Companionship

I have a dog, my dog loves me. My life will always have meaning.

It's an interesting line of thought, No? (Of course my fiance will probably read it and wonder it is the dog that is mentioned and not her, to which I will probably have to say "Umm..." quite a few times and then talk about how I was talking about a different kind of love.) I am talking about a different kind of love. I'm talking about a love that borders on blind devotion. (I would say no pun intended, but most people don't know my dog is blind.) I have been the only person at my house for the greater part of last week, and will remain the only resident for quite a bit of next week. Just me and Truly. Being the only one here has made me see just how much dogs need companionship and how much they are reliant on friendship. I suppose that she is going through separation anxiety because first my Mom, Brother, and Sister left, followed by my Dad a few days later. The family is slowly trickling away until there wont be any left.

I, as the last remaining, am being fiercely guarded. If friends come over and move towards me too quickly Truly will jump on them and give a bit of a warning nip. This is quite different from usual. As is her standing in front of the door whenever it's time for me to go to work. Even if she is comfortably asleep if I leave the room somehow she wakes up enough to follow.

Others might find it annoying. I find it touching and an insight into the important things in life. Cumulatively I don't even want to think about how many hours I spend on the computer. Or in front of the TV or video games. My family is right there. Even more important since this chapter of my life is about to end. It is a very bittersweet time in my life. I spend too much time in front of electronics, I spend too much time reading, I spend too much time not interacting with my family. It's ironic though, isn't it? That even though we shove them into a small corner of our lives, that we still say that family is what's most important to us? Even though I get too easily annoyed by my younger siblings, or impatient with my little sister I would gladly die for them? Why is it that I can make the big sacrifices but the the little things are the chores?

My little sister, is one of the greatest and strongest people I know. She doesn't hear it often enough, how much I love her. The rest of my family doesn't hear it often enough either. But what I think I'm trying to get across is that I haven't shown it enough. I suppose that this entry is bordering on the too personal so I'll cut it a little bit short except to give a small piece of advice.

Never leave anyone in doubt of the positive feelings that you have for them. To do so is to live with regret.

Inspiration Cometh

Inspiration cometh or doesn't cometh as the case may be. So I look at the screen and I think what to write about? What wit or wisdom could I or should I share? As far as the inspiration goes, this is definitely a case of the latter, but I'll start writing and see what happens.

just as an insight into the writing process I'll have you know that it was at this point that I wrote three paragraphs and have ended up deleting them all. So as you can see nothing is happening

I feel like Elmer Fudd, "Be vewy vewy quiet, I am hunting inspiwation. What is inspiration? Where does it come from? Why does it motivate us to change/speak out/act out? Why are there certain topics that just seem to reverbrate with different people. With one person it could be saving whales, with another the ozone layer, for millions it could be why they came out with New Coke, or for one opionated woman who's blog I read tonight it could be feminism to the point of neo-nazism. (Trust me, she was crazy!)

When I was in Highschool I downloaded a bunch of famous speeches from history and movies. I put them all on a CD and listened to them. Some of my particular favorites were three speeches by Winston Churchill after the British withdrawel from Dunkirk. When the Lord of the Rings movies came out I finally had a decent recording of Theoden's speeches. JFK, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Tim Collins. I love the speeches from Shakespeare from Brutus to Henry V. What is it that makes these words so inspiring?

One Month

Normally I subject information on my blog to rigorous standards of accuracy. However, tonight I am tired that with the exception of the math that will be performed in the second paragraph, what you are going to get is a * which means According to Wikipedia.

In one month, it will be August 11th. That is to say, in 31 days time, it will be 223rd day of the year. (224th on leap years). In 742.25 hours it will be August 11th. In 44,535 minutes exactly from the time of my writing this, it will be August 11th. In 2,672,040 seconds, it will be August 11th.

Why the obsession withAugust 11th? It does seem to be an odd thing to be obsessive about doesn't it? I mean there are so many compulsions, fetishes, and manias out there that August 11th doesn't seem to be particularly outstanding.

Here are a couple of reasons August 11th might be considered important.*

August 11th 1988 formation of a gentleman's club called Al Qaeda is formed, primarily for the organization of mock competitive tennis matches.*

August 11th 2003 the prayers of countless historically ignorant and ungrateful Americans are answered, resulting in a Parisian heat wave that leaves nearly 15o Parisians dead.*

August 11th 1999 Mike Huckabee's prayers are answered with a smaller death toll, and a tornado rips through Salt Lake City Utah killing one.*

August 11th 480 B.C. Leonides, King of Sparta, is brutally killed just after throwing a spear and inflicting a cut on Xerxes right cheek.*

August 11th 1953 Hulk Hogan is delivered from his mother's womb already sporting a handlebar mustache.*

August 11th 897 Wilfred the Hairy, Count of Barcelona, dies of complications due to a horrible nick-name* (He was also stabbed in battle, but it's widely agreed the root cause was the moniker*)

As you can see, a lot of world changing things have happenned on August 11th. However, in one month, in (skip to the second paragraph and read that again, I don't feel like repeating all the typing.) On August 11th an event is taking place that will leave the world changed forever, an event so momentous I'm writing about it here.

