Tag Archives: spirituality

General Posts

Thursday Afternoon Ramblings

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It’s always staggering to me when people push things to an extreme but then act stunned when they have to face the consequences.  In this particular instance, I’m referring to Sarah Palin and the Tea Party.  For nearly two years, the far right has gathered in hate-filled rallies with signs that read, “We Came Unarmed…This Time”  and “Signs Today…Guns Tomorrow” and “Party Like It’s 1773” and Sarah Palin has inflamed tempers at these rallies with phrases like, “Don’t retreat. Reload.”  And then, of course, are her now infamous ads with Democrats lined up in cross-hairs.

Then, someone takes all of this hate to heart, goes on a shooting rampage that kills six and leaves a couple dozen injured, and suddenly Palin and the Tea Party seem outraged that anyone could possibly point the finger at them for their hate-speech.

This was the work of a deranged individual working alone, they say.

Bullshit, I say.  Words have meaning and power, and when you use hate and fear to stir people into action, you are just as culpable for the actions of those “deranged individuals” who carry out your message as they are.  I’ve written on this blog before that the reason why the right scares me is because people like Timothy McVeigh, Jim Adkisson, and now Jared Loughner all took the venomous, hate-filled diatribes of the far right’s elocutionists and followed through with horrendously violent actions.  Against hate and intolerance, there is no reasoning, there is no discourse, there is no civility.  Hate will always spawn murder, and those who spew hate for self-gain and political expediency have the same blood on their hands and the person who parked the van or pulled the trigger.

The far left is no less guilty of using hate and sensationalism as the right.  It’s simply a miracle that we haven’t had similar shooting rampages by a “deranged individual” from that end of the spectrum.  What we need is more of what we saw at the end of last year–cooperation and compromise between the two sides and less extremism.  In short, we need moderation.  Until both extremes of both parties realize that we’re all in this together and we all need to find a way to coexist, there will continue to be more “deranged individuals” who take the inflammatory venom of people like Sarah Palin and commit atrocious acts at their indirect behest.

General Posts

Wednesday Morning Ramblings

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Not sure what triggered it, but as I was going through this mountain of work on my desk, trying to whittle it down as much as possible before the weekend, I got flooded with memories of family members who’ve passed on.  Maybe it’s the holidays reminding me of them, but I miss them so much.  Big David, Mamaw Jo, Uncle Howard, Aunt Carolyn, Papaw Fullington, Mamaw Fullington, and especially Grandma Roxie.  Just writing their names fills my eyes with tears.  My childhood was blessed because of them, and they deserve most of the credit for whatever goodness may reside in me.  They weren’t perfect, but they were good, decent people who showered me with love.  I would give almost anything to have one more day to sit and talk with them, and at moments like this, I wish I still believed in that version of heaven where they will all be waiting to greet me when it’s my turn to cross over.

If your elders are still around, pick up the phone and call them.  Go over for a visit.  Do it today.  Do it now before you forget.  There will come a day when they are no longer with us, and you will long for their presence.  No one can make you feel more loved and wanted than a grandparent.  No one can believe in your dreams and support your ambitions more than those relatives surrounding you, and if you listen to them and learn from their experiences, you can gain wisdom and possibly avoid a few mistakes in your life.

I’m grateful for every moment that I got to share with my elders.  It’s funny how archaic that expressions sounds now.  Our society has evolved in such a way that too often we discard our seniors much too early.  We discount their knowledge and experience because they move a little more slowly and need a little longer to process information, but there is no substitute for experience.  We should do a better job of respecting our elderly and allowing them to play a more significant role in our lives and our society.

I didn’t mean for this post to turn into a soapbox, but if you have older relatives who are still around, find a little time to give to them.  You will make them very happy, won’t regret the time you spend with them, and will be a richer person for it.  That’s all for now.

General Posts

Friday Afternoon Ramblings

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I had a great birthday, very peaceful and relaxing.  We had an excellent Thanksgiving dinner, mostly prepared by my sister.  She has become an excellent Thanksgiving cook, making the absolute best turkey, broccoli casserole, and green beans.  I also enjoyed spending time with my nieces and parents.  There was a lot of laughter, and for the first time in many years, I truly enjoyed the holiday.

The odd part is that yesterday was the first birthday or Thanksgiving I’ve spent without the kids, and I really was okay.  There were a couple of moments of sadness, but nothing too bad.  I got to talk to them for about half an hour, well Collin anyway.  Finn just said, “Happy Birthday, Daddy” and went back to playing.  I hope he grows out of this not talking phase soon because I miss his voice, but it was good to talk to Collin.  Just one more month, and I’ll be with them for a full week.

In unrelated news, I’m watching a show on the Science Channel about super massive black holes.  Nothing else terrifies me quite like the mere concept of a black hole.  It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that something that powerful exists in nature.  It’s a fascinating show, however.