Today was that day. That day most Americans will and should never forget. That day when the world came falling down around us. That day when reality met complacency. That day when we were given a prescription of the most evil actions and people on the planet. That day when heroes were born among everyday people just doing their jobs.
Don’t ever forget that day and what it meant to all of us. Don’t ever forget.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
More thoughts On Religion
As I sit here in somewhat minor sacroiliacal (yes I made up the word-get over it) discomfort at least my arguably fertile mind still works so it seems the perfect opportunity to think and write about that thinking. I invite you to hang on for this literary ride.
I love talking about this topic because it ruffles so many people's feathers and riles the rest. I will not speak of the advantages of one faith over the other because frankly I'm not qualified to make those judgements. I am Christian and quite comfortable in my Christian skin. The thing that really fascinates and puzzles me about the topic of religion is how so many are uncomfortable even broaching the topic. Perhaps it is similar in how people tend to avoid mirrors. It's much easier in many people's eyes to avoid anything that might spur self examination. I will go a step further. There are three words that strike mind numbing fear in many people. Three words that cause almost a physical reaction paramount to intellectual hives. Three words that may, in some cases in history, have stopped ethnic cleansing or wars or more. The three words you ask? I am wrong. Those are three very simple words when put together are one of the most powerful statements a person can make. I may have strayed from my religious comment but I believe that admission of being wrong is directly related to believing there is a higher power who already knows whether you are right or wrong. When you actually believe this you are forced through your faith to examine yourself and when you do this exercise in self examination you must be able to say you are wrong and ask for forgiveness.
I think there's another reason people are afraid of religion. Perhaps it coincides with many things in life and also relates to our modern society as a whole. It takes effort. Why do so many marriages fail? Why let someone else take care of you and all your needs instead of doing it on your own? It takes effort. We are fast becoming a culture of the easy way out. I hope and pray that the many people in this world that have given up on making an effort find resurrection of hope and worth at some point. Life on this planet is too short to not make an effort and because of my faith I also know that the effort made now will pay dividends in my spiritual and ultimately final destination.
Are there answers to this? I have none at the moment. I merely make a couple of points for you to consider. This is a complex issue and one that man has grappled with since the beginning of time I suspect. There is much to think about where religion is involved. It is a challenging time to be a Pastor as I've come to witness. I do believe we are in a cycle that will change at some point. I see my particular faith in the Episcopal Church as in serious upheaval. In my eyes it all boils down to who our leaders in my church believe is the ultimate authority. If they conclude it to be God, I remain stoutly in their corner. If, on the other hand, they are to conclude it is man, that could pose a serious problem for me in the future. Time will tell as time always does.
I love talking about this topic because it ruffles so many people's feathers and riles the rest. I will not speak of the advantages of one faith over the other because frankly I'm not qualified to make those judgements. I am Christian and quite comfortable in my Christian skin. The thing that really fascinates and puzzles me about the topic of religion is how so many are uncomfortable even broaching the topic. Perhaps it is similar in how people tend to avoid mirrors. It's much easier in many people's eyes to avoid anything that might spur self examination. I will go a step further. There are three words that strike mind numbing fear in many people. Three words that cause almost a physical reaction paramount to intellectual hives. Three words that may, in some cases in history, have stopped ethnic cleansing or wars or more. The three words you ask? I am wrong. Those are three very simple words when put together are one of the most powerful statements a person can make. I may have strayed from my religious comment but I believe that admission of being wrong is directly related to believing there is a higher power who already knows whether you are right or wrong. When you actually believe this you are forced through your faith to examine yourself and when you do this exercise in self examination you must be able to say you are wrong and ask for forgiveness.
I think there's another reason people are afraid of religion. Perhaps it coincides with many things in life and also relates to our modern society as a whole. It takes effort. Why do so many marriages fail? Why let someone else take care of you and all your needs instead of doing it on your own? It takes effort. We are fast becoming a culture of the easy way out. I hope and pray that the many people in this world that have given up on making an effort find resurrection of hope and worth at some point. Life on this planet is too short to not make an effort and because of my faith I also know that the effort made now will pay dividends in my spiritual and ultimately final destination.
