Common Sense Is Uncommon

With respect, admiration and acknowledgment to Thomas Paine's publication Common Sense.  (A bestseller of 1776, this popular pamphlet set the foundation for the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution and the Constitution of the United States of America.)

by

"Grandpa", GE,CWM,TPC,STD

FORWARD (Who is Grandpa?)

I’ve always been impressed by those with a list of letters behind their names. I don’t have any such credentials, but feel that having survived many of life’s experiences, and having to deal with an ever growing number of people who lack reasonable common sense, qualifies me for some recognition. It also seems no one wants to give any credence to the writings or thoughts of anyone who is not rich, a corporate executive, politician, or lacks a PhD or MD behind their name. As if that recognition automatically made them intelligent, honest, and of high morals. So I’ve added some letters behind my name in recognition of my life experiences and my present position in the world. GE, CWM, TPC, STD ( Grandfather Extraordinaire, Common Working Man, Tax Paying Citizen and Survivor To Date) I’m sure many of you qualify for equal recognition and are hereby granted the authority to add some appropriate initials behind your names as well.

I’ve always heard it said that everyone has at least one book in them. Somehow I figure I may have room for a dozen or more.  A few I’d be afraid to tell or write, and maybe only one that folks might take time to read. One of the difficult things seems to be choosing a catchy title. Many have come to mind that would cover the contents of the pages that follow, but would they be good as book titles? “The Care and Feeding of Salesmen Written for Dummy Managers”, “If You Want to Get Screwed, Go to Court; If You Want Justice, Go To a Bordello”, “Managing Salesmen …for Managers Who Were Never Able To Sell Anything Themselves”, “The Value of Whining”, “We’re ALL Mad as Hell”, “’Politics and Self-Service Waste’ are Synonymous”, “The World Needs More Fault-Finders” and finally “Common Sense is Uncommon”, which so far seems to be a driving force behind my effort. If you are reading this, then before you’re through, you yourself may have a few titles that come to mind that would be even better.  All of the situations and events discussed in this book are based on actual first-hand experiences and observations. The workplace, sex, marriage, relationships, friendships, they’re all in here. I’m not a lawyer, doctor, politician, corporate executive, or TV personality (although I have a work-history in radio, TV and newspaper). I’m not any kind of media star or hero. (Except to my grand-kids) I’m just a common working family-man with my “65 Plus Years Survivor Degree” who is still learning and making additions to my “common sense library”. Although our family does have other cars, I still own and drive a 1982 Chevrolet I acquired new. I still have the first Cadillac I was ever able to purchase (used) in 1978.   I’ve got a working RCA TV in my office that was built in 1968, I have the first Colt handgun I bought in 1964, I have a Kennedy tool kit with tools and a Weller soldering iron my boss gave me in 1960! I have my first Accutron watch from the 60’s and it still works! However, I don’t have my first wife. I’m not sure what conclusions one may draw from the aforementioned, other than if something works good, I’m not quick to try and change it or cast it aside. When I find something good, I keep it! (My first wife didn’t want to keep me … but that’s for another story.) I drive fast to the point that when I’m caught, some State Troopers get out of their cars with an “attitude”.

In spite of the fact I hang on to what is good and works, I can usually find some fault or room for improvement in most anything man made. I think God did a great job on everything He made and I think that was especially so when he made woman. Men are full of flaws but probably the biggest would be the overdose of male testosterone experienced by some of us during puberty and carried for 40 years, or more, which seriously hampers male brain function. I discuss this in more detail elswhere in my writings. I like cookies and milk at bed time. I love my wife, kids and grand-kids and I’m basically happy without being rich! Sure, I’d like to be rich, and although it may not bring happiness, it does take away a lot of problems and open a lot of doors that can certainly make finding happiness a bit easier. I say all this so you’ll know a little bit about me and who’s behind the thoughts and observations expressed herein.

Rush Limbah is considered to be opinionated on many things. Rush is certainly one of my idols because like Rush, I've got opinions, usually conservative, on EVERYTHING and will share them with ANYONE that will listen….or in this case read. I hope that somewhere herein, I’m gong to express a few opinions and thoughts that will make you say, “Yeah, been there, done that”. Even better, some of you may actually feel motivated enough to try to influence change to a few things on which we may mutually agree. I can also guarantee that many upper management, supervisory, and workers feeding from the government trough, will derive conclusions from these pages that are 180 degrees from the common (average) working class person. As I said, this is not written by a media star like Rush Limbaugh, Charles O’Riley, Andy Rooney or Oprah Winfrey; a corporate executive like Lee Ioccoa or Donald Trump; a politician like the Bill Clinton, a lawyer (now politician) like Hillary Clinton, or doctor like Spock. It is written by a common working person, for the common working class of people. I had hoped someday to fully retire but have just now realized that Social Security isn’t going to be what I thought it would be when I first started paying into in 1959. So, I guess I’m going to have to work in some way until I die or the kids make me quit and live with them.

My first intentions are for my writings to be read, and hopefully inspirational, to my kids, grand kids, and their grand kids. If these writings ever get into print by some forward thinking conservative publisher and that’s how you came to be reading this, then I thank you for your purchase and I hope you find what follows to be useful and enlightening. I initially began writing this in anger about the way things are … that motivation changed later to frustration in the fact that there seems to be no change or improvement in site. Later, as I went back through, I realized that the anger sounded like whining, which today is “politically incorrect”. Those who fight change have coined and negatively promoted the term “whining” as a way of discouraging those of us who would point out short-comings or opportunities for improvement in any situation. It also serves to shield the incompetence of those who like to use the term by diverting attention from the subject or questioning party.

I finally continued this writing out of a great degree of sadness at what I perceive as the deterioration of values and morality in this country that appears to be growing in acceptance, if not being encouraged, in government and industry .… basically, a deterioration in the very values that made this nation the envy of the world. I now cry out to my kids and the generations after them, to stop looking only at themselves as individuals, but to begin looking at their place and responsibility in a nation of people. I call on them and all Americans to get more involved and begin considering and protecting the rights of the many, rather than concentrating on the objections of a few. We are a nation of MANY, and the MANY should be the prime consideration.

I dedicate this series of essays to my present wife, lover, best friend, and avid supporter through the many trials and experiences that have lead to this writing; to all my posterity, who hopefully will enjoy, learn, benefit, and make changes in the world for the better; and finally to my grand-mothers’, long departed, who’s influence in my life made lasting impressions engraved as a part of my being, that I will carry to the end. I also dedicate this to all the common working class of people, because it is the common people who make up the majority of this country and are not being treated fairly by the uncommon elected officials, corporate executives, and special interest groups of today.

Finally, I apologize to my grand-children and great-grand-children on behalf of my generation, for letting this country get into the state it is today. My generation’s parents fought a world war, and again in Korea, many giving their lives, to make this nation more secure and the world a safer place. My generation then fought a war in Southeast Asia that lasted far too long with no resolution because the politicians involved outnumbered the military leaders. Then we sent young people into Iraq to fight the Gulf War, which when ended, the politicians allowed the dictator who started it, go back home and carry on as if nothing had happened which is why we’re back there for a second time! We just can’t seem to learn! I hope you children will be able to look at what we have done, and figure a better way. If you don’t, that sound you hear in the distance might very well be the thundering hooves of the horsemen of the apocalypse.