I just read an article about a man who, as an experiment, completed a challenge I'm not sure I'm up for. He voluntarily agreed to do whatever his wife asked for 30 days.
He discovered some interesting facts in the month. A lesson we all should learn, is that it's not the big gestures that matter, but the accumulation of small gestures. He learned the "river of minor grievances" his wife has against him. He learned that both he and his wife were full of "sass" at that it was much better to fill their banter with niceness.
I don't think I'm ready for this challenge. But it did get me thinking. We are called to love our brides as Christ loved the church. It's a hard calling. Christ sacrificed much for his church. He was always giving. Never taking. He was a servant and he called us to be servants. How many of us husbands serve our wives? I'm not saying be submissive robots, like this challenge, but servants. Do we even know what that means? Do we know our wives needs? Do we know her "minor grievances"? Do we treat her with "sass" like she's a drinking buddy?
Next week my Pastor begins a 4 week class on marriage. I've been listening to his advice on Marriage longer than I've been married. I keep coming back because I always learn more. And I'll most assuredly go away with a fresh reminder of the challenge before me and my failings as a husband. My wife will assuredly walk away with the same. It's good to be reminded that we're not perfect. It's good to be reminded that our spouse is not perfect. It is an unreasonable expectation that your spouse be perfect.
As a wise man (my pastor) once told me, "Marriage isn't a 50-50 proposition, it's a 100-100 proposition". You have to give your 100% and you have to do so even when your spouse is giving 10%. Too often we think "I'll start giving, when he/she starts giving". Marriage isn't a give-take agreement. If you don't give unconditionally, you will fail. If you wait until your spouse starts "giving" you will never start.
Choose to full fill your wedding vows regardless of your spouse. The second you make your fulfillment of your vow conditional on your spouses fulfilment of their vow, you begin the road to failure.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Public School from the eyes of a schoolteacher
I have often been criticized for homeschooling my children. They need "socialization". They need "trained" teachers. They need.. well whatever it is they "need" apparently my wife and I as parents, one a college graduate, one trained in Nuclear Power, seem not capable or qualified to give our kids.
I guess that begs the question, what makes one qualified to teach children? Below is a book written by a schoolteacher. I wouldn't ask you to read the whole thing, but read the Prologue. You might find it interesting to see what someone who spent 50+ years in the public school system has to say.
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/prologue.htm
I seriously doubt I will ever regret my decision to home school. The only thing I lose is the benefit of a two income family. What my children and my wife gain is worth far more than money.
I guess that begs the question, what makes one qualified to teach children? Below is a book written by a schoolteacher. I wouldn't ask you to read the whole thing, but read the Prologue. You might find it interesting to see what someone who spent 50+ years in the public school system has to say.
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/prologue.htm
I seriously doubt I will ever regret my decision to home school. The only thing I lose is the benefit of a two income family. What my children and my wife gain is worth far more than money.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
What's a man got to do to get arrested these days?
Went shopping today. In front of the store was a black and white just parked in the red zone like he owned the joint. So me being me I decided to look inside and see what cop cars look like these days.
High tech. Camera on the front and rear dash. Two more cameras on top pointing left and right. No shotgun as the cars of old days. No a more lethal weapon in the middle of the car: a computer. The pile of junk in the passenger seat told me he drove solo and was a slob.
After my curiosity was satisfied I proceeded on my way to go shopping. Shortly thereafter the owner of the car approached me. "I've got a witness that you tried to break into my car".
Me: No, I was looking at your car which was paid for with my tax dollars.
Cop: Did you try to open the door?
Me: Why would I try to open the door?
Cop: Did you?
Me: NO!
Cop: So if I fingerprint the door handle your prints won't be on them?
Me: No, and since when is it a crime to look at a car?
Cop: it isn't but tampering with a police vehicle is..
Me: Well than it's a good thing I was only looking than...
Cop: Would you have entered the car if the door was open?
