I always get sentimental at the end of the year. I’m not sure if it’s because of the year’s end, the changing of the season or the holidays. Memoires of times gone by flash before me this time of year. My children (adults) are now 33 and 28 but they make up the majority of these memories. In them I see my wife, my parents, my wife’s parents, friends and more than a little bit of myself. What I don’t see is the fleeting innocence of youth turning into the cynical skepticism that envelops many people with the passing of years. That might sound depressing but both of my kids seem to be somewhat resistant to this ailment. They are full of passion for life and very optimistic about the future. And that brings a smile to my face and warms my heart.
I’m not much of a “New Year’s Resolution” kind of guy, but hear me out. As of this writing, Texas has seen 19 peace officers killed in 2016. How’s this, for 2017 “New Year’s Resolution”, let’s reduce this number. I challenge you to do a “ride along” with your local law enforcement. I promise it will open your eyes to what these men and women do for us. Before you ask, yes I have done a ride along and I will be doing more.
I thought the earth was going to spin off into the universe because the Cubs won the World Series. The Cubs and the Indians meet in an epic match to determine the best of the best. I saw no one show their contempt for a particular cause or political view. I did see the players show respect for the fans, the officials, and their rivals. It was a passionate competition and high drama at its finest. End of the 9th the Cubs won and the Indians lost. Everyone shook hands and walked away looking forward to next season. These men did this while the most important, childish, corrupt and prejudicial election of my lifetime was taking place. Maybe we should take a lesson from baseball in 2017. Perform to the best of our ability and show a little respect for each other.
