The Beginning of Sorrows, part 4...(And the Hits just Keep on Coming)

Well, Patty's test results came back and it's official: she's got LUPUS! Yaaaaaaaay! Because, you know, the fibromyalgia, the arthritis in her spine, knees, and elbows, and the bursitis in her hips and shoulder just aren't enough (not to mention the stress of taking care of that dead albatross around her neck that she calls a husband).

I was sure something would happen to keep us bent over, and,...darn it!....I wasn't disappointed. The prison rape continues. Seriously, though – if this is some kind of test, I'm not getting it. Are we supposed to be learning some great spiritual lesson from all the crap of the last couple of years? And if so, shouldn't we have at least some small clue by now as to what that lesson is? I don't think God causes every crappy thing in life to happen, but I know he can redeem every crappy thing for his glory. Sometimes God takes life's shit and uses it for fertilizer to bring forth something good. Still,...I'm kind of clueless as to just what's going on. Maybe I'm like a field of really bad soil; or maybe the crop he's cultivating takes longer than most to come to fruition; or maybe I'm even denser than I think I am; or maybe (probably) it's a combination of all three, and some others I'm not even aware of.

If I were a Calvinist, I think I'd be telling God where to stick it. But I'm not,....so it never really occurs to me. It's the old "though he slay me, I will hope in him" thing. I think the fact that he exists is more important than whether or not he saves my soul or listens to my prayers. Still, I'm glad he did do the dirty work of saving my soul, and has the patience (not to mention the fortitude) to listen to what passes for my prayers. I'm certainly not worth the price he paid – but, ironically, the price he paid gives me worth. (Man, I do love it that God seems to delight in paradoxes!)



[More than likely to be continued...]

McCabama Reflux

I'd like to thank the current candidates for making me so completely disgusted that I'm not sure I can vote for either one without wanting to jump in front of a speeding semi. They should all be very proud of themselves, because that's no small accomplishment. I mean... I sat through the movie Waterworld, man! So my intestinal fortitude is pretty impressive. But this political season has just been too much (and it's lasted even longer than Waterworld - which I would have thought impossible).

Obama is Change We Can Believe In. And, of course, by change they mean the same old thing. Same old policies. Same old rhetoric. Same old ask what your country can do for you/ make the rich pay their fair share/ corporations are evil/ class warfare/ blah, blah, blah...

McCain is... What the heck is McCain's campaign slogan? He used to be the guy that was always pissing-off his own Party. I respected that, even if I didn't always agree with his positions. But the downside of being a 'political maverick' is that, if you ever decide to run for Prez, you're going to have to appear less of a maverick in order to get enough people to vote for you. So McCain keeps tripping over his own feet, like someone trying to dance to a tune he's never heard.

The problem with having to try so hard to please so many to get elected is that, by the time you get into office (if you get in), you've practically forgotten who you are. You can't be an agent of change if you're policies are the policies your Party has always espoused (and your runing mate is a 35 year career political insider). You can't be considered a maverick if you're going to practically sell your soul to try to please the faithful of the very Party you've so often offended (especially when that Party wasn't particularly thrilled to even have you as their candidate).

So here's a novel idea: be men of integrity, dammit! Tell the truth - often and consistently - about yourself, and about your opponent. That's change I can believe in. That's being a political maverick.

I'd like to hear the candidates consistently condemning the vile rhetoric and outright lies that are being used by their supporters. I'd like to hear somebody say, "If you're one of those people that claims ______ about my opponent, stop it. Period."

Let's hear Sen. McCain stop in the middle of a rally and confront anyone who shouts "terrorist" or "kill him" about Sen. Obama. Start repudiating the tactic of citing Sen. Obama's middle name as if it were a cuss word. Tell people like Sean Hannity to "SHUT THE HELL UP!" And stop telling lies (or approving of lies being told) about your opponent.

Let's hear Sen. Obama stop playing (and rebuke those who play) the race card. Start condemning those morons who call (or wear t-shirts that call) Gov. Palin a cunt. And stop telling lies (or approving of lies being told) about your opponent.

Sen. Biden, stop just making up stuff that never happened. Gov. Palin, stop talking nonsense, like Sen. Obama was "pallin' around with terrorists."

Good grief, people - you're supposed to be adults. So start acting like it.



[I'm Ricky, and I approved this message.]

As For Me...

I am ancient and ageless. I'm not nearly as good at anything as I'd like to be (as this blog will quickly attest). And I'm far worse at some things than I ever feared I'd be (as this blog will, I'm afraid, also attest).

I am loath to talk about myself, since anything I say about me is bound to be less than objective. So any biographical info found lying around here will likely be sparse, often changing (as I try to keep it as accurate as possible), and painfully dull.

I am living proof of the reality of Original Sin and Amazing Grace (I just wish I was more Amazing than Original). I am a cripple, of the muscular dystrophy variety. I am a Christian, of the I-Started-Reading-The-Bible-To-Prove-It-Wrong-And-Oops! variety. I am blessed beyond measure to be married to the lovely and talented Patty Sue.

I'm doing this just to see what it's like - not because I expect to be any good at it, but to silence the myriad know-it-alls who keep insisting that I can write. The only thing I'm remotely good at is writing lyrics - which I've been doing for about thirty years. Unfortunately, people think that writing is writing, and so keep insisting that I could write in another literary style if
I'd just try. This blog should dispel those notions in short fashion.

Typing anything even remotely coherent takes me just a little less than forever. So, I have no idea how often I'll post.

I called this little misadventure "Knot On A Blog" A) in a lame attempt at punnery, B) because it's bound to be about as interesting as a knot on a log, and C) because I probably should [k]not have a blog of my own. (See how punny?... No?... hmm... Well,...don't say you weren't warned.)

Comments are welcome (encouraged, even) - but if you post something just to try to be obnoxious or shocking, I'll delete it. Go be silly and unimaginative somewhere else (I've got those qualities covered here).

So,... Welcome to my blog. This won't be pretty.