Me: No, it's not my car, and since the door was closed the question is irrelevant
He continued to insist I had tried to break into his car. "So are you calling my witness a liar"
Me: I can't speak for your witness, I've told you what I did. It's up to you to decide who's lying.
He asked me such brilliant questions as
"What are you doing here?"
Me: Uh, I thought the shopping car full of groceries kind of gave me away, but since you asked, I'M SHOPPING!
In retrospect I'm lucky he didn't arrest me just for the hell of it. I was certainly spinning him up. I think he was hoping to arrest the Son of a Bitch who dared to touch his car. Or maybe he was just hoping to intimidate me. It certainly pissed him off that I dared stand toe to toe with him and make fun of his silly questions.
He kept up this agressively rude tone that no normal human talks in. I think he thought it made him sound menacing.
Alas he finally walked away clearly perterbed at me. I'm sure he's at home talking about the smug SOB in the supermarket.
Just another fine example of our tax dollars at work!
High tech. Camera on the front and rear dash. Two more cameras on top pointing left and right. No shotgun as the cars of old days. No a more lethal weapon in the middle of the car: a computer. The pile of junk in the passenger seat told me he drove solo and was a slob.
After my curiosity was satisfied I proceeded on my way to go shopping. Shortly thereafter the owner of the car approached me. "I've got a witness that you tried to break into my car".
Me: No, I was looking at your car which was paid for with my tax dollars.
Cop: Did you try to open the door?
Me: Why would I try to open the door?
Cop: Did you?
Me: NO!
Cop: So if I fingerprint the door handle your prints won't be on them?
Me: No, and since when is it a crime to look at a car?
Cop: it isn't but tampering with a police vehicle is..
Me: Well than it's a good thing I was only looking than...
Cop: Would you have entered the car if the door was open?
Me: No, it's not my car, and since the door was closed the question is irrelevant
He continued to insist I had tried to break into his car. "So are you calling my witness a liar"
Me: I can't speak for your witness, I've told you what I did. It's up to you to decide who's lying.
He asked me such brilliant questions as
"What are you doing here?"
Me: Uh, I thought the shopping car full of groceries kind of gave me away, but since you asked, I'M SHOPPING!
In retrospect I'm lucky he didn't arrest me just for the hell of it. I was certainly spinning him up. I think he was hoping to arrest the Son of a Bitch who dared to touch his car. Or maybe he was just hoping to intimidate me. It certainly pissed him off that I dared stand toe to toe with him and make fun of his silly questions.
He kept up this agressively rude tone that no normal human talks in. I think he thought it made him sound menacing.
Alas he finally walked away clearly perterbed at me. I'm sure he's at home talking about the smug SOB in the supermarket.
Just another fine example of our tax dollars at work!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Obama's biggest fan is PO'd
Apparently the cash for your junk car program has spun up even the most devout Obama fans. A friend of mine who regularly touts "Obama and me, we're gonna fix everything" is now on the list of Americans the Prez has pissed off.
I told him today, "You're probably the only American on the planet Obama hasn't pissed off yet." He proceeded to correct me. Apparently he's been trying to buy a car under the "we'll give you tax payer dollars for your junk car program". He's realized not only is it a scam, but that it is driving up the price of cars to an outrageous level. It has created a car bubble, to replace the housing bubble. Car dealers are loving it. "That's your man" I told him.
But even the car dealers know they have to milk it while they can. As one of them stated, "the bubble will burst and this well will dry up quickly".
So car buyers beware. There is no negotiating prices. No discounts. The dealers figure the gov't check is all the discount you need. They'll turn you away because they know the next sucker is right behind you waiting to get his gov't handout.
Be smart, keep your old clunker till the bubble bursts and the price of vehicles drops like a rock (kinda like the housing bubble). Then go shopping with the car dealers who will be begging for your business. Because today's dealers will just laugh you out the door if you try to negotiate.
