Owning It

They went to a baseball game together on that warm, damp night.  It was to be yet another in a long string of "date nights" where the lovely couple could enjoy festivities as they did before they married.  The humidity hung in the air with the same heaviness as the anticipation they felt for the evening and as they found their seats, they took in the lights, the atmosphere, and the energy of the field.  

The couple was very attractive and it wasn't unusual for either of them to receive longing or flirtatious glances from the opposite sex.  They had made it a bit of a game; a game that would determine which of the two would be the designated driver for the next outing.  Unfortunately, the humidity coupled with the fact that neither of them had eaten earlier in the day made each adult beverage they consumed more intense and before long, the concept of a designated driver went by the way side.  

He drove them home and didn't react quickly enough to the deer leaping onto the highway in front of the vehicle and his reaction sent the vehicle into a ravine.  They survived the ordeal, however, neither would ever walk again and their hopes of children and a "normal" family life disappeared before their very eyes.  The guilt and anger over his mistake drove him to commit suicide a few months later and his loving wife was left all alone.

This story illustrates how one person's bad decision can become a decision with consequences that ripple throughout time and space as we know it.  The wife will be forever transformed physically as well as emotionally; forced to face her condition alone and without the love of her life.  He didn't "own" his mistake for one reason or another and the aggregate result was tragedy heaped upon tragedy.  No one made it out unscathed and as a matter of fact, it was infinitely worse than he imagined it could be.

Every day of our lives we make decisions that, while they may not be life or death, cause ripples in the cosmos and certainly impact those around us.  Speaking for myself, I've made so many mistakes that I've actually written a book about my mistakes and how not to commit them.  I own them all; they are all mine and no one else is responsible.  I've been at the bottom of the barrel and I've been at the top of the heap and none of it equals the joy of just "being" in the here and the now.

I'm not one to hide behind anything, nor have I ever been; I don't hide behind a religious facade though I am a Christian (a lousy one at that, see Romans 3), I didn't join the military service because it was something that would help me in a run for office but it was a childhood dream fulfilled, and I don't hide behind the facade of righteousness as so many involved in politics do with impunity today.  I can't.  I'm far too flawed.  Too many of us wear masks to hide who we are and present a visage of who we are not, but who we wish we could be or whom we desire TO be.

I'm an imperfect human being and I own that 100%.  

You will fail your spouse, you will fail your partner, you will fail your children, and you will even fail your pets, but failing is only the beginning of the human experience.  Once we fail, we can start over and change how we do things so as to have a positive outcome that benefits everyone.  If you're one of the cats running for office right now and you're doing it to stroke your  ego or to cover up your mistakes, you're lying to yourself and to everyone who even considers casting a vote for you.  Hit yourself in the head with a sledgehammer because you're of no use to the rest of us. 

Life is easier when we own who we are and what we've done in our past and what we're doing right now.  I know a few people who are scampering about right now waiting until filing day to see what kind of opposition they will face and they do so at their own peril.  We have to live in the here and now and own where we are and what we may or may not face in the future.  It's all dust in the wind anyway, isn't it?

Of course, this has been just my opinion and I could be wrong but I seriously doubt it.


Gorilla

More In Common

Social media is often wonderfully entertaining.  The political machines chugging along with their little cult members parroting every pathetically rehearsed line from the candidate's mouths as though it's Gospel, and then there are the folks from the "like if you love Jesus" crowd who are explaining to the world how they love God more than y'all.  Social media has become a pulpit of sorts for everyone from every walk of life and religious affection to share their thoughts and ideas - and the cacophony of voices are only getting louder.

When folks have something intelligent to say, that's just fine.  When it's propaganda for propaganda's sake, it sucks. 

At the very heart of the whole of the ideological spectrum, or from a religious or "moral" standpoint, there are common elements that both sides of the aisle share, but we're often too busy running our damned mouths to even notice.  You see, it's easy to be pissed off and stay pissed off because of "righteous indignation," and it gathers a crowd who end up screaming for someone's blood, but at the foundation, we have more in common with one another than we have reasons to riot.  Here are a few examples of what I am getting at:

Police Brutality:  On the hardcore left, the goal is to see people not have to live in fear of authority and not have that authority inflict harm on its citizens.  On the right, they want pretty much the same thing - they're called Libertarians and Tea Partiers.  What is missed in this equation is that most people who are bitching the loudest on both sides haven't the intestinal fortitude to do what law enforcement is forced to face each day.  It doesn't excuse by any means errant officers who break the law, as a matter of fact, they should be punished quite firmly when they do break the law.  On the other hand, maybe people should stop breaking the law and start acting like human beings with common sense.  The stress on law enforcement would be lessened if we could do that and we'd have a nicer place for all of us to live.

African American President:  This generation has made history by electing a man whose skin color would have gotten him killed in parts of the country not 60 years ago.   Both sides of the aisle want to see our country safe, prosperous, caring, strong, and effective.  The hardcore left loves the President just because of his skin color, and there are those on the hardcore right who hate him for the same reason.  But at the bottom line, you'll find that we all want the President to succeed because for him to succeed means that the whole of the country succeeds.  I'm not a fan of many of his policies but it his policies I abhor, not the color of his skin.

