The Meaning Of Thanksgiving

I thought that volunteering would be a good way to make new friends, so when we moved to Denver I contacted the Colorado AIDS Project to see if I could help. Most of their volunteers work in their food bank, which is primarily a Monday through Friday job. Evening and weekend assignments are pretty much limited to fundraisers and holiday meals, so I’ve only had two opportunities to volunteer so far.

Yesterday, my job was to drive folks home who did not have their own transportation. Imagine what that would be like trying to lug a frozen turkey and a box of food to the bus stop. The volunteers are encouraged to refer to the recipients as “clients” and to picking up food as “shopping” to help maintain their dignity. Volunteers were all told that we should offer to carry groceries to and from the car for the clients.

One couple that I drove home had a strong impact on me. It was a man and his wife. They each had a turkey and a box of food, which means that they were either both infected, or they were shopping for someone who was. The wife was very gentle when she spoke and the man was as courteous as could be, but was mostly quiet. He was in a wheelchair and used a blanket scarred with cigarette burns as a seat pad. Neither of them smelled of smoke, so I am guessing this is the best they could come up with.

As we drove toward their home, the wife kept telling me how grateful they were for the ride. The man told me what a nice SUV I had, though he also was angry at SUV drivers because one of them had driven over his ankle and crushed it without even stopping. All the while, I could only think about my own selfishness and the things I take for granted.

They lived many miles away and I relied on them for driving directions. As we got further and further from the food bank, I wondered if they even knew where we were going. She knew the cross streets but didn’t know their address. I pressed her for the address, but she just didn’t know it. I thought that was odd until she explained that their new home was an apartment that was miles away from the homeless shelter they had been living in. They hadn’t been there long. She said that it had taken them two hours on three different buses to reach the food bank.

At their apartment, I stacked the boxes on each other and tried to lift the thirty pounds or so of food as best I could. She led me to the stairs that went up to their apartment. They lived on the third floor. I almost didn’t make it, but I didn’t want anyone to help me. I just couldn’t ask them for help. He stayed at the bottom of the stairs while she opened the apartment door. Once again at the bottom of the stairs, I asked if I could help him upstairs, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He just wished me a blessed holiday.

This year I am especially grateful. I am grateful for Paul. I am grateful for my new home. I am grateful for my new job. I am grateful for another year of good health. I am truly grateful to know you all and to have you in my life. I wish each of you love, peace, joy, and good health on this Thanksgiving day.

You Mean There Was A Priest Who Was NOT A Registered Sex Offender?

I was watching the local evening news last night when the stories of economic gloom and doom were interrupted to tell viewers about a new criminal conviction. It seems that a Colorado priest decided to go jogging sometime before dawn. He claimed that he gets too sweaty when he wears clothes while jogging, so he decided to jog around a local high school running track in the nude. The priest must now register as a sex offender.

You know, this never would have happened in Florida. He would have been eaten alive by mosquitos.

Click here to read the the story.

Now Let's Vote On Your Marriage

There’s an old saying that goes something like this, “It’s better to stay silent and let people think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and prove it.” Mostly for this reason, I try to shy away from political topics on my blog. What I don’t know outweighs what I do know by volumes. But something has happened lately that I feel I need to speak up about. I promise to be as brief as possible.

Californians have voted by a slim margin to amend their state constitution to ban same-sex marriages. This has also happened in other states, but this is the first time that people have voted to take away rights from people that already legally existed. Think about that for a moment. Imagine what it would be like to have the right to do something one day, and then wake up the next day to find out that your friends, neighbors, and co-workers have voted to take this right away from you. It’s astonishing to me that people could be this cruel.

There seem to be five main arguments against same-sex marriage. Let’s run through those shall we?

1) Same-sex marriage threatens the sanctity of traditional marriage.

I had to look this one up. I’ve heard this word so much lately that I’m not even sure I know what it means anymore. The word “sanctity” is synonymous with “holy”. Something that is “holy” is automatically worthy of respect and reverence. So, suddenly people consider marriage to be sacred? Where is the outrage when Las Vegas vacationers have too much to drink, get married by Elvis at a drive-through window, and have it all annulled the next day? Where is the outrage at a divorce rate that is near fifty percent of all marriages? Where is the outrage of the folks who are afraid that the sanctity of marriage is threatened by divorce and the lack of religious significance marriage holds for most of us? Where are the ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments to prevent these outrages? Hmmm? The sanctity of marriage is not created by the church, or simply by its own existence, but by the actions of the people that enter into it.

