Moral Compass

Okay, here are my thoughts on gay marriage, I have none.  I realize that New York’s recent decision has some people happy, others not so much.  As for me I really don’t care because it doesn’t affect me.  Don’t be upset because you’re a staunch Christian who thinks I’m going to Hell or because you are homosexual and think I should have an opinion of some sort.  My policy is simple, I really don’t care what people do with their private lives as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone or affect me in a negative way.  Being straight I find the thought of me being with a man a little icky but the thought of whatever you decide to do is your business.  The marriage thing is tricky because over the centuries it has been turned into a religious institution but it was there before any religion I’m sure.  It was a business arrangement in many ancient cultures, today too.  Even before that there were people who stayed together because they just couldn’t stand the thought of one person being with someone else.  Now is the time to scream about morality but then I bring out the moral compass argument.  Anyone who knows map reading and land navigation understand the compass and the different versions of north.  There is magnetic north (religion), grid north (society), and true north (somewhere in between).  Your moral compass is calibrated by your upbringing.  Some religious people will say that something is wrong because of their religion, a certain society would differ (especially if they never knew that religion), but somewhere in the mix of all this would be where the truth lies.  I think that society and different religions should probably always be pushing each other back and forth.  Without one then the other could completely dominate the ideals.  I am one who believes that arguing and fighting helps to keep us closer to the middle.  If a society becomes too loose and allows their morals to slip into a place where hurting each other could become normal then that is bad.  The reverse is also true though, if religion is allowed free reign over what is moral and good then perhaps we would lose too many freedoms, even the freedom to do things that don’t hurt anyone at all.  One of the worst is when a government, any government decides to take the place of religion or society or both in this natural event because there is almost no way to stop that government from dictating what is good and moral or what is allowed.  So this hasn’t really been about gay marriage, I just needed a good jumping off point.  My main point is that everyone is entitled to their opinion, except the government, they should be forced to reflect the opinions of the people they serve and refrain from dictating morality, let us hash it out ourselves.  We are ultimately smart enough to figure out what is best for ourselves.  Once you realize that your moral compass might need recalibrated. 

Excess

I’ve been away from this blog for a while now, been pretty busy.  Today I was thinking about something and the only way I could think to express it was here.  I was in the gym and began thinking about a story I read, not sure when I read it but the basis was about members of the military going to extreme measures to ensure they pass their height and weight exams.  Doing things like liposuction, bulimia, anorexia, mostly complaining how unfair it was that the military expected them to be in shape and healthy.  This argument holds about as much weight with me as someone protesting a failing drug test, you were well aware of the rules when you joined.  Slightly off course, back on track, let’s talk about excess.  The idea of having to go to extremes seems ludicrous to me, why not just exercise and watch what you eat?  Why not be responsible enough to say enough at the table?  I looked at a picture of members of the military during WWII and thought about what size they were, true we have gotten slightly larger as a populace but the two or three inches in height doesn’t warrant the fifty or so pounds we have gained.  Those people in that picture were smaller because they didn’t try for anything more than they needed in life.  They didn’t have big expensive houses or luxury cars.  Wellfare was something unthinkable, something you were ashamed of.  Those people didn’t want anything they couldn’t earn, they also didn’t want to give away the things they had worked so hard for.  They had small houses that fit their families and had enough room to have guests over, they had family and friends help to build the house so they could keep the mortgage small and pay it off quickly.  They saved their money and paid cash for cars, the attitude of that entire generation was to earn everything, owe no one, take only what you needed, and help those around you hoping they would do the same for you.  That was the way my grandparents were raised, it wasn’t a southern thing or a northern thing, it was the way Americans thought and felt.  Excess actually embarrassed most people, whatever was left each month after bills and expenses wasn’t spent on things, it was put away for the future, retirement, charity, emergencies, etc.  I wonder how exactly we went from being so strong and independent to depending on everyone for everything.  I know it ultimately stems from not appreciating what we have and always wanting more, what would happen if people actually started wanting less.  It’s amazing, when you want less then you need less, if you need less and therefore have less then the government has less control over you.  It’s simple really, the less you have, the more free you become.  You don’t owe banks or governments or people, you can retire earlier and happier, and you live healthier lives.  Everything boils down to not wanting anything more than you need.

Opportunity of a Lifetime

I have been neglecting my writing, mostly because I have been busy. I have been in Fort Polk and now Grafenwoehr, Germany and next week I’ll be in Bulgaria. I went on a day trip to Prague this past weekend. I have been given an amazing opportunity this year to see and experience so much. The problem is that lately I have been forgetting that little fact and concentrating on any little thing that gets me out of my routine. I’m a creature of habit and it takes me a long time to recover from a break in my routine. I’ve been concentrating on inconvenience instead of focusing my energy on the opportunities staring me in the face. I’m sure that missing my family, friends, and my dogs is a small part but whatever it is I’m going to enjoy what I have in front of me. Sometimes we forget what’s in front of us because we keep thinking about what’s behind us. That’s not to say you should forget, just learn to enjoy your surroundings and live in the moment a little. We tend to rush everything these days; our focus is less on our daily interactions than on getting through the day. I’ve spent a month in Germany and in that time I’ve met some nice people, ate great food, seen things most people don’t get to see, and done things I never would have had the opportunity to do at home. I’m going to spend more time enjoying my life, it’s important I think to just breathe slowly and take it all in sometimes. 

Adapt

I have spent the last few weeks working with some guys from Bulgaria.  I’m not exactly an ambassador so this has been a lesson in patience for me.  They come from a country that works on what we call a polychronic time schedule, this means they don’t stick to timelines very well.  This is the exact opposite of me, I’m early for everything and I like to get down to business and get things done.  Having to learn how to work on a different type of “schedule” has been very new to me.  Add to that the fact that we barely understand each other and don’t know each other has made this what you might call an exciting opportunity for personal growth.  A couple days ago I had to teach a class to people who couldn’t understand what I was saying about weapons that I didn’t have.  It was a difficult task to say the least but we all got through it and learned a little something.  One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t just give up on something, sometimes you just have to figure out a way.  I feel like sometimes we give up on things too easily, we have gotten a little too relaxed in America.  I used to drive to the mailbox to get the mail and now I don’t think twice about spending twenty minutes walking to get food.  At home I wouldn’t have considered not driving to the store but the other night I walked about an hour to a restaurant and then another hour back.  It’s amazing what we can get used to, good and bad.

Internet

I’ve been busy and my internet has been terrible so I have finally put some updates to my blog, two were written in April.