Tipping

The other day I stopped by one of my favorite places to get one of my rare, but favorite treats. It was a Peanut Butter Power House from the Smoothie Factory. (No plug intended). A small drink of this fashion costs about 5 bucks after tax. The young guy behind the counter, took my order, took two steps to the right, threw a banana, some peanut butter, rice milk and protein powder into a pitcher and stuck it on the blender (ok so it was a really expensive blender). The entire process took about two minutes.

There before me, in plain sight on the counter, was a tip jar. It just glared at me. It wouldn’t look away. I tried looking at magazines and protein bars, but the jar’s eyes were stuck to me like glue. I threw in a dollar. To be clear, I just spent 5 dollars for a small drink which took two minutes to prepare, and then I tipped the guy a dollar. Granted, this was probably some starving college student, but he just as easily could have been the owner of 12 Smoothie Factory stores and made more money in a week than I make in a year. Still……I tipped him. I wasn’t gonna ask him!!

Yes, tipping has become ridiculous. There’s a tip jar at Starbuck’s asking you to donate after spending 6 dollars for a Mocha Jocha Café Latte Supachino. There is a tip jar at Subway. They’re everywhere. The doorman wants a tip. The cab driver wants a tip after driving 600 miles an hour the wrong way up a one way street. Before you know it, major airline counters will put up a tip jar to help the poor ticket agent after you just spent 1000 dollars for a plane ticket, 50 more dollars for the bag you checked and 100 dollars to tend to the minor child you’re sending off to see Grandma. Here’s a tip. STOP ASKING ME FOR MONEY!! How I would love it, if every time I made an emergency call, I could stick out my latex-gloved hand and expect to get hit with a ten spot. I could leave the jar on the dash of the fire engine next to the bobble-head hula girl.

Don’t get me wrong. I think servers at restaurants deserve every nickel they get. I realize they technically work for a wage below minimum and tips make up the difference. I wouldn’t want that job for all the tea in China. There are couple other venues that slip my mind at the moment, but come on….for a SMOOTHIE???

What ever happened to working hard for an honest living? I think if I am employed by someone, I should do my best for the wage I’ve agreed to earn. I think asking for a tip after I’ve done exactly what I was hired to do is a little low-rent. If someone actually goes way above and beyond the call, maybe I can be persuaded. Does the librarian get a tip after he or she spends an hour helping you find a rare book? Does your child’s teacher get a tip for staying late to tutor your child? These are arguably two of the lowest paid professions around and you don’t see a tip jar on the teacher’s desk.

All I’m saying is this. I think we’ve become a society that asks far too much for doing nothing. It’s a plague…..a sickness…..a terrible habit. And you know what? If that guy puts in extra peanut butter I’ll probably tip him again.

Do Animals Have Souls?

When I was a teenager, my brother and I used to run traps on the river close to my parents house. It was a fun way to pass the late Fall and early Winter months. It was also pretty good change for a kid my age, as muskrat brought about 4 or 5 dollars a pelt.

As I look back now, it seems the whole process was a bit cruel and PETA would not be happy. I’m not sure I could do it now. Basically, you set a steel trap along the river bank directly in the path of an unsuspecting critter, then tied the trap to a stake that you placed in the water. Muskrat steps in trap. Current pulls muskrat into water. Muskrat drowns. I get 5 bucks.

On occasion, a raccoon would wander into one of these traps and usually drowned. It was always a nice surprise because raccoon pelts brought closer to 30 dollars! However, raccoons are stronger than muskrat and they could often fight the current and stay on the bank of the river. They were trapped, scared, and pissed! We carried a small firearm for just such occasions. There was no way the frightened critter would let you get near enough to release him from the trap. Bear with me here. There IS a point to all this other than making you nauseous about the furry little guys.

On one Saturday morning, my brother and I were “running” our traps. Saturdays were usually the days we moved traps down river to look for fresh fur. On this morning, sure enough, there was a live raccoon stuck in one of our traps. At first we were excited because of the extra money the little guy would bring. And then we realized one of us was going to have to shoot him. As I drew the small pistol from my holster, this gorgeous creature did the most amazing thing. He cocked his head, squinted his eyes, then actually closed the eye closest to us and leaned heavily into the muddy bank. He KNEW what was coming. I know you must think I’m crazy, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I aimed at the raccoons head, but couldn’t pull the trigger. I handed the gun to my older brother who, reluctantly, squeezed off the round that ended the young raccoon’s life.