I told him today, "You're probably the only American on the planet Obama hasn't pissed off yet." He proceeded to correct me. Apparently he's been trying to buy a car under the "we'll give you tax payer dollars for your junk car program". He's realized not only is it a scam, but that it is driving up the price of cars to an outrageous level. It has created a car bubble, to replace the housing bubble. Car dealers are loving it. "That's your man" I told him.
But even the car dealers know they have to milk it while they can. As one of them stated, "the bubble will burst and this well will dry up quickly".
So car buyers beware. There is no negotiating prices. No discounts. The dealers figure the gov't check is all the discount you need. They'll turn you away because they know the next sucker is right behind you waiting to get his gov't handout.
Be smart, keep your old clunker till the bubble bursts and the price of vehicles drops like a rock (kinda like the housing bubble). Then go shopping with the car dealers who will be begging for your business. Because today's dealers will just laugh you out the door if you try to negotiate.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Eternity
Have you ever tried to think about eternity? I've tried. I can't truly fathom it. Just trying to comprehend it is scary.
Trying to imagine eternity in Hell is even worse. Remember your worst week. Remember how long that week seemed at the time. Now imagine it lasting forever. No end in sight ever. No light at the end of the tunnel.
But even when you take hell out of the picture, eternity is daunting. My short life here seems so long. What do you do in eternity? Time with no end.
The Bible says men used to live to be 800 and 900 years old. Even that is hard to imagine. Imagine living through the entire history of America. Movies like highlander have tried to capture that concept.
I know my life on this earth will eventually end. And then I'll be faced with eternity. I guess I'm just not ready to contemplate and accept what that truly means. It's hard enough dealing with the hear and now, without having to face never ending existence.
Trying to imagine eternity in Hell is even worse. Remember your worst week. Remember how long that week seemed at the time. Now imagine it lasting forever. No end in sight ever. No light at the end of the tunnel.
But even when you take hell out of the picture, eternity is daunting. My short life here seems so long. What do you do in eternity? Time with no end.
The Bible says men used to live to be 800 and 900 years old. Even that is hard to imagine. Imagine living through the entire history of America. Movies like highlander have tried to capture that concept.
I know my life on this earth will eventually end. And then I'll be faced with eternity. I guess I'm just not ready to contemplate and accept what that truly means. It's hard enough dealing with the hear and now, without having to face never ending existence.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Light at the end of the tunnel
Finacial freedom is around the corner. At least for me and my family. After years of struggle and debt I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, if all goes well, that light could be upon me as soon as October (if the planets are aligned and the world is in harmony).
It occurs to me that I've spent so much time focusing how to recover from debt that I never learned how to invest. And in todays economy, not sure it's time to take chances.
So what will I do with my newfound wealth? First and foremost SAVE. Need to build up that safety net. And start catching up on my retirement fund.
But there are a few items on my list of wants that would aid in making my life and the life of my family a bit more comfortable.
So I look with great joy at the end of my burden to debt. Hopefully I've learned enough to keep from ever being put under the oppression of owing someone else.
It occurs to me that I've spent so much time focusing how to recover from debt that I never learned how to invest. And in todays economy, not sure it's time to take chances.
So what will I do with my newfound wealth? First and foremost SAVE. Need to build up that safety net. And start catching up on my retirement fund.
But there are a few items on my list of wants that would aid in making my life and the life of my family a bit more comfortable.
So I look with great joy at the end of my burden to debt. Hopefully I've learned enough to keep from ever being put under the oppression of owing someone else.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Raging Waters reveals the state of the union
Took the family to Raging Waters. Had a family from church join us. We all had a great time.
However a water park has a way of revealing character. Some observation made by my spouse and I while people watching.
Asian females wore very conservative simple bathing suits
Anglo and Hispanic/Latina women all wore two piece bikinis that cover next to nothing, except for the heavier women who wear very conservative outfits
Black Women only wear bathing suits they fall out of no matter their size.
Black Men all were wearing their shorts around their knees with their boxers showing.