Are there answers to this? I have none at the moment. I merely make a couple of points for you to consider. This is a complex issue and one that man has grappled with since the beginning of time I suspect. There is much to think about where religion is involved. It is a challenging time to be a Pastor as I've come to witness. I do believe we are in a cycle that will change at some point. I see my particular faith in the Episcopal Church as in serious upheaval. In my eyes it all boils down to who our leaders in my church believe is the ultimate authority. If they conclude it to be God, I remain stoutly in their corner. If, on the other hand, they are to conclude it is man, that could pose a serious problem for me in the future. Time will tell as time always does.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Words Mean Things...Or Do They??
I thought I would examine a few words and phrases in life that have become nearly extinct or at the very least on the endangered species list. You may be thinking this is a political rant but it’s not the specific intention although many things in this life do dovetail in politics. So let us delve into the mystery of lost English shall we?
One of my pet peeve words that, although is spewed out by many, is not sincerely spewed: responsibility. Webster’s defines the word as this: 1 : the quality or state of being responsible: as a : moral, legal, or mental accountability b : trustworthyness 2 : something for which one is responsible : burden ; has neglected his responsibilities.
This is becoming a more difficult concept to grasp with our wonderful government taking hold of all parts of our lives. The easy way out of most every hurdle in life these days is to claim it is someone else’s responsibility. Health care is not my responsibility it is my governments. Isn’t that great? No need to take any of those difficult tasks on anymore as our government will take care of us even if we aren’t willing or able to take care of ourselves. It’s all about being easy now. No need to actually work for anything any longer because everything now is a right and nothing needs to be earned.
I love this phrase because it is a way of completely disarming a discussion without ever coming to some sort of logical understanding: “Who are you to judge?” Everyone seems to want the answers to difficult questions in life but when they perhaps hear something they don’t want to hear it is almost always followed by “Who are you to judge?” If you don’t want a judgment then I suggest you don’t ask any questions because most answers to difficult questions in this life require a judgment of some form. We make judgments ever day regarding most every facet of our lives. So don’t make a transparent attempt at political correctness by asking that question. You will be wasting your time with me on that one.
How about this phrase that people seem to gloss over in trying to explain this difficult situation in our country: Illegal aliens. It’s quite simple in my eyes. We are either a nation of laws or we are not. If the justice system is indeed to be applied evenly for all then if you are breaking a law it should be dealt with accordingly. If you fail to do this then it basically gives no incentive to the rest of us to actually follow the law. I won’t go deeper on that topic so as to not be asked “Who are you to judge?”
How about this phrase? “Self-reliance” It kind of goes hand in hand with that responsibility word I suppose. Forty years ago it was not only the way to survive it was the accepted practice to live by. Where I lived you actually did wear boots with straps and more than occasionally had to pull them up and move on. In many cases you had people willing to help as long as you displayed you were actually trying to help yourself as well. These days if you want help just run to your government with your hands out and don’t worry too much about whether you really need it; it’s your right.
· Here’s a word that used to mean something: journalism.
1 a : the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media b : the public press c : an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium2 a : writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine b : writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation c : writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest
I love these definitions but especially 2 b. direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation: When did this change? I challenge you to watch any network and I don’t care on what side of the aisle you are politically there is always a very open attempt to interpret and often without the facts. Journalism in its purest initial form is, for all intensive purposes, dead. You are now forced to try to filter through everything you hear and see and try to ascertain the truth. And while we are talking about that word let’s define truth.
1 a archaic : fidelity, constancy b : sincerity in action, character, and utterance2 a (1) : the state of being the case : fact (2) : the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality (3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality b : a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true c : the body of true statements and propositions3 a : the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality b chiefly British : true 2 c : fidelity to an original or to a standard
Isn’t it fascinating that such a short simple word can have such complex definitions? Compare that to lie;
1 : to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive2 : to create a false or misleading impression
There you have it. It’s much simpler to lie than ever tell the truth but then while it occurs to me:
“Who am I to judge?”
