Faith, Hope and Charity...

I attended the American Rival, today. Wow! What an incredible experience. I was going to say that learned more about American history than I did in all my time in school. But searching my memory, I realized I learned a lot. However, I didn't know the difference between a democracy and a republic. I do now, and I prefer a republic. I didn't understand why we decided to rebel against England. I always thought of it in terms of the Boston Tea Party and taxes that were too high. I had heard of the Stamp Act and the Townshend Act, but did not understand their significance in history. I was familiar with the history of many of the founding fathers, but only the briefest of details, for the most part. Economics is mostly Greek to me, but I was able to grasp what I heard, today. I have a much better understanding of the Constitution. I've read it, for the first time in years, and admit that it's difficult to follow sometimes. As stated in previous posts, I struggle with unfamiliar words and sentence patterns, but I'm endeavoring to become bettered educated and more aware of the world I've mostly taken for granted much of my life. It was gratifying to have re-enforced my personal goal to learn to be honest with myself. I lied, a lot, throughout my life; it was a valuable survival technique. However, now I'm learning healthier techniques, and it's a wonderful relief to let go of the lies. Lies are a lot of work, and they always come unraveled, sooner or later. So, I've made a commitment to myself to learn to be honest with myself, to become better educated though reading, and to leave the sidelines and stand for what I believe in. After 9/11, as I watched the enactment of the Patriot Act, I felt an overwhelming disbelief. I have watched freedoms disappear, little by little. I agree with Benjamin Franklin: "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." There is no plan foolproof enough to keep everyone safe and happy. We were never intended to be kept safe and happy. This life is about learning. Learning is difficult and often painful. My most joyous moments have been when I have faced some flaw in myself, or endured some trial, or overcome some weakness and changed, for ever, into a person that is more compassionate, more understanding, more aware and am allowed to claim that change as my own, not something someone thought I should or ought to do but something I recognized I needed to do. So, I promise to strengthen my faith, shore up my hope, and exercise more charity. This is going to be an amazing adventure.