roberthuffstutter's photostream  

YES, my paintings are for sale.

I have had difficulty getting Emails so if you want to send me a message, use the Flickr E Mail service or try Facebook. Thanks for your patience.
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CHECK OUT MY GALLERIES WHEN YOU HAVE TIME. Now numbering more than 1000, each gallery a collection of Flickr masterpieces by various Flickr members.

www.flickr.com/photos/huffstutterrobertl/galleries/

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My dad's dad, my grandfather, was nine years old when President Lincoln died.

Most people think I am speaking of my GREAT GRANDFATHER. NO, I am referring to my dad's father, my paternal Grandfather, Robert Levi Huffstutter, born in 1856.

What does this information have to do with my profile? It might help the reader understand that I have a sense of being much older than I am in that only one generation seperates me from President Lincoln. Sometimes, I feel this short time span has some historical significance in the way I respond to history; it has created a mindset that I consider a grass-roots advantage

Perhaps this is the reason I value certain truths, standards and idealogies of older Americans, the men who were the soldiers and sailors I saw when I was a small boy.

A BRIEF AND UNEDITED ESSAY ON WISDOM AS I UNDERSTAND IT ONE DAY AT A TIME, NEVER CLOSING MY MIND TO NEW IDEAS, NEW IDEOLOGIES AND NEW PHILOSOPHY, BUT ALWAYS WISHING THAT THIS LIFE COULD BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR A NEW BEGINNING WHEN THIS LIFE ENDS....

Amusement is one of the joys of life. Now, about life: you have yours and I have mine. This is true of each individual in the world. It is my personal belief that with this life is a freedom to choose; we can choose to be yoked to bondange through organized religion, political affiliations or the forces of evil which are most definitely as real as the astroids that zip about. Oh, and there is the force of goodness.

If you have studied science, you realize that almost every action has a reaction; every positive has a negative. That is, until our minds and spirits mature to the point where we can control these forces, harness this energy for goodness or evil. As children, we flitter about doing good and evil; as adults, we do much the same. It is only with the use of our minds do we manage to make decisions that will identify us as positive or negative. There should be no debate over the values or standards involved in goodness and evil.

Evil is that which hates and destroys; goodness is that which constructs and loves. Surely, this is a knowledge that must have been instilled in our minds by whoever or whatever created this vast universe and holds the secret of life. This, of course, is only my opinion. If yours is different, no problem; this world is large enough for both of us, even if you or I decide to move to an island where there is no dialogue or media to try and stir up world wars. Again, an opinion.

I have opted to join what I deem the legions of goodness and love, though it has taken some time to overcome the superficial thorns that will constantly pierce me and cause conflict in my mind and heart.

About patriotism; I am a patriotic American. I have served in the military under three Commanders-in-Chief, Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. It was my good fortune to have seen all three of these Presidents while serving in the U.S. Navy. What's more, I had a face-to-face or one-on-one moment with President Truman shortly after entering civilian life and returning to college. While it was only a brief moment in time, it was a moment in time I will always remember; it was a most surreal moment. There is more about this meeting in my photostream.

If you continue reading my work in my various journals you will note that I have complex views, simple views and sometimes no view whatsoever, especially about sports and opera. If you follow my journals you have probably already realized that I am sometimes quick to judge. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize.

Sometimes I display more ignorance than wisdom in my attempt to be humorous. And yes, I have an impulsive and emotional strain that will grab my arm and cause me to vent on issues I am not qualified to comment on, but want to anyway.

I am probably an "old soul" and as one only two generatons away from President Lincoln, history is extremely relevant to me and my state of mind.

My grandfather was born in 1856 and was nine years old when President Lincoln died; my father was born in 1912 and I was born in the very early 40s. Do you understand my comment about the "old soul" issue and that sometimes, because of this generational nearness, it causes me to look at life in a different perspective.

About my country: I love America and enjoyed growing up in the USA in the 1960s. Do I believe the USA has made some big errors? Yes, the biggest one was beginning a nation while slavery was permitted. I cannot believe that this happened. Thus, I understand many of the problems that exist in this world.

I also realize that much of Europe dealt in slavery long before America was discovered. Do I feel that there should be reparations for those enslaved prior to the Civil War? Perhaps, but in my mind, the price was paid by those who fought to rid this nation of slavery; the issue was sealed in blood on the battlefields such as Gettysburg.

