Think Ahead. Don't be a Rum-Dum.

Saturday was the annual Northern Duck Hunting Season Opener in Wisconsin. Every SUV, duck boat towing vehicle on the road was heading to my secret spot in the flooded rice of my mind. In hours of driving I exchanged friendly, resent filled smiles to the dozens of guys who jockeyed the highway with me Friday afternoon. Special disdain is reserved with a nod to the fellas from Illinois with their CUBBY 1 and CUBS WYN license plates. Of course the 30 +/- counties of Northern Wisconsin have a bizzillion acres of public land open to waterfowl hunting so the chances of anyone going to the same lake as me, much less the same 3000 square feet of marsh, is a statistical improbability but an attitude of scarcity drives a guy to get up at 3:30 AM on a perfectly good fall morning.

Come December I'll hunt 5 minutes from my house with a half a dozen decoys, and a handful of shells, but opening day is for the boat motors and gadgets. The truck and boat are loaded. Doc is too fat and happy in his kennel in the back. O.A.R. from Aaron and assorted CD's from Patrick keep me company in the truck. Wisconsin Public Radio is on almost every two digits of the radio dial from 80 something to 94 "up north". I caught an interview with a Rabbi which drew my attention from "It's a Wonderful Day" and the guy with the Go Devil rig racing me to sunrise. The Rabbi was talking about the economy.

I liked the Rabbi. He simplified the solution to the economic crises and he wasn't likely a duck hunter. This is what I heard: Until we each look at our parts, we are not going to resolve the mess. We can continue to point fingers and discover blame, that's easy, but the road out is not found by hints of allegations and labeling incidents of accusations. The road out is for each citizen to look at themselves and ask the question, "What's my part in it? What did I do to add something to the problem." Sure Wall Street, corporate greed, government sell out, and the seven deadly sins played are the usual suspects, but the Rabbi asked me to look at me and ask, "what about me"?

OK, I heard him. The Rabbi had me thinking over my actions of the past 20 years. How many credit cards are reasonable? One for every additional 20% off of the items we bought at the mall? Just because someone said my house appreciated 100% in 15 years doesn't mean it did and even if it did, how much of that appreciation should be spent rewarding myself or reorganizing my debt every few years. I may have earned a reward, I didn't appreciate it or I wouldn't have squandered some of it. The more I owe the more I have to earn until the process consumes itself. Many of us are guilty of running our own little AIG. No bail-out will put a dent in recovery the way self evaluation, personal change, and humility will. Compassion, starting with compassion for others and humility for me is the answer. Time and blame will keep us mired. Compassion and humility over time have a lasting promise. A trillion dollar bail out may stop the pain, but is avoiding pain the way to healing change?

Our Dads--your's and mine, were good guys and wise. They thought they were smart. If you lost your Dad before you were old enough to know he was wise, you're not alone. My Dad died when I was a rebellious 16 year old. He was younger than I am today--a youth at 47. Just wondering, am I his elder? Simple advice he gave me over and over. I can hear it going back to middle school days. "Think ahead. Don't be a rum-dum." I know what "think ahead" means--consider the consequences or your actions, make a plan, be responsible. Don't be a rum-dum is a little more complex but, if my memory of the phrase connected to my actions in the 60's and early 70's is an indicator, a Rum-dum blames others, sherks responsibility, and makes excuses. I think the guy who fools around until things get broken, and then wonders how it happened, is a Rum-dum.

My weekend was superb. I hunted with my Dad, both of my sons, the Rabbi, my friends, my emotions, and Doc. It's a 14 ft boat but all fit comfortably. My waders leaked, I'll patch them not replace them. We left the ducks in the freezer at Timmy Bunkport. I came home with all my stuff and an old answer to an older problem. The Rabbi got me thinking, now what am I going to do about me? Starting last Friday I'm Thinking Ahead and I won't be a Rum-dum today. I'm not in line for a bail-out and that's good. I'll go through the pain and come out scarred with more humility and compassion. That's one of life's promises I believe.

Probably my Dad would say what Aaron once said to me, "Sounds good. Sounds like you're getting better." I'd say to him, "Diet and exercise will do more for your heart than any pill." My cardiologist told me so.