Hope Or Despair

Times are tough. People suffer through these tough times. The economy forces us to change our ways. Change in and of itself is difficult. We worry about the future. We ask ourselves if we are doing enough to prepare. We feel scared and depressed. Should we run and hide? The answer is a resounding no. My wife has shown me that hope is the best option for handling adversity.

It serves no good purpose to think negatively. Part of our lifestyle must change or be eliminated. There are still some things that can bring us happiness. We need to remember them. We need, especially now, to hold on to that which bring our lives meaning. All is not lost.

I have been focusing far too much on an unknown future. I have stopped making time for that which fulfills me. Christine explained to me a simple truth. Hope for the future feels better than despair for the present. I can be miserable and do nothing constructive. I can also do things which may lead to better times. The choice is mine to make.

Let me offer a specific example. I need a job. I need to bring in money to help our finances. I can be despondent and give up. I can assume that any activity is pointless. I will not, under these circumstances, make any effort to seek employment. There is a better option. I can hope that through my efforts of mailing resumes I may yet be hired somewhere.

In the first scenario I most certainly will never be successful. No one will knock on my door and offer me a paycheck. In the second I may very well find what I have been looking for. In order to do this I must have hope. I must continue searching and looking towards a brighter future. One path is dark and lonely while the other offers light as I travel.

Do what you need to prepare. Make the tough choices. Please, whatever you do, do not forget to engage in that which has brought your life meaning. To seek a better tomorrow is not a Pollyanna type of attitude. It is realistic to think that your circumstances will improve. Doing and thinking positive things can only have positive results. Be strong. Be brave. Take the first step toward that blessed light in the distance. The journey is not as far as you think.

Two Become One

All that I desire is for people to be happy. Most of us seek that special someone at some point. We are alone and single. We wish to be together as a couple. The person we meet may not be whom we pictured. As time passes we grow closer. We love them, they love us, and both want to spend their lives together. It should not matter if these two people happen to be the same sex.

I have heard it all: The slippery slope argument, the dissolution of marriage theory and the gays as lepers label. Most intelligent people can see right through these fallacies. Therefore I will not waste my time debating these issues. I will get right to the point. Equal rights under the law is the only concrete standard by which gay marriage must be judged.

Call it a marriage or a civil union. It really does not matter. What counts is that two adults in a committed relationship have a right to the full privileges and responsibilities offered to all other married couples. They have the right of health insurance. They have the right of hospital visits. They have the right of living wills and trusts. Gay couples should enjoy all rights that straight couples do.

As my wife has mentioned to me, on occasion, gay marriage is a civil rights issue. Blacks and women fought for years to be treated as equals. Even when laws were changed equality did not come about quickly. It is high time for the supreme court of the United States to rectify this injustice once and for always.

If two people truly love each other and want to be together who are we to stand in the way? Our religious convictions and preferences should not take the place of secular equality. God does not concern Himself with man's law. This is not an issue of Godly morality but of humanity. Human rights must, by their very nature, take precedence over religion's dictates. It is high time we make all people free in every way possible.

Paying For Your Sins

Most of assume that we will pay for our earthly transgressions in the next life. Some believe in Karma and others may seek absolution here on Earth. As imperfect as we all are it amazes me that politicians seek to make a dime off of our sins. Are the county coffers that empty? States looking to boost revenue are poised to leap into the sin tax fray.

I understand some of the legislation meant to protect us from ourselves. Seat belts in cars and helmets for motorcycles both save many lives. How much better off will we be if we eliminate sugar consumption, alcohol, or simply being overweight? Of course, our health would improve, but that should be our own business. Is the government going to follow us around the grocery store?

Yes, the states need more money. What is new? Yes, we do things to our bodies that we should not. But this is a land of freedom. We have a right to privacy. I am sure most smokers would agree with this point. They are treated like lepers and their (legal) drug of choice is taxed at a rate that would make our forefathers blush. The question becomes whether states should profit from our self-abuse?

