In Everything You Do, Do It With Passion

Most often human beings walk through life with little notice of their surroundings, their fellow human beings or what God created.  It is the mundane that causes us to whine about Mondays after the weekend comes to a screeching halt, and it is rote memorization that moves us through each day without much thought or emotional effort. 

There are those people we admire "who've made it," who have accomplished great things in life, whether famous or not.  These individuals have created something with their minds, hands and imagination making life easier and more enjoyable for the rest of us.  Some ideas seem so simple yet so effective, others overly complex and simultaneously simplistic. 

I believe we frequently mistake the doers of the world for incredibly intelligent over-achievers.  But what I've found in my life is that nothing could be further from the truth.  On the contrary, I've found those who have achieved some  level of greatness, have done something I perceive as great, each have one common trait: passion.

Innate ability is God given.  It's talent given to an individual for a purpose.  That ability may be spectacular athleticism or possibly an acute artistic talent.  Whatever the gift, it comes natural to a person and is sometimes squandered by those who lack passion.

The person who has drive and passion will accomplish more than the average person lacking both, quite often even if the person lacking both is smarter.  Passion is fuel, passion is energy and passion is courage in the face of adversity.  It sometimes supplants intellect because it pushes a person to accomplish the unimaginable.  Passion eats at a person's mind to unleash the idea and free it from the person's soul. 

Just this week I witnessed passion--and seeing it wielded by a legend made it appear effortless and God given.  For many years I've yearned to see B.B. King perform live in concert for no other reasons than loving his music and wanting to see a musical dynamo.  But when I watched an eighty-eight year old diabetic man helped to his chair in the center of a stage pick up a guitar and play it like it was the love of his life, I knew then and there what true passion was. 

B.B. King sang on key, hit every note righteously on his guitar and genuinely had a great time performing.  I quickly realized I was witnessing poetry in motion--this is a man fueled by a passion few others have.  Does he need the money he earns for performing?  I doubt it.  Does his ego require more fame?  Heck no!  What then, drives a man, almost a century old, to continue traveling around the world performing and singing for people? 

I long for internal passion and desire!  Sometimes I have it, but most of the time I'm simply lazy and ignore its beck and bite in my mind.  I turn a blind eye to its calling; no more!  Seeing what I did this week has moved me. 

Mr. King, "you are my sunshine."

Remembering Dad

If your Dad is still above ground, count yourself more than fortunate.  Other than your mother's love, you'll never again experience that which your father feels for you, even if you aren't the best of friends at all times.

In my earliest years my Dad was my hero.  I remember combing my hair just like my dad, bright blonde bushiness and cow licks attempting to maneuver in other directions, but I would constantly add water to keep that neat military part in due order.  Pops was a military man, an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force; a job he loved and performed well soon after my birth and into my early school years.  Being a Southern man coupled with military discipline made him harsh at times, but his harshness was never without love. 

Dad would throw baseball with me, even though I didn't particularly care for baseball--even back then.  But Dad loved baseball and every moment I spent with him was the best, so I pitched the ball when he had time to do so. 

His form of discipline was tough, but typically not served without need.  Let's say he wasn't a believer in "time-out" or "standing in a corner."  Dad would whoop me when I needed whooped, but he never did so without telling me why. 

In my teen years I hated and loved my Dad simultaneously, but always wanted his approval in everything I did.  He could be harsh and "that look" would scare and incite a small amount of rage in me. 

I had never seen my Pops so happy as when his first grandchild was born.  My first born, Courtney, was his pride and joy.  See, my Dad had fathered two boys and never a girl.  To see not only his first grandchild but his first grand daughter was a sight to behold.  Every day he came by my apartment to see his baby girl, and every day his baby girl would get so excited when he picked her up.  Courtney would flail around and smile her toothless grin as Dad bounced her up and down and kissed her little face.  "Poppa" had come full circle--a strict disciplinarian with two young men to the softest teddy bear who ever lived.  That teddy bear would simply have to pick his grand baby up from her crib and his heart melted. 

