Favorite Day

After much thought (at least three minutes), I have decided that Friday is my favorite day of the week.  Friday is the gateway to the weekend, and weekends are so important.  Even though Den and I have moved on to the next phase of life where we aren't required to go to a job every day, I still look forward to the weekend.  The atmosphere everywhere is more relaxed, there are more people on the streets and there is less rush, rush, rush.  At least this seems true on Saturday. 

Saturday is the almost perfect day.  It's a day off from work.  And you don't have to worry that you haven't gotten everything done at home that you meant to do before you have to go back to work on Monday.  After all, you still have Sunday to do all that.  Saturday is a day full of possibilities -- to stay out late; to get up early or to sleep in, your choice;  to go looking for bargains and treasures at yard sales; to curl up in a chair either inside or out (depending on the weather) and read a trashy novel or a classic piece of literature; to meet a friend for breakfast or lunch; to take a drive in the country; to paint a picture.  Saturday can be anything you want it to be.

Maybe that's why I like Friday -- it is  always followed by Saturday, with its infinite possibilities.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day -- it's sunny and cool outside; a would-be perfect day if the wind weren'tt blowing so hard from the northeast.  At 3PM, all across America, we are asked to stop what we are doing and to spend a moment in silence to honor our military men and women.  Many have given their lives and all have given their time (a definite part of their lives) to protect and serve our country. 

 

Why do they do it?  I'm not sure I understand,  but I believe I would also volunteer to serve.  Could some do it to make a living, or to learn a skill?  to travel? for adventure? to test oneself?  All of these things probably contribute in some way, but the most important may be to protect our country's freedoms.   I also believe that this feeling of patriotism and volunteerism carries over into our every day lives.  It is why people in this country volunteer in all sorts of ways, with all sorts of organizations.  But today we concentrate on the military.

I can only hope and pray that there are enough young people who feel this way every generation.  I hope they don't all wait, like I and others of my generation did, to realize and appreciate what we have here.  No matter what our country of origin, or our grandparents' country of origin, we are all, right this moment, Americans.  Maybe we should all reread the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.  It couldn't hurt. 

 

Having said all of that, have a great Memorial Day!

Today's Big Question -- Michael Vick

The big question today seems to be whether Michael Vick should be allowed to play football in the NFL again.  Of course he should, if he's good enough to make a team.  He served his time, took his punishment, now he should be given a chance to make good at his chosen profession, just like anyone else.  I can't help but feel that there would be no questions asked if he were a ditch digger or a farmer or even a banker.  He would be allowed to get on with his life and try to make it as good a life as possible.  

I do feel that he should never be voted in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even if he were the best quarterback in the history of the sport.  Maybe the Hall of Fame already has a rule about accepting no one if they are a convicted felon; if not they should have one, as should the Baseball Hall of Fame, etc.

Just for the record, I am very much a dog person, having grown up at dog shows and having dogs share my home for most of my life.  And Dog Town (where Vick's dogs were rehabilitated) seems to be a wonderful organization.  Just don't get me started on pet store puppies or designer dogs!

In the Swim

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, thoughts that really impressed me kept flying into my head; I knew exactly what I would write in my blog today.  This morning, I couldn't remember a single thing that I had thought was so important last night.  Why does this happen?  Am I the only person it happens to?  Most important, do you think, that in the future, I will write down these bedtime thoughts so I don't lose them?  Time will tell (sounds like a Gary Morris song title).  

My goal for this blog is to write at least once every week.  The weekend seems as good a time as any since I do a lot of my fiction writing during the week.  I figure the more I train myself to write, no matter what the subject is, the better writer I will become.  At least, that is my goal.  I feel that today was very productive for me in terms of my writing.  Not that I actually wrote anything, because I didn't, but that, while I was swimming, I had some good insights into the stories that I have been trying to write.  And yes, I wrote down some notes after I was done swimming.

Why Am I Doing This?

Now that I have decided to start a blog, I don't know what to write.  Makes sense to me.  At least, I finally set up a blog.  It took me a long time to decide if this was the right thing to do, or if it is simply a waste of time.  I decided I'd never know for sure unless I tried it.

Sometimes things happen in my life that seem to cry out for comment or questions, so this is where I will respond.  Sometimes there are things in the news that just beg to be talked about, whether they are important, interesting, funny or just plain idiotic.  These things will also be commented on here.  Sometimes I just have to write what I feel; I think it has something to do with my age.  As I get older, I find that I am less able to tolerate the silliness of others.  As I get older, I also realize that I will not be able to change the world like I once thought I could.  Maybe I am really writing this for me -- to allow me to organize my thoughts and try to make sense of the world, or at least my tiny section of the world.  This blog will also help to remind me how much I have to be grateful for, and how many people have been important to me.  I don't expect too many others to be interested, but I need to do this for me.