Ya gotta have FAITH?

I know that faith is often "taboo" in general company. I believe you're supposed to avoid talking about money, family matters, politics, and faith. This rule was created for people who worry about insulting, are unsure of where they stand on these issues, or are afraid that they may actually be changed as a result of another person's opinion. As a born and raised non-religion affiliated person, I have in my nearly forty years attempted to put a label, or at least a definition to what may be referred to as my faith. I went to church occasionally with friends in different towns as I was growing up. I lived for three years with two very dear friends who are devout Christians. I know a little of various non-Christian religions. I appreciate the community that comes with religion in general. Most religions help people to live in a way that is kind and helpful.
That said, I still don't get it.
I believe in myself. I believe that we are all connected in some way. I believe that there is good in every one as well as bad. I believe that I should take responsibility for all of my actions, good and bad.
Who do I answer to? Me and everyone who's life I have an effect on. (Scary isn't it?)
Where did we come from? I don't care.
When will the world end? I don't know. No one does.
Why are we here? Why ask? We're just here. Make the best of it.
Where do we go when we die? We'll find out when we get there.
Does what we do on this earth have an effect on what happens in the afterlife? Again, we'll find out when we get there. So live a life that you believe is good! Anyway, it will have an affect on those who live after you so make the world a better place for them if you can.
My issue with religious publications in general is that they can be interpreted any way that suits the reader, just like any other book. A bible study is a book group. People read it and get together and talk about their interpretation of it.
The idea that a person is not going to go to the "good" place in the afterlife if they don't believe a certain way is another sticking point with me. Unfathomable.
Should I try to attain some special level of awareness to be closer to a god (or THE god)? I'm living here, now...all the way.
Have I experienced things that are unexplainable with science? Sure. That's totally cool with me. I don't want everything to be explained. Where's the fun in that?
My children will no doubt be aware of my opinions. They are encouraged to form their own.
Rant rant...rave rave.... I probably should not post this. But, since I only have about four readers, I think I can deal with the results!
These opinions liable to change at any time. No gods, demi-gods, deities, angels, familiars, sprites, gnomes, elves, hobbits, or succubus were harmed in the forming of these opinions. Any similarities to another person's views on this subject were not intentional, however, are a happy coincidence.

Go Keith!

I just took a overbooked flight to Seattle. I shared this flight with the entire champion rowing teams from the greater Seattle area. Soon after take off, just after the drink service was starting, a passenger near the front of the plane started having a panic attack. The flight attendants quickly and smoothly brought the cart back to the galley. JC picked up oxygen and went to help. As youths are apt to do, the level of conversation was escalating. Keith gathered up some cups and orange juice, snagged a female rower and asked her to start passing out O.J. to people. He did the same with cranberry juice and a couple of bottles of water. Brilliant! This gave several of the more outgoing people something to do. It actually got quieter and more organized as the temp servers passed each other in the isle while trying not to spill on the seated passengers or themselves. JC did a beautiful job calming the troubled passenger and everything went back to normal after about 30 minutes. Brilliant!

...it's good for ya!

I've been working on and off with my brother-in-law, Chris. He owns a synthetic turf business. I often help him install or run crews to install jobs. On many of the smaller residential jobs, we often do the whole thing with just the two of us. This involves tearing out the old grass or dirt or whatever and hauling it away, putting down 4 inches of gravel, compacting the gravel, rolling out, cutting and nailing down the turf, then spreading about a pound per square foot of sand and brushing the turf with a broom. While a relatively simple process, it is hard work. Often we are unable to get a truck within 100 feet of the site. This means a lot of shoveling and wheel-barrow trips. Anyway, we were having lunch today after a morning of gravel shoveling, turf-hauling and cutting. We came to the realization that we were really enjoying ourselves. Hard work outside, lunch (with a beer), then some more hard work. We made it about a 7 hour day today. We make decent money, and it's pretty healthy. Most of the time we're working in great locations. This one happens to be right on the coast with the ocean practically at our feet. We've both held jobs in offices, and various other modes of employment. While we may not want to do all of this heavy physical labor for ever, right now it's a good thing. Hard work! It's good for ya!

Boy are my arms tired...