I can smoke. I can have a beer. I can drink a Coke and have a Twinkie, both at the same time, if I so desire. What do these acts have to do with the state? I have heard the argument that as we debase ourselves, health costs rise and taxpayers foot the bill. This is a specious argument. Costs will rise regardless. We pay insurance premiums for a reason.

In the end sin taxes should not exist. Money should not be made on the backs of the weak. People are demonized just because they dare to ingest a substance that society frowns upon. Get over it people. None of us are perfect. We all have some annoying habits that we would rather not be publicized. Drink, smoke and eat to your heart's content. Just as free speech covers that which offends, freedom covers that which sickens.

The Pursuit Of Knowledge

Randy Knight, my instructor for a college class, told me that grades really do not matter. He told me to "seek knowledge." These words of wisdom have stayed with me for many years. No matter how old we get it is important to keep learning. Some learning occurs on its own. Some can only come about if we actively seek opportunities to expand our minds. Any knowledge gained is due to someone willing to teach. As we travel our paths it becomes evident that we can be both student and teacher.

I hope that none of us feel that what we know is good enough. There are always new things to learn and new ways to learn it. Books, periodicals and televised documentaries are sources of learning. One can also attend community based classes or those at a local community college. Online learning is just starting to become the norm.

There are those that would benefit from your accumulated experience. You could teach a class, start an informative web site or write your own book. Why not save others from some of the growing pains you have experienced? Learning from your mistakes is laudable. Learning from others' is best of all. Share your knowledge so that others do not fall into the same traps.

No matter which you may be, student or teacher, we are usually one or the other. As we grow we learn. We pass on our knowledge to our children, our friends, or strangers we may strike up a conversation with. Never underestimate the power of education. Money may make the world go 'round. Without knowledge we would never get any of that money. Information is power. Plug yourself in and discover just how much power you can create!

Pain For Pleasure

One of the most base aspects of human nature is that we seek to avoid pain and increase pleasure. My personal philosophy is based upon this premise. I believe that we should work toward eliminating suffering and creating happiness for all living creatures. This sentiment may make me naive. I prefer to see myself as optimistic. Either way there is no doubt that there is far too much pain to go around. What saddens me is that we are causing this pain on purpose.

I want to offer a number of valid examples of how we cause pain rather than work toward the opposite. Through television shows, sporting events and other venues pain and suffering is liberally doled out. I hope that we, as a nation, are not so jaded that we cannot see what is right in front of us.

Sports such as boxing and ultimate fighting are billed as athletic spectacles. Is this really why we watch these events? We watch them for the same reason people gawk at an accident on the freeway. We give in to our primal nature. We want to see blood and gore. We want to see people beating the crap out of each other for our own amusement. Hockey and auto racing are no different. Fights and accidents are the highlights of these exhibitions.

How many television shows exist only to showcase human suffering? Reality shows, for example, are just the opposite. They pretend to show real-world situations. People watch to escape from reality. The producers of these shows create scenarios so horrific and demeaning so that the viewers can feel better about their own miserable lives.

Let us not forget the earliest type of reality show: The video show. People send in videos which capture painful and embarrassing moments; moments that the whole world can look at and laugh. This type of entertainment serves only one purpose: To demean and belittle others. Yet again we are apparently quite desperate to feel better about ourselves. We are like school children who pick on others in order to boost their own self-esteem.

Animals are also caught up in this web of suffering. Dogs are made to fight each other for amusement and gambling purposes. Others are made to race for the same reasons. I doubt that many of you know or care about what happens to ex-racing horses and greyhounds. I suggest you find out. It is not a pretty picture. It is no better for caged creatures. Food is one thing we all need. The brutality we display towards animals in a zoo or in a circus is simply beyond the pale. We should be cherishing the gifts of nature and not using them to satisfy our own selfish needs.

