Dolphins were told to defer questions on Martin to Philbin

Tags

365, nablopomo, nfl. bullying, stand up

An unusual post from me today. I’m a football fan. I’m also a woman, and a victim of bullying. I’ve been in the position where there was nobody to turn to. I’ve made reports, asked for help, and been told to toughen up. This story touches me on a deep level.

Martin may or may not be a good candidate to play in the NFL. That’s something that will be decided by player personnel types. He has a right to be able to work in a threat free environment, without the default response being, “why didn’t he kick Incognito’s ass?” We talk about the wussification of America. What about the lack of civil behavior in America? We are bombarded by media that emphasizes a lack of manners and civil behavior. It’s cool to be edgy and rude. Then we complain that our kids don’t know how to behave.

If you don’t like someone that’s fine. Man up and say, “I don’t like you, but I’ll do my job.” That’s being a stand up guy. Doing the right thing isn’t easy. Standing up for the unpopular guy sucks. But at the end of the day when more of us stand up for the right thing, we are a better nation.

To heck with that. Standing up and doing the right thing makes you a better person. You don’t need to belittle someone to prove how cool you are.

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Democracy is not a spectator sport

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365, election day, life, nablopomo

If the government shutdown this year shows us anything, it shows us that votes truly matter. It’s not just about voting in big elections. The smaller, less sexy elections matter just as much and sometimes more. These are the elections that build libraries, fix roads, and pay police and fire services. They determine the make up of school boards, and select judges. These elections set the groundwork for major national elections.

These elections matter. Democracy is not a spectator sport. To make meaningful change you can’t just vote in the big name elections. You need to educate yourself and vote in these smaller elections.

Get out today and vote.

Do somthing

Tags

help others, life, make a difference, nablopomo

 

To often we wait for someone, losing sight of the fact that we are someone. Even a small effort can make a world of difference. It’s easy to get fixated on the grand gestures. I see this daily working in animal rescue. The assumption is you need to do something superhuman to make a difference. The reality is something as simple as sharing a status with your friends may be the difference between life and death for an animal. Asking for help can get a sick animal to someone who can help.

This is true in all areas of your life. Small gestures matter. Yes there need to be some big pushes. But a big push with no follow up is useless. Where a small push followed by another, and another can make all the difference. Getting out the door for a walk isn’t as sexy as going for a run. But if you run once a week, you may not see progress in your health. On the other hand, if you get out the door daily for a walk, you may see huge improvements in your health.

Each step matters. Do something and make a difference. Don’t just walk away because the task is daunting.

 

 

 

The value of a moment

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365, deep thinks, life, nablopomo

Photography is all about capturing a moment, then translating that moment into a representation of what was happening. The translation is part of the photographer’s vision. It may need post production work, multiple takes, elbow grease, and a ton of planning to show you that moment.

Even when the photographer doesn’t capture the perfect moment, it still has meaning. Blurry and out of focus images still have value. That blurred shot may be the final glance of a treasured memory.

Life isn’t perfect and images aren’t always perfect. The memory is still beautiful and valued.

By the light of Francis

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365, faith, life, nablopomo

Today is All Saints Day. Around the world, churches are bringing out their relics as a way to connect the faithful to these inspirational figures. The stories of the saints comfort and inspire those in need. Today I think of Saint Francis, patron of animals. I think of the kindness he inspires, and the idea that when you help God’s creatures it brings you closer to Him and it helps you make this world a better place. I type this with a small kitten purring on my shoulder. Without help, he wouldn’t be here. With my help, love, and compassion, this blind kitten will have a chance at a full and happy life. His presence and story inspires others. It brings comfort to a woman who lost a beloved companion. His story makes people smile. He makes me laugh.

My gift is helping injured animals heal. What I get back is so much more.

Blessed Saint Francis, pray for us.

Don we now our gay apparel

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Christmas, clothing, life, nablopomo

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the clothing. It’s a time of year for interesting shirts, sweaters, hats, and a variety of bling. I love wearing something holiday. I love the smile on people’s faces when I walk by, Santa hat on, button flashing that says Merry Christmas.

It’s a way to share my own joy of the season. I just like making people smile. This year I’ve added a new Texas Longhorns holiday shirt to the pile. May it have many seasons of holiday cheer ahead of it. Hook em Santa!

Wordless Wednesday- Christmas with DiMaggio

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cats, Christmas, life, nablopomo, rainbow bridge

Christmas trees the first

Tags

Christmas, holidays, life, nablopomo

I love trees like this. I can feel the cold on my nose, hear the soft whisper of a winter wind, and almost make out the sound of twinkling lights.

It’s peaceful, and brings about clarity. It’s about capturing the peace and joy this scene brings me and sharing it with others. There’s nothing there but snow, ethereal lights, and me.

Advent calender

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advent, Christmas, holiday, life, nablopomo

This time of year combines both a religious and secular holiday. The Advent calender is a good example of this blending. Advent is the Christian religious season leading up to Christmas. An Advent calender is one way of counting down the days to Christmas. Some religious traditions use a candle, or candles lit for a period of time to count down. Others are a calender with windows on it, one for each day of the holiday.

Traditional Advent starts anywhere from the 27th of November to the 3rd of December. It ends 4 Sundays later. This year Advent starts on December 2nd. Being a good little Catholic I’ve got my advent candles lit. But if you go with an advent calender, they start on the 1st of December and are a straight count of days 1-25 to Christmas. This is where you start seeing the bleed through of secular, as merchandisers over the years have simplified the idea behind the Advent calender.

My first experience with an Advent calender was totally secular. It was while living in Germany, and involved a cool calender with chocolate inside! I could have cared less about the religious experience, I just wanted the goodies. These days you get everything from small toys to various kinds of candy in an Advent calender.

These days, I see the Advent calender is a snapshot of a day building up to the holiday. Like an Advent calender, I open up little windows along the way about things I enjoy about this time of year.

This is a very cool house in Germany which is done up each year as a real life Advent calender. Check out the numbered windows!

Christmas kick-off

Tags

Christmas, holidays, life, nablopomo, pac man tree, writing

So I did a pretty good job with NaBloPoMo. Slowly my writing groove is getting better. The goal is to keep working on a daily posting schedule. It so happens that it’s December, and as such Christmas is coming. Now I know there’s a lot of folks who don’t like the hype of Christmas. That’s fine. For me it’s always been a special time of year. My birthday is close to Christmas, so the build up and hype always tied in with a personal holiday. I’ve always refused to be overly cynical when it comes to Christmas. I look at the concepts of good will, caring for others, and reaching out as core components of the season. Growing up the religious aspects were minimal.

This year I’m doing a kind of personal Advent Calender. Sharing various elements of the season that I find meaningful, both secular and religious is a good way to keep writing, and give folks a different look at the world.

Kicking things off we have the ultimate expression of secular Christmas. I present to you, the Pac Man Christmas Tree.