All other men wear your typical swim shorts
I guess I'm a little surprised. I expected the ratio of skimpy to conservative to be more balanced. It seems nobody wears one piece bathing suits unless they are overweight or Asian. And all men but blacks get the concept of swimming shorts. And black women have no worries about their image.
Tattoo's were everywhere. I remember when tattoo's were a rare thing. Now it seems you are the odd man or woman out if you don't have a tattoo.
Maybe I'm just getting old. I remember when the bikini was a rare thing. Women had self respect and covered up in a typical usually colorful one piece. Men all wore your basic swim shorts. Tattoos were for the truly rebellious.
Maybe it's the Dad in me thinking about my two boys and my girl. Will they want to cover their bodies in tattoo's? Will my daughter think it ok to walk around in dental floss bathing suits? Will they get into the body mutilation practices of this generation (ear holes, nose holes, other holes I won't mention here)?
I asked my pastor recently, how in today's world of sin and temptation, do you protect yourself and your children from the flood of bad stuff? There is no short answer. A whole book could be written on it. But since he's not writing a book he'll see what he can do about good advice as he goes through the ten commandments this year.
I just realized I have no closing thoughts... The state of this generation leaves me saddened and worried... This is our future... This is my children's future.. what does the future hold for them? What about my grandchildren?
Guess I'll just have to trust in the Grace of God and his promise to bless generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
However a water park has a way of revealing character. Some observation made by my spouse and I while people watching.
Asian females wore very conservative simple bathing suits
Anglo and Hispanic/Latina women all wore two piece bikinis that cover next to nothing, except for the heavier women who wear very conservative outfits
Black Women only wear bathing suits they fall out of no matter their size.
Black Men all were wearing their shorts around their knees with their boxers showing.
All other men wear your typical swim shorts
I guess I'm a little surprised. I expected the ratio of skimpy to conservative to be more balanced. It seems nobody wears one piece bathing suits unless they are overweight or Asian. And all men but blacks get the concept of swimming shorts. And black women have no worries about their image.
Tattoo's were everywhere. I remember when tattoo's were a rare thing. Now it seems you are the odd man or woman out if you don't have a tattoo.
Maybe I'm just getting old. I remember when the bikini was a rare thing. Women had self respect and covered up in a typical usually colorful one piece. Men all wore your basic swim shorts. Tattoos were for the truly rebellious.
Maybe it's the Dad in me thinking about my two boys and my girl. Will they want to cover their bodies in tattoo's? Will my daughter think it ok to walk around in dental floss bathing suits? Will they get into the body mutilation practices of this generation (ear holes, nose holes, other holes I won't mention here)?
I asked my pastor recently, how in today's world of sin and temptation, do you protect yourself and your children from the flood of bad stuff? There is no short answer. A whole book could be written on it. But since he's not writing a book he'll see what he can do about good advice as he goes through the ten commandments this year.
I just realized I have no closing thoughts... The state of this generation leaves me saddened and worried... This is our future... This is my children's future.. what does the future hold for them? What about my grandchildren?
Guess I'll just have to trust in the Grace of God and his promise to bless generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
100 Push Up Challenge
I've been a civilian for a long time now. For the first few years I was quite active and maintained relatively good shape. Lugging around a 25 pound bag of tools 8 hours a day will do that.
But these last few years, I've been strapped to a desk. And while mentally it is more tiring than a 25lb bag could ever be, I miss the physical work out and endurance.
Now when I was in the Navy I did pretty well for myself with just push-ups and pull-ups. Not much else to do when you are standing watch at the bottom of an air craft carrier. So when I ran across this:
http://hundredpushups.com/
it caught my eye.
I did the initial test and pulled off 21 push ups. Not bad for a guy who hasn't worked out in a few years. So, we'll see how I do. 6 weeks to 100 push ups. At my best I don't think I ever did more than fifty (not that I tried). I'll get back to you in about 6 weeks.
If this works, the next step is to take up biking again.
