Democracy

 

This essay has to do with three articles found in the June 8, 2025 edition of The New York Times.  The articles are titled "Money Problems"; "On the Right Side of a Vast Gap, It Pays to Be the Boss.";  and "Long-Term Care Questions?  Here's What to Know."  The themes of these articles are about today’s democracy.

In the first article, a fact "The central indictment of capitalism has remained remarkably consistent that it is soulless, exploitative ,inequitable, unstable and destructive, yet also all conquering and overwhelming."  That quote suggests that capitalism aside from being dominant has been a major and significant  problem for man  as well.  The article pointed out that capitalism is always in crisis and requires the state to step in and save the capitalistic system from dissent and disintegration.

Another quote by an economic anthropologist  "Free markets were such a stark utopia that they required a strong state to lay the ground rules.  They are also so disruptive that societies spontaneously try to reassert some order in response.’And,  John Maynard.  Keynes maintained that the state could get an economy out of a slump by spending money to stimulate demand. And finally, a 19th century Scottish essayist thought that democracy was hopeless and evinced utter contempt for the multitude.

Adam Smith and Jefferson  both feared democracy because of  the ability of the masses to make decisions that would be counterproductive. of the wealthy.  In essence they were afraid of majority rule affecting  WASP wealth.  I agree , in the sense that  the majority is not always right as in the 2024 presidential election.  Today’s democracy is associated with alienation,discrimination, exploitation, sadism and  ineptitude.  

Trump was right when he said the system was rigged and there's a swamp in Washington.  However, he's an  excellent example of the problem.  This second article provided an example of the compensation filings for CEOs and how they pertain to employee wages.  For example, Alex Karp, the CEO of Palantir Technologies or a firm that has been in the news for helping the Trump administration collect and compile personal information on millions of Americans. The company disclosed that Karp received $6.8 billion in actual  compensation  paid in 2024.  CEO compensation actually paid is one of the two major ways of accounting for chief executive pay required under the Dodd -Frank Wall Street Reform and consumer protection act of 2010.

Government regulators required that compensation actually paid be included universally in corporate filings and that rule is likely to be slashed by the Trump administration and overturned .  Another example of overvalued compensation was paid to Peter Gassner of Veeva Systems. Peter had a total compensation of $172.4 million, nearly all from stock options and awards.  The median employee at that company earned $137,866.  In essence, it would take a worker at that company 1251 years to earn what that CEO did in 2024. Actually that CEOs salary was $475,000 but his take-home pay was in the millions ..

Of course, major  companies would like to hide the actual compensation paid to their CEOs from their employees.  Back in the 80s, Peter F.  Drucker said it felt right. when CEOs received 10 to 12 times what their workers earned.  Gassner’s  pay ratio was 1251.  CEO’s  compensation is  disgusting and it's not a surprise that so many in this country are pissed off and alienated with their stagnant compensation and desire for change . Trump’s not the remedy .

A pertinent example of  discrimination ,inequality,and exploitation is associated with the third article . It dealt with a major health and wellness problem affecting millions of  Americans currently and in the years ahead.  The demand for long-term care assistance  is rising while the worker  supply is decreasing.  On the demand-side we have an aging population, which suggests that those turning 80 have greater odds of needing care.  The US Census Bureau forecasts that the number of people 85 and older will nearly double by 2035 to 11.8 million people and nearly triple by 2062 to 19 million.

There's a shortage of workers in the field.  Those working have a median wage of about $16.72 per hour.  Also, immigrants make up 28% of the long-term care workforce.  And Trump is deporting these workers. 

The price of some long-term care services rose as much as 10% more than triple the 2.9% general rate of inflation in 2024.  Long-term care refers to help with daily living for people who are frail or disabled- bathing, dressing, using the toilet, preparing meals, shopping, walking and taking medications.  Unfortunately, 23% of all adults and 45% of those age 65 or older incorrectly believe that Medicare will cover their time in a nursing home if they have a long-term illness or disability.

According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, concluded that about 1/5 of retirees will require no long-term care support; 20% are likely to experience a severe need ; 25% will have low and 37% will have moderate needs.  The monthly  median cost for assisted living communities nationally was $5900 per month; in-homemaker services cost $6292 per month and a private nursing home  annual cost  of $10,646. The cost of assisted living , nursing home care and homemaker services all jumped roughly 10% in 2024

The administration's crackdown of immigrant workers is likely to accelerate costs further and harm the quality of care.

