Fireballs Fly

More years ago than I would like to admit, I started an Independence Day tradition with my friends - Roman Candle War. Up until last Sunday, it hadn't happened in years. But the stars aligned this year. We were in North Texas at my parents' house for their annual celebration; many of my friends were able to make it. Many other idiots were there as well. And we had roman candles. Lots of them. (and safety goggles for all - that started year 2...)

13 grown-ass men gathered in a 3 acre field. Each were given a lighter and 13-14 sticks with 10 shots each. That is and always has been the entire premise/set-up. as people spread out, somebody lights the first fuse and the war is on. Alliances were formed, which is rare. I was shot a lot, which is common. I got winded, which is new.

It is such a fun experience shooting flaming balls from a mini-cannon at your friends. Actually, I didn't know many of the people. That didn't make the shooting any less fun. But warring with friends makes for better conversation afterwards.

I thought about tying this up with some analogy or something else ethereal but decided against it. Roman candles stand alone.

Race at the Polls

Tuesday morning I dropped off my girls at their exemplary elementary school and headed to the voting booth. I had researched the candidates and knew who I would vote for. I also THOUGHT I knew how I would vote on the proposition to change the make-up of the BISD Board of Trustees. I considered all my thoughts on the merits of “yes” and “no” votes, because I do believe both sides do have merit. If you haven’t voted yet, the Enterprise endorsement and alternative view lay them out simply and well. As I stood there hovering over the touch screen, I recalled all of the talk I have heard and read from both sides of the issue. And this is when it got weird.

As I stood there my mind wondered to thoughts of how the two sides of this issue lie almost exclusively along either side of racial lines. All of the sudden, I wasn't thinking about the merits of the proposition, I was thinking about race. I was thinking about the comments on various blogs charged with accusations of race against one side or the other. I was thinking about my daughters and how wonderful their BISD experience had been under this divisive administration. I was thinking about the racial implications of the outcome of the election one way or the other. I was thinking about the distinct colors of BETTER and BEST. I was thinking about the lawsuits that had preceded this election, the ones ongoing and the ones that will likely follow no matter the outcome. I was thinking about whether a vote one way would be racist, or whether a vote the other way would be reverse-racism.

I was thinking about a million things, not one of them being the merits of the proposition. In fact, when I got home my wife asked me how I had voted. I honestly couldn’t and still don’t remember. I am embarrassed by that. I take my right to vote seriously and perform that duty proudly. But that is how confounded and distracted I was.

That is what modern racism does. It has become a tool. And nobody uses it better than Southeast Texas. Somewhere along the line a group decided to make our children’s public education a racial issue. Then the other side used accusations of racism to promote their position. And back and forth it goes, ad nauseam, until I am sitting in voting booths deciding whether it is racist or reverse-racist to vote for or against the proposition.

But here’s the thing - I think the people on both sides mean well. They all want a better school district. They want the best for our kids. I think that everyone would agree that They do. But racism got in the way of meaningful dialog and unified advancement.

How can we come together as a city and be all that our children deserve without our legacy of racism tainting the issues and clouding our judgment? This is something I will be giving a lot of thought to in the coming weeks. I hope you will as well.

The Year Round April Fools

EG emails now. And texts. And IMs. We monitor her activity and want her to learn to use this technology responsibly. And she seems to be learning how to do that. Today, in response to a FORWARD!!!!, I sent her the following advice. Figured I'd share.

I love you. And I am proud of how smart you are. It is for this reason that I send this email.

As you venture into the virtual world of emails and the internet, I have a very serious piece of advice for you. It is a lesson all of us can stand to be reminded of.

TRUST NO FORWARDS. FORWARD NO FORWARDS WITHOUT VERIFYING.

For some unknown reason, people start these email forwards. They can be about anything. Like the one below, it has been forwarded so many times there is no way to tell who is writing it.

These emails usually claim to be about a close friend or relative. But even the ones that use real names of real people (usually famous people) are made up almost every time.

If you get one of these emails, you can read it, but do so with a lot of doubt. There is only a slim chance it is accurate or even true at all. If you think it might be true, you can research to try to verify it. For another unknown reason, some people started a website dedicated to verifying these forwards. It is snopes.com. There are others I am sure. I usually start with snopes.

