the last months and years, with the leadership of Barack Obama. Ask yourself this question, America; “Do I need four more years of this man?”

(last post until Tuesday, taking long week-end)

"Poll Troubles for Obama"

One of the great things about the INTERNET is the “blogosphere”; that caldron of opinions that flow endlessly through your computer. I really enjoy my daily postings, and it is my hope that those of you who read my works are enjoying them, whether you agree with me or not. There must be thousands of blogs floating around at any given time, with thousands of various opinions. Like a man once said, “Opinions are like noses; everybody’s got one!” We see commercials with “blind taste tests” for different products to sell the quality of “BRAND A” over “BRAND B”. Most of the tests we see on television aren’t too scientific; but we must remember they are commercials.

With an impending election coming up, we are always being bombarded with polls on just about every news outlet that there is on both radio and television. CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and FOX NEWS all give us regular updates on the latest political polls about every political issue that springs into the public eye.

Some organizations have definite ideological leanings, and their polls are sometimes a little questionable. We must always read the “fine print” to see what type of a control group is used, as this may skew the results of any poll.

One of America’s most prestigious poll taking organizations is the Gallup Organization, which was originally founded by George Gallup in 1958. This organization is famous for its accuracy in predicting United States Presidential Elections, and its firm commitment to impartiality on each issue polled. After the passing of Mr. Gallup, the organization was sold to Selection Research Inc. of Lincoln, Nebraska in 1984. The organization’s reputation has remained impeccable under its new ownership.

On April 16, 2012, the Gallup Organization published a poll showing the presumptive Republican Presidential Candidate, Mitt Romney, ahead of incumbent President Barack Hussein Obama in a poll of registered voters. Romney has 47% approval over Obama who has a 45% approval; with 2% following other candidates and 7% who are undecided. Mr. Obama had risen in the polls recently, but this is a definite and unexpected drop for the Obama camp. It is also bad news on a historical level for any incumbent at this point in a re-election bid. The worst part of this for Obama is that this is a Gallup Poll, and not some spurious and slanted collection of “set-ups” meant to give a false picture in the results. The Obama spokesman has refused comment on the new results, as it seems they have been caught flat-footed by this poll.

It could be possible that Mr. Obama’s negative and divisive rhetoric may be catching up with him, and the American voter wants some answers for his failed policies instead of the same “Blame game” he has used in the past. The phrase “Anybody but Obama” may be starting to take hold with the American public, even more than “Hope and Change” did four years ago for Mr. Obama. I don’t know if “tax the rich” and “It’s not my fault” is selling too well, as the facts just don’t vindicate Obama’s positions. The real “poll” will be taking place in November 2012, but so far, it doesn’t look too good for Barack Hussein Obama!

"He's No Hall of Famer!!"

It is officially Major League Baseball season, and I couldn’t be a happier guy about that. Those of you who have read my work for a while, know how much my beloved White Sox mean to me. I have been a baseball fan since I was about seven or eight years old, a really long time ago. I watched black and white games on WGN television and rarely missed any games of either the Sox or the Cubs. Back then, players usually had off-season jobs, because the salaries way back then were nothing like the multi-year, million dollar contracts they have now. One of my favorite baseball movies is “Pride of the Yankees”; it is the story of Lou Gehrig, sometimes called baseball’s Iron Horse, as he rarely missed a game, playing 2,130 games before missing one. Lou’s career ended when it was discovered that he had amyotropic lateral sclerosis, now known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”. In the final scene of the movie, Gary Cooper, who was playing Lou, gave the exact speech Lou gave the crowd at Yankee Stadium. Lou was already suffering from the pain of the disease when he spoke to the cheering throng; he said “at this moment, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth…” ; this great player, who was wracked with pain and disease was humbled by what he saw from the fans that day. This man, who played 17 seasons, hit 23 grand slam home runs and rivaled the popularity of Babe Ruth was humble and grateful.

In today’s baseball, I have seen many players with great skills, although some of them have been accused of using performance enhancing drugs. What really disturbs me about today’s players is their lack of humility. Arrogance seems to be the order of the day among today’s “super stars”.

Now what does this have to do with what I usually write about; politics?

During my life I’ve seen several Presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton, G.W. Bush and now Barack Hussein Obama. I am now going to make a personal observation that comes with the number of years that I’ve lived: Barack Hussein Obama is the most arrogant person I have ever seen in the office of President of the United States. I have never seen a President with such disdain for Constitutional precepts, and the will of the American people EVER in my entire life! His words always sound like a “royal edict” to a peasant population, rather than an elected official talking to the citizens of a free republic. I don’t believe that I have seen any genuine emotion from Barack Hussein Obama on any occasion during his entire term in office. He seems most comfortable when he is casting ambiguous insults at his opposition in front of a partisan crowd, but does seem uncomfortable when confronted with genuine questions about his decision making. At functions concerning our military, he seems almost bothered about the fact he is in attendance.

Our current President has the demeanor of a “used car salesman” rather than a statesman. Barack Hussein Obama loves the Power of the Presidency, and of this, I have no doubt! What I fear is that Barack Hussein Obama may be capable of anything in order to retain that power; and this, my fellow Americans, is DANGEROUS! I don’t believe there is any humility in Barack Hussein Obama; only cold ambition, arrogance and a total disregard of the United States Constitution. What do you see, America?

(happy birthday to my beautiful wife)

"Pig in a Poke"

Do you comparison shop when making a purchase? Do you listen to endorsements about the products you may buy? Do you think you might use a program like “CARFAX” to find out the previous history of a prospective vehicle purchase?

