Thoughts on Today

At around 10:00 last night I saw the news on yahoo.com

"Osama Bin Laden is Dead" it read.

My first thought was, "What? Holy crap!!!" I turned on the TV, alternating between CNN and Fox News, and got the facts. Yep, it was true.

I've now had about 17 hours to let the news stew in my head. Now I want to write what I think about it.

All in all, it is a good thing. He wasn't a nice dude and certainly did a lot of horrible, despicable things. As far as I understand it, when the Navy Seals found him they gave him a chance to surrender. He would not, so that's when they killed him.

Most importantly, justice has been served. Those who suffered directly from 9/11 will never fully heal, but I know that his death has brought some peace to their lives.

I applaud the military for their bravery and stealth. I even applaud the president and his advisers for their role.

Gasp! WHAT did you say, Steph?

Yes. Obama isn't my favorite person, but as the Commander in Chief he did a good job executing this plan.

However, I don't think I can "celebrate" Osama's death. I am proud of the military and happy that justice was served, but I don't feel right being happy that someone is dead. After all, I'm sure Osama himself was elated when HE watched TV on 9/11. I don't want to be like him. It had to be done and the world is a better place without that man, I will not deny that fact.

Plus, I am a little scared. Osama's followers are probably planning some kind of retaliation. I don't know what'll happen in the upcoming days. The last thing I want is another 9/11. I know that's the last thing ANYONE wants. Also, I'm sorry to say, but Osama's death does NOT mean that the troops can come home. It just doesn't work that way, folks. His death just might mean that the troops have to stay out there a little longer. Yeah, that sucks, but that's how it is.

I'm not going to tell people how to think or to feel. If you feel like celebrating, then by all means celebrate. If you're scared or angry, then that's fine too. These feelings are the luxuries we are fortunate enough to have by living in a free country.

GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Once upon a time

There was a fair maiden who worked in the kingdom of Targetia. Everyday she went there and spent 8 hours or so trapped in a dungeon where the visitors would throw their garments down at her. She would be responsible to clean the garments off and send them back up so they could, eventually, get thrown back down at her again. T'was a tedious, yet noble task! As the visitors walked by and taunted the maiden she was forced to smile and be polite--no matter how irritating the visitors acted. The maiden worked hard and every other week she was rewarded with one gold coin--the bare minimum that she was allowed to receive. But the maiden was a good worker and never complained about the harsh conditions of her work.

One day when the maiden arrived at Targetia she was asked to summon a servant to take the place of another servant who had grown quite ill. The maiden was sometimes required to call upon servants by the aide of a small fairy named Telly Phone. Telly had the power to transport herself to each servant's home and let the servant know that they were needed in Targetia. However, after and hour and a half of using Telly, the poor maiden was unable to find a replacement for the ill servant--and to make matters worse, ANOTHER servant had grown ill, which left the kingdom of Targetia greatly shorthanded. The maiden was greatly saddened that her fellow servants had ignored Telly because that is just a mean, mean thing to do.

When the maiden informed her leader, Sir Nick, that Telly was unable to reach anybody Sir Nick told the maiden that he appreciated her effort--but the maiden could tell that he wished the outcome would have been different. The maiden had often heard talk among other servants that they wished they could put in more hours in Targetia because there was an economic crisis at that time and every gold coin earned was very much needed. However, these same servants were the ones who ignored Telly when Targetia needed them most. Many of them did not want to come in because it was the Night of Friday--a time of dinner, dancing, and other whimsical nonsense.

The rest of the maiden's night was very stressful because many, many visitors kept throwing clothes at her. The maiden felt like the other servants had abandoned her and greatly wished that at least ONE of them would have answered Telly's call for help.

And so, the fair maiden did her very best, yet the dungeon was left in shambles. As she rode her white horse home she hoped and prayed that when she would return to Targetia in the morning she would not be criticized by knights who ruled her. Because, after all, she had tried her very, very best.



The End.

Based on a true story of events that happened on 2/27/2009

"Hate" Update

Okay, so I've been somewhat thinking about what I last wrote over the past week and I've realized a lot of those things I actually don't "hate" after all. Don't get me wrong--they still annoy me, but hate was, indeed, too strong of a word. There are things on that list I can change and there are things that I cannot change. There are things that don't really matter and things that are pretty serious. However, for the most part, I think it's okay. It's okay to dislike things. It's okay to be annoyed at things other people do. That's part of being human, right? Well actually, even my cats are kind of the same. I bought some Pounce treats for them and Malcolm will devour them whole while Miles sniffs them and just walks away.

I've learned something though--I don't want to be a hateful person. I don't want to miss out on the good things because I've focused mainly on the bad. That goes not only with my list but just in the world itself. Things are tough now but it's not all bad. I mean, just look at the gas prices. They've plummeted!!! That's so amazing to me!!! I mean, did any of us imagine this would happen any time soon? I sure didn't. See, that's one positive. There's one good thing that exists in the world. Hmmm, that sounds familiar...

"It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?

That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for!"

(Steph, you're the biggest dork in the whole world!)

Okay, a little cheesy, but I love it! Tolkien was a genius!!!

I'm not saying that I'm a hero or anything--I haven't really done anything at all. Things have just been so hard lately. I haven't really had a moment's peace this whole year--and that really sucks! But there have been people along the way who have helped me along and I am grateful for that. Some even helped by kicking me down--as weird as that might sound. I need to accept that fact that things have changed for me. I guess I got what I wanted--but I haven't accepted it yet. It's like asking for roses and being delivered ones made of paper. Not what I originally wanted but kind of better in the long run because paper ones won't die.

Anyway, that's what I've been thinking about lately. I don't really feel any better but I suppose it's a step in the right direction. I can't change how people act or what people do but I can change how I handle it.

That's what I've learned--again and again and again and again and again.

It never ends.