In this case, a quick check of snopes shows that this email is not true. At best it is based on a singular incident out of India over 6 years ago. Just consider it an April Fools joke.

I love you.

WINNING!

I have so enjoyed the insheenity of the latest internet meme of the last several days. But I don't think the grand wizard of gnarlyisms could be more wrong about his definition of winning.

On this, my 35th, birthday, I think about other men I know who are his age and WINNING! Really winning, running churches, touching lives, striving toward a heaven on earth. And I remember the impact they had on my life when they were this age. Thank you most to Norman and Doug. As 30-somethings, you both reached out so effectively to me during my formative years. And there were so many other Godly men who directed my path and the paths of others in their 30s. I am not the man you all were at this age. And sometimes I worry I have failed you in some way.

But as I look back at the major steps we as a family have taken over the last 12 years, I have no doubt we have followed the path He lit for us. But the small decisions, the little steps, have left much to be desired - not being active in a church, not reaching out in real ways to the least of these, not looking for ways to give back to the next generation. (That is a weird realization. The teens of today are literally a generation removed from me.)

So my hope for my 36th year (it's a weird thing from Catherine's family) is that time we spend on the path will be productive time, time moving forward with each small step.

Thank you all for your abundance of well-wishes. It is a wonderful reminder of the way each of you impacted my life.

History is such a tough thing to deal with. If we hold it too closely, we can never grow. If we don't revere it, we are, as they say, likely to repeat it.

Today, and over the past few weeks, I am dealing with a particularly difficult and painful part of my personal history. It is something I cannot avoid due to frequent reminders. And it is certainly something I don't want to repeat. So that leaves me in a funk.

I want to grow. I want to mature. I want to simultaneously learn and forget. Is that an option? Should it be? Is this the cross we must carry in order to be disciples? If so, I have a long way to go. Because most of the time, I just want to drop the cross and run away from it. If I am being honest (which I guess I am), I want to drop all my crosses, all the history that weighs me down.

And I know there's forgiveness and grace and mercy. But it doesn't seem to be a license to take those blessings and run. So here I sit, in the midst of my history, wanting to move forward, knowing I have to bring it with me.

Bill White for Texas

A few of the reasons I am voting FOR Bill White -

Generally, I do not think Perry has done anything remarkable for Texas. He is a friend of big business, but that isn't enough. Bill White is no enemy of businesses. In fact, when he worked for Clinton, his job was basically to teach other countries capitalism. I also think Perry is less than stellar at representing our state to the world. When the national press mentions Perry, it is usually because he has said something outlandish to get media attention, like secession or not accepting federal funds (which he always ends up accepting). But I am not simply voting against Perry. If that were the case, I would not vote.

I am voting for Bill White. I am voting for him because three issues I care about that the governor can affect are better entrusted to White. First, Texas courts have been closed down to countless victims of compensable negligence (probably the worst state at this point) by the legislature and supreme and appellate courts filled with Perry appointees. Then when people who champion those rights get legislation through both houses, Perry vetoes it. Bill White would allow the processes in place correct imbalance in the system.

Second, our state has fallen FAR behind in education. Having two daughters in elementary school, this is an issue I care deeply about. Bill White has championed education even as a Mayor with little influence on the process. This is his primary campaign focus. And I believe he will be in a position to encourage education by supporting teachers, refocusing funding and working with the local districts to encourage better performance.

Finally, Bill White has integrity the position needs and values I agree with. Long before seeking any political office, Bill Whitewas (and still is) a Sunday School teacher. The values that should accompany a committed Christian are evident even in his official actions. When Katrina ravaged New Orleans, he rallied the people of Houston to help. And they did. That type of compassion is missing from our current governor's office. Perry is much quicker to ask for help than volunteer to give it.

FINAL PLEA

PLEASE DON'T VOTE FOR RICK PERRY!

EVERYTHING is on the internet. Everything except Perr

y's famous run-in with the DPS trooper. How did that vanish?

There is also no trace of the photos of as him as a yell leader. And we know how well publicized a pic of a proud yell leader is. Just check facebook!

Gig 'em? Hook 'em? Whatever keeps him in office.

I do have legit points as well. See below. Adios, Mofos!