My point of this horrific story is to ask the question, “Do animals have souls?” You hear comments from people all the time about how, “it’s just a dog/cat/horse/whatever.” People say they have no concept of time. They don’t think about their mortality or plan or dream. I beg to differ. If a raccoon anticipating his impending doom isn’t enough, just try looking into the eyes of your dog. Listen to your cat when it crawls up on your lap for no other reason than to just be close. Watch any gallant horse as it sprints towards a finish line or rounds a barrel or pulls a plow.

My oldest daughter had a horse named Cowboy. He was a magnificent creature. He was strong and fast and ………………gentle. He developed colic once which nearly ended his life. He was in excruciating pain, yet when the vet took his vital signs, there was no elevation in pulse or blood pressure. The horse stood firm. Several thousand dollars of surgery and recovery saved his life, but the vet said it would be at least a year before he could compete as a barrel horse, and possibly months before he could even be ridden. That surgery was in February. In May, that horse and my daughter qualified for the National Little Britches Rodeo finals in both Barrels AND Poles. No soul? No heart? I’d love to have an ounce of that horses’ spirit.

Animals don’t ask for much. They want to eat, and they want you to talk nice to them and give them a pat on the head. If you mistreat them, they come back in 30 seconds with a wagging tail having already forgiven you. In return for a little food and kindness, animals give you an endless supply of guts and loyalty and love…….no questions asked.

I don’t have to bombard you with stories of animals and their amazing spirit. Just think about your own stories and experiences with the animals in your life. You probably already know what I mean. The animals I’ve known have shown more love, loyalty, spirit and soul than almost any human I’ve come across. I could only wish for half as much.

As for the raccoon? Well, I think since he had a soul, he already knows I’m sorry. And since he was an animal, I’m guessing he forgave my brother and me before the trigger was ever pulled.

Favorite Quotes

"Regret is the sole property of the short-sighted." -unknown-

"Willful ingorance is surrendering control." -unknown-

"There is no great agony than bearing and untold story inside you." -Maya Angelou-

"Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart, and the senses." -Lao Tzu-

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." -Aristotle-

"Truth is the path to love, and love is the only thing worth pursuing." -unknown-

"All that we are is a result of what we have thought." -Buddha-

"Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude." -Wallace Wattles-

"Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets." -Paul Tournier-

"The soul is healed by being with children." -Fyodor Dostoevsky-

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction." -Blaise Pascal-

"Falsehood has an infinity of combinations, but truth has only one mode of being." -Jean Jacques Rousseau-

"A true soldier does not admit defeat before the battle." -unknown-

"Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably."

-unknown-

"Never regret anything that made you smile." -unknown-

Sadly, It's Time

I have tried long and hard to not post this particular entry. It even makes me a little melancholy that I’m posting it. I believe, like my friend Chuck, that friendship is more important than opinion. I don’t want to offend family or friends. This is my position and no one else’s, but I just can’t sit still any longer. I’m talking of course, about being Agnostic. I realize that many of the digs and innuendos aimed at me were born of ignorance, not stupidity or cruelty. There IS a huge difference. Please don’t make me define it for you. Also, please know that I’m not trying to defend my position, only explain it. I feel strongly that religious beliefs are faith-based and therefore, indefensible. In other words, I’m not trying to convert anyone! Let’s start with a couple of very important definitions.

Webster defines Agnostic in the following way:

1ag·nos·tic
Pronunciation:
\ag-ˈnäs-tik, əg-\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Greek agnōstos unknown, unknowable, from a- + gnōstos known, from gignōskein to know — more at know
Date:
1869
1: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable ; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god

Webster defines Atheist in this way:

athe·ist
Pronunciation:
\ˈā-thē-ist\
Function:
noun
Date:
1551
: one who believes that there is no deity

Do you see the difference? I apologize if this entry sounds a little edgy, but I’m tired of having people equate Agnostic with a lack of spirituality or “Godlessness”. Nothing could be further from the truth, at least for me. I fully realize that I have “advertised” the fact that I’m Agnostic and, therefore, open to scrutiny. I welcome that. I just think maybe there is a bit of misunderstanding where this term is concerned.

