A good definition of wasted focus, is when folks worry about all of the wrong things. And those things happen to be nothing that pertains to them, but to someone else. Some people constantly look over their shoulder, and all over the place at what someone else seems to be doing. The dance of avoidance, because not putting energy into your own situation creates a two step around your own central issues. So many people are worried or concerned about what everyone else is doing, and how they manage to do it. So they look, snoop around, ask other folks, or try their best to emulate what they believe is going on.
Now there is nothing wrong with seeing what folks do to an extent if you admire them, or want to take tips from them on how they do something, ask why they are successful, and apply it to yourself. But that is drastically different than wondering what they have, trying to figure out how someone got to where they are in a devious fashion, while not working on your own situation, and just hemming and hawing that you don't have what they have.
Too many times people don't like the situation that they are in, and do nothing about it, while worrying about the Joneses. They want what they have, they wish they were them, or they can't stand them for what they have. The metaphor goes even deeper because that is often a microcosm for what's wrong with their lives to begin with. The central issue is them, and what they need to do for and with themselves, but they constantly look over at someone else to see what they've got going on. And if the central issue is yourself, and you dance all over the place to avoid it, then you are doomed to failure. Money, and possessions are not always coveted. Self esteem, confidence, determination, and intellect, are all things that folks look at others and wish that they had. Well the truth is that they can have those very things. Maybe not in the context of that individual exactly, but they can have it to the best of their abilities. By worrying about the neighbor across the fence, or the person walking down the street, you paint yourself into a corner that you will always be stuck in.
You start attending what I call the inner block party where you try your best to get in good with the Joneses, and show them that you can keep up as well. Once again a metaphor for talking about things that you don't know, trying to be someone that you are not, and spend what you don't have, all in an effort to impress and show that you are as good or better, and that you can hang with the crowd that you wish you were in. Trying to fit in through deception, or impersonation is also doomed because they are all not genuine. If you desire to do something, then do it for the right reason, and that reason is because you want to do it, and not because someone else is doing it, or you want to impress someone by doing it, or that someone told you that you must do it. Do it because you have a burning desire to do it, and do it well. That is the only way that it will be successful because you are the one behind it, and the motivation is genuine, and strong.
The Joneses will always be there in everyone's life. Forget them. They mean nothing. If you happen to attain the level of the Joneses then there will be more Joneses on the horizon, and you will always be competing with something unimportant. The central issue is not them. it is yourself, so compete with you to make yourself, your life, and situation better. Take yourself away from the inner block party. And have a good time doing some in house cleaning and rearranging.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
No Trespassing: The electric fence of self preservation
We as people lots of times put up emotional roadblocks, fences, and walls between us and the world for one reason. The world hurts. Life and people will kick you in the groin, pull your hair, sucker punch, and trip you as you try to get your footing back. Live long enough, and you will experience emotional heartbreak, feelings of betrayal, depression because of a situation, and general apathy of life, because of something that makes you unhappy. Even the most happy go lucky chirpy individual that you know has probably somewhere in their lives been kicked down to a low point of anger, disappointment and tears. It is unfortunately part of life and some of what we will go through in the process of becoming mature adults. That is if you're going to become mature, because as we all know, many folks seem to repeat the same garbage over and over, and never seem to learn from what they have been through. But since things in the world sometimes hurt so badly, or make us angry, or make us feel like fools, we start the process of construction to prevent it from happening again. And what we construct is a wall or fence around us that doesn't allow much to get in.
The things that do manage to get in are often scrutinized, analyzed, and questioned, and then often thrown out for fear of taking us back to a place that we don't want to be. It is a vicious cycle of self preservation that happens, because the one thing that people never want to feel is that they are suffering. Pain, anger, and the disappointment that situations and people heap upon you is akin to the feeling of suffering. Now there obviously is real suffering in the world, where people are infested with parasites, or their homes being wiped out by nature, and that is real, but emotions can be akin to the feeling of suffering. There is no worse emotional feeling in the world than heartbreak. It can make you feel as though your world is coming to an end, and no matter what anyone says, or what else is around you, you feel as though you are the lowest and loneliest person on the planet. You feel as though the center of yourself has been ripped out and stomped on, and you may even ask why is this happening to you. That is the feeling of suffering. And that feeling takes its toll on your psyche, and your subconscious in ways that you can't even comprehend.
When people say that they are jaded, it really is another way of saying that they are experienced in a particular point of view, where they refuse to let a particular aspect of emotion run their decision making process. They see a particular situation for what is was, is, and what could be, and are neither giddy about it, nor have disdain for it. It exists, and that's it. That is what the wall or fence of self preservation filters out. The emotions involved in situations. It is like an alarm of red flags that alert you to a trespasser upon your psyche, and well being. It reminds you of how invested emotions made you act and feel about certain past situations, and tries to prevent you from getting to that state again. After awful, or painful situations, our instinct of self preservation goes up because the feeling of loss or anger was a complete circle that returned to ourselves. Whatever the situation was, the feeling often times winds up being that it was our fault. So to fix that, the wall or fence will not let you become a victim to yourself again. It will block out the ability for people and things to get in and destroy your well being. It is inner sabotage on the highest level, and it is complex, but it is also normal.
The hardest thing to do is to blow up that fence once it surrounds you. Even the person who manages to open themselves up to the world again, has remnants of that fence, all around them, and it could go up again the second time faster than it did the initial time.
There is no right or wrong answer about self preservation. Everyone has their levels of it, and how high they decide to make the fence is based upon the individual, their experiences, and how those experiences affected them. Life hurts, and people react to the pains of it differently, and to various degrees. Something that affects me profoundly may not bother another individual as much. There are folks who manage to open themselves up to the world no matter what has happened in their lives, and there are folks who will forever shut things out. Either way, those are I believe personal decisions that those particular folks have to live with, but more importantly be aware of. Understanding how we reacted, always helps with understanding how we will react in the future. Those aspects could change, but only time and life will tell.
If you happen to have a fence around you, and you are in high alert self preservation mode where you are leery of trespassers, then I can understand fully. If your arms are wide open to the world, allow things to come and go on your property, then good for you. If someone or something tears up your lawn, and you need fencing...Don't come to me..Mine's being used at the moment.
The things that do manage to get in are often scrutinized, analyzed, and questioned, and then often thrown out for fear of taking us back to a place that we don't want to be. It is a vicious cycle of self preservation that happens, because the one thing that people never want to feel is that they are suffering. Pain, anger, and the disappointment that situations and people heap upon you is akin to the feeling of suffering. Now there obviously is real suffering in the world, where people are infested with parasites, or their homes being wiped out by nature, and that is real, but emotions can be akin to the feeling of suffering. There is no worse emotional feeling in the world than heartbreak. It can make you feel as though your world is coming to an end, and no matter what anyone says, or what else is around you, you feel as though you are the lowest and loneliest person on the planet. You feel as though the center of yourself has been ripped out and stomped on, and you may even ask why is this happening to you. That is the feeling of suffering. And that feeling takes its toll on your psyche, and your subconscious in ways that you can't even comprehend.
When people say that they are jaded, it really is another way of saying that they are experienced in a particular point of view, where they refuse to let a particular aspect of emotion run their decision making process. They see a particular situation for what is was, is, and what could be, and are neither giddy about it, nor have disdain for it. It exists, and that's it. That is what the wall or fence of self preservation filters out. The emotions involved in situations. It is like an alarm of red flags that alert you to a trespasser upon your psyche, and well being. It reminds you of how invested emotions made you act and feel about certain past situations, and tries to prevent you from getting to that state again. After awful, or painful situations, our instinct of self preservation goes up because the feeling of loss or anger was a complete circle that returned to ourselves. Whatever the situation was, the feeling often times winds up being that it was our fault. So to fix that, the wall or fence will not let you become a victim to yourself again. It will block out the ability for people and things to get in and destroy your well being. It is inner sabotage on the highest level, and it is complex, but it is also normal.
The hardest thing to do is to blow up that fence once it surrounds you. Even the person who manages to open themselves up to the world again, has remnants of that fence, all around them, and it could go up again the second time faster than it did the initial time.
There is no right or wrong answer about self preservation. Everyone has their levels of it, and how high they decide to make the fence is based upon the individual, their experiences, and how those experiences affected them. Life hurts, and people react to the pains of it differently, and to various degrees. Something that affects me profoundly may not bother another individual as much. There are folks who manage to open themselves up to the world no matter what has happened in their lives, and there are folks who will forever shut things out. Either way, those are I believe personal decisions that those particular folks have to live with, but more importantly be aware of. Understanding how we reacted, always helps with understanding how we will react in the future. Those aspects could change, but only time and life will tell.
If you happen to have a fence around you, and you are in high alert self preservation mode where you are leery of trespassers, then I can understand fully. If your arms are wide open to the world, allow things to come and go on your property, then good for you. If someone or something tears up your lawn, and you need fencing...Don't come to me..Mine's being used at the moment.
Monday, May 23, 2011
We Just Disagree: Knowing when to draw your battle lines, or else run out of lead
Nobody is correct all of the time, and everyone has an opinion. You are going to disagree with something you have heard, seen, or read somewhere perhaps hourly in the course of a day. When and where you choose to speak up about disagreeing can mean the difference between a nice day of sharing opinions, and an argumentative day that leads to a giant headache. As I have said before, it's good to have an opinion about things, and those who don't open their mouth of course can't say anything wrong. opinions are just what they are sometimes. Ideas about how something should be done, ways of thinking, or perception, or a take on observing a particular subject. Often they have facts that are laced within them, and sometimes facts get twisted, reworked to favor an argument, or just blatantly removed, or forgotten. It's going to happen because we as humans no matter what the facts are, will put a slant on things that go towards our opinion. It is human nature, and no one is above it, sorry. If you believe that you are Switzerland, and are a neutral individual to situations then you have already failed. It is human nature to gravitate towards that which you are partial to no matter what the topic, and often there will be a valid point in some of what you say, but it will never be completely unbiased. There will always be some sort of lean, and to accept that is to accept being a human being with a point of view. That's fine, and wonderful, and when chosen properly things can make for very good give and take conversations between adults about subject matter.
