A Dog Named Duke

I posted this on Facebook a couple of days ago...

Today I met a dog named Duke who belongs to a nice older man in my area. Duke and his owner live in the ever-growing tent city behind my local Home Depot. Duke's owner explained to me that he was trying to pick up odd jobs to feed himself and Duke but mainly Duke because since they have found themselves homeless, Duke keeps him safe at night in their tent. Duke and his owner were a reminder to me how far we, in this country, have gotten away from what matters most. Our focus has become diluted with arguments that are fruitless. We have overlooked the most basic of our directives - to care for one another. There are too many people hungry, homeless, jobless, without hope and in need in a country that claims to be the best country in the world. Tonight, as I go to sleep in my bed, stomach full, and a roof over my head, my thoughts will be about Duke, his owner and the people in this country that get overlooked every day.

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This post turned in to a discussion about homelessness in our country and how people could help Duke and his owner. It was a great outpouring of love for an unknown man and his dog. I even hod one of my friends drive to my hometown to try and find Duke and his owner!

We all have the opportunity, ability and responsibility to help each other.  Instead of complaining about what is not being done - we need to go out and do it ourselves. 

The Weakest Link

"In every chain of reasoning, the evidence of the last conclusion can be no greater than the weakest link of the chain, whatever may be the strength of the rest." ~ Thomas Reid

I am sure that everyone has heard the saying "it takes a village to raise a child". That is a true statement - with two young children I have been blessed to know that first hand. My mother, aunt, sisters, father and others have taken a part in the rearing of my children. As I was thinking about it today, that saying can be applied to our country as well.

Politically speaking I consider myself a fairly liberal Democrat.  I am totally unapologetic about that BUT  I put it out there so that you can get all of your groans out of the way now. Here is my thinking - it is going to take more than just our political leaders to put this country back on the right track. Some of us put too much trust that President Obama would make the changes that we need and that we would be an entirely different country at the end of his term (s). I won't get off topic with my ideas on that but I will say this, you need to check out my post "He Ain't No Black Jesus" to see what I think about it. :)

I don't think any one political party or leader has a clue how to fix this country nor do I believe that any party is better than the other. They are all politicians in sheep's clothing. So it is going to take this village to raise itself. My friends and I talk about political issues all the time and do what intellectuals do best - we intellectualize! But it is time to move past that and get to the things that are going to take care of ourselves. We need to contact our political leaders and tell them our ideas AND we need to get out in our communities and identify the needs and meet them. When we start doing that - the impact will be phenomenal.

We need to look at ourselves as foster children whose parents have taken a break from us and thrown us in to this system.  We need to look out for each other in order to make it through this. We have to do what we as a country have always done best - take care of each other.  We have to support our community organizations that collect food and clothing for the community; create money pools for friends and family in need; do job trades for services; open our doors to people who need a place to stay.  In general, we need to be creative about helping each other and filling our needs. Because when it comes down to it, we are really only as strong as our weakest link.  It's time to get to work and raise this village.

Reality Check

I have realized something about myself and it is true about every aspect of my life - I can see things for their potential instead of what the reality is.  It is the potential that I hold on to, believe in, hope for and it is that potential that typically leads me to a huge reality check.  I would never describe myself as an idealistic person, but it is the ideal that I see and hold on to. And it can be frustrating.

Well, today is a new day. And the GI Joe cartoon I used to watch would say at the end of every show that "knowing is half the battle". Now that I know, I can take off my rose colored glasses and start looking at things for what they are. The only problem is I feel like I would lose some of my optimism, that piece of me that makes me a fighter and makes me want to see past the surface in everything.  Maybe the issue is that I need to figure out what is worth fighting for and what deserves my optimism. One day at a time...

Open Letter- Thirsty

So I was thinking recently and wrote this open letter.

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I am writing this open letter to all of the thirsty women that I have encountered on social media sites. Thirsty meaning desperate and eager women who would do anything to get the attention of a man...

Dear Thirsty Women on Social Media Sites,

I understand that you are thirsty to the point of dehydration. I get it. But if you see that another woman has found herself a tall, cool drink of water, could you please have enough self respect to go back to the well to get your own. The last time I checked, there was enough water to go around without sipping off of someone else's glass. Just saying.

