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My Life and Lessons Learned

Introduction:

On Thanksgiving Day, 2014, I lay in a hospital bed and worried about dying and what I should have left behind. I had just experienced a serious heart attack. I am not afraid of "Meeting My Maker," "Confronting the Great Beyond," or "The Meaninglessness of Death." I was afraid that I would die without having done all I could in the cause to which my life was dedicated -- uplifting humanity. I decided that I should write down that which I have learned and consider to be true.

These are my life's lessons placed in the context of how I learned them. I decided that each lesson would be a standalone web page, linked so that readers could skip any parts they might find boring or useless.

Chapters

In the Background of Our Lives

Some of the Things I Worked On

My Place in History

Jealousy is Fear, and We Hate What We Fear

Church is at Least Good for the Music

It Seems There Is No God

If Guidance Isn't Divine, What Guidance Do We Have?

Manliness Versus Man

Choosing our jobs and the Rabbit Story

Love is Natural

Waking Up with Liberal Houston

Schooling Isn't for Children

Parenthood Changes Everything, Changes Nothing

If You Want to Understand Oppression, Start with Your Own

The Only Peace Is in Fighting

Whom Do You Have to Fight?

Confessions of a Do-Good

Failing at Sainthood

Smoking and Dying

Living Communally

Information or Inspiration? What Do We Need?

Words, Lies, and Semantics

Intentional Lying Makes Truth a Vanishing Commodity

Study Our History (Not Theirs)

You Can't Fix What You Don't Understand

Dig In to Understand

Turning Red

Don't Learn to Fight, Learn to Win

Supporting the Women

Desegregation Is Resisted

Politics Is Worth Learning, Even When It's Wrong

Was I Devoted or Merely Fanatic?

I Re-Evaluate My Commitment

Evaluating "Left" Groups of My Time

Single-Purpose Coalitions Have Power

Our Victories are Always Temporary

What I Learned about College Degrees

Election Strategy is Critical

Environmentalists Call for End of Capitalism

Unions Are Critical

Understanding Organizing by Looking at History

How to Help in Unions

A Short History of North Texas Jobs with Justice

What Is Leadership?

Layoff Benefits: Using the System When You Can

Photography and Graphic Arts Matter

Partner If You Can

What Is True, and Should You Tell It?

Democracy: Goal of Goals

Seniors Grow More Critical

A Short History on Texas Retirees

Even When We Win, We Lose

Tactics and Strategies

Class -- Key to Understanding

Us and Them

Internationalism in the Belly of the Beast

Are We Ready for Socialism?

The Wonderful Future

 

Back to home page Contact Gene Lantz