But these last few years, I've been strapped to a desk. And while mentally it is more tiring than a 25lb bag could ever be, I miss the physical work out and endurance.
Now when I was in the Navy I did pretty well for myself with just push-ups and pull-ups. Not much else to do when you are standing watch at the bottom of an air craft carrier. So when I ran across this:
http://hundredpushups.com/
it caught my eye.
I did the initial test and pulled off 21 push ups. Not bad for a guy who hasn't worked out in a few years. So, we'll see how I do. 6 weeks to 100 push ups. At my best I don't think I ever did more than fifty (not that I tried). I'll get back to you in about 6 weeks.
If this works, the next step is to take up biking again.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Where did all these holidays come from?
I was looking at my calendar today counting holidays. America has way too many meaningless holidays.
Presidents day;
Labor day;
Thanksgiving;
Valentines Day;
Mothers day;
Fathers day;
Memorial day;
Halloween;
Christmas;
and Easter;
(there's more, but I'll spare you the rest)
Now I know what some readers are saying. "These are important holidays. What kind of feeling less wretch are you?"
Really? lets go down the list.
President's Day: first, who decided that Washington and Lincoln were the greatest things since Swiss cheese. Washington was an important man, but he made many mistakes (like signing a treaty written in French, which he didn't understand), and Lincoln, well.. if you believe the history books he is the greatest thing since Swiss cheese.
Labor Day: To this day I have no idea what labor day is about
Thanksgiving: is this not what we are supposed to do at every meal. why do I need a special holiday to thank God for what he gives me. This should be every day, every hour.
Valentines Day: OK, if you need a holiday to tell you to send your girl some flowers or tell her you love her, than you need more than a holiday, you need to rethink your relationship.
Mothers Day: how can I possibly be against Mothers day? well if you need a holiday to call your mother and tell her you love her, than you don't need a holiday, you need to start calling your mother on a regular basis and mending the relationship. Same thing for Fathers day.
These holidays actually ensure the important people in your life get less noticed. How you say? Well since we have 'Holidays' we don't need to put forth our own effort to decide when to call Mom and say hi, or call Dad, or tell the wife how much she means to you. We have holidays for that. isn't it great.
Moving on
Memorial Day: I'm a Navy Vet and I certainly have an appreciation for the men who have died in the military. And if Memorial day was actually about remembering and honoring our fallen sons, fathers, husbands and such, it might be worthy of a holiday, but it isn't. It's a facade put on by people who don't give a rats ass about our boys who have died. Because if they did give a rats ass about our sons they would stop sending them to die in meaningless wars. It looks good on TV though.
Halloween: Hmmm... Reformation Day has long been forgotten but for some reason we have no problem with ghosts, gobblins and more sugar than a kid needs in a lifetime all in one night.
Christmas and Easter: Santa Clause and the Easter bunny. Perfectly good reasons to lie to your children. I'm certainly not against remember Christ's birth or his resurrection. It's the facade of celebrating a bunny and a jolly old man which make these holidays absurd.
In short, the majority of American holidays are nothing more than commercialized obligations, and if you don't participate, your are scrooge, unpatriotic, your dad disowns you, your mom hates you, and your wife won't touch you with a ten foot pole.
On a brighter note, all the money we spend on these holidays boosts the economy.
Presidents day;
Labor day;
Thanksgiving;
Valentines Day;
Mothers day;
Fathers day;
Memorial day;
Halloween;
Christmas;
and Easter;
(there's more, but I'll spare you the rest)
Now I know what some readers are saying. "These are important holidays. What kind of feeling less wretch are you?"
Really? lets go down the list.
President's Day: first, who decided that Washington and Lincoln were the greatest things since Swiss cheese. Washington was an important man, but he made many mistakes (like signing a treaty written in French, which he didn't understand), and Lincoln, well.. if you believe the history books he is the greatest thing since Swiss cheese.
Labor Day: To this day I have no idea what labor day is about
Thanksgiving: is this not what we are supposed to do at every meal. why do I need a special holiday to thank God for what he gives me. This should be every day, every hour.
