Priorities

The morning before I left for Columbus, I couldn't sleep. So, I turned on the mac book and wrote this blog entry. Thought I'd wait until I came home to post it, so here ye go. We are such a smart bunch of people. Did y’all know that? I mean, we know things our ancestors could only scratch their heads over, and we have done things that used to be science fiction. For instance, people have walked on the moon. Normal everyday folks went in to a man-made craft, punched some buttons and flew to the moon. Not only that, they stepped out and planted their feet on it...well, maybe planted is a strong word. If what they say about gravity is true, and i have no reason to doubt them, then it would be nearly impossible to set both feet at the same time and stand still on the moon. But, I wasn’t there, so maybe they did that. Here’s what’s funny, I can’t see pictures from space. I can’t see the videos taken in space, so can I really say it happened? lol Here’s something else amazing. We know what kind of bacteria ticks carry, and not only that, we know the signs and symptoms and how to treat them, successfully. There was a time when every fever and chill, every runny nose and cough, no matter how you came by it was simply called the Ague. Every high fever that affected your brain in any way was called scarlet fever. Today, we can take pictures of the inside of our bodies and know exactly what is going on in there. Today, antibiotics can kill most bacteria. Today, simple cleanliness saves lives. There is a robotic airplane that can fly without a human inside of it and can measure things like air temperature, barometric pressure and lots of other stuff, just to help predict how bad hurricanes will be. The robot can not fly in to a hurricane...as if it would want to, but people can fly a plane in to a storm that strong. They often do this, just to study the storm. Not so very long ago, all folks had were their eyes, common sense gathered from living in a certain area all their lives and possibly a barometer to forecast weather. Today, we can turn on the TV or radio or internet and get all the latest details on how fast the wind is blowing, how much rain is predicted to fall and what we should do about it. As they say on the weather channel quite often, “You can be prepared.” Now, i have a few questions. What are we preparing for? 2. Why is it so important to preserve life? 3. What does knowledge about space do for me down here? These sound like stupid questions. Don’t they? I mean, didn’t I go to school and learn anything? Answer: I did go to school, and I think I learned a few things. And, I don’t think these questions are as dumb as they sound. So, let’s start with question number 3. Why is it so important to know about space? When I was 8-years-old and in third grade, I remember I couldn’t wait until science class. I loved learning about space! Don’t ask me why, because I couldn’t see any of the pictures they showed. It could have been all a fairy tale as far as I was concerned. But, something about space appealed to me. Later, at the age of seventeen when I got the chance to go to space camp in Huntsville, Alabama, I learned I would never get to go to the moon. For one, I’m too blind, and for another, I’m too short to fit in to the suits. lol So, we know the sun is 93 million...or is that billion...miles away from the earth. We know the planets revolve around the sun. We know there isn’t as much gravity on the moon. And, this helps me today, because... Don’t know about y’all, but one thing it does for me is help me appreciate God’s handy-work just a little bit more. But, can we stop an astroid from slamming the earth, just by knowing it’s out there? If we have to put on all this equipment just to breathe in space, why would we want to live there? And, as for life on other planets, why do we care? I mean, we’re killing our own babies, so life isn’t that important. Right? Stick with me, ya’ll. Ok, so since I mentioned life, let’s talk about question number 2. Why is it so important to preserve life? Folks, there are doctors out there now who will do an abortion during delivery. Did y’all know that? Killing babies when they are just coming in to this world! Ahem, is it appropriate to talk like King David and say, “Destroy them, O God. Let them perish from off the earth.” Ok, maybe that’s being harsh, but it’s how i feel, and someday they will answer for the deeds they do. Anyway, if we’re so stuck on saving lives, why don’t we start with the healthiest of us all; our babies! It’s a good thing to kill bacteria with antibiotics. When I get sick enough, I go to the doctor, and I’m real glad she can give me a shot or a pill that will cure me, because I know that 100 years ago, I would have died if not for that stuff. I’m thankful for defibrillators, ventilators, oxygen tanks, MRI’s, bone scans, hypodermic needles and all that other stuff, but let’s get our priorities straight! And, finally, what are we preparing for? This is the question you probably think is dumb, but that’s ok. Hear me out. A few weeks ago when Isaac was on his way to Louisiana, I watched a lot of the weather channel. Call it boredom, call it curiosity, but I wanted to know if it would destroy places like Katrina did. Men and women alike were outside in all that wind and rain, telling you how it felt, how fast the storm was coming and what you should do about it. And, yet people still stayed behind and had to be rescued, which put others’ lives in danger. That’s no skin off my nose if you want to get stuck in a flood and wait to be rescued, all the while clinging to your roof, but what bothered me was people were more concerned about pets than other people. Shelters for pets is great. I’m going to go get a dog today, and I’d be mighty worried if something happened to that dog. Don’t misunderstand me, here. I just think...once again...our priorities are messed up. People are paid a lot of money to get on TV and tell you a storm is coming. I don’t want anybody to be out of a job, but couldn’t we put some of that money to better use. I mean, come on, we know a storm is coming. Let’s help folks evacuate. Let’s help build levies. Let’s feed the hungry. Oh, boy, I don’t want to get started, but i think I already have. We spend too much time, energy and money on the wrong things and wonder why the country is in debt. A true leader, one who was concerned about his country would not use tax payers’ hard-earned dollars to go on vacation. A leader who truly cared about those he represented would be more concerned about those people and quit worrying about appeasing other nations. A true leader would do all he could to make his country one that did not rely on foreigners to sustain it. A leader who cared would not try to squelch one person’s religious beliefs while fully embracing another’s. And, this talk about being fair, well, I tell y’all like I tell my little girls, “Nothing is fair!” And, folks, it never will be. Yep, we’re a pretty smart bunch. And, to prove it, here’s one more tidbit I find interesting. Fifty years ago, some kin of mine made their own moonshine. Today, the President is having his staff make beer in the White House. Hmm. Wonder why it used to be wrong but ain’t wrong now? Is it because the government wanted control? Maybe. Well, now, I’m tired enough to sleep, it’s almost time to get up and get ready for the day, and I’m thirsty, so reckon this is goodbye until next time.