When Dad's grand daughter was five months old and his oldest son was only a couple weeks removed from his twenty-third birthday, he left this world suddenly. 

He drove a little white Ford Ranger for the last few years before he passed and every time I would see a similar truck I would throw up my hand and wave before realizing that wasn't him. 

And now, twenty-one years since he left us, I still get choked up thinking about him and wanting to just give him one more hug.  His loss was devastating to me--our last conversation an argument.  It took twenty years for me to move beyond the argument, as it was my fault and not his, and stop beating myself up for something as silly as that argument was.  I finally came to grips with the amount of love he felt for his sons and grand daughter and only hope he's still looking down on all the fine grand children he has now.  There's no doubt he would love watching Courtney soon graduate with her associates degree, Cassidy playing in the high school band, Evan on his high school baseball team and Emily Ann on her softball team.  His pride would only be surpassed by his telling everyone who his grand children were at any event!

I miss you, Dad and wish you were here......for just one more hug.

Traveling-People Teach Me Much

Periodically, I'm asked about the places I've traveled and the people I've met.  The questions vary, but for the most part I think people are genuinely interested in how other folks interact, what their perceptions are of people in different regions, countries, etc.  So, I'll offer up this generality about human interaction: people are good.  As cynical I often am, this statement may take many by surprise, but I have a strong belief in the human condition and what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom.

That's not to say there aren't some turds out there--there's floaters and sinkers everywhere we look-- human beings have a strange ability to surprise me on a regular basis, but I will say that I've met folks from all over the world and I honestly think there is desire to help those less fortunate and just be good to one another (I'm attempting to not sound too Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey here, for those old enough to remember that flick). 

We differ significantly on how people should help one another, but manners are rather synonymous amongst us.  How we apply those manners them is where we go off the reservations, so to speak.

Americans: we are brash and arrogant in the eyes of the world, but I tend to think of us as aggressively patriotic and advancement oriented.  At our core we are wonderfully generous people, but we do expect others to believe what we believe without attempting to see things through others eyes.  More interestingly is how we despise each other (Americans) by region, by latitude, by metropolitan area, by hills, mountains and oceans.  But mess with one of us and you get all of us--and that's what makes us a little different from other countries. 

Canadians are very similar to Americans with some differences.  I think Canadians are very kind and polite people, but the eastern and western sides of the country generally don't like each other as a matter of course.  The eastern side of the country shows allegiance to France, while the western side to England and self.  I've visited both sides of the country and I laugh at how they don't care for one another.  More interestingly, but expected, is the disdain for America in the east and general like of us in the west. 

The middle east: it's an interesting discourse in human behavior.  Obviously, religion drives much of what we see in the news, but for the most part I've found those of middle eastern descent to be polite and kind.  Most middle easterners avoid political discussions with me, which probably is good for both parties.  We (Americans) struggle to understand Islam and how it affects us, but everyone should understand that not all people from the middle east are the extremist terrorists that Americans have come to loath via the media and the attacks on our country.  Before I get hate messages over this, I want to state emphatically that I hate those who attacked us on both 9/11's, and I'm happy we bombed some of those folks back to the prehistoric age, but I just don't think it's fair to lump all middle easterners into one hate-filled group.

The Indians (from India) that I've met are mostly very kind and polite.  Conversations with Indians can be very interesting if you get them to open up about religion, politics and their country in general.  They are stereotyped as people who come to America and buy hotels and liquor stores.  There may be something to this, but don't turn your noses up to a group of people who embrace entrepreneurialism and are successful doing things others may find humorous and/or stereotypical!

So many of the Mexicans I've met are great and studious people.  And so many I've met are extremely gracious and kind.  I've seen suffering in their country and can understand their want to come to the U.S. for a better life.  The one thing I've never heard a Mexican do is complain about his/her way of life.  Ever. 

Cubans, Venezuelans, Colombians, Peruvians, Puerto Ricans--so many from different Latin American countries are just beautiful, peaceful people.  Many have lighthearted approaches to life and proclaim Spanish as "la languia de amor," or the language of love.  I think they are right.

