Fate and Choice

Let's talk about fate. I mean, fate is one of those unfortunately cool words that happens to get a lot of attention. Whether it is a silly romantic comedy, the end of the world, or falling down the stairs; everything seems to be able to be blamed on fate.

"Destiny is a name often given in retrospect to choices that had dramatic consequences."
J. K. Rowling

Thank you Joanne Rowling for saying something I can get behind. One of the central focal points of my life is choice. I believe more completely in individual choice than in anything save the existence of God. Now, I'm going to get a bit religious for a second here. God put us on earth for a purpose. He put us here to: get a physical body, to aid Him in giving bodies to more of his children through marriage, and He put us here to take on the burden of choice. It is how we choose to live our lives that will determine what comes after. When I say we, I mean you individually. We are not a collective, my choice today may affect your life or influence a choice you make, but in the end the choice is yours.

Now, along with choice comes accountability. This is a concept that I believe is fading from the world. Bail outs, parents lying and going to prison in order to protect their "innocent" children from the foolish mistakes they have made, the age old conflicts of race and gender, the list goes on; each of these examples present a method for people to forestall their accountability and hand it off to someone else. Is this okay? I would say no. You make the mess, you clean it up.

So, I know many would say, "stop being so narrow minded, there are people that are forced into the life they have." Well, unfortunately no, I'm sorry, save a few outstanding circumstances we all make our beds. Young children are an outstanding circumstance, some forms of mental health issues are outstanding circumstances, but living in a poor neighborhood or a rich one is not grounds for exemption from accountability. If you have the ability to make a choice, you have the ability to change your position. Guess what, you can do it on your own too. You don't need free health care or government money. Now, I am not, repeat NOT, saying that choice is an easy burden. I am not saying that it doesn't weigh more heavily on some than others. I am not saying that simply by choosing to change you will, change requires action and action is a choice in itself.

It is my belief that fate is flawed. It is a very romantic sentiment, true, but I will not (and nor should you) enslave yourself to it. Choose to act, choose not to; but stand accountable for your choices, for what is life but what we choose to make it? No one can do it for you, not even if they tried, because in the end it is all on you. You choose to let someone take a fall for you, its on you. You choose not to steal from someone, its on you. You choose to hurt someone you love, its on you.

Song of the Dark Ranger

In comfort of night and the shadow,
Does spirit of Dark Ranger reside,
Though forgotten by those he protects,
A vigil he ever will keep.

The heart of the warrior unbroken,
The soul of the wanderer lost,
The call of adventure and riches,
He heeds not for they aren’t his aim,

Only when fell deeds awaken,
The duty and love of his land,
Does warrior forsake his solitude,
And wander the wilds no more,

For upon the fields of battle,
Alone will he stand unbidden,
And if he’s taken to shadow,
Gladly this price will he pay,

In comfort of night and the shadow,
Does spirit of Dark Ranger arise,
For not all that lives in the darkness
Is dark as the evil unbound…

Prodigal

Pacing ever, one end to the other,
What makes it feel so low?
Waiting to watch you leave good brother,
Don’t look back before you go.

You’ll travel the world and see what I can’t.
Will you think on me ever,
Far away home, toiling to keep the land?
What thoughts will you treasure?

Will you bring me the glorious spices
And herbs of the lost east,
And will you bring back with you their vices,
And together have them on which to feast?

See the great ruined cities of Saracens.
Unearth the stone, too heavy, that was moved.
And I will watch over the flocks, the hens,
Ready the earth we loved.

Fear not, my brother, I’ll be here when you
Realize you’re running away.
Your room will be ready, this I will do,
As long as you come to stay.

Children's Morality Poem

Meteorface Jones loved looking at stars,
And if he had a telescope, looking at Mars.
He stayed up all the night and slept through day.
Through all the year, the same, on the grass he would lay.

“Great heavens,” he’d cheer at the top of his lungs!
“Pretty stars staring down from the sky where they’re hung
Please don’t ever leave me, don’t go behind clouds!”
And then he’d count each every one out loud.

Long he sat, oh so still, in the long tall grass.
Until his mom forgot him, and the years did pass.
Meteorface kept counting stars without dismay
Until his little tiny frame withered away.

