Brody is a male lion who lives at Turpentine Creek, just outside of Eureka Springs. I was standing a few feet from Brody when one of his caretakers prepared to shove ten pounds of raw meat through head-high feeding hole in Brody’s pen. Anxious for the food, Brody swiped at the big hunk of meat with his huge paw as it started through the hole. He smacked it and it fell out on the wrong side of the pen. The raw meat landed a few inches from him but perfectly out of reach outside the cage. He roared, as it were, exactly like an angry lion.

They say you can hear a lion roar five miles away. I believe it. Brody was loud.

He was so angry and frustrated. He crashed against the steel mesh of his pen and glared wildly at me, roaring all the while as if it were my fault.

Brody’s mouth is huge, his legs are muscular, and he is quick. I told my wife later, if I’m ever in a jungle and a lion runs at me, he won’t kill me. I think I’ll die of fright before he gets to me. God made an awesome, fearful animal when he made the lion.

As he roared in anger and pawed and raged, shaking his huge mane in his fit, it struck me how quickly I and those around me who watched would die if he broke loose. A single swipe of his paw and claws and it would have been over.

But as Brody roared, instead of being slashed by his huge paw, what struck me was a simple thought. Lions are not personal.

As Brody roared, I imagined living in a village and knowing the stories of other villagers or family members who had been attacked or eaten by lions. I remembered watching “The Ghost and the Darkness”, a movie about the Tsavo man-eaters, two lions who killed about 135 workers who were building the railway from Uganda to Mombassa in the late 1890′s.

No one eaten by a lion is eaten because lions are personal. Lions eat meat. Lions kill because lions kill. Lions are not personal.

Like many people, I want there to be meaning in the events that happen around me and to me. Perhaps it’s too much ego, but I tend to expect things happen for a purpose, that there’s a message I should gather from events. And the more significant the event, surely, the more important the message must be.

22 years ago I sat in the aftermath of a knife attack by two men against three children. For 22 years, I’ve searched, I’ve longed to find some message, some purpose, some justification that seems just. And there is none. It does not exist.

And now, after experiencing a lion’s fitful, angry rage a few feet away, I know the only message is that lions are not personal. They kill because lions kill.

Some bad things are simply bad. No matter how much they hurt, they are not personal. They just are. So today I’m walking away from the cage.

I’ve used the phrase recently to describe a day to my Mom, “It’s been one of those ‘tears behind my eyes’ days.” I used it at work in a conversation with a colleague. “You’re having a ‘tears behind your eyes’ day, aren’t you?”, I asked.

As I think about it this evening, I realize I’m not talking about a bad thing. I’m not describing depression or even dysthymia. I use the phrase to describe a lot of things: a simple physiological response to persistent, low-grade grief; as a response to too much stress; and as a consequence of potential hope – not yet hope, just the potential for it. “Tears behind my eyes” isn’t negative. It’s healthy.

How often do you experience a moment when your emotions are scratched by the reality of your daily routine? The scratch isn’t enough for pain. Not enough for an emotional breakdown. But enough that you know you feel something deep. It’s a good thing. In fact, the article I wrote describes tears of hope. I want my wife healed!

The next time you find tears behind your eyes, don’t deny them. Let them give you pause. What put them there? Sadness or hope? Stress or relief? Joy? Should you turn them loose or hold them behind your eyes? You’ll answer that for yourself. What you need to remember is that they’re yours and they’re a gift to remind you of how emotionally real life can be.

Here’s what I think. We benefit when we learn to appreciate the tears behind our eyes. They’re there for good purpose.

Recently, Madoff made off with as much as $50 billion in investor funds placed in his trust. It was a Ponzi scheme that began years ago.

I wonder how small the first act of deceit was. Was it $10,000 or was it a million dollars? And is it more wrong to steal from a non-profit foundation than from an offshore hedge fund?

The NYT is reporting that the former chairwoman of the Sanlu Group, one of China’s largest dairy producers, pleaded guilty to selling fake milk powder. Ms. Tian Wenhua, a former Sanlu executive said she knew in May Sanlu was selling milk contaminated with melamine. She did not report this when she learned of it. The melamine scandal wasn’t made public until August.

According to the article, Wenhua’s delay helped lead to the deaths of 6 children and 300,000 illnesses. Who added the first tablespoon of melamine? Was it an amount that small or did someone dump gallons or even a ton as their first act of wrong?

Is it more wrong to steal a $1,000,000 than $10,000? Do the zeros add up in the math of morality as they do in financial math? Is the first stolen billion dollars not quite as bad as the third or 43 billion dollars?

Is it more wrong if too much melamine kills six children instead of merely causing severe illness? Is causing illness in 3 children as bad as causing illness in 300,000?

How really wrong is wrong? Is Madoff’s wrong less if an attorney convinces a jury that he should do no time or receive a reduced sentence?

One cannot watch the news without being overwhelmed by the lack of moral integrity at work in the world of business. For too many individuals, corporations and government agencies the end (the “almighty dollar”) seems to justify any means.