Are we so shallow and uncaring that we cannot see the harm we cause animals and each other? Instead of nurturing and supporting living beings we use them and abuse them. We are selfish and we are shallow. By saying and doing nothing we are guilty of complicity. No living creature should suffer needlessly for something as trivial as entertainment. You may accuse me of having a bleeding heart. I would say in response that our collective human heart has been bleeding for a very long time. We are meant to do greater and be greater. Let us strive to become more than we are. Too many of us happily wallow in the muck and mire of our lives. I know that we are better than that.

Luck Be A Lady

Local, state and even our federal governments are set up to part us with our cash. It is not taxes I am referring to. It is gambling. In its many forms gambling takes away much and gives very little in return. It is an institution with roots in world history. Lottery, casinos and even bingo night at the local church all exist for one reason. They want your money and they want as much of it as you are willing to give.

Many people enjoy various forms of gambling. There are the ones I mentioned as well as betting on horses, dogs, sports and let us not forget the friendly wager made at the pool hall. Why are we as a people so fixated on wagering? I do not believe that it truly brings the entertainment and satisfaction that gambling advocates promote.

I have heard the justifications for risking one's hard earned money. "I get to relax for hours, play cards and enjoy free drinks!" "It is a social event that I and my friends enjoy." "My money will just get blown somewhere else!" These rationalizations belie the obvious truth. People would likely never risk their money if there was not a slim chance to walk away with more.

Deep down inside people gamble for one reason only. They hope that they will somehow return home with more than they left with. Disappointment may be hidden behind masks but the truth is evident. The game, no matter what form it takes, is stacked in the house's favor. The odds are against you. Why else would all of these various gambling establishments exist if not for making a profit? It is not for the public good, of this, I can assure you.

Let us not forget about the children! Your gambling helps the state to fund our schools. You would not want the poor illiterate children to go without books would you? This is the mantra often repeated by state gaming officials. You see their advertisements on billboards and in magazines. Unfortunately, what they do not tell you is, the percentage of the education budget that includes gaming revenue is minuscule. It hardly makes a dent.

Gambling hurts everyone. It hurts our friends and families. It hurts the poor animals racing for our enjoyment. It hurts ourselves. Ask any member of Gamblers Anonymous what gambling has done for them. You will not hear a happy story. The largest victim is our communities. Walmart may hurt surrounding businesses but casinos are the real evil.

Gambling makes us all poorer. The biggest lie of all is that casino employment and property taxes paid to cities are helping to boost the economy. If we kept our money we would immediately be better off. If we spend it in our own communities a wonderful thing happens. Business prospers. More people are employed. More businesses are open. More money flows into the community. When the tide is strong we all reap the benefits.

I personally do not care if you keep your money, spend it or donate it to a worthy charity. It is yours and you worked hard for it. What I care so deeply about is the idea that risking it is somehow entertaining and profitable. The only ones being entertained are those with their hands out. The profits claimed are not in our bank accounts but theirs. The next time you spend your money I suggest this: Spend it in such a way that you walk away having grown richer for the experience. It is all about the quality of life.

Back From The Brink

I have not written for a long time. I had no motivation to write. I was depressed and feeling like life was pointless. I still have my moments of sadness but I am trying like hell to work through them. I have decided that I must continue trying. I will try to write, if for no other reason than to practice, in the hopes that someday this blog will be read by others.

It takes work to get better at any field of endeavor. I hope that my writing will someday be read and appreciated by others. Money would be nice but I cannot count on it. I must spend time at writing in various forms in the hopes that this path will lead to a happy place.

With these thoughts in mind I plan to post a blog entry at least twice a week. I may not always be passionate about the subject but I will most certainly have an opinion I can share. I may be alone in the wilderness, metaphorically speaking, but that does not mean that my work is for nothing. I sincerely hope that someday someone comes along, reads my work, and is somewhat greater for the experience.