SOME WEDNESDAY MORNING THOUGHTS

• SOME DAYS YOU HAVE TO WONDER. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD? OUR COUNTRY? THE STATES? MY NEIGHBORHOOD? SO FAR, I HAVEN'T FIGURED ANY OF IT OUT.
• TUESDAY AND THURSDAY I VOLUNTEER AT THE FOOD BANK IN HOT SPRINGS. I CAN TELL YOU WITH A LEVEL OF CERTAINTY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY. IN ARKANSAS, ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN GO TO BED HUNGRY. ONE IN THREE SENIORS EXPERIENCE FOOD SHORTAGE. I FOR THE LIFE OF ME CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY. THIS OCCURS IN A COUNTRY FILLED WITH PLENTY. THIS IN A COUNTRY WHICH WE PROUDLY, BUT MISTAKENLY, CALL THE GREATEST IN THE WORLD.
• YOU HAND OUT GUNS INDISCRIMINATELY, YOU GET TROUBLE. A SECOND GRADER CAN FIGURE THAT OUT. BUT SOMEHOW, ADULT DECISION MAKERS CAN'T. SO I LOOK FOR WHAT'S WRONG. MAINLY PAYOFFS TO POLITICIANS, AND A FEARFUL PUBLIC.
• THERE ARE A LOT OF GOD PEOPLE. I BELIEVE GOOD ALWAYS OVERCOMES BAD. BUT IT OFTEN IS A LONG AND PAINFUL PROCESS. IT GETS DISCOURAGING, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR HEADS UP AND KEEP ON KEEPING ON. LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS ADD UP. ASK QUESTIONS. AS AN NRA MEMBER WHAT HE OR SHE THINKS IF ALL THE GUNS WILL HELP MAKE US A BETTER PEOPLE? ASK POLITICIANS WHERE THEY GET THEIR MONEY? ASK RIGHT-WING REPUBLICANS WHAT THEIR AGENDA IS? DON'T ACCEPT BULLSHIT ANSWERS IN RETURN. DEMAND FACTS. DON'T LET THEM OFF THE HOOK.
• EVERYTHING HAS BECOME MILITARIZED. SPORTS, HOLIDAYS, TV SHOWS. WE ARE A MILITARIZED NATION, WITH THE LARGEST MILITARY IN THE WORLD. WE SPEND ABOUT 55% OF OUR BUDGET ON THE MILITARY. (PROBABLY MORE, IF THE TRUTH WERE KNOWN). THESE ARE OUR TAX DOLLARS. I DON'T WANT MY TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE MILITARY. I THINK WE ARE SPENDING WAY TOO MUCH. WHAT DO I DO? HOW DO I FIGHT BACK? 
• THE OLDER YOU GET, THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT DYING. I SUPPOSE A NATURAL PROCESS. SOMETIMES THE THOUGHTS BLANKET YOU WITH ANXIETY AND DESPAIR. YOU WONDER HOW MUCH LONGER YOU HAVE? THE QUALITY OF LIFE YOU WILL HAVE?  HAVING ALMOST DIED 17 YRS. AGO, I FEEL LUCKY. I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD MAKE IT THIS FAR. NOW I'M SHOOTING FOR AT LEAST 75. SOME DAYS THAT SEEMS PRETTY OPTIMISTIC.
• WHO WOULD HAVE EVER THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE GOVERNMENT BY TWITTER? I BET TWITTER DIDN'T EVEN THINK THAT WOULD HAPPEN. 
• EVERY DAY I PRAY IT'S NOT OUR LAST. THAT'S NO WAY TO LIVE. REVOLUTION IS DOMINATING MY THOUGHTS. IN MAY I'M GOING TO SEE CASTRO. GET SOME POINTERS. I HOPE IT'S NOT TOO LATE.