Gender: Male
Status: In a Relationship
Sign: Pisces
State: South Carolina
Country: US
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Saturday, July 05, 2008
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232 years and still going strong!
Current mood:  rockin
Category: Religion and Philosophy
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. — John Hancock New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
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Currently
listening
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4th Of July Favorites
By
Charlie & Mike
Release date: 2008-06-26
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3:23 AM
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Sunday, June 29, 2008
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Ain’t No Cure
Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Life
When November rolls around you can't get through the day without watching/reading/hearing about all these studies about "winter doldrums" or "holiday blues". Reading any of these stories is enough to make even the most optimistic person depressive. Since we know people will go shopping to cheer themselves up, I believe it's part of a massive media-retail conspiracy to send the nation into debt.
I'm not one of those who get hit with winter doldrums. For me it's the summertime blues. There's no single cause. Believe me I wish that were the case, because I'd find some means of getting rid of it. Check that. There is one single cause. At least it can be summed up that way: Getting older.
Before high school, summertime meant swimming in Lake Massapoag, fishing with Grandpa, working the flea market and sports memorabilia shows with Dad, and hanging out with friends.
During my high school years it meant working more hours at Mickey D's, weekend nights playing volleyball on Clearwater Beach, spending too much money at the record store, and getting away with being a bum as much as possible.
The college years meant taking a couple of "elective" courses (tennis anyone?), a party or two a week, other, um, "adult" activities, and occasional trips to Cocoa Beach or the Wekiva River.
Now that I'm well into my adult years, what does summer mean? I go to work Monday through Friday, take care of the house, take care of the yard, take care of the dog, and generally restrict my leisure activities to the weekend. Unfortunately this is just like every other time of the year. The one difference? It's a hell of a lot hotter.
Don't get me wrong, I still find things to do during the week, but the spontaneity of youth is long gone. I can't wake up on a Thursday and decide I'm going to drive somewhere at least 3 hours away that day. The repercussions of doing something like that could, in the worst-case scenario, result in a CLM.
For those of you not familiar with the term, a CLM is a "career-limiting maneuver".
There is of course a bright side to this. Much higher levels of disposable income (such as it is these days), not having to answer to parental units, and being better able to handle the aforementioned "adult" activities. But still, if the chance arose to relive those summer days of my youth, I'd jump at it. Life is so much less complicated when you're 11 years old, and there so much of it to appreciate that we never do until it's too late.
What goes unsaid is I was in so much better shape back then. I actually looked good in a bathing suit. Today I resemble a big hairy egg with legs. If it were possible to go back in time and retain knowledge of one thing, it would be my physical condition. Unfortunately my 11-year-old self would probably ignore any advice I'd give him. It's a shame wisdom comes too late for most of us. If I'd had it back then, I'd probably have grown up to be a teacher just to ensure my summers were still open for me to choose how to spend them. In which case I'd have learned a whole new lesson on how to try and survive on a teacher's salary.
Guess that would be another form of the summertime blues, huh?
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Currently
listening
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No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
By
Van Morrison
Release date: 2008-07-01
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6:26 PM
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6 Comments - 4 Kudos
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Friday, June 20, 2008
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My favorite laundry
Category: Sports
Growing up in Boston you can't help but get sucked into the sports scene. Personally I went quite willingly. Before my 10th birthday I'd been to Fenway Park about a dozen times and to the old Boston "Gah-den" to see both the Celtics and Bruins. Now this was during a time when the Red Sox made one World Series trip and were in contention for the playoffs every year, the Celtics had won 2 NBA titles in a 3-year period, the Bruins were regular visitors to the late rounds of the post-season, and the Patriots occasionally pulled out a division title. Needless to say, it's really easy to become a fan of a winner.
I can only imagine what it must be like to be a Boston-area sports fan today. The Red Sox are the defending World Series champs. The Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season and were an unbelievable catch away from winning the Super Bowl. Earlier this week, the Celtics won their 17th NBA title. Heck, even the Bruins made the playoffs this year. Yeah, I try to be low-key about it in the office, but those who know me know it won't take much to put on a few airs.