Let me share a little background with you. I was “raised” in the Methodist Church in a small town in Nebraska. By small, I mean around 500 people. That means the total members of the church I grew up in was probably no more than a hundred or so. My parents offered no real spiritual guidance. We went to church largely on Christmas and Easter. We also managed to make it to the annual Thanksgiving dinner and I went to Vacation Bible School nearly every summer. None of it stuck. Church hierarchy’s are not unlike the business world . Therefore, you can imagine the caliber of preacher we usually had. They were either has-beens or in trouble and were sent to keep the wheels on a church that had no place in the bigger picture. I got nothing from any pastor we ever had there.

When I was twelve, I was baptized. I had no idea why or what it was supposed to mean. It was a ritual my parents said I needed. I got sprinkled and life went on. All I got from our church was that unless you followed some rules you were going to hell and I knew early on I couldn’t live up to the expectations.

I developed a spirit of curiosity about religion at an early age. When I went to college, I truly adopted an attitude of Agnosticism. At that stage, by definition, I was more an Atheist. I am NOT that way now. Let me explain.

A series of circumstances led me to a Christian friend when I was about 30. Although he did try to “convert” me, he also told me not to take his word for anything and to look to the Bible for answers. I bought a Bible and began to study. It seemed so simple. Accept Christ as your personal savior and you were going to heaven. “Just say yes to the gift being offered.” I became a real pupil of the Bible. I read it every day. I read it cover to cover. I was “saved” and found a church home. I was baptized once more only this time with an idea why. I went to Sunday school every Sunday and Bible study every Wednesday. I never missed church and fired questions at my Pastor constantly. I was so thirsty for knowledge that I just couldn’t get enough. My Bible is tattered and torn and hi-lighted and marked and noted. I studied it tirelessly.

There was just one little problem. I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. It still just didn’t add up. I continued to go through the motions by being a good church member, but to no avail. I just didn’t feel “saved”. (I know the Christians among you have an answer for that and I know what it is). Another set of life circumstances and a promise led me to more study, only this time it was from a more historical perspective. I attacked my local library and read volume after volume of the historical life of Christ. I read books in support of, as well as, books in opposition to, everything Christian. I obviously haven’t read everything on the shelf, but I’ve read enough to form my own opinion. I wish everyone would do the same. Someone close to me once told me they were Catholic just because they always had been. I think that’s the scariest reason to be ANYTHING! I just couldn’t swallow everything being fed me without getting several expert opinions. After all this study I came to the conclusion that there is little doubt that Jesus walked the earth and probably did the things we read about. I think he probably believed he was the Son of God. I just don’t believe it. There are just too many holes in it for me to swallow.

So, that’s where I am today. I’m seeking my own truth. I can tell you this. I am MORE in tune with my own spirituality than I have EVER been. There is something or someone spinning this whole mess we call a universe and I have no idea who or what it is. I do know this…..at least for me. Whatever or whoever it is, it is WAY bigger than any limits put on him/her/it by any religion on earth. So I’m open for debate if that’s what you want, but be careful. As a student of the Bible, I know a lot more than almost any Christian I’ve ever met. I’m not being arrogant. I realize there are millions of faithful that will forget more about religion than I’ll ever learn. That’s just been my experience. I simply think most people take their religion on faith and leave it at that. Again…..I have NO issue with that. I think everyone needs to believe in something. And I DO!!! Please stop assuming I don’t.

Let me see if I can get you thinking. If you’re Christian, by definition you believe the Bible is God’s word….period. To me that means you take it in its entirety. It either is God’s word or it isn’t. If you believe it is, awesome. If you only believe SOME of it is true, be careful. There are serious holes in your religion. The Bible has been interpreted over and over from its three original scripts; Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Think some things might be a little skewed? I guarantee it. For example:

1. Did you know that the original word that we interpret to mean “virgin” meant “young woman”? Kinda makes you wonder about the virgin birth.
2. Did you know the gospels weren’t even written by men of those names? They were “made up” because no one really knows for sure WHO wrote them.
3. There are dozens of other accounts (gospels) of the life of Christ that were omitted from the Bible. Wouldn’t you like to know what those said?
4. The nearest written account of the life of Christ came around 80 years after his crucifixion.
5. The Bible was actually constructed in about 340 A.D. under the direction of Constantine, who himself was not Christian, but who desperately needed a widely accepted religion for his kingdom. Christianity was the most popular.
6. Christ really only preached two major themes. First he taught that we should love one another. His assignment to all Christians was the Great Commission. Do you know what that is? It means that every day you, as a Christian, are to carry the message of His salvation to those that aren’t yet believers. Did you do that today?
7. The word Pagan, which many people believe to mean “devil-worship” is just a worship of nature. It was the early church that smeared it to mean something else.

