Before and After Mattie Picture

Urban Landscapes

Super Moon over Lake Michigan

GOP porn

I think Mitch McConnell represents everything that is wrong with this country. I could write this long blog about all the lies, deception, and greed but I don't feel like it. Anyway a visual image of what I believe to be a nightly ritual of his is more effective.

Election 2012

I just recently read an article that said Palin is still considering running for President in the 2012 election. While she has lost a lot of her fan base many still plan to support her if she runs. I don't get it.

Rider into the Storm

 I am drawn to images of rural  decay. As I drive along the highway in North Carolina I begin to slowly drift onto the shoulder. My eyes are diverted from the road to the dilapidated tobacco barns that are a common site for travelers in this region.
      I was born in a small town in Southeastern Arkansas. Images of the poverty stricken Mississippi River Delta permeate my psyche. I know I am not the only person who shares this unusual interest in old things. I say it is unusual because looking at old objects only reminds me of my own mortality. I am reminded that someday I will meet the same fate.
      If these things remind me of my own mortality why does it draw interest instead of fear? I decided I would think about this long and hard until I reached some sort of conclusion. These images are images of history. They are things of the past, that to some degree, remind me of my own past. It is easier and more pleasant to focus on the past. I enjoy recalling memories of my youth and times in my life when the world seemed full of opportunity. Dwelling on the past makes it easy to avoid thinking about the future. The past is certain and the future is not.
     Coming to terms with my own mortality makes everything in the present seem that much more beautiful because as each day passes, I know it could be my last. As I drive into the future that is fraught with danger and uncertainty, I leave behind the familiar, and hope that I will eventually overcome my fear.

The Forbidden Fruit

      Man has been fascinated by dreams for centuries and some religions have their roots in dreams. The word apocalypse has been associated with death, destruction, and the end of the world. However, it actually has the same meaning as revelation. It means a revealing of something unknown by mankind. This revelation comes to us in a state of unconsciousness. I have always been fascinated with my own dreams and I am just starting to realize how much I can learn about myself from my dreams.
     Last night I had a dream that I was riding my BMX bike and soaring through the sky as I hit some conveniently placed ramps along the way.  The overall feeling of the dream was a great sense of freedom.  I met a nice old lady and parked my bike as she invited me into her house to taste her experimental fudge recipe. I remember the feeling of warm southern hospitality as she invited me into her home.  She handed me this square of fudge and said "taste this and tell me what you think." Without hesitation I took a bite. It was the best fudge I had ever tasted. I could not stop at just one piece. I had to have more, and as I was shoveling down another piece, I suggested she enter her newly acquired recipe into a contest because it would surely win.
     The biblical references in this dream are hard to ignore. As I travel through unknown territory I stumble onto the Garden of Eden. My garden was a humble southern home with a nice little old lady who had discovered a fudge recipe that had the power to tempt even the strongest of souls. To be tempted is human. To over indulge is dangerous.
      The story of Adam and Eve was not written to explain the origins of man. It was written to explain original sin. It is a story that forces us to confront our temptations and realize that sometimes dangerous addictions can be in the form of things that seem harmless. When these forbidden fruits begin to disrupt our lives, and the lives of our friends and family, they become harmful to our spiritual growth.
     The goal is to recognize what these things are and begin to learn to moderate them. I believe that balancing all the things that are important in our lives is the key to happiness. Cutting out those things that are harmful is important as well. I have always known this but have just had times in my life where my weaknesses made me vunerable to bad influences. In this particular instance my dream was a subconscious reminder of the temptations I will constantly face in my conscious life. They attack when you least expect it and before you know it your knee deep in $#&T.