2) The purpose of marriage is to encourage procreation.

Okay, this one is simple. Let’s ban marriage for anyone who cannot or does not want to have children. If having children is the reason for people to get married, then there is no reason for two people who are unable or unwilling to conceive to be married. But wait, that would be cruel wouldn't it?

3) Churches will be forced to marry same-sex couple against the will of the church.

Nonsense. Churches don’t even have to marry different-sex couples if they don’t want to. The separation of church and state is well established. (It does however, seems to be perfectly okay for churches full of people wearing magic long underwear to donate millions of dollars to pass constitutional amendments.)

4) Schools will be forced to teach children that it’s okay to be gay.

And? Is there some reason that children should be led to believe that gay people deserve to be treated as second class citizens? Let me just say this now. Being gay is not a choice. Want proof? Do you remember the day when you "chose" your sexual orientation? I'll give you a minute to think....(insert Jeapordy music here).

Do you remember now? I didn't think so. You are what you are. It’s that simple. There is no such thing as “recruitment”. I don’t get a toaster if I sign up ten new ones. And frankly, if there it were a choice, believe me…I would have taken the easy way out. Let’s face it. I’m lazy and this is too much work.

5) Same-sex couples already have all the rights that everyone else has. They only need to draw up contracts and wills.

Not true. This is the most important point. There are 1,138 legal rights and benefits extended to married couples by the federal government…all of which I shall name for you now. (That was for you Pee Wee’s Big Adventure fans.) Please take a moment to click on this link to read about them briefly. The injustice is self-evident.

We all know what the bottom line is- fear. People are afraid that if gay people can marry then it will be okay to be gay. And then maybe little Timmy or Mary will turn gay. And maybe drag queens will run for president. And we’ll all be forced to redecorate our living rooms against our will. And who knows what other kinds of awful things will happen? Fear makes people weak and too afraid to stand up for others.

I ask all of you…my friends, my family, my neighbors, and my co-workers to imagine what it feels like to watch those around you be treated differently than you are. Stop being afraid. Stand up for me. Allow me to have the same rights and benefits under the law that you have.

Do Not Attempt

This morning, I saw a television ad for a video game that simulates snowboarding. The ad begins with a crowd of about twenty snowboarders clinging to each other, while the guys at the top of the heap hold on to the bottom of a helicopter. The helicopter then lifts off from the top of a skyscraper with the clinging mass of idiots, we assume toward some mountain where they can all go snowboarding.

At the bottom of the ad in small white letters is the phrase "Do not attempt." Really!? Really!?

Okay, let's take a moment to think about this. You and nineteen of your idiot friends dress in your best expensive snowboarding outfits. Holding snowboards, you all somehow make it past security and climb to the top of a skyscraper. Then, you hire a helicopter to land, but nobody gets inside. Instead, you are all so excited to go snowboarding, that you all just start jumping toward the bottom of the helicopter as it lifts off, clinging to each other. Of course the pilot is completely unaware that nobody has gotten inside the helicopter, and that twenty people are hanging from the bottom, lifts off and carries you all away.

I say, if you and your friends are dumb enough and rich enough to make this happen, do us all a favor and go for it. Help us rid the world of snowboarders.

Changes Aplenty

It seems that everything changes at once. First, let me say that I am truly pleased that country has chosen Barack Obama as their next president. It seems I am not alone. The whole world seems to be celebrating. Let's just hope he doesn't screw it up!

Next, I finally finished negotiating with a new employer here in Colorado and I have formally accepted the job. I told my boss yesterday that I would be leaving. She was sad to see me go, but was very understanding. This is not the type of economy to sit back and hope for the best. I think if you have an opportunity, you had better grab it.

That being said, I am now going to be a contract employee. They don't provide benefits, but I did get a 35% increase over my current salary. Fortunately, Paul's new employer will allow him to add me to his insurance policy. The difference between what I used to make and what I will make now is so substantial, that I may actually be able to put some money away. That would be a real triumph for me.

And finally, the seasons have suddenly changed here as well. As of yesterday, the air is dry and cold and the snow has begun to fall in the mountains. I am excited to try my hand at skiiing and I'm going to see about getting some ski clothes this weekend. I am really looking forward to the holidays this year. It will be the first time in twenty years that I won't be admiring a holiday light display on a palm tree!