And so my friends, a lesson taught,
If you’ve learned or if you’ve not,
Do not waste your days away staring at heaven.
You just might raise the body count of laziness to seventy-seven.

Meh... Politics

So, I was just thinking, I sometimes wish I knew more about politics. I'm not going to lie, I enjoy a good argument from time to time, and politics are a prime ground for arguing. Now, I used to consider myself an independent, but I've always had conservative leanings. What pushed me fully to the conservative side is, and this may sound lame, but I cannot stand how being liberal is "cool" nowadays. Anyway, I don't want to go into that. People can't deal with that conjecture because they all have become so bloodthirstily ignorant in their liberal propaganda. Damn it, I'm going into it. These kids are like wanna-be gangsters. I learned in elementary school that the wanna-bes are more dangerous than the real gangsters because they feel like they have something to prove. Now, apply that to politics, which are incredibly difficult to stay current on for even an intelligent person, and you find a bunch of dumb people thinking that because they saw a CNN special on Miss California they are now political experts. They get riled into a frenzy by extremists and people just as full as bigotry as they accuse their conservative cousins as being. Anyhow, I really wasn't going to go into that, but I did. It does kind of lead in to what I was going to talk about though.

Celebrities, I just re realized are just about the scum of the earth. Well, I should say vocal celebrities, and I should say too that the celebrities I'm talking about are cut from the same cloth as the referred to above morons caught up by the fervor of their peers. Okay, so a generally well considered idea is that you tend to surround yourself with people who think similarly to yourself, correct? There are exception, family, old friend etc., but this idea is valid if you ask me. Imagine though, if you will, being placed in an environment where if you disagree with your peers, they have the power to slander your name not only to your other peers, but to the world at large, scary right? I know. This, in my approximation, is Hollywood. Hollywood is a liberal breeding ground. The worst part is, barring the exception of an actual informed person, these people feel like because they have money their opinion matters. Here's the kicker, these people can afford to believe whatever they want because they're making so much money that tax, recession, etc. won't affect them. So, they use their popularity and the "cool" factor to sway the weak minded to believe whatever they want them to. I'm about eighty percent sure that if Brad Pitt decided he believed that we should move to the British form of democracy and got vocal about it, it would catch on pretty quick. Now, I like Brad Pitt, cool dude, but I'm not going to let him lead me around like a dog on a leash. NO BRAD! NOT TODAY!

Anyway, my wife is yelling at me because I'm late for class. The general message here is to think for yourself, really. Don't think for the self you have constructed to fit the mold your friends decided was okay, but really, what you believe. It's likely too late and I'm talking to a deaf audience, but this is how I feel, and this is why I was pushed to truly choose a side in the political realm. I chose what I believe to be a side that promotes family, patriotism, and hope and change.One love.

Warrior

Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed the smirk that creeps across my face.

Don’t imagine my eyes can’t see what you see.

A land plagued by undead, the human race is dying.

And only you have the will to stop it.

Visions of sapphire and azure kept.

Deep within your heart you know-

Only there will the bright jewels remain untouched.

In the past, gentleness was in my mind.

Before it was realized that only the hard earned respect.

Delivery always seems to suit me,

K. Alright. You bet.

Unchallenged in its place, the blade of a Japanese soldier leans against my wall.

So much like the warrior who could not find deliverance.

Longsword, lovemaking, luggage, locks.

Lovely luminescent laments leaving lives lost.

I am of average height and have dark features,

Darkest of which are my eyes.

Subtlety and deception have such a negative connotation,

But they can be used for good.

Clothes? I suppose I feel the same no matter what I wear.

What comfort is there in comfort?

But I never forgot what it was to be gentle.

And I took comfort in that.

However I see the world, I never forget that the world

Includes you, and you are life.

First Post

Well, my first post... not really sure what direction I want to take this blog thing. I don't even really like the word blog. It has a stigma about it, I don't know, it makes me feel foolish.

So, the reason I wanted to make this thing is to post my ideas on stories and hopefully gain some insight from responses. My biggest worry is that my ideas will be stolen, but then, what are my ideas but my own interpretation of the ideas of those I admire?

I hope that if you choose to post on my blog, not that it will ever get viewers other than my sweet wife and equally sweet mother, that you do so respectfully. I will respond with the same respect accorded me.