Family

Crash!  (Car flips off the road and comes to rest upside down off the side of the highway).  Passenger, a beautiful 17 year old, ejected and mangled and barely alive, then dead.  A nightmare during the middle of the night, running for help, losing a shoe.  Press coverage, harsh and judgmental treatment, a police officer trying to assuage me with a god I didn’t believe in, and her belongings strewn about the site, to be collected and returned to her family.  Life as I know it is now over.   My sister is dead.  She wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, and we were both stupid, and she would probably still be alive today if I were half as smart as I thought I was.  She would probably be one of my best friends.   She would probably have a family.  I am such an idiot.   Lesson?  Wear seatbelts.  Don’t smoke.  Don’t overcorrect.  And don’t speed.   Keep your eyes on the road.  Go slow.  It’s not that important.  Don’t take stupid risks.  Stay alive.  Jesus has nothing to do with it.  But God as your copilot can’t hurt, I guess.  

Starting a family+

Being a part of a community, conceiving kids and adopting kids and serving those in need.  Teaching what you know, learning what you should teach, and just being there for those who can benefit from your experience and advice, knowledge wisdom and understanding.  Help those around you, and help the larger world in an ethical profession that serves humanity and meets a need.   Be good.  Be God.

Raising a family

Having enough money and resources for their upbringing, etc. (marriage, inheritance, unforeseen need).   They say it costs the average American family $300k to raise a kid (for 17 years; and not including college).  But it can be done cheaply.   Just not as well, of course.   Right? The statistics online range from $233,610 to $240k to $288,094.   So this is ballpark $1334 a month (which works out to $44/d... for 17 years).  Childcare is the biggest component.  They say girls cost more.  There are free food, free clothing, free education, free healthcare.  Free libraries.  Even housing can be inexpensive, if you’re lucky.   Maybe you need transportation.  Cars are more of a necessity than luxury, these days.  But if you’re talented and have a college education, you can earn bank in a country as opportunity-rich as the United States of America.  Luck might play a part, too.  Geography does.  And your child(ren) can get all they need, if not from parents and family, then from charity, or, when they’re older, from hard work (e.g. merit scholarships), and from -of course- needing less.  But every parent dreams of giving their children all they need, and enough for them to be happy well into the future, if not their grandchildren’s futures.  

   Okay, not just money, but good schools, fun and play and enjoying childhood without being overly structured, fun toys (like at Christmas;  average xmas expenditure is $220/child), love of Nature, instilled values, work ethic, and occasional fun things like vacations abroad or trips to Disneyland or going to museums.   Reading aloud.  Being interested in their day, their interests, their problems or concerns, and talking to them.  Granting freedom to explore interests, choosing a religion, choosing a political affiliation, be their own person.  My dad and grandpa and I are all Eagle Scouts, and I would hope my own would be in that world, too. 

Mother Earth, Father Sky

Glowb: the bright side of earth, the dark side, where the shadow lies

after being fuct by man(kind?)

Pacific Ocean, where pacifists go oh shit.

   named by Ferdinand Magellan (fm radio), for being calm and peaceful

Diplomat's daughter named Irene (irenic)

Warlock's daughter named Belle Ickose

The blind smoker says, "can I get a light?"

Your son is so bright.  Your son is a star.

But your daughter is hotter.

Heavenly bodies.