Valentines Day: OK, if you need a holiday to tell you to send your girl some flowers or tell her you love her, than you need more than a holiday, you need to rethink your relationship.
Mothers Day: how can I possibly be against Mothers day? well if you need a holiday to call your mother and tell her you love her, than you don't need a holiday, you need to start calling your mother on a regular basis and mending the relationship. Same thing for Fathers day.
These holidays actually ensure the important people in your life get less noticed. How you say? Well since we have 'Holidays' we don't need to put forth our own effort to decide when to call Mom and say hi, or call Dad, or tell the wife how much she means to you. We have holidays for that. isn't it great.
Moving on
Memorial Day: I'm a Navy Vet and I certainly have an appreciation for the men who have died in the military. And if Memorial day was actually about remembering and honoring our fallen sons, fathers, husbands and such, it might be worthy of a holiday, but it isn't. It's a facade put on by people who don't give a rats ass about our boys who have died. Because if they did give a rats ass about our sons they would stop sending them to die in meaningless wars. It looks good on TV though.
Halloween: Hmmm... Reformation Day has long been forgotten but for some reason we have no problem with ghosts, gobblins and more sugar than a kid needs in a lifetime all in one night.
Christmas and Easter: Santa Clause and the Easter bunny. Perfectly good reasons to lie to your children. I'm certainly not against remember Christ's birth or his resurrection. It's the facade of celebrating a bunny and a jolly old man which make these holidays absurd.
In short, the majority of American holidays are nothing more than commercialized obligations, and if you don't participate, your are scrooge, unpatriotic, your dad disowns you, your mom hates you, and your wife won't touch you with a ten foot pole.
On a brighter note, all the money we spend on these holidays boosts the economy.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Women and War
As a young man I joined the Navy. I served amongst equally naive men and women as we travelled where we were told, did our 'duty' and came home.
I remember one particular day we were scheduled to pull into port in Bahrain (in the Persian Gulf). We didn't pull in however because instead we bombed Iraq. Later that day watching the Iraqi news, it was clear why we were there. The dead bodies and bloody messes were clear to see. We are a War machine and we are there to bring death to the enemy.
Today I was watching a USO show from Baghdad and seeing the young men and women got me thinking.
As a husband one of my duties is to keep my family from harm. When there is a strange noise in the house, I don't send my wife to investigate. I go check it out and make sure it's safe. It's not that my wife needs me to do this, but that is the role God has given me. I accepted the role of her protector the moment her father gave her away.
So if I wouldn't send me wife to investigate strange noises in my home, why would I send my daughter to war? Now that I have a daughter I can't imagine doing anything to put her in harms way. At the same time, I expect my boys to stand on their own. From the moment my daughter was born I knew my feelings for her, were far different than for my sons. It's not something I expected or wanted, it just IS. And I'm not saying I don't expect my daughter to learn to stand on her own. But if my daughter is ever in a situation where she has to use force to protect herself, than either I have failed or her future husband has failed. And having two older brothers and me as a Dad, she will certainly learn how to defend herself. I just hope she never has to use it.
We fail as husbands and fathers when we send our daughters to war. I know this notion offends the Feminist worldview, but as a husband and a father I can take no other stand. Our nation does a great disservice to our women when we let our young ladies join the military. We are putting the burden of War on our daughters. And we look down upon anyone who dares to say this is wrong.
It's bad enough to have our young men dying and seeing others die. Why submit our women to it as well, when they are the ones we are supposed to be protecting. They are the ones we are fighting for. When did we stop protecting our daughters? When did we lose the notion that it is our job, our duty, to protect our daughters? When did it become our daughters duty to protect us?
Why will many reading this call me sexist? If acknowledging the natural and overwhelming need to protect my women makes me a sexist, so be it. It's how God made me. As a father it will be hard if I ever have to watch my sons march off to war. It will be utterly devastating if I have to watch my daughter march off to war.
