Guest Columns

Recently, I had a raging flare up of my chronic, terminal hypochondria.

It always hits on a Friday after regular doctors’ and dentists’ hours are over, which only increases the intensity of the flare up.

I’ve died many times from hypochondria, if only in my mind.

This recent attack came as a result of using too many new dental hygiene products at once. I had seen a commercial that warned: If you’re not whitening your teeth, you’re yellowing them.

Sounds ominous, right?

For those keeping an eye on the calendar, Election Day is almost here and the feuding is almost over.
Except it won’t be over. It’s never over.

Last week I attended a political forum, sponsored by the Chronicle. Held at the local college, the room overflowed with venom and vitriol and people who weren’t just pro-their candidate, but anti-the other person.

Is it even possible to be pro-someone without being anti-the other person? Just asking.

Compassion is defined as caring about the suffering and needs of others. If we want to live in a world of kindness and compassion, we must also walk the talk. This trait  must be created inside ourselves and be demonstrated by our outward acts. We are each challenged to examine our own behavior and thoughts. We need to control our response to external events, actions and opinions of others in order to build compassion for what  motivates their behavior. Compassion starts with being able to understand where the other person is coming from.

Here’s a question for you: Is it wrong to be angry with God?

Most of us who are afraid of lightning bolts frying our faces off or earthquakes rattling our brains and opening the earth to swallow us whole would probably say yes.

 God is God and Creator and we are very much not God. That said, can we be honest? Sometimes God does stuff — or doesn’t do stuff — that ticks us off.