Politics

     This article is about poilitics, from the Latin Poli, meaning many, and tic meaning blood sucking animal.

     One day I was out walking through the woods with two of my friends, one a die hard Democrat and the other a hard core Republican.  After a while we decided we needed to get back as it was getting late and we were hungry.  Soon we realized we were hopelessly lost.  Not only were we lost, but after walking all day we were extremely hungry.  Luckily, we came across a huge apple tree.
     The Republican said "this is my land, and my apple tree.  I will be glad to let you have some of my apples, all we need to do is for one of you to climb up and shake the apples down."  I asked "who do you guys think should climb the tree?"
     The Republican said "since this is my land, and my tree, I shouldn't have to do it.  I have let you walk my land, and I am offering my tree.  One of you should do it."
     The Democrat said "I would love to climb the tree, but maybe if we sit here long enough the apples will just fall from the tree and we will have something to eat."
     I told the Democrat "let's be fair about this.  It's his tree, and his apples.  I will climb the tree if you will catch the apples when they fall and divide them out."  Everybody agreed, so up the tree I went.  I climbed the tree, and shook with all my might, watching the apples fall to the ground.
     I climbed back down expecting my share.  I looked, and the apples were still sitting on the ground where they had fell.  The Democrat was sitting under a tree watching everything unfold.  I asked him, "why didn't you divide the apples out?"  He replied "the apples are on the ground, bring me one and I will eat it."  the Republican said "wait a minute, these are my apples and I will decide who gets what."
     I figured that I had worked hard, and deserved an apple, so I reached down to pick one up.  The Democrat said "Hey, that's my apple, bring it here and let me eat it."  I said if you want one, get one yourself."
     The Republican said "These are my apples, pick them up, take them all to town and sell them and I will let you have one for every 1,000 you sell."
     This went on for a long time.  I decided I was going to try to make my way out of the woods myself. I asked if either of them were going with me, since nothing was getting accomplished.  The Republican said "I own the land, so I shouldn't have to go."  The Democrat said "it's not my land, so I shouldn't have to go.  When you get out send help back for us"  The Republican said "when you come back, bring $20 as I need to charge you for the damage to my tree."
     I made my way out of the woods and finally found a road.  I walked down the road a little ways and finally found a little store.  The owner was a nice man and seeing my sad state gave me a drink and a sandwich before offering to dive me home.  He asked if I was the only one lost and I told him no, but the others were too far gone to try to rescue.  They later found them starved to death in the middle of a big pile of apples.

Randomosity

     A lot on my mind, haven't posted in a while, so free thought for the first blog in a while.  I can't for the life of me, get below 280 pounds.  It doesn't matter what I eat, or what I do, I cannot break the 280 pound barrier.  I take solace in knowing that I am eating better, and taking somewhat better care of myself though.
     My son started his second season of playing football yesterday.  This year, he gets to play with kids his own age, and close to his own size.  I worried about him last year, as a small 6 year old playing with some good sized 6 and 7 year old's he struggled at first, but thanks to some great coaches who took the time to work with him he started getting the hang of things.  This year, he gets to play in a 7 year old only league, and he isn't as mismatched as far as size.  His first practice, he seemed like he was really enjoying himself, and knew what he was doing.  As always, I was proud of my son.
     My youngest daughter can't decide what she wants to do.  At first, she wanted to play fall softball, but that cost a lot more money than we had to spend.  She then decided to cheer, then to not do anything.  Now she has decided maybe she wants to play soccer again.  The soccer will be a challenge, with me trying to be in two places at once with a football player and a soccer player.  If that's what she decides, I will do my best to make a way.
     My oldest is now a freshman in high school.  She will be in her second year marching with the high school band.  I listen to her practice her clarinet, and am amazed at how much she has improved.  She played soccer for many years, until it started interfering with band, then she gave soccer up.  She was an incredible defensive player, and the one game she got to play forward she scored two goals in a 2-0 win.  Her ability on defense normally kept her on that side of the field though.  Now band is her thing.  She takes after her Daddy with that.  I only hope she can take her musicianship and parlay that into a music scholarship.  Her grades are good, and she can write her own ticket when she gets ready to go to college.
     We have that conversation often, about grades, college, scholarships.  I had the opportunity to go to college, and graduated.  Unfortunately some questionable choices on my part, and being completely burned out when I got out of college led me to waste my opportunity.  I will not let up on reminding her about her ability to change her circumstances, and to do better than her Daddy did.
     I often think about choices I made, and would I change anything.  I am not going to lie, sometimes when I get up to go to work, with bills piling up, I think maybe I would change things if I could.  Then I look at my family, I would not change a thing if it meant any chance of them not being in my life.  I firmly believe that I have been blessed, no matter what the circumstances in my life at any time.  I will take my family over a new house, a new car, or anything like that any day.
     Finally, A friend of mine lost his wife yesterday.  She was 40 years old.  Always, always, always take the time to let the people in your life know just how much you love them every chance you get.  You never know when you will not have that chance again.