Thursday, July 4, 2013

I do declare.

Since when did it become offensive to make a declaration?  I think somewhere along the way society inferred that a declaration is too strong of a communication.  Well, I do declare, that they were wrong.  

Speaking of declarations, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Yes, the Declaration of Independence means so much to this great country.  However, this particular part of it means so much more when applied to our own governing bodies.  Should we not live out our days seeking to be fulfilled in the simplest means?  

When referring to the Missouri Compromise, Thomas Jefferson stated, "But as it is, we have the wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go.  Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other."  He was discussing, in my thoughts, a most hideous and sad time in our history.  I will never really know of course, but I feel that our friend, Mr. Jefferson, would have been a thorn in my side.  In any case, I do absolutely adore the comment as an application to cognitive process.  I feel certain that is not how Mr. Jefferson meant it.  Certainly there are cases where we have our shrimp and grits too; but, the fact stands that is not always the case.  

This comment also strikes me as an internal fight with Faith.  So often it is frightening to let go and realize that the decision does not lie within us.  A dear friend asked me recently (as so many have) how I deal on a daily basis with King's Cystic Fibrosis.  This time the question was posed differently-they waited for the answer in the authentic form.  I think many times people ask the question with a prescribed answer attached.  Because I knew that the wish was for an honest answer I was able to declare what I know to be true.  Faith.  To be so extraordinary and powerful, Faith is impossible to explain by reason.  It is a personal feeling, a burning inside, an emotion so deep, and a stronghold on the present.  I declare that Faith is what allows me to carry out the days.

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness means something different to each of us. For instance, King vomits every morning (I feel due to sinus disease...another story for another day).  I really wish that he would stop vomiting and we could go back to "just" having CF.  Conversely, if you have a child with severe reflux and then they are diagnosed with CF, you would wish you could go back to "just" having severe reflux.  If you ruined your best pair of heels in The Grove, you would wish you had just worn the less expensive pair.  If you spilled spaghetti sauce down the front of your shirt, you would wish you had been more careful.  The hungry man that watched you do it would just wish he had the first bite.  The Declaration of Independence was an amazing thing for those that were allowed the freedom to "hold these truths to be self-evident." However,  I seriously doubt that Jefferson's slaves were tickled pink to dissolve political ties with Great Britain.  Life is all relative, but that does not mean that we can afford to ignore the lives of fellow man.

If you're in the mood for a curveball (we might as well tie baseball into this, right?) let me just tell you....As much as Mr. Jefferson and I could have debated intensely on ethics, Little Milton (the Blues singer) would have been the friend to sing me right over the rainbow.  I worked feverishly this morning to remember the lyrics to We're Gonna Make it.  I've had parts of it in my head for days now! The pleasure was all mine to discover: 
We may not have a cent to pay the rent 
But were gonna make it, I know we will 
We may have to eat beans every day 
But were gonna make it, I know we will 
And if a job is hard to find 
And we have to stand in the welfare line 
I've got your love and you know you got mine 
So were gonna make it, I know we will
I think Little Milton must have been a man that didn't fear the meaning of life.  Grits Ain't Groceries is another of my favorite songs that I love to sing to Emma Virginia:
Because you know I love you baby
Oh you know I love you baby yeah
Now if I don't love you baby I tell you
Grits ain't grocery,
Eggs ain't poultry,
And Mona Lisa was a man
If we can take a clue from Little Milton, life is simple and declarations should come easy!

As we navigate the cognitive process and realize our potential for fulfillment, might we also take the time to live up to the simplest of our liberties.


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