Our Chance To Come Together, Again.

When my grandparents were young, they were poor. Truth be told, most people in my generation had poor grandparents. My grandparents were born in the teens of the 20th century, and they weathered much adversity in their young lives.

First, they were born at the end of the First World War, which had exacted a terrible and heavy price on every country and every person involved. Then, along came the stock market crash of 1929, which kicked off the Great Depression. People went from wealthy to destitute in one day. We've all seen the film footage and read the history books. Men went wherever they could find work, if they could find it, and existence for most families was hand to mouth. It was at this time, I believe, that the moral fiber, courage, and character of that generation was formed.

For many, simply having a roof over their heads was miraculous. Being able to feed their families a good meal once or twice a day was an additional blessing. They didn't sit around and bitch and moan about not having the newest gadgets, or new furniture, or new cars. They didn't cry on each other's shoulders about their stock portfolios being practically worthless. They didn't wave their hands and run around in circles, like the modern day media, and cry "the sky is falling, the sky is falling!" No, they took life one day at a time, and treated each day, and each other, as a gift. They didn't expect a government "bailout" either. If they lost their homes, they lost them, and it was time to move on and try to find a better life.

Those that had, even a little, would share unflinchingly with those who didn't. That value must have stuck in my grandma, because I can remember as a kid, homeless men and hoboes coming to her kitchen door and asking for something to eat. My grandma didn't even flinch. She told these folks to have a seat on the porch and she made them a meal. She asked for nothing in return and never treated it like an inconvenience. Nowadays, we won't even look a homeless beggar in the eye, much less give them something to eat. (I personally don't give beggars money, because I know from experience many of them will just run to the closest drug dealer or liquor store with it.)

I guess my point is: what's happened to us, America? We are facing very tough economic times. Some say we're looking at a second Great Depression in the face. And what are we doing about it? Begging the federal government to save our possession driven lifestyles. Why should they? What's wrong with having a little less, and being more thankful for what you have that matters (like a full stomach, a roof over your head, your family and friends?) Why are these things not enough?

It is time we concerned ourselves with the simple, good things in life. It is time once again to take each day we're given as a gift, and be thankful. It is time for us to regain our charitable attitude toward our fellow man. If we don't come together once again as "One Nation Under God," we are very likely to become a house divided that crumbles under the smallest adversity.

My Goofy Wisdom

Wisdom I have gained - the hard way.

1. Women really DO fart. And their farts stink, just like a man's. Really.

2. No matter how well you treated it as a youngster and young adult, your body WILL launch a rebellion against you at age 35 or 40.

3. Dogs rule. Cats...not so much. But I guess they're o.k. as long as they aren't the fluffy, mashed-in face kind...

4. You know the calorie counters on exercise machines that show you how many calories you've supposedly burned? THEY LIE.

5. I DID NOT know everything at 21.

6. God's love is the ONLY thing that lasts forever.

7. "Insanity" and "Marriage" are legal terms. Insanity is not a name for mental illness, and marriage is not a name for love.

8. I've heard that debt is the second most marketed product in America. I believe that. Vanity is the first. If you don't believe me, watch an evening's worth of commercials.

9. Why do they show commercials for restaurants we don't have in our city? You'd think they would be able to weed those out.

10. Americans love to brag about democracy. They just don't like to participate in it. In the last election, only 30% of eligible voters actually voted - AND THAT WAS A RECORD TURN OUT!

11. It's easier to remember people's names when you associate their faces to animals. For example, Jay Leno reminds me of a skunk. No offense, Jay.

12. America really, really, needs to declare ENGLISH as the official national language. Before we're all forced to speak Spanish just to communicate.

13. Kids are the most fun to be around before they reach junior high. After that, you become the "anti-parent."

14. Why did they invent pills to make a man's penis larger, but no one's invented a pill to make a woman's vagina smaller?

15. My kids have nicer cell phones than I do. And I don't care. I just wish they'd call more often.

More later...

No Disappointment, Child

Probably everyone you ask will tell you about their life's disappointments - whethere they be big or small. No life is without a letdown or two (or more), so everyone has something to say on this subject.