To quantify Asians as one group is to show a gross misunderstanding of the people from the many different countries encompassing "Asia."  I have found many Chinese to be as arrogant and aristocratic as some Americans (to give some perspective), which is mostly driven via socio-economic classes.  I wasn't a particular fan of Hong Kong just because it was so congested and some of the people I encountered were very rude.  BUT--I also met some wonderful individuals while I was there who were genuinely interested in me and America (scary they thought of yours truly as America, huh?). 

The Thai people are very happy, hard working and kind.  But they are a very strong-willed people and have a collective drive like few I've ever encountered.  The same can be said of the Laotian and Cambodians I've met.  They will embrace whatever chore they are given and complete it with pride.  I admire this trait.

The Japanese are incredibly polite and very business-like in their approach to everything they do.  The live 'within' themselves as a means of privacy, but work together for the greater good.  The Japanese refuge is the Japanese mind.  Why, you may ask?  Because their history drives them to be a collective good, displaying honor before anything else.  Therefore, to show disloyalty or any lack of manners is to display a lack of honor for self and family.  This code is embedded in the Japanese culture and I'm enamored by it.  I still tell the story of urinating in Narita airport, standing at the urinal trough with a couple dozen men and seeing a little Japanese lady mopping the floor just behind us.  Nudity and sexuality are not perceived in the same way as Americans perceive them, and those from other countries perceive them.  I couldn't help but grin when I saw her just mopping away (I certainly didn't laugh outwardly, as that would have been disrespectful). 

What more can I say about the Filipino culture that I haven't said before?  The country is one I love top to bottom.  As a whole, the Filipino people are the kindest and sweetest of any I've ever been around.  Their mean people are kind by American standards!  At every store I entered, I was greeted with a warm smile and a friendly "Hello, sir."  Their poor are very happy and are the architects of doing more with less.  I'm amazed at the ingenuity of people in the Philippines, and yet they remain kind and gracious even in the face of hunger.  Incredible they are!

Cathy and I recently met a young lady from The Ukraine.  I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and listening to her talk about how girls in The Ukraine would never walk out in public without make up and their best clothes on; yet, she was amazed that women walk into Wal-Mart and girls go to school in The States in their pajamas.  I had no idea how to respond to her observation.

A woman from Uganda sat next to me on a flight.  I listened to her tell me about the beauty of her country and the lifestyle of her people.  She was so kind and soft spoken and so happy to have the opportunity to be in the United States, not only to work and prosper, but to be able to help her people out back home.  Her accent was mesmerizing; I'm sure mine confused her. 

Another lady I met from South Africa asked that I e-mail her pictures from Alabama, which I did.  I was so proud of my home state and the beauty it offered.  She returned my e-mails with pictures of elephants, lions and gazelle.  I felt like an idiot.

I have a great friend from Croatia.  He is probably the kindest, gentlest soul I've met.  He makes me laugh with his politeness and how nicely he talks about people he doesn't care for.  He also gave a hawk, which had flown into the side of a building, a very touching funeral.  When I questioned him about why he buried the bird and reacted the way he did (he was deeply saddened by the bird's death and actually cried a little), he pointed out to me that the hawk was our "national bird."  I explained to him that the bald eagle was our national bird, but he told me the hawk was close enough.  I smiled at how kind hearted he was.  He's a beautiful soul.

A particularly good friend of mine from Poland acts like one of the toughest, meanest guys in the world.  Have a flat tire or need help with anything and he's the first one to offer a hand.  I love this guy like he was a family member.  He has a way of making me laugh like few others!

I've met people from so many other countries--and have traveled to other areas of the globe--but I wanted to give those who haven't been as fortunate as I a taste of what some are like from other places.  As I've said all along, folks are just folks; we just eat different foods.

Be excellent to one another.

Liberals are Quitters

The title is harsh, but it's time to speak openly and honestly about what liberalism really is.  The political left relies on government and has essentially stopped relying on themselves to bring true progress forward.  Those individuals who believe the government is designed to "take care of them" have justified their positions by demonizing those who work hard for the money they earn and demand to keep that which they earned! 