One of my pet peeve words that, although is spewed out by many, is not sincerely spewed: responsibility. Webster’s defines the word as this: 1 : the quality or state of being responsible: as a : moral, legal, or mental accountability b : trustworthyness 2 : something for which one is responsible : burden ; has neglected his responsibilities.
This is becoming a more difficult concept to grasp with our wonderful government taking hold of all parts of our lives. The easy way out of most every hurdle in life these days is to claim it is someone else’s responsibility. Health care is not my responsibility it is my governments. Isn’t that great? No need to take any of those difficult tasks on anymore as our government will take care of us even if we aren’t willing or able to take care of ourselves. It’s all about being easy now. No need to actually work for anything any longer because everything now is a right and nothing needs to be earned.
I love this phrase because it is a way of completely disarming a discussion without ever coming to some sort of logical understanding: “Who are you to judge?” Everyone seems to want the answers to difficult questions in life but when they perhaps hear something they don’t want to hear it is almost always followed by “Who are you to judge?” If you don’t want a judgment then I suggest you don’t ask any questions because most answers to difficult questions in this life require a judgment of some form. We make judgments ever day regarding most every facet of our lives. So don’t make a transparent attempt at political correctness by asking that question. You will be wasting your time with me on that one.
How about this phrase that people seem to gloss over in trying to explain this difficult situation in our country: Illegal aliens. It’s quite simple in my eyes. We are either a nation of laws or we are not. If the justice system is indeed to be applied evenly for all then if you are breaking a law it should be dealt with accordingly. If you fail to do this then it basically gives no incentive to the rest of us to actually follow the law. I won’t go deeper on that topic so as to not be asked “Who are you to judge?”
How about this phrase? “Self-reliance” It kind of goes hand in hand with that responsibility word I suppose. Forty years ago it was not only the way to survive it was the accepted practice to live by. Where I lived you actually did wear boots with straps and more than occasionally had to pull them up and move on. In many cases you had people willing to help as long as you displayed you were actually trying to help yourself as well. These days if you want help just run to your government with your hands out and don’t worry too much about whether you really need it; it’s your right.
· Here’s a word that used to mean something: journalism.
1 a : the collection and editing of news for presentation through the media b : the public press c : an academic study concerned with the collection and editing of news or the management of a news medium2 a : writing designed for publication in a newspaper or magazine b : writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation c : writing designed to appeal to current popular taste or public interest
I love these definitions but especially 2 b. direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation: When did this change? I challenge you to watch any network and I don’t care on what side of the aisle you are politically there is always a very open attempt to interpret and often without the facts. Journalism in its purest initial form is, for all intensive purposes, dead. You are now forced to try to filter through everything you hear and see and try to ascertain the truth. And while we are talking about that word let’s define truth.
1 a archaic : fidelity, constancy b : sincerity in action, character, and utterance2 a (1) : the state of being the case : fact (2) : the body of real things, events, and facts : actuality (3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality b : a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true
Isn’t it fascinating that such a short simple word can have such complex definitions? Compare that to lie;
1 : to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive2 : to create a false or misleading impression
There you have it. It’s much simpler to lie than ever tell the truth but then while it occurs to me:
“Who am I to judge?”
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Technology (Part Two)
Keeping with the theme of my last post on technology, I must tell you my excitement about converting my albums to cds has been tempered just a bit after finally figuring out the process. The instructions (not that I tend to do instructions well) are quite vague and seem to be written by audiophiles for audiophiles of which I am not. The terminology might has well have been written in Sanskrit. Where I did find answers was on this particular software developer's website in a FAQ area. It seems there was another inept audiophile want-to-be who simply posed the question I was trying to formulate and voila the answer was there written in a language I understand: English!
I'm certain that as time goes on and I become more experienced it won't take me the better part of a week to copy one album! So yes as much as I do still like and am impressed with technology it must be entered without any misconceptions that there is a significant learning curve for rookies like myself.
