Tragedy struck our neighborhood this morning. A young woman was murdered by her boyfriend. Such a horrible thing to happen in any neighborhood and in any household. You never think in a million years that the person who you love and who loves you could or would kill you.
Our neighborhood is such a quiet and peaceful one atleast from the outside looking in. The house where the woman was murdered is really nice on the outside but you don't ever know what goes on in peoples houses. Having this happen this morning reminds me of growing up in the house that I grew up in. It was always nice and peaceful looking from the outside looking in. But from the inside looking out was such a different story. There was so much yelling and abuse.
Growing up we moved a few times and in each instant it was the same. The outside of house was nice but what happened on the inside was not nice. This is not to say these occasions were many there were some nice times but so often the nice times didn't out weigh the bad times.
As I got older my folks bought some land and build a house. The house is my mothers "dream home". In all honesty it is a beautiful house on the outside and on the inside {decoratively speaking} that is. It is known as the white house on the hill. It has so many security features that it is shameful. There is an alarm that speaks every time you open a door. Also there is an alarm that speaks when someone drives up in the driveway.
There is a collection of guns within this fortress. Which in and of itself scares me. I was always assured that the guns were just collections and were not able to be fired but who is to say that was true. I didn't want to get close enough to find out. There were so many times that tempers would flare up and with the gun collection being right there at the finger tips of those that live there was just too much for me to bare. As time went on and I got older my visits became shorter because I became more nervous and scared at the prospect of so many guns being so easily accessed.
I hear the arguments "guns don't kill people, people kill people with the guns." Well why put the guns in the peoples hands where that could happen?! Guns are so readily available it seems. Something needs to be done about this problem.
My live today is so much quieter. At this moment my folks and I are estranged so I don't have to visit the white house on the hill. My wife Kathy and I don't yell or abuse each other. We don't live in a fortress. We have simple alarm system and 3 dogs for our security and love. Today my house looks the same from the outside looking in as it does from the inside looking out.
These are my thoughts from Jillsville.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Life As I Know It In Jillsville: Sometimes I forget about Graditude
Life As I Know It In Jillsville: Sometimes I forget about Graditude: The place where I got sober had a huge plaque on the wall that read: Make Gratitude Your Attitude. The founding members hung it on the back...
Sometimes I forget about Graditude
The place where I got sober had a huge plaque on the wall that read: Make Gratitude Your Attitude. The founding members hung it on the back wall of the meeting hall just to the side of the doorway so as you left the meeting that would be the last thing you saw. The times when I would lead a discussion or share my AA story I would look at that plaque with those words Make Graditude Your Attitude and it was SO inspirational to me. The print was so BIG you could see it from the front of the huge meeting room.
This is such a back to basics for me. I have strayed from my beginnings and it is time that I find my way back. Being sick with my crohn's disease flare up these past few weeks have given me the chance to reflect and has also brought so much of my old school AA thoughts and feelings back to life. It is time for me to act instead of react which is what I am going to begin to do. I will not continue to allow these outside agitators continue to live "rent free" in my head any longer. As my wife Kathy has said they can only harm us if we allow them to and I have NO intention of allowing them to any longer.
The plaque still hangs in the same place on the same wall in the same meeting hall. When I return on visits it reminds me that Graditude Should Be My Attitude in ALL aspects of my life. There is such recovery in that one single solitary word GRADITUDE.
On this the first day of fall I decided to come outside after dinner and sit under the gazebo and look out over my yard. It is so beautiful out here and it feels as though I am so far away from the politics, and the folks on the religious right that I have this huge fear of harm from. The pleasantness of it all just warms me.
It wasn't long before Kathy came out and joined me. She began doing little things out in the yard. Picking up dog poop, playing with Buddy, combing out Lucky Lu and Torries fur and while she was doing all this I shared with her what I was feeling and we began talking about all we have to be grateful for.
During all this I had a profound sense of Graditude and began thinking about all the things we have together as a couple and a family. I shared out loud with Kathy that the politicians and the religious right can take what they want and they are trying to BUT the one thing they WILL and can NEVER take is our LOVE, COMMITMENT, MARRIAGE and our FAMILY from us. This gives me such a sense of GRADITUDE.
This is my life as I know it in Jillsville.
