Time We Stop.Listen.What's that sound?Everybody look what's Goin' Down...

A little 12 year old boy was shot and killed about a half mile from my home two days ago.Two Auburn football players were shot and killed a few weeks ago.People are dropping like flies from drug overdoses at an alarming rate.These things are not surprising these days.Children must have 24/7 observation for fear of abduction. More to the point,we have become de-desensitized to violence and other horrible events  happening and we just accept them and move on....We all just want to turn the other way and say"it won't happen to me".

If these incidents happened when I was a kid, each one would make National headlines and would be huge stories for weeks.Now,these events are just a blurb on a newscast or in the paper,because something else that should be shocking and a call for action comes along and takes it's place....I'm not surprised that crimes like these happen today,but again,as a kid,these incidents would be shocking to the core. As a society we have come to a point where shootings,murders,child molestation,abductions and violence of all kinds are a part of our everyday life.We are not shocked anymore.We should be...We should be terrified.I rode my bike to school for the fun of it when I was in the third grade.I would never let my child ride out of my site today.

Fear has taken our lives and shaped them into something I would have never imagined except in middle eastern Countries I was when growing up.The VALUE of human life for some in our country has dropped like the stock market crash.We can point blame at minorities,immigrants and mentally ill people.This world has beome a scary place and we have let it happen right before our eyes.We have become an oppressive Country out of necessity.Our prisons are filled with people who are mentally ill.If they were treated properly then half of the crime in this country would be non-existent.If we de-criminalized drugs and taxed them,using the money to help the mentally ill then the country would immediately become safer.The way congress wants  to solve our issues?Let's cut spending on mental health for the people who need it.Let's lock up people who just want to lead a free uncluttered life in the privacy of their own home.We have no leadership anymore.Just career politiians who are inheritantly corrupt and don't care about anything but money and power-two very addictive drugs themselves.

Freedom? Yes,we as a country, have declared our independence.We as a people, are not free.We are scared.We are hysterical.We are lead by a government that wants to sell people the American Dream,but this ideal has been replaced by complacency and poor leadership and has backfired on us, ironically, all in the name of freedom. We are a herd of cows being lead to the slaughterhouse.Our leaders are ignorant and greedy-using the relatively small amount of time they serve in office as a way to make money for their constituency and special interest groups.Money is the root of all evil.We have lost our way as if we have lost our glasses and can not find them anywhere.

I get why crime has become such a common and dangerous threat.It's called survival.People have to eat.People have to have their drugs.Like it or not it's a fact of life that is not going away. People become desperate.I'm terrified of the world my daughter will be living in in another 20 years.Hell,I'm scared right now.

Right now,if we had smart people with kind hearts and common sense and honesty running our country we could make this society better for all.I'm talking strictly about social issues here.I'm not naive enough to not realize that things are the way they are for a reason.I'm not smart enough to know why our personal liberties are gone.I am smart enough to know that we live in an extremely greedy and selfish place.I am smart enough to know that we have extremely worthless and self-servinng leaders in this country.

This is a very rough work in progress.I'm going to get this right when I have more time.Until then,you're stuck with this.
BW

What Is Auburn?

What is Auburn?

Far be it from me to try to answer that question. There are as many definitions of Auburn as there are Auburn men and women.

It would be safe to say, however, that Auburn is much more than a football game. It is much more than winning and losing.

It is a spirit. It is an attitude. It is a way of looking at life and at one another. It is, almost, a way of living. Unless you have experienced it, you will never know what it is; you will never understand it. Once you have experienced it, you will never be the same. A part of you will, forevermore, be an Auburn man or an Auburn woman.
--David Housel

Auburn Family

The most unique aspect of being an Auburn fan is that we consider ourselves a true family.I remember walking down the sreets of New York with my AU hat on my head and hearing War Eagle at least 10 times within two hours.We are grieving together right now-as if we have lost brothers.

Auburn fans are not fair weathered fans.We support our players no matter what.AU football is just a series of games played by members of our family.ALL IN is not just a slogan,it's a way of life.Auburn is such a special,beautiful place.Genuinely good folks live and breathe Auburn.We are so passionate because we are not just pulling for our team to win-we are pulling for our brothers and sisters to succeed.When a family member makes a mistake-yes we get mad.Just like any family member would.We hope that when one of our own does mess up,we support them and hope they make changes and make amends.

Don't get me wrong-Auburn fans want to win.We want our grads to represent Auburn well.But,when all is said and done-we have already won,because we were lucky enough to be raised Auburn folks.We lost some good Auburn men this week.It's hard to swallow and hard to comprehend how such senseless behavior ended their young lives.I cried.I'm grieving.I'm sure if you are an Auburn fan,that you feel the same way. I believe in the Auburn creed which I'll leave you with right now.War Eagle and Rest in Peace Ladarius and Ed.We love you and thank you for your contributions to the Auburn Family...
Our Creed:

 I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.
-George Petrie (1945)

Acceptance

It seems almost too simple to be true, but acceptance -- accepting things exactly as they are -- can be the key that unlocks the door to happiness.
After John 3:16, it may be one of the most quoted passages in literature. It's from Page 449 (first 3 editions, pg. 417 in the 4th edition) of Alcoholics Anonymous or The Big Book as it is widely known:

And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism (or addiction,victim hood,terminal uniqueness,and/or any problems) I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.