I started looking through all my albums and can't believe some of the crap I have hung on to. I actually have an "All In The Family" album full of skits from that show. I have albums like one my Dad gave me years ago, The Best Of The Osmonds! They gave it as a gift thinking, and I remember this distinctly, that it was hip and popular. I don't believe a needle has ever touched that album and I'm not thinking it's one I will be converting. I will go through more and sometime give a more complete list of all the hideous albums I will never copy. Should anyone want an Osmonds album let me know. It's ripe for the picking.....hey perhaps Craig's List might be the way to go. I might get like a quarter for this thing.
So I was reading an article in today's less than impressive paper about the apparent war beginning between two types of technology. Companies have, in the past six months or so, introduced something called a Netbook. It's basically a junior sized laptop with most of the features of a laptop with a few limitations. Now the Iphone and the Blackberry have competition of sorts for mobile computing. It should be interesting to see this thing unfold and who the winners and losers will be. Personally I could care less about either but I know many are addicted to their "crack"berries and Iphones. My fingers tend to be too large for most anything but a standard keyboard and I'm already way too connected so you may hang on to your mobile computing devices and I will just gawk and wonder if anyone has a life other than the Internet and/or texting.
Another device I have a love-hate relationship with is my printer and my wife's printer. Her HP printer uses up half a cartridge, it would seem, just running the initialization when a cartridge is changed. Pretty slick marketing HP and all the different ink cartridges out there. What's that all about? Could they not become more standardized? It's insane really but a huge moneymaker for all the printer companies.
That's all for now and I will move on to new topics in the future. I am thankful to John for getting me back a real computer that I can actually use. This summarizes the computer and what it means to us all; To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer. ~Farmer's Almanac, 1978
I'm certain that as time goes on and I become more experienced it won't take me the better part of a week to copy one album! So yes as much as I do still like and am impressed with technology it must be entered without any misconceptions that there is a significant learning curve for rookies like myself.
I started looking through all my albums and can't believe some of the crap I have hung on to. I actually have an "All In The Family" album full of skits from that show. I have albums like one my Dad gave me years ago, The Best Of The Osmonds! They gave it as a gift thinking, and I remember this distinctly, that it was hip and popular. I don't believe a needle has ever touched that album and I'm not thinking it's one I will be converting. I will go through more and sometime give a more complete list of all the hideous albums I will never copy. Should anyone want an Osmonds album let me know. It's ripe for the picking.....hey perhaps Craig's List might be the way to go. I might get like a quarter for this thing.
So I was reading an article in today's less than impressive paper about the apparent war beginning between two types of technology. Companies have, in the past six months or so, introduced something called a Netbook. It's basically a junior sized laptop with most of the features of a laptop with a few limitations. Now the Iphone and the Blackberry have competition of sorts for mobile computing. It should be interesting to see this thing unfold and who the winners and losers will be. Personally I could care less about either but I know many are addicted to their "crack"berries and Iphones. My fingers tend to be too large for most anything but a standard keyboard and I'm already way too connected so you may hang on to your mobile computing devices and I will just gawk and wonder if anyone has a life other than the Internet and/or texting.
Another device I have a love-hate relationship with is my printer and my wife's printer. Her HP printer uses up half a cartridge, it would seem, just running the initialization when a cartridge is changed. Pretty slick marketing HP and all the different ink cartridges out there. What's that all about? Could they not become more standardized? It's insane really but a huge moneymaker for all the printer companies.
That's all for now and I will move on to new topics in the future. I am thankful to John for getting me back a real computer that I can actually use. This summarizes the computer and what it means to us all; To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer. ~Farmer's Almanac, 1978
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Technology And Me
First let me unequivocally state I love technology. I should say I love most technology, however, there are some forms of advances I'm not enamoured over. I have a fascination with computers and a large portion of that fascination is in what makes them tick. In fact, you are much more likely to see me with the cover off my CPU checking out the system than on the keyboard pounding out some inane blog; wait that's a bad example. So blogs not withstanding, I tend to be more of a techie than many.
