{"id":2483,"date":"2026-03-09T12:52:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T17:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/?p=2483"},"modified":"2026-03-09T12:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T17:56:18","slug":"everyday-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/?p=2483","title":{"rendered":"Everyday People"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>I am no better and neither are you
\nWe are the same, whatever we do
\nYou love me, you hate me, you know me and then
\nYou can’t figure out the bag I’m in
\nI am everyday people<\/em><\/p>\n

Sly Stone, Sly and the Family Stone. 1968<\/p>\n

Several years ago, I began writing what I thought would be a book about how different we are from each other. It\u2019s still unfinished on my computer, and I hope to finish it someday with the title \u201cThere Are Two Kinds of People in This World: Me, and Everyone Else!\u201d Meanwhile, I believe an essay on the gist of the book is in order during this tumultuous time of political indifference.<\/p>\n

Often, I want to respond to a posting on Facebook where I disagree with a \u201cfriend\u2019s\u201d position. I pause, but not always. I may respond if someone has posted an untruth that I can correct with simple impartial research, but most of the time, I leave it alone. Even fact-checking these days is questioned by anyone who might have a different opinion than anyone else. A younger me never thought this possible. And you may have heard many times; \u2018you are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.\u2019<\/p>\n

Sometimes I’m right and I can be wrong
\nMy own beliefs are in my song
\nThe butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
\nMakes no difference what group I’m in<\/em><\/p>\n

Upon seeing a posting in which the author pointed out the huge differences between products purchased in January of 2020 to the products bought in January of 2024, I conducted research of my own. Surprisingly, I discovered the margin between orange juice from both years was larger than portrayed in the meme. There was no need for me to respond. And, it surprised me.<\/p>\n

A year or two ago, my nephew brought me a jar of his homemade salsa. As I opened it, I could smell cumin. I do not like cumin, curry, coconut, cilantro, or coriander. Do you see a pattern here? I do, however, like cinnamon, celery, and particularly cherry anything. But the cumin in the salsa was a turn off for me. I feel bad that I hurt his feelings by telling him I didn\u2019t like the salsa. But I ate the salsa and cumin is beginning to grow on me. The point is that, although we are all equal, we are all different. We have our personal likes and dislikes. Step aside and open your mind.<\/p>\n

There is a blue one
\nWho can’t accept the green one
\nFor living with a fat one
\nTrying to be a skinny one
\nDifferent strokes
\nFor different folks<\/em><\/p>\n


\n<\/em>Letters to the editor display various slants toward or against political policies. I agree with some, and disagree with others. I have penned many LTEs myself, but I never attacked another writer personally. At least, not that the editor published. More than once, I did have someone write an LTE responding to what I had written. It made me feel good, knowing that someone cared enough to emote their own tilt toward the issue.<\/p>\n

I am no better and neither are you
\nWe are the same, whatever we do
\nYou love me, you hate me, you know me and then
\nYou can’t figure out the bag I’m in<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And so on and so on
\n<\/em>***<\/p>\n

Please help Fawkes-Lee & Ryan maintain this website by donating $10, $20, $30, $50, $100, or more.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Donate<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Your support is appreciated.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Subscribe (It\u2019s FREE): Email mrtyryn@gmail.com with \u201cSubscribe\u201d in the Subject Line.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fawkes-Lee & Ryan<\/strong><\/p>\n

2516 Lynner Dr.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Des Moines, IA 50310<\/strong><\/p>\n

Copyright (c) 2026. Fawkes-Lee & Ryan. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am no better and neither are you We are the same, whatever we do You love me, you hate me, you know me and then You can’t figure out the bag I’m in I am everyday people Sly Stone, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1379,1378],"class_list":["post-2483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-sly-and-the-family-stone","tag-sly-stone"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2483"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2485,"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483\/revisions\/2485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iowappa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}