Tag: family

Time goes by so slowly

Actually, most of the time it doesn’t go by slowly at all.

Last week I put in about 55 hours at my day job, after having shot a wedding the previous weekend. During the middle of the week my second nephew was born, and though I had more sleep than the rest of the family, there were a couple of nights where I only got a couple of hours. Thursday I went to a Tea Party rally where the vice president for research at the FED in Cleveland gave a speech, and I took notes (an article to follow!) and Saturday was filled with errands.

Yesterday however I did get some rest. After my wife and I woke up and had breakfast, she went to work and I took an hour to sit outside and drink my coffee and just enjoy the cool early autumn air. I reflected on life, the past week, and our plans for the future.

If the world doesn’t blow itself up by the end of the year, and this country doesn’t declare martial law and become a complete police state, I would like to have kids of my own. I now have two nephews, one from my sister and one now from my sister in law. Both boys are healthy and strong of mind. One is only 5 days old, and the other is 2 1/2 years old.

I get into battles on this blog, and I express my viewpoints so that there might be a future for them. It’s what any good uncle or citizen would do. I’m more afraid of them growing up into a life of servitude than the iron fist of the state coming after me.

If we (as a nation or as the world) can get through the next few months, and if we can begin getting back on track, I would like children of my own. Life is going well for my wife and I right now, but there will never be a perfect time to have kids. There will always be troubles in the world. My grandparents grew up during the second world war and witnessed bombs fall on their neighbors houses while Canterbury burned in the distance. My grandparents and their generation went through a lot growing up, and yet they turned out to be one of the strongest generations out there.

Time very rarely goes by slowly, but every once in a while you get to enjoy a few slow moments. Life speeds up as you go along so it’s important to enjoy it while it lasts!

Back to the old country

It was a very busy and productive weekend after a very busy and productive week. We shot photographs for my friend’s wedding and we had a blast. It was probably the smallest wedding we have done to date, but it was a great crowd of people, and everyone had a good time.

Last night I packed my suitcase and gathered all my important possessions, including my Columbia jacket, wrangler jeans, leather jacket and Canon Rebel camera. Brooke and I have been working very hard lately and are in need of some down time. I haven’t seen my extended family in England since we got married, and it seemed like the perfect time to go back for a visit, since I am now a US citizen, and tickets are cheaper this time of year, before the summer rush.

Today we set off for 10 days in old blighty. It will be strange going back, I’ve grown up a lot since I left. I was barely 20 years old when Brooke and I got married and I decided to stay in the US. By the end of this year I’ll be 25. Since moving here, I’ve been married, bought and ridden three motorcycles and two cars. I’ve adopted a puppy, who is now our loyal dog. We rent a large town-home in a nice suburban area of the Greater Cincinnati area, we have furniture and all kinds of utensils and other homely appliances. We run our own photography business, and we’re looking at buying a house and studio later this year. All in all, we’re doing quite well, and I’ve gone from being a teenager in love, to a devoted husband and striving toward being a successful businessman.

I’m looking forward to seeing my family again and seeing familiar sights, and sitting down to old favorite meals. For those of you who I’m flying out to see, I’ll see you soon! And for those who I am leaving here; I’ll be back!

Birthday parties and traditions

Today my family celebrate my nephews 2nd birthday with his Dad’s family. My brother-in-law’s family are throwing a birthday party for him.

Traditions might seem old and boring at times, but the happiness it brings to children, and the memories it creates are all worth it.

Birthday parties, anniversaries, christenings, weddings and funerals are all life confirming. We are all brought up in countries with traditions, from tribal rituals, to extravagant weddings.

We celebrate our lives through these traditions and ceremonies, and it brings joy to our lives to see the happiness in those around us.

My last few posts have been more personal as I am currently celebrating life with my family. February 9th is my nephews birthday, February 10th is my wedding anniversary, and February 14th is Valentines day. My wife and I always take a week off during this period of February to spend time together to celebrate our anniversary and valentines day, and also to celebrate my nephews birthday. My family often visit, or we visit them, and it is a great time to remember the past year and look toward what we want to achieve in this new year. February is always a ‘dead’ month, since it is the end of winter and Christmas and new years is over with. For us it is a good time to reflect upon life, the happiness we have together, and to enjoy having our family around.

Go make the most of your weekend. I am enjoying mine!

Pro life

Today is my nephew’s 2nd birthday. My sister is three years younger than me and had just turned 19 when she gave birth to him.

