We Didn't Start the Fire

 It is after midnight, so I am a little late in writing this post, but a friend of mine posted a picture on his Facebook page today that really made me think. 52 years ago on November 22, 1963, an event occurred that rocked the entire world. I don't personally remember the event as I had been born just 3 weeks prior to it. It wasn't a happy event. It was the day John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States, was shot and killed. It happened in broad daylight while he was riding in a convertible car in a parade. The picture posted today, I'm sure, was taken moments before the shots rang out. He is there with his wife. Both are smiling and so happy. They were American royalty. And in an instant EVERYTHING changed. This is not a post about politics or conspiracy. It is about life and the world we all live in. It is about the past and the future. It is about good and evil. It is about our time on this earth and how we choose to spend it. Look at the picture above. Look how happy President Kennedy looks. Do you think that when he got in that car that day he had any inkling of what would happen? No, of course he didn't. If he had, he would have never ridden in the parade that day. Someone wanted him dead, and so they killed him, pure and simple. Those are just the facts. When things like this happen, we know we can't prevent them, but we find ourselves asking over and over, Why? I'll tell you why. Evil exists, my friends, and it always will. Caligula, Stalin, Hitler, Amin, Lizzie Borden, Jack the Ripper, Son of Sam, The Boston Strangler, The Unibomber, Timothy McVey, Joseph Mengele, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Osama Bin Laden, ISIS...Unfortunately, I could go on and on. We cannot control the evil in the world. Truthfully we cannot control anyone's behavior but our own. We watch everything that goes on in the world, and say how awful things have gotten, but this did not happen overnight. My grandmother used to tell me, "You have to answer for yourself." At the end of the day, what have I done to make my world a better place? What do I have to answer for? Because, truthfully, people, it's the only way anything will ever change. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Evil cannot drive out evil; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. When everything happened in Paris just days ago, there was a picture posted with a huge Banner that said WE ARE NOT AFRAID! Do not let the power of evil control you by taking away your freedom to be the person you are meant to be because when it comes right down to it, you cannot control how long you will be here, you can only control the action you take while you are here. Don't waste your time in fear and hate. If you do, you have given power to the EVIL, Don't fuel the fire!

I would make a really bad Amish person

Exactly 4 days ago my hometown, Richmond, VA, got hit with the remnants of Hurricane Irene in the form of a Tropical Storm. I have experienced the aftemath of a hurricane before when Isabel blew through, and my girls (very young then) and I sat in the candlelight and listened as tree after tree snapped and then crashed hoping the next would not come through the house. We finally got to sleep. The next morning was the calm after the storm. It was beautiful and sunny and QUIET. We went outside, and I couldn't believe all the trees that were down all around us. We were without power for about 4 days then, but it didn't seem that bad. We cooked food on the grill, cleaned the house and played games. That was 8 years ago. We just got power back today after losing it around 6:30 on Saturday evening. Barely 3 days, and it seemed like forever. What was the big difference between now and then? A huge difference has to be our immense dependence on technology. We have become "connected" 24/7 to news, internet, bank accounts and friends with the tap of a finger on a touchscreen or a couple of keystrokes on a computer. We have the choice of hundreds of television stations and movies as close as the remote. When that power source leaves, so does that connection, and we are all at a loss. Another big difference for me was that I didn't have to be anywhere in 2008 when Isabel hit. I had a job with the school system, and we were closed. The girls were young, and it was somewhat of an adventure. The girls are now in their teens, and 24 hours was enough! We were all thrilled when we got "THE CALL" today that power had been restored. I was actually excited to wash my dishes today. That feeling won't last, and tonight it was business as usual.
When you get used to something, you take it for granted, but when it's gone, you realize just how blessed you are to be able to have all those things mentioned above. So many people are upset with Dominion Virginia Power as if somehow it is their fault that power was lost. The storm was the thief. The power company is the hero working tirelessly to restore electricity to over 1 million customers. Think about that. We are very fortunate that it has only been 3 days. I am so thankful for all the workers who have been out there dealing with very dangerous stuff so I can update my status on Facebook! So when you drive by a crew working in the next couple of days, wave, smile and give them a thumbs up. They deserve at least that and so much more!