The unthinkable doesn't exist. Planes fly into buildings. A first grade class gets mowed down. Two kids hurl rocks at a cat giving birth, killing her and her kittens. Going to see "The Dark Night Rises" at a midnight screening gets you dead. Christmas shopping at the mall is interrupted by a hail of bullets. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility anymore. The bar keeps getting raised (or lowered). It won't stop. Sure, there may be a pause in the madness, but something new is coming.
When that happens we'll wring our hands. Bow our heads. Offer up our thoughts and prayers. Our gestures are meant to make us feel better, but in the end they mean nothing. Madness can't be stopped. Good may dominate the ground game, but Evil hits the big plays.
With the Connecticut school shooting still fresh in our minds next week, news shows will be filled with experts telling you what to tell your kids ("Please don't kill me when you grow up" would be a good start). Churches will be filled with flock looking for someone or something to believe in. We'll see funerals of the victims, cameras thoughtlessly showing us close-ups of grieving families. We'll hear from the shooter's family and friends, and no doubt they'll tell us that they had no red flags to indicate any such act was coming. It's all so damn predictable.
Two weeks from now you'll have forgotten all about it. That's ok. You offered up your thoughts and prayers
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Weird And Loving It
My, that last post was a cheery one, wasn't it? He's still fine by the way.
I consider myself normal, but real life disagrees. In today's world, to think I represent someone considered normal is the very height of delusion. Examples
1) A Good Marriage
Back when I was in grade school, it was a shocker to know a kid whose parents had divorced. Now you're much more likely to find a kid who doesn't have the same last name as his dad. KEY: I waited. Sure, I had a couple of long relationships, but deep down I knew they weren't meant for the alter. Within the first couple of dates, I knew I had the right one. She's gone (at work, not dead) now and I miss her. That's odd these days for a pair that's been together 12 years
2) Childless and happy about it
I can understand why people don't want kids (most popular reason: "Who's going to take care of us when we get old?"Nice), yet those that have kids can't understand why I don't. My wife has it worse. Her female co-workers are aghast that she doesn't want to grow a life form in her uterus, one once going as far as writing "bitch" by her name in her old company's directory. Tonight when she gets home, we're going to watch a little TV, maybe read, maybe sex it up. Good luck with that, non-childless couple. KEY: The whole child thing came up on the first date with my wife. There was no doubt she didn't want kids and took every precaution to keep it from happening. It was spelled out early and often
3) Liquid
I think I'm using that right. Simply put, we're not in debt. We bought a little house with a good down payment, getting everything we needed and nothing we didn't. We bought it as a place to live, not as an investment. The money we saved not overbuying on the house goes into investments that allow my money to work so I eventually won't have to. We don't have jet-skis in the garage or a closet full of clothes with tags on them. I haven't had a car payment in 10 years. My credit card bill is paid in full every month. All this doesn't seem hard to me. For why it's been so easy, perhaps it leads back to Point #2. KEY: My parents never met a coupon they didn't like. You can read all the self help books you want, but the base that's laid under your parents roof between years 1 and 18 is what matters most. Again, this just seems simple.
4) Dog
Like pizza. even the worst type of dog is still pretty good. I can't imagine having a better friend than I've had these past 10 years. The only good thing about when Maverick passes is that soon afterward, it's going to be one stray's lucky day.
That is, if he's cool with coming into what these days appears to be anything but a normal existence.
I consider myself normal, but real life disagrees. In today's world, to think I represent someone considered normal is the very height of delusion. Examples
1) A Good Marriage
Back when I was in grade school, it was a shocker to know a kid whose parents had divorced. Now you're much more likely to find a kid who doesn't have the same last name as his dad. KEY: I waited. Sure, I had a couple of long relationships, but deep down I knew they weren't meant for the alter. Within the first couple of dates, I knew I had the right one. She's gone (at work, not dead) now and I miss her. That's odd these days for a pair that's been together 12 years
2) Childless and happy about it
I can understand why people don't want kids (most popular reason: "Who's going to take care of us when we get old?"Nice), yet those that have kids can't understand why I don't. My wife has it worse. Her female co-workers are aghast that she doesn't want to grow a life form in her uterus, one once going as far as writing "bitch" by her name in her old company's directory. Tonight when she gets home, we're going to watch a little TV, maybe read, maybe sex it up. Good luck with that, non-childless couple. KEY: The whole child thing came up on the first date with my wife. There was no doubt she didn't want kids and took every precaution to keep it from happening. It was spelled out early and often
3) Liquid
I think I'm using that right. Simply put, we're not in debt. We bought a little house with a good down payment, getting everything we needed and nothing we didn't. We bought it as a place to live, not as an investment. The money we saved not overbuying on the house goes into investments that allow my money to work so I eventually won't have to. We don't have jet-skis in the garage or a closet full of clothes with tags on them. I haven't had a car payment in 10 years. My credit card bill is paid in full every month. All this doesn't seem hard to me. For why it's been so easy, perhaps it leads back to Point #2. KEY: My parents never met a coupon they didn't like. You can read all the self help books you want, but the base that's laid under your parents roof between years 1 and 18 is what matters most. Again, this just seems simple.
4) Dog
Like pizza. even the worst type of dog is still pretty good. I can't imagine having a better friend than I've had these past 10 years. The only good thing about when Maverick passes is that soon afterward, it's going to be one stray's lucky day.
That is, if he's cool with coming into what these days appears to be anything but a normal existence.
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