I can go on and on, but you get the point. Just do a little research about your belief system and you may find things that scare you. Frankly, I think that’s precisely why most people DON’T look. There are around 10,000 different religions and sects worldwide. How arrogant is it to think any one of them has the “market cornered” so to speak. I implore you, if you are Christian and want to carry the message, you better be well-versed in your Bible. But even more, you need to be well-versed in the Quran, the Book of Mormon and any other book that claims to have the answers, because THAT’S what you’re going to have to defend your position against. And if you’re Christian, you’d better be good at persuasion, because if you fail to convert them, they’re going to Hell. How’s that for pressure?

Please know that I envy believers of all religions. To tell you the truth, I think it makes life easier. I just can’t make it happen for me. So please, believe what you want. I think it’s important. But I also ask that you please stop inferring I’m not spiritual or that I don’t believe in “God”. I am and I DO.

Let the comments begin.

Going Home

I've been living in Texas now for nearly 22 years. I came here for a job opportunity with no real intention of staying forever. Circumstances of life and a few personal decisions and a few months turned into several years. The problem is, I've never really liked Texas much. There are parts of the state that I love geographically and the people are wonderful. I just hate the climate. Now, before you tell me that Interstate 35 runs north, I get it. I know which direction it runs. I have a terrific career and have met some amazing people. It just isn't home.

Like everyone else, I've heard all the quips about home being where the heart is and home is what you make it, ad infinitum. Believe me, I've tried all that. I'm a Nebraska boy. It's in my blood. I just can't help it. I love the change of seasons, the bright colors in the Fall, the bright green Springs, and yes, even the snow. I LOVE the snow and I'll take cold over 100 degrees any day of the week.

When I'm in Nebraska, something in me changes. I feel stronger, more confident. I'm in my element. Even people who know me well say I sound different when I'm there. I don't know what it is. I quit trying to figure it out. I just know it's where I belong. And with some luck, tough choices and fate, I'll be there again. It won't be as a firefighter, but I'll be home. I've done my time.

Come see me at Ron's Pumpkin Patch. You may even get lucky and catch a good Bluegrass jam. And bring your own rum. It makes the music sound better.

Free Market

For those of you who have followed this blog or the old one, you probably know by now that I'm a "free market" kinda guy. In fact, I'm radically free-market. I'm so far to the right on this one I make Rush Limbaugh look like a liberal.

See, I believe that every economic or unemployment problem we have today could be solved by just letting the market do it's job. The problem with that scenario is, we all want it fixed right now. The market doesn't work that way. Everything moves toward a sense of balance if we let it. We just never do. Let me give you some examples.

Let's take the price of gasoline for instance. Sure, the price of gas is influenced by the futures market and those that buy and sell oil on the stock market. It's also influenced by supply and demand. OPEC cuts production and oil goes up.....so does gas at the pump. Big oil companies are turning billions of dollars in profit every quarter. They make those huge profits on production, not at the retail level. In other words, they could probably give the stuff away for free at the pump and still turn a healthy profit. Do you know why they don't? Because there is a demand for it that we make as consumers. We're more than willing to pay for it at nearly any price. I don't care what the price of oil is per barrel, or how much oil OPEC is producing, if you stop buying it at the pump, prices will plummet. It won't drop by a dollar a gallon tomorrow, but I promise you that if you stop buying it, the prices will drop until you DO start buying.........eventually.

How about our illegal alien situation? I'm way out in right field all alone on this one, but I say the solution is NOT building walls. For one thing, America isn't about building walls. It's about tearing them down. Great Wall of China or Berlin Wall ring a bell? But besides that, I think the solution is opening the gate and opening it wide. People from Mexico are flooding this country with cheap labor because they want a better way of life. Some would say they're taking away jobs, but I say they aren't. Be that as it may, if you want them to go back, let them come until labor prices stabilize and they'll go back home. Here's why. As they come here, labor prices drop. As they leave Mexico, it creates a shortage of labor which drives the price up there. When the relative value of money there is equal to or greater than here......they leave. Are they going to leave next week? Of course not. It will take years for all of those labor prices to reach a balance. Everything will work out on it's own if we'll just quit trying to fix it.

