Striving

    Lucid and logical points to make ... Emotions married to intelligence that causes all who read, whether they agree or not to go "Hmmm" - ... The infusion of humor - a funny bone tickled - these are the main reasons I want to write. The facts are that my points are not always lucid, and my logic is technically flawed. My writing is overflowing with emotional goop and rarely has a thread of intelligence. Finally, I am the usually the only one laughing or smiling at my words, sentences, or paragraphs. But undaunted, I continue to write. To improve, grow, and find new parts of myself ...

    Have you ever been watching a program and wished you could be the character on the screen? Forgoing the super powers of the Avengers, or the dogged intelligence and purpose of the BAU, I wish I could make people laugh. I have read Carol Burnett's memoir, Dick Van Dyke's autobiography, and Steve Martin's autobiography as well in just the last four months. I was entertained by these writers, and their stories and names from the past were interesting and for the most part fun.

    I love Mark Twain - he makes me laugh. Think as well, but with the thought comes the laugh. Carl Reiner, genius actor/writer/director, is an idol of mine, talent beyond belief, in a different genre. While I am praising humorists, Art Buchwald actually had me politically aware as a young collegiate. Dave Barry is brilliant, and there has never been a funnier writer than Erma Bombeck. I grew up watching Jonathan Winters, Red Skelton, and Tim Conway perform brilliant works of comedy. Genre rich, I want to make people laugh.

    Another dream of mine is to lead young people to better decisions, helping them to grow spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. I want to coach teens so they can succeed and make this world a better place. I have read three Greg Laurie books, Tim Tebow's autobiography, Coach John Wooden's book "They Call Me Coach", Tony Dungy's book on leadership, two books by Francis Chan and a coaching/ministry autobiography by Joe Ehrmann, a former NFL lineman turned youth coach and mentor. This basically means that in the past year I have read more books by choice than I ever read in my whole life.

    All my new life of reading does not include the parade of  literature I was forced to read in college. 'Classic' works of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Hemingway, Dante, Homer, Thoreau, Faulkner, Dickens, Hawthorne, Poe, and Salinger were assigned. O.Henry, and Twain were the few bright spots of required reading I had while in college this last go-round. I learned that men and women worked hard putting stories together. It didn't just happen. My thesis for my grad project is about comedy in the classroom - teachers using it to their advantage.

    I am searching. For my niche, for acceptance, for self-fulfillment. This search beats me down, gives me hope, and continues to be a never-ending saga of life. In my youth I clowned and yucked it up to keep my inferior size in the background. I struggled with being taken seriously and being the class clown. Now in my old age, I struggle with the same issues - just not in the "please laugh at me and let me be part of your group even though I'm unworthy" way, now it's more like "this came to my brain and I'm too lazy to filter right now!"

    So, I read like never before, I think more than ever about my family and all the children I am responsible for, pray far more fervently than ever before. I feel like a more complete, more versatile,  deeper and more mature human. Yet this maturity, this introspection has caused a chink in my armor. I used to believe I was bulletproof, specially abled - ordained by God and misunderstood by mankind. Years and experiences have shown me otherwise. How funny  (both weird and haha) that I am praying so hard for a job at Jack-in-the-Box.

The Fluidity of Right and Wrong

    Isn't it interesting how our society moves, or changes on mores and morals, yet we are supposed to call it progress? History shows us that while not everything that is 'change' is bad, it isn't all good either! For instance, just to make a point, let's look at TV shows.  The comedy shows of the 1950's and 1960's were silly, not being able to say the word "pregnant" and having separate twin beds in the Ricardo's, Petrie's, and Cramden's houses for the married occupants, but the comedy is fun and friendly. Now contrast those "classic" shows with the 2013 line up - Two and a Half Men, and Modern Family, a hodge-podge mess of relationships that try in a thirty minute time slot to break as many of the Commandments as possible, and throw in shtick and a laugh track to push the comedy. The TV shows as a whole are raunchy, sexually over toned, or just plain crazy dumb. Reality shows, as they have been named, are probably the second worst idea in all of history, second only to the Roman Emperor's using Christians as torches for their parties.

   A small tangent - Reality TV is more contrived than the sitcom or drama genre. America is sucked into an idea, and even after the secret is revealed they are still hooked. I am now stepping off this soapbox.

    The technology today is incredible. All the advancements in tech have come in such a short time span. The latest and greatest Smart Phone, Computer, or Tablet are virtually obsolete as soon as they are put on the sales floor due to the next latest and greatest item being invented. While I choose not to argue, many argue that these advances are a determent to our freedoms, rights and privileges as Americans. Having nothing to hide may be the reason I have no argument. Still, some technology even effects how we perceive entertainment. The better the graphics and the image on the screen makes it a better show, whether TV or movie. I personally must disagree.

    America is a young and growing country. When held up to the countries in Europe and Asia, we are babies. We took from the best to form our Constitution, and the U.S.A. became a powerful and influential world power in a relatively short time. It was just a few generations back that books were the primary form of personal entertainment. We still have people living today that were around when Radio was the family entertainment hub. Imagination and intrigue were the cornerstones of the radio audience. Movies started as action with musical background, and important dialogue were cards read by the audience. This was known as the Silent Film age. When talkies were invented, then color film was introduced, the Motion picture industry was a skyrocket with no end in sight.

    Not that I want this to be about entertainment totally, just as an example. In the same way that entertainment has morphed, isn't it interesting how politicians have gone from being altruistic voices of the people to shills for the highest bidder. Right and wrong are fluid, waving in the breeze of public opinion and lobbyist dollars?