I finally gotten around to joining the blogosphere.
Mostly this is going to be use to journal my latest start-up ventures but I’ll throw in some other goodies along the way. In fact, my first few posts will be some ‘archival’ material I wrote long before anyone called it ‘blogging’.
Stream on…
This is the last of the archival posts. My life has changed dramatically since this was written; I’m sure that my note would be quite different now. Perhaps I’ll do this exercise again soon.
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What is it about travelling that puts me into a retrospective mood? All that free time staring at clouds? Or perhaps it.s all those other people whizzing by whilst I wait oh-so-impatiently for my thrice delayed flight?Whatever it is, I like so many others made the pilgrimage back .home. for Christmas this year. And being that this is the busiest travel season of the year, I had plenty of time for retrospection. Now combine this retrospective mood with several hours in the smallest plane ever made, sitting about 4 inches from a Cuisinenart-like propeller and one.s mind begins to consider one.s mortality.People often ask “What would you do if you only had a month/year/day to live?”. Well, when your sitting in a coffin shaped machine with two sets of feverishly spinning knives next to your ear a day seems like a very long time. So I began to ponder; “What would I do if I had one minute to live?”.
I would leave a note. (Yes, I know. If the plane did crash the chances of a note surviving are pretty remote but work with me here people!) On the note I would say those things to those important people in my life that I never got around to or didn.t have the stones to tell them before that impossibly fast moving propeller spins off it.s shaft and we tumble to Earth like a broken kite. Here are a few of the things I came up with. I.ve replaced the names to protect them, and me. Don.t even try to guess cuz I ain.t gonna tell and none of them are on AOL.
| Mom: | I know you mean well, but quit asking about my love life will ya! 😉 I love you Mom |
| Dad: | You.re the greatest man I.ve ever known or read about. Whenever I.m faced with a moral dilemma I just ask myself “What would Dad do?” and it becomes clear to me. I love you Dad. |
| Lucy: | My first real love, nothing but the joy of that remains in my memory. I.m happy for your success, I always knew you had it in you. |
| Hillary: | Nurture that spark I saw in your eyes. Within that spark is the light of childlike wonder that will bring you the happiness and spiritual understanding that you so richly deserve. I.m sorry I wasn.t the one to kindle that flame. |
| Dana: | You are new in my life but already you have given me a great gift. That feeling of trust, of openness, the .connection. that I thought was gone forever from my life I feel with you. Thank You. |
| Fred & Ginger | You have helped me through the most difficult times of my life, you are my family here. I love you both, I hope I can return the favor someday. |
Ok, so that was way over a minute, but you get the idea. There are many others, including many of my friends on AOL. After much consideration I decided not to include any AOL folks in this column. We all know the ‘drama’ that this place can generate; something that none of us need any more of in our lives.
This isn’t really about mortality, it’s about living. It is about living one’s life communicating your true feelings; living without regrets, and living with an openness that embraces those closest to you. While I was considering this I cried some, I laughed some and I thought a great deal about those people that are important in my life. After all, isn.t that what this season; what all these plastic Santas, animated TV specials and Furbys are all about?
What would your note say?
A touch of gray…Do you like Garth Brooks?. I’m sure he’s a wonderful person, but I can’t stand his music. Would you guess from that information that I don’t care for Country Music? You could, and you would be right. What color is your hair? Mine is black with just a touch of gray. What color are your eyes? Mine are steel-blue. Are yours the same as mine? I doubt it. Would you make a judgment about my character from any of these traits? I doubt it.
I am descendant from Irish immigrants. Based on that would you guess from that I am cop from Boston that has red cheeks, red hair and enjoys a good Whiskey now and then? You might, but you would be wrong on all but one count. One out of five is a pretty low score.
“Can’t we all just get along?”
I want to share with you an exchange that occurred in the AOL Chat room: Town Square: Connecticut room back in mid-February. (ed: Ok, so this was back in 1998) What I have included here is an edited version. All the non-related chat has been removed. A copy of the complete text is available. I have left the names in to persecute the guilty. (ed: In this transcript my comments are identified by ‘Darkwolf’)
LinhPhung: any asian out there?
Aahhchoo: {S risnsun1.
LinhPhung: anyone mind for a chat?.
Aahhchoo: {S risnsun2.
LinhPhung: Any Asian Please…………………?.
Aahhchoo: {S risnsun3
RdHseBlues: No..sorry.no asian here
TimC934: Phung… Ching-Chong.
Marcy CT: ping pang poing.
Aahhchoo: {S risnsun4
TimC934: LOL marcy.
Marcy CT: thats how they sound at work
TimC934: heheheheh.
TimC934: You Work With The Orient Marcy ?
Aahhchoo: {S risnsun5.
Marcy CT: oooh i rike pork fwied wice
Aahhchoo: {S risnsun6.
Marcy CT: i think there chinese or somethin.
TimC934: Where do you work Marcy ?.
CtFifer97: that was really rude.
Marcy CT: um somewhere 🙂
Earful: crazy crackers.aaaaaaaaaa
DarkWolf: I am embarassed for you people.
DarkWolf: This is exactly why I don’t come here. Christ…
TURBO TINA: hey dark whats wrong?
CtFifer97: I had to reread that whole thing to make sure I didnt miss something.
DarkWolf: Because you people are so tiny minded.
CtFifer97: that was freakin nasty.
TURBO TINA: <—————-big mind CtFifer97: how ignorant TURBO TINA: 🙂
DarkWolf: You are so quick to dis someone different.
TURBO TINA: not me .
Marcy CT: darkwolf give it a rest crybaby
CtFifer97: it was a few
CtFifer97: seriously
DarkWolf: Marcy: Excuse me?
