on the road again

This has happened to me before. I get out of my routine, spend a little time outside, and have all of these thoughts to share. But by the time I get back to a computer it's too late, and they are mostly gone. So here they are, a few sentences and disjointed thoughts that could have been inspiring, if only I had the time to make them so.


on life -

Brian is a dreamer.

It's one of my favorite things about him, and one of the fundamental reasons I married him. He has an eye for beauty, a palate that never forgets, and he's always dreaming. As we drove down to the beach, I sat beside him and thought, To be here - in the passenger seat, beside him, everything precious to us in the back seat, windows down, music loud - this spot is my truest home.


and politics -

1. And here is where I stir an already churning pot of contention.

We have an acquaintance, the daughter of a friend, who I'm going to call Ann. Ann is 25 years old. She is married and has a daughter that was born the same week as Silas. Ann also has lupus, and her recent pregnancy put such a strain on her body that she is currently undergoing chemotherapy once a month for the next year to try to stop the damage to her kidneys. Her doctor has said that if she gets pregnant again, she probably won't survive. Ann has changed the issue of abortion for me.

Let me be clear. I hate that abortion exists. Any scenario in which losing your baby is the best possible outcome is overwhelming and unimaginable. Even so - what happens if Ann unintentionally gets pregnant again? She would be deciding to orphan her daughter, and possibly another. It's a huge decision that I am thankful I don't have to face. I don't know what Ann will do if the situation arises. I won't presume to make that decision for her, but neither should the government. It is a moral decision, an ethical decision, and also an individual's decision.

As believers, I don't think it should be my goal to change the law. It should be my goal to create a place in which losing a baby is not the best option. If I care so much - and I do - then I need to be involved in adoption and foster care. I need to show young single mothers the respect they deserve for choosing to have their children. I need to support programs that provide the health care, food, and education that child is going to need. If I believe children are always a blessing, my attitude and actions should reflect that. But medical decisions shouldn't be legislated. (By the way, Flotsam wrote an excellent post about this, if anyone is interested).

2. I am disgusted by Sean Hannity. Not for his politics, but for his abuse of power. And it's not just him.

What I mean is this - our society used to give the power to influence and inspire to ministers and teachers. Ministers are rewarded - in that they get to keep their livelihood - when they draw out the best in others. And teachers are rewarded - in much the same way - when they convey accurate information well. For both, the better they are at caring for the greater good, the more they benefit personally.

But there has been a shift of power (I'm not a historian, but didn't it start with the first Gulf war and the onset of 24/7 news cycles?). Ministers and teachers have diminished influence in the face of a growing media, specifically conservative talk radio. The problem is that media is a for-profit business. The greater good is not their motivation; profits are. In other words, they are not rewarded for accurate information or for inspiring others. They are rewarded (monetarily) for having higher ratings than the competition. They are personally better off simply for being louder and more entertaining than the next guy. There is no motivation to consider the greater good. It has put our society in a precarious place.


I could say more about all of them. They each could be their own post, or their own series of posts, if only I had the time I once did to devote to blogging. Alas.

Throw your tomatoes .... now.