“N E V E R F O R G E T” Thats the motto that we attached to 911. Well plain and simple… WE’VE FAILED! We’ve not only forgotten but we’ve let down all of those souls lost as a result of 911 over the past 20 years. Oh we still remember the date and we remember that we were attacked and that people died, (although most Americans would be hard pressed to tell you the number who died that day much less the number who have died over the last 20 years as a result.) but we’ve forgotten the most redeeming thing about that fateful day. We’ve forgotten how America came together as one. On that day and a few days after, we were truly The UNITED States of America. We’ve not only forgotten that, but we’ve lost it. The America of today is one that was unimaginable on 911 and it’s our fault.    We’ve gone from one America, The United States of America, to an American that is deeply divided. An America that just had an attempted coup on January 6th. An America where our highest elected officials, still to this day promulgate false and dangerous conspiracy theories. An America that can’t even come together long enough to put on a mask to protect ourselves and our neighbors from a worldwide pandemic. An America where difference in color, creed, sexual preference seems like an uncrossable and dangerous chasm. An America where science and facts don’t  matter…if your political party tells you they don’t. An America where if you don’t agree with something then it’s fake. An America that seems to have concluded that our arms were made to reach out and accuse others instead of sometimes protecting us and other times wrapping them around those who desperately need our help and compassion. An America that is unrecognizable when viewed from just a few years ago.  No, we’ve definitely forgotten what made us so strong, so noble, so great. The sad truth is that if we don’t remember it soon, it will be lost forever, not even to be read about in history books because they’ll be changed by the eventual winners.  We owe it to ourselves, our families and certainly to those souls lost as a result of the last 20 years to reestablish the America we deserve, the one those America those souls I spoke of saw 20 years ago.   Peace       …..Gregg

The fact of the matter is that other people know us only by what we show them.  So, that means that it’s completely up to us whether we want others to know a fake image we display for their approval  or will they know us for who we really are?  There comes a time when we must self-evaluate! Who are we really? Where are we right now on our own journey. That’s the only way we can ever have any true friends or be a true friend or lover.   There comes a time when we have to come to terms with who we really are, not just who we wish we were. Then, along comes  another hard question and answer, are we willing to allow others to see that person we’ve just discovered?  Peace       …..Gregg

From time to time we all have disagreements. You’re probably going to hear that word in various forms(disagreement, disagree, disagreeing, etc…)a lot in this blog. I both heard it and used it last night during a very serious discussion I was having with my son about one of today’s most serious subjects. “I think we’re on different sides of this one” my son Mason said. As our discussion went on, it became very clear that he was right.  As we talked though, we also made sure we did some very important things within our discussion.  We made sure to LISTEN to what the other person was saying.  When we didn’t understand a point or concept we’d ASK QUESTIONS until we did.  We tried to USE ANALOGIES that each other could relate to in order to get our point across.  Even though we clearly disagreed, we NEVER YELLED OR CALLED EACH OTHER NAMES during our discussion. I’ve used the term disagree a few times and that’s exactly what it was. A disagreement. At various times, both of USED “I DISAGREE” INSTEAD OF SAYING “YOU’RE WRONG.” Both of us MADE AN HONEST EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE OTHER’S POINT. I don’t want to put words in my son’s mouth, but I think by the time we finished the discussion, both of us were a little “closer to the middle” than when we started although we still held onto our positions.  We RESPECTED EACH OTHER AND EACH OTHER’S OPINIONS. When you’re disagreeing with each other it’s so easy to view each other as an adversary as opposed to another person who just disagrees with you.  We both REALIZED THAT JUST BECAUSE WE DISAGREED, THAT DIDN’T MEAN THE OTHER WAS BAD OR STUPID OR SOMEHOW A WORSE PERSON. A disagreement is just that, a disagreement.  Finally, we MADE AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THAT EACH OF OUR POSITIONS WAS HIGHLY INFLUENCED BY ALL OF OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES. We can’t know all of theirs and they can’t know all of ours. We can make an effort to describe ours and listen to theirs so we are at least aware of them.  At the end of our discussion I felt better. I felt better both about my feelings and positions and about my son’s. Both of us used an open mind and a willingness to realize each other’s point of view.  IT WAS A THOUGHTFUL, HONEST AND MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION THAT ENDED A DISAGREEMENT AND BEGAN AN UNDERSTANDING. Peace      …..Gregg