Monday, September 19, 2005

Trials of the Spirit

I have decided I am travelled out! Don't get me wrong. I feel blessed that I have a job and that I am considered a strong resource for all the training we're doing for the upcoming merger. But too much of a good thing is still not good for you. I am road-weary; yet, tomorrow I will get back in the rental car and drive 5 hours to train folks for the next 4 days. And I'll do it again and again and again until the end of October.

Even though I've gotten to the point of despising it, I push my way through because I know that every bit of this effort will lead me step by aching step to a time after the merger when my husband and I can be together again. I'm home on the weekends and a few weekdays here and there, but it's not the same as being home all the time. I keep reminding myself that I work to have a life--not the other way around--even though sometimes I feel that my entire life is revolving around work.

I'm looking forward to being able to carpe diem again!

Sunday, September 04, 2005

On Disasters...

Okay, I have to get on my soapbox for a moment...

So this administration mishandles a natural disaster that has been on the prediction boards for the last 20 years. The word nimble comes nowhere near close to describing the efforts to help our citizens of New Orleans. Again, the president waited to see the results of Katrina, and it took him actually seeing the devastation to realize that we needed more forces mobilized.

There have been armed gangs looting and terrorizing the city. You'd think that with his focus on the war on terror, we'd definitely have no home-grown terrorists. These gangs had days in which to terrorize our citizens.

On the flip side though, I am humbled and amazed at the depth of love and caring our normal everyday citizens have for each other. I work in a place that has normal, everyday people. I'm sure that some of them are well off and comfortable, but I know that others are barely scraping by. My work team decided to get involved with the relief efforts and less than 24 hours into it, we had to empty collection boxes twice!

And in the midst of this, our Chief Supreme Court justice dies and less than 24 hours in, we've already heard from the president that will quickly replace him. Why does a political disaster mean more to our president than a natural one?

And while I'm on my soap box... let's talk about this "culture of life" the president supposedly believes in. Why is a less than pea-sized conglomeration of cells more important than our soldiers' lives? Why is it okay for our president to send our men and women to be killed and injured to a war in a country that was not going to hurt us?

I am worried about the state of our nation and the priorities of our leaders. I see so much deception and spin-doctoring going on.

But what scares me more is that there are a lot of people out there who believe everything they say. Wake up, America!