Jefferson

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Thanksgiving

I know, I know, I have not been keeping this as up todate as I could.  Oh well, things are going very well.  I am enjoying life and have had a great refreshing break.  Just a few more weeks and then I am done and headed back to Utah for graduation, marriage, and happily ever after.
For Thanksgiving Break Anna Badger, Brad Hales, and Jeana Stuart all came to visit for the holiday.  It was great to have them here and I very much enjoyed their presence.  It was quite the adventure.  They arrived on last Friday and I took all of them back to the airport today for them to fly out.  I assume they made their flights and are all safely at home now.  With most of which I write, there will be photos to go along in the Thanksgiving Gallery.
In preparation for their coming, Genny in the office got them tours at the White House, Capitol, Library of Congress, National Cathedral, and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving.  They went and saw several other museums and various other things around Washington DC.  Last Friday night we went on a midnight visit of some of the monuments.  We went to the Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, FDR, and other things around Washington.  I showed them the main buildings and gave them a sort of feel for the overall layout of the area.
Saturday we went to the Washington DC temple.  We also paid a little visit to Georgetown and went to Arlington National Cemetery.  Sunday we went to church and the Washington Memorial Masonic Lodge.  Monday through Wednesday they went on their tours.  Monday afternoon I met them at the Library of Congress and went on that tour with them.  It was amazing.  I really appreciated the beauty and time that obviously went into the building.  Very impressive building.  I took them back through the tunnels to Russell from the Library of Congress.  That was quite a bit of a walk through the house buildings, Capitol and back.  They enjoyed it.  Tuesday I gave them their tour of the Capitol and tried to sneak in some extra perks for them, however, with another couple on the tour we did not get to show as much as I could have.  Wednesday I got off work at noon and went and met them at the Museum of American History.  I enjoyed that.  I could have spent quite a bit more time there.  I enjoyed the science aspect, nuclear, transportation, First Lady, and Presidential exhibits.  I could have spent a few more hours in the building.  I will have to pay them another visit.  There are a few museums I still have not seen.  I want to see the Native American, Modern Art, Printing and Engraving, and spy museum.  Sometime I will have to pay them a visit.  I suppose there is always a time in the future.
Thanksgiving was great.  We enjoyed a trip to Mt. Vernon and had a great time.  You can see the pictures from that adventure.  Yesterday we trekked to Monticello and Montpelier, but due to circumstances and preference, we did not get into either.  At one it was “too cold” and the other we were “too late” so what was to be done.  However, I stumbled on another little town I would love to move to some day and spend the rest of my life.  Orange, Virginia, an amazingly beautiful little town.  There are a few of them in my life.  Ashland, Kansas; Blair, Nebraska; Quray, Colorado; and now Orange, Virginia.  It was amazingly beautiful.  I hope some day I can organized a piece of property into something so magnificent so as to add to the community to which I belong.  We all loved the beautiful well kept estates that lined the roads.  Orange was particularly beautiful.
We all come to understand each other a little more, we come to see and understand our weaknesses and strengths a little more, and hopefully we will have learned from our close interactions.  I sure enjoyed their company and the opportunity to entertain guests.  More importantly, it gave a little more initiative to get out and see some of what I am surrounded by.
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Where shall I work today?

I have been thinking about one thing as of late.  So many people consider pornography to be free speech, or freedom of expression.  I have thought about that and do not find it to be expression or speech.  What are they saying?  What could they possibly think they are telling us?  What, buy more, get addicted, so they can make money.  That only reminds me of Babylon.  Song, however explicit, I can understand as saying something.  Art, however clear, I do not find has any expression or speech to it.  Even print media, without words is simply open for interpretation.  This only opens a new bag though, different from some of the common political discourse of the day.For example, the right to desecrate the flag as freedom of speech.  I don’t believe they have any standing at all.  What does burning have to do with speech?  Some take it to be desecration, some take it to be offensive, yet we burn the flag in ceremony for decommissioning or destruction.  Talking is one thing, or “written talk” I can see, or even gagging someone so they cannot speak.  But to print pictures or symbolic speech I do not see.  On the other hand, while it is not speech as far as I can see, I believe we can limit the burning of anything on property.  If they purchased the flag, burn it where they want.  But if they do it on public property, then they are in violation of fire burning laws and code and should be punished accordingly (the same for burning crosses).  If it was not their flag, then prosecute them for that as well.  Why does public property grant the right to be obnoxious?  Who knows if our laws will ever make sense.