Liberals have quit relying on themselves and deferred to the agenda of the communal good; this Marxist approach has embedded itself in penalizing those who have been fortunate and worked to better themselves.  Liberals have defined success as stealing from the rich and giving to those less fortunate--a less than noble approach to bettering society--when they should be educating individuals on how to be innovative, creative and a little risky when it comes to money investment and business.  The left loves Big Brother and is on pace to inculcate our youth with their ideological nonsense.  This should scare us all!

The current administration has, over the past couple of years, advertised the benefits of welfare and how much healthier a person is while on food stamps (Lynx card).  They have outlawed incandescant light bulbs, forced failed "green" businesses on us at the taxpayer expense of course, taken lavish vacations on our dime, done nothing to help reduce the cost of energy (in fact, they've contributed to its continued escalation in price) and have created further dependence on government by increasing taxes on business and the individual.  Yes, taxation on the general public actually forces the individual to rely on government because YOU have less money in your own pocket.  Do you understand this viscious cycle?

Unions are grounded in Marxism and rely on the uber left to keep them powerful and relevant.  They do little to further business or better society.  Rather, they corner business and force them to move overseas where wages are lower and the cost of goods are reduced.  Many union members (not all) rely on the "brotherhood" to keep their jobs, even though they may not be performing at optimal levels.  Some union members even proclaim their loyalty to their union, rather than to the company who hired them!  I find this disgusting and repulsive.

But many of these individuals rely on the whole to keep their lifestyle intact, rather than relying on themselves to better their household.  I would add that great teams are made up of great individuals, not quitters!

"Progressive" ideology is truly regressive at its core and should be shunned by those who would be great Americans, otherwise we are nothing more than France or Greece.

American Politics and Sports: Bringing It All Together

Americans love organized sports, victory and a well honed athlete.  Most importantly, Americans are enamored with their favorite sports team and being able to rub salt in the opened wound of defeat on those who would dare cheer for another team.  So it is with me (and many just like me) who prefer not only athletics, but violent sports like football.  Not that European sissy stuff the rest of the world calls "futbol," actually known as soccer; no, I mean slam-into-another-human-being-at-maximum-speed football!  I mean, rip-the-arm-off-your-opponent-and-beat-him-over-the-head football!

But what drives Americans to athletics and more specifically those sports invented in the United States but not necessarily embraced by those in other countries?  The answer is not entirely complex nor overwrought with deep meaning which must be articulated in such a way as to give Issac Asimov pause or to cause Sigmund Freud to roll over in his grave.  No, to understand our love affair with sports is to understand the indomitable American spirit of creativity and the will to win at all costs.  We are a country founded on the precepts of exceptionalism, adventure and innovation.

Our Constitution dictates that we are a free nation--free to speak our minds, free to pursue happiness and wealth, free to worship in any manner we want and free keep and bear arms.  These ideas were radical when they were penned, contrary to those of England and the ruling aristocracy.  Indeed, they were the reasons we were exceptional and the most absolute description of who we are. 

America's political structure is inherently comprised of the indomitable spirit found in our athletics and our love of sports.  We love to win and we love to be forever in first place.  Unfortunately, this drive in our political foundation has created a chasm so vast and so wide I fear our country will never recover. 

Our desire to win and be first in politics has created two groups, not so dissimilar in make-up, but just different enough to drive a wedge between them so that the end game is winning a race, not maintaining that which made us great at the onset.  That very document written on the backs of those radicals who sought to avoid totalitariansm is now inches from the teeth of a shredder.  The ideas of The Constitution are questioned by those who desire power and authority over those they are supposed to represent and I find it disgraceful.

We currently hear calls for "gun control" and even some calls for "gun abatement," but lack the intellectual integrity to address real problems and care for those who would commit a violent crime before the crime transpires. 

We fear stopping our government from spending our money when it is OUR MONEY.  We lack the cognitive ability to question why our own government has become tyrannical, and while it screams "equality," what it desires is inequality--a separation of haves and have nots--to create an environment to placate groups of people squabbling over scraps while the elite eat, drink and be merry.