When the Celtics won the title, it had a different feeling for me. I clearly remember them winning in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish were there for all three titles. Other players like Danny Ainge, Cedric Maxwell, and Dennis Johnson are revered for their roles in one or two of those championships. What made those teams great, in my opinion, was from year to year there was a nucleus that could be counted on to show up every game, in every year.
This year's Celtics team had 7 players, including 2 starters and 3 key bench guys, who played for other teams last year. I was never a fan of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, or James Posey before. But now they wear the green, and they brought home a title. Am I a fan of the players, or of the jersey they wear?
When the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, I cried for all my relatives who had been fans but never got to see them bring home a title. So many of the key players from that team have moved on. Derek Lowe plies his trade in Los Angeles. Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon play for different teams in New York. Orlando Cabrera has moved around so often I have no clue who he's playing for today. Back then, had I had a chance to meet any of these guys, I'd have jumped at it. Today, I could care less what happens to them. Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Dustin Pedroia are the players who mean something to me as a fan now.
Is that really fair? I mean, the Sox wouldn't have won the title in '04 without Lowe, Martinez, et al. As a fan shouldn't I be grateful for that? Should I not hope they experience continued success (as long as it's not at Boston's expense)?
Jerry Seinfeld had it right when he said we're rooting for laundry. Bobby Orr was one of the all-time greatest hockey players and his 4 hangs from the rafters of the arena in Boston where he spent most of his career. How many people know (or would even acknowledge) he finished his career in Chicago? Carlton Fisk is remembered for the images of him willing that fly ball fair in game 6 of the 1975 World Series, but few remember he spent more of his career playing for the White Sox than the Red Sox. Joe Montana a Chief? Emmitt Smith a Cardinal? These are not images which resonate with fans, so we will them to the backs of our minds in the hope that somehow, those fateful moments will be undone.
If you're interested, Beth Pamela Jacobson wrote a dissertation in 2003 on how a sports fan's identity is created. I may decide to read it some day, but considering she was a student at UConn and well within the boundary of Red Sox territory, I can't help but wonder if she spent any time cursing the names Aaron Boone and Grady Little that year, or celebrating the names Dave Roberts and David "Big Papi" Ortiz in the next.
Or maybe she's unfortunate enough to be a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals. Now there's some funky laundry to cheer for.
4:05 AM
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Tuesday, June 03, 2008
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The Man Rules
Current mood:  sore
Category: Life
A co-worker sent me this and I had to share.
We always hear the RULES from the female side. Now here are the RULES from the male side. These are our rules! Please note...these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE.
1. Men are NOT mind readers. Long silences are peaceful.
1. LEARN to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up put it down. We need it up and you need it down. You do not hear us COMPLAINING about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports on tv, it's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. LET IT BE!
1. Crying is BLACKMAIL!
1. Ask for what you WANT! Let us be clear on this one: SUBTLE hints do not work! STRONG hints do not work! OBVIOUS hints do not work! Just SAY it!
1. YES and NO are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every QUESTION.
1. Come to us with a problem ONLY if you want HELP solving it. That's what we do. SYMPATHY is what your girlfriends are for.
1. Anything we said 3 months ago is INADMISSIBLE in an ARGUMENT. In fact, all COMMENTS become NULL and VOID after 7 days.
1. If you think that dress makes you you look fat, it probably does. DON'T ask us.
1. The very next time you ask us if we think she is ATTRACTIVE, we will tell you the truth.
1. If something we said can be INTERPRETED two ways and one way makes you feel sad or angry, we meant the OTHER one.
1. You can either ASK us to do something or TELL us how you want it done, but NOT BOTH. If you already know best how to do it, please do it YOURSELF.