As for what we will do to make the world a better place.  Who knows.  Sometimes I think I am so different from the present state of things that not a soul would listen to me.  Most seem to be far too caught up in the emotional side of things.  What happened to both reason and emotion.  Nevertheless, zeal without knowledge seems to rule the day.  I don’t believe in “running” for office.  I think like ol’ Thomas Jefferson and that good people should be sought out and placed in elected office.  I find it terribly prideful to say I am your man and run on my laurels to be elected.  It removes the elector from the process.  Somehow we stand idly by and allow the current system to continue.  Well, we will reap our harvest of those decisions as well someday.  I write my elected officials, but I have learned the sad truth that they do not listen much unless you contribute to their campaign, and then you are only hoping.  Which only takes us back to the first bag.  Somehow it is not that they represent us, but we have to pay them to represent us.  Sounds pretty priestcraft-like to me.

Next, I have never been much of a suck-up.  While I like to make friends, and that with all people, I am who I am, and you are who you are, and I will tell it like I see it from my perspective and as I see myself and you.  Unless an elected official sees your actions and likes what they see, the chances of appointment are pretty slim.  I am not saying that all appointed people are suck-ups.  But I would have to say divine appointment would have to play a pretty big part for me to ever get appointed to any position to really be heard.

So now, we come full circle.  I will not run for office and will likely never be elected!  Only if a good person is then elected or appointed, and notices me, and likes me, will I ever get appointment.  Which seems just as unlikely to me.  So therefore, what will I do.  Well, I will continue to make sure I know what I think.  I will continue to write to those who I think might listen and to those who ask questions.  Hopefully I may be somewhat of a catalyst for others to think and maybe require something more of government.  As for what else, who knows.  My comments on social commentary might be all the State of Idaho (or any state) or the US will ever see of me.  Who knows, I may write a book someday, but that seems like a total bore.  While it may bring in some income, that would not be the reason I would write it.  Don’t think I would ever teach as I would not have the certification to do so (I will save the whole licensing topic for another time).  Who knows what the future holds for me.  I do plan on law school and going into law.  Perhaps that will put me into a position to help a community be straightened out, if they will listen.  I may be one of those extremist lawyers who barely can put a meal on the table.  Who knows.  One thing is for sure, I hope to be known as a man without guile, honest, and known for his word.  I try and believe I can succeed at being those things.  Where they will take me, I don’t know.  So that is what I will do for a brighter future.  Be the best I can be and see if providence places me anywhere.  I do admit, I have ambition, but so does everybody else.  I will take the spot I am given and serve to the best of my ability there.  If that be a father, then so be it.  If it be a street sweeper, I will be the best there ever was!  I only hope that my gifts and talents which God has seen to give me might be used as he would.  Sometimes though, I think gifts are given and not used allowed to be used, to see if we will be humble enough to do so, but then recognizing they are there with faith, not despair.

“ ‘Father, where shall I work today?’

And my love flowed warm and free.

Then he pointed out a tiny spot

And said, ‘Tend that for me.’

I answered quickly, ‘Oh no, not that!

Why, no one would ever see,

No matter how well my work was done.

Not that little place for me.’

And the word he spoke, it was not stern;

He answered me tenderly:

‘Ah, little one, search that heart of thine;

Art thou working for them or for me?

‘Nazareth was a little place,

And so was Galilee.’ ”

—Meade MacGuire