So, I am on the third of four trips across the country in seven days. That's four days of travel for two days of work with one day at home smack in the middle. It's hard for me to believe that this is what I did for about ten years. How did I possibly have time to woo the woman of my dreams? This, to me is a mystery. I know that travel by air is mostly sitting on one's arse and pretending to be the seasoned traveler who knows the routine and can sleep anywhere. That used to be me. Where did that man go? I suppose I'm still well seasoned, but a bit over-cooked. I now prefer the comfort of my warm bed and wife, my giggling and whining children, my gastronomically delicate dog, and large mostly-invisible-to-others cat. Dining out three meals a day and staying alone in 5-star hotels has become routine and unexciting. I find myself comparing the soap and shampoo selections and Westins, Marriotts, Hyatts, Ritz-Carltons and a number of resort hotels. Some of which are a mild step up from a Holiday Inn. I am in Washington D.C. now and I am fascinated by how it's all put together, and how Capitol Hill has all of that stuff they say it does within walking distance of each other. Capitol Building, Senate, House of Reps, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, SEC, Labor Commission.....The list goes on. You can throw a rock from each to the next. All I can think about is when I get to come back with my kids. Enough said. As soon as I can be...I'm done with business travel.

Quiet Please!

I generally don't have any trouble going to sleep. Lately, however, the snoring has increased to the point that it's difficult to ignore. I try to get to sleep before she does, but that never works. She sleeps on the couch all day. I have to wake her up to go to bed. I've already kicked her out of the bed and she now sleeps on the floor. I don't know what else to do. I mean I love my dog, but a man has to sleep!

Who knew?

Okay, so I've realized that sleeping on the deck for a couple of days has resulted in something a little unexpected. My back feels great! I've had a lower back/hip problem for the last several years. I've tried different mattresses, memory foam, chiropractic care, stretching and strengthening. Turns out, I just needed to sleep on a plank. Sometimes the solution to a problem is 180 degrees from your instincts or your socially programmed reaction. I think, perhaps, I need to try applying this to other areas of my life. We'll see how it goes.
Just saw the movie "300". What a visually stunning gory and bloody mess. Short on story. Big on sweaty, ripped man bodies. A few women thrown in there for good measure and a nemesis who must be the bigger twin brother of the antagonist from "Stargate", complete with funky voice. No twists, no turns, very simple story. Small army of battle zealots versus large army of various disciplines. You know at the beginning what's going to happen, and it does. Rating **

Decked

For the last two nights I have slept in a tent on our deck with our oldest daughter, Lily. She's almost 4 and asked to sleep in there. She started out with a blanket and a pillow. I couldn't let that happen. So I folded an old comforter and a couple of serapes (Mexican blankets) under and added a down duvet on top. She thinks it's great! She asked me to sleep with her.... If we do it tonight, we're getting serious about what we're sleeping ON. I'm not sure if these old bones can handle another night sleeping on what amounts to a couple of planks. I'm a bit bony don't ya know. Ah, the things we do for our kids! At least camping will be a breeze. We have a short trip planned for the end of March. Not sure how the young one will do yet...I'll let ya know.

So, This is Blogging...

So, I here that blogging is a great way to get your thoughts and feelings out there. You get to have supportive feedback from people who read you. (If you are fortunate.) I find that as a man/husband/father, I have been a bit leery of this whole thing. I mean, as I am often reminded, women have so much programming to work against, and so much self-doubt and loathing built right in, that their lives are terribly fraught with stress and indecision. But they do like to talk about it, a lot... I may sound a bit sarcastic or even bitter about this. I'm not. That's just my dry humor and pragmatism rearing its, to me, unavoidable little head like that zit that keeps reappearing where your nose meets your face. It makes some people laugh, and offends others. I think now that they have this venue to air their thoughts and doubts, and to get feedback and reassurance, perhaps they can rid themselves of these hefty chains and move on to bigger and better things. My point is that I, as a man, have been programmed as well. Air my thoughts on the web and broadcast them to the world? Are you f***ing crazy? It's funny, this is not at all what I thought I would be writing about. Especially not for the first entry into my blog. I promise to write about, more...uh, other...er..a, different things in the future. There may even be pictures.
I have this funny feeling, that unlike my wife, I will be read by few, to say the most.