Do I believe that America is still the land of opportunity? I believe that the election of President Obama has proven that America is now...the land of opportunity.

Because each President has the right to introduce plans and changes that he believes are best for the nation, I have no issues with the programs he is introducing so far. If he does not do the job America elected him to do, there will be another election in 2012. In the interim, I shall support him and honor his office. Personally, I think he is a sincere American, a good father, and has the interest of the USA in his heart and mind.

About religion: I believe it is best kept within the minds of each individual and services should be private, taking place within the heart, mind and soul of each person.

I believe in the right for assembly, religious assembly and all peaceful assembly. I do believe that no laws should be made about religion unless they are made for the protection of the populace. To present an example of religion freedom that should be regulated by law: human sacrifice should be against the law; corporal punishment for what might be termed as "religious sins" by some religious groups should not be tolerated and should be against the law. Laws about religion must be considered only when religion breaks the law.

About world peace: there will be no world peace until the mothers of this world love their own children more than they hate the children of those whose religions and ethnic origins are different than their own.

Women must bear some of the fault for the tragedy of war for not teaching their children about loving others. The men who wage these wars are instruments of ignorant leaders who are selfish and without love or wisdom.

To summarize: If I could create a perfect world, I would. However, we would most likely be robots, following orders to do good, thus it would not be genuine. There are times when I feel we have been created for the amusement of some distant enity or creator And then I look at the beauty and miracles of Springtime. It is my belief that mankind will never find all of the answers sought, that some wisdom will never be discovered. It is my belief that there is a Creator with wisdom and knowledge that is beyond our ability to comprehend.

Like many people throughout the world, I am hoping there will be a joyful and serene experience waiting for us at the end of this lifetime, that a new life will begin in some way, shape or form that we can comprehend.

Although I am older than most of the American and world population, my mind still has the ability to learn; I can still change my views if I see the wisdom. At the present time, my opinion of political events and the entire political arena in the United States, no matter what the party affiliation might be, is less than enthusiastic. During the past ten years, America has lost much respect and credibility throughout the world. Hopefully, this is changing.

Robert L. Huffstutter
YOU ARE INVITED TO VIEW MY PERSONAL BLOG, FULL OF PHOTOS, ART AND ESSAYS:
robertlhuffstutterblog.blogspot.com/

My interest in Japan is featured in my extensive online and non-commercial blog about Japan. It is full of personal experiences, photos from Flickr members who have given permission for use in my blog, essays about experiences, and much of my art. You are invited to browse my blog about Japan:
blogaboutjapan.blogspot.com/

PLAY THIS BEAUTIFUL SONG WHEN LEAVING MY PROFILE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgxGSZyZIVU&feature=related

AVAILABLE TO PAINT EXCLUSIVE JAPANESE COLLECTION FOR PATRON
If you have viewed my watercolors, sketches and photos of Japan and would like for me to travel to Japan to paint an extensive collection of work for your personal gallery, I am ready to discuss the specifics. It has been almost 50 years since I was last in Japan, but there are many scenes from yesteryear that I missed. I can think of nothing better than returning to Yokohama and Tokyo to do a special collection for whomever likes my specific style of work. All work would be exclusive property of my patron. If interested in discussing this, E-mail me using my Flickr Photostream. Thank you, Robert L. Huffstutter


I have been reading an excellent book by Sogyal Rinpoche called "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying". excerpt from the book. 'The Great Deception' by Chuang Tzu. "The birth of a man is the birth of his sorrow. The longer he lives, the more stupid he becomes, because his anxiety to avoid avoidable death becomes more and more acute. What bitterness ! He lives for what is always out of reach! His thirst for survival in the future makes him incapable of living in the present." Carpe Diem !

The quote above is from a friend's profile---a lot of wisdom here from Cory.Lum's profile.
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IF ANYONE MAKES ME A CONTACT OR FAVORS ANY OF MY PHOTOS AND HAS NO ICON, PHOTOSTREAM, OR ANY DATA AVAILABLE, IT IS MY POLICY TO BLOCK THE INDIVIDUAL. A RECOMMENDED POLICY.
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You will notice that almost all of the photos I have taken, and most of my art work is in the CREATIVE COMMONS, which permits use of my work if you credit me as the photographer or artist and if the selected works will be used in a positive manner.
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