One technological item that I have not fallen in love with and refuse to become immersed in is this whole IPod thing. I was looking around recently in a Walmart and I could not believe all the gadgets that have IPod docking stations. They have alarm clocks, treadmills and a host of other devices that have docking stations. I refuse to buy anything that I need to have an IPod to use. I know there are tons of people that have 30 million songs on their IPods and I congratulate them but it's not something I will warm up to anytime soon.
I recently purchased a USB turntable and now am planning a project to convert my rather large selection of albums to CDs. Let me explain what an album is to the generation x'ers out there. They are vinyl disks that have grooves broached in them and contain music. It's how music USED to be enjoyed. But they have degraded over time and will only continue to degrade further. So I'm delving into what can only become a grandiose nightmare of converting my many albums, some of which will never be available commercially again. My sweet wife is putting up with my grand idea and intentions but I'm fairly certain she will fast become weary of what will be long hours of conversions.
Here's another technological advance that I am not sure about: books on CD. On the one hand, I see the value in occupying one's time while driving great distances. On the other hand I see a whole new generation of illiterate kids coming from books on CD. Why read something when you can actually have it read for you? Also there is a little troubling scenario of a couple thousand pound missile hurdling down the highway while someone is entranced in A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson.
One little piece of technological ingenuity is not only favorable to me but a must have. As a man this will come as no surprise to many women: remote controls. I can't get enough of these devices to satisfy my primal urges of control. I have tower fan remotes, ceiling fan remotes, the usual TV, cable box, DVD player remotes and stereo as well as a window unit air conditioner that I occasionally turn on just to use the remote! Perhaps the only drawback to all these remotes is that I'm certain I have driven the stock in Duracell up.
How about cordless phones? Almost no one thinks about this technology but I can tell you that when that technology surfaced it was a big deal to many of us who were tethered for a great deal of their lives to some sort of phone. These days just wandering aimlessly with either a cordless home phone or even better driving aimlessly with a cell phone are everyday events that most don't think about or appreciate.
So these are a few things that I mulled over and tried to reasonably discuss. I'm sure you have more to add to my list. I will continue to embrace some forms of technology and shun others. Now I think I need to go turn on my air conditioner just to be sure I don't require new batteries.
One technological item that I have not fallen in love with and refuse to become immersed in is this whole IPod thing. I was looking around recently in a Walmart and I could not believe all the gadgets that have IPod docking stations. They have alarm clocks, treadmills and a host of other devices that have docking stations. I refuse to buy anything that I need to have an IPod to use. I know there are tons of people that have 30 million songs on their IPods and I congratulate them but it's not something I will warm up to anytime soon.
I recently purchased a USB turntable and now am planning a project to convert my rather large selection of albums to CDs. Let me explain what an album is to the generation x'ers out there. They are vinyl disks that have grooves broached in them and contain music. It's how music USED to be enjoyed. But they have degraded over time and will only continue to degrade further. So I'm delving into what can only become a grandiose nightmare of converting my many albums, some of which will never be available commercially again. My sweet wife is putting up with my grand idea and intentions but I'm fairly certain she will fast become weary of what will be long hours of conversions.
Here's another technological advance that I am not sure about: books on CD. On the one hand, I see the value in occupying one's time while driving great distances. On the other hand I see a whole new generation of illiterate kids coming from books on CD. Why read something when you can actually have it read for you? Also there is a little troubling scenario of a couple thousand pound missile hurdling down the highway while someone is entranced in A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson.
One little piece of technological ingenuity is not only favorable to me but a must have. As a man this will come as no surprise to many women: remote controls. I can't get enough of these devices to satisfy my primal urges of control. I have tower fan remotes, ceiling fan remotes, the usual TV, cable box, DVD player remotes and stereo as well as a window unit air conditioner that I occasionally turn on just to use the remote! Perhaps the only drawback to all these remotes is that I'm certain I have driven the stock in Duracell up.
How about cordless phones? Almost no one thinks about this technology but I can tell you that when that technology surfaced it was a big deal to many of us who were tethered for a great deal of their lives to some sort of phone. These days just wandering aimlessly with either a cordless home phone or even better driving aimlessly with a cell phone are everyday events that most don't think about or appreciate.