Demand for workers is expected to be strong in the years ahead and residential care providers are expected to have 817,000 new jobs by 2032 for direct roles.  According to federal employment projections, this is the most new positions of any job category across the US economy.  It stated that we simply were not going to have enough people to take care of everyone.

Trump’s Congress is also planning funding cuts for Medicaid, which covers 61% of all long-term care.  There is also confusion over what Medicare and Medicaid cover  Medicare generally covers up to hundred days after hospitalization in the skilled nursing facility.  Medicaid covers long-term care services over a longer period of time either in an institutional or home setting, but only for people with very low income and assets.  Medicaid is the primary payer for long-term care . It covers nursing home service and care in homes .  Insurance companies had been selling long-term care insurance policies since the early 1980s. 35 years ago there were more than 125 insurance companies to choose from.but now there might be a dozen options.

Insurance companies require the customers to pass a medical exam to qualify for the commercial policies.  Horrible news for older consumers who are likely to have disqualifying conditions.  Self-funding or how much money to set aside is another issue.  In essence, most people turn to informal care from family members or friends.  64% of caregiving hours are provided by children, spouses , relatives or non-relatives, but that also has financial consequences for the caregiver. 56  percent of people who provide  for someone's long-term care cut back on spending, food, clothing or other basic needs. one third have trouble paying the rent or utility bills. Time away from work translates with lower career earnings ,fewer Social Security benefits and lower levels of savings.

Are  Trump voters just stupid or happy with his support for a CEO to receive billions in one year ; collect your personal information; cut Medicaid aid and round up immigrants' that provide health care aid ? The stress  from Trump and his sycophants are toxic and are consequential to our republic’s mental and physical illness ..

PS

 Not a surprise as there is a pause in deportation  for farms, hotels and eateries but not for health . Capitalism prevails

Anxiety 2

 

Last week's essay began with Heidegger's quote that anxiety is the source of everything plus a few examples of fear and anxiety present in our civilization. This essay addresses the consequences of anxiety as it relates to hostility . Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease . Typically, it’s about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.  A similar term tension is defined as a mind that is affected by stress or tension, cannot think as clearly and is a synonym for  anxiety.  

Dealing with the ongoing presence of  anxiety affects everyone. Anxiety ,tension and/or fear acts as a motivating force.  And anxiety results in the individual enacting defenses against that  unpleasantness. Nature with its  hurricanes, floods , fire etc.  provide  conditions that give rise to fear and anxiety and it’s an external danger. Also,  individual concerns and social relationships relating to suppression, exploitation, abuse ,frustration also cause fear and anxiety. And lastly, with society, the dangers of religion, economics, politics also occur . 

A brief  description of anxiety follows  If an individual has a weapon like a gun or avoided running on the trails because of possibly interacting with a mountain lion or rattlesnake that would be an example of anxiety. And it is subjective . However, on one trail running  occasion,I encountered a lioness and her two cubs.  I immediately froze because I was fearful. I had a water bottle but no gun . In other words,  my fears were objective and "real" 

On the other hand, anxiety can be reacting to an imaginary danger , a particular person or participating in a certain activity or if undertaking that certain action becomes a strain , fatigue and/or exhaustion  interferes with performance. For instance , when an athlete chokes by not making that basket it’s anxiety related. That choking example  spoils the pleasure one would've had if he had made the basket.

Anxiety can also be hidden behind feelings of physical discomfort, rational and / or irrational fears.  Many examples are when individuals abuse alcohol, drugs, and food, essentially submerging  themselves to avoid feelings of unpleasantness.  Also, people engage  in many distractions  or social activities because of fear of being alone. And, also when people compulsively engage in work, doing mindless repetition activities, puzzles, cards, sports, etc.for a defense ,a distraction , are ways to consciously or unconsciously  cope, deny or “avoid” anxiety. 

Other defenses associated with escaping anxiety are an inordinate need for sleep, sexual activities which serve as a safety valve  attempting to cope with uneasiness,restlessness and irritability especially if there's no chance for sexual satisfaction.  Further, people also avoid situations which might arouse anxiety and/or they can procrastinate.  I recently suggested to a cousin of mine to get a medical  evaluation because of his posture.  He told me he didn't want to do it because he was afraid of the answer he would receive.  Also, people pretend not to like a certain activity which really means they want to avoid that anxiety provoking situation.

