Uncommon catharsis

It's been too long since I blogged.  Juggling the frequent blog ideas while dealing with the normal push and pull of a busy life, I can't help but to wonder how people find the time (and energy) to blog at all.  That said, I am trying to take some positive steps in my life, which hopefully results in many a change, including more blogging.  (If quantity fails, I'm precalling it now that I'll fall back on the classic "quality over quantity" mentality.)  Like many things I do, blogging could be considered a catharsis of sorts.  One can't argue the benefits of communication, provided it's not hurtful to self or others.  Any attempts at blogging would certainly not be hurtful to anybody, at least not intentionally.  It's the age-old concept of expressing oneself and the belief I have that it is healthy to do so, again, provided no one gets hurt. 
How interesting that the simpliest of things, the conveyance of one's opinion, of a heartfelt thought, is inherently a good thing.  I don't expect that my expression on here (or on facebook or twitter) can solve the world's problems.  Or anyone's problems.  Maybe, just maybe, in putting some of my thoughts on virtual paper, I can heal some of my own conundrums.  Maybe I can feel like I'm being heard by somebody, even if I have to trick my eyes into thinking somebody else typed this.  Maybe someone, but no one in particular, that personally knows me, will somehow gain insight into me and my quirky ways of thinking, and in doing so, is able to better understand me.  I often feel misunderstood.  Maybe it is just me, but maybe its not.  There's no test to verify this, at least not one of which I'm aware.  (I realize, but seem to often forget, that others will probably try to understand me more when I take the time to try to understand them more... a novel concept, no doubt!)  So maybe I'll be able to communicate better with others.  That would be a welcome thing.  So many things in my life would have gone so much more smoothly had I been a better communicator.  So many arguments in I could have not played a leading role.  I don't live with regret, as I recognize that I am who I am because of the accumulated experiences I've had, be they ones I hold dear or the ones I shy away from when memory brings them forth.  But have a sadness for not learning some lessons sooner than I learned them, for not being more kind to people.  Someone I can't recall introduced to me a concept of the existence of two kinds of people in the world: people are happy when one person walks in the room, while they are happy when another person leaves the room.  I have felt like I was the latter kind of person, although I've had friends and family tell me that I'm too hard on myself.  I want to become more than the person I've grown to be so far.  I owe that to myself, my wife and kids, my friends, my co-workers, and mostly to my Savior.  Today is the first day of the rest of my life.  All I have is now.

Blog Lessons Learned 101 (a.k.a. I neglected to save a great post...)

So I had a great post called "Blame Game 101" regarding some thoughts on Obama supporters still blaming George W. Bush for everything going wrong in our country. I was just about done, about to proofread, and touched some button on a trusty Logitech keyboard for an iPad2, and boom, everything disappeared. Hopefully I'll remember to save it next time. Off to bed. I'll retype my thoughts (eloquently, I might add) tomorrow, hopefully.
There's some silver lining: I didn't holler any expletives, like I would have years ago. My blood pressure hardly went up. I'm 41 years-old and I'm finally growing up! Tens of thousands of people probably died today. People all over the world are hungry. Kids all over the world want love from a parent who doesn't give them the time of day. I am blessed beyond my ability to articulate even a fraction of all God has done for me and those I love. Thank You, Lord, for this day. Goodnight all.

Romney takes Arizona and Michigan

Today Mitt Romney took a major step by winning the Arizona and Michigan primaries. Arizona wasn't close and Michigan was decided before many pundits thought it would be. It would take a colossal collapse for Romney to not get the Republican nomination for president now.
At this pace, in November, President Obama will be facing Romney in a bitter fight that just may make other political battles pale by comparison. Romney isn't exactly a favorite son of the conservatives of the GOP, so any chance of him faring well against President Obama will be dependent on how well his candidacy is received by those on the more conservative end of the GOP spectrum. Romney will get his share of the right-leaning moderates.
As has been the case for many of the recent major elections in this country, many probable voters are not enamored with any of the candidates. This isn't just an issue on the Republican end of the spectrum. I believe it is also an issue on the left, where many liberal voters weren't pleased with the "change" provided by President Obama.
In 2008, as Barack Obama was in the primaries, much of the nation was caught in the wave of emotion brought on by the romantic notions of "hope" and the aforementioned "change". Many on the left believed that the government would swoop in and solve all of their problems, and they backed this belief with their vote. It remains to be seen just how many voters President Obama can lure to replace those who, in disillusion, won't cast their vote for him again. I don't think the emotionally charged atmosphere that helped Barack Obama win the presidency in 2008 will exist in quite the same dynamic in nine months as President Obama tries to add four more years to his legacy.
So, as I see it, the election in November will be interesting on many levels. Clearly, President Obama has some major support and his voters will show. Mitt Romney, the likely Republican nominee, will have the support of many moderates, and those on the right who would vote for anybody just to keep Mr. Obama from getting re-elected. As the Republicans get closer to crowning a nominee at the convention, no doubt President Obama's supporters will ramp up the attacks on Mitt. Brace yourself... it's going to be a memorable battle.
A prediction? Not yet, from me, at least. I know how I'll cast my ballot. I want to see how the primaries continue to shake out and certainly want to get a taste of the debates once the Republicans choose their man. Once I see how the country is reacting to the incumbent and the nominee, I'll be more inclined to provide my prediction.

The plan...

So much to say... I believe we make our own path in this life and I'm still learning to set one that will lead me to an eternal life with my Creator.  My family and I have finally found a church where we both feel at home, and I am proud that my children are being led by two parents who do their best to love and serve the Lord.  I have so many interests and take emotional morsels from life throughout my day to move forward.  There is enough that goes wrong in this world that I think it's important to do that.  I hope that you can get something positive from my blog.  It is my earnest hope that something here will interest you.  If you only stop by occasionally, or even once, I will have done my part if something on here merely makes you think, if only to consider the opinion of another person in this vast world.  If something I write makes you open your eyes to Christ as your Savior, then that will make this world a better place, at least in my mind.  That said, I have opinions on many things.  Even though I have mentioned my spirituality here, I will blog about much more than that, but I felt it necessary to get that on the record.