One of the keys to keeping ones sanity though is picking a spot to assert your disagreement. There will be things that completely annoy you, and that you disagree with all of the time, and sometimes you just have to let it go. Whether it be between your friends,your spouse, your co workers, or some social network such as Facebook where various opinions hang out, getting sucked in every time you disagree can be absolutely draining, and straining. Disagreeing takes up so much energy, and often times can be heated, and fiery depending on the topic, and individuals involved. If you have picked a moment to disagree, you obviously have some stake in the topic that you see where you either see a flaw in the idea, some fact that you know of has been distorted to the point of annoyance, or you just want to speak up and be heard. That's fine also, but realize the time and emotion that it actually takes for the give and take to happen, and if you preoccupy your day with those types of interactions, you probably will never get anything done.
Unless you enjoy confrontation, because there are some folks who just seem to live to disagree with folks. If you say it's sunny out, that person will point out that some clouds in the sky make it actually cloudy. They thrive on contradiction, and have decided that their mission is to clash with as many people as possible. They seem to enjoy stoking fires, and even ask folks what they think about a particular subject instead of waiting to be asked, just so they can figure out the angle of disagreement.
The worst thing to do is something that gets done at friendly gatherings all of the time. Take on one of the big 3: Race, Religion, and Politics. Those are the topics that spark people into arguments because they are such hotbeds of opinions, and folks feel strongly about them to the point of going beyond the disagreement phase, and into the argument realm. People intermingle facts, opinions, strong beliefs and what they have heard all throughout those three topics to the point where they are pretty solid on where they stand in their battle lines. Where those three topics are concerned, even with seemingly rational adults, it can go from a nice interesting topic, to a tense disagreement, to a full blown argument in literally less than a couple of minutes, causing the friendly gathering or conversation to be something everyone wants to get the hell away from.
In the interest of sanity, civility, and just overall lack of time consumption, sometimes it is wise to just disagree, and leave it at that. Constructive conflict is good for everyone, but any huge amount of it can be detrimental to the soul. So picking your battles is essential to a nice balance in life of listening, speaking, and opining. If you can find a nice happy balance for those three, then you will find that people have a thorough respect for you as long as you articulate your stance clearly no matter what the sides are. Be confrontational all of the time, and nobody wants any part of it because the end results are bad moods for everyone.
So have an opinion, say it, disagree, and state your case, and the world will turn..But sometimes be quiet, and walk away, and just disagree in silence...And the world will turn also. Words of wisdom...Let it be.
One of the keys to keeping ones sanity though is picking a spot to assert your disagreement. There will be things that completely annoy you, and that you disagree with all of the time, and sometimes you just have to let it go. Whether it be between your friends,your spouse, your co workers, or some social network such as Facebook where various opinions hang out, getting sucked in every time you disagree can be absolutely draining, and straining. Disagreeing takes up so much energy, and often times can be heated, and fiery depending on the topic, and individuals involved. If you have picked a moment to disagree, you obviously have some stake in the topic that you see where you either see a flaw in the idea, some fact that you know of has been distorted to the point of annoyance, or you just want to speak up and be heard. That's fine also, but realize the time and emotion that it actually takes for the give and take to happen, and if you preoccupy your day with those types of interactions, you probably will never get anything done.
Unless you enjoy confrontation, because there are some folks who just seem to live to disagree with folks. If you say it's sunny out, that person will point out that some clouds in the sky make it actually cloudy. They thrive on contradiction, and have decided that their mission is to clash with as many people as possible. They seem to enjoy stoking fires, and even ask folks what they think about a particular subject instead of waiting to be asked, just so they can figure out the angle of disagreement.
The worst thing to do is something that gets done at friendly gatherings all of the time. Take on one of the big 3: Race, Religion, and Politics. Those are the topics that spark people into arguments because they are such hotbeds of opinions, and folks feel strongly about them to the point of going beyond the disagreement phase, and into the argument realm. People intermingle facts, opinions, strong beliefs and what they have heard all throughout those three topics to the point where they are pretty solid on where they stand in their battle lines. Where those three topics are concerned, even with seemingly rational adults, it can go from a nice interesting topic, to a tense disagreement, to a full blown argument in literally less than a couple of minutes, causing the friendly gathering or conversation to be something everyone wants to get the hell away from.
In the interest of sanity, civility, and just overall lack of time consumption, sometimes it is wise to just disagree, and leave it at that. Constructive conflict is good for everyone, but any huge amount of it can be detrimental to the soul. So picking your battles is essential to a nice balance in life of listening, speaking, and opining. If you can find a nice happy balance for those three, then you will find that people have a thorough respect for you as long as you articulate your stance clearly no matter what the sides are. Be confrontational all of the time, and nobody wants any part of it because the end results are bad moods for everyone.
So have an opinion, say it, disagree, and state your case, and the world will turn..But sometimes be quiet, and walk away, and just disagree in silence...And the world will turn also. Words of wisdom...Let it be.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Out Through The In Door: What drives this particular engine to blog
I thought I would deviate a little from my normal M.O. and give anyone who is interested a glimpse into what inspires me to write this stuff and just what I choose to write about and why. My topics are usually people oriented for one reason: I talk to lots and lots of folks.
I get into conversations at supermarkets, clothing stores, at work, at the gym, everywhere. I have had meaningful conversations with complete strangers in the bread aisle. I like talking to folks because I like to learn. As I have said, I am far from the holder of all knowledge, and I am never going to make that claim. What I do possess is a good ear, and a willingness to listen to what folks have to say about their lives. Everyone's life is not mine, therefore theirs is interesting, and different, as something is always said that I can pick up and run with in my head. People say all kinds of things to me, and I am the holder of more secrets than I care to say, but I am proud of that because I am trusted by many folks. I will not hold things over heads nor will I use things later out of anger. If anyone has told me something in confidence, it stays in the vault.
That said, what I do here pertains to conversations and observations of people. I get triggered all day long by something someone has said, something I overheard, or some article that has been written that pertains to what people do. There is no one person that I write about. I take many conversations, and many folks, and merge them into what has been a consistent tale, and it makes its way onto here. I don't poke fun at people, nor do I insult what is going on in their lives. I merely write about a particular circumstance, or condition that I see that has been presented to me in many forms, and many voices. I know and talk with all sorts of people and characters, and each one has some perspective that I can look into, and see just what makes up an essence of a situation. Sometimes it is great, other times, it is not so great, but all are human conditions without filters. I get jazzed up when I get inspired because I can also see the aspects of my own flaws, and the things I would like to improve within myself, as well as points that I'm proud of because I see those things in people also.
When I formulate some idea about what I want to write about I apply it to a big picture. I may not be right, but it is what I see from my perspective after conversations with folk. If I haven't spoken with you, then there's a pretty good bet that you weren't thought of during the purging, but those who know me well and get into conversations with me, as well as the strangers that pop up know that I get triggered very easily, and some of what is talked about concerning life may make its way here. If you talk to as many people as I talk to, you have to get this stuff out of your head or you'll go crazy.
Why do I do this? Because I love to write, and I love people. What better way to put the two together than to do a blog about who we are as human beings? As I said, I don't know it all, and everybody has flaws and stuff to work on, myself included. This is not some psychology class because I'm not qualified to do that..It's a fun blog that I chose to write. I don't take it too seriously, because I don't know it all. If you choose to check it out, then thank you. If you choose to ignore it, then that's cool too. Everybody do their thing. There's room enough for all of us.
I just wanted to let whomever was interested know just what transpires from my head to this blog. It's not much, but it's just my perspective.
I get into conversations at supermarkets, clothing stores, at work, at the gym, everywhere. I have had meaningful conversations with complete strangers in the bread aisle. I like talking to folks because I like to learn. As I have said, I am far from the holder of all knowledge, and I am never going to make that claim. What I do possess is a good ear, and a willingness to listen to what folks have to say about their lives. Everyone's life is not mine, therefore theirs is interesting, and different, as something is always said that I can pick up and run with in my head. People say all kinds of things to me, and I am the holder of more secrets than I care to say, but I am proud of that because I am trusted by many folks. I will not hold things over heads nor will I use things later out of anger. If anyone has told me something in confidence, it stays in the vault.
That said, what I do here pertains to conversations and observations of people. I get triggered all day long by something someone has said, something I overheard, or some article that has been written that pertains to what people do. There is no one person that I write about. I take many conversations, and many folks, and merge them into what has been a consistent tale, and it makes its way onto here. I don't poke fun at people, nor do I insult what is going on in their lives. I merely write about a particular circumstance, or condition that I see that has been presented to me in many forms, and many voices. I know and talk with all sorts of people and characters, and each one has some perspective that I can look into, and see just what makes up an essence of a situation. Sometimes it is great, other times, it is not so great, but all are human conditions without filters. I get jazzed up when I get inspired because I can also see the aspects of my own flaws, and the things I would like to improve within myself, as well as points that I'm proud of because I see those things in people also.
