While the middle east destroys its humanity, each of us must live our lives in America as best we can.  Each day brings promise, each day brings problems, each day brings heartbreak, each day brings choices, and each day brings such things as love, joy, glee and that wonderful feeling of being alive.

This past week, my best friend from college some 55 years ago, called me about his wife. She has developed brain cancer.  She has less than a month or so to live.  She's been my friend for all those years of my college friend's life. I held their first born.  I've held their grandkids. We've skied together.  We've bicycled Europe together. We bicycled across America together. We've backpacked to mountain peaks. We've shared those campfires.

But now, we've watched Jimmy Buffet die of skin cancer. Suzanne Sommers died of some malady, possibly cancer.  It sure makes you take a second glance at your own life when famous people, younger than you, exit the planet.

And, so, to each of you reading this column, I hope your loved ones are safe, sound and healthy.  I wish you a pleasant old age. I wish you health during your "Golden Years."  I wish you pleasant surroundings and a sense of having lived a good, solid, decent life.

The one thing I wish is that every American learn to avoid poisoned foods such as the GMO's or Monsanto's poison Roundup sprayed on crops.  I loathe all the chemical additives in foods. I forever am angry that supermarket "foods" are filled with sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and another dozen forms of sugars. I hate the MSG's in fast foods that cause people to be "forever hungry", so they buy that second Big Mac, fries and that poison liquid of Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mt. Dew, or Pepsi.  

I would wish that every American ate and exercised toward a slim, trim and healthy waistline.  It's so much better to be slim and trim than fat and dying.  I hate seeing 12 year old boys with middle-aged pot bellies like their fathers.  I dislike seeing kids get hooked on sugar.

For certain, I am so sad to see kids locked into their cell phones instead of playing or exercising or expressing themselves by singing, painting, or creating something with pottery, jewelry or photography.

In schools, I wish they taught dancing in the 6th grade so kids would learn social skills. I wish they would provide afterschool classes that promoted the Pledge of Allegiance, some kind of prayer of gratitude. I wish that teachers were paid well, and parents attended "Parent Teacher Conferences."  I wish that every child learned everything needed to become a contributing member of our society.

But this cancer thing makes me horribly sad. Why? Because when you look at all the chemicals prayed onto our crops, or plowed into the ground or engineered by GMO scientists…really, it makes me sick because of the millions of people whose bodies could not withstand the chemicals…and so, they died of cancer. It's an ugly disease because it hooks into you, and then, it takes you to a slow death. You agonize and your loved ones suffer grievously throughout the process. 

You know what I wish?  I wish that all those food manufacturers were more concerned about America's general health than they are worried about profits. I wish that fast food joints provided organic salad bars like Mad Greens, Crispy and Green, Modern Market and other healthy food providers. I wish schools taught children and parents the dangers of white sugar and its role in causing obesity, diabetes, dental cavities and overall poor health. Kids need vegetables over pizzas.

How can you help?  Write Heinze Ketchup and demand they take sugar out of their  products.  Write Sunsweet and demand they take "high fructose corn syrup" out of their products.  Write Monsanto and tell them you want them to stop poisoning this country with "Glyphosate" and GMO's.  Write your Congress people to ask them to pass laws that stop Monsanto and its stockholders from poisoning our food chain, poisoning our water and contaminating our soils.  Stop buying "poisoned foods" that contain all those chemicals so you dissuade manufacturers from producing them.  Your dollars dictate what they offer.  

Why? Because cancer is one of the top killers in America, and it's mostly caused by all those chemicals in our food chain.  

Thank you for making positive change. Every time you read the ingredients on a "food" label, make a note, and then, call or write that company and demand the offer health foods, organic foods, and decent nutrition for all  Americans. Same with fast food joints. Or, stop purchasing from those establishments. Force them to offer healthy foods.

Thank you and may you and yours live health lives free of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and poor health.

##