Questioning Effort

“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential. 

--Winston Churchill (1874-1965), statesman, army officer, writer

What if technology were perfect?

We would be perfectly addicted to it. Fortunately, for most of us, nothing is perfect as it can always be improved upon. This is certainly true for people. 

I’d rather not order up my meal from a machine. One of my joys is cooking a meal. I want to read a physical book. I love the smell of the paper and the feel of it as I turn the pages. I don’t want to stop writing with a pen. There is learning in having to think out your thoughts before you put them to paper without a "delete" button or "spell check" to rely on. Using a dictionary or thesaurus, in book form, keeps the mind appreciative of where we've been. 

Technology morphs us into something other than what we are, and I’m not sure it is in a good way.

What is the approximate value of hard work?

Satisfaction. I’ve always valued hard work for the satisfaction it gives me when the job is done.

"Sometimes we need to write crooked or in the center of the page because life isn't always straight pages and even lines." What are your thoughts on this quote?

It goes along with thinking out of the box, or ignoring the box altogether. Life is about learning lessons. The good lessons are the ones that make us think, make us choose and decide, make us fail and re-examine the problem, make us come up with a multitude of solutions so we’ll be ready the next time a problem like it comes our way.

“People who refer to out-of-the-box see the box ... People who don't know the box even exists are the innovative thinkers.”

-- Lisa Goldenberg

What are you fighting for at the end of 2020 and into the future?

The same thing I’ve been fighting since 1972 when I joined military intelligence, the defeat of socialism and the communism it breeds. 

What are you thankful for today?

The same thing I’m thankful for every day! I’m on this side of the dirt! Every day I wake up it is another gift from God of another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel in this life. Anything else would be secondary and “waking up” under the dirt would simply suck. 

How would you describe a great effort?

Someone, or group, who gives the task all they have, especially against insurmountable odds.

“Hope is wishing for a thing to come true. Faith is believing it will come true. Work is making it come true.”

--Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), minister, author 

What do you do? Where are you from?

I am retired. I take care of my mother. I was in military intelligence for almost 23 years, then I worked for an institutional review board for another 17 years. I retired to Mexico for 2 years before being called back to assist my old boss with a country club rebuild. I returned to the state in which I was born, Mississippi, when my father had his first stroke. I have been volunteering as the “lead” chaplain at a local medical center.

Given the relatively small number of jobs, what do most Arts and humanities graduates actually end up doing?

Bartending.

When William James said, "The great use of life is to spend it in something that will outlast it," what exactly does it mean?

Do something with your life that will live beyond you. What will you be remembered for? Starting a string of soup kitchens? Passing a bill that will help those who want to work? End homelessness? Develop a vaccine to cure a disease? When you leave this realm, what do you leave behind that is a lasting testament to why you were here?

“Do you want to be remembered for the money you made or the life you lived?”

-- Richie Norton, author

How long is a "long time" to you?

It depends on what, or who, I’m missing… and why.

Can we comprehend the universe and life without counting and measuring?

Tibetan monks seem to do fine without it. The Dalai Lama seems to have a pretty good grasp on both.

Should we aim for perfection?

Always “aim” for perfection, but understand that you’ll never attain it. Not through any fault of your own, it’s just that perfection doesn't exist. When we think we have it, someone comes along to make it better. But, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least give it our best shot. Before we start this quest, however, it might be better for us to conquer being happy always, first.

“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.”

-- Salvador Dali (1904-1989), artist

What argument has never been settled?

Did Adam Schiff ever have a witness to Russian collusion, or was he always just full of schiff?

Do you think that we humans are free given that we have a work schedule?

First, we need to understand that there is no “free lunch” and that everything has value. The freedom we enjoy is our freedom of choice. We can work or not. We can earn a wage and be a productive member of society, or we can suck from the public teat and be a selfish draw on other people’s freedom of choice to give their effort to make something better for themselves and their family.

How many classes of education are enough for life now?

It depends on what you want to accomplish. I’m not sure the quantity is more important than the quality, however. You can take several classes on mathematics, but if it doesn't pertain to what you want to accomplish, of what use is it?

Life, in general, is a difficult major. You can take many classes and not graduate. This is not a big deal, as we continue on our path after this life and take with us everything we learn. Some of us do very well and others take a bit more effort.

Personally, I find nothing appealing about a famous artist's work that is just paint thrown on a canvas. Take each moment to do your best. Don’t concern yourself with how many or how much or if you’ll finish. Better that you simply do, and do it being happy always.

“Grades really cover up failure to teach. A bad instructor can go through an entire quarter leaving absolutely nothing memorable in the minds of his class, curve out the scores on an irrelevant test, and leave the impression that some have learned and some have not. But if the grades are removed the class is forced to wonder each day what it’s really learning. The questions, What’s being taught? What’s the goal? How do the lectures and assignments accomplish the goal? become ominous. The removal of grades exposes a huge and frightening vacuum.”

-- Robert M. Pirsig (1928-2017), writer, philosopher

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as a chaplain at the regional medical center.