When I formulate some idea about what I want to write about I apply it to a big picture. I may not be right, but it is what I see from my perspective after conversations with folk. If I haven't spoken with you, then there's a pretty good bet that you weren't thought of during the purging, but those who know me well and get into conversations with me, as well as the strangers that pop up know that I get triggered very easily, and some of what is talked about concerning life may make its way here. If you talk to as many people as I talk to, you have to get this stuff out of your head or you'll go crazy.
Why do I do this? Because I love to write, and I love people. What better way to put the two together than to do a blog about who we are as human beings? As I said, I don't know it all, and everybody has flaws and stuff to work on, myself included. This is not some psychology class because I'm not qualified to do that..It's a fun blog that I chose to write. I don't take it too seriously, because I don't know it all. If you choose to check it out, then thank you. If you choose to ignore it, then that's cool too. Everybody do their thing. There's room enough for all of us.
I just wanted to let whomever was interested know just what transpires from my head to this blog. It's not much, but it's just my perspective.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Copy Cats: Something old, something borrowed, something stolen, nothing new
In light of all of the current remakes in the works on television, and movies, it is like being in the 70's and 80's all over again. I can't remember so many rehashes at one time taking up both the big screen and small. It is hilarious and ridiculous at the same time, and led me to think about original thought, as it pertains to Hollywood, music, and people.
There is a reason why certain things have stood the test of time, whether it be certain music, or musicians, or TV shows or movies that we look back on fondly. They were for the most part good, and even when they weren't good, they were cheesy in a good way because it was done in such a way that had a certain appeal or quirkiness of originality in it. Someone had an idea that was original, and saw that idea to fruition. The end result was something unique, and may not have been completely original, but was built upon the ideas before it, taking bits and pieces, and become a separate idea unto itself. Nothing is completely original because ideas spark ideas, and existing situations create new situations. Things are constantly in crisscross as we not only move forward, but lateral and backwards trying to capture greatness, or just some fraction of what made something great. While that is well and good, and necessary to move things along, there are the blatant rip off artists, and copy cats, with no original thought whatsoever.
It seems lately that whenever something is good, someone has to come and crap all over it, instead of examining why it was good and trying to take the elements to make their own situation good. Hollywood is a perfect example of no original thought anymore as remake after remake come crashing through the screen, and usually the remake is the crappiest thing that could possibly be made because they try to make it applicable to today's idiotic attention span. Well it was good already, and stood the test of time because of the pulse of whatever it caught, and the time that it was done was original and relevant, and continues to be good upon multiple viewings. There was no need to expand upon, or dilute, or change the idea. It was fresh, relevant, and managed to strike chords when it was made. Let it go. How someone actually let this stuff happen is proof that there are no sensibilities of trying to be different in Hollywood, They want to make easy bucks, with good looking people, doing minimalistic thinking. More sex, more explosions, and more special effects is what the tiny mind of Hollywood believes people want.
The music industry is no different, as they go for the most mass produced ear accessible garbage possible, and welcome sampling of other previous music where you have kids today thinking that a sampled song from 30 years ago is brand new. That is why the record industry is irrelevant today, and whomever has original music can click a mouse and be heard. It is wonderful, and hopefully will continue as there are folks out there with original thought processes, and who have taken things that made others great, but have not stolen it. They have taken the elements, and done their own thing with it.
Which brings me to people. There are some folks without an original thinking bone in their body. They spew out and regurgitate whatever they have heard without asking questions of why they would even think this, and go about life agreeing with one person, then agreeing with another on the complete opposite end of the same subject. They take and take, and just continue to copy from people like some office copy machine spitting out the same crap that someone else set a precedent for. It's so easy to do exactly what everyone else is doing. They say that imitation is the highest form a flattery, but at some point you have to become yourself. At some point the remakes and copying has to stop. At some point, an original thought has to pop in to make an appearance.
As I said, great things are great for a reason. Ask why. What is it that appeals to you? What makes it great? What makes it timeless? Examine those elements, and apply them to your own original thought, and idea. Don't be a copy cat slave. Everything that can be done completely new has been done. But there are still ways to make your mark. Find a way.
There is a reason why certain things have stood the test of time, whether it be certain music, or musicians, or TV shows or movies that we look back on fondly. They were for the most part good, and even when they weren't good, they were cheesy in a good way because it was done in such a way that had a certain appeal or quirkiness of originality in it. Someone had an idea that was original, and saw that idea to fruition. The end result was something unique, and may not have been completely original, but was built upon the ideas before it, taking bits and pieces, and become a separate idea unto itself. Nothing is completely original because ideas spark ideas, and existing situations create new situations. Things are constantly in crisscross as we not only move forward, but lateral and backwards trying to capture greatness, or just some fraction of what made something great. While that is well and good, and necessary to move things along, there are the blatant rip off artists, and copy cats, with no original thought whatsoever.
It seems lately that whenever something is good, someone has to come and crap all over it, instead of examining why it was good and trying to take the elements to make their own situation good. Hollywood is a perfect example of no original thought anymore as remake after remake come crashing through the screen, and usually the remake is the crappiest thing that could possibly be made because they try to make it applicable to today's idiotic attention span. Well it was good already, and stood the test of time because of the pulse of whatever it caught, and the time that it was done was original and relevant, and continues to be good upon multiple viewings. There was no need to expand upon, or dilute, or change the idea. It was fresh, relevant, and managed to strike chords when it was made. Let it go. How someone actually let this stuff happen is proof that there are no sensibilities of trying to be different in Hollywood, They want to make easy bucks, with good looking people, doing minimalistic thinking. More sex, more explosions, and more special effects is what the tiny mind of Hollywood believes people want.
The music industry is no different, as they go for the most mass produced ear accessible garbage possible, and welcome sampling of other previous music where you have kids today thinking that a sampled song from 30 years ago is brand new. That is why the record industry is irrelevant today, and whomever has original music can click a mouse and be heard. It is wonderful, and hopefully will continue as there are folks out there with original thought processes, and who have taken things that made others great, but have not stolen it. They have taken the elements, and done their own thing with it.
Which brings me to people. There are some folks without an original thinking bone in their body. They spew out and regurgitate whatever they have heard without asking questions of why they would even think this, and go about life agreeing with one person, then agreeing with another on the complete opposite end of the same subject. They take and take, and just continue to copy from people like some office copy machine spitting out the same crap that someone else set a precedent for. It's so easy to do exactly what everyone else is doing. They say that imitation is the highest form a flattery, but at some point you have to become yourself. At some point the remakes and copying has to stop. At some point, an original thought has to pop in to make an appearance.
As I said, great things are great for a reason. Ask why. What is it that appeals to you? What makes it great? What makes it timeless? Examine those elements, and apply them to your own original thought, and idea. Don't be a copy cat slave. Everything that can be done completely new has been done. But there are still ways to make your mark. Find a way.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Over The Hills And Far Away: Those Adrift And What They Search
We all want happiness and peace of mind, and contentment. No matter what your race, ethnicity, or ideology, you want to be happy. It is a longing that everybody feels deep in them, and often tries to force its way out in various incarnations. One of those incarnations for some people is constant change.
For some, they are constantly trying new things, blending in with new people, trying to discover new stimuli, all in an effort to discover themselves. They go from trend to trend, bopping around and giddy that they have discovered something new one minute, and bored, claiming that it is old the next. The truth of the matter is that they really have no attention span to sit with themselves for a period of time, and contemplate just what it is they are looking for.
Human beings are creatures of habit just like all animals, but there are occasionally those that break that mold, and their habit becomes change over, and over. They have to find something new to what they believe is relieving boredom but in actuality it is the inability to focus upon who they actually are, and who they would like to be. It is a hard thing to really look at ones self and ask "Who am I?" or "Am I really satisfied in life, and if not, why?" Those become hard questions because you then have to take stock of aspects of yourself that you may not like at all. We all have qualities and things within us that we really wish that we didn't have, and are actually not thrilled that they are there once we realize it. Accepting it is actually very hard, because you are accepting things about yourself sometimes that you don't like in others. Anyone who tells you that they love every aspect of themselves is only fooling themselves. We have all done some things in life that we would condemn other people for doing, and we wish certain chapters in our lives didn't exist, but they do, and you have to live with it.
The one adrift, and searching often has a hard time with this concept, as they have no idea what makes themselves tick. They constantly make the same stupid mistakes in life, and never learn from them because they never ask themselves "Why they did what they did, or acted the way they acted". When you refuse to ask those questions then you are doomed to repeat performances of bad judgment, and idiocy, along with looking for answers already in front of you. The person adrift is always latching onto the next big thing of excitement or the next interesting adventure that actually happens to be the same thing wrapped in a new package. But they can't see it because to them it is new and different and takes their mind off of the idea that they really haven't a clue as to what makes them happy.
So people places and things for the drifter always need to change in order for them to feel as though they are not standing still, but they really actually are. For if you don't know what you want, you are essentially chasing your tail in life in one big ferocious circle. Nothing will really satisfy you, and you will feel bored constantly, and need external stimuli to actually feel good. There will always be something over the hills and far away, and every time you reach a hill, there is no gratification.
There are folks like this all over the place, and if you tell them that this is who they are, most will deny it, and that is understandable since they don't see it, but everyone else can. Being truly happy is the hardest thing in the world because you have to go to bed, and wake up with yourself happy about being you. I don't know many people that can do it, and I find myself doing searching, so obviously I'm not at the utopia of happiness yet either. But it does take practice, and patience with yourself, and the knowledge of what you are doing if your M.O. is a constant search. Because the reality is that it really isn't a search at all...It's you trying to escape. From what?..... If you are adrift, then that's for you to find out.