And so our government has become our favorite sports team; touchdowns are scored when parties win elections, the losers are those whose liberties are foresaken.  In the end, we are all losers.  I do believe our republic will fail until we once again have the intestinal fortitude to take back what is ours.

An Open Letter to the People of the United States of America

Dear Citizens of the United States of America,

On this day, four years removed from the election of Barack Hussein Obama, our country faces one of its worse crisis's since the Great Depression and World War II.  Today's generations have never dealt with such apocryphal times, nor have we had these types of looming economic disasters staring directly into our eyes.  Terrorism, foreign and abroad, threatens our existence; how we meet this challenge will define us as a nation.

Let me first help everyone understand what terrorism does to an individual.  Psychologically, once a human has been terrorized, h/she will withdraw and become submissive to the perpetrator, possibly making excuses for the terrorist if the victim believes expressing such "reasoning" will curtail future incidents.  Oftentimes a leader will appear clothed as a savior but revealed to be an oppressor, essentially positioning himself in such a way to magnanimously usurp power from those who only want the perception of safety--safety promised after an individual or group has been terrorized.  A prime example of perceived safety is Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration, or TSA.  So bureaucratic is TSA that if a frequent traveler truly believes h/she is safe while flying, they are either naive or blind to the truth. 

We must continue to battle terrorism on its doorstep or terrorism will win here at home.  Signs of a terrorist victory are demonstrated by a scared populace who willingly give up freedoms, not by terrorists conquering lands or defeating armies.  George Bush capitalized on our fears when he passed the Patriot Act giving the government unprecedented power and insight into our personal lives.  Barack Obama has shied away from aggressively challenging our foreign enemies but has assaulted our right to keep and bear arms.  Obama, however, has done so in a very strategic manner--the impact of his actions are minimal until the opportunity arises to push additional legislation through.  Each time an attack is committed with firearms the call to "do something" will be shouted from the roof tops and our legislators will do just that: something.  Something, in this case, shall be defined as stripping the citizenry of another right.  Slowly but surely as a nation we become weaker, and slowly but surely our government gleans more power.

Our Constitution is the fabric from which our country was sewn.  Frequent interpretation lessens its validity and each time the citizenry allows our elected officials to interpret it, our country suffers.  Now I would like to clarify that some amending has been instrumental in our evolution as a free society: women and minority suffrage are prime examples of required amending.  But continued relenting by the populace to allow our elected officials to bend The Constitution to their will opens each of us to being controlled by the very people whose only job is to protect the document they are bending!  How disastrous and mortifying these days are for each of us. 

To what am I alluding when I talk about interpretation or bending of our Constitution?  As I stated above, the most recent assault on our rights has come via presidential order.  The cold hard truth is our most powerful elected official has decided to redefine what constitutes an "assault" weapon and how many rounds a weapon can and will hold.  To minimize casualties during sinister and murderous shootings, the president and his minions have decided these ideas are in our best interest.  The government has also called for a national gun registry, which outwardly sounds okay, but what we don't comprehend is that our elected officials will be the deciders of who can own a weapon and who can't.  Should I not pay a speeding ticket or post something to some social media site a government official doesn't like, my name could appear as one not qualified to own a firearm.  As far reaching as this may sound, ideas such as these are being seriously considered on the federal level.  Some congressmen have even bantered around the possibility of the forced disarming of America!  These are your elected officials who have sworn an oath to protect The Constitution, the same document that protects our right to keep and bear arms.

Next, I would like to briefly discuss the economic disaster we have staring directly at us.  Our country is over sixteen trillion dollars in debt with much of that debt owned by China--a sworn enemy to freedom and democracy.  To default on our debt would be globally disastrous; to borrow any more money from China or any other country is equally disastrous.  Our president, and many on his side of the aisle have called for increased taxation in order to pay down much of our debt; thus far, there have been no signs that spending will be curbed on the federal level. 