Can you imagine how thoroughly frustrated ancient Diogenes would be after a random walk down Wall Street?

But before we point our fingers too firmly, how moral is Main Street? Who fully trusts any local business? Not many of us. And it’s not because we don’t want to trust. We’ve learned after we’ve been burned.

Somewhere along the path of capitalism, it became “wrong” to pass up the chance to take advantage of another, even if it required being dishonest in a transaction. Many act as if they believe it’s more wrong to be moral than to miss a deal.

How really wrong is wrong? Wrong is wrong.

Here’s what I think …

Morality begins in the heart and in the home. Then it walks out into your neighborhood and morality interacts with your friends. From heart and home, morality goes to Main Street and then, perhaps, to Wall Street. Wherever you find it, morality starts in the heart.

Moral integrity dictates that stealing $1 is as wrong as stealing $50 billion. It stipulates that sickening one child is a wrong as harming 300,000. Wrong is wrong.

It’s a difficult standard, but wrong is wrong.

Just a few thoughts … from RickWheat.com

One of the smartest things you can do to protect your children from unwanted websites is to use OpenDNS. Smart because it’s good, easy and free.

You should use OpenDNS.com if you have children (or grandchildren) or teens in your home who use the Internet.

OpenDNS.com is the easiest way I’ve found to implement a content filtering system for my home network. And it’s absolutely free.

For years I’ve used OpenDNS for DNS services on my computer. Using the OpenDNS servers instead of the DNS servers offered by my ISP, I’ve not worried about phishing attacks.

Here’s the Good Stuff for Families:

By creating a user account on the OpenDNS.com website, I can choose among a set of internet filters to protect my children from accessing material I do not want them to see online. While I’m not too worried about intentional activity, it’s easy for a child to mistype a URL and wind up where you don’t want to be. Or, as I did a few years ago, I don’t want them typing the name of a potential pet and winding up at a porn site.

After creating a user account, OpenDNS provides simple instructions for configuring your home network’s router. Then OpenDNS.com walks you through setting up the filters you believe are appropriate for your family. It really is easy.

And it’s FREE!

Should you rely solely on OpenDNS? I’ve used it for years and I trust it. You may, too, but I don’t trust only OpenDNS because it’s always good to have a backup.

On the computer in our living room (and I believe no child should have unsupervised access to the Internet in a bedroom), in addition to OpenDNS on our wireless router, I have a license for CyberSitter.

Other Computer Security Recommendations

While I’m writing about computer security issues, I’ll also recommend Webroot Antivirus with AntiSpyware (it costs a little, but works well). And installing SUPERAntiSpyware with a lifetime subscription (ignore the name, it works) is a good thing, too (a free version is available). Of course, you shouldn’t have a hard drive that isn’t protected by TrueCrypt (free disk encryption). And turning loose Spybot Search & Destroy (free, but donations are accepted) on your hard drive is a smart thing to do. Even with all of this, you’ll want a solid firewall, too. I’ve used ZoneAlarm (the free and professional versions) for years.

Did you notice all the times I used “free”? It doesn’t cost a much at all to turn your computer into a secure, child-safe computer. If you haven’t done it yet for your children or grandchildren, it would make a great New Years Resolution.

Just a few thoughts … from RickWheat.com

Lodge Cast Iron is the oldest family-owned, family-operated cookware foundary in the United States. Located in South Pittsburg, TN, Lodge has made cast iron cookware for more than 100 years.

In a February 2, 2005 article, “Skillet Sense”, the Chicago Tribune compared six skillets ranging from the $12 Lodge Cast Iron skillet to the $160 Viking Professional 7-Ply. You can find the article on the Lodge website.

The conclusion after review in the test kitchen?

“To our surprise, higher cost didn’t automatically equal best performance. While the most expensive skillets certainly performed well, the skillet we like the best cost the least: the Lodge pre-seasoned cast-iron skillet.”

Here’s what I think …

There is little that has real value available to consumers. We’ve become consumers of disposable everythings. Even expensive things like computers, 30-inch monitors and washing machines are disposable. And we pay dearly for our disposable junk. We know when we buy our expensive toys, the manufacturers have little faith in them. Most computers, monitors and washing machines come with only a 12 month warranty.

Cast iron cookware offers real value. The skillet or dutch oven you buy today will last so long you could pass it on to your grandchildren who could pass it to their grandchildren. Try to do that with an HDTV!

Just a few thoughts … from RickWheat.com

I’ve blogged for years, but never just for myself.  Now I will.

You may or may not appreciate all you read here.  I know you may often disagree with me.

That’s good.

Occasionally, I want to write something that will not fit neatly into one of the other blogs I maintain.  I’ll put it here. But don’t expect a theme.  And in terms of frequency, it will be hit or miss.  From Theology to Vista complaints, from growing roses to nonprofit leadership, and from Einstein (my dog) to what I think about business, politics, etc., this is where I’ll touch base and write what I wish.

Enjoy!