1. Whenever possible, PLEASE say whatever you have to say during COMMERCIALS. We will do the same.
1. Christopher Columbus DID NOT ask for directions, and neither will WE.
1. All men SEE in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. PEACH, for example, is a fruit, NOT a color. TOMATO is also a fruit. We have no IDEA what TEAL is.
1. If it ITCHES, wherever it is, it will be SCRATCHED. We DO that.
1. If we ask what is WRONG and you say "NOTHING," we will assume nothing is WRONG. We know you are LYING, but it is just not worth the HASSLE.
1. If you ask a QUESTION you do not want an answer to, EXPECT an answer you do not want to HEAR.
1. When we have to go out somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is FINE...REALLY.
1. DO NOT ASK us what we are thinking about unless you are PREPARED to discuss such topics as FOOTBALL and GOLF.
1. You have ENOUGH clothes.
1. You have TOO MANY shoes.
1. I am in SHAPE. PEAR IS a shape!
1. Thank you for READING this. Yes, I know I have to sleep on the couch tonight, WHAT'S NEW?
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Currently
watching
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Red Green's We Can't Help It, We're Men
Release date: 2005-05-10
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3:41 PM
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6 Comments - 5 Kudos
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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The Fight Worth Winning
Current mood:  thoughtful
Category: Life
Everything
Everything gives you cancer
Everything
Everything gives you cancer
There's no cure, there's no answer
Everything gives you cancer
Don't touch that dial
Don't try to smile
Just take this pill
It's in your file
Don't work hard
Don't play hard
Don't plan for the graveyard
Remember -
Everything
Everything gives you cancer
Everything
Everything gives you cancer
There's no cure, there's no answer
Everything gives you cancer
Don't work by night
Don't play by day
You'll feel all right
But you will pay
No caffeine
No protein
No booze or
Nicotine
Remember-
-- "Cancer" by Joe Jackson
One of the things that stinks about being well into adulthood is hearing and reading about the illnesses of friends, family, family of friends, etc. It comes with the territory I suppose. For whatever reason it seems most of the usual assortment of ailments, assuming the "victim" is not hospitalized, doesn't get quite the same reaction as cancer. Just the word is enough to send a shiver down your spine. Maybe it's because with rare exception, the most serious of illnesses can usually be attributed in part to some aspect of human behavior. Cancer, on the other hand, often is the result of good DNA gone bad. We can't see it, we can't control it, and we can't put the blame on our behavior. This time it's our body that turns against us.
So when we hear the stories of the battles people fight against cancer, we take heart. We wonder if we would have the same strength to fight that fight. We are encouraged, knowing the hurdles we face daily are nothing in comparison. Whether it's Lance Armstrong or my sister Gayle, you tend to stand and cheer in your mind when you see the signs a survivor is winning the battle.
Tonight the moment seemed to hit me. Gayle is on her way to recovery. One of my co-workers has a parent who was diagnosed earlier this month, and has a long fight ahead of her. Another's husband has fought and won twice, but it looks like he's not going to win this third time. Senator Kennedy's diagnosis has been all over the news tonight. If I were more empathetic, I'd probably be depressed enough to crawl into a bottle or something.
And then there's Jon Lester.
He's been all over the news tonight too. A pitcher for my favorite baseball team, he was diagnosed with cancer 21 months ago. He was 22 years old. He had to stop pitching and start treatment immediately. When he was finally cleared to return to the game, it took a looooong time before he could pitch the way he had before.
Last October he started and won Game 4 of the World Series, giving the Red Sox their 2nd world title in 4 years (89 years if you're a Yankees fan). Last night he pitched a no-hitter. There are a lot of great pitchers in the history of the game who can't say that.
For you non-baseball fans, on average there's one no-hitter pitched per season.
I'd been told that any time a cancer survivor does something noteworthy and newsworthy, it can be a boost to the spirits of those actively fighting it. Whether it's someone as famous as Lance Armstrong or as anonymous as my sister, I'm here to tell you it doesn't matter if you're fighting it or not. Any time someone overcomes life-threatening adversity to succeed on a grand scale, it's inspiring. We should all take note when it happens.
