For a while there I was feeling sorry for myself while I was hacking, sneezing and coughing.  My new doctor explained that once you have asthma, it will never let you go.  So, I guess I am pretty much better off than a lot of people by using my new nebulizer, taking all the medications offered and leading a pure and meaningful life.  I have felt so poorly since I returned from our cruise to the Eastern and Western Mediterranean that I have not been able to organize the e-mails extracted from those I have met and sketched.  I have, however, tried to put into some semblance of order the thoughts that the experience caused and I would have hoped that I had already written a couple of books about our travels across the seas.  Actually, the professionals who write the trip descriptions have done a lot better job than I could have done.  We saw wonderful places that I had learned about a long time a go and discovered that they are modern, much like us and just happen to be plopped down in the ruins of ancient worlds that remind us we have been preceded in this world by civilizations that rose and fell and clutter up the scenery.  What they actually do however, is to provide destinations for us retired folks who find that living aboard ships is not a bad replacement for condos and apartments – at least for part of the year.  And, you learn a lot.

Feeling sorry for myself because asthma is now a permanent part of my life caused me to lose sight of the fact that there are so many far worse off than I.  I hereby will cease to complain and whine about the nuisance having this breath shortening condition interfere with my enjoyment of life.  What I would like to do is NOT join the endless bickering in the two major parties about the candidate lineup and the fact that some few are far ahead of the others.  We started the political process too soon and it is going on too long with no discernable changes.  If the Democrats win it will be either Hillary or Barak.  If the Republicans win it will be a miracle because of the damage none by that Republican Oracle, G.W. Bush, who speaks with and for Jesus and that takes care of that.

Will not someone come up with a solution and rid ourselves of this endless and needless war?  Will not someone come up with solutions to the problems of the tribal parts of Africa that consume themselves with attacks on each other?  Will the appearance of a LEADER be the answer?  Mr. Bush’s vaunted formula of democracy does not seem to be the answer and what works for us should be cleaned up a great deal – it has embarrassing holes in it and its fabric is frayed so that we dare not really push democracy and hold ourselves up as exemplars to the world.