They're Advertising in the Skies for People Like Us

I sit in a darkened ballroom in Manhattan.
People file in, the music pumps from a JBL PA system.
The energy grows in the room, as these technology people come here to learn something new about a product.
The song playing is about these people. City of Blinding Lights

1300 New Yorkers. All walking into work just like they do everyday.

9 years ago, they could have died, for nothing more than walking into a room. They all certainly lost friends, family, neighbors.

These are strong people, they are good people. But there's a look in their eyes that I can't comprehend.
It's not defeat.
It's not distrust.
It's not hostility.
It's not happiness.
Something about this place, these people has been permanently changed.
The NYC defining moment of this generation, perhaps of all time was 9/11 at 8:46 am.

They appear wounded. They have a deep pain that will never leave. Why do they exist? How is the present different from the past?

Thinking about this, I start down the path of self-examination.

What was my 9/11?

We Get To Carry Each Other

I am honestly excited and honored to be a part of the impending changes to the US healthcare system.
The old system- corrupt, bloated and inefficient- needs to be put away. New ideas, reorganization and fresh thinking must be the future.


We get a chance to live it.
And I'm really excited about that. "...We get to carry each other..."

I am shocked at the reaction so many self-proclaimed Christians have had to this. It's like they feel that charity is only charity if it's their idea.
Well I'm of the opinion that making it a more mandatory (or universal) system makes it more fair. Everyone pays into it via taxes. People that can afford it will also pay into the insurance plans. Less fortunate people will have the same chances of decent medical care as the wealthy.
And that's the way it should be.

I hope to see the time that the poor, the minorities, the HIV positive, the cancer survivors, the women who have difficulty with fertility, the diabetics and the lepers will no longer be denied service. That time is close at hand.

"...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me...."

It's not OK for us to bankrupt Jesus and let him die in pain.

I'm still here

Just kinda busy.

I have plenty of ideas for blog posts, but they usually get whisked away in impulsive acts of Facebook status posting.

I will strive to do better.

-self criticizing as usual-

~P

Into The Black

I feel like I'm shouting into the darkness here.
In a strange way, the only reason I write here is for some kind of affirmation that I am not alone here in this deafening silence.

Livin' on the...

I've noticed lately that I spend my life under the following dichotomy:

Internally, I feel like I am way ahead of the cutting edge. My ideas, art, mind, drive and motivation is edgy, progressive and different
Externally, it always seems that I'm a bit behind the curve. I've been 5 minutes late to most of the major events of my life.

Spending so much time straddling the edge of life, I fear falling and bruising the berries.

Lineage

I wonder if the source of my parental conflict growing up was being the oldest child of a middle child.

Loves

Nacho Night.