Agreed. As I said earlier, there can be no 'we' when only one is talking. But heh, if a platform is wanted, here it is.
This reminds me of my old Junior college that I attended back in the 60's in the S.F. bay area. It's was called Foothill Junior college. It is still a Junior college to this day.
We had a special day once or twice a year during the normal September thru June school time that was called, "Hyde Park". I guess it was named after a Hyde Park in Great Britain, where folks of all persuasions could walk up to a podium in this park and just make speeches about anything they wanted. They could rant a rave about Vietnam, they could tell everyone how much they loved Hitler, or whatever. I understand that crowds would gather, and listen, and some of the speakers could be quite entertaining, and others would just bore the crowds senseless as they droned-on with their pet peeves in the world.
Well, my Junior college did the same thing. It was quite entertaining to listen to these fellow students get up in our grassy central square on the campus, and take the podium. We had Hippies, Neo Nazis, ......you name it. The students would heckle and often laugh at the speakers who were outlandish in their oratory or speech contents. It could be quite entertaining at times and at others, the speakers would cause the crowds to scatter away as they just couldn't connect, because their topics were so singularly focused, and devoid of inspiration.
Anyway, this particular topic reminds me of a Hyde Park speech.........it goes on and on and on and on......, and listeners come and go, and that's about it.
Whats the point? One person is out-gassing a lot of frustration, and maybe that's good. I hope that poster feels better after all of this exhaustive typing. I hope it doesn't bring a bad case of wrist-carpal tunnel syndrome
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It's funny, but I often wonder what some of these people who post here are like if you met them face-to-face in life, at a bar, restaurant, church, company function, etc.? Would they talk your ear off about some "pet" problem in the world, or would they not? Is this forum or any forum where they open up, and otherwise they are this quiet, unobtrusive citizen, who never raises a single eye brow of notice concerning their demeanor when met in public?
What you get from me, here in the forum is what you'd get in person. I probably wouldn't diatribe so much about my faith, but that also depends on the situation and the direction of conversation.
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Upper most in my life, is that I desire "balance".
I know that my P.C. isn't my life, or I might get Carpal Tunnel Butt.
I need to exercise.......and that involves some kind of exercise for my age and physical abilities.......so I like golf. I'm a lousy golfer, so too me golf can be fun. I don't take my score too seriously. I still want to make a Par once in awhile, but it's not the end-to-all of my life.....Again, balance.
I want to have time with my wife. We're empty nesters now. I want to go on drives with her. Do little trips when we can afford it. We also like our alone times, too, not rejecting each other, but just being alone with ourselves to pursue interests of the moment of some extended time.
I also must add in my grandpaw role into this too. I need to spend some time with grandkids. They're like little jewels in grandpa and grandma's crowns; the end-product of the raising process of our three sons.
I'm still a dad......I worry about my sons. I pray for them, and sometimes I still have to be called to do some mentoring or counseling. This requires being a lay-marriage counselor at times.......That also is a role my wife must do to from time to time, our daughter-in-laws are just like daughters to us, and the bond is strong. We don't try to supplant their parent's role, but some of our boys spouses have come from some tough family situations, and they have leaned on eightball and Mrs. eightball to help them cope with life. Our helpful reserves are limited, but we do the best we can.
I love to read. I read spy novels, murder mysteries, foreign intrigue novels, also novels or books written by biblically based or sound Christian authors on the Christian faith, too.
I love to fish, but don't get much time to do it. Nothing fancy either. I love to go cat fishing in the Sacramento/San Juaquin Delta area of the interior of California. My middle son often comes along and we just sit in a couple old camping chairs all day, and pull in pan sized catfish, using fresh water clams for bait. We come home sunburned, and tired, but it's a "guy" thing. Some kind of kindred bonding catching these bottom feeding scale-less fish, but it fun. Me and son #2 talk about life, marriage, work, tell a few jokes that grandma and his wife probably wouldn't approve-of, etc..
This is a sampling of what I mean about "balance". If I didn't have these other outlets in life, I could easily find myself "caught-up" in all kinds of worries about the world. Remember all the folks that wanted to leave our country when GWB won the presidency? All I can surmise is that these folks didn't really have a "balance" to their lives. They've sunk too much into politics and worrying about who will lead us, and forgotten that life is really brushing your teeth, putting on your clothes, kissing your spouse, writing a thank you letter, whistling a tune, smelling a new rose in the neighbors front yard.......etc.
We have nothing to worry about in our country, as long as we don't tamper with it's basic foundation. That foundation is based on the preservation of the "family" the basic building block of any nation. Intact families, be they, blended, or whatever. Familes teaching virtuous goals and ethics to their progeny. No government can fight that.........I don't care how big the powers are behind the scenes, a nation of strong, free-thinking, ethical, families, will continue to make this or any nation strong as a granite brick. Their progeny will not "take" to brain washing in the universities as they have been taught to weigh, and consider, and not "devote" to causes, without wise counsel, and sound affirmation.
As long as we inspire our children to aspire and dream about goals and ideas, and show them how so many in the past who came from so little materially, did so much to the benefit of so many, we will continue to exist as a solid nation.