For some, they are constantly trying new things, blending in with new people, trying to discover new stimuli, all in an effort to discover themselves. They go from trend to trend, bopping around and giddy that they have discovered something new one minute, and bored, claiming that it is old the next. The truth of the matter is that they really have no attention span to sit with themselves for a period of time, and contemplate just what it is they are looking for.
Human beings are creatures of habit just like all animals, but there are occasionally those that break that mold, and their habit becomes change over, and over. They have to find something new to what they believe is relieving boredom but in actuality it is the inability to focus upon who they actually are, and who they would like to be. It is a hard thing to really look at ones self and ask "Who am I?" or "Am I really satisfied in life, and if not, why?" Those become hard questions because you then have to take stock of aspects of yourself that you may not like at all. We all have qualities and things within us that we really wish that we didn't have, and are actually not thrilled that they are there once we realize it. Accepting it is actually very hard, because you are accepting things about yourself sometimes that you don't like in others. Anyone who tells you that they love every aspect of themselves is only fooling themselves. We have all done some things in life that we would condemn other people for doing, and we wish certain chapters in our lives didn't exist, but they do, and you have to live with it.
The one adrift, and searching often has a hard time with this concept, as they have no idea what makes themselves tick. They constantly make the same stupid mistakes in life, and never learn from them because they never ask themselves "Why they did what they did, or acted the way they acted". When you refuse to ask those questions then you are doomed to repeat performances of bad judgment, and idiocy, along with looking for answers already in front of you. The person adrift is always latching onto the next big thing of excitement or the next interesting adventure that actually happens to be the same thing wrapped in a new package. But they can't see it because to them it is new and different and takes their mind off of the idea that they really haven't a clue as to what makes them happy.
So people places and things for the drifter always need to change in order for them to feel as though they are not standing still, but they really actually are. For if you don't know what you want, you are essentially chasing your tail in life in one big ferocious circle. Nothing will really satisfy you, and you will feel bored constantly, and need external stimuli to actually feel good. There will always be something over the hills and far away, and every time you reach a hill, there is no gratification.
There are folks like this all over the place, and if you tell them that this is who they are, most will deny it, and that is understandable since they don't see it, but everyone else can. Being truly happy is the hardest thing in the world because you have to go to bed, and wake up with yourself happy about being you. I don't know many people that can do it, and I find myself doing searching, so obviously I'm not at the utopia of happiness yet either. But it does take practice, and patience with yourself, and the knowledge of what you are doing if your M.O. is a constant search. Because the reality is that it really isn't a search at all...It's you trying to escape. From what?..... If you are adrift, then that's for you to find out.
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Greatest Loss: Places and things, sometimes define people.
The situation of flooding in Mississippi reminds us that once again we are not in control. We are constantly at the mercy of nature, and nature is sometimes unmerciful. We try to trick it, prevent it, look the other way from it, and fight it, but it will always win. Whether it be water, fire, wind, or the earth itself, we are surrounded by monstrous forces on a daily basis that remind us that we have no control whatsoever. It is humbling because humans seem to get full of themselves because we are at the top of the food chain, and questionably at the top of the intellect pole. (I say questionably because animals lower than us have never exhibited the immense stupidity that humans have.) That said, it is still a terrible thing to be in the way, when nature wants to push through.
The devastation that we see if you look close enough, has faces attached. many times we are so immersed in watching the visual destruction of nature as it powers through, that we lose sight of the men, women, children, and their pets that get laid waste in the picture. There are belongings, heirlooms, property, and memories now destroyed and ruined as not only physically, but psychologically earth shattering for folks.
People are often times defined by their possessions, and their possessions, and place on the earth sometimes define them. That's not the way it should be, but most of us are not nomads who wander from place to place. We want a home, and a place to stick our own little flag of self in the ground, so that we can feel secure, and unmovable. We collect things, pass things down to children, or other relatives so that we can live on in some strange way, and make a statement of worth and a footprint upon this planet. No matter what people say, it is important for people to feel that they matter, and what better way to do that than have something that says "I am here, and when I'm gone, I will be remembered". That is an important part of someone's identity, and if someone tells you that it's not important to them, then they are quite probably lying. All of us have an inate desire as humans to leave a footprint.
What happens when all of that is possibly gone? I can't imagine what it feels like for the victim of nature to have who they are thrown about, crumbled and destroyed. It is possibly the worst feeling in the world, because it probably feels as though your identity, your essence, and your inner soul has been taken away and possibly forever. There is no heirloom, no "something old" to hand down to a daughter for her wedding day..no pictures of one when they were younger, or their parents' belongings. The loss is as complete as anything imaginable. It is not only a loss of self, and things, but a loss of history, which everyone needs to know where they come from in order to move forward. How can one move forward now?
people always say, "Well just move", but even that is something unimaginable to people because some have been in a particular area all of their lives, and their families have been in those areas, and generations have lived in the area. It is also a definition of self, and history that cannot just be pushed to the side like some bad idea. Places and things can define people so much that they are intertwined with the material and the location. I have not experienced such a loss, and makes the things that I have lost in my life seem small by comparison.
Yes the human spirit is very strong, but some never get over such an incredible loss of self. It is a sadness that no matter how you fare afterward never leaves, because there is going to be forever a part of that person lost in rubble, ruin, or soaking and irretrievable.
My point is this: In man's quest to live, he will often get into squabbles with nature. And in those fights, he will always, always lose. But sometimes the loss is not just the fight itself. The loss is OF self. And to lose that is the hardest part of being at its mercy.
The devastation that we see if you look close enough, has faces attached. many times we are so immersed in watching the visual destruction of nature as it powers through, that we lose sight of the men, women, children, and their pets that get laid waste in the picture. There are belongings, heirlooms, property, and memories now destroyed and ruined as not only physically, but psychologically earth shattering for folks.
People are often times defined by their possessions, and their possessions, and place on the earth sometimes define them. That's not the way it should be, but most of us are not nomads who wander from place to place. We want a home, and a place to stick our own little flag of self in the ground, so that we can feel secure, and unmovable. We collect things, pass things down to children, or other relatives so that we can live on in some strange way, and make a statement of worth and a footprint upon this planet. No matter what people say, it is important for people to feel that they matter, and what better way to do that than have something that says "I am here, and when I'm gone, I will be remembered". That is an important part of someone's identity, and if someone tells you that it's not important to them, then they are quite probably lying. All of us have an inate desire as humans to leave a footprint.
What happens when all of that is possibly gone? I can't imagine what it feels like for the victim of nature to have who they are thrown about, crumbled and destroyed. It is possibly the worst feeling in the world, because it probably feels as though your identity, your essence, and your inner soul has been taken away and possibly forever. There is no heirloom, no "something old" to hand down to a daughter for her wedding day..no pictures of one when they were younger, or their parents' belongings. The loss is as complete as anything imaginable. It is not only a loss of self, and things, but a loss of history, which everyone needs to know where they come from in order to move forward. How can one move forward now?
people always say, "Well just move", but even that is something unimaginable to people because some have been in a particular area all of their lives, and their families have been in those areas, and generations have lived in the area. It is also a definition of self, and history that cannot just be pushed to the side like some bad idea. Places and things can define people so much that they are intertwined with the material and the location. I have not experienced such a loss, and makes the things that I have lost in my life seem small by comparison.
Yes the human spirit is very strong, but some never get over such an incredible loss of self. It is a sadness that no matter how you fare afterward never leaves, because there is going to be forever a part of that person lost in rubble, ruin, or soaking and irretrievable.
My point is this: In man's quest to live, he will often get into squabbles with nature. And in those fights, he will always, always lose. But sometimes the loss is not just the fight itself. The loss is OF self. And to lose that is the hardest part of being at its mercy.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Cause For The Cause: Consequences And Bandwagons Collide
This whole situation where the young person is being banned from going to the prom for his action of asking a young lady to attend with him on the wall of the school has gotten completely out of control. And it has become a spectacle that for some reason has gotten more people involved in jumping on, and knowing about than what is necessary for the situation to get resolved.
Before I begin my opinion here I just have to point out a couple of things. 1) I have not forgotten what it means to be a kid, and do things on a whim. 2) I have not forgotten what it means to have romantic feelings. Frankly they are close to the same thing. The giddiness that you feel in trying to attract someone, impress them, win them, is kid-like and that feeling should never be forgotten. Now combine the two things of being a kid, and being smitten provide a recipe for some awkward things that can be cute, and painful to watch also. That said, here is the situation the way I see this prom circus, and I may get hammered for this by people but I'm putting it out there for folks to think about through this little giddiness that I see happening.
Was it a nicely intended gesture on the kid's part? Absolutely. He should have used some better judgement but he's a kid, and kids do silly things in the name of good intentions. Is the punishment over the top? perhaps, but those aren't the fundamental issues that I see here. There is an opportunity to teach an important lesson here about consequences. If you do something unconventional even if it had the most wonderful intentions that you could have, there will probably be consequences. That is an important lesson to learn. It doesn't matter if the punishment is too severe, the kid has to know that some sort of reaction is going to be prompted from doing something that involves property that is not his. Not everyone is going to go gaga and sigh with hearts floating around them as he involves school property. Once again, I am not condemning the kid, because everyone knows where his heart was. I am just pointing out a fact, and that fact is when you do things in life there are consequences, and if you don't learn it early, you won't learn it as an adult, and Facebook people, Oprah, and Jimmy Kimmel are not going to save your ass as an adult. Which brings me to my second point which is "The Bandwagon"
More folks have gotten involved in this very small issue and you would think that someone got killed, or that there was some traumatic scarring of psyche involved. This to me is a perfect example of how mountains are made from mole hills, and how adults are the ones that make them. There will always be some cause big or small that people want to jump on, especially if it's something that is perceived as a "feel good" cause. People for the most part just want to be a part of something, anything that makes them feel like they have some sort of voice when sometimes they need to know just what they are voicing. If this kid had somehow gotten hurt, the same folks would have called him an idiot, or demanded that the school have better security to prevent a situation like that again.