This is such a back to basics for me. I have strayed from my beginnings and it is time that I find my way back. Being sick with my crohn's disease flare up these past few weeks have given me the chance to reflect and has also brought so much of my old school AA thoughts and feelings back to life. It is time for me to act instead of react which is what I am going to begin to do. I will not continue to allow these outside agitators continue to live "rent free" in my head any longer. As my wife Kathy has said they can only harm us if we allow them to and I have NO intention of allowing them to any longer.
The plaque still hangs in the same place on the same wall in the same meeting hall. When I return on visits it reminds me that Graditude Should Be My Attitude in ALL aspects of my life. There is such recovery in that one single solitary word GRADITUDE.
On this the first day of fall I decided to come outside after dinner and sit under the gazebo and look out over my yard. It is so beautiful out here and it feels as though I am so far away from the politics, and the folks on the religious right that I have this huge fear of harm from. The pleasantness of it all just warms me.
It wasn't long before Kathy came out and joined me. She began doing little things out in the yard. Picking up dog poop, playing with Buddy, combing out Lucky Lu and Torries fur and while she was doing all this I shared with her what I was feeling and we began talking about all we have to be grateful for.
During all this I had a profound sense of Graditude and began thinking about all the things we have together as a couple and a family. I shared out loud with Kathy that the politicians and the religious right can take what they want and they are trying to BUT the one thing they WILL and can NEVER take is our LOVE, COMMITMENT, MARRIAGE and our FAMILY from us. This gives me such a sense of GRADITUDE.
This is my life as I know it in Jillsville.
Friday, September 16, 2011
SHORT AND SWEET
Some of you may think I am speaking of my wife Kathy with this blog post title. Well the fact is that my wife is short and sweet. I Love You Sweetie! In actuality I am speaking about my passion for Equal Rights for EVERYONE. That is the SHORT AND SWEET of it all.
If I offend anyone with my comments or facebook status well that is just too bad. Because I am offended and hurt by all this political jabbing with my life and the life of a good many people who I love and care about, this includes those I don't even know.
Why should strangers be able to vote on the marriage of a small group of people they don't even know? I wasn't allowed to vote on their marriage not that I would have wanted to. This is where my passion for Equality comes into play. People should be able to marry the ONE they choose as long as both are mature consenting single adults and they should not be ridiculed for it.
The United States Constitution states FREEDOM and JUSTICE for all. Well where is the FREEDOM to marry and the JUSTICE for all where we - SAME SEX- couples are concerned?!
I Love My Wife Kathy, my Friends both heterosexual and homosexual, my Family and my Life.
Life is too short for so many to hate and fear so few. Please help us have a voice.
VOTE NO ON AMENDMENT ONE IN MAY 2012 IN NORTH CAROLINA.
If I offend anyone with my comments or facebook status well that is just too bad. Because I am offended and hurt by all this political jabbing with my life and the life of a good many people who I love and care about, this includes those I don't even know.
Why should strangers be able to vote on the marriage of a small group of people they don't even know? I wasn't allowed to vote on their marriage not that I would have wanted to. This is where my passion for Equality comes into play. People should be able to marry the ONE they choose as long as both are mature consenting single adults and they should not be ridiculed for it.
The United States Constitution states FREEDOM and JUSTICE for all. Well where is the FREEDOM to marry and the JUSTICE for all where we - SAME SEX- couples are concerned?!
I Love My Wife Kathy, my Friends both heterosexual and homosexual, my Family and my Life.
Life is too short for so many to hate and fear so few. Please help us have a voice.
VOTE NO ON AMENDMENT ONE IN MAY 2012 IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Life As I Know It In Jillsville: BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS VOTE
This is such a dark and sad day in North Carolina. My thoughts today have been about the Senate and House votes on what is referred to as the Anti-LGBT Amendment. Both the Senate and the House have voted to allow this amendment to go to the voters. The only catch is that the date they {The Republican's of course} have chosen is on their primary voting date in May 2012. There is SO much to consider here. My thoughts and questions to ponder about all this are as follows:
FIRST: What gives a majority group of people the right to vote on a minority group of people's basic human rights?
SECOND: The constitution is here to protect people is it NOT? So why is there going to be a vote to allow discrimination against a minority group of people?
THIRD: There is already a LAW banning same-sex marriage in the state of North Carolina. So why put this on the ballot or in our NC constitution at all?
FOURTH: Wasn't this such a waste of tax payer money to have this "special session?"
