Just thinking ...

The good thing about one site I try to check daily, is that I end up remembering dates ... like today.

I do believe what George Santayana said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
I feel this way about the Holocaust and, do a slightly lesser degree, to the situation we are in now. For me, September 11, 2001, was such a surreal day. I walked to the school down the street, where I volunteered (to get into the Ed Program at my college). When I got to Leigh's classroom, she was crying. "Did you hear what happened?!?" she asked.
All I could think was that one of our first-graders had been hurt or killed.
"They crashed a plane into the World Trade Center!"

I'm not very well-traveled. To me, New York is similar to Shangri-La. I have heard stories about it ... seen pictures/paintings ... But it could be like Disneyland or the Magical Land of Oz in how "real" it is. Oh, theoretically, I KNOW that it exists. But ... well .. yeah.

Don't get me wrong. What happened IS and WAS a complete tragedy. It should never be repeated. BUT, when it happened, it felt so much like my dreams do that I could hardly believe that it really was for real.

So, yeah. When I think about that day ... I just remember how surreal everything felt. I knew that the world had changed. That things wouldn't be the same as they had been just hours before. That we, as a nation, wouldn't feel so smug and complacent. That we would start to FEAR and HATE another country/race/people.

And I also think about how NICE it was when we, as a nation, actually were proactive. How we displayed our patriotism and our determination through flags on just about every surface (however we could). It was like a Fourth of July parade in September, October, December wherever you looked.

And I still am sad that we've stopped. That we've got people not supporting our troops. (Don't get me wrong. I have no idea, really, whether this war is really for the best. So, while I don't necessarily support the WAR, I firmly believe that we need to support our brothers and sisters who are doing the fighting for us, for our country. They deserve at least that much. ... Of course, I have friends who are in the Air Force, so maybe I'm a little biased.)

That's probably as political as I'll get (at least regarding that topic. My firm stance is really about babies -- abortion ::strongly against. I mean, hello! You don't want to have kids? Don't have sex. Or use at least two forms of birth control. It's not that hard! Or adoption is a good option. I think that open-ended adoption is great! Let your child know his/her biological past. Especially good for cases in which a transplant is needed!:: and the right to NIP [nurse in public] ::strongly for. Babies have just as much right to eat in public as the most vocal "I'm offended by the IDEA that there's a nipple under your clothes!!" -type person.::)

So, yeah, there you go. My little tirades and a bit of reflection.

Is it bad that ... as much as I'm getting some good feedback regarding how I'm doing at my calling at church ... I really don't enjoy it? I actually, kinda, DREAD it? I mean, I KNOW that it's important. And I know that I'm going to grow and learn tons while I'm in it ... but it's quite a bit of work. And I still, even though I've been trained, don't feel like I know ANYTHING.
But, well... I'm determined to TRY in this calling. What's the worst things that could happen?
ANSWER: A horde of angry ward members comes to our house in the middle of the night, armed with torches and pitchforks, upset about what a lousy cubmaster I am and frustrated that their boys aren't getting their badges.
SOLUTION: If they feel that I'm not doing a good-enough job, they are more than welcome to take over. Since I really DON'T know what in the H I'm doing. And I'm more than willing to turn it over, if they'd like.
No, really. Try me!

I've been having odd dreams. Which, for me, is kind of normal.
But in this last dream, I was at a different ward's building. And I felt really, really welcome. I miss the old ward ... before the reorganization. Maybe I'd just feel more "in" if the callings were all filled. And if I didn't have to have a calling. Ha ha ha.

Maybe the van will be fixed today? Or maybe tomorrow. It'd be nice to get it back. Even if I'm still kinda snuffy and have that smoker's hack that I get when I'm all sicky-pants.

But, good news, I finished Thursday Next: The First Among Sequels (Book 5) by Jasper Fforde. That made me happy. Since I can't renew it. And it's due Friday. Now to finish a book by Marcus Zusak and some others that are due soon.

Oh, and "Blades of Glory?" I think it's pretty hilarious. But that might just be me. And Michael ... even though he had no real expectations for it. But he was glad that I put it on the Queue.

My bog plans for today, if you care? I'm making soup. And I'm going to eat that soup. And save some for Michael and the kidlets' dinner. And that means that I'll be cutting and onion. And that's going to be dangerous. Since when I'm around cut onions, my eyes blur up (I'm sensitive) ... and cutting an onion when my eyes are blurred?
Well, if you don't hear from me for a few weeks, I think you'll have an idea what's gone on. (But, since I haven't lopped off a finger yet, I think things may be okay. Maybe.)