Many of us are parents. The single greatest joy, and the single greatest gift in many of our lives are our children. Whether you have one or fifteen, each of your children is a unique and irreplaceable treasure. We sacrifice many things for them, including no small amount of sleep, and do so without complaint. And, if you think about it, we shouldn't complain, because someone did the same for us during the early years of our lives. Parents don't count the sleepless nights, the doctor and emergency room visits, the mistakes our children make at home and school as disappointments. No, they simply come with the territory of rearing a child.

I gave up many years ago expecting perfection from my children. After all, they are just as human as I am, and I make (and have made) plenty of mistakes. The hardest part of parenting, in my opinion, is letting your kid make these mistakes and learn from them - without interference from you. It's hard to watch someone you love more than yourself do something you know from experience is wrong or harmful to them. It's difficult beyond words afterwards to wait and see if they learn the lesson. They are individuals, after all. And to stifle their individuality and try to create them in your image is comparable to robbery. But we still have our little plans for their lives.

Current society tells us that our children should do well in grade school and move on to a post-secondary education, get their degree, find a career, marry (hopefully), and have a family. That's the prevailing expectation of a child from "the majority." These are what I call the great number of people who subscribe to the same worn out ideal of what leading a "good life" is.

What happens, though, when your child doesn't follow the majority plan? Do you love them any less for skipping college and getting a job? Are they a less valuable human being if they marry right out of high school and have children shortly thereafter? What of the ones who drop out of school, discover drugs and alcohol, and the growing population of young people who have done the same? Do we give up on them? Do we refuse to love them? Sadly, many parents, and people, do write these kids off. Why? Because they are "disappointments?"

A human being is not an expense on a ledger book. A person's worth is not determined by what piece of paper they hold from an accredited college or trade school. There is no line above which are the winners and below which are the losers. Every human being, every child, has worth. It is our job as parents to cultivate that worth while we have them with us. It is up to them to hold onto that worth and shape their lives as they see fit.

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Anger and Frustration

I am frustrated and angry today, so here are some random thoughts relating to my state of mind.

Children: The moment they are born are the most joyous of a "good" parents life. Raising them is challenging, but rewarding just the same. And once they grow up and leave home, at some point, they find a way to make you feel like the biggest failure as a parent in the history of the world.

Occupations: Why do we associate "who" we are with "what" we do for a living? But we do. So, against all odds, I AM A COP. But in the end, it's just a paycheck. A means to an end. Yet we place WAY too much emphasis on our occupations and so do our bosses. Screw 'em all.

Significant Others/Spouses: Marriage is actually only a legal term, just like insanity is just a legal term, and nothing more. "Matrimony," "Sacred Union," and like terms mean more to me, and demonstrate our love for one another much better than "Marriage." "Marriage" just means you divide the stuff down the middle. Believe it or not, I think God would agree with me. Look at the Bible. It says in every case "he TOOK a wife." It doesn't describe a ceremony, or legal contract, etc.

Technology: Growing up, I had no cell phone, no computer, no iPod, and only a black and white TV with rabbit ear antennas in my room. This did not bother me. I had a BICYCLE, and it took me to my friends with a little physical effort. You kids 18-25 years old, that whine about not having what you need in this world, here's what I say to you: GET OVER IT. All you REALLY need is the will to WORK, and you will have everything you need, and most everything you want. Get a job and stop bitching so much. Preferably a job that involves physical labor so you can get your flabby cookie dough ass into shape for once. I hear the military is hiring.

And last but not least, the election of Barack Obama: America, are you really that stupid? This man did nothing but tell you what you want to hear, without giving ANY concrete plans for his ideas, for over a year, AND YOU WERE SUCKERED INTO BELIEVING HIM. He flat out told a hard working plumber that said hard working plumber should "share the wealth" with his fellow, non-hardworking Americans. That's called SOCIALISM. It failed in Russia. It failed in East Germany, and it will fail here, but only after this monkey faced idiot guts our capitalistic heritage to the point where we are ALL poor and on the government dole. Wake up, sheep.

One more thing: This country was founded on a violent revolution. If you don't believe me, look in the history books. Our constitution TELLS us to throw off oppressive government, and yet we sit idly by and let the federal government bend us over and violate us repeatedly. Can you say "IRS?" America, if you are like me, and you hate what this country has become because of the apathy of it's citizens, buy guns. Buy ammo. By just owning these things with a will to use them agains oppressive forces, we can at least give the government bully pause before he attempts to beat us to a pulp.

Here endeth the lesson.