I know I'll take a beating on this one, but what about Labor Unions? In general, I strongly oppose organized labor. Granted, there was a time when there was a need, but not because of economics. It was because of poor treatment of workers. I think we can agree that problem is largely solved. So here's what I mean. If you own a company, you better pay a fair wage with decent benefits or your most valuable asset, your employees, will leave for greener pastures. If you work for a company that isn't treating you fairly, find a company that does. In America we have options. As a business owner in a free market, I find it completely unacceptable that employees can hold my company for ransom, i.e. "strike", because they feel cheated. The solution is clear. Leave. When you start leaving in droves, the company will compensate by offering better wages.

One of the most satisfying things to me ever, was when Ronald Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers that went on strike in the 80's. They held the travel industry for ransom and they got fired, as well they should. They said, "Wait! You can't fire us! Who will control our air space?" To which Reagan basically said, "There are tons of people that would love to have your job. We'll hire them. Have a nice day." At my company, if you hold me for ransom, you're fired. Simple as that.

All I'm saying is that we have to quit stomping our feet and throwing a tantrum, demanding that everything be okay all the time. It's not realistic. If you'll just be patient, the market will take care of everything. It always does. It always has.

Be Careful

This is a short, but gentle reminder for all of you who like to poke fun at firefighters about how little we work. We hear it all the time. "All you guys do is sit around and watch TV, eat, take naps and work out! Must be nice!"

I'd like you to take a good long look at the above picture. That stone is a memorial placed outside Station 26 in Dallas, Texas. It sits in the middle of a small garden honoring the life of Vincent Davis, who died in the line of duty defending the citizens of Dallas. It was a deliberately set apartment fire and Vince was crushed by a wall that collapsed. Another firefighter barely escaped the same fate.

I don't know if Vince worked out, watched TV or had a nap that day. He probably had breakfast. But does it matter? What I'm asking you to think about when you make a comment like that to a firefighter or even a police officer (you know you've used the "donut" comment), is the sacrifice made by guys like Vince. Visit our academy sometime. The walls are lined with the faces of men that have given their lives in the line of duty protecting those that can't or won't.

I know it's all in fun. And I almost always take it that way. All firefighters do. We know we have a good schedule and the pay isn't bad. But we also know that the alarm can sound at any second and it could be the last. We don't dwell on it. I'll bet the thought never even crossed Vinces mind that day.

I'll bet it didn't cross the minds of the FDNY firefighters while they sat at breakfast on the morning of 9/11. 343 of them perished that day. Next time you think we all have it easy, do a Google search for line-of-duty deaths and then ask yourself it you'd like to do this job. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't HAVE another career. I love being a firefighter. But sometimes.....just sometimes.....the digs get old. Say a prayer for Vince's family ok?

Just be careful.

Gay Marriage

You didn't think I'd be brave enough to tackle this one, did you? Well, I am and we shall. See, I actually don't have much of an opinion about Gay Marriage. I'm indifferent. It has no effect on my daily life whatsoever. I wake up every morning and do exactly the same thing whether gay people are getting married in this country or not. It doesn't matter. I have no problem one way or the other. However, (and you had to know this was coming) what I DO have a problem with is people trying to set the entire country's moral compass based on their own beliefs. Hear me out.

Let's start with a definition of marriage as I understand it. Marriage is when two people stand and profess their love and lifelong intentions to one another before God and witnesses. And then.................AND THEN, the entire thing has to be approved by an ordained preacher or Justice of the Peace. For what? For the STATE, that's what! So let me ask you. If you've just professed your love to someone in front of God himself, what difference does it make what the state thinks? I'll tell you why. Because it allows you privileges. That's right. You get to file joint tax returns. Your insurance is lower. You can buy family health coverage, etc etc etc.

Now on the other hand, (and this just kills me) you can throw all that out the window if you've been living together and want to split the sheets. Now the state says, "Oh forget all that crap about a license and preacher. You're common law. Give him/her half your stuff."

