Personal 9/11 Reflections

I would imagine, it’s virtually impossible for anyone who is old enough to remember 9/11, not to think about it today. Not to mention the fact that it’s all over the media. Just like other catastrophic events in history, most people can remember what they were doing on that day. I remember when I was growing up, I used to hear people talk about what they were doing on the day John F. Kennedy was shot. I was only four years old then, so his assassination didn’t really have an impact on me until I learned about it later in school. I have a thirteen year old son who is living out that same scenario. His whole life however, has been affected more from this event. Our kids never knew you didn’t have to take your shoes off to go through airport security. That’s just how it is for them. It used to be, when we heard about terrorism, it was always a world away. We have always been safe within the borders of the United States.

I think what bothers me the most about 9/11 is, the prejudice that has come out of it. Fortunately we don’t hear as much about it, so maybe people have learned that just because men and women of other cultures dress differently doesn’t make them terrorists. There will always people who are prejudice against others just because they are different. What is sad, is that even if we don’t want to admit it, 9/11 has caused most people to feel some form of suspicion toward people of the Islam faith. I hope by now most people have learned that these terrorist are the extremists. Granted, Al Qaeda is a very large group of extremists, but whenever I hear prejudice comments toward people of the Islam faith as a whole, it makes me think about other groups who have extremists associated with them. For example, “Christian” people who kill abortion doctors. “Christian” people who are willing to burn piles of another faith’s bible (Quran).  One thing that shocked me the most in the past ten years, was, in 2004 when Cat Stevens was not allowed in this country because he was on the Terrorist Watch List, and on the No Fly List. I don’t know of anyone who has had a more peaceful nature, but since his name is now Yusaf Islam, that made him suspicious.

Yahoo has a section now called 9/11 Profiles. That is why I started thinking about this. There is a picture of a lady wearing a Hijab, the traditional Muslim headwear. The caption on her picture says “We are Americans.” This country has always been called “The melting pot” because we accept or allow anyone and everyone to live here –as long as they become legal citizens. The sad thing is everyone is allowed, not everyone is accepted.

If the Christian extremists I mentioned earlier would live the lesson “Love one another” taught by Jesus, if we treat each other with kindness taught in Taoism and most other religions, would we really have the violence we have. Most wars are fought over religion, and that just seems so contradictory to me. On the right side of this blog it says, I believe there is so much we can learn from each other, that is very hard to do when our minds are filled with prejudice and hatred.

As we remember the events that happened ten years ago today. Let’s remember how America was united, and like the lady in the hijab, we’re all Americans and we can all learn from each other.

Thank you for reflecting with me,

Paul             

Dreams

To start things off I’d like to share a link with you. This is what has been keeping me busy for a while http://www.batalugu.com/v.php?bid=620&key=0979cf694b093c18b2dfe573f2ea088c85d16dd1. It is my biggest book project so far. Check it out let me know what you think.

My thoughts for this entry have been brewing over the past week and a half or so. A few of weeks ago I finished the book associated with the link above. The guys over at the website have been debating whether to make the books available on PDF or just have the books available to order in hard cover. They sent me a PDF file so I could print it off and give my feedback. It wasn’t until I actually saw it printed on paper that I realized how much it means to people to have a dream fulfilled. Now, this was in no way a finished book. It was a very raw copy. Printed from my printer with standard printer paper. I didn’t even realize that having a book printed would create the emotion inside of me that it did. I never even considered being an author a dream. I have always liked to write and make up stories but getting published never really crossed my mind. Just about every other day since I printed that book I have seen or heard something related to fulfilling your dreams. One was in a movie. One of the characters asked another “What is your dream, what do you want?” Another was in a magazine that asked the question “Is what you’re doing for a living, what you’re called to do?” The latest was the weirdest. Just a couple of hours ago I had a Dove chocolate candy. If you’re not familiar with Dove candies, they have a little saying on the wrapper. I’m not sure about the big candy bars, but the little round ones do. Well, the one I had said “Get out there and make your dreams happen.” I had been thinking about using this as a topic for a blog entry, but once I saw that, I knew I needed to.

My question I like to ask everyone is basically what I saw in the magazine. Is what you’re doing for a living, what you’re called to do? Sometimes we can’t help it. Writing right now won’t pay my bills, now that I have recognized that as a dream I’d like to fulfill, I can work toward that goal. Are you doing what you love? I have always loved kids. I knew I was called to be a husband, father, and provider. I now have six kids, so I didn’t really focus on profession as long as I provided for my family. Now that I have experienced what it feels like to know what you want to be when you grow up, I’d like to encourage everyone to realize that dream before you’re well into your adult years.

Think about the things you like to do. As you think back over the years, do you keep putting something on the “back burner” only to start it up again.

Take a little time. Find a quiet space. Pray for guidance if you would be inclined to do so. Search the desire of your heart. Reignite that passion, and as my Dove candy said. “Get out there and make your dreams happen.” It will feel like a major weight has been lifted off of you.

Thanks for continuing this search with me,

Paul.

What Makes You Happy?

The other morning I was watching a movie after I got home from work. You know, winding down, getting ready for bed. I had seen this particular movie was on before, but I had the willpower to change the channel. Maybe I was ready to have something to eat and veg, but whatever the reason, I watched this movie called "Honey." It was along the lines of Dangerous Minds, Sister Act, or any other movie you can think of where someone comes in to save the inner city youth. I don't mean to seem cynical, or uncaring, the movie was just predictable. It ended up being pretty good, but still predictable. Regarding the uncaring tone, I'm actually the opposite. I am really bothered by kids that have to live on the streets dealing drugs, and don't get a chance to be kids. Check out the movie. Yeah it's a chick flick, but if you don't admit it to the world like I just did nobody will ever know.

My main reason for admitting this is, there was a line in the movie that has stuck with me. Jessica Alba was talking to the guy that ended up becoming her boyfriend, her dreams of starting a dance studio for the kids were fading. He was giving her a pep talk, and he asked her, "What makes you happy?"

I guess that doesn't necessarily mean that has to be your profession. But, do you do what makes you happy. I've said here before I will continue to do this until I feel like I am supposed to move on to something else. My posts here have gotten even less frequent because I have been writing under the pen name Andrew Pearson, over at www.batalugu.com. Check me out if you haven't already.

Think about it. Really think. What do you like to do? What comes easy for you? What satisfies you? My whole adult life I have been a provider, and I like that. I also like to write, but I was so focused on the provider part of me, I didn't take time to look at the other things that make me happy. Spending "real" time with my kids, instead of being a workaholic, creating characters, and getting lost in a story, is what makes me happy these days. I still have a job that I like, that pays the bills, and allows the kids and I to do fun things, but it is the kids, and the writing, that is my source of happiness.

What's Yours?

Thanks for pondering this with me