7/5/2013    (Original)

I am more humbled now in my older years than ever before. Time slips by ever so quietly. The winds of change incessantly upon us as the world spins through space are but a small reminder of how feeble we truly are.

Some stages of our lives are met with great energy as we tackle the raising of a family. The stage that follows is different for all of us. Some thrust themselves more into family while others, who may not have the same family structure, work towards some activity that supplements their daily lives.

I personally wish to chase science. Not that I don’t want the family afterlife that others excel at, mine is going to be different. With all my heart I have tried to raise my children to the best of my abilities, and I have tried to guide them where possible and necessary for their benefit. There comes a point in every persons life when you have to let go, see where the cards fall. You can’t sweat it anymore.

This is where I am. A crossroads. What to do next, how to accomplish something good for a few, or for the masses. I started out being a weekend Dad; it is ironic that I am back to being a weekend father, though all the kids are adults now. It is a strange feeling.

A dog we got as a pup in this house when my youngest was 9 has gone full circle in her life (Maggie), the first time I’ve had to deal with a loss of this nature. She was, to us, the best dog in the world. She was great with kids, constantly being held and loved by them when she was a pup! When finally potty trained she rotated from room to room at night with the kids (a calendar system reduced the squabbling over whose turn it was for her to sleep with). We now have another equally impressive lab mix (Bailey) that basically got raised by Maggie. She, too, is great with kids and definitely has her quirks, but they are good ones.

I have been following politics pretty closely ever since the Japan Tsunami. I see a country divided, though I’m sure that was not the intention. I see a government and corporations who are not focused on the real problems of this country, most of them appear to be more worried about their own re-election or wealth than actually governing or leading. I see a congress who creates rules for the masses that they themselves do not have to follow. I see political pockets that are so extreme it is a frightening thought to imagine if these nut jobs had more power and influence than they already do. I see manipulation of voting boundaries (called redistricting) that is nothing more than securing a win with less than the majority. I see a political system being bought by the highest bidder, begging the question, “whose money is buying the political system, foreign perhaps, and what exactly is their agenda?” I also see a country tired of war, sick to death of war, when is it ever going to end!

This country is great! The people can solve any problem thrown their way; it has been done countless times before. We need focus, all of us. We can get through the pitfalls of previous administrations mistakes and half truths dating back 60+ years, but it will take unbridled focus and time (years, not months). Major goals this country should work towards are:

1. ridding itself of needing foreign energy and reducing our demand for it

2. get re-focused on jobs and education, make made in America possible again and reduce outsourcing

3. the growth of debt (ie. debt ceiling) has to be reversed (there will be nothing left if we don’t get this under control). Two avenues exist for accomplishing this, reduce spending or increase revenue (both should be used). Outsourcing has hurt the foundation of the revenue side, and plenty of perks from previous and current administrations has hurt the spending side (including expensive wars supported strongly by military contractors – conflict of interest perhaps). Tax exempt havens have created millionaires and billionaires for some and should be considered a type of corporate welfare. The tax code is too complicated and needs to be simplified and made fair so business is more apt to stay here in America. Foreign interests holding large amounts of our debt is not good and could be used against us in the future (our forefathers saw the dangers in this, why can’t we). These free trade agreements have done nothing but hurt the workforce (outsourcing even more work), while forcing an American population to accept less while trying to re-train. Tariffs were once a big part of our governments policy towards protecting its people and this needs to be re-enacted vigorously. To those who say this would be catastrophic I point to all the families whose lives were ruined and had to start over, very much in short time frames.

One philosophical question I’ve asked in the past, “what happens when the ability to produce exceeds the ability to employ?” The big problem for today’s youth worldwide is employment. All people need to work (if possible) or contribute in some way. The world needs to start planning together, because with billions of people on the planet we can no longer race to overpopulate, since removing any one of our pillars of life support from the equation could affect millions with potentially devastating consequences. I am an optimist and a realist, and am hopeful (and discontent). How can I help, what can I do! Time to start planning.

I wanted this new page to be more personal. It is not about answers, though I do look forward to re-shaping my focus if and when the opportunity arises.

Thank you for peering a little into my world!