Marcy CT: were you talking to me?
DarkWolf: Were you talking to me?
CtFifer97: Tim….I dont think youre gonna get anywhere with this
DarkWolf: And you ask if I was talking to you, sheesh.
Marcy CT: me either trina.lets drop it tim
DarkWolf: Trina: Kinda like doin a Dr. King speech at a KKK rally.
CtFifer97: DoH CtFifer97: exactly Tim
Earful: LOL Tim
Marcy CT: exactly
DarkWolf: No, I think not. This is preciecly the problem with this room.
CtFifer97: I meant you werent gonna get what he was trying to tell you Marcy
TURBO TINA: this room sucks!
Marcy CT: yeah i know trina
CtFifer97: ok I just wanted to make sure
Marcy CT: thanks
DarkWolf: It’s the kinda thing that makes one want to write an editorial column
Earful: any other postings since last time, Tim?
DarkWolf: D: Nope, not a peep. Course I am assuming that this bunch can read.
Earful: Mm ASSuming
CtFifer97: LOL youre daring Tim !
DarkWolf: I calls em as I sees em.
CtFifer97: Tim?
EHebs13: hello
DarkWolf: Hey, I used big words. It was a stretch.
DarkWolf: yes?
CtFifer97: Im thinking chain wallets, velveeta, car on blocks on the lawn?
Earful: HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
TimC934: Dammit.. i think i have to leave this channel
DarkWolf: Woohoo! Two words: double wide!
CtFifer97: oh yahhhh and tractor pulls…cant forget that CtFifer97: LMAO Tim!
DarkWolf: And you know the sad part? They don’t even get that we are slaming them.
CtFifer97: I know tim
CtFifer97: Its sad
DarkWolf: Ok, I’m done ranting now.
CtFifer97: <—gets hot when Tim rants : )
DarkWolf: Oh my.
Marcy CT: hey earful dont be so small minded lol
Earful: Hey Marcy…you have no idea
CtFifer97: are we gonna bash lesbians now too????
Marcy CT: lol
CtFifer97: we just finsihed hackin up Asians
“… yearning to be free.”
Why is that some people find it necessary to ostracize those that are different from themselves? All of us, save for those precious few that are descendant from Native Americans, are immigrants to this country. Common sense would suggest to me that this would make us MORE sensitive to other immigrants when in fact, quite the opposite was experienced by the guest in the CONNECTICUT room.
By ostracizing others, does that not make us feel superior? Do we feel that little of ourselves that the only way we can feel good is to make others feel bad, small, insignificant? Are we afraid of those that are different? Why? Ignorance.
It is the behavior of ignorant troglodytes such as this that has so many saying “I waited 15mins to get into this room for THIS?”. I am about the most tolerant man outside of the clergy that any of you are likely to meet in your lifetime. But when someone exhibits such blatantly bigotry I feel compelled to speak. What saddened me even further, was that others in the room found this funny and even joined in the stupidity. I guess it took a few of them to come up with one good brain.
These traits, negative all, were blindingly obvious to me in this exchange. It seems to me that if we want AOL to become anything more than a text based Jerry Springer, that appeals only to the basest, common, knuckle dragging mouth breathers, we must demand more from our roomies. More character, more compassion, more intelligence.
Like noses, everyone has an opinion. The above are mine and I am soley responsbile for them.
Where’s the Beef?
Is it just me or has this Monica “in search of her 15 minutes. of fame” Lewinsky thing gotten WAY outta hand? (Please, no jokes about what she had IN her hand). The media feeding frenzy around this issue ran out of real news on the second day, now they are ‘reporting’ on how other reporters are reporting on reporters reporting on the “crisis”. These must be truly talented people, they are able to prattle on for 5 minutes in the complete absence of facts. All the while, not misplacing a single hair on their immaculately quaffed head.
This must be a definition of crisis that I was not familiar with. The media is telling it this way: Allegedly there are tapes of Monica telling friend Linda Tripp of her alleged relationship (allegedly sexual) with the Commander in Chief. And now, Monica is seeking immunity in return for testifying. Immunity from what? Last time I knew, being a name dropper wasn’t a crime. I don’t even want to start about the behavior of the Independent Counsel. But I digress.
Public Servant/Private Life?
But the real issue is not the morays of our President, that is between him and Hillary. Frankly I couldn’t care less if Billy-Joe-President liked to get naked, paint himself blue and run around the Oval Office hopping on one leg with an intern over each shoulder. What does matter is if he lies or encourages others to lie about it.
Every person is entitled to a private life (yes, even lawyers and politicians). To the extent that it does not effect their ability to perform their job, we have no right to pry into the details of another person’s life. Would your life survive such scrutiny? How would some of the things that you have done appear if presented in 30 second clips under the harsh TV lights? I thought so.
The check is in the mail…
But if a public servant (no jokes about that one either please) lies to the public to which he/she serves, they no longer deserve the job they hold. There are NO exceptions to this rule. If I can’t trust you to tell me the simple truth, how can I trust you to run our city/state/country/animal control district? If you lie to me about things I don’t give a rats anal pore about, you will lie to me about the things I do care about, and that is intolerable.
Bill, if you did it, be a man and fess up so we can get on with our lives; we’ve all got better things to do. If you didn’t, then defend yourself with all your energy and when you are vindicated, put the lawyers (and TV anchors) back under the rocks from whence they wriggled.
Monica, if it happened, proudly stand your ground and don’t let the lawyers’ shenanigans get you down. If it didn’t, then you deserve the wrath of the media circus that you have called down upon yourself.
Like noses, everyone has an opinion. The above are mine and I am solely responsible for them.