Most people have difficulty in understanding the importance of anxiety in their life. The dreaded feeling of anxiety can be tormenting ,unbearable that underlies a feeling of helplessness.  Sometimes that helplessness is countered by one exhibiting drive to overcome that helplessness through acts of power, being a master, being in control which are essentially means evoked to escape that anxiety.  In essence those who have a tendency to control are compensating for their feelings of insecurity and helplessness that was established long ago.

Individuals also often rationalize by attempting to turn their anxiety into a rational fear.  For example, one might be afraid to counter a Trump policy or executive order which is really based upon some other fear or insecurity. However, that individual uses that excuse that they can't criticize because Trump will be angry and retaliate.

Our society ,because it's composed of people, generates a great deal of anxiety.  However, despite the prevalence of experiencing anxiety.many people deny it by excluding it from consciousness.  Yet, the following often occurs, such as shivering, sweating, accelerated heartbeat, choking sensations, frequent urges to urinate, diarrhea , vomiting, and restlessness which are associated with being anxious.

In essence, anxiety is related to helplessness ,danger, feeling defenseless and not being in control.  This helplessness has been magnified by intrapsychic factors  that occurred a long time ago such as  but not limited to the birth trauma ,separation anxiety and Oedipal issues .

One motivating  component of anxiety are impulses which have the power to provoke the anxiety. That impulse could be sexual and/or aggressive which can attack or hurt another human or animal.  However,  many situations in which impulses or behavior to  hurt or harm  occur and when they are not  overtly expressed are called  repression. 

Repressing a hostile impulse means that one is pretending that everything is alright and  avoiding  the fight when ,instead,one ought to  stand up and express the displeasure .Not only that ,the person is not consciously aware of his hostility especially those of a pre oedipal nature  .Often  hostility  in effect,  becomes  expressed explosively and  the disruption occurs at various  situations with another individual but  not necessarily early on with the parent or caretaker. Those disruptions become intensified from outside sources and is one way for the person to get rid of that dangerous effect from within.

When one's  repressed  unconscious hostile impulses are directed toward another that is called projection.  Projecting that  hostile impulse to the outside world means that the other person or persons become endowed with the same ruthlessness, anger, hate, hostility, bitterness of that individual. This projection serves as a self-justification.  It is not himself who wants to cheat ,steal, exploit, humiliate, but it's the other who wants to do such things to him. 

Recently there were two Israeli murders in Washington DC and 15  Jewish peaceful demonstrators attacked in Colorado.  Incorporating man's nature of helplessness and anxiety with  hate, jealousy, paranoia, hostility,repression and projection provides an understanding of the motivation  attributed  to those two perpetrators . 

Initially, man is born helpless and dependent. Man’s helplessness is exacerbated by anxiety from a whole host of biological and society situations and events.  

A brief supposition follows. More than likely, these two individuals were reared with a heavy  ratio of negative events -anxiety producing situations affecting their development.  On the  one hand,they  repressed their anger and hostility ,as in temper tantrums ,toward the caretakers yet on the other hand, the caretakers reinforced that hostility when it was expressed toward an infidel or enemy.  This suggests , psychologically, they had an inordinate amount of anger  repression during their childhood. Their repressed  hostility is associated with feelings of low self-esteem, helplessness, insecurity, dependency, inadequacy, anger and self hatred . This dynamic  of a heavy ratio of unfulfilled needs and reinforced expression of hate and hostility toward an enemy results in the development of mistrust and permission to hate. It was also reinforced by an identification and orientation within their group membership with its primitive supernatural beliefs and superstitions.. 

During their  development, additional factors within this complex of hate contributed to developing delusions of persecution , jealousy and irrational thinking that formed their attitude and beliefs.  They believed they understood, they knew , even when they did not, but used logical reasoning to justify their irrational crazy thinking.and behavior.  Delusional beliefs persisted even though factual social reality contradicted it.  This belief did not depend upon objective evidence, but group identification and justification.

With the buildup of anxiety , hostility, rage and hate , resulted in a discharge when those impulses could no longer be repressed regardless of eventual punishment.  These individuals carried  an  emotional  hypersensitivity as related to others within an emotional  atmosphere of misunderstanding,distrust ,suspiciousness, uneasiness and resentment .