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Currently
listening
:
Night and Day
By
Joe Jackson
Release date: 1989-10-20
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8:24 PM
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1 Comments - 2 Kudos
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Separated At Death
Current mood:  amused
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Okay, I know. Tasteless blog title. Just wait 'til you see this:
The late Brandon Lee as "The Crow"...
...and the late Heath Ledger as "The Joker".
Yeah, I know.
8:15 PM
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Sunday, May 11, 2008
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Warning: May cause drowsiness
Current mood:  tired
Category: Life
One of the few traits I inherited from my father's side of the family is the "night owl gene". No matter what time I go to bed, the only way I'll fall asleep before midnight is with medical assistance. This drove my mother nuts when I was growing up. As a way of keeping me from getting out of bed every 15 minutes, she'd put a book in my hand as soon as I was under the covers. Before she went to bed she'd look in on me, and more often than not I was asleep, the book held open on whatever page I was reading.
I frequently tell people reading is like crack to me. I feel out of step without it. I can't sleep without it. If I'm camping and I've forgotten a book, I will read medicine bottle labels. If I'm in a hotel room, I'll read the "welcome to our hotel" packet. Sure these are unsatisfying and uninteresting to read, but they do the trick. Sometimes.
The books I pick to read at bedtime tend to be either very easy or very complex, with little middle ground. I tend to go for the mysteries, but also will read fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, historical, or whatever else suits me at the moment. When I was younger I was a voracious reader of biographies of historical figures, but I don't read them much anymore.
One of the things I like about my local library is the ability to build online lists of books and check them out as I want them. It's certainly cheaper than getting them from the Barnes & Noble's and Amazon.com's of the world. Right now that list is close to 60 books long, and can pretty much be categorized as follows:
Robert Parker's "Spenser" books
Walter Mosley's "Easy Rawlins" books
The funny thing is there were 3 books on the list not by one of these two authors, and the ones I checked out were 2 of these 3. "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeffry Lindsay is an entertaining-if-disturbing read. If you're a fan of the series "Dexter" you'll enjoy it. I've already added the other two "Dexter" books to the library list. Considering the first book was published in 2004, to have 2 more since then probably puts Lindsay in the category of "prolific authors".
The other book is from a writer who is anything but prolific. Most of the world was introduced to Hannibal Lecter from the movie "Silence of the Lambs". In Lecter, Thomas Harris created one of the great modern literary characters. "Hannibal Rising" was Harris' 5th novel and served as the prequel to "Red Dragon", "Silence of the Lambs", and "Hannibal". Harris' other novel was his first. He wrote "Black Sunday" in the 1970's. Give Jeffry Lindsay the same amount of time and he'll write about 60 "Dexter" books.
So the long and the short of it is my recent bedtime reading choices are about the early years of a cannibalistic psychiatrist and a serial killer who kills serial killers. I guess it's a good thing I don't remember my dreams too often.
1:47 PM
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1 Comments - 2 Kudos
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Sunday, April 27, 2008
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Satisfaction
Current mood:  satisfied
Category: Life
I know a lot of people who are obsessed with achieving goals, but don't do the things necessary to ensure they are achievable. Too many times I've seen the bitter disappointment of falling short and not enough of the satisfaction that comes with achievement. More often than not, the disappointment results from not anticipating factors beyond the goal-setters control.
Compared to many of my peers I probably look like I'm drifting through my career. In the 15 years since surviving grad school I've only worked for 3 companies. I know of only one other classmate who has worked for fewer, and that's because he co-found the company. If I were to have a conversation with my friends from grad school about job satisfaction, I'd venture to guess at least half spent most of their careers since graduation working in jobs they don't like. Even worse, I can probably find a good number who left jobs they did like because they thought the grass was greener somewhere else.
