February 3, 2007 at 9:20 am · Filed under Confound Authority, Raise The Debate
…who is the deadliest of them all?
This isn’t really meant to be a political blog; but it seems impossible to talk about things like honesty, integrity and humanity without that one dreaded word weaving its way into the conversation: Bush.
I was listening on the radio, the other day, to a news item about an embattled president who – after being brought to power on a swell of conservative, right-wing, religious voters – had suffered a political “thumpin’” during the mid-term elections, and since has been steadily losing support from both members of his party and the conservative religious voters that make up his base.
A large part of his unpopularity stems from time and energy spent repeatedly bashing and provoking perceived enemies and his obsession over Iraq, while serious domestic issues continue to go unresolved.
Many fear that he will take his “dangerous regime” rhetoric to its natural conclusion, and embroil the country in an extensive regional war – a possibility the president himself declares to be his prerogative.
The president was Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Like the “face or vase” optical illusion, once you see it, you will always see it.
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February 2, 2007 at 1:13 pm · Filed under Finish Ahead
Life is a circular thing, taking us places we never thought we would go, only to bring us back again to where we started.
When the return trip happens, it is an easy thing to be reflective upon how you left things the last time you were there. Suddenly you realize that a decade has gone by, and all that time you’ve owed someone an apology.
Odysseus returned to his share of unfinished business – people he owed money, friends he had slighted and hearts he had broken – and many new troubles that had grown from it.
While I’m sure that nothing so dire as wiping out a generation or two of men awaits you, there is certain to be someone that sees you in the grocery store and thinks “what is he doing here?” and pretends not to see you.
With such thoughts in mind, I remembered an old friend that I had wronged. It was completely unintentional at the time, but that doesn’t change the outcome, or my responsibility for it. Moreover, when someone makes life decisions in the wake of my actions, I bear some onus for the consequences. My name is Earl.
Fortunately, things worked out well for my friend, and I was surprised at how relieved I was to hear it. We carry tiny weights for so long, that we forget we’re even holding them, until we put them down. But when we finally do, everything else seems lighter.
To whom do you owe an apology?
