So I had a dream last night, which I actually remember, and that’s kind of a big deal, because I normally don’t remember my dreams. So here it goes:
Dream:
I’m a kid again and I’m at a group archery lesson. Only it’s not just archery, it’s baseball…combined with archery. (This sounds perfectly safe…) {I think the rules were the same as baseball, except that all the players had a bow, instead of a glove, and the arrow replaced the ball, but the “batter” had to catch the flying arrow, and shoot it into the outfield. No tag outs by a direct shot.}
So I’m up to “bat” and the kid playing catcher is someone I remember from my youth, but represented completely out of character here. He was taunting me, and being a general bully, but unlike my actual child self, I was standing up to him and generally not letting him get to me. But because he wasn’t getting to me, he escalated. I missed the first arrow, and instead of shooting it back to the “pitcher” he shot it directly at my face! I was fortunately fast enough to see this, and duck out of the way, but none of the adults in charge saw it. When I blew up and started screaming at him, all the other teammates jumped in on HIS side, saying “it was just a stupid joke,” and “don’t be so sensitive about it,” and “grow up!”
I screamed at the top of my lungs, “YOU SHOT AN ARROW! AT MY FACE!!!” Again it was met with the same kind of excuses.
At this point I finally went to the neglectful adults to inform them of the current situation. They all followed me, back to the field where we came to find every other player lined up like perfect angels, each one in turn, starting with the primary offender, offering the most straight-faced, insincere, obligatory apology, paired with a curtsey.
The adults of course bought it, while I was not fooled.
End Dream.
When I woke up this morning, I was admittedly confused. Then I got on Facebook and started reading comments about the SOTU last night. And it dawned on me. My dream was a direct relation to how I feel about the current State Of The Union. Those in charge of making the rules have altered the rules into an atrocity of the original game. And then not even appropriately (and even excluding themselves) enforcing the mandated tax penalty “new rules”, furthermore practically condoning those who are literally physically assaulting those of us who are trying to still play BY the new, albeit INSANE rules.
But this isn’t baseball. This is the fundamental process of how this country works! This country was founded as a Republic, and upon a free market economy – NOT SOCIALISM!
Our Forefathers knew and even warned of the dangers of both losing the republic, and the dangers of having political parties, especially that of a two party system. And yet, that is exactly what we have devolved into.
Which brings to mind the current social climate of the union. We have truly devolved as a society. Someone once said (and I’m paraphrasing here) “America has never been more united than on September 12, 2001.” We were bound together as a nation in tragedy, but it brought out the best in us as neighbors, friends, strangers, and even families. But here we are 14 1/2 years later and people are at each others’ throats over the most trivial things. Because they get blown out of proportion to the degree that we have truly divided as a nation.
I hear a lot of people say that you shouldn’t “judge” others. To that I say, “Bullcrap.” Even Martin Luther King Jr. knew that we had to make judgements, but to do so for the right reasons!
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
“NOT be judged by the color of their skin, BUT BY the content of their character.”
It’s not only “good” to make judgements…it’s absolutely VITAL. We make judgements all the time! Those two suspicious characters in the alleyway looking over their shoulders trying to look casual, are you going to go down that alleyway because it’s the shortcut home? Or are you going to use your judgement and take the long way, because it’s out in the open and you know three people that live on that route?
People, use your GOD GIVEN brains, that HE WANTS YOU TO USE, and start thinking more about what you can do to be a better person, a better neighbor, and better son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparent, grandchild, and just a better citizen of this country. Stop worrying about the latest fads, trends, the newest app/game/device, etc, and get out in the world and BE A PART of IT! And for the love of all that is good and holy, STOP PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST! What can you do to help others? Learn to compromise, to speak kindly, and to be a decent human being.
I know I am full of my own flaws, we all are. I’d be a straight up liar if I said I was even a fraction of 1% on my way to being perfect. I’m not…but I am trying to be the best human being I know how to be. And I’m educating myself where and when I can, on every subject that I can by being open to other points of view, other than my own. And I adapt. If I have always done something a specific way, but someone shows me a new, more efficient, faster way to do something, I adapt and my life becomes easier because of it. I think we could all benefit from adapting more, and learning to judge for the RIGHT reasons. If everybody else was trying as hard as they could, then pushed a little bit further, this world could be a dream to live in.
But I guess that’s why it’s only a dream.
-Joseph Forefathers