Convention, a Year Later

The convention is here again, but I don't really mind. What a difference a year makes! I will explain.

Last year, and for numerous years, it bothered me when the big convention came to town. Specifically, since I've started to live in the same town. It recalled to me the reality that I was not part of the convention. I did not belong as an active member, and I did not participate.

But the biggest problem was not simply that I wasn't an attendee at the convention -- but that I was more or less not an attendee at anything. I was without a job. I was without a place to call my own where my talents could be used for a productive purpose. I wasn't simply unemployed so that I had no money -- I was unemployed so that I seemed and felt like I had no purpose.

Praise the One Above! This year I was offered and accepted a teaching position on a college-level. I walk into a classroom three times a week. In another month, that will be expanded from three to eight periods. I sit with a group of intelligent and earnest students who desire to learn. I am given the opportunity to think, create, analyze, and define a coherent lesson to teach them.

The feeling of usefulness, the feeling that one is no longer "old hat" but still has value and can still utilize one's talents -- is a lifesaver. A long time ago, a prominent thinker, teacher, and psychologist told me, "you are too young to retire. You have much to give and it's way too early for you to stop giving."

I could not agree with him more, but did not have where to go with that idea. I first accepted a position in a different institution where the desire to teach and the desire to learn was a tug-of-war. Not only was that not a positive experience for me, but it was actually quite counterproductive.

But this year so much has changed. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to join the staff at this college. It is a small, elite, and very special place. And it is a place where I feel my contribution is wanted, appreciated, and needed. And it is the place -- and the type of place -- that I always wanted to be involved with.

So the convention is in town. But that's okay. No hard feelings and no unhappy memories. Life has taken a turn for the better. And I am so appreciative.

What a difference a year makes.

Enjoy your convention folks, I'm doing fine.

The Doctor's Office Wait

Those who have walked in darkness, have seen a great light.

THE WAIT

Patience is a virtue -- one that is much stretched sometimes to its outer limits.

The doctor's visit

I had an occasion to visit an orthopedist the other day -- well actually not the other day -- today. I had an appointment at 1230 afternoon. But I had to wait three hours to see the doctor. Not that his visits her that long -- he stayed with me all of approximately 6 minutes, and this was my first initial visit. I was told by the Secretary that this will take a long time. But of course I didn't, the wait did.

Why you ask? I think it is this doctor's office operated pretty much like Delta Airlines -- they overbooked. They had 1520 people, hobbled in a small waiting room, waiting to be taken and see the doctor. In my opinion of course, it was unnecessary, and inconsiderate to their patients. But it was probably more lucrative to the doctor.

Under other circumstances I might have balked, maybe even just walked out. But I needed to see him to go through some formalities, and I did. He was considerate, cordial, and seemed to be efficient. It was a done deal. He took three hours of my day and I gave it today.

I did it not because I have the patience, nor because I can tolerate that kind of wait -- but simply because it was necessary. A year ago when I had a similar experience in a dentist's office -- while my tooth was in horrible pain and I was being ignored -- that was a completely different story. I was angry and mad at the lack of consideration, the insensitivity of the people there. But I couldn't say the same today. I think today they were just running along the way they usually do, and I was just one more spoke in the wheel.

Tolerance, patience, when needed -- we seem to find the way.

"Having said that ... "

There's a conference taking place in Boston, to address the issue of intermarried couples and conversion.

Well, what BNL!? The truth is it's not what I want to address it all here -- what I want to address here is one more posting about quick ready dragon speak naturally dictation where an entire text can appear on a page in approximately a minute or less.

Now that's not always that easy to accomplish. And the reason that it is difficult is because you really have to have what to say, to be able to create contents that will translate itself into text. So really in a sense, rapidfire dictation necessitates also a period rapidfire thinking be rapidfire contents see rapidfire destination.

Let me explain what I mean when I say rapidfire destination: if you don't have where to go, how the Higgins will you get there??? If you have a specific concept or idea that you wish to communicate, then hopefully it has a beginning a middle and an end. You have a general idea what you want to say, and you bother to go through the process of saying it. Not bad.

But now we come to another aspect of all of this, and that the idea of rapidfire dictation when you truly don't have a specific point you want to make. Nevertheless, you need to have the same number of words appear on a screen, so that your text does at least take up physical space -- well, at least virtual space.

I must also mention that I'm using version 9. I'm very happy with the software. I do see a difference between one version and the other. Having said that, I want to reiterate the following.

I like that expression, "having said that." What a piece of crap! When you say something, either saved or don't say it! But why give the false illusion of saying something, and then proceeding it by saying having said that, and then proceeding to contradict that! People often say things that have absolutely little meaning, just because they're politically correct. Then they make a point of saying -- well, I didn't really mean that at all. What I truly mean to say is... and they continue to say something contrary to their first statement thinking that they can make amends and simply by saying having said that!

The truth is, all of this is just nonsensical verbiage placed here on the screen so that it can occupy a column -- needed for a test blog. A test blog, you ask? What is there to test about the blog? And how long does the test blog has to continue? The truth is, those words too, are just a lot of fooey. They say nothing, they mean nothing, and they accomplish nothing.

How was that, for extended rapidfire dictating verbiage of nonsensical and illogical benefit? Not bad for two in the morning.