We have been called upon as patriots to help our country pay its debt.  I do not believe there is an American reading this who doesn't believe h/she should help, but when is enough really enough?  The truth is if everyone making $250,000 per year and above were taxed at 100%, our debt still wouldn't be paid.  How do we pay the debt, then, without creating another market disaster?  It's really quite simple--stop spending.  How does the cessation of spending impact America?  Obviously, the absolving or cutting back on many programs and jobs will hurt some, but our government is out of control.  The United States Senate has not passed a budget in almost four years!  Why haven't they passed a budget you may ask?  Because they know they can't curtail their appetite for spending your money.  Should we give in and pay more money (taxes) our government will do nothing but spend it--this is their legacy and this is our president's history.

The quick and easy solution to our problems are to demand tougher penalties for criminals and those who assist criminals up to and including a speedy trial (Constitutionally protected) and a speedy penalty (death if required).  I have no problem paying more money to hire more police officers, so long as those police officers aren't a part of the bureaucratic mess (IE. unions, etc.).  What I do have a problem with is paying money into ineffectual programs that do not have success rates above eighty percent (it doesn't matter the program, should it not be successful by this definition, federal funding should be pulled immediately).  I do not believe the government has the ability to run a business, nor should it embroil itself in the private sector.  Bank bailouts, government loans and mandating nationalized insurance are areas our elected officials have no place in delving.  Government health has proven itself a failure time ad nauseum in other countries and there's no reason to believe it will be successful here.

Lastly, I want to point out that I still believe in the United States of America and I believe she will survive in spite of our elected officials, not because of them.  Our country's leaders have specific duties as outlined by our legal documents.  Now is the time for us to hold them accountable, demand term limits for congressmen/women, make them adhere to budgets and pay back our debt.  They must never be allowed to dig us in a hole like this again, ever!
I call on each of you to write and call your elected officials and demand a return to responsibility, both personal and governmental, fiscal and social.  Only then will our nation prosper and move forward with absolution.  Until then, the word "forward" will only be recognized as a campaign slogan.

Sincerely,

Howard Upton

2013-A New Year/Same Results

We all lived through the Zombie Apocalypse, Mayan Apocalypse, Nostradamus Effect and perceived Bible prophecy.  December 22nd came around just like December 21st without significant world wide occurrence.  Unfortunately, the U.S. reeled, and is still reeling, from the shocking mass murder of twenty children and six teachers by an obviously disturbed young man.

Our country plunged headlong off the fiscal cliff, while congress and the President elected to come to some sort of outrageous agreement post-mortem.  Our economy creeps along at the speed of smell and our government continues to reign in any potential for real recovery.  Violent crime grabs headlines even though gun crimes are down overall around the country--but we shan't allow that to stand in the way of sensational headlines, shall we?

The University of Alabama won back-to-back national championships in football defeating a clearly outclassed Notre Dame team.  The college football world imagined a return of Rudy in South Bend, IN and Manti Teo imagined having a real girlfriend.  The Southeastern Conference brought home its seventh national championship in as many years and the state of Alabama held on to the crystal ball for its fourth consecutive season.

A not so quiet attack on Constitutional rights continued into the new year with talk of gun and ammunition control.  Our president and vice-president were sworn in and a grand party scheduled to the tune of 170 million tax payer dollars.  Let me re-type that for you--that's one hundred seventy MILLION United States dollar bills.  That's all of us paying our fair share so D.C. can party like it's 2099.  To put this in perspective, I gave a guy a couple of bucks the other day who was begging for enough money to purchase a sandwich.  This fellow is from the south side of Chicago.  Guess who else is from Chicago (well, sort of)?

And after all the craziness that is the United States, still we fight about what "is" really is.  So many are concerned with scoring political points and securing power that our future generations are left wondering if this country is all it's really cracked up to be.  The one thing we can all agree upon is that it needs to be fixed.  How we fix it is what we continue to argue about.

The last thing we can all agree on is that the University of Alabama is one dominating football team and the Southeastern Conference is the most dominating conference in the world of college football.  You see?  The year has changed but the results remain the same.