Love:  Everyone wants to love and be loved.  Unless you're a complete sociopath, the human experience includes connection with others and a desire to feel secure in a way that only love can bring.  I don't give a hoot what your political affiliation may be, when you're loved, you're a better person.  When you love others, you become a beacon of light rather than a giver of darkness.

Football:  At a football game, there are supporters of one side and supporters of the other.  No one cares what political party you belong to because what matters is the game and the team.  Period.

Comedy:  We all love to laugh and that excludes no one.  Humor is a uniquely human attribute and it doesn't matter if you're a Lutheran, a Methodist, a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, a Baptist, or an agnostic - we all love to laugh and there isn't anything wrong with that. 

No Hungry Children:  Not a single person I know would advocate that any child should go hungry.  Not a one.  Conservatives and liberals alike see the problem as real, but often, nothing gets done.  

You see?  We have great things in common and if we only had the courage to cherish those things rather than fight about issues of little impact, the world as we know it today would change.  Granted, there will always be the criminal element lurking about, but as a general rule, peace with one another is better than conflict. 

Social media is a great place for positivity and a celebration of commonalities to start.  One person can share a positive note with friends and the result is someone's day is made more bright.  One person can surprise a friend with a sweet message and provide comfort for someone suffering from depression.  Sharing information about progress, about volunteerism, about planting a garden are all very positive and fun things to see on social media rather than the argumentative tripe we see spewing forth today.  Don't you get tired of the duplicity on both sides?  Wouldn't it be nice to see everyone within our sphere of influence just get along and not try to eat each others' flesh with vitriol?

Hell, I'm as guilty as any, if not more so because I was a talk show host. 

Of course, this is just my opinion and if you disagree with me, you're probably one of those long-haired, Birkenstock-wearing, dope smoking, hippie.  Or you're a conservative, fascist, racist, homophobic, idiot.  Either way, you know I'm right.

Gorilla

Harrison Ford or Wyatt Martin? You Decide

We live in some very, very strange times.  Global warming scares, vaccination nightmares, ammunition bans, the reintroduction of the scarlet letter (against the LGBT community), spring temperatures followed by a foot of ice, and then, there's the stuff that is really messed up.  These certainly are weird and wacky times.

What causes this mania?  Is it more apparent because we have instant news coverage 24/7?  I remember getting into an argument with a gentleman a few years ago about how I believed that the Internet, social media, and the instant access to news and information has isolated us from one another and we haven't the ability any longer to have meaningful community.  He argued that since we have such access, we are able to communicate with people across the globe instantly.  I think my point still stands - video chat and emails are fine, but their not the same as holding someone as they weep and mourn a loss.  Neither is technology in a place where joy can be shared and spread.  I win this argument every time.

I suppose the up side to having instant access to information is that we're notified pretty quickly when elected officials pull their douchebaggery.  But then again, it only serves to piss off most of us with 50 functioning brain cells left.  It's one thing to hear about the idiocy of elected officials through the proverbial grapevine, but when the complete details of their shitheadedness is open for all to see, it's rather embarrassing.  Like in Oklahoma - the state has been the butt of jokes across the nation and we're kind of like that religious zealot cousin who ends up getting caught diddling the neighbor's daughter.  It's humiliating that we allow some of the bullshit that spews from under the dome to flow so freely. 

Then, there's news about Harrison Ford crashing a WWII airplane and being critically injured.  He is an avid pilot, according to news reports, and hailed by his fellow hobbyists with awards and commendations.  I don't mean to be a dick, but let's do the math, shall we?

1.  He's 72 years old.  Not that 72 is old, but it makes you wonder why he was...
2.  Flying a WWII aircraft.  Why?  Not that it really matters, but good heavens.  There are things I cannot do any longer and they have to be sacrificed at the altar of living. 

It doesn't make sense at all.  But, here's a noteworthy story that I promise you haven't heard:

Spc. Wyatt J. Martin, 22 of Mesa, Arizona died December 12, 2014 in Parwan Province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when the enemy attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive devise.  The soldiers were assigned to 3rd Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Calvary Division, Fort Hood, Texas.  Martin joined the Army in August of 2012 and had been assigned to Fort Hood's 2nd Squadron, 3rd Calvary Regiment, 1st Calvary Division, since June of 2014.  He deployed to Afghanistan in June 2014.   (See more here.)

A kid.  50 years younger than a Hollywood star, probably without the star's income level.  He laid down his life for his country and its citizens.  Ford was fucking around in a WWII aircraft.  Martin was deployed to Afghanistan in the same month that Ford broke his leg making a Star Wars movie. 

So you tell me:  Who should be getting the headlines?

We live in a world where we worship Hollywood stars and musicians, but we can't seem to realize that as a nation, we owe our freedoms to men and women like Wyatt Martin.  Martin literally laid down his life for you and me - what is his reward?  Where is his parade? 

Sure, he enlisted, signed up and he knew the risks.  But he was a brave man, doing something that 1% of the population has the balls to do:  Take an oath and stand a post.

It's sad that Harrison Ford was injured and the hope is that he heals and returns to his next movie set unharmed. 

It's more sad, however, that the American people forget about the Wyatt Martins in our midst. 

This is just my opinion, and I could be wrong.  But I seriously doubt it. 

Gorilla