I seem to have calmed down/tired out after a few days of
extreme agitation. I don't really know what that was all about, perhaps
a convergence of emotions and external triggers lining up to make me a
cranky git. I sure do feel better being out of Vegas and it's heat. In
reviewing last night's podcast and the fact that I said a few things
that were slightly more polarized than usual, I was worried that I may
have to apologize for something... anything.
I want to make this quite clear. I very much love
living in the US and am proud to be from here. I have had the great
fortune to travel in the past twenty years to all but one continent and
to at least thirty five countries. I can't say that I didn't find
something special about each one and that I wanted to trade in my
citizenship in. I feel that my disappointment comes more in a human
shape, the one that most resembles the things I dislike about myself.
Whenever I see someone acting spoiled, ungrateful, billowing with
entitlement, narrow minded, boorish or judgmental, it reminds me of my
shortcomings and character defects. Sadly when I do see this behavior,
it is often another American I'm looking at.
I'm only capable of controlling my own actions and
reactions. Today I hope I can be a better citizen of the planet and a
better human being, a human doing positive things and being of service
to others around me. I want to be clear that my frustration with the
reference to the soldiers in the Middle East was what I felt was a
misuse of their image, their purpose and it's place in my workplace
that day.
If you want to remind me that others have a harder job and a more dangerous day ahead of them, fine.
If you want to remind us to keep these kids in our prayers, fine.
Tonight as Independence Day winds down, I wanted you
to know that I understand about the price, the sacrifice, the reality
and the theory of what has happened and will be happening. Most people
would pick me out as a liberal troublemaker who never served my
country. They would be mostly right. I believe that I think of the kids
over there a lot more than I ever thought I would. It's amazing how
desensitized we've become again; 15 dead, 20 dead, 7 dead, every day,
without fail there is more loss for us and for the people of the
occupied regions. Men of power have sent children into harms way for
thousands of years and for better and worse reasons. As my family has
just experienced a major loss (yes, I know it wasn't military related),
I think I do have a clue as to how powerful these losses are. We don't
see the faces, feel their embraces or remember their history because
they are just numbers muttered in passing. This is sad.
We fought to receive the wonderful gifts and
freedoms we have. We continue to struggle in order not to lose them. We
also say that we are fighting to provide these things for others. I
hope that is true...
To all you guys and gals over there, thank you for
what you're doing. If any of you feel the need to speak out about this,
please comment below... all thoughts are welcome.
12:15:18 AM 
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