Being angry, hateful ,resentful and suspicious , they lived with the expectation that someone  would sadistically belittle or attack them just as they felt belittled and attacked while in their own childhood.  With their hateful, hostile aggression.,these individuals appear to be both angry and innocent,and all that is evil and contemptible is denied and projected. To others they seemed normal.

With that being said, those feelings were  projected onto those peaceful and innocent Jews . They believed that those Jews  harbored despicable, aggressive feelings toward them. Their horrible act was not revenge . These  Jews, in no way attacked or wished harm  on these two individuals. In reality , these Jews were innocent individuals in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were Jewish victims of hate.They were scapegoated. These despicable acts were not revenge but simply an irrational projection and acting out of  hostile paranoid and destructive impulses  Likely , these two perpetrators have an expectation of receiving some reward in the here and now, and/or their  after life.

 

Reference

Cameron, Norman .  Personality Development and Psychopathology  .  A Dynamic Approach

Horney, Karen.  The Neurotic Personality of Our Time

Anxiety 1

 

Heidegger believed that "anxiety" was at the source of everything.  Freud ,Horney and others have explored the relationship, the association and the significance of anxiety as related to mental illness. Furthermore, individual experiences, societal conditions and nature are all associated with both fear and anxiety. In other words ,fear and anxiety are constantly experienced . The following articles of the May 18, 2025 The New York Times provide few examples of anxiety and fear conditions affecting Homo sapiens.

Charles Darwin wrote about the survival of the fittest However, I suggest that Homo sapiens survival is significantly related to how  effectively man deals and addresses anxiety and fear  For starters, Freud and Rank described the trauma occurring at birth.  That fetus developed, for the most part, in the comfort and bliss within the womb, but that was severed with  an overwhelming amount of stimuli that occurred during the birth separation . The initial response of the newborn is crying, not smiling . This birth is a unique experience causing tremendous homeostasis  disruption. In fact, Freud called this event the prototype of  all anxiety.  And of course, throughout rearing that newborn has a multitude of positive and negative disruptions affecting his psychological state.  Hopefully, tranquility without anxiety or tension can occur in the safety of the caretaker while the baby is held, fed, diapered, rocked,  sang to  and during  bladder and bowel movements . In other words, the pleasure -pain ratio of well-being and comfort to anxiety and tension can be positive, neutral or negative.

During development that baby interacts with a variety of actors in a multitude of settings within the family.  Then the life space expands to school, neighborhood and so forth.  Depending upon the occurrence of congenital conditions, parental stress, socioeconomic , political issues and conflicts and/or  the ravages of nature affect bliss or anxiety in every individual.  In other words, one's body, cultural conditions and ravages of nature affect homeostasis within the body, resulting in fear which is real or anxiety which is subjective based on one’s perception and reinforcement history.

The occurrence of anxiety and fear events in society are as follows: The first article was titled War Filled Indian Media With Fevered Falsehoods.  The article exposed the preposterous attacks on Pakistan that didn't occur.  For example, news reports suggested that the Indian military  had struck a Pakistan nuclear base, downed two Pakistani fighter jets and blasted part of Pakistan's Karachi port, the country's oil and trade lifeline.  Although this information was very specific, none of it was true.  This information, falsehoods, half-truths, misleading video footage and speeches were manipulated by artificial intelligence  and were part of social media.  In fact, some of the  fearful and anxiety  producing falsehoods made their way into mainstream media as well .

These lying  news reports reported there were radiation leaks, detailed maps where the strike had been, and  the Indian Navy attacking was circulated.  However, none of this occurred.  In fact, one example of devastation had been visuals from Gaza..All this breaking news and manipulation results in fear, and anxiety within the Indian  country , Pakistan and India have nuclear weapons.  The presumption of subjective experience of anxiety is easy to manipulate which suggests that credible and reliable  news information is under attack.

