Just Me, Myself, and I

Ok, before I go on a rant, I acknowledge that English is a living language that is constantly evolving.

Now, with that said, I'm constantly irritated by the way Americans, including myself, consistently misuse the words me, myself, and I. "I" is to be used as the subject, while "me" is to be used as the object in a sentence.

So does this sound right to you? - They asked Jane and I to go to the ballgame.

 Using "I' just "sounds" more correct to most people these days, based on the way public speakers, radio and TV personalities, and the general public use it. BUT it should be Jane and ME in this sentence, because you wouldn't say, "They asked I to go to the ballgame." It's the object of the verb in that sentence.

In an effort to avoid making the decision about whether to use me or I people are starting to say myself, instead. So you hear people say, "They asked Jane and myself to go to the ballgame," but you wouldn't say, "They asked myself to go to the ballgame."

Is it any wonder that we're losing the ability to use these little words properly when we hear them used incorrectly constantly?

I don't make the mistake in writing, but I do catch myself using it incorrectly in casual speech. And it's like fingernails on a chalkboard when I realize I've done it.

Where Have All the Manners Gone?

I'm an elderly Southern lady who has some difficulty walking. Sometimes I use a cane, and there are times when I use a walker.

So I fit in the categories of being Female, Elderly, and Handicapped.

When we're out in public I am appalled to find that people have gotten so rude.

It's become the norm that when I arrive at store isle intersections I'M the one who has to stop and let the other person by. If I don't, I get run over.

Although some people will help with holding doors open, most do not. People, including even store employees, speed around me with no regard for the likelihood that they are going to knock me down.

I'm old enough to remember when it was normal that people would respect their elders, show deference to women, and go out of their way to be helpful to anyone with a handicap.

My wonderful hubby ALWAYS shows his good manners and goes out of his way to be respectful and helpful. But then he's from the "Old School" and was taught good manners as a child, as I was.

This is one time when I DO wish for the "Good Old Days', and I make a point of saying Thank You to anyone who still shows good manners!!

Sept. 11th - 10 Years Ago

It's hard to believe it's been ten years now since 9/11. The images and tributes shown on TV still bring up the most terrible hurting for me and I'm sure for most Americans.

There's a lot that has changed in our country during those ten years because of that fateful day, and I can't say that they have been good changes. We're still at war, with a terrible loss of life among our military men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Air travel is much different than it once was. The World Trade Center area is rife with controversy. Our politicians seem determined to ignore the God inspired roots of our country.


So it's a sad time as we honor those who died on that day and lift up the first responders who were so courageous. So many of those first responders died then, and many more who helped in the aftermath have contracted serious illnesses due to their exposure to toxic materials.


In 2007 I joined many others in an online tribute to the individuals who lost their lives that day. I've chosen to write out Norma Khan each year since then in tribute to all those who died that day and in the aftermath.

I intentionally did not name her 13 year old son in the original memorial, because I am particularly cautious about children and the internet. But last year I found this article showing a photo of Imran with his aunt right after 9/11.

He's 23 years old now, and I wanted to see if I could find out how he's doing. I did find this 2001 article:

As reported in The News last week, Norma Khan, manager of member services for the Plumb-ing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association (PHCC), was on board American Airlines Flight 77, which was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon on September 11.


She left behind a 13-year-old son, Imran. At its annual conference, PHCC decided to establish a scholarship fund for Imran Khan.


We have no doubt of our industry’s continuing generosity.


# To contribute to the Imran Khan Fund, send checks to the PHCC Educational Foundation, 180 S. Washington St., Falls Church, VA 22046. Please make checks out to the PHCC Educational Foundation Scholar-ship Fund, with a notation that the donation is for the Imran Khan Fund.

So I'm hoping that means this young man has graduated from college by now. His mom has made the whole 9-11 tragedy very close to home for me, and I wish him the very best life.

Norma Khan was on American Airlines, flight 77, on her way home to Reston, Virginia, on September 11, 2001, when that plane was hijacked and aimed at the Pentagon. She was 45 years old. She had worked as an organizer for fundraiser programs for non-profit organizations, and had been heavily involved in the Reston Multicultural Festival, held each September in Reston. She was a single parent with a 13 year old son, Imran.


Several people have left memorial comments on various 9/11 sites, praising Norma as a warm, loving woman who cared about people. She was a good mother to her son. There is no way that I can properly pay tribute to this lady that I did not know, but the many lives she touched during her lifetime are a living tribute to her that will last forever.

If you'd like to read more tributes written by bloggers to honor the 2,996 people who died tragically on 9/11, you'll find the whole list here. It's a shame, but not all the links are any good any more, including mine, but I did find the link to Norma's page after a bit of Googling. A flower is added at the bottom of the page each time someone visits it, so please take the time to stop by. Maybe someday Imran will see that people have not forgotten her.

Every once in a while someone who knew Norma posts a comment on one of my annual posts about her, as they deal with their personal loss. I keep hoping that some day Imran will contact me. I would love to know that he is having a good life. I know that's what his Mom would want for him.