But what the folks on the bandwagon are doing is advocating selective leniency. "Oh c'mon the kid was just being creative" are the cries I hear, but that's not the point. The school is enforcing the law. The very law that parents asked for. Do I think the kid should be able to attend his prom? Sure why not, but make him do some community service or something to show him that acts even with good intentions breed consequences. That's the important lesson he should learn. But for some reason if he doesn't attend his prom then Jesus it's not gonna kill him. He'll get over it, and if he doesn't then it is absolutely true that we are raising a nation of candy asses.
Does anyone need nationwide press for this crap? absolutely not. This issue could probably be resolved somehow without any help from Oprah or Jimmy whoever. Now that they are involved you prompt people to become not so genuine in order to get their 15 minutes of fame, and you also send a message that you will get saved by folks later in life for missteps of judgement, and positive attention if you make it look cute.
Call me irrational, call me a old fart without sympathy if you want. I have stated that I understand why the kid would do it, and me being a romantic that I am would have probably done the same thing if I didn't like heights so much, but that's not my point at all. I'm just trying to point out the peripheral messages that are being sent during this clown show, and it is being taken waaaay to seriously. There is now as I write this a standoff between consequences, and bandwagon outcry. For the love of God...Somebody do something to make this turn back into a mole hill.
Before I begin my opinion here I just have to point out a couple of things. 1) I have not forgotten what it means to be a kid, and do things on a whim. 2) I have not forgotten what it means to have romantic feelings. Frankly they are close to the same thing. The giddiness that you feel in trying to attract someone, impress them, win them, is kid-like and that feeling should never be forgotten. Now combine the two things of being a kid, and being smitten provide a recipe for some awkward things that can be cute, and painful to watch also. That said, here is the situation the way I see this prom circus, and I may get hammered for this by people but I'm putting it out there for folks to think about through this little giddiness that I see happening.
Was it a nicely intended gesture on the kid's part? Absolutely. He should have used some better judgement but he's a kid, and kids do silly things in the name of good intentions. Is the punishment over the top? perhaps, but those aren't the fundamental issues that I see here. There is an opportunity to teach an important lesson here about consequences. If you do something unconventional even if it had the most wonderful intentions that you could have, there will probably be consequences. That is an important lesson to learn. It doesn't matter if the punishment is too severe, the kid has to know that some sort of reaction is going to be prompted from doing something that involves property that is not his. Not everyone is going to go gaga and sigh with hearts floating around them as he involves school property. Once again, I am not condemning the kid, because everyone knows where his heart was. I am just pointing out a fact, and that fact is when you do things in life there are consequences, and if you don't learn it early, you won't learn it as an adult, and Facebook people, Oprah, and Jimmy Kimmel are not going to save your ass as an adult. Which brings me to my second point which is "The Bandwagon"
More folks have gotten involved in this very small issue and you would think that someone got killed, or that there was some traumatic scarring of psyche involved. This to me is a perfect example of how mountains are made from mole hills, and how adults are the ones that make them. There will always be some cause big or small that people want to jump on, especially if it's something that is perceived as a "feel good" cause. People for the most part just want to be a part of something, anything that makes them feel like they have some sort of voice when sometimes they need to know just what they are voicing. If this kid had somehow gotten hurt, the same folks would have called him an idiot, or demanded that the school have better security to prevent a situation like that again.
But what the folks on the bandwagon are doing is advocating selective leniency. "Oh c'mon the kid was just being creative" are the cries I hear, but that's not the point. The school is enforcing the law. The very law that parents asked for. Do I think the kid should be able to attend his prom? Sure why not, but make him do some community service or something to show him that acts even with good intentions breed consequences. That's the important lesson he should learn. But for some reason if he doesn't attend his prom then Jesus it's not gonna kill him. He'll get over it, and if he doesn't then it is absolutely true that we are raising a nation of candy asses.
Does anyone need nationwide press for this crap? absolutely not. This issue could probably be resolved somehow without any help from Oprah or Jimmy whoever. Now that they are involved you prompt people to become not so genuine in order to get their 15 minutes of fame, and you also send a message that you will get saved by folks later in life for missteps of judgement, and positive attention if you make it look cute.
Call me irrational, call me a old fart without sympathy if you want. I have stated that I understand why the kid would do it, and me being a romantic that I am would have probably done the same thing if I didn't like heights so much, but that's not my point at all. I'm just trying to point out the peripheral messages that are being sent during this clown show, and it is being taken waaaay to seriously. There is now as I write this a standoff between consequences, and bandwagon outcry. For the love of God...Somebody do something to make this turn back into a mole hill.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Mass Destruction: Wasted talent from the inside
The recent announcement of singer Whitney Houston's new stint into rehab made me shake my head once again in regret for a loss. Here is this woman who had a tremendous gift, and such promise, and had the opportunities that most people will never see in a lifetime, and she just can't get out of her own way. Not only is her gift deteriorating, but she has seemingly lost her way as a person. That is the tragedy of wasted talent. It is there to be nurtured and cultivated, and is often destroyed during the implosion of the owner.
That brings me to my topic, which is just that...Wasted talent.
Some folks are their own worst enemy. They go through life with something special that God, The Universe, or whatever higher power you believe in has given them, and they don't treat themselves as important holders of the gift. The gift may come very easy to them, and they are able to use this gift on a high level. Other people may see or hear this gift, or be treated to the benefits of it whether it be art related, intellect related, sports, or some other type of skill, and be envious while also in awe of such talent. It is almost as if they have been touched in some ways by something divine. The problem lies within the house of that talent. Many talented individuals just have something inside them that makes them great, and also makes them destroy themselves. There seems to be this parallel universe inside of them that can't sustain some of the greatness by itself. There is a self sabotage mechanism that makes some individuals create their own havoc and chaos and starts the engine of self ruin. We have seen many brilliant folks somehow destroy everything that is within them, and it is them alone that have done it.
Now sometimes it is other individuals that are hanging around or associated with that provide instability, and crap influence, so there are occasionally bad outside influences that seem to dominate, and pull someone with a gift towards destructive behaviors. Having folks around you that lift you up, and provide you with good sound advice, and help to steer you away is crucial, but the decision is ultimately up to you to be pulled. Gifted people are very susceptible to this outside stimuli because everyone wants to be around them good and bad, not only because of their gift, but because of the peripheral things that their gift brings. Primarily money, fame, and access to worlds where they would never get to without being associated with someone such as the gifted.
But most of the time it is the gifted themselves that get involved in destructive behavior because of all the previous things mentioned. People start to tell them just how great they are, and how they can do anything they want, and they start to believe that they are indestructible and that regular rules just don't apply. The gift that got them to whatever level they happen to inhabit, falls to the wayside as they start to engage in all of the fantasies that they have in their heads, and all of the insecurities or megalomania traits come out. The ruin then begins because the torture inside never stops. Some just don't have the inner discipline to handle the gift AND the temptation and responsibility that comes with it. Responsibility because the gift may be just that,,Something that was given, and if it was given, it can be taken away when not used, or abused. And when the destructive nature of abuse to one's self begins, the gift will suffer, and before that person realizes it, the gift has waned considerably never to reach the heights it once had, because of age, or sheer abuse of it.
Those that have the discipline to nurture, and take care of their gift, and themselves as the home of the gift, usually have a few demons themselves but they realize the importance of this gift and keep the worst demons in check, because that gift is what they protect, and hold sacred, and don't let anyone, or anything near it.
The one's that can't get out of their own way end up sadly losing the thing that defined who they are, and lose the wonderful potential that could have come from nurturing what they had to the fullest. It is a tragic loss for the gift itself because it winds up being wasted on one that just couldn't handle it. Everyone has some sort of gift. If you have it, use it to the fullest of your ability. If you don't know where it is, then find it within yourself, nurture it, and guard it with everything you're worth. There is no greater loss in the world than wasted talent. Because not only is the talent itself wasted, but the person who has/had it becomes defined by only two words later in life...WHAT IF...
That brings me to my topic, which is just that...Wasted talent.
Some folks are their own worst enemy. They go through life with something special that God, The Universe, or whatever higher power you believe in has given them, and they don't treat themselves as important holders of the gift. The gift may come very easy to them, and they are able to use this gift on a high level. Other people may see or hear this gift, or be treated to the benefits of it whether it be art related, intellect related, sports, or some other type of skill, and be envious while also in awe of such talent. It is almost as if they have been touched in some ways by something divine. The problem lies within the house of that talent. Many talented individuals just have something inside them that makes them great, and also makes them destroy themselves. There seems to be this parallel universe inside of them that can't sustain some of the greatness by itself. There is a self sabotage mechanism that makes some individuals create their own havoc and chaos and starts the engine of self ruin. We have seen many brilliant folks somehow destroy everything that is within them, and it is them alone that have done it.
Now sometimes it is other individuals that are hanging around or associated with that provide instability, and crap influence, so there are occasionally bad outside influences that seem to dominate, and pull someone with a gift towards destructive behaviors. Having folks around you that lift you up, and provide you with good sound advice, and help to steer you away is crucial, but the decision is ultimately up to you to be pulled. Gifted people are very susceptible to this outside stimuli because everyone wants to be around them good and bad, not only because of their gift, but because of the peripheral things that their gift brings. Primarily money, fame, and access to worlds where they would never get to without being associated with someone such as the gifted.