So these are a few things that I mulled over and tried to reasonably discuss. I'm sure you have more to add to my list. I will continue to embrace some forms of technology and shun others. Now I think I need to go turn on my air conditioner just to be sure I don't require new batteries.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Two days ago I was reminded of a couple facts about my life that I am neither proud of or able to readily change. Now when some people read this they will probably tell me to grow up and keep my perspective in a more logical order. They may be right but I am too set in my ways and changing some things about me, as my wife will grudgingly attest to, will be a monumental task. Here's what took place to rock my world, so to speak: my main desktop computer crashed.
The first thing most anyone would say is something like, "You did back up all your important files, right?" That would be followed by me throwing a sort of blank dead in the pupils stare with little else to be said. It is a question that literally makes me nauseous. I may be jumping the gun here as right now my CPU is resting in the hands of a computer repair establishment that will call me in 3 or 4 days with my "options". I can't wait for that call.
One of the issues that I am reminded about in this sudden turn of events is how much that box of silicon chips, transceivers, diodes, cables, etc. has become such an ingrained part of my ritual of routines. It's my escape from reality and my reminder of reality all in one box. I learn about the world from that box. It's in my little office which at times can be a sort of temporary refuge from all the disappointments and cruelties of this world.
I am typing this entry on a laptop. Laptops are great for mobile computing. They offer a taste of the desktop while being, for me at least, just a little more tedious to type on for any length of time. This may be a problem for me because I am a product of the typewriter generation and I find it more difficult to type on a small keyboard. Now I know all you "youngsters' out there that can type novels on your blackberries are sighing at this moment. That's fine as perhaps you will be throwing a little more oxygen at your skulls full of mush. This can only be beneficial.
Another thing that I am not proud of is how this event has put me in a bit of a funk. My wife puts up with my moods, how I will never know, but I want to change that about myself yet sometimes feel powerless to do. In all honesty I don't handle change well at all. It's what steeps me, in some people's eyes in being behind with the times. I would and will never describe myself as progressive. I will always be of the mindset if it ain't broke don't fix it! There are already too many people in this world with too much time on their hands who are constantly looking to change anything and everything. I am literally tired of the axiom "new and improved!" It almost is never really that new and many times is less of a product.
I am digressing as I almost always do but my main point in writing this is to try and remind everyone to back up everything that is important because in the twinkling of an eye it can be lost. I am about to end this entry as it has taken me twice as long as normal because of this God forsaken small keyboard! I'll keep you all posted as to my computer's prognosis. Prayers are welcome.
The first thing most anyone would say is something like, "You did back up all your important files, right?" That would be followed by me throwing a sort of blank dead in the pupils stare with little else to be said. It is a question that literally makes me nauseous. I may be jumping the gun here as right now my CPU is resting in the hands of a computer repair establishment that will call me in 3 or 4 days with my "options". I can't wait for that call.
One of the issues that I am reminded about in this sudden turn of events is how much that box of silicon chips, transceivers, diodes, cables, etc. has become such an ingrained part of my ritual of routines. It's my escape from reality and my reminder of reality all in one box. I learn about the world from that box. It's in my little office which at times can be a sort of temporary refuge from all the disappointments and cruelties of this world.
I am typing this entry on a laptop. Laptops are great for mobile computing. They offer a taste of the desktop while being, for me at least, just a little more tedious to type on for any length of time. This may be a problem for me because I am a product of the typewriter generation and I find it more difficult to type on a small keyboard. Now I know all you "youngsters' out there that can type novels on your blackberries are sighing at this moment. That's fine as perhaps you will be throwing a little more oxygen at your skulls full of mush. This can only be beneficial.
Another thing that I am not proud of is how this event has put me in a bit of a funk. My wife puts up with my moods, how I will never know, but I want to change that about myself yet sometimes feel powerless to do. In all honesty I don't handle change well at all. It's what steeps me, in some people's eyes in being behind with the times. I would and will never describe myself as progressive. I will always be of the mindset if it ain't broke don't fix it! There are already too many people in this world with too much time on their hands who are constantly looking to change anything and everything. I am literally tired of the axiom "new and improved!" It almost is never really that new and many times is less of a product.
