Its funny, having been in the military, there is a thousand things you remember because it happened on one day at one time at one moment on that one day. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have such a clear memory of the things that happened in late May 1984.
On 23 May 1984, at the MEPS station on North Central Ave, Knoxville TN, 37917 (across the street from the old Sears building). I was 5'9" tall, my pulse was 93, my BP was 130/something and my weight was 139lbs. I was a thin 23 year old kid. I met a guy that day, one William Stout who was 27 and a black belt in martial arts. We hit it off. I knew from the first time I saw and talked to William, we would be friends and I was right. When Basic Training was all over, 8 weeks later, leaving William hurt almost as much as leaving Knoxville did on the 23 of May, however, that is not the point of all this old mush.
I can never forget that on that one day at that one time in that one moment, my weight was 139 pounds. It is on my first military ID card and I have that ID card still yet today.
About 4 months ago, I went to take off my wedding ring and almost couldn't get it off. As I tried again, and again, it finally came off. At that point my weight was about 231 pounds. The next morning when I grabbed up my wedding ring and I knew I couldn't put it on because it would never come back off. I was heart broken, dejected and just down right hurt. My wedding to Randi was one of the best things that happened to me and she ask me if she could get the rings we wear right after she moved to SC. In 2000 those rings cost $95 each. Now, in 2013, they are $195 each. OUCH!
It has come to the point that I must lose some weight. I MUST. It is sort of ironic. As a kid I was SUCH a picky eater. I had so much bologna as a kid that I won't touch the stuff now that I'm an adult and the thought of FRIED bologna just turns my guts over in handstands and flip flops. ACK! Now, since I turned 50 on 22 Nov 2012, I enjoy eating a little to much. We all age, we all lose our hair or our hair turns gray, we all get a bit of a gut but it has gotten out of control for me. *sigh*
For as bad as all the things in previous paragraph are, the worst part that hurts the most is the fact I can no longer wear my wedding ring. It is just a silly symbol, a piece of metal but for it being a silly symbol or piece of metal. it is my silly symbol and my piece of metal and it holds together a marriage that means a great deal to me. Is it perfect? No. No marriage is and no marriage will ever be perfect but it is my little haven of imperfection with Randi standing beside me. Of all the reasons I need to lose weight, the reason that stabs me worst of all is that I can't wear my wedding ring. No more, no less. It makes me sad in a way that not much makes me so sad.
Each step we take molds who we are. From now on, each step I take better make me sweat a bit of the previous steps off of me. Wish me luck!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thoughts
I'm a Republican. I don't often let that information out in public because I believe it is a very private matter most of the time but I feel a need to distance myself from the National Republican Party. I'm not sure why the National Republican Party has decided to come out so strongly against the common people and are SO against anything they don't agree with or that isn't on their agenda.
What happened to doing what is right for the people of this great country? It got lost some place along the way towards big congressional salaries, lobbyist and special interest groups. What about the special interest group talked about in the Constitution, "WE THE PEOPLE"?
To turn this right in my mind, I looked toward The Bible, Matthew, Chapter 18, Verse 15.
I've always thought, you can't break someone's arm behind their back and MAKE them believe what you believe or see things the way you see them.
My Dad being in A.A., he used to say "You might be the only copy of the Big Book (The history of A.A.) an alcoholic might see" and I take it one step further. "Live in a manner that others can see The Bible in you. You might be the only copy of The Bible they might see." Some days this works for me, other days not so much...
None of us is perfect and none of us is without sin. If any of us stood with a stone in our hand by the harlot Jesus protected from the mob, None of us could cast a stone.
We are all PEOPLE, first and foremost. We all share this planet. We might not all agree but we have to live around each other
J.
What happened to doing what is right for the people of this great country? It got lost some place along the way towards big congressional salaries, lobbyist and special interest groups. What about the special interest group talked about in the Constitution, "WE THE PEOPLE"?
To turn this right in my mind, I looked toward The Bible, Matthew, Chapter 18, Verse 15.
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”Speaking about the faults of groups The Republican Party disagree with and airing their disagreements in the 24 hour news cycle or on a syndicated Republican talk show is a far cry from taking two or three people along in private to point on what and why they think a person or group is at fault.
I've always thought, you can't break someone's arm behind their back and MAKE them believe what you believe or see things the way you see them.
My Dad being in A.A., he used to say "You might be the only copy of the Big Book (The history of A.A.) an alcoholic might see" and I take it one step further. "Live in a manner that others can see The Bible in you. You might be the only copy of The Bible they might see." Some days this works for me, other days not so much...
None of us is perfect and none of us is without sin. If any of us stood with a stone in our hand by the harlot Jesus protected from the mob, None of us could cast a stone.
We are all PEOPLE, first and foremost. We all share this planet. We might not all agree but we have to live around each other
J.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Labels
Labels. We as people are labeled in some way or form. White, Black, Gay, Straight, English American, Irish American, Africa American,Motorcycle Rider, Cage Operator, Manager or Worker, Mom or Dad. You get the idea. I tend to believe one important label has been forgotten or left off:
PEOPLE.
The Constitution says "We the PEOPLE" not "we the (insert your favorite label here,)"
I at one point I was way opposed to Gay marriage. While driving to work this morning I heard a Gay couple recite there wedding vows. The overwhelming emotion in that man's voice shook me to my core. He truly loved his husband just as much as I love/loved my wife in a similar moment in my life on 20 Jan 2000.
The real news in this story would have been if he and his husband could have married and it WASN'T in the news and it was the normal course of life every place in this great land of ours.
I neither support or am against the LGBT community but I support everyone having the ability to carry on there life in the manner they deem fit for them without the weight of a label around their neck to give the rest of the world thoughts about them that are unfair, unjust and untrue. I might not agree with them but their trip in life isn't my trip in life.
Lord help us judge less and love more as Jesus commanded. Help us to love the sinner while abhorring the sin. And help us remember about the log in our own eye before opening our mouths to speak about the splinter in our friend's eye.
The point of this? Watch the labels you attach to a person. They are a person, first and foremost.
J.
PEOPLE.
The Constitution says "We the PEOPLE" not "we the (insert your favorite label here,)"
I at one point I was way opposed to Gay marriage. While driving to work this morning I heard a Gay couple recite there wedding vows. The overwhelming emotion in that man's voice shook me to my core. He truly loved his husband just as much as I love/loved my wife in a similar moment in my life on 20 Jan 2000.
The real news in this story would have been if he and his husband could have married and it WASN'T in the news and it was the normal course of life every place in this great land of ours.
I neither support or am against the LGBT community but I support everyone having the ability to carry on there life in the manner they deem fit for them without the weight of a label around their neck to give the rest of the world thoughts about them that are unfair, unjust and untrue. I might not agree with them but their trip in life isn't my trip in life.
Lord help us judge less and love more as Jesus commanded. Help us to love the sinner while abhorring the sin. And help us remember about the log in our own eye before opening our mouths to speak about the splinter in our friend's eye.
The point of this? Watch the labels you attach to a person. They are a person, first and foremost.
J.
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