Feeling

Imagine how empty happiness would be if we didn’t face sadness or the many trials of life. It would have no meaning, no purpose; it would just be something we felt, a meaningless experience void of any understanding, useless to us in any form. Sadly people numb themselves to one emotion, only to lose the other in the process. The world is full of many people who sadly wonder through life, never feeling, never understanding, and never truly living life. Life is wonderful, incredible, and the greatest of experiences we can have. It is how we progress, how we become who are, and how we leave a mark upon this earth. Then there are philanthropists, who help their fellow man by using power and wealth. They commit themselves to causes and trying to help their fellow man. They are able to fill the emptiness that many of us feel in our lives. They help charities and try to better themselves in the process. As complex and fulfilling as life can be, sadly it is not very long, so our lives carry great meaning to us, and hopefully to many others. The people we affect in this life are those we know of, and those we do not. At birth, the two people who gave us life begin to feel the affect of the gift of love that is our lives. As we grow and mature, we have an influence on those around us. Then we meet that one person whom we share love with, and then the circle of life begins again. This is what we do, how we continue the race of man, and how we live.

Justice.

There is an epidemic in today’s society; it’s called “the easy life”. People do not want to work; they want everything handed to them. They feel they are entitled to whatever they want. It is a growing trend, and it can only lead to a weaker society. You hear a lot about the haves and the have not people. Well in some cases it’s more like the work or don’t work people. Look back at history, in 1607, at the Jamestown colony, things were not good. People were starving daily, there were no exports to speak of, and the relations with the Native Americans were terrible. Captain John Smith, looked to his spiritual nature, as we all do when faced with overwhelming issues, and found an answer. In II Thessalonians 3:10 “He who does not work, neither shall he eat.” Many people today would end up starving. Ironically though, it’s funny that the socialist and communists, who is atheist by nature, use this statement in their teachings.Life is not fair, but there is justice in life. Sometimes its poetic, and sometimes it is ironic. In the movie “Batman Begins” Bruce Wayne was lamenting that the court system was not fair, his lifelong friend Rachel Dawes replies “it’s about justice.” Webster’s dictionary defines justice as the concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, fairness, or equality, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics. It goes beyond simple fairness; it is a complex system, which upholds its values. It is based in right and wrong, but is not just plain black and white, but also about the gray areas. Like life, it is not perfect, it just is what it is. Not everything is simple, yet not everything is hard, such is the dual nature of life. Along the way I added a different second rule, it is simply stated “life is not easy”. Oh that it were. It would be so great, to not have any worries, to not have to work, to just sit back and relax. Once you commit this rule to yourself, you are able to focus yourself on your goals. Look at history and current events. Those with an “easy life”, talent, money, beauty, resources, and fame, are falling hard due to the ease of their existence. They think they are above the rest of society, that they have a special place and that the rules don’t apply to them. They commit crimes, break the rules, all along thinking and feeling that they are above it all, they are entitled. When life catches up with them and justice prevails, they fall, hard. Sadly many people look up to them and are hurt and confused when justice is served.

Role Models

Role models play a huge part in the shaping of the person. I do not mean heroes or sports stars. I mean the real life examples set down by a close person who daily interacts with a person. As I stated earlier I was blessed with a great family. My father and his brothers were the role models that taught me what it is to be a man. If I can ever be half the man that they were, I can call myself a man. They were from very simple means. Born and raised in Mingo County, in the southern part of West Virginia. My Grandfather Shela Lester worked in the coal mines, and was married to my Grandmother Vernice Cline. They had six children, Earl, Thomas, Duane, (Duke), Curt, Jo Ann, and two of which had died at birth. My Grandfather’s back was injured in a mine roof fall, and he had breathing problems for the rest of his life. My father would tell my sister and I stories of growing up poor, how that the brothers had to move to Columbus Ohio and stayed with an Uncle at the age of eighteen. He worked in a glass factory until he was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War. Each of the brothers were in the military, and each loved this country. My father worked during the war as a typist in “Remington’s Raider’s.” His older Brother Earl was stationed in Alaska, His younger brother Duke was a Combat Technician in the 101st Airborne Unit in Vietnam, and the youngest Curt was stationed stateside in the Fifth Army, which he would tell me was “Custer’s army.
These four men have had a lasting effect on my life. My father is my personal hero, who no matter what the circumstances has taken care of his family. He to me is the very definition of what a man is to be. He is strong, stoic, kind, brave, and above all else a wonderful person. Throughout my life until now, the man continues to teach me, and I am thankful for it. Uncle Earl was my scout troop leader, and he shaped the lives of many young men in our community, including my mother’s two youngest brothers who are not much older than me. Earl and I were close; he taught me many things, from a good work ethic, to always doing what is right. His untimely death in the late 2000s was very hard to deal with; I still feel a sense of loss when I think of him. Uncle Duke is a true American Hero, in every sense of the word. The Veteran’s administration is currently trying to help petition him for a congressional medal of honor, which he was nominated for in the late 60’s. He is a great man, who has had a tough time in life, but has overcome so much. I would love to see him right his memoirs down one day. Uncle Curt is the most charismatic man I have ever met. People love and naturally flock to him. He is always ready to tell a joke or make you smile, even if you don’t want to. He and Dad are close, and they go out to dinner once a week with my Mother and Aunt. These four men helped shape me as a person. They are my own personal heroes, and God blessed me to have them in my life. As I grow older and watch the men who I view as being immortal age, I realize they are mortal. I have lost one, but still have the other three in my life. As time continues and each one passes, I will uphold their memories as best I can.

The first rule

I remember as if it were yesterday, the warm late summer weather of 1988. for most of the entire month of august, we had been practicing two a day football drills, preparing for the upcoming season. The first day of my senior year was exciting, thinking this was it, the end of school. I entered the classroom of Mr James White, unaware that this class would be more valuable to me than any other I have had in my life. after the bell rang, class began. Mr White was a tall bearded man who spoke eloquently, which was strange in the southern part of West Virginia. He introduced himself, stated that he would be tough, and that there was one rule we should remember. he walked to the board and wrote "life is not fair." A simple enough statement, one that was easy to remember, and short. He then handed out the books we were to use and began teaching. Every so often the rule would come up daily, when a student was late, didn't turn in a assignment on time, or just felt they were being unjustly treated. He would explain to them as he did on the first day, that the assignments are posted, you will be given sufficient time, and that you are expected to be in class on time. Needless to say, the inevitable "that's not fair !" would be uttered, or whined. to which he replied, "Rule number one." This rule is in essence strange, since it implies that life will not be fair, yet it is the fairest rule I have ever heard. Even as an adult I have to constantly remind myself of the rule. When things go bad, when I am mistreated, or when I feel life is not being fair to me, rule number one is there to help me understand that things are as they are, and sometimes can not be changed. Once you accept this nugget of wisdom it opens up a world of possibilities before you, one in which you can accomplish many things, as long as you never forget the first rule.