Time

Time changes everything.

One thing that has changed is the quality of my writing has declined. I seem to lack the mental focus to write as clearly as I once have.

It also tends to change my mind. While I don't necessarily retract my political views, I have gotten more conservative and surly, dare I say anti system? But I'm also tired, disillusioned, joints ache, disappointed. Life just has gotten harder. God seems to be missing from so much. I see more darkness than I had before.

I was going to write some blurb about how the Westboro Baptists Church is on the verge of becoming either a serious terrorist organization, or abysmally irrelevant now that Phelps has died. But WTF do I  know? I find their activities disgusting. The energy they put into sharing their personal hatred is evil. When they aren't protesting schools funerals, they are protesting Jewish communities and other communities of faithful, non-Christians. As I say this about their potential to become a dangerous organization, not just a profoundly irritating one, I realized they were once the victims of terrorism. I recall the horror I felt that anyone would bomb a church. That is when I learned they were spewing their hate before the bombing which may have been what provoked it. ugh. Sad, unforgiveable to bomb a church. Phelps was a charismatic person, albeit, one that I don't like. He has harassed and offended numerous people close to me personally just by their connection to people, places and event that took his notice.

Other than a check mark on the FBI list of organizations to watch, mentioning them is just one of my random thoughts. I bring them up in part because the media's favorite focus of terrorist groups is currently on those connected to the religion of Islam. I like to remind people that religious extremists in danger of becoming terrorists are not limited to those following the religion of Islam. But with so much mud being slung at them, it's easy to forget we have our own home grown variety with different religious roots.

Yet...Giving this much thought and type space to these people turns my stomach. They have distorted God's words to serve their own human failings and to serve hatred which is evil. God doesn't hate because hate is the seed of evil, one which these unfortunate souls create lots of. What would happen if these people actually focused their energies on something more constructive? They might actually do something akin to Christ's teachings. The loss of their efforts toward better ends is also a sin, one they will have to account to God for on their day of judgment.

Changing the subject... A few years ago I wanted to put up a post about how much it sucks to be a single parent. If for some reason you are thinking about willingly entering into this job alone, I urge you to re-consider. It's hard and it sucks. It does suck less than being a parent with an abusive partner. It does suck less than being a parent while married to a partner who is a child stuck in a man's body, with no sense of responsibility. So don't stay if you are being beaten or working yourself to death to raise your spouse. But none the less, enter into single parenthood with great hesitation, if possible.

If you have your parent partner and feel indignant about the sympathy single parents gets, then take a moment and consider this. Is it hard parenting with a partner? Yes of course it is. Indeed the efforts of maintaining your relationship are an added chore that the single parents don't have anymore. But consider all the work, money, child rearing and support your partner provides for you. Then figure how much of that you are able to replace easily should they suddenly be transported to another galaxy without warning? Then what changes in your life? Can you afford to live where you currently live? Do you have to get another job, or quit the one you have? Who will fill in for you while you are taking a bath, having a headache or doing whatever it is you did when your partner was helping you? So sure it's hard to be parents as a couple. It's harder when single, much harder. There's no back up, no break, no safety net. So be careful. Don't enter into this lightly. Children need good parents, mothers and fathers, but the majority of good parenting isn't rocket science, it is simply being there and not taking out your shortcomings on your child.

I like what Chris Rock said that 80% of being a dad is simply being there. That may be oversimplified, yet not. A dad present in a child's life makes a big and more often than not, positive difference. Even mediocre fathers and mothers usually raise decent children as long as they aren't heinously abusive. Even problem riddled parents still raise functional children. Children that have no parenting or inconsistent parenting (bouncing around from caregiver to caregiver) are the ones that wind up with very serious problems.

Ok no other meanderings tonight.