In my last essay, I wrote about wanting to teach Clarence Thomas a class about Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh wanted to obtain immortality but failed. His failure was a blessing because it forced Gilgamesh to come to terms with the meaning of life. His choice was clearly set before him. Either he dwelled on achieving things for himself, like immortality, or he thought about the needs of others by reaching out to them. Instead of dwelling on himself, Gilgamesh spent his remaining years doing good and noble things for others.

On April 18^th, the jury in Delaware was selected for Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation claim against Fox News regarding the 2020 election. Later that day, the defamation trial had a couple delays before beginning. During the last delay, Fox agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million. In that way, Fox avoided having Rupert Murdoch, Lachian Murdoch, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Bret Baier, Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, Dana Perino, and Lou Dobbs.

As I started to write this essay, I went to Google’s video section to find one of the talking heads telling their watchers that Fox would have to pay Dominion $787,000. Fox hadn’t discussed the matter on camera regarding the three-quarter billion dollar settlement. Period. While waiting for Fox’s response, I found that Stephen Colbert posted what he thought Fox would do.

In both Thomas and Fox’s lying and dissing the truth, I thought about the issue of accountability in general. Thomas’ lying increase daily, along with Fox’s fibbing. Besides, Fox is facing another suit by Smartmatic for$2.7 billion.

As my mind pondered a litany of lies from Trump, Thomas, and Fox, I thought about being lied to by family and non-family members. Before I begin, allow me to tell my readers that what follows isn’t a lie.

But first, the backstory. I’m 80 years old and have done the dance with death twice already. I might add that led death as we danced.

Living in the twilight years

I have written loads of essays about doing the dance. I have also written many articles about moving to Mt. Lebanon and its impact on me. In both groups of articles, what initially seemed to be a curse became a blessing.

I realize that I am a different cat. The dances and the move radically changed my Weltanschauung. I’m absolutely certain that had neither the dances nor the move occurred, I would not be who I am today. Trust me. They both were transformative events and learning moments. I’m far from perfect, but I have a different mindset about what is left of the journey down my yellow brick road of life.

The yellow brick road in the twilight years of life

I learned the hard way about changing me to we in my life. I came up with a mantra, “It is in giving that we get.” This is a Kierkegaardian-esque either/or statement. The reason for my being has more to do with helping others than helping myself. However, therein lies a paradox. The more I give, the more I will get.

I have many mentors in my life. Interestingly, many of them I never met. Nonetheless, they taught me. When facing vexing issues, I wrote to a dozen or so people for their guidance, including Leo Buscaglia, Carl Sagan, and Cory Aquino. They took the time to write to me; one was a professor from USC, an astrophysicist, and a president of the Philippines.

They were interested in helping someone they would never meet. They were role models for me, and they were honest and caring. This is Pablo Picasso’s spin on my mantra that it is in giving that we get. “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

This essay was about me and my transformation. However, these closing remarks are about you. Write down, from your perspective, a dozen famous people. Hopefully, they were into the we rather than me.

Remember my mantra. It is in giving that we get.

Stephen Colbert discusses the Dominion lawsuit against Fox in this video.

This is an interesting video of David Letterman interviewing Leo Buscaglia. It is blatantly obvious that Letterman didn’t get Buscaglia’s message. While you watch this video, remember that it is giving that we get.