*Having My Say, Life On the Margins5 Comments

I Need More Balance…

RJ Walters

I need more balance in my life and especially in my blogging. Part of my base character that is associated with my Asperger’s traits is I tend to become obsessively focused on something and everything else just falls by the wayside.  The day-to-day insanity coming from the Oval Office along with the now weekly mass killings is putting me over the edge.  I have to force myself to greatly diminish my attention to these subjects. To do that I am now going to try to broaden the scope of coverage here at RJsCorner. As you can see from the header … Continue reading I Need More Balance…

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Myths Americans Need to Unlearn…

RJ Walters

Umair Haque over at Medium.com certainly gives me much to think about lately. His recent blog post about the myths Americans need to unlearn will be the centerpiece in coming posts here are RJsCorner. I want to start out this series with the end of his post. Source:  Eight Myths Americans Need to Unlearn About America I certainly get my share of those screamers who call me names and tell me if I don’t love this country then I should GET OUT!!! Some think I am a bleeding heart liberal and others, believe it or not, think I am a Trumpster? … Continue reading Myths Americans Need to Unlearn…

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Our Last Best Hope??

RJ Walters

There just seems to be one bad thing after another happening in America today. It is hard to stay optimistic about our future. Our current Oval Office occupant is inciting hatred and ignorance among his “followers” so now they are trying to kill the people he does not like.  Some seem to have gulped down the cool-aid he is serving by the gallon! It just seems to get worse and worse as each day passes.   I am a very strong advocate of Thomas Jefferson’s quote “Hope is sweeter than despair” so I look for hope especially during these trying times. … Continue reading Our Last Best Hope??

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Allegiances

RJ Walters

Let me start out by saying that I take my promises seriously.  When I promise to do something I will do everything in my power to make it happen. The definition of the word “Allegiance” for me is a promise of loyalty.  It means I will be loyal to something, someone or some ideal no matter the circumstances.  I am kinda like my Quaker friends in that I am uncomfortable swearing oaths or complete loyalties. In that regard, it is hard to pledge allegiance to my country when I see it heading down a destructive path that is contrary to … Continue reading Allegiances

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Oblivious To The Chatter…

RJ Walters

I am putting on my soothsayer hat for this post so be forewarned. :) I did my weekly walk at the mall, as usual, this week and again saw so many people thoroughly attached to their cell phones. Many just can’t seem to even put them in their pockets anymore, they have to constantly hold them.  I don’t know what the current generation of cell phone users is called, I can’t seem to keep up with that, but I do know they were introduced to that device at a very young age. They have known about instant communications their whole … Continue reading Oblivious To The Chatter…

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Instead of Makeup…

RJ Walters

Makeup is a multi-billion dollar industry in this country.  Millions of vain women spend hours each day painting their faces with it. Why they do it I’m not sure. Some say it is to attract men. Some say they do it for other women. Some say they do it because of the insecurity of just presenting their natural beauty to the world. In my world, women wearing makeup is second only to the mystery of why women wear high heels/stilts. I just can’t understand how any woman with at least an ounce of self-esteem thinks they need to be taller … Continue reading Instead of Makeup…

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What We Have Been Told To Do…

RJ Walters

I am doing something a little different today; I am leading off with the words that inspired this post.  I can’t say it better so why not just show it to you up front. In the mid-1980s when the capitalist decided to change the rules of the game hardly any of us noticed it.  Up until that point, American capitalism was generally deemed a three-legged-stool. It was driven by the customer buying the product or service, those holding stock in the company, and finally the people creating the product or service. As long as the three legs were pretty much … Continue reading What We Have Been Told To Do…

Life On the Margins3 Comments

Looking At The World…

RJ Walters

I know there are very basic differences in how people look at the world.  I personally get much of my worldview from the words of Jesus and that certainly includes his very obvious stands on empathy and wealth. One of the things I love about Jesus is that he led by example.  How many changes of clothes did Jesus have?  How many castles? How many servants? I don’t think there is anyone who can’t answer these questions. He led a life of poverty. He led by example. Did he hate the rich? Well, no not really but he did have … Continue reading Looking At The World…

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Time Just Flies By

RJ Walters

I don’t know how many times I have heard the expression in the title of this post. I don’t know how many times I have said it myself. I have always wondered why time seems to fly by now but in my youth a year seemed like an eternity.  It wasn’t until I got a glimpse of the short article below from the AARP Magazine that I came to maybe understand this time warp a little better. It’s interesting if I at least partially accept what the article says that the reason is stale experiences.  That is, as we get … Continue reading Time Just Flies By

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Humanism And Jesus…

RJ Walters

My conservative Evangelical friends would like me to believe that you can’t be a humanist and also be a follower of Jesus.  From what I have discovered in the last few months, that is categorically false. The two beliefs align very well with one another. Yes, there are differences in beliefs for different versions of humanism, but since there are over 39,000 versions of Christianity that kind of seems a lame argument to me. I’m sure some humanists are more aesthetic in nature just as there are Christians who basically ignore the teaching of Jesus. Jesus was about caring for … Continue reading Humanism And Jesus…

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Proud Beta Male, MeToo…

RJ Walters

I have to give you a quote from one of my most recent regular reads in the blogsphere. It is from John Pavlovitz.  He is a North Carolina pastor who speaks to my heart.  Here is the snippet for discussion in Today’s post. It is about a Trumpster who tried to insult him by calling him a beta-male (as opposed to an alpha-male I suppose): Source: Confessions of a Proud Beta Male Evidentally #CO3 has been using this term in his rallies/self-adoration sessions. He intends it to be an insult/putdown but it seems that many are now proudly taking up that … Continue reading Proud Beta Male, MeToo…