The second article titled Russian Soldiers Want to Press on, Lest All  the Sacrifices Be in Vain.  In this article Russian soldiers were interviewed  from different units in various areas . They spoke with deep bitterness about their country's officials and civilians.  They accused these people of benefiting from the war while ignoring front line hardships.  In fact, one person from a paramilitary unit stated .  "A million angry killers is a pretty serious problem if they will view our rulers as men who were not on their side."  In fact, some of the soldiers accused their country's military command and businessmen of opposing a peace deal because they are benefiting from the wartime public spending boom.  We know that with  repressed emotion  like anger , anxiety and fear can be found.  A million angry, anxious individuals with guns sounds scary and terrifying.

The third article was titled Introducing Malcolm X to a New Generation.  This article was about the KKK and the Black Legion terrifying the  Malcolm X family  in Omaha  with his  pregnant mother . At that time his parents were followers of the Jamaican activist.  Marcus Garvey The family continued to be hounded by the Ku Klux Klan.  A quote … leave the bathroom light on all night  as that can deter would-be burglars.  Another example  of fear and anxiety was when  Malcolm's foster parents  spoke horribly about black people in front of  Malcolm. They used the “ N” word in his presence. In other words, these are just a few examples pertaining to anxiety and fear in one's life cycle in our society.  

The Science Friction article was related to the ideology of a technological salvation.  Elon Musk predicted that millions of earthlings will be living on Mars in 20 years. “We must preserve the light of consciousness by becoming a space faring civilization and extending life to other planets.’

Will AI save us or will it result in destruction ?  Will AI allow us to eliminate poverty and disease and  allow us to live as long as we want?  Will AI reduce the complex problems of the world by its  technology?  Will AI save humanity from a threat that doesn't exist aiming at a utopia that will never come?

A few problems related to living on the red planet and surviving are as follows: 1. Toxic dust exposure to Martian air will boil the saliva off your tongue before affixation  2  Transporting astronauts and construction materials there 3.  People living in bunkers would have to be pretty small and  require regular shipments of food and water from Earth.4.  Even the air.on Mars cost money.  How does that sound and who would benefit?

Will the AI alignment.and the prospect of these machines taking our jobs  be good?  Sam Altman, the CEO of Open I, proposed that the company capture the wealth created by AI and ameliorate the socioeconomic fallout by redistributing part of the wealth to the public.  Sounds like trickle down economics  to me.. Musk called empathy a threat to humanity.  Well we all know who's going to benefit from AI and not likely the masses . Does AI increase anxiety and fear or reduce it? 

The fourth story called Chips Ahoy relates to the CEO.  Jensen Huang of Nvidia. Huang’s company makes microchips that power AI systems like Chat GPT.  At one time ,his company was the hottest investment on Wall Street and then a competitor rose to the scene. 

This man immigrated to the United States from Thailand at the age of 10.  His management style is raging,and yelling, however his friends, from his personal life, said they  never witnessed any blowups. In any event, technical achievements by him and his gang have now  pulled ahead of the competition.  When asked about how AI will change humanity  and will AI lift us up or destroy us ?  He replied I feel like you're interviewing Elon right now and I'm just not that guy.  In other words, no one knows whether or not he's an opposite to Musk or a lesser kinder, less evil version.  However, don't forget he does have a financial interest in Ai and certainly knows personally about fear and anxiety especially when his company took a hit in the stock market.

Last article  was titled For Trump, Adulation And No Risk of Protests pertained to his Middle East trip.  There, he received standing ovations  announcing the lifting of Syrian  sanctions, while taking home, investment, pledges of billions of dollars in American goods and services as he was awarded in ,one country, their highest civilian honor.

According to Trump "The last four days have been really amazing.” and then added, looking ruefully.  "Probably going back to Washington DC tomorrow."  “  The respect shown to our country was incredible, nobody’s treated like that . Nobody’s treated well like that. “ He had escorts of fighter jets, extravagant welcoming ceremonies, red  and lavender carpets, horses, chandler's, camels, sword dancers as well as an image of the American flag- all for him.  Yet, in spite of this Trump spoke to his insecurity about receiving status- self esteem  as he added ,”Whoever becomes president after him would get credit for the deals once they reach fruition. "I will be sitting home, who the hell knows where I’ll be and  say I did that .Somebody's going to be taking credit for this.  You remember.., this guy did it."  In essence, we see Trump experience pleasure on one hand and the anxiety and tension that he carries around with him in spite of being the most powerful person on the planet."

In summary, the prevalence  of anxiety in our civilization  is inordinate and which it’s impossible to escape. Next week’s  post will follow and will address the implications of anxiety pertaining to all humans .