For me, serenity began when I learned to distinguish between those things that I could change and those I could not. When I admitted that there were people, places, things, and situations over which I was totally powerless, those things began to lose their power over me. I learned that everyone has the right to make their own mistakes, and learn from them, without my interference, judgement, or assistance! The key to my serenity is acceptance. But "acceptance" does not mean that I have to like it, condone it, or even ignore it. What it does mean is I am powerless to do anything about it... and I have to accept that fact.
Nor does it mean that I have to accept "unacceptable behavoir." Today I have choices. I no longer have to accept abuse in any form. I can choose to walk away, even if it means stepping out into the unknown. I no longer have to fear "change" or the unknown. I can merely accept it as part of the journey.
I spent years trying to change things in my life over which I was powerless, but did not know it. I threatened, scolded, manipulated, coerced, pleaded, begged, pouted, bribed and generally tried everything I could to make the situation better -- only watch as things always got progressively worse.
I spent so much time trying to change the things I could not change, it never once occurred to me to simply accept them as they were.
Now when things in my life are not going the way I planned them, or downright bad things happen, I can remind myself that whatever is going on is not happening by accident. There's a reason for it and it is not always meant for me to know what that reason is.
That change in attitude has been the key to happiness for me. I know I am not the only who has found that serenity. Sources:Buddy T., Big Book,and me!

Lean on Me Candlelight Vigil

Reality

As a child, I was spoiled and sheltered.I had everything a kid could want.As I entered into adulthood I became certain that we must craft our own good fortune. I'm also convinced that when privileged very early in life, having done naught to "earn" the soothing ease and comfort of contentment; that someday not only does the security of  lucky chance run out, but unless we start livin' and doin' right real quick, we will be hurled into a gutter of spoiled food and pungent water, surrounded by darkness, death, disease and doubt.Reality comes at one hard and fast.
So if you owe the universe some contribution, then act now with passionate drive and painstaking awareness to answer the questions (or pay the debts) the world has asked of you…
That little voice in your head should lead the way…

Fear

I've become intolerant to intolerance, so maybe I'm just as hypocritical as the ignorant bigots who are making this country such a frightening place. Look out on Halloween, because the kid disguised as Jesus with Morality as his cape and Freedom as his hat, in reality is mass Hysterical Fear. Freedom??? Not really. Don't take my mind from the get go and then take my physical freedom as well for behaving a certain way in my own home. Every form of freedom is at risk in this country.

The phenomenon begins as children in America are swept into the wind of hysteria and will never know why they believe what they believe.Their mind and their ability to think for themselves are long gone. It is very similar to, dare I say it ,mind control. So before they hit puberty they are conformist, "morally correct" youngsters that never had a chance.They don't need to be arrested for any socially incorrect violation;they are already in jail. If they disagree with another groups beliefs,it is usually going to be in the name of Jesus, freedom or morality and you are going to Hell if you dare dissent from their belief " you evil unpatriotic heathen..."

I remember an example of how this manipulative fear driven tactic worked to keep me held prisoner for a long time. As a kid I used to hate Ted Kennedy because I heard from trusted adults that he was a terrible person not to be trusted. I've known the term Chappaquiddick since I was very young. Whenever Kennedy got up to fight the good fight for equal rights or healthcare, there was mass hysteria and his views could be dismissed with two words, liberal and Chappaquiddick. I formed an early belief based on hysteria. Yes,Teddy had his issues,but I could have seen the man more clearly without the hysterical blindness which overcame me.

I certainly can see how the hysteria fooled me with it's moral, proper disguise. Fear took over, I lost my abilty to reason,and I was quick to judge.I wanted to be on God's side. I felt Ted was evil. I know now that despite his personal mistakes, he was a voice for the oppressed and that he was a compassionate man. I am still fooled now and again by clever disguises, but reality is a friend of mine and by looking through reality's viewpoint I can see the truth alot better these days. Even if the truth is tragic and makes me sad and angry,at least I can form my own opinion based on truth instead of fear.

The fact alone, that some (you know who you are,or maybe you don't because you can't see through the lie) rely on hysteria and fear to drive their collective agenda,is enough to understand that they are fundamentally misguided. Most people will be fooled forever,unless they can break out of the prison of hysterical fear they were blindsided with as a younger person. Some won't break the chains until they reach what appears to be God at the pearly gates.

Until he takes off his disguise...