Heading Home

So, isn't it great, vacation, time to head home. Of course,this is if you want to head home. To me, home is where the heart is and my heart is here not there. I say a lot of things about my family that many wouldn't believe, in essence that I can't stand them. Let me just say that if after 18 years of living with my family you don't end up as messed up as me I'd consider yourself more than lucky. I've heard all the replies. They can't be that bad. You're just saying that. You don't really mean that. Don't I? I'm happiest when I'm away from them. My motto for life is if you haven't guessed by my chosen log in name is "Fly Free Forever". In my mind, the place I can best do this is here and not there. If it's cold for me not to miss them, to cringe at the thought of entertaining them for the next week, then so be it. I don't care. You haven't lived my life. If you know me you know that I don't like being controlled and I don't like being toyed with. So know this, in the next week while everyone else is having fun with friends and family, perhaps in an exotic locale, I will be at home trying to escape from the stupidity that is my home life.

HOLD ON A DAMN SECOND!

That's it I've had ENOUGH! I repeat, I'VE HAD ENOUGH! It's all well and good for people to go around with different values, some of which are discriminatory. I can deal with these people usually. They're misguided, yet at least they have a logical reason for their views. I ask you this: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH MITT ROMNEY? So his latest plan to solidify himself a political base is to support a referendum to allow religious organizations to discriminate against homosexual couples. Now I understand why people are against homosexuality, believe me I've heard all the excuses, but for the life of me I cannot understand why we now want to discriminate against our children as well. If homosexual couples are not allowed to adopt children, we will lose out on the largest demographic of people that adopt at all.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? CAN'T YOU ASSHOLES REALIZE THAT THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN YOUR BELIEFS!

I guarantee that there isn't ONE child that would be better off in the custody of the state than in a family of their own. This isn't about YOU! This is about CHILDREN! How dare you think that you have their best interests at heart. HOW DARE YOU PRESUME TO UNDERSTAND THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE MINDS OF OUR YOUNG CHILDREN. Children do not care. Family is no less effective with two mothers or two fathers any more than it is with one of each or only one or the other! Would you rather them wander the streets? Would you rather them live in a home where they are only one of twenty or more children cared for by the state? How effective is that family unit?

Here, I'll tell you what, send me all those who believe that homosexual couples shouldn't adopt and I'll straighten them out for you. I'll straighten them out real good.

This is the life of a child we are talking about, not politics, not running for president, not your agenda, CHILDREN. You have no right to mess with the wellbeing of our children. And that, quite simply, is the final word.

Where We've Gone Wrong

It is true that for four hundred years, Africans were enslaved; yes, for some hundred years there was a dispute regarding lands later ceded by Mexico; and yes, we did (for instance) inter Japanese citizens in camps during World War II.
What I’m trying to say is that, this is all in the past. We must focus on the future, and the future must start with unity. Too many times we bring about theories and observations that while bringing to light issues regarding the isms also divide us as a society. We should be proud of our differences, yet we should be prouder of our similarities, those of love and friendship, of peace and forgiveness.

They talk about reparations, about balancing the table, and I’m all for making everyone equal, but I’m not for continuing the circle of discrimination and hate. So long as one group is favored over another, be it socially or through affirmative action, there will always be tensions in this country. Instead of putting the emphasis on college, go back to kindergarten and start there; make everyone equal from the start, not right before the finish; we’ve already lost many by then. If anyone alive today is the victim of discrimination and the person doing the discrimination is alive as well, then I agree that they should pay some sort of reparation, be it monetary or penal. But, as neither side of an argument, long since dragged out, long since outdated, are still alive, I see no right of ones descendants to collect money from another’s descendants. We are not our parents or grandparents; we are ourselves with our own values.

With that said, let’s return to unity. For this country to fully work as a nation, we must give everyone an equal opportunity, not better opportunity, to succeed. Regardless of sex, race, creed, orientation, or ability (or of others I’ve forgotten) should we ever divide our citizens. Differences are well and good, but from time to time it would be nice for all of us to celebrate our similarities. Our differences, color, sex, and orientation (etc.) are all trivial in comparison to our similarities. Only when we realize that we are fundamentally the same, will we treat each other equally.

What Makes Life Worth Living?

The single most important piece of ourselves is spread throughout society, passed down through the generations, some would say it is divine in origin, that which is the beginning and end of us all, the fire ignited at birth and extinguished at death, life, in all its grandeur.

Life is a unique commodity. For all our technical prowess and bio-chemical expertise, we are unable to create from scratch for ourselves life. Religion aside, I believe that life is a truly beautiful thing.

It's a wondrous thing just to sit outside immersed in life, birds and woodland animals scurrying about, the breeze blowing through the trees incensed with lilac or garden herb or the heavy soothing scent after a summer rain. Just sitting there, listening to life at work. No cars, no televisions, no one else.

Psychologists say that humans are pack creatures, that we congregate together. That's all fine and good, but just sitting out there under a beech tree, with the sun's parted rays entrancing your mind in a myriad of light and shadow, that's where life is. Not with family, indoors seated at the kitchen table eating dinner or rooted firmly in front of the television while mile after mile of life hums along outside your wood and brick, central air enshrouded Franciscan tomb, life is planted in the heave and ho of the tide, the hem and haw of Kentucky bluegrass.

I ask you please, remove your eyes from Tom Cruise and Dr. Phil and step out into the light, squint as first you wander about searching for your Nintendo DS and portable DVD player. But then take a seat down by the shoreline and dig your toes deep down into the sand. Run your fingers through it. Feel it's moist grit dig beneath your nails and pry off years of Cheatos debris and then lie back and let the salt air pour through your soul and cleanse you of your differences, exchange your shirt for the warming glow of a summer afternoon and stretch out. Close your eyes and reacquaint yourself with nature, time naught of time, life naught of death. Find a place where politics, war, famine, and hate are replaced with the warm tingling of the sun's rays running up and down your body warming your bones and relaxing your muscles, a place where you cease to be individual and return to your primal existence. The calm soothing churn of the warm foaming tides sliding up your legs surpassing your waist, purging your mind of thought and stress, elevating your being to the highest level of existence. Drift off as the warm water caresses your legs and runs it's cool fingers up your back and around your shoulders. Let yourself slide into it's grip and coast out into the crystal clear, warm waters.

Now that's what makes life worth living.