46

Another birthday. Someone is another year older and finds himself one year closer to death (I kid).  Yep, it's my birthday. Based on the average life expectancy of an American male (76 years), I am solidly middle-aged and, having crested the halfway hump, am on the downward slog to the end.  Good times ahead is all I can say.

I realized today, on this auspicious anniversary of my birth, that I have now spent more than half my life with the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML.  Do you know what a good thing that is?  It is a very good thing. I can't imagine celebrating this day with anyone else.

I've hardly had time to wax philosophical or contemplate what it means to be another year older.  I don't older.  I rarely do.  No self-respecting 46 year old should laugh as hard as I do watching "Dodgeball." Seeing that kid getting nailed in the face by a wrench never get old.  Never. Ever.

So I'm one year older.  Hoping that I'm getting better with age.  I sure hope so.

Just some stuff

It's a bit of stormy night here in New England and the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML is waiting for one of the trees in the neighborhood to take out a power line.  I find myself nearly devoid of thought right now, but I'll share a few of the things that have been swirling around in my head of late:

• I really like air conditioning.  I had to make a presentation today in front of about 60 people that was also being webcast to about one hundred other people and the room was as hot as the Edgware Road Tube Stop on a scorching summer's day in London.  I was sweating so much down my back you could have surfed down my spine.  Would it have killed them to turn on the A/C?  No it would not.
• The stunningly patient and mighty fine SML has been seeking my opinion on new hairstyles.  This has included her doing her hair in some of the suggested styles and asking what I think.  This will not end well for me.  The good news is that, so far, we've been laughing about the potential options.
• I'm getting obsessed with the Civil War again.  Cannot wait for "Lincoln" opening in November.
• It's feeling just a little bit like fall, which means this year is thismuchcloser to being over.  How can that be?
• One of my new favorite people on Twitter is this guy: @ldsbishop because of tweets like this:

Mitt Romney increasingly reminds me of that old high priest

you wish wouldn't spout their views during Sunday school

• Mitt's latest gaffe reflection of his true feelings, the one in which he claims that 47% of Americans will automatically vote for Obama because they are dependent on the government and pay no income taxes, and his flipping on it, claiming he had not spoken elegantly, demonstrates further the gap between him and, well, real people.
• Mike Birbiglia is a brilliant comedian and storyteller. 

Like I said, just some stuff tonight here in the Den.  

Free speech...with a price

The events of the last several days in the Middle East have left me just a little sad.  American diplomats have lost their lives, senselessly, and at least seven Arabs have been killed in protests.

This whole thing is senseless to me. America's ambassador to Libya did not need to die. That seven people have died in protests over an anti-Islamic movie produced by a convicted felon (financial crimes and drug charges) and promoted by an extremist (ah, the irony) Florida pastor, is senseless.

What is it about the freedom of speech that empowers people to think that the things they say have no consequences?  It is insane to me to think that your words have no consequences.  They do.  Their is a price for free speech.  In this case, it's being paid in blood.  Not good.

It's been interesting to see the blogosphere light up on this one.  Somehow the violent reaction of a small minority of Arabs to what they perceive as blasphemy makes it OK to paint an entire group as blood-thirsty hate fiends.  Glenn Beck is weighing in, which is almost as frightening as the protests, and can only mean that he will use broad brush strokes of tired stereotypes to blame the entire Arab population for this and somehow tie the President to it as well.  Thanks, Brother Beck.

What's happening in the Middle East is not simply about this film.  It would be naive to think so.  There are many other issues at play that are causing the ongoing unrest.  Many of those reasons are ones that we will never understand. Calling for a swift and violent response will solve nothing.  Talk about adding fuel to the fire...

Words can sometimes be the most deadly weapons of them all.  Choose them wisely.

On 9-11

In honor of the eleventh anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, I share with you what I shared last year, when the anniversary fell on a Sunday, and I was leading services at Church.  Here's the text of those remarks:


Tuesday, September 11, 2001, was an unusually bright, clear late summer day in New York City.  The images of those brilliant but skies are seared into our collective memories; however, now we remember the smoke that choked that blue sky.  We remember the image of a plane slamming into the now-fallen World Trade Center.  We remember images of people jumping from the burning towers in order to escape the roaring flames.  We also remember the pictures of firefighters and police personnel who ran into the towers in an epic, valiant struggle to save their fellowmen.  We are haunted by the heroic words uttered by a passenger on board United 93, "Let's roll!" as those few passengers decided to stop the terrorists from hitting yet another target.

The terror of that day, ten years ago, is still fresh for so many of us.  It is an event that touched us all and it is a defining moment in not only American history, but world history.  In the days following these horrific events, our nation came together in a way that many said had not been since World War II.  I remember standing in our front yard in our home in California with our neighbors as we joined our fellow countrymen in a national moment of prayer.  It was as if our nation was seeking spiritual comfort as a whole in those dark days after the attacks.

That sense of unity and desire to seek spiritual comfort as a nation has abated in the ten years since that unforgettable day.  Our nation has found its way back to its divisive ways.  In his first official blog post printed earlier this week in the Washington Post's "On Faith" column, President Thomas S. Monson, said, "Sadly, it seems that much of that renewal of faith has waned in the years that have followed.  Healing has come with time, but so has indifference.  We forget how vulnerable and sorrowful we felt.  Our sorrow has moved us to remember the deep purposes of our lives.  The darkness of our despair brought us a moment of enlightenment.  But we are forgetful.  When the depth of grief has passed, its lessons often pass from our minds and hearts as well."

The Scriptures are rife with examples of how we, the children of a loving, caring Heavenly Father, have forgotten our Father and the lessons of lives time and time again.  The Book of Mormon is especially illustrative of this cycle of forgetfulness but it also shows our Father's consistent, loving commitment to us.  In his blog post, President Monson continued, saying, "Our Father's commitment to us, His children, is unwavering.  Indeed He softens the winter of our lives, but He also brightens our summers.  Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us.  He has promised us that this will never change."

President Monson, our prophet, reminds us that if there was a spiritual lesson to be learned from the events of 9/11, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us.  He said, "We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or crises of our lives.  It should not require tragedy for us to remember Him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving Him our faith and trust.  We too should be with Him in every season."

As we reflect today, ten years after the events of 9/11, may we remember those whose lives were lost.  May we pray on behalf of them and those they left behind.  May we also reflect on what has happened to us in the years since that day.  Let us not forget who we are.  We are children of a loving Heavenly Father who has been steadfast and unwavering in His commitment to us.  May we be faithful to Him in times of crisis and times of calm.  May we make Him and His Son the center of our thoughts and the pattern for our actions.  May we remember the counsel of the Book of Mormon prophet Moroni as he raised the Title of Liberty in preparation for righteous battle, 'In memory of our God, our religion and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.'  If we do so, we will be blessed.  

May we never forget.