Woody's World

 Literally is a crutch word people use (overuse) to add emphasis by placing the same intensifier in front of some figurative word or phrase which cannot be taken literally. They do this because they want to be taken seriously and as a filler for lack of evidence. Like stating that something is a “fact”. If you have facts all you must do is quote them or cite them. Anytime I hear or read someone saying “literally”, “it is a fact”, or “let me be perfectly clear” I instantly disregard what they are saying because it tells me are just giving you their own opinion and trying to make it sound believable, they are repeating what they heard somewhere else, or they are flat out lying.

  On this day of Thanksgiving, we are supposed to make time to be grateful and give thanks. But how is it possible to be grateful for a year that has been as difficult as 2020? A pandemic that is claimed the lives around the world. Not to mention wildfires, hurricanes, contested elections, civil unrest and horrible moments of inhumanity seemingly everywhere you turn. We did not want these problems. But they did happen. And while they are not all our fault, it is up to us what we do with them, what we turn them into, how we manage to become better for them. On the surface, much of what we are upset about or wish had not occurred is so unpleasant that gratitude seems impossible. But if we can zoom out for that more complete view, understanding and appreciation can emerge. First off, you are alive. That is the silver lining of every bad situation and should not be forgotten because our time here could end at any moment. Second, everything that has happened and is happening is brin

  I know you might think this is the end of the world or that the country will fall apart if Biden wins. Believe me, it will not. I speak from the wisdom of someone who has been around for almost 50 years and 9 presidents (very few good, most mediocre, and some bad). There will be many more that will come and go in the rest of my lifetime. But once you look back at the arc of history things are not that bad. The span of human history includes the rise and fall of civilization, plagues, tyrants, wars, political violence, tragedy and so much more. Living through history is no easy thing. It was not easy millennia, centuries, or even decades ago and it is not easy today. The last thirty years alone have included the bursting of multiple financial bubbles, terrorist attacks, impeachments, wars, genocides, pandemics, and technological disruptions. Given that we live life day to day, all these ups and downs can exhaust us, even break us. They can make us doubt our faith—in institutions