Maybe it because we don't even recognize our military as a military anymore. It's just a job, a road to college, a free education. It's a good school of discipline and order. These are just technical jobs, we aren't sending them to battle.
NO! It's a military and militarises are for WAR. War is for killing. The winner of a war is he who kills best or he who can sustain the most casualties. This is not where we want our women.
Maybe it's because we don't recognize the God ordained positions of Man and Woman. I'm learning in my "old age" what it means to be a man, a husband, a father. I'm learning what it means to be a mother, a wife and a daughter. We aren't the same. We can't be the same. God made us different. As long as we continue to reject God's order our daughters will continue to be in danger and our sons will never know what it is to be men. Our daughters will fail to be mothers and wives and our sons having been supplanted by the women will fail to be husbands and fathers.
And our children's children will pay the price for our failures and our rejection of God. I pray my Boys will know what it means to be a Man and that my daughter knows what it means to be a Woman.
I remember one particular day we were scheduled to pull into port in Bahrain (in the Persian Gulf). We didn't pull in however because instead we bombed Iraq. Later that day watching the Iraqi news, it was clear why we were there. The dead bodies and bloody messes were clear to see. We are a War machine and we are there to bring death to the enemy.
Today I was watching a USO show from Baghdad and seeing the young men and women got me thinking.
As a husband one of my duties is to keep my family from harm. When there is a strange noise in the house, I don't send my wife to investigate. I go check it out and make sure it's safe. It's not that my wife needs me to do this, but that is the role God has given me. I accepted the role of her protector the moment her father gave her away.
So if I wouldn't send me wife to investigate strange noises in my home, why would I send my daughter to war? Now that I have a daughter I can't imagine doing anything to put her in harms way. At the same time, I expect my boys to stand on their own. From the moment my daughter was born I knew my feelings for her, were far different than for my sons. It's not something I expected or wanted, it just IS. And I'm not saying I don't expect my daughter to learn to stand on her own. But if my daughter is ever in a situation where she has to use force to protect herself, than either I have failed or her future husband has failed. And having two older brothers and me as a Dad, she will certainly learn how to defend herself. I just hope she never has to use it.
We fail as husbands and fathers when we send our daughters to war. I know this notion offends the Feminist worldview, but as a husband and a father I can take no other stand. Our nation does a great disservice to our women when we let our young ladies join the military. We are putting the burden of War on our daughters. And we look down upon anyone who dares to say this is wrong.
It's bad enough to have our young men dying and seeing others die. Why submit our women to it as well, when they are the ones we are supposed to be protecting. They are the ones we are fighting for. When did we stop protecting our daughters? When did we lose the notion that it is our job, our duty, to protect our daughters? When did it become our daughters duty to protect us?
Why will many reading this call me sexist? If acknowledging the natural and overwhelming need to protect my women makes me a sexist, so be it. It's how God made me. As a father it will be hard if I ever have to watch my sons march off to war. It will be utterly devastating if I have to watch my daughter march off to war.
Maybe it because we don't even recognize our military as a military anymore. It's just a job, a road to college, a free education. It's a good school of discipline and order. These are just technical jobs, we aren't sending them to battle.
NO! It's a military and militarises are for WAR. War is for killing. The winner of a war is he who kills best or he who can sustain the most casualties. This is not where we want our women.
Maybe it's because we don't recognize the God ordained positions of Man and Woman. I'm learning in my "old age" what it means to be a man, a husband, a father. I'm learning what it means to be a mother, a wife and a daughter. We aren't the same. We can't be the same. God made us different. As long as we continue to reject God's order our daughters will continue to be in danger and our sons will never know what it is to be men. Our daughters will fail to be mothers and wives and our sons having been supplanted by the women will fail to be husbands and fathers.
And our children's children will pay the price for our failures and our rejection of God. I pray my Boys will know what it means to be a Man and that my daughter knows what it means to be a Woman.
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