So who is it that says "marriage" is between man and woman? The bible. And I have absolutely NO problem with you practicing what you believe. This is America.......A M E R I C A!!!! Remember? We are afforded basic rights by the Constitution and among those are freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and FREEDOM OF RELIGION! Do you know what that means? It means you don't have the right to legislate what is or isn't moral based on religion. We're all free to practice what we believe. I mean, please! Exactly how much more congressional time are we going so spend arguing this crap? We have a war in Iraq, a cratering economy and the stock market is a mess.

Here's the bottom line for me. I'm not gay and frankly I'm not sure I understand the concept whether it's learned or genetic. I'm not here to argue that. I'm simply saying that those that are gay and profess their love for each should be given the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. I don't have to agree with it. I darn sure don't have to like it. But I do have to respect it.

Don't we have better things to do?

Let's Be Fair

There have been two episodes at my daughter's school lately that have me pondering the discipline we give our children. I'm not sure I have any answers, once again. By now most of you are used to the questions.

Six boys (6th grade) were caught with alcohol at school. One brought it, and by various means, five others sampled the goods. Two were "drunk". At this writing, all lost privileges at home, including loss of cell phone, being grounded, etc. The school, after some In-School-Suspension, decided against expulsion and sent them to alternative school for the remainder of this year.

Another young girl I know well, and she is, indeed, a hand-full. From what I hear, she is generally disruptive in class, not always respectful of her teachers, and just plain loud. I've sat with her at lunch a number of times and she does march to a different drummer. But there is something so endearing about this girl. This may sound strange. But I think she means no harm. In some ways I think she can't help it.

Every year, the 6th graders at this school get to make an overnight trip to Camp Carter. While there they get to canoe, hike, take part in team building exercises and a number of other things. It is the highlight of the year and something they look forward to from the time they start Kindergarten. It's a reward for hard work and celebration of the end of TAKS. None of the kids I mentioned above got to go.

But here's what I ponder. For the boys that were drinking, not allowing them to go sets a stern example of what can happen when you do something as silly as bringing alcohol to school. I think it got their attention. I hate it that they didn't get to go, but hopefully, the punishment meets the crime and they won't repeat the mistake. Like training a pet, if you catch them in the act and punish appropriately, you can change or mold behavior. Much the same with kids. Now I'm glad they weren't expelled. That would have accomplished nothing. I don't think bringing alcohol to school warrants scarring them for life.

Which brings me to poor Jane (not her real name). She didn't get to go either. It wasn't a punishment for a one-time happening. It was for a conglomeration of little things that, although annoying, really caused no great harm. I get that her behavior isn't acceptable, but I wonder if a once-in-a-lifetime trip that she'd been looking forward to for years, despite the fact that she's unruly, might not have taught her a more valuable life lesson. Now on top of being unruly, she feels left out and separated from the group. I can tell you that's not a good feeling and I wonder if being left out will simply make matters worse.

I'm no child pychologist. I don't know what the right course of action was in either of these circumstances. I just know we have to be careful what lessons we're teaching. I promise you, the life lessons are way more important than Math.

It Depends

I took my daughter to church today. I think it's important that she have some kind of spiritual compass as she grows up. The most natural compass for me to lead her with, is the church. The odd thing about all that is, I no longer find the church/Christianity has a direction for me. But that's for her to question and figure out on her own later. Stick with me here.

See, I've been going through some stuff lately. It doesn't really matter what it is. I'm grateful for what I have and realize many have it way worse than I could ever imagine. Still, it's the kind of stuff that, five years ago, I'd have taken to God....to Jesus, if you will. Today I don't do that. I don't because for me it's no longer true. Before you crucify me, I said it's no longer true FOR ME. That doesn't mean it isn't true for you. The question I have is, "Is it Absolute Truth?"

Christians believe their's is the only true religion. However, so do Muslims, Buddhists, Islamics, Hindus and all of the other nearly 10,000 religious sects world-wide. I guess you'd say I'm Agnostic. That is not to be confused with Atheist, but I'll leave it to you to look that up. For me, life has been this eternal and internal struggle for the truth. It's why I've always had a hard time with True/False tests. It's never just as simple as those two answers. So I'm proposing the following:

All true/false tests should be altered to multiple choice with the following four options: A) Sometimes. B) Maybe C) It Depends D) Usually. Notice I put It Depends as option C. That's because everyone knows, if you don't know the answer, pick C. For me, many of lifes questions about true or false, right or wrong fall under C.....it depends.