I am getting married.

Yes, A girl has been found with both the poor eyesight and judgement required.

In all seriousness though. I am one month away from the best decision and moment in my life. It has been a hard road, it is a hard road, and it will be a hard road. Sacrifices and compromises have been made and are being made. There are hard moments in any relationship. It's hard, when you first fall in love, to let yourself see the imperfections in the other person. It's harder still, once you've been in love, to make yourself forget them.

To the world in general, I say this: Love is hard, love is painful, love is a commodity that requires time, energy, creativity, and sacrifice. There are words in the English language that describe the costs, or the casualties of and to love. But there are no words, that can describe what love gives and means. I don't care who you are, where you are, how old you are, or what you think you want out of this life. Love will make who you are better, where you are more interesting, how old you are younger, and what you want irrelevant.

To those people that are looking or still looking for love, I believe in you, and know that you will eventually find what you are looking for.

To those of you, like me, who have found it, congratulations on being the luckiest people on Earth.

Alternate Forms of Communication

I was looking at the blogs of note section today. Hurrah for people who spend their lives doing interesting things and writing them down so the rest of us sitting in our living rooms may pretend that we are in fact doing them. Or, perhaps we imagine that we are gathered around a family room looking at slides and all commenting intelligently upon them. We give our remarks sparingly "The rhinocerous came a bit close that charge, don't you think Nigel?" or "I like the juxtaposition of the panzies and the welding torch." And in return we are given a solemn nod of acknowledgment. Then we are left to bask in the glow of affirmation.

Mayhaps, I am jealous. I long for that affirmation to suddenly be notified that yes, mine is a blog of note. Perhaps that having so recently acquired the taste for writing down my thoughts and opinions in the public domain I want them to be as public as possible. Read on ye ends of the Earth! For when I blog, let no monitor be untouched, let no screen be spared the fiery black pixelation that is my words neatly typed in twelve point font! Perhaps I need to work on my medium.

Speaking of mediums, I think that this generation has got some very unique forms of communication. I was thinking, what if some great men in the past had had access to the resources and methods of communication that we have today. Do you think the ten commandments would have been as well recieved if they had been sent out in the form of a mass text message?

Sent 4:52 p.m.:

1. no gds b4 me."

2. dont prA to jpegs

3. dont talk bad bout me

4. keep sabbath da

recieved 5:01 p.m.

Sent 4:54 p.m.

y holy.

5.do what parents say

6. dont kill

delivery fail rest of

message

irretrievable.

Or Blog?

"Went up to the top of Horeb today and there were some gorgeous views. If I'd brought a hammer and chisel I would have gotten some great shots. Sometimes it's good to just get away from it all. I know that I'm called of God, but sometimes even I need to just take a break and get out among nature."

Perhaps if it occurred on facebook?

Moses just got out of camp for a while to stretch his legs. 7:46 a.m.

Aaron is in charge until Moses gets back, what am I supposed to do? 8:04 a.m.

God poked Moses 9:13 a.m.

Isrealites are bored, anybody got anything going on? 9:37 a.m.

God tagged Moses in his note "10 commandments" 10:28 a.m.

Isrealites are still booooored!!! isnt anybody doing anything!?!?!? 11:53 a.m.

Moses is having the most amazing day EVER!!!! 12:17 p.m.

Evil Isrealites invited Isrealites to the event "Rockin the Camp, party 2400 B.C." 12:20 p.m.

Isrealites RSVP'd attending to the event "Rockin the Camp, party 2400 B.C." 12:25 p.m.

Isrealites we'll bring brownies and decorations. 12:42 p.m.

Aaron hates chaperoning how did I get myself roped into this? 12:51 p.m.

Isrealites downloaded the "Make Decorations" application and made a Golden Calf!!! 1:07 p.m.

Evil Isrealites this party is awesome 3:15 p.m.

Isrealites are dancing the night away... 7:14 p.m.

Isrealites superpoked God with a Golden Calf! 8:00 p.m

God can't believe how ungrateful people are 8:01 p.m.

Moses can't believe how stupid his people are 8:03 p.m.

Aaron is in so much trouble... 9:05 p.m.

Moses superpoked Evil Isrealites with stone tablets 9:18 p.m.

God superpoked Evil Isrealites with swords of the faithful 9:20 p.m.

God ended his relationship with Evil Isrealites 9:30 p.m.

Isrealites just want to say sorry, and if you're reading this you know who you are. 9:45 p.m.

Moses tagged Isrealites in note "10 commandments" 10:07 p.m.

Somehow I don't think that all of this has quite the same effect.

Portrait Of A Sinner