How Sweet It Is

 

Last Wednesday Linda and I sojourned to Southern California to meet our cousins.  Mom, the second oldest, was followed by Lillian.  Aunt Lil married uncle Harry and they had Robert, Richard and Shelly.  Richard married Judy and Shelly married Avi.

The characters. 

Aunt Lil was organized, controlling and "proper."  In fact, their residence on Northlawn Avenue had a special living room.  All the seating furniture was covered in plastic and off-limits, except on mystical occasions.  On the other hand, uncle Harry was an outgoing prankster.  I remember being in the den and on a few Friday evenings watching boxing.  Uncle Harry stood near the TV and shadow boxed during the fighting.  What a special memory !  The highlight's also  occurred at the Whittier theater located on Jefferson Avenue adjacent to Belle Isle and in walking distance to Saunders.  There's only one Saunders and  many imitators-their hot fudge sundae was supreme.

Attending the theater in those days was a treat because of the two featured films, cartoons, and the  world wide news.  Uncle Harry would provide us with a large cardboard box filled with popcorn.  I remember John Wayne,Kirk Douglas ,Errol Flynn, and of course my favorite Maureen O'Hara.  Those were the days.  Originally Belle Isle was called Hog Island because the hogs killed all the rattlesnakes that infected the island.  Belle Isle was the scene of  being at the zoo feeding the  elephants peanuts and horses pulling us around the trails in "chariots."

Richard became an attorney and worked in commercial real estate and told us Italian Mafia stories.  In fact, he is still working half-time and is the second oldest in the 150 employee  company.  Richard brings up memories of my pleasantly warm, loving mother and my intelligent father along with sword fighting in our basement with shields and swords. He said this is the last chapter 

Judy, although a Trump voter, is outgoing, pleasant and a real honest people pleaser.  She originally was a teacher with an MA in guidance and counseling ,and for the last 30 years or so, she sold residential real estate. They just celebrated their 60th anniversary. 

Judy talked about losses.  She's lost two sisters and both a son and brother in law.  Recently.  Judy's older sister Harriet was a family law attorney and a bigwig in the GOP.  Her husband Norm was a neurosurgeon.  In fact, I sent Norm my neck x-rays for a second opinion and talked with him about Linda's shunt procedure.  One highlight for Judy was her involvement in Margie's adoption.  Margie and Barry adopted a 14 month old child from Russia.  Judy accompanied Margie on the second visit and immediately bonded with Hannah on that trip some 22 years ago.

In the past 10 years we've had many cousin reunions that have been coordinated by Judy,Shelly and my sister Bev.  We would spend time at a resort on Lake Michigan and  in the Detroit area, Judy and Richard would  be the host at their residence. I have fond memories of all those reunions, especially when we attended football games at the Big House.

Shelly, another University of Michigan graduate has been involved in Israeli Arab relations for years; an excellent folk dancer and past president of the University of Michigan alumni in Orange County.  She also sold residential real estate until she retired.  On one occasion Linda and I, Shelly and Avi spent time in Cabo San Lucas.  I also took Shelly on her one and only Harley Davidson motorcycle ride when I resided in the Bay Area.

Avi is an Israeli who lived on a kibbutz.  While living in Israel,  he used to travel through Gaza for swimming.  However, that stopped when the "Palestinians" began attacking the Israelis going to the beach.   Avi received his veterinary training in Canada and then migrated to the United States.  He's very concerned about the political dysfunctioning going on in Israel today. They relocated to Irvine about 20 some years ago.

We had lively  and beautiful discussions of our families  past, and present, movies, music while dining at the following eateries: 1.  Cal Pizza Kitchen 2 Sherman Library and Gardens 3.  Pacific Catch 4.  Benji's New York deli and 5 Irvine grill.  We also visited the Bowers Museum and saw the World of the Terracotta Warriors.

 Every morning Linda and I would have breakfast at the hotel and then proceed to the exercise room.  I would spend time on the treadmill, the rowing machine and the  universal weight machine while Linda focused on the exercise bike.  On our way to and from , Linda and I cruised  and  I decided  not to go over 110 mph.  The ride  is smooth and it's difficult to know or realize that we were traveling that fast. Unfortunately, the time quickly passed on our family reunion.