Abortion is wrong. Maybe. Or even, It Depends. Killing is bad. Usually. Or perhaps, It Depends. Marijuana is bad for you. Usually, but what if you're using it to control pain and it's medically prescribed? Democrats are liberal. Usually. Republicans are conservative. Usually. The first of the month falls on Monday. Sometimes. I think you get the picture.

It seems to me that what is true or not is largely a matter of faith. Perhaps even opinion. If you believe Jesus to be your savior, that's something you believe to be true based on faith. In the movie Second Hand Lions there is a GREAT line. It goes like this. "Some things are worth believing in whether they're true or not." That's where I am with my daughter. It doesn't have to be "true" to me to believe that it might be important to her. See, there's true.....and then there's absolute truth. I'm not so sure the latter exists.

Even mathematics, which is the universal language, the universal truth, has flaws. I had a college Calculus professor that could prove mathematically that 0=1. Now we all know that isn't true, right? Or is it? A guy much smarter than I'll ever be proved, through "proofs", that one is equal to zero. Makes it hard to believe in anything anymore doesn't it?

Am I ever going to find the truth? Will I ever get the answers I'm looking for? Is there life after death? Is there a God and what is he? I'm not sure about the answer to those questions so the answer must be C...................

It depends!

The Easy Way Out

If this post doesn't make you wonder how scrambled my brain is, I guess nothing will. Yesterday I was helping teach a Fire Instructor I class where I work. While the guys were working on their Power Point presentations, I stepped outside for a break. It was then that I wandered over to a small fountain that was filled with little goldfish (Ok, so the fountain was filled with water, but it had little goldfish IN it). As I stood there watching them, they ALL came to the surface right in front of me, their mouths wide open. As I moved along the path, THEY FOLLOWED ME! They were looking for food. They were............conditioned. Much like Pavlov's Dog I would imagine. Every time someone approaches the foutain, they assume it's time to get fed.

It reminded me of a time years ago when I was water-skiing on Lake Tawakoni. As I was cruising along behind the boat, showing off my best moves, I glanced behind me and noticed I was being followed by a flock of gulls of some kind. They obviously weren't there to applaud my expert skiing skills. They were there because the wake of the boat and the skis churned up food of some kind that made their fishing easier. They were dependent, to some extent, on the influence of people.

I've seen it alot, actually. At the house I once lived in, which was right in the middle of suburbia, I saw fox, coyote, racoon, possum and hawks. I lived within about a mile of a sparse wooded area which had a creek dissecting it. The animals could have stayed there and foraged for food, but it was just easier to cruise into town for a snack in a garbage can or garden.

People are like that. We're all animals, right? We're always looking for an easier way. Its been evident since the Stone Age, on through the Steel Age and the Industrial Revolution, right up to where we are now......the Electronics or Information Age. Nearly everything "man" has ever invented was done to make life easier.....simpler.

Take a look at your cell phone. Jut 30 years ago, my first girlfriend actually had a party line. And she had to use a rotary phone! We don't have to look at a map or Mapsco any longer. We have computer maps and GPS. Forget writing longhand or mailing a letter. We have email and online banking. When was the last time you walked somewhere instead of taking your car? It's just human nature isn't it? Or is it simply......nature?

Nearly everything that influences investment in the stock market is a product or service that "revolutionizes" how we live. The wheel, the train, the steam engine, the internal combustion engine, cars, faster cars, the phone, electricity (try living by lamp light for just one night), computers, grocery stores, EVERYTHING!! It's all created to make life easier. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it isn't.

I've often thought the answer to having bad roads is to just stop fixing them altogether. The worse they get, the slower we'll drive. As they get even worse, we may stop driving altogether. We may hitch up the team and go back to horse and buggy days. Road problem solved. Should we let Chrysler and GM crater? I think we should, but that will make things HARDER. Therefore, my guess is it'll never happen. Someone did invent the printing press so we can always print more money and send them a few billion dollars. It would be so much easier.

I guess we've gotten lazy. That's the price of progress. I wonder if those goldfish realize that.