Pappa Hardy's Musings on Life.

Like other things in life, the recent summer trip for me to Las Vegas brought varied reactions on some old things that I was seeing from a new perspective. What is it that hit my button you might ask? Well, while driving around trying in vain to find a Wal-Mart to buy some water for the heat, I saw political campaign signs of the various people running for various offices in the city of Las Vegas or Cooke County.

I look at signs, and instead of seeing the ad for who is running, I see how big it is, how it is constructed, how much it likely costs, and what colors are they using. I look and see if I think it will withstand a windstorm, a tornado, and how will it weather the elements of rain and wind. I determine is it well designed, effectively getting across the message the candidate wants to give to his target voters. Sometimes these life experiences that we all have forever change the way we look at things. Campaign signs were a simple and obnoxious experience for me before I ran for political office, and now they are an experience that will be forever changed for me.

Today marks the end of the line. The Traveling Wilburys wrote a song called “End of the Line”.

(Chorus 1)
Well it’s all right, riding around in the breeze
Well it’s all right, if you live the life you please
Well it’s all right, doing the best you can
Well it’s all right, as long as you lend a hand

You can sit around and wait for the phone to ring
Waiting for someone to tell you everything
Sit around and wonder what tomorrow will bring
Maybe a diamond ring

(Chorus 2)
Well it’s all right, even if they say you’re wrong
Well it’s all right, sometimes you gotta be strong
Well it’s all right, As long as you got somewhere to lay
Well it’s all right, everyday is Judgement Day

Maybe somewhere down the road aways
You’ll think of me, and wonder where I am these days
Maybe somewhere down the road when somebody plays
Purple haze

(Chorus 3)
Well it’s all right, even when push comes to shove
Well it’s all right, if you got someone to love
Well it’s all right, everything’ll work out fine
Well it’s all right, we’re going to the end of the line

Don’t have to be ashamed of the car I drive
I’m just glad to be here, happy to be alive
It don’t matter if you’re by my side
I’m satisfied

(Chorus 4)
Well it’s all right, even if you’re old and grey
Well it’s all right, you still got something to say
Well it’s all right, remember to live and let live
Well it’s all right, the best you can do is forgive

(Chorus 5)
Well it’s all right, riding around in the breeze
Well it’s all right, if you live the life you please
Well it’s all right, even if the sun don’t shine
Well it’s all right, we’re going to the end of the line

I wish that I were that positive about what I see at the end of the line. Today marks the end of the Presidential Campaign process, which in this country started well over two years ago. I am sick of the process, of the incessant finger pointing that goes on in this country between the Republicans and the Democrats. If I had my way, we would through all of the office holders out and elect new ones. Unfortunately, that won’t happen.

We have got way too partisan. I fear that Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States. In my mind, he is way too liberal. However, we have got to make sure that our elected representatives get the work of the people done, and that hasn’t been happening for at least the last 30 years, if not longer. Whomever is elected, must get the work of the people done, doing it in the best interests of all the people, or we need to through them out and find someone who will do the work of the people. We can’t bicker any more.

I fear what is going to happen in a socialist America, because that is where I believe we are heading. However, if the voice of the people is to make this a socialist paradise, then let’s do what is reasonable and get the work done. No more pointing fingers. No more disenfranchising or favoring whole sections of the population. Lets do the work of the people, or this great nation will truly be at “The End of the Line”.

One of the talks given at the recent Semi-Annual General Conference of my church discussed the idea that “We Don’t Know Everything But We Know Enough”. The idea is, we can push forward even if we don’t have all of the answers. I find that idea mildly comforting when considering our current economic situation. We need to move forward and solve problems, rather than quivering in a mode of indecision because we don’t have all of the answers. Our current problems demand action, some kind of action in order for us to at least start to move forward in solving our problems. Not only can we move forward with regard to our faith in the Lord and his plan, but we also can move forward in solving the problems of our country.

From the evening news tonight you would have thought that the entire financial structure of the United States had just quit functioning. I have to admit, it was an interesting and also stressful day at the bank. It is not every day that the DJI loses 500 points. The DJI Average lost that much in October of 1987 when the market was a lot smaller. We recovered.

Things are changing fast, that is for sure. Lehman Brothers disappears over a weekend, with Merrill Lynch being purchased by Bank of America. What some people, the ignorant, and most of the populace of this country don’t understand is that the investment banks are not the same as the commercial banks that they equate banking with. The commercial banks and the majority of the banks in this country are much safer than the country realizes. It is going to be a wild ride for the next little while as the markets sort out all of the problems that have come because of the greed of a few who put together mortgages that were not good, and then the populace of this country who wanted a home without paying the dues required and who wanted to profit by using constantly rising home prices as a way to build their equity.

Yes, it will take a while. Those of us who have 401k’s and the such will need to hold out for a while, but I believe that this country will recover. In the meantime, we have a Presidential Election in process and the candidates will beat this to death. We also have basic problems that need to be resolved, the IRAQ war, Social Security, Medicare, and budget deficits. Whoever is elected President has a real challenge on their hands. We will recover from this supposed financial meltdown.