FIFTH: At ONE time weren't the conservatives all about NOT intruding on other peoples lives? Perhaps that was the old conservative way.
SIXTH: How are the young homosexual children going to feel about seeing all the negative ads that the so called christian's are going to have on TV?
There could come a time when there could be a constitutional amendment to ban the consumption of shrimp and shell fish in this state since the Bible clearly states eating them is WRONG according to Leviticus 11:9-12 and Deuteronomy 14:9-10. Not that I am a Bible thumper because I am not. However I do have homosexual friends that are. Imagine that!
I could just go on and on about this subject but why should I? How can anyone truly believe that this is Gods Will?
There you have it thoughts from Jillsville.
FIRST: What gives a majority group of people the right to vote on a minority group of people's basic human rights?
SECOND: The constitution is here to protect people is it NOT? So why is there going to be a vote to allow discrimination against a minority group of people?
THIRD: There is already a LAW banning same-sex marriage in the state of North Carolina. So why put this on the ballot or in our NC constitution at all?
FOURTH: Wasn't this such a waste of tax payer money to have this "special session?"
FIFTH: At ONE time weren't the conservatives all about NOT intruding on other peoples lives? Perhaps that was the old conservative way.
SIXTH: How are the young homosexual children going to feel about seeing all the negative ads that the so called christian's are going to have on TV?
There could come a time when there could be a constitutional amendment to ban the consumption of shrimp and shell fish in this state since the Bible clearly states eating them is WRONG according to Leviticus 11:9-12 and Deuteronomy 14:9-10. Not that I am a Bible thumper because I am not. However I do have homosexual friends that are. Imagine that!
I could just go on and on about this subject but why should I? How can anyone truly believe that this is Gods Will?
There you have it thoughts from Jillsville.
BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS VOTE
This is such a dark and sad day in North Carolina. My thoughts today have been about the Senate and House votes on what is referred to as the Anti-LGBT Amendment. Both the Senate and the House have voted to allow this amendment to go to the voters. The only catch is that the date they {The Republican's of course} have chosen is on their primary voting date in May 2012. There is SO much to consider here. My thoughts and questions to ponder about all this are as follows:
FIRST: What gives a majority group of people the right to vote on a minority group of people's basic human rights?
SECOND: The constitution is here to protect people is it NOT? So why is there going to be a vote to allow discrimination against a minority group of people?
THIRD: There is already a LAW banning same-sex marriage in the state of North Carolina. So why put this on the ballot or in our NC constitution at all?
FOURTH: Wasn't this such a waste of tax payer money to have this "special session?"
FIFTH: At ONE time weren't the conservatives all about NOT intruding on other peoples lives? Perhaps that was the old conservative way.
SIXTH: How are the young homosexual children going to feel about seeing all the negative ads that the so called christian's are going to have on TV?
There could come a time when there could be a constitutional amendment to ban the consumption of shrimp and shell fish in this state since the Bible clearly states eating them is WRONG according to Leviticus 11:9-12 and Deuteronomy 14:9-10. Not that I am a Bible thumper because I am not. However I do have homosexual friends that are. Imagine that!
I could just go on and on about this subject but why should I? How can anyone truly believe that this is Gods Will?
There you have it thoughts from Jillsville.
FIRST: What gives a majority group of people the right to vote on a minority group of people's basic human rights?
SECOND: The constitution is here to protect people is it NOT? So why is there going to be a vote to allow discrimination against a minority group of people?
THIRD: There is already a LAW banning same-sex marriage in the state of North Carolina. So why put this on the ballot or in our NC constitution at all?
FOURTH: Wasn't this such a waste of tax payer money to have this "special session?"
FIFTH: At ONE time weren't the conservatives all about NOT intruding on other peoples lives? Perhaps that was the old conservative way.
SIXTH: How are the young homosexual children going to feel about seeing all the negative ads that the so called christian's are going to have on TV?
There could come a time when there could be a constitutional amendment to ban the consumption of shrimp and shell fish in this state since the Bible clearly states eating them is WRONG according to Leviticus 11:9-12 and Deuteronomy 14:9-10. Not that I am a Bible thumper because I am not. However I do have homosexual friends that are. Imagine that!
I could just go on and on about this subject but why should I? How can anyone truly believe that this is Gods Will?
There you have it thoughts from Jillsville.
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