A History of Hope

We live in a day and age that many would call uncertain, tense, and terrifying. Much of what we once took for granted seems to be slipping from our grasp, like a foundation made of sand. Each day, hundreds of men and women swell the ranks of the unemployed. Prices shoot towards the ceiling as debt and inflation pull this country deeper and deeper into the mire of economic collapse. Morality seems to be a thing of the past, abandoned by a generation that lives to waste their lives. The education system has been choked by its own rabid desire for impressive statistics. Even the government, the one institution that should stay solid during a crises, has been corrupted, bloated, and grown into a tyrannical monstrosity it was never meant to be.

Honestly, in our day and age, there's little to BE thankful for. Most of what the future would seem to hold is bleak, full of tension and pain.

But as you celebrate this uniquely American tradition of Thanksgiving, remember those pilgrims who began this holiday: they had just come through one of the coldest, harshest winters they've ever experienced. So many of them had died or been permanently injured by the deadly freezes. In fact, less than a quarter of them had survived the vicious season.

As they came out into spring, however, they were filled with new purpose. They had conquered the continent, and now nothing could stand in their way. So, even though their numbers had thinned to almost non-existence; even though their houses were nowhere ready for another winter; even though there was no guarantee they would survive for another day, they decided to celebrate. The harvest came in, and they gave their laughter, joy, and peace as an offering to the God to whom they owed their souls.

They found something to be thankful for. In a maelstrom of hurt, uncertainty, and despair, they clung to the hope that the next warm season would bring peace. So rather than give up, let us too dig deep within ourselves, to the inextinguishable flame of hope buried in the core of humanity, and forge on to a brighter tomorrow. 

Dialing - Reality??

Greetings from the world of life, liberty, and leeks. I bring salutation and solids. I wish only peace and pears. Take me to your leader and liver.

I don't know why I wrote that. Or why I am writing this. Is it because my sociopathy demands that I impress my thoughts and feelings upon others? Is it a selfish desire for acceptance and fulfillment? Or do I simply enjoy words, and the beauty they create?
I don't know the answer to these questions. I could say that I "know," but I would have no proof that my statement is anything more than my own deluded opinion. So, in this way, is it possible to really "know" anything at all?
These and other such questions have been plaguing me for the past few minutes. How quaint.

In this same vein, how do I "know" that I am actually awake right now? For all I know, this could be a dream, a projection my mind creates to protect me from some sort of physical trauma I've experienced. I could actually be lying in a hospital bed, deep in a cerebral coma.
But even that may not be what it seems! That may be the world I call "reality," but is it really the basis of the universe? Is this dimension what is truly the foundation of all others? Or are we just a backwards, incomplete framework, like our own first dimension?
These are heavy thoughts, I know. Perhaps once I begin my soccer game, such confusing musings will mosey out of my mind. If that soccer game is actually happening...

Sometimes

Sometimes, life seems like little more than a movie. You stand there, powerless as powers outside your vision move about whole sections of your life. Yet you can do nothing. Your hands are too small, your reach too short; no matter how hard you strain, events remain just beyond your control.
"Come on, come on. You know this isn't what we planned on. Come on, come on. Tell me we'll be okay."
Sometimes, those closest to you are those who are the farthest away. They seem so kind, so helpful, so well-intentioned. Not even they fully understand the damage their "assistance" causes. The scars that lace the soul, burning with resentment and determination to leave their rotting affection far behind.
"Where were you, when my walls came falling down? You turned away - you stood close by - but didn't make a sound. Where were you, when it all came back around? The reasons why you passed me by will always hold you down."
Sometimes, comfort comes from the most unlikely places. A acquaintance becomes a brother; a neighbor a sister. A random song suddenly puts air beneath your wings; a simple story moves you to tears. You're taking out the trash, and a sunset blows your mind; hours with a ball at your feet, and suddenly the world's problems seem to fade into the grass.
"Let's leave no words unspoken, and save our regrets for the broken. Will they even look back when they think of me?? All I want is a place to call my own, to mend the hearts of everyone who feels alone. You know to keep your hopes up high and your head down low."
Sometimes, there is a person who becomes so much more than a friend. They laugh, they smile, they flirt around the borders - but to you, they're right in the center. They are a memory to cling to, as the corrosive waters of loneliness threaten to pull you under.
"Forget everything just for tonight; we'll sing like everyone when they're alone. Cause I've been waiting for tonight to sing this song. Let's move in; if we all stand together, we're a force that can change the whole world. For once, we're doing something right when we sing this, our song."
Sometimes, people will tell you life is nothing more than pain, and loss, and conflict, and futile dreams, all without end. They tell you that there's nothing for it, except to squeeze every day for all the pleasure it can give; that's your right, eh?
...
Those people couldn't. Be. More. Dead. Wrong. Life is joyful, because friendship gives you laughter. Life is full, because the things that we treasure never truly leave us. Life is peaceful, because you can't fight what isn't worth your time. Life is meaningful, because love gives it meaning.
For all those doubters out there, I want you to know I have found my purpose. My purpose is prove you wrong by living a life ruled by love, a love that is bottomless, a love that no man can take from me.
"I'm making a difference. I'm taking a chance. You can say what you want about me, but no one can tell me I can't."