Clothespin Republican

You have heard of yellow dog democrats. It is said ­ they would vote for a yellow dog if it ran on the Democratic ticket. You probably know a few staunch Republicans. Right now I am none of those. I am a clothespin republican. I am going to hold my nose and vote Republican on November 9th.

At this point I am deeply disappointed by the current Republicans in Washington. However the time to make a change is over. That time was the primary season. Today the choice is between the do nothing, drifting Republicans or the ultra-liberal Democratic leadership.

A strong Republican turnout is critical to prevent a disastrous takeover of Congress by the Democrats. It is not the mere fact that Democrats may take control of Congress that is troubling. It is the Democratic leadership in Congress that scares the hell out of me. The idea of a Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel or Kennedy is frightening. The Democratic leadership of Pelosi, Reid, Kennedy, Clinton, etc. is far to the left of the mainstream Democratic Party and the American people. However, these individuals will assume the leadership of the legislative branch of our government if the Democrats gain the majority.

The Republican¹s have done little to tackle the key issues of our day: ­the war in Iraq, immigration reform, social security reform, etc, Do you really think the Democrats will do a better job? No way. They do not have a viable plan for any of these issues. They are fueled by nothing but comtemp for president Bush.

Change for change sake is not the answer. The consequences are too severe. If you need help voting Republican this election cycle, email me at jkirkhancock@yahoo.com and I will send you a clothespin so you can hold your nose and vote on November 9th.

1000 Marbles

This is the story which inspired my blog.

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it. I turned the volume up on my radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk show. I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business himself.

He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone named "Tom." I was intrigued and sat down to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."

He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities."

And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years."

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part."

"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail," he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy."

"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1000 marbles.

I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away." "I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then God has blessed me with a little extra time to be with my loved ones...

"It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones, and I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special," I said. " It has just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."