I just purchased a new lawn mower, a Poulan lawn mower. I got a nice price on that mower, but the best part of the deal was that the mower was a Poulan, a company with a good history of a quality product. I buy Craftsman Tools because they also have a history of quality and dependability. I once got a set of metric sockets for a really cheap price; they came in a nice plastic case, they were very shiny, and looked really nice. I don’t remember the brand; I do remember they were cheap. The first time I used a socket it cracked, and the ratchet stripped its gears. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

In 2008, America bought an untested candidate for the job of President of the United States. It was kind of like buying a “pig in a poke”; nobody knew much about Barack Hussein Obama other than he made a nice speech once, and he had “catchy slogans”.

From 2007 to 2008 America was at the beginning of some pretty tough economic times, and George W. Bush was getting the blame for those times.

Now, I’ll admit G.W. wasn’t a perfect President, but after some “comparison shopping”, it appears he wasn’t the “devil” that the Democrats have made him out to be.

In 2007, George had a Democrat House and Senate who were controlling the purse strings and policies of Washington, regardless of what Barack Hussein Obama says. Until the Democrats took over, G.W. had 52 months of job creation, a record, and the unemployment rate was 4.6%! On the day that Barack Hussein Obama took office, after one year of a democrat controlled Congress, the unemployment rate was 7.6%. Although the Democrats blamed Bush for the lack of employment, it turns out it was their leadership that began the slowdown of jobs in America. Bush was blamed for the bursting housing bubble by FANNIE MAE and FREDDIE MAC, yet from 2001, Mr. Bush asked our houses of government to step in to stop the risky loans 17 times. Barney Frank said the institutions were sound and called Bush “Chicken Little”. Under our current administration, FANNIE and FREDDIE continue to ask for MORE BAIL OUT MONEY, with the blessing of the Democrats in Congress and Barack Hussein Obama.

When George W. Bush left office, fuel was $1.83 per gallon; today fuel is hovering around $4.00 per gallon, with little relief in sight. In January of 2009, the median income in the United States was $50,112; the median income today is $49,777; we are going backwards under Barack Hussein Obama! The number of long-term unemployed in January of 2009, after one year of the Democrat Congress, was 2,600,000 and today it is 6,400,000, up 146.2%; this is all under Barack Hussein Obama.

When we do our “comparison shopping” between George W. Bush and Barack Hussein Obama, we are confronted with a real paradox. It seems like the one who was supposed to save us is actually quite a bit worse than the one he was saving us from. America was suffering from runaway spending and rampant unemployment since 2007, and it had continued until November of 2010, when a Republican House stepped in to put the “brakes on” an out-of-control administration. Please fact check everything I’ve said here and decide if you want four more years of Barack Hussein Obama!

"Long Hours, Hard Work, Low Pay!"

By now, everyone in America has heard the remarks of Hilary Rosen in regards to Ann Romney. It seems that Ms. Rosen, an advisor to the Obama administration, believes that women who choose to stay at home and raise a family shouldn’t be considered as workers. I’m sure there are already millions of Moms who have been offended by these ill-chosen remarks; as well, they should be. Our President, Barack Hussein Obama, has already made an apology for his advisor’s statements, although I don’t believe he made a phone call to Ann Romney the way he did to Sandra Fluke.

I would like to take this time to defend all those Moms who work endless hours in never-ending days doing their best to take care of their families. Ann Romney has had the particulars of her life all over television, talking about raising five sons, fighting cancer and M.S.; to me, this sounds like a pretty full plate, while it doesn’t even address being the First Lady of Massachusetts.

I knew another lady who chose to be a Mom as her career. She married at 21 years old to her high school sweetheart. She attended the Chicago Art Institute and had remarkable talent in all types of mediums. I have some of her work hanging in my house. The lady I’m speaking of is my Mom. She was the glue that held everything together, and made all of our family plans work.

As the eldest child of a large family, I saw my Mom take on tasks that would drive many people crazy, with cool aplomb. As the oldest of six children, I was probably a little more aware of the things Mom did before the rest of our tribe. We had a laundry chute in our kitchen that emptied into our basement where the washer and dryer were. I never remember the space below that laundry chute being empty (unless it was a holiday). The washing machine was on every day, even week-ends. Back then, most of our clothes needed to be ironed, so from the dryer, those clothes went back upstairs to the ironing board, which was also used on a perpetual schedule.

Food preparation was also part of Mom’s “job”. Dad, Nona, Great-Uncle Salvatore, my two brothers and three sisters and I needed to be fed every day: This included packing lunch for my Dad and having a lunch at home for all of the children. Holidays were only real holidays for everybody else, as Mom was on “double duty” with massive house cleaning, followed by preparing an Italian feast for all of us, plus every relative that was expected to show up.

House cleaning included vacuuming, dusting, kitchen and bathroom scrubbing and the making of numerous beds, every day of the week except Sunday.

Mom didn’t draw a paycheck or earn a pension while doing this “job”. She never “clocked in” or “clocked out”. She never asked for a “raise”, except for an occasional “I love you Mom”, or a card on Mother’s Day. Strangely, I never remember her complaining about her lot in life, and I still remember her taking care of me during countless childhood sicknesses and injuries with a warm smile and a sympathetic ear.

If anybody out there thinks being a “stay at home Mom” is some ticket to all day television and sleeping late, they have quite a bit to learn. There are very few people like those wonderful ladies who have really taken on “work” with a capitol “W” and taken it on with the only reward being loved by others. I’m glad I had a Mom who wasn’t afraid to “work” the hardest job a lady can choose.