I am digressing as I almost always do but my main point in writing this is to try and remind everyone to back up everything that is important because in the twinkling of an eye it can be lost. I am about to end this entry as it has taken me twice as long as normal because of this God forsaken small keyboard! I'll keep you all posted as to my computer's prognosis. Prayers are welcome.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Where Has All The Time Gone?
This is probably an overused axiom but I’m going to once again state it; where has the time gone?”
The time I’m referring to is the progression of my daughter who I affectionately refer to as my little girl and always will, by the way. It seems like yesterday that she was spitting up down my back as I sauntered through a Lowes Home Improvement center completely oblivious of this fact. In fact I remember her first impression on this world…..as they opened the curtain to the nursery there was my little girl on her side, butt facing us all and having what I have to believe is the most very satisfying first bowel movement outside the womb. I can only think the little one is saying, “Man I’ve had to do that for nine months!”
I remember her first bike. It was a pink Schwinn Tigress I believe it was called. It had the training wheels and the whole nine yards and I remember the thrill of seeing her ride this bike.
You see, children are just a series of thrills to behold throughout their early years. The first step, the first word (intelligible), the first solid food, the first school, their first bed and the list goes on and on. The funny thing is my daughter is now 22 going on 23 and she still finds ways to thrill me. Now she is faced with adult pressures and adult stresses and she seems to come through pretty well, finances not withstanding. She is faced with her own health care and figuring out if she gets vision on her health care. President Obama will be helping her with that soon enough.
I remember a year ago helping her find her first apartment. It was quite an ordeal and not without debates but all in all it went pretty well and she just had her first lease renewal came her first rent increase….not such a thrill for her but indeed a lesson in life.
Children are a kind of walking legacy to their parents. All the toil and long nights and early mornings and all the battle wounds to cure along with all the science projects (don’t get me started on the submarine!) and all the term papers and all the tutoring and poking and prodding to try and make her do her best. It comes to fruition before you even know it has passed. And then you say to yourself; where has the time gone?
Now it’s Grandchildren to sort of fill the childless void although your children never REALLY leave home as we are finding out. I’m not sure what the chapters in the next 20 or 30 years will hold but there is indeed one thing I do know….in 30 years I will be saying; where has the time gone?
The time I’m referring to is the progression of my daughter who I affectionately refer to as my little girl and always will, by the way. It seems like yesterday that she was spitting up down my back as I sauntered through a Lowes Home Improvement center completely oblivious of this fact. In fact I remember her first impression on this world…..as they opened the curtain to the nursery there was my little girl on her side, butt facing us all and having what I have to believe is the most very satisfying first bowel movement outside the womb. I can only think the little one is saying, “Man I’ve had to do that for nine months!”
I remember her first bike. It was a pink Schwinn Tigress I believe it was called. It had the training wheels and the whole nine yards and I remember the thrill of seeing her ride this bike.
You see, children are just a series of thrills to behold throughout their early years. The first step, the first word (intelligible), the first solid food, the first school, their first bed and the list goes on and on. The funny thing is my daughter is now 22 going on 23 and she still finds ways to thrill me. Now she is faced with adult pressures and adult stresses and she seems to come through pretty well, finances not withstanding. She is faced with her own health care and figuring out if she gets vision on her health care. President Obama will be helping her with that soon enough.
I remember a year ago helping her find her first apartment. It was quite an ordeal and not without debates but all in all it went pretty well and she just had her first lease renewal came her first rent increase….not such a thrill for her but indeed a lesson in life.
Children are a kind of walking legacy to their parents. All the toil and long nights and early mornings and all the battle wounds to cure along with all the science projects (don’t get me started on the submarine!) and all the term papers and all the tutoring and poking and prodding to try and make her do her best. It comes to fruition before you even know it has passed. And then you say to yourself; where has the time gone?
Now it’s Grandchildren to sort of fill the childless void although your children never REALLY leave home as we are finding out. I’m not sure what the chapters in the next 20 or 30 years will hold but there is indeed one thing I do know….in 30 years I will be saying; where has the time gone?
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