But most of the time it is the gifted themselves that get involved in destructive behavior because of all the previous things mentioned. People start to tell them just how great they are, and how they can do anything they want, and they start to believe that they are indestructible and that regular rules just don't apply. The gift that got them to whatever level they happen to inhabit, falls to the wayside as they start to engage in all of the fantasies that they have in their heads, and all of the insecurities or megalomania traits come out. The ruin then begins because the torture inside never stops. Some just don't have the inner discipline to handle the gift AND the temptation and responsibility that comes with it. Responsibility because the gift may be just that,,Something that was given, and if it was given, it can be taken away when not used, or abused. And when the destructive nature of abuse to one's self begins, the gift will suffer, and before that person realizes it, the gift has waned considerably never to reach the heights it once had, because of age, or sheer abuse of it.
Those that have the discipline to nurture, and take care of their gift, and themselves as the home of the gift, usually have a few demons themselves but they realize the importance of this gift and keep the worst demons in check, because that gift is what they protect, and hold sacred, and don't let anyone, or anything near it.
The one's that can't get out of their own way end up sadly losing the thing that defined who they are, and lose the wonderful potential that could have come from nurturing what they had to the fullest. It is a tragic loss for the gift itself because it winds up being wasted on one that just couldn't handle it. Everyone has some sort of gift. If you have it, use it to the fullest of your ability. If you don't know where it is, then find it within yourself, nurture it, and guard it with everything you're worth. There is no greater loss in the world than wasted talent. Because not only is the talent itself wasted, but the person who has/had it becomes defined by only two words later in life...WHAT IF...
Monday, May 9, 2011
I Object: The Wasted Energy Of Opposition
It is both hilarious, and disheartening to me to hear people talk sometimes. Some people have a way of adhering to "selective negativity" which means directing their discussions and actions towards the things they just don't like. Most of the sentences that they use start of with "I object to.." "I'm against".. "I oppose".."I don't like"...And so on. When some subject or plan, or topic is brought up, they seem to jump on the wagon of dissent sometimes because it's there. As I've stated before, it's so damn easy to be right when you don't open your mouth at all, but it's even easier to tell people they are wrong with absolutely no constructive ideas to present.
Some folks waste so much energy on telling others what they oppose, and what they are against, and weighing in with nothing but criticism, that it's often impossible to see where the hell their stance is. They are quick to join some opposition bandwagon where everyone states just what they don't like about something, and they hide behind the confrontational battle lines never giving anyone a real idea of just why something isn't liked and what the alternative could be.
Now not everyone is like this of course, but it seems that usually the most vocal people in any situation that oppose something, are the ones that when asked what they would do in a particular situation or what their solution is for a topic, they talk circles around their answer, and strategically avoid answering it. In other words, they got nothin'.
There are many people who just like to bitch and moan, and hear themselves bitch and moan. Somewhere in life they have decided that it is easier to complain, hem and haw, and oppose something that someone put effort into, than to put energy into saying just what they believe and feel strongly about in a positive fashion.
It's attention seeking in the worst fashion possible, because they are using confrontation as a way to feel important and powerful, but there is no wizard behind the curtain. When the smoke clears, it's just bitching and moaning plain and simple. Now it's perfectly fine to be opposed to something. I'm not saying that's wrong. We all have different opinions, and will disagree on a myriad of things. What I'm addressing here are the folks who waste valuable energy, and fill everyone's ear with opposing something and not putting forth what they do like, and how they would approach something different. The amount of energy used in opposing instead of offering is often laughable because perhaps some very good idea could emerge from multiple disagreeing ideas. Just try and get some positive input from some of these jokers, and see the result. They do not liked being put on the spot, and will (as I have described in another post) begin to turn the topic and deflect any attention away from just what they are NOT saying.
So the next time someone wastes their energy opposing something for the umpteenth time , just let them rant away, and chuckle, instead of wasting your energy confronting them, or asking for something behind their explosion of negativity, and the residual smoke of nothingness. Stick to your opinion and learn from others with a different point of view, because once again, it's easy to be right, when all you can point out is wrong, and it's so much easier to be against something than putting yourself out there to be for something you believe in. And just because something is easy, doesn't mean it's better. Hmmm..I wonder who objects to that concept.
Some folks waste so much energy on telling others what they oppose, and what they are against, and weighing in with nothing but criticism, that it's often impossible to see where the hell their stance is. They are quick to join some opposition bandwagon where everyone states just what they don't like about something, and they hide behind the confrontational battle lines never giving anyone a real idea of just why something isn't liked and what the alternative could be.
Now not everyone is like this of course, but it seems that usually the most vocal people in any situation that oppose something, are the ones that when asked what they would do in a particular situation or what their solution is for a topic, they talk circles around their answer, and strategically avoid answering it. In other words, they got nothin'.
There are many people who just like to bitch and moan, and hear themselves bitch and moan. Somewhere in life they have decided that it is easier to complain, hem and haw, and oppose something that someone put effort into, than to put energy into saying just what they believe and feel strongly about in a positive fashion.
It's attention seeking in the worst fashion possible, because they are using confrontation as a way to feel important and powerful, but there is no wizard behind the curtain. When the smoke clears, it's just bitching and moaning plain and simple. Now it's perfectly fine to be opposed to something. I'm not saying that's wrong. We all have different opinions, and will disagree on a myriad of things. What I'm addressing here are the folks who waste valuable energy, and fill everyone's ear with opposing something and not putting forth what they do like, and how they would approach something different. The amount of energy used in opposing instead of offering is often laughable because perhaps some very good idea could emerge from multiple disagreeing ideas. Just try and get some positive input from some of these jokers, and see the result. They do not liked being put on the spot, and will (as I have described in another post) begin to turn the topic and deflect any attention away from just what they are NOT saying.
So the next time someone wastes their energy opposing something for the umpteenth time , just let them rant away, and chuckle, instead of wasting your energy confronting them, or asking for something behind their explosion of negativity, and the residual smoke of nothingness. Stick to your opinion and learn from others with a different point of view, because once again, it's easy to be right, when all you can point out is wrong, and it's so much easier to be against something than putting yourself out there to be for something you believe in. And just because something is easy, doesn't mean it's better. Hmmm..I wonder who objects to that concept.
Friday, May 6, 2011
....And Fun Was Had By All: Having a good time without "Clownage"
As another weekend comes upon us, it is natural for those who don't have to work anymore during the week to do one of two things...Have fun, or relax. If you're lucky you might be able to get both done somehow. but it really is essential for American workers under the pressure cooker of jobs, deadlines, hectic paces, and odd hours to want to blow off a little steam. There is nothing wrong with that at all. The problem arrives when people who are way past teen years, act like they are still there fresh out of high school.
Usually at the age of 25 you start really thinking about what you want to do, and start working toward it, but with no real sense of urgency because you believe that you are 25, and there still is plenty of time to get it done.
By the time 30 comes your way, you are doing most of the things that you are doing that will set you up for your career, but you are still straddling the fence in some ways. You know that it is time to stop acting like you are in your 20's but you still occasionally have 20 something moments. You are starting to know stuff, but it hasn't taken root just yet, and the life experiences that you are getting now, will probably be helpful in five years.
Enter the age of 35, and you have some real wisdom brewing. You may have a divorce behind you, or some children, or some traumatic life experience that has forced you to grow up in a way, and be mature with very few if any 20 something ideas in your head. Pre-seasoned, and just under wise is how I would describe it.
At age 40, no matter what your life was like, you should know something about life, and be able to give sound advice, and be in some ways jaded in certain areas because you have seen it, been there, and done it. There shouldn't be any nonsense tolerated, nor any idiotic juvenile moments that you are part of. You now have a mature outlook and shake your head at 20 something behavior not being able to comprehend that you were once one of those 20 somethings, out of control and stupid.
That is the blueprint, and model, but as we know by dealing with people on a daily, and sometimes nightly basis, that is not the case. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having fun, and hanging with friends, and laughing, and having a few drinks if that's what you do. You probably work hard and deserve it. But acting like an idiot is not the same thing as having fun, especially at age 40 plus.
There are folks who by the way have been drinking all week long priming themselves up for a weekend that they have announced will be one where they plan on getting trashed. Isn't that what 20 year olds do? Now we all have had moments where we regress a little and act like 20 year olds, and there's nothing wrong with that once in a blue moon. We are adults and sometimes miss the wonderful feeling of youth to a degree. I am not talking about that. I'm talking about the habitual jackass that is 40 plus, and almost every weekend getting into fights in bars, trashing his/her car, throwing up in someone else's presence, and waking up laughing over the fact that they have no recollection over what happened the previous night, or even how they got home.
I'm not being a prude, or a stick in the mud, or whatever else you want to call it. As someone who has spent his life in bars playing music, while remaining sober and seeing the same individuals in different bodies, it is not appealing at all. I'm not preaching, I just call it like I see it.
A person who has responsible fun is someone who may go out and have a great time with a couple of friends or so, designate somebody to drive if they get a little too much, and have grown up outstanding fun where laughter is prevalent, and no one gets hurt. That's fun.
Growing older, growing old, and growing up, are 3 different things. You have to grow older if you are going to continue living. You can still have a youthful outlook and heart as you grow old, and laugh, and joke because I think that is the key to not getting depressed. Laughter and fun are truly the best medicines, and I love to laugh and make people laugh with me, or at me if they choose,but just laugh. But growing up is essential because accepting that you cannot continue to act like you are fresh out of high school is growth necessary for a mature adult that can make reasonable decisions and have fun in a mature fashion.
