The web we weave

I watched a spider build his web, tonight.
I had just got off the phone with my father when my girlfriend called me over to see the insect build his new trap.
The spider was a genius. I watched as he built his new trap under a light outside my front door.
As I thought about the spider and the conversation I had just had with my father a thought came to mind.
We all build our webs. Sometimes we build them in a bad place, never having any hope to catch a damn thing. Other times we think it through and we build our web in a great spot.
I watch as the spider plans, he weaves, he works to make all his effort worth it.
Sometimes it does not matter how much you plan and count on things to work, all your effort is for naught. It was nice to watch as this little insect built his home and know that it would more likely than not work out quite well for him. If only we could all be so lucky.

Lost Passing

I was thinking last night about my grandfather. I didn't know him real well. There were the trips to see him every other summer. While fun, they didn't allow me to know the man. My grandfather fought in the Korean war. My grandfather ran an auto-repair shop, he also was a new-car salesman. I remember him laughing with me when I was a kid. I remember him teaching me how to catch a catfish and how to kill it, gut it, and cook it. Even though these are grand memories, I still didn't learn enough about him. When I was a kid it never occurred to me that one day he would be gone. Even as I grew older I did not take the time to learn about him as I should have. Now that I know better it is too late, he is gone.
I sit here and I wonder about his life and I know those stories are all gone. This is not to say his life and memories are wasted but they are lost. Lost when he died.
I sat last night and thought about the things I have done and said. I tought about the good/bad times I have known. They are all important to me and I thought about the fact they will all be memories and lessons gone unless I share them. So here we go.
I remember my girlfriend who died when she was 16. Here name was Michelle. We broke up just before she died. I did not know she was sick when we broke up. The distance between us just made it too hard for a kid who was using his mom's car to get around. She had a 69 Mustang in her garage that her Dad was restoring or her to drive. She had a great laugh. She had scars on her back from surgery that I never asked about because they didn't matter to me, and I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
I learned about Michelle's death about a month after she died by reading the newspaper.
I went to visit the site where they buried her. There was no marker yet and I only knew It was the correct place because a lady at the cemetery gave me a slip of paper with a letter and a number, just like they do at the DMV.
I sat for a bit looking at the fresh dirt and asked her why she had not told me she was sick. She didn't answer. I wish I would have taken the time to get to know her better too.
Even after all this time it still bothers me to know she knew she was dying and never told me.
I would love to wrap this up with some witty comment but in this case I just hope you get my point. That would be good enough.

The book is on fire

Terry Jones wants to burn a book. No, he is not doing it to keep warm or to make sure his chicken dinner gets cooked enough.
He is burning a book in protest of 9/11.
The problem is the book is not to blame and his need to burn it could very well do more harm than good.
I can understand the anger some people feel towards the muslim religion, when you lose people you love it is natural to lash out at anything or anyone that could be associated with that loss. That does not mean the anger is directed correctly.
What Terry Jones knows about the muslim religion, by his own admission, has been learned through you tube.
Terry did not lose any member of his family on 9/11, where has his hate and need to burn books come from?
In my opinion it is Terry imitating the very people he is against. Extremists.
Burning the Koran is an act which will do no good, it will not make any point except that we can be as stupid as anyone else.
Burning a book, any book, for any reason is not a good thing in my opinion.

For the hate of god

A lot of people have been asking me why I hate god. I don't hate god. If I were to hate god then I would also have to say I hate the little green men who live in my underwear drawer. I don't hate those little green men because I don't believe they are there. I do hate what organized religion has done to many of the people who live on this planet with me. I do not hate all aspects of religion, that would be stupid.
Religion, does, and has done some good things.
It serves as a way for a lot of people to socialize, a way for them to help others, and religion has stopped some people from doing things that would harm others.
Sure you can say that religion has also given people an excuse to harm others. I can't prove that religion has caused people to do more good than harm, no one can, because we are not able to read people's minds and know for sure.
Religion has also done some bad things.
The fairy tales told in many religious books keep people from considering reality, in my opinion. If you believe a magic man is going to come and save humanity some day then you tend to be lazy in trying to help humanity while you are around. It is much easier to sit around with your arms behind your head saying 'jesus will be here soon and it will all be okay' than to try and progress using science and your thought process.
Now, let's go back to my first line- Do I hate god?
If god is the god as described in any of the religions I know of so far, no, I don't hate him. He will not be someone I will worship or obey. I will however pity him...
Maybe I can get him to go live in my underwear drawer.