Sincerely,
Currently Quenched

Fairytales In Love Don't Exist

Or, I should say, they exist, but not how we traditionally think of them. I think if working together, two people can make anything a fairytale that suits them. Any relationship can be a good one with enough communication, love and forgiveness. But I digress, Webster’s defines fairy tales as “a story involving fantastic force or beings; a story in which improbable events lead to a happy ending” and my all time favorite “a made up story usually designed to mislead.”

So I have been thinking about relationships lately and why so many of the relationships around me seem to be suffering. And one reason (of the several) that I came up with while watching a Disney movie with my daughter the other day was that we teach little boys and little girls what relationships should be very differently.  What we learn from our parents and family effect us from day one and add to that what we watch on tv and hear in our music and we have created is, if you will, a relationship cluster f$%k.

We have crippled ourselves in this relationship game by not starting out on the same foot. We force feed fairy tales to our little girls. From the age that they can watch an hour long movie, we turn on the classic and new Disney princess movies and fill their heads with boy meets girl, boy falls madly in love with girl, boy saves girl and they marry and live “happily ever after”.  (Disclaimer: I am in no way blaming Disney for being the total basis for the misrepresentation of how a relationship or even falling in love works to little girls. Please, no lawsuits.)  It only gets worse as they get older through literature and adult movies, commercials and television shows and music – love songs are the worst! They all create a dreamy picture of what love and marriage and relationships are.

On the other hand, we teach our boys through social media that what is important in this world is achievement, conquering, putting up a fight and winning the hand of a woman who is to take care of your needs is important. They got none of the fairy tale pumped in to them unless they happened to watch with their little sisters like my son is subjected to.  But in his opinion, they don’t affect him the same because he has “man logic” whatever that is.  

The disparity in our humble beginnings sets us up for failure. All of the stories say how a man or woman is to be won – not what comes next.  And our girl grown up woman is expecting it to be “happily ever after” while our boy grown up man is just looking for more dragons to slay and thinks that the woman he married should be happy while he slays them.  In my humble opinion, we need to start teaching reality to our kids so that maybe their relationship habits will be better than ours … we need to stop believing in fairy tales ourselves first. 

Happy New Year

I don't make resolutions, but if I did, one of them would be that I am going to post more to my blog site. :)  So look forward to more of my opinions and (hopefully) crazy stories in 2012.  Happy New Year everybody!

He Ain't Black Jesus

Ok let me start by saying I am a supporter of our President. I can't say that I have been pleased with all of the decisions he has made this term but he is still making strides. He has had some pretty big hoorah moments like the assassination of Osama Bin Laden and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I will admit that I am not impressed by some of his actions but I am still proud to say that 3 years ago I stood in line for 2 hours with tears in my eyes to vote for our first "black" President. (the quotes are for the mixed heritage I recognize)

I must say though, my feathers get a little ruffled when I hear people speak too critically of our President. Yes, I agree he should push Congress a little more, be a little more direct, be a lot more forceful, show his balls, as it were. But look at what he is working with: a weak Democratic party that whines and moans with everything he says; a Republican party that stoops to lying and name calling every time he opens his mouth; the fact that he is the first minority president and is under constant scrutiny do to that fact; and an apathetic public that complains that not enough is being done, but does nothing to push what is needed along. It must be frustrating for him - people expect him to walk on water and heal this sick country but I have a newsflash: He Ain't Black Jesus. Obama is not our salvation. He was a change machine to remind us that we can change, that we desperately need change. How little we forget his acceptance speech - he clearly said he can't make things change alone. And yet, like a red headed step child, he has found himself alone on a lot of the changes he has tried to make.

I keep saying to anyone who will listen, we will need to take charge of the change we want and not wait for anyone else to give it to us or create it.  The vast majority of politicians aren’t looking out for the best interest of the people. And even if they are, they are doing it alone. Instead of complaining and waiting, we should get off of our collective asses and do something about it. I’m just saying. Stop waiting for Obama to turn our water in to wine and get out there and make some miracles happen in your own community.

Ok. I am jumping off my soap box, for now. Go and be the change you want to see and see if it doesn’t catch on. :)