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While I Cherish Change…

RJ Walters

If you have been around RJsCorner I’m sure you know by now that I cherish change. Change allows us to do things better than before. It allows us a second or maybe third chance to get it right. But not all change is good, even for me. :) At least to some degree, I believe in the old adage “If it ain’t broken, why change it”. This post is targeted at bathroom products.  I know that sounds strange but it is a story I must tell.  I have come to cherish my morning shower, especially in my retirement years.  It … Continue reading While I Cherish Change…

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Proudly Ignorant

RJ Walters

I have been thinking a lot lately about the mindset of those who think #CO3 is their savior/hero.  Two words that seem to stick in my mind are “proudly ignorant”. A good portion of these folks just hates the fact that others think they are more intelligent than them.  Even though they know that they are ignorant of many different levels they despise being told that fact.  “How dare those liberals who think they are better than I am!!” To get down to the crux of it they just seem to be proudly ignorant. I admit that I am ignorant … Continue reading Proudly Ignorant

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I Gotta Say This…

RJ Walters

I know I have sworn off things political here at RJsCorner but I have to chime in on the latest ugliness.  I watched part of the Judiciary hearing yesterday and Professor Ford’s testimony seemed very heartfelt and true to me. It seems that most of the political pundits with the exception of Fox News thinks the same as I do. For the life of me, I can’t understand why the Republicans won’t at the very least tell the FBI to investigate her charges further.  If they go ahead with this vote it will prove to everyone just how partisan our … Continue reading I Gotta Say This…

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All About Vanity…

RJ Walters

This post is going to be about vanity and how we all think we are more important to others than we are. Thanks to my online friend Barbara Torris for the idea. Here is her quote that brought on this post. I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt that said, “Don’t worry about what others think of you because they don’t.” It is good to remember that…the world is not looking at us most of the time. Source: http://www.retireinstyleblog.com/2018/09/aging-when-is-rose-rose.html Sometime in my self-illusions, I see RJsCorner solving the world’s problems. Well, not quite that extreme, but I do think I have some … Continue reading All About Vanity…

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The Most Toxic Society…

RJ Walters

Some people, particularly those in Western Europe and the Scandinavian countries say the US has become the most toxic society. Where else do people die for a lack of basic medicine? What other country has a mass shooting per day? If we’re painfully honest, America excels at hate now — whether blank indifference or impassioned cruelty. Everybody seems to hate everybody else, perpetually — not at an individual level, maybe, but certainly at a group level. It’s a set of little tribes — blacks, whites, Asians, liberals, conservatives, rich, poor, young, old — who seem to genuinely despise one another. via Why Americans Love to Hate Each Other … Continue reading The Most Toxic Society…

Life On the Margins6 Comments

About Empathy

RJ Walters

I am convinced that, as a general rule, my Republican friends pretty much lack empathy to any degree. I know this could be “painting with a broad brush” type thing but hear me out. I find example after example of this fact in my daily life. Let me give you a few examples. I have a Republican friend who goes on and on about how all those people on welfare are freeloaders.  To him, they are just too lazy to go out and get a job.  I try to tell him that on the average most people are on welfare … Continue reading About Empathy

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What If Someone Better Comes Along?

RJ Walters

The title above is a very interesting one for me.  Due to my self-diagnosed Aspie traits, my social skills have never been anything approaching normal. I just don’t think in the venue as most everyone else does it seems.  Clicking with almost any female was a non-starter for me. I tried it on several attempts but I usually never got very far. So, it totally surprised me when my now wife of 32 years showed an interest in me. I never dreamed I would have a serious relationship let alone get married. I imagine that those more socially prone have asked … Continue reading What If Someone Better Comes Along?

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Haters Are…

RJ Walters

There just seem to be a lot more haters in the world today. They are bitter about one thing or another they envy so many others and covet what they have they voted to put an incompetent, ignorant, bullying narcissist in the Oval Office. I will come out and say it, I think that many of those who voted for this guy are just lazy losers.  They don’t want to take the time to understand the issues that are confronting us as a nation or even on a personal level.  I think they know that he is incompetent and only … Continue reading Haters Are…

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You Always Have A Choice..

RJ Walters

All of us have pity parties at times in our lives. We bemoan that we didn’t get the breaks in life that so many others did.  The strike back reaction for many now days is to publically insult those we stealthily envy. It goes like this “I can’t have it so they shouldn’t either!” I learned the lesson in the above quote later in life than I realized. Whenever life gives you an opportunity you need to realize that you always have a choice.  Many times circumstances that you once dreaded proved to be a jump-start for a new opportunity.  … Continue reading You Always Have A Choice..

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Can We Americans Process Reality?

RJ Walters

I often wonder how the rest of the world see those of us who are born in the US? Thanks to my new friend over at Eudaimonia and Co I am beginning to get a clearer view of that. I know the rest of the world pretty much thinks all of us are obsessed with our guns to the point of being willing to sacrifice our kids in order to keep them. I have known for a long time that most Europeans are fascinated by the junk and inferior products we Americans are willing to accept. I know that during … Continue reading Can We Americans Process Reality?