15. October 2009 by Marie Pinschmidt.

I was going to write about snow geese this morning - you know, something uplifting and beautiful. Then I read the morning paper filled with sex scandals, war, murder and mayhem. The lessons of the snow geese will have to wait.

I believe our airways and printed material are filled with entirely too much sex and violence.  We unfold our papers and magazines and turn on our televisions to be confronted with news stories of crime and needless killing in the Far East, throughout our own country and in our own communities. Young girls are being raped and murdered, children disappear with horrendous consequences, and all the while we shake our heads and wonder what has happened to our culture.

Don’t rush to misunderstand - I have no quarrel with sex per se; it’s been around since the Garden of Eden. A deep, loving, sexual relationship with someone you love, particularly if you are married to each other, is something to be desired. However, if one is bombarded by constant reminders of chocolate fudge sundaes or nut-filled double fudge brownies, some of us are going to succumb to temptation. Same with sex. Promoters can’t sell a washing machine or toilet bowl cleaner without some degree of sexual connotation. It’s either a tongue-in-cheek come-on or a scantily clad movie star-type tempting us by making the items appear irresistible. Car manufacturers flaunt their sleek lines and more speed capacity than will ever be allowed on a super highway. Bathing suits and skimpy clothing are protrayed as the most sexy invention since - well - sex. Personal items do all but demonstrate their use. The advertisements on sport programs present only the more virile, pumped up biceps and rock-hard abs of men with a come-hither look in their bedroom eyes. Stars are no longer referred to as handsome, lovely or, God forbid, good actors, but extremely ‘roll-the-eyes’ sexy.

Is a newly produced movie a box office success because of superb acting or because the star is a scantily clad sexy man with admittedly pumped-up muscles that continues his dance for two hours, leaving the viewer intoxicated by the visual experience?

Does the whole world suffer from a sexually addictive personality? The more one sees or reads about the subject, the more appealing it appears to become. Often the more generally accepted activity  leaves some unsatisfied and constantly searching for something different, often pornography or deviant devices to enhance the experience. More and more often celebrities, including sport figures and those in high office, disappoint us by giving in to moments of weakness, breaking the hearts of those they profess to love. The rest of us are left to wonder where and when they lost their common sense.

My theory, aside from the excessive temptations placed before us by novelists, news and entertainment media, is a lack of old-fashioned love. Do we no longer reach for a deep, fulfilling love but for a great “blow your mind” sexual life?

I’m not a statistician, but I suspect more crimes are committed and more unhappiness caused by the sexual appetite and all its far-reaching tentacles than drugs, alcohol or, perhaps even war.

What’s to be done about this public sexual excessiveness? For starters, we might strive to develop a different, more intelligent mind-set. I would like to see more beautifully protrayed educational television programs. Excite me with the awesomeness of nature, the world of flying creatures. They, too, have a sex life but their primary usefulness is to thrill us with beautiful plumage and happy song.  We have lost much of the excitement of learning something new and of value - improving our minds in order to give back something great.  Remember the excitement of catching your first trophy fish, seeing the ocean for the first time, your first plane ride, or getting all A’s on a report card? We are so over-stocked with information that it takes real effort to find something to excite us. The joy of these good things has been lost in the shuffle of over-stimulation, sexual and otherwise.

A man recently told me he got as much enjoyment out of a perfectly cooked steak as he did sex. I know - your first thought is Viagra. After I stopped laughing, I decided he might have gotten it right. Joy and happiness are possible without smut, and without some outside source reminding us that sex is all there is to a rewarding life. Sex should be a deep, beautiful act between loving partners. It should be private and enjoyed by only the two involved. It is not something to be shared with the universe.

If we want a life of fulfillment, we need to find a wonderful person to share our life, one we can respect, admire, and whose happiness is more important than our own. Under these conditions, sex will follow and so will joy, and we’ll need no outside stimuli to make it happen. It will be a beautiful and rewarding experience - not just a three letter word.  

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12. October 2009 by Marie Pinschmidt.

1758. Noah Webster spent twenty years compiling the American Dictionary - 70,000 words. He did all his  research and writing himself.  Imagine what he could have accomplished with a computer.

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10. October 2009 by Marie Pinschmidt.

Soon, soaring snow geese will once again migrate south, as will our winter residents, the human snowbirds, as they are often referred to by those of us who are permanent residents. They will arrive one by one or ten by ten, accompanied by remnants of the north hanging onto their autos like a bad dream. This time of year, the migrants escape that of which I dream  - the sharp, cutting winds of autumn that bring a blush to the cheeks, tingling to the ears, and often a cold drip from the nose? Do they seek to escape winds that pile leaves against every solid vertical plane, seeking shelter in the spent chrysanthemums and corn stubble of open fields? Are they happy to leave behind birdbaths and patio tables covered by orange and rustic-colored dying leaves, tables that during summer held pitchers of lemonade and slices of watermelon? As they travel south over mountains and through small towns, are they happy to see the red torches of sumac and barren trees that gradually transform into blooming hibiscus and palm trees? Browned grasses turn to verdant green as they drive along, and the grayed skies magically turn to brilliant blue.

On arrival, hurrricane shutters are opened to the mild tropical air. Blue jays squawk a welcome while ibis and herons stroll along waterways as they have all summer. Sweaters and long pants are exchanged for shorts, bathing suits and sunshades. Patio doors are swung wide. Sunscreen is purchased for a day at the beach, a neighborhood pool, or a morning of golf or tennis.

For now, as in every Autumn, I yearn to lift mine eyes unto the hills and watch as the trees change from green to golden yellow, and red leaves become haloed with gold. I’d like to pick hickory nuts and walnuts and spread them out on a picnic table to be dried by the sun and biting autumn winds. I’d like to beathe in the sharp fragrance of chrysanthemums hugging the back porch and lining the driveway. I’d like to go into the woods and gather twining vines of bursting orange bittersweet to fill vases and twist into wreaths for the front door. I’d like to breathe in the odor of smoke from burning leaves as it merges with the fragrance of nutmeg and cinnamon from an iron kettle of bubbling apple butter. I’d like to huddle by a bonfire of leaves and dried branches while roasting marshmallows. I’d like to walk again on sidewalks covered with leaves and hear crackling and crunching sounds beneath my feet. I’d like to lie on cool ground and watch waltzing clouds through sky holes in the trees, and feel leaves curled with age dance and spin onto my face.

But, alas, I’m a full time Floridian. These moments of nostalgia are short-lived. When the splendor of Autumn is over, I’ll once again be thankful for clear skies and bright sunshine as I bask in the warmth and beauty of our tropical paradise.

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