Don’t put it off.
Hello my beautiful friend,
Man has it been a whirlwind since my last post which was my birthday reflection the day before my birthday.
My mother passed away unexpectedly the day after my birthday so that sent Jess and I back to the great mid-west to spend time with my dad and family and we decided to stay here for 4 weeks since she works from home and my son and his girlfriend can take care of the dogs.
It is funny, when I left my hometown in 1995 to join the Marine Corps I couldn’t wait to leave. Now, when I get back here, it means a little more each time. Here in the next few years we will be moving back to the mid-west to be closer to family. So for now, we are enjoying the views of thousands acres of corn and bean fields and the friendly folks it has to offer.
9/11 Reflection
With today being 9/11, it is always a day of reflection on the events that occurred 23 years ago. While I was still and active duty Marine and on the rifle range when it occurred, it can still be a harder day than normal when it rolls around each year. I didn’t deploy to combat as my body was beat up and I decided to get out once they opened up the stop-loss, I figured we weren’t deploying and I wasn’t staying around any longer to “wait and see”. Well that ended up biting me in the ass because my boys left and I didn’t go, something that still deeply bothers me to this day.
Main Points of Reflection
So over the past month, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on a variety of memories and there are a couple of ones bullet point ones I wanted to share:
- Always say I love you and tell people how much they mean to you. As I got older, and the worse my depression has gotten I don’t talk much to mom and dad. But when I do, I always let them know I am proud of them and that I love them, and mom was always good at reminding me how much she was proud of me and loved me. While she is not here to tell me, I can still hear her voice telling me that.
- Never take today or tomorrow for granted. Thousands of people, including our first responders, showed up for work on September 11, 2001 to a normal day at the office. Within minutes almost 3,000 people were dead. Don’t assume that you have another 40 years to live and that you will tell those that to you how much they mean to you “later”. There may never be a later.
Don’t fall into the political divide
Love greatly even in a world that is currently divided and seems like it just continues to get more violent and the despair only greater.
Don’t fall into the trap of politics and “hating” someone because they don’t have the same opinion as you do. That is what politicians want. They want and need divide, that is how they maintain their power and control OVER YOU. Trust me when I tell you, they don’t give a flying f%ck about you, unless you are one of the $100k donors or the CEO of big pharma, big oil and big business. If you are like me, just an everyday soul doing the best you can, they don’t care period. They only care the you don’t like the other party so they can create an emergency so they can step in and “save you”. F*ck that. The only way we will not only survive and thrive is if we can put our differences aside and help each other, not matter their race, color, creed, or political stance.
Always say I love you, and tell those that matter how important they are and how amazing they are. ALWAYS.
Don’t put off until later, if it is important or brings you join…prioritize it and do it today. This includes nudism, or trying it. Remember, wear less and live more!
Much love and know I am in your corner,
Ryan