Forward

Looking forward, one must be prepared for the unknown. Nearly six months ago I was seemingly at my wits end, wondering if I could possibly become the man that I want to be. I was literally lost within the wake of my choices, trying my best to decipher what it all meant.

Life is so crazy sometimes. One moment we could be angry at the world itself, collapsing inside as what we know to be true comes crashing to smithers. In the next instant, we are just happy to be alive, thanking God that even as we suffer, we are alive.

What I see now is that it is one huge puzzle, a life that we piece together, together, linking our pieces with so many others, helping to create the great experience that is Life. We are connected forever, whether or not we want to be.

God has set in motion such a great chain of events that it would be nigh impossible to unravel the tapestry. But I get it. I understand what transpires and why, and what must happen in order for us to reach the next level. I am no longer afraid of living. I accept commitment. I revere God.

What comes next will shock many, but it is for the best. My mind is at peace and I feel comfortable with my decision. God will take care of the rest.

Y'all be easy, man.

The New Hope Vote

Here we are, much of us crippled with that ever so familiar butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling, on the eve of what will essentially become the most profound historic moment ever: the possible election of a black man to the highest office in the US, and the possibility of a woman as Vice President.

Either way this goes, the shockwaves will be felt throughout the planet, as we make way to reverse the damage to our reputation with other countries that we would normally have strong ties. Our relationships with many of our neighbors are strained, and people in our own country find the government action/inaction appalling and ridiculous to say the least.

I spoke to a soldier, an Obama supporter, and she remarked on how the War in Iraq has gone on too long, now with over 4,000 U.S. troops pushing up daisies, which leaves us with an option to pull out with 2 years. Many desire victory before we withdraw, but with no clear enemy, no face to place on terrorism, we are fighting blind anyway. Terrorism will never be quelled, for those who are willing to throw their lives away for one common cause, make an invincible opponent. They are everywhere...and we can't tell a terrorist from an orthodox sheikh. America is lost in the desire to destroy something we don't understand, and in that sorry ignorance, we may be digging our own graves.

So, be careful to vote for the possibility of peace, but more importantly, vote for what you believe in. My father and I disagree on the candidates, and his reason for voting is a bit of fanaticism in my opinion, but it is his right to choose. That right will be defended at all costs.