My philosophy is quite simple: If I like what I do, and I like who I work with, and I like who I work for, and I can afford to live (and save) on what I'm paid, why would I want to change that? It's why I start year 6 with my current employer this week. Of course when your boss gets approval to give you a hefty pay increase that almost coincides with the work anniversary, that tends to improve your job satisfaction substantially. But even if that doesn't happen, understanding what makes doing what you do happy goes a long way toward deciding your work-related goals are being achieved.
The only goal I really have tried to set for myself that is not work related is all about making myself less Pooh-shaped. Late last year I decided to try a new semantic tactic: Instead of trying to reach a specific weight number, I would aim for a percentage. Five percent a year for the next five years. If I can do this, I'll be at my lowest weight since graduating college by the time my high school 25-year reunion occurs.
With 4 months of the year gone, I have reduced my weight by 3.1%. I'm not complaining about this, believe me. Though I was pretty self-conscious today when bowling, having to hitch up my shorts every time I stood up because they kept sliding. This is a good thing until I have to go clothes shopping. What I'm less certain about is whether or not I can maintain this pace, and how I'll handle the frustration when the pace slows.
I hit an all-time high weight about 3 years ago just shy of 270. If I can keep up this pace for another 4 months I'll be at my lowest weight since 2002. I know a greater effort on my part is required to achieve this. Next step for me will be thanks to a purchase I made a few weeks ago: A kitchen scale. It's time to get smart about portion sizes, and I think I'm better prepared to try this than I would have been six months ago.
Achieving goals can be very satisfying. Being ahead of the pace is also very rewarding. Visualizing the reaction from your old classmates when they see the new, skinnier you...
No, I'm not gonna say it. When I can see it in person instead of my mind, I'll shout it from the rooftops. For now though, I'm all about the small steps I'm taking.
7:31 PM
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3 Comments - 6 Kudos
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
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Monday, April 14, 2008
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The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Current mood: selective
Category: Religion and Philosophy
When I was much younger I was a typical Jewish kid in terms of the holidays which had the most appeal. Hannukah was of course the big one thanks to "eight crazy nights" of presents. Purim was always fun; when else was it permissible to make a lot of noise in the synagogue? Pesach (that's Passover to you non-Hebrew speakers) was a good time because the whole family got together to eat, argue, laugh, and eat some more. Think Thanksgiving without the football games.
But Pesach was always about more. If you read my last blog you have some idea of the historical importance of Passover. When you're 8 years old it's an interesting story. But the older you get, the more your eyes are opened to the world for good or ill, you gain a deeper understanding of why telling the story of Passover is so important. In this day and age where families rarely have meals together, share quality time together, or even enjoy the same tv show, here is a time where if we uphold our religious obligation, we are commanded to share a meal, a story, a history, a way of life.
Passover has become my favorite holiday for reasons beyond its history and importance. Since moving to South Carolina in 1992 I rarely have been able to celebrate it with my family. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to have Seders with other families and friends, including one by candlelight because of a power failure. Off the top of my head I can think of five homes where I attended a Seder which were not those of a family member. This year will be no different.
There's one other reason I enjoy Passover. More specifically, shopping for Passover. Thanks to the soy and corn allergies, food shopping can be a challenge. But due to the dietary rules for Pesach, any food I purchase which is marked "Kosher for Passover" is safe for me. Needless to say I do a little stocking up when Passover rolls around. $175 in groceries is a lot to spend in one day, but when the purchases you make are designed to last many months, suddenly it doesn't seem like quite so much.
I can see spending a few more bucks over the weekend to buy other things I didn't get today. Fortunately I've got some room left in the freezer and some space in the cabinets. When I sit down in the house of friends for the Seder meal this year, once again I'll be giving my friendship and helping to share the story. I'll also be able to spend the succeeding days not having to wonder if the food I'm consuming will make me ill, no matter who prepares it. You can't put a price on the importance of these things.
7:52 PM
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