So as you go out this weekend, remember that you can have a blast, but especially folks my age don't engage in "Clownage"(Should be a word) that is reminiscent of high school. It just looks idiotic. Like the saying goes.."There's no fool like an old fool trying to be a young fool." Have fun, be careful, and remember that idiocy is contagious. Don't catch an idiot cold.
Usually at the age of 25 you start really thinking about what you want to do, and start working toward it, but with no real sense of urgency because you believe that you are 25, and there still is plenty of time to get it done.
By the time 30 comes your way, you are doing most of the things that you are doing that will set you up for your career, but you are still straddling the fence in some ways. You know that it is time to stop acting like you are in your 20's but you still occasionally have 20 something moments. You are starting to know stuff, but it hasn't taken root just yet, and the life experiences that you are getting now, will probably be helpful in five years.
Enter the age of 35, and you have some real wisdom brewing. You may have a divorce behind you, or some children, or some traumatic life experience that has forced you to grow up in a way, and be mature with very few if any 20 something ideas in your head. Pre-seasoned, and just under wise is how I would describe it.
At age 40, no matter what your life was like, you should know something about life, and be able to give sound advice, and be in some ways jaded in certain areas because you have seen it, been there, and done it. There shouldn't be any nonsense tolerated, nor any idiotic juvenile moments that you are part of. You now have a mature outlook and shake your head at 20 something behavior not being able to comprehend that you were once one of those 20 somethings, out of control and stupid.
That is the blueprint, and model, but as we know by dealing with people on a daily, and sometimes nightly basis, that is not the case. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having fun, and hanging with friends, and laughing, and having a few drinks if that's what you do. You probably work hard and deserve it. But acting like an idiot is not the same thing as having fun, especially at age 40 plus.
There are folks who by the way have been drinking all week long priming themselves up for a weekend that they have announced will be one where they plan on getting trashed. Isn't that what 20 year olds do? Now we all have had moments where we regress a little and act like 20 year olds, and there's nothing wrong with that once in a blue moon. We are adults and sometimes miss the wonderful feeling of youth to a degree. I am not talking about that. I'm talking about the habitual jackass that is 40 plus, and almost every weekend getting into fights in bars, trashing his/her car, throwing up in someone else's presence, and waking up laughing over the fact that they have no recollection over what happened the previous night, or even how they got home.
I'm not being a prude, or a stick in the mud, or whatever else you want to call it. As someone who has spent his life in bars playing music, while remaining sober and seeing the same individuals in different bodies, it is not appealing at all. I'm not preaching, I just call it like I see it.
A person who has responsible fun is someone who may go out and have a great time with a couple of friends or so, designate somebody to drive if they get a little too much, and have grown up outstanding fun where laughter is prevalent, and no one gets hurt. That's fun.
Growing older, growing old, and growing up, are 3 different things. You have to grow older if you are going to continue living. You can still have a youthful outlook and heart as you grow old, and laugh, and joke because I think that is the key to not getting depressed. Laughter and fun are truly the best medicines, and I love to laugh and make people laugh with me, or at me if they choose,but just laugh. But growing up is essential because accepting that you cannot continue to act like you are fresh out of high school is growth necessary for a mature adult that can make reasonable decisions and have fun in a mature fashion.
So as you go out this weekend, remember that you can have a blast, but especially folks my age don't engage in "Clownage"(Should be a word) that is reminiscent of high school. It just looks idiotic. Like the saying goes.."There's no fool like an old fool trying to be a young fool." Have fun, be careful, and remember that idiocy is contagious. Don't catch an idiot cold.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Please Please Me: Never Good Enough
Before I get into the crux of this post, I want to draw a parallel to what's happening now. The President has decided to not release pictures of slain terrorist, and public enemy number 1, Osama Bin Laden with a bullet hole in his head. Now ask me if I'm curious about seeing the pictures, I won't lie, and I'll say yes. Does it bother me that I won't? No not in the least. Even though I have a curiosity, I think he did the right thing by not putting them out. We claim that here in America we are civilized, but the reaction is proof that we are a nation full of blood lusty folks just like the ones we condemn. That is not bias for someone or against us. It is a fact, and anyone that tells you it isn't, is in deep denial about what is transpiring, and human nature. They hide behind the "America deserves to see it" banner when it is THEY that want to see it for themselves. It's ok if you call it what it is, and not project it onto a cause that you try to hide behind because of being afraid to expose your desire of something you want to see. If you want to see it, then say so, and stop trying to make excuses that involve others..If you don't, then that's cool too.
The important part of how this ties into what I'm talking about is this: The same people who are screaming that those pictures won't be released, are the same people that if they were released would say that they are fake. The same folks who are captains of the obvious in saying that the President did not kill him, but Navy Seals did(Which is absolutely true of course) and deny the President credit for it happening on his watch, are the same folks who God forbid a terrorist attack were to happen here, would blame him in a heartbeat.You can't have it both ways but in people's minds they don't see this. In some minds, he cannot win no matter what he does. That is their mission. To not give any credit, but assign blame at light speed.
Which brings me right to my point. Sometimes in people's minds you cannot win. Whatever you do in their opinion is wrong, and void of any substantial good whatsoever. You try to do the right thing...You are wrong. You do the wrong thing...You are wrong. There is no winning except for the people that judge you. It is a win/win for them because you in their eyes can't do anything right, therefore you should just not do anything..But of course if you don't do anything you will be lambasted for not doing anything. For some folks the only bit of power that they feel in life is to point out things that are wrong with other people. It is often a subconscious ego boost for some people to say, "Holy crap you are doing this completely wrong." And then proceed to point out a million shortcomings without offering viable solutions, or recognizing any positive aspects of the situation being critiqued.
We all know that someone who makes us feel like no matter what we do, it's never good enough. We could turn water into wine, and they would be blase, and say it was the wrong year. And we observe the same folks praising others for doing the exact same thing that you're doing, and smiling saying "nice job". It is an intense lesson on projection from both sides. The person critiquing is obviously biased, and has a resentment, or mission to "Put you in your place" for whatever reason, and show others that you are not significant. Then there is the person being critiqued, who starts to develop a complex, and starts to feel that nothing they do is good enough for whomever. This happens all of the time in friends, marriages, jobs, and other types of relationships.
It is easy to lose ones self trying to please the "Un -pleasable" (Not a word, but it fits) You will try to do things, perform tasks, and act in ways that a child does when trying to get Mommy's attention. You will be trying to jump through hoops as if to say, "Look at me! See I'll be good, I'll be real good, now praise me!" It often doesn't work because it is not a genuine effort to be yourself, but a ploy for positive attention. You will come away angry, frustrated, and disappointed that once again it wasn't good enough.
The hard lesson once again is that you cannot control anything but yourself, and your actions and reactions. Controlling anyone else is out of your pay grade, so why bother. There will be people in your life who for whatever reason resent you, or can't see something good that you have done, or are doing without adding their 2 cents of negativity. The most you can do is just realize this, accept it, and keep doing what you're doing for just you and no one else. You may never know the reason why nothing is good enough which is frustrating, but it's even more frustrating doing things just for positive feedback. Do something because you want to do it. Not because Joe or Jane will possibly like it, and like you also. It may never be good enough for them, but if you like it, believe in it, or live by it....It's damn good enough for you..And that's good enough.
The important part of how this ties into what I'm talking about is this: The same people who are screaming that those pictures won't be released, are the same people that if they were released would say that they are fake. The same folks who are captains of the obvious in saying that the President did not kill him, but Navy Seals did(Which is absolutely true of course) and deny the President credit for it happening on his watch, are the same folks who God forbid a terrorist attack were to happen here, would blame him in a heartbeat.You can't have it both ways but in people's minds they don't see this. In some minds, he cannot win no matter what he does. That is their mission. To not give any credit, but assign blame at light speed.
Which brings me right to my point. Sometimes in people's minds you cannot win. Whatever you do in their opinion is wrong, and void of any substantial good whatsoever. You try to do the right thing...You are wrong. You do the wrong thing...You are wrong. There is no winning except for the people that judge you. It is a win/win for them because you in their eyes can't do anything right, therefore you should just not do anything..But of course if you don't do anything you will be lambasted for not doing anything. For some folks the only bit of power that they feel in life is to point out things that are wrong with other people. It is often a subconscious ego boost for some people to say, "Holy crap you are doing this completely wrong." And then proceed to point out a million shortcomings without offering viable solutions, or recognizing any positive aspects of the situation being critiqued.
We all know that someone who makes us feel like no matter what we do, it's never good enough. We could turn water into wine, and they would be blase, and say it was the wrong year. And we observe the same folks praising others for doing the exact same thing that you're doing, and smiling saying "nice job". It is an intense lesson on projection from both sides. The person critiquing is obviously biased, and has a resentment, or mission to "Put you in your place" for whatever reason, and show others that you are not significant. Then there is the person being critiqued, who starts to develop a complex, and starts to feel that nothing they do is good enough for whomever. This happens all of the time in friends, marriages, jobs, and other types of relationships.
It is easy to lose ones self trying to please the "Un -pleasable" (Not a word, but it fits) You will try to do things, perform tasks, and act in ways that a child does when trying to get Mommy's attention. You will be trying to jump through hoops as if to say, "Look at me! See I'll be good, I'll be real good, now praise me!" It often doesn't work because it is not a genuine effort to be yourself, but a ploy for positive attention. You will come away angry, frustrated, and disappointed that once again it wasn't good enough.