I have been noticing something that really is bothering me right now. This specifically I notice in family, but society has the same general problem. We just aren’t being tolerant of each other. We are too worried about whether we are right, rather than having compassion to each other. My recent foray into politics lead me into the same trap. I sometimes worry that I am getting to settled into one position or another and then believing that I am right and the other wrong, and never shall I compromise.

You see it in Washington. Our national government has come to a gridlock, with each side posturing and trying to convince the public they are right, all for the purpose of political expediency and not in behalf of the people. Both the President and Congress most recently have received all times lows in their approval ratings by the populace. The national media doesn’t help the matter either and we all take sides, shouting at each other, sure that we aren’t right, but not willing to compromise and get the people’s business done. This year, it will be probably the 5th or 6th year in a row that most of the national government funding will continue to be run on a continuing resolution rather than through the appropriate appropriation process. This has got to change.

Whether it is in a family where we might be intolerant of or make fun of another’s views, in a city where we stake out positions for ourselves and don’t back off, or whether we don’t get the people’s business done because we are ideologues more determined to be right and yell and scream, rather than work in behalf of the people we elect. I am just getting sick of this, and we are setting ourselves up as a family to fracture, or as a nation to elect someone (a devious man or a man like the German’s elected in the 1930’s to solve their problems, and see where that lead them) who will promise to solve our frustrations, just if we give him the power. Things have got to change, and we the people have got to demand the change, or as the Book of Mormon says, if the greater number of the people shall not choose the good, we will ripe for the fall of the government that we have cherished for all of these 230 years.

As I have grown older, I have seen more and more diversity in the land of America. It used to be that we were much more of a homogeneous nation, with a couple of large minorities and then mostly white people.

Now, we have all kinds of groups that have come to America, seeking a better life. We have illegal aliens (primarily Hispanics), blacks, Asians, and just a whole lot of other people. We have a man of color who is his party’s candidate for President (Barack Obama). This nation has truly become a melting pot of many cultures and peoples. What we need to do, in order to stay a nation of one, is for each of these groups to become true Americans, speaking a common language, and having somewhat of a common heritage, without giving up what makes them unique.

Well, the price of gasoline, fuel if you want to call it that, has increased substantially in this good ole United States. The price of commodities has gone such that a basic change is occurring in the economy of this country and I think we are going to see major changes coming in this country. I feel more than ever we now need to be prepared for major changes and dislocations in our economy. As a nation, we have really had it easy up till now. Now, all of the changes, all of the leveling of economic circumstances of people and nations is starting to become evident. I think we are going to have to get used to living with less and it costing more. Life is going to be a challenge for the next generation, and the one after that, and after that. What kind of a world have we left our grandchildren?

We are living in perilous times. As a nation, and as a world, we are going through what are really some basic changes, that perhaps have been far overdue in happening. This last year we have seen the Subprime mess, which has caused basic changes in the economy.

Additionally, with fuel prices jumping up high due to competition from over seas for what little reserves there are, we have seen major dislocations in the economy. We have seen food go through the roof, due to crop failures and the use of corn as a biofuel. Many years ago, we saw a society where people lived in close due to the high cost of many of these staple items. If we survive these upheavals, we shall see changes like this again. I am not sure what we should be doing to survive these basic changes and upheavals.

Well, tonight I sat next to the Lieutenant Governor, Gary Herbert, of the State of Utah. The event was the Annual Recognition Banquet of the Payson Chamber of Commerce. Since I am the “President” of the Chamber, I had the opportunity to introduce him, sit next to him, and talk with him during dinner.

He was a very nice person, and we had an enjoyable discussion. Of course, he is also a politician and that was memorable too. I am sure that we heard a lot of things that were for our benefit but even knowing that we enjoyed talking with such a high ranking official in the State of Utah administration. Having run for office, I did feel some affinity with what he is going through right now as he is running for re-election with the Governor. It was a nice evening.

What a day is has been. The best, on Tuesday November 6 at 5:53pm, we were presented from God with a new baby grand daughter, Miranda Elizabeth Hardy, 6 pounds, 12 ounces, 19.25 inches long. What a wonderful gift. It was a tough day for Christie, but she did good work.

On a second front, while I wasn’t in the final election, the slate of candidates I supported, Jo Lynn Ford, Brad Daley, and Kim Hancock, were victorious in the Payson City Council election. I wish I had been there, but this is the next best thing. The results as reported were:

PAYSON CITY COUNCIL 8 of 8 precincts reporting: 100%
Brad D. Daley
19%
1,704
Brent Burdick
15%
1,312
H. Kim Hancock
18%
1,630
Jo Lynn Ford
21%
1,832
Larry Skinner
14%
1,270
Steve Hanson
13%
1,179

It was a great day.