My sister and her husband are now very happy together with their young son. They might not have a two pennies to rub together, but they are happy and their little family is full of life.

My cousin got pregnant at just 16 years old. She kept the baby, and I can honestly say that it was the best thing that ever happened to her. Today her daughter is 14 years old, and one of the smartest young ladies I have met.

A woman should have a right to her own body, but abortions should not be taken lightly, and neither should sex. Too often sex is seen as casual. There is nothing casual about giving birth and raising a child. Equally there is nothing casual about having a small fetus sucked out and dropped in a bucket to be disposed of like a piece of garbage.

Joseph Campbell said that people should know what the hell they’re doing when they commit to having sex. And it is a commitment. It is not simply some act that makes you feel good. You are literally connected to the other person, and that connect is designed to reproduce. If you are not willing to accept the consequences of your actions, perhaps you should choose your actions more wisely.

Morality is the choice you make when it comes to keeping or ‘getting rid’ of the baby. Where are you morals? Do you have any? A society without morals is a very sad place to live in, as it is often in a state of decay.

Societies are based on morals. A common thread that binds people to a common goal. Without our morals we have no compass and are left wondering in the wilderness.

And so there is your paradox. You can choose to ‘abort’ the baby, but you will not abort the feelings you will inevitably have down the road for having aborted it. How shallow will your life become when you realize that you are a destroyer of it? And should you not have thought about the consequences when you committed the act of sexual intercourse?

Personally, from family experience, and because I take my life seriously when it comes to making key decisions. I have decided that I am pro life.

As for you. That is for you to decide. What are your morals? And do you take responsibility for your own actions?

For those that do take responsibility for their actions, even if the outcome is not what you had planned for or expected; congratulations. For those that don’t take responsibility, and instead use modern science to avoid reality; you’ll have to live with the moral consequences that you’ll feel later down the road.

Shouldn’t the young women who ‘accidentally’ get pregnant, try to find a couple to adopt the baby? If she really does not want to raise it. There are many couples who dream of having children, but are unable to.

There are many arguments on the issue of abortion, and personally I believe that all life is precious, no matter how young and fragile.

The future is built today

In the front office where I work, we have a large framed poster of a construction site. On the poster it reads ‘the future is built today’ and under the caption it says ‘we believe great results come from careful planning. That ambitious goals are powered by initiative and productivity. And the foundation of achievement lies in the will to be the best.’

Beside that poster is a laminated sheet of paper, that has many copies that can be seen throughout the warehouse. It is a document to inspire everyone to work together, and it reads ‘words to live by’: Teamwork, communication, planning, flexibility, accountability, long range view, flow, training, discipline, think out of the box.

These words are aimed to help mold the company toward a common goal of success.

Both the poster and the laminated message, are true in everything we do. Whether it be our work, our family, or our government. If we set our sights on tomorrow and work toward it, we will achieve it. But only if we stick to certain rules along the way.

It is obvious that the government does not have ‘long range view’ in mind. It is not ‘flexible’ when it comes to cutting budgets and limiting spending, it completely lacks ‘discipline’, it certainly does not ‘think out of the box’. Government does not ‘plan’, ‘communicate’ or work well as a ‘team’, the ‘flow’ is often horrible, and every person in government could really do with some better ‘training’.

These words from Ronald Reagan are as true today as they were in 1964:

Personally, I want to reign in government, to restore the Constitution, and be free to pursue my life in the way that I see fit.

I want to grow old and wise, I want to grow wealthy and be generous. I want to achieve anything that I can set my mind to. I do not want machine men with their ‘agendas’ getting in my way. I will help as many others as I can along the way, but I will never carry capable people on my back. Any form of collectivism, from Stalin’s communism to Hitler’s fascism, and all the socialism and social engineering in-between, must be destroyed. All the silly ideas and government programs must be eliminated, or else our lives will be eliminated by the truncheon of totalitarian government, with its ever growing fingers in all our pies.

I want to create my own happy future, free of the ever increasing burden of government. When societies are free, the world around them becomes a beautiful place, since they are able to work and create whatever their dreams desire.

The future is built today because we create it in each moment that we breathe. Whether we have government currently breathing down our neck or not, we can at least lay down the foundation of freedom, to help lift us up out of the clouds of collectivism tomorrow.

The future is in each individuals hands, and your future starts by building it brick by brick today.