The hard lesson once again is that you cannot control anything but yourself, and your actions and reactions. Controlling anyone else is out of your pay grade, so why bother. There will be people in your life who for whatever reason resent you, or can't see something good that you have done, or are doing without adding their 2 cents of negativity. The most you can do is just realize this, accept it, and keep doing what you're doing for just you and no one else. You may never know the reason why nothing is good enough which is frustrating, but it's even more frustrating doing things just for positive feedback. Do something because you want to do it. Not because Joe or Jane will possibly like it, and like you also. It may never be good enough for them, but if you like it, believe in it, or live by it....It's damn good enough for you..And that's good enough.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Push It....Push It Real Good: The drug lords of fear
There are always people out there who make the claims that you should be afraid. Be very afraid. They are the kingpins, and drug lords of fear who tell you that bad things will happen, and chaos will ensue if you don't listen to them. Keeping people afraid is the oldest trick in the book of control. You can make people do anything you want out of sheer fear for their well being, or futures.You can make people think that they have to take some sort of drastic action out of fear, and that if they don't now, they will be powerless to do so in the near coming.
Fear is the one emotion that humans have that is parallel to the animal kingdom, because fear causes an action of self preservation. It will make you feel like you are cornered and you have no other choice but to fight for your life or well being or protect your offspring like some mother bear. I don't know any folks who when they are afraid don't have some sort of engine in them that gets turned on to make them ready to retaliate in some fashion. It is a mind altering state that is the basis for every kind of bigotry, preemptive action, and distrust in the world. Once someone is afraid, there is nothing you can really do sometimes to talk them off of the ledge. They are afraid, and that is it, and when 3 or more folks have the same fear, then the "Mob Rules" mentality emerges.
The pushers of fear know this, and do their best to exploit any chink in the armor of a person's logic. They will tap into the basic idea in a person's mind that they are in big trouble. And you can best believe that they have the answer to fix it, so follow them, or be doomed. This is how you create mob rules. By not speaking to just one person, but having the ability to address several at one time, and letting that fear cross into each person like some virus. One person by themselves can't necessarily be persuaded because there is no dynamic to feed off of. But a collection of folks at one time can be riled up to feed off of one another in some energetic fashion because there is the feeling of safety and power in numbers. This is how lynch mobs were riled up in the south. Because of the fear that something was going to be taken away from the white southern man. Namely his women, or his power.
The fears that get used most are, 1)Someone's coming for you, 2)someone's going to take something from you 3)your life as you know it won't exist soon, and 4) something that is rightfully yours is being withheld from you because someone else has it.
These fears are constantly circulated, moved around, called something else, and adjusted for the times, but they are the same fears peddled by masterful people who want their own form of power, and will stoke any fire that they feel necessary to achieve it. There have been many in history who have done this, and there will be many more in the future. What they are brilliant at is sounding like they are making complete sense to people. Especially those who are in situations where they need to believe in something. People need to project why they are in certain situations upon reasons. And sometimes those reasons end up being other people. Once again, deflecting issues that pertain to the self onto others. And the pusher of fear appeals to their low self esteem and questioning mind of "why am I suffering?"
This is why fear is so dangerous in the hands of these folks because they then use it to become leaders of causes that seemingly benefit the ones afraid, but instead further their own personal agenda, and desired end result which is of course power and money. In the hands of fools, the mob rules.
Remember this the next time you see someone peddling fear. It is rampant from top to bottom. In politics, in religion, and in that ruler of all people, business. And it is on the lowest levels of human interaction where control is desired. It takes you to figure it out and reject it, and not get sucked in the fear vacuum. Be afraid..Be very afraid of whoever tells you to be afraid.
Fear is the one emotion that humans have that is parallel to the animal kingdom, because fear causes an action of self preservation. It will make you feel like you are cornered and you have no other choice but to fight for your life or well being or protect your offspring like some mother bear. I don't know any folks who when they are afraid don't have some sort of engine in them that gets turned on to make them ready to retaliate in some fashion. It is a mind altering state that is the basis for every kind of bigotry, preemptive action, and distrust in the world. Once someone is afraid, there is nothing you can really do sometimes to talk them off of the ledge. They are afraid, and that is it, and when 3 or more folks have the same fear, then the "Mob Rules" mentality emerges.
The pushers of fear know this, and do their best to exploit any chink in the armor of a person's logic. They will tap into the basic idea in a person's mind that they are in big trouble. And you can best believe that they have the answer to fix it, so follow them, or be doomed. This is how you create mob rules. By not speaking to just one person, but having the ability to address several at one time, and letting that fear cross into each person like some virus. One person by themselves can't necessarily be persuaded because there is no dynamic to feed off of. But a collection of folks at one time can be riled up to feed off of one another in some energetic fashion because there is the feeling of safety and power in numbers. This is how lynch mobs were riled up in the south. Because of the fear that something was going to be taken away from the white southern man. Namely his women, or his power.
The fears that get used most are, 1)Someone's coming for you, 2)someone's going to take something from you 3)your life as you know it won't exist soon, and 4) something that is rightfully yours is being withheld from you because someone else has it.
These fears are constantly circulated, moved around, called something else, and adjusted for the times, but they are the same fears peddled by masterful people who want their own form of power, and will stoke any fire that they feel necessary to achieve it. There have been many in history who have done this, and there will be many more in the future. What they are brilliant at is sounding like they are making complete sense to people. Especially those who are in situations where they need to believe in something. People need to project why they are in certain situations upon reasons. And sometimes those reasons end up being other people. Once again, deflecting issues that pertain to the self onto others. And the pusher of fear appeals to their low self esteem and questioning mind of "why am I suffering?"
This is why fear is so dangerous in the hands of these folks because they then use it to become leaders of causes that seemingly benefit the ones afraid, but instead further their own personal agenda, and desired end result which is of course power and money. In the hands of fools, the mob rules.
Remember this the next time you see someone peddling fear. It is rampant from top to bottom. In politics, in religion, and in that ruler of all people, business. And it is on the lowest levels of human interaction where control is desired. It takes you to figure it out and reject it, and not get sucked in the fear vacuum. Be afraid..Be very afraid of whoever tells you to be afraid.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Diary Of A Madman: Armed forces take out the trash
The world has one less evil mind in its midst today with the announcement of Osama Bin Laden's death at the hands of joint U.S. operations. This human being epitomized the worst aspects of human nature. He caused pain and suffering, and left chaos, carnage, and destruction wherever he decided to make his mark. His actions killed thousands of Americans and ruined the lives of many more. Today is a day that we should celebrate the existence of one less dark force treading all over the efforts of peace between people of all nations and backgrounds.
The brave men and women that serve in our armed forces should get our continued efforts of support and recognition for the things that they have to do, and the nightmares that they have to witness just to keep this place that we love safe. I'm sure that this effort to rid this madman was an intense, grueling display of concentration, persistence and willingness to operate in the most dangerous conditions that anyone could be placed in. This is no jamboree. It is war, and war is nasty, ugly, dangerous, and filled with things that people have to do to keep themselves alive that they would never have to do from their back yard barbeque. I'm sure that these folks understood their mission to the fullest, and the dangers involved, yet still not only did it, but desired to do it because of what it meant to this country. That my friends is bravery. Taking out the trash is a dirty job, but we have good people that do it, and do it well.
With the news comes a different mood here in this country. It is the same mood that pulled us together in tragedy during 9/11. The collective mindset that we are all Americans in this together, and we sink or swim as one. People are just a tad more friendly today, and more receptive to a strange face. All because of once again the idea that we all need one another. That was the attitude right after the tragedy of 9/11, and unfortunately it slowly dissipated. We need this feeling. If we are ever to get anything done in this country as people, we need to feel connected and together, and know that we are all part of the greater whole. This is the feeling that America needs to put differences away, and become focused on the future, and not just the differences of ideologies. Sadly I am afraid that as time marches forward we will fall right back into the same old Red vs Blue, you vs me attitude that was quite rampant hours before the announcement of this evil man's death. Remember this feeling. Try not to let it go away. Just think about this...Why does it take a madman to pull us together? Can't we do this on our own? To that I say yes if we really want to.
The world is still a dangerous place filled with vicious people of every walk of life. But today, for the moment....It is somehow better.
The brave men and women that serve in our armed forces should get our continued efforts of support and recognition for the things that they have to do, and the nightmares that they have to witness just to keep this place that we love safe. I'm sure that this effort to rid this madman was an intense, grueling display of concentration, persistence and willingness to operate in the most dangerous conditions that anyone could be placed in. This is no jamboree. It is war, and war is nasty, ugly, dangerous, and filled with things that people have to do to keep themselves alive that they would never have to do from their back yard barbeque. I'm sure that these folks understood their mission to the fullest, and the dangers involved, yet still not only did it, but desired to do it because of what it meant to this country. That my friends is bravery. Taking out the trash is a dirty job, but we have good people that do it, and do it well.
With the news comes a different mood here in this country. It is the same mood that pulled us together in tragedy during 9/11. The collective mindset that we are all Americans in this together, and we sink or swim as one. People are just a tad more friendly today, and more receptive to a strange face. All because of once again the idea that we all need one another. That was the attitude right after the tragedy of 9/11, and unfortunately it slowly dissipated. We need this feeling. If we are ever to get anything done in this country as people, we need to feel connected and together, and know that we are all part of the greater whole. This is the feeling that America needs to put differences away, and become focused on the future, and not just the differences of ideologies. Sadly I am afraid that as time marches forward we will fall right back into the same old Red vs Blue, you vs me attitude that was quite rampant hours before the announcement of this evil man's death. Remember this feeling. Try not to let it go away. Just think about this...Why does it take a madman to pull us together? Can't we do this on our own? To that I say yes if we really want to.
The world is still a dangerous place filled with vicious people of every walk of life. But today, for the moment....It is somehow better.
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