CHAMPION OF MY SUCCESS

The streets were teaming with people; traffic was heavy, and the smoke stacks had began to spew their thick clouds of chemicals into the atmosphere. The ‘Big City’ was awakening from its midnight slumber. This would be the beginning of my days for the next fifteen (15) years.

I worked for a small auto supplier as a screw machine operator. It was a demanding job, but it kept food on the table, paid the bills and, support my wife and three (3) kids.

At this time in America, post 9/11, with the war going on in Iraq, hurricane Katrina and Rita, the sub prime mortgage debacle and, the coal mine disasters, I figure we are blessed.

Things could be worse, like the Andersons down the street, their house is in foreclosure; or the Bowens over on Prairie Ave., they lost their car, and their utilities are shut-off. There is pain and suffering all around us. That’s why I decided to go back to school. My job might not have the best benefit package, like the ‘Big Three’, but it will pay for me to get a four year degree from the college of my choice.

I haven’t been in a school for twenty five years; I’m computer illiterate; I just got a cell phone two years ago. Who am I fooling? It’s too late for me. The young kids today are leaps and bounds, technologically, ahead of me. But our society is changing so much; I really don’t have much of a choice. I can either stay where I am, and that’s not a good choice because of how rapidly the auto industry is changing, or I can invest in myself and become more competitive in the marketplace. I chose the latter.

The first day of school went ok, I got a few looks, but that’s alright I expected as much. After all, a man my age can’t expect to just blend in.

I decided to take up computer programming, Industrial and commercial, just in case I decided to leave the auto industry for what may prove to be a more promising future. My wife was initially reluctant to support the idea of me working ten (10) and twelve (12) hour days, 6 days a week, and cramming school in 3 mornings a week for the next 24 weeks. I must admit, the wisdom of her reluctance began to sink in after the third week.

I was exhausted. Too much work, not enough sleep; my eating habits took a big hit, I was losing weight rapidly. There is no way I can keep this pace for too much longer, something has to change, and soon.

I began taking drugs to stay awake, drugs to go to sleep, drugs to have sex and, of course I thought I could hide all of this from everybody.

As life would have it, unforeseen circumstances would come to bear on my young, simple life. The only thing that dropped lower than my weight was my spirit, my self worth and, my expectations. The drugs and pleasure seeking rendezvous was beginning to take a heavy toll on my life.

School was beginning to look less and less attractive as my drug addiction grew more expensive. Something had to go!

-To Be Continued-

Could it be, as some suggest, we have too many immigrants?  Could it be the gays and LGBTQ communities are exerting too much influence?  Could it be that we’re buckling under the weight of our own successes?  Have we allowed our elected officials to forego their moral obligations?  These are questions that we are currently grappling with.

When duty makes that inevitable call; who will answer?  Well, less than a generation after world war II ended, America made such a call.  We were struggling on two fronts; war in Vietnam and, the ill effects of slavery and unjust laws toward the most vulnerable in our society.  Thus, the ‘Civil Rights Movement’ made its big push toward justice.  As with most movements it began slow and steady with a consistent call for people to make their voices heard.  After a short while our young people said, “Enough”! “No More”!  They had seen, heard and, experienced enough.  They were ready and willing to answer the call.

Victor Hugo, a French poet, novelist and, dramatist once said, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come”.

Our young citizens were involved in the civil rights movements most memorable moments.  These teenagers and young adults helped desegregate schools in the south, challenged racism during ‘Freedom Rides’, and helped advance voter rights and civil rights legislation.

Among the most influential of the student organizers was the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a group that embraced non-violent protest and helped train many of the movements participants.  Fueled by young people’s rejection of white supremacy, SNCC was once the nation’s largest and most well-organized civil rights group.

Once again, over fifty years later, America makes that call once more.  A new vanguard of teens and young adults are answering that call.  They are taking their positions, manning their stations and, readying their instruments of war; non-violent protests, social media and, mass marches.

March for Our Lives, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and, other homegrown movements are presently formulating a way forward in addressing mass shootings in schools, disproportionate police shootings among people of color, unreasonable immigration laws, abuse and exploitation of women, etc., Remember the saying, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”.

Do we know what the other side of the end hold for us?  Yet.., we go all out to reach it, as though we do.  We assume anyplace is better than where we are.  Not so fast!  ‘Storybook endings only happen in storybooks’.  ‘Happily ever after’, doesn’t last forever.  Not in this life.

So what does it mean to end a friendship, a marriage, a relationship or, a job?  Does it mean, “I’ll never do that again?”  No, it doesn’t.  One friendship ends, another begins.  You go from one job to another.  Divorce can bring out the worst in people.  Yet, we’ll do it again.  We go from relationship to relationship, and always believe the next one will be better than the last.  I’ve just described life as we know it.

Remember the children of Israel when Moses led them out of Egypt?  When they got far enough away from Egypt they began to feel safe and comfortable.  That’s when the mumbling and complaining began.  They shouted at Moses, “did you bring us out here in the wilderness so we could die?”  Exodus 16:3

Israel was quick to go back to what they were most familiar with.  That’s what we do when things get tight.  We pretty much know what to expect, whether good or bad.  There are very few surprises, and the ending is almost always the same.

It’s ok to be daring, risking it all.  Isn’t it time we got out of our comfort zone and do something.  I think it’s harder doing the same thing day in and day out, rather than doing something different.  Do something for somebody!

Selfish doesn’t become you.

“A MAN CAN INSTRUCT ANOTHER IN THE WAY,                                                                 BUT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO INSTRUCT ONE ON THE WAY”.

“IF YOU CAN TALK SOMEONE INTO SOMETHING,                                                          SOMEONE ELSE CAN TALK THEM OUT OF IT”.