Political Rhetoric Gone Wild!

I didn't know that I was a Jihadist terrorist!! But evidently this 68 year old granny is trying to overthrow the government of the United States. And what makes me say that? Well, if the Vice President of the United States and an op-ed piece in a major American newspaper says so, it must be true, right?

Anyone who listens to politicians without thinking for themselves is no better off than the animals on George Orwell's Animal Farm who slowly lost their freedoms, because they were not diligent to remember their history, think for themselves, and stop the encroachment on their rights at the first signs of them being infringed upon.

No, we've never gone to a Tea Party rally, but our personal political beliefs align us with this group. And I honestly don't believe that the majority of Americans look "in horror" at the unwillingness of the Tea Party Congressmen to compromise on the national debt reduction issue.

Our Founding Fathers set in motion a government run by the process of Checks and Balances, so that no one part of the government has total control of any issue. Our government works at its best when we have a "loyal opposition" - proud Americans ready to voice, in a lawful manner, their disagreement with those in power.

The day we stop opposing political decisions we don't agree with - that's the day we stop living in the United States of America!

Don't Spend More than You Make!

I am an American, and I'm proud to be one.

We've done the best we could over the years to live within our means. I wish I could say we never incurred any credit card debt, but that would be a lie. We did, however, pay them off, and we have lived without any credit cards for many years now.

We're retired, living on Social Security and a pension. And we live within our means. If we don't have it... WE DON'T SPEND IT!

Am I scared by President Obama's threats that not raising the national debt ceiling is going to cause us to stop receiving our SS checks? Frankly, NO!

His constant attempts to portray the "corporate jet owners" and the Republicans as the bad guys just convinces me that those politicians who view increasing taxes as the way to solve all our economic ills don't understand that stifling business will only cause our economy to falter more than it already has.

Printing more money to "solve" the debt crisis only leads to inflation - the cruelest tax of all.

I don't honestly think the Democrats really intend to cut SS, if they can't intimidate the Republicans into caving on their mandate from the American people to cut government spending. It's an empty threat, as far as I'm concerned.

If President Obama and the Democrats have their way - we lose in the form of higher prices on goods we purchase - so it's the Democrats whose "solution" would reduce our SS income, not the Republicans.

I remember when inflation was rampant and all the problems that caused. As a Senior Citizen, I'm praying that our government will work toward paying off the national credit debt and learn to live on what it makes - just the way we have!

Have Faith in God

I read an article today from a church newsletter we receive (we have no idea how we ended up on their mailing list) that I wanted to share with you about Faith's Object.

A young skeptic said to an elderly lady, “I once believed in God, but since studying science I am convinced that God is an empty word.”

The lady replied, “Well, I have not studied science, but since you have, maybe you can tell me from whence came this egg.”

“Why, of course, from the hen,” was the reply.

“And where did the hen come from?”

“Why, the egg.”

“And perhaps,” she said, “you can tell me which existed first.”

“The hen, of course,” rejoined the young man.

“You mean that a hen existed without having come from an egg?”

“Oh, no,” he said, “I should have said the egg was first.”

“Then you mean that an egg existed without having come from a hen?”

He exclaimed, “You’ve got me all mixed up.”

She drove home her point: “Young man, since you cannot explain the existence of even a hen or an egg without God, you cannot expect me to believe that you can explain the existence of the whole world without Him.”

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

I've been dealing with some serious health issues for some time now, and I'm not being very patient with the lack of a diagnosis at this point. But I do firmly believe in God, and I do have faith that He will use whatever happens in my life to my good, if I only trust in Him. I'm thankful that I have that assurance in my life.

Sacred Harp Singing

We enjoyed going to the Sacred Harp National Convention in Birmingham, Alabama, for our Date Day this last Friday. This was the third year we've gone to it, and it's been a treat each time.

I'm not a good judge of numbers, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were several hundred people singing, plus lots of others like us who were there just to listen. The church was full, and it's a good size church. We do bring our song book that I bought after that first year, but they have loaner copies for anyone who wants to follow along as they sing.

Some people who go to the "sangin's" are interested in it as a Folk Art, but many, as we do, consider it a way to sing praises to God and connect to our church roots. The lyrics show just how different people's attitudes toward God, heaven, and death were back in the 1800's, when most of the songs were written. Most of the tunes are variations of English songs brought over by the original European settlers in the South. Many of the arrangements have a haunting sound to them, because a lot of them are set in a minor key.

Personally, I like the slower more majestic songs the best, but there are plenty of Rounds and fast tempo songs for those who like their music peppy.

The offering plate is always passed around a couple of times during the service, and we come prepared to give generously, as they provide a very good communal meal in the church's gymnasium/fellowship hall. We chatted with one lady from the UK, a couple from Texas, and a gentleman from Huntsville, Alabama during lunch. They were all singers and very active in the Sacred Harp movement.

There's no way to put into words the worship I always experience in listening to such beautiful music sung to God's Glory. And I know we'll be there next year, too, if at all possible.