You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...

If you've been seeing & hearing those things that I have these past few days from the many friends who obviously loved Ted Kennedy, you have to have noticed that not all of them were his political allies & they didn't necessarily share his political point of view. People like Pat Buchanan, Orrin Hatch, John McCain, George Bush (the younger and the elder) all spoke of a man with whom they had many political differences, but whom they cared for personally.

So many times since his death, I've heard about how--even in the last months of his life--he wanted to be there & wanted to help take care of his friends, even as his own health failed and as he needed assistance himself. Til the end, it seems, Senator Kennedy still believed that it wasn't all about him...it was about those people who needed him & who loved him & who gave his life purpose. He was the youngest of his siblings who, through misfortune & unspeakable loss, grew to become the patriarch not simply of the family with whom he shared blood lines, but of a political family throughout the entire country with whom he shared common values.

One of the many stories I heard from one of his friends was about the time a reporter had asked Senator Kennedy how, with his near-aristocratic station in life, he spent so much time speaking about & seeking to help those much less privileged than he, and he asked the reporter, "Haven't you ever read the Bible?". The Kennedys never wanted for anything, thanks to his father, Joe Kennedy's financial prowess, but it was Rose Kennedy who instilled in all her children the idea that"to whom much is given, much is required". That early life lesson combined with the loss of his two older brothers who had sought public service through elected office--and both of whom gave their lives in the process--impressed upon Teddy the unique responsibility that was his as the last Kennedy brother. I cannot begin to imagine what a heavy burden that was for Teddy Kennedy.

I know that he was not a perfect man, and he was known for his raucous personal life & his own personal foibles & mistakes, but Teddy Kennedy believed in redemption, and he worked tirelessly--especially in the last half of his life--to earn it. Senator Kennedy fought valiantly to give voice to those--as Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia recently described them--"those whose needs exceed their political clout." He didn't win every fight & he still left this world with an unfinished agenda, but he was never petty or small about it. Teddy Kennedy kept the faith & fought on & stood for his values relentlessly & regardless of the prevailing political winds because he believed so deeply in what he wanted to do & what he wanted his country to be.

Franklin Roosevelt, before he was President, in nominating the former governor of New York, Alfred Smith, at the 1924 Democratic Party Convention, called him "The Happy Warrior" for his work at ending racial violence, and I think the same appellation would befit the former senior Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, except that Senator Kennedy never saw his work as a war...he saw it as a work of the heart, where there need not be any more casualties.

Senator Edward "Teddy" Moore Kennedy lived a good, long, satisfying life, and in the end, when the time came for him to leave this world, he was surrounded by a large, loving family in the home he loved, and by a country whose greatness was due--at least in part--to his personal dedication to help lift the lives of "the least of these." He was given the gift of years that his brothers never had, and--in my humble opinion--he used them well, and he inspired so many of his fellow citizens to demand more, not just of their government, but of themselves.

In hearing all these tributes to this true American legend, I was reminded of a verse in the Bible I learned back in Sunday School, from Proverbs 27:19:

As water reflects a face,
so a man's heart reflects the man.

In my mind, as life was finally leaving Teddy's body, I just know that his heart was the last part of his physical being to stop...but in every one of us inspired by this great man, his heart & his ideals & the dream about which he always spoke & for which he gave his last full measure will live on long after the temporal shell crumbles away.

After all, isn't the dream supposed to outlast the dreamer?

America's Senator

I was in tears this morning when I heard about Senator Kennedy.

He became Senator in 1962—the year I was born.

Ted Kennedy is a big reason why I became a Democrat in the first place.

I feel a little sad for all the people in this world who will never get to see or know him as a larger-than-life contemporary figure in American politics & society. The kids coming up now will only know him as one of many historical figures that helped changed the world.

While I was thinking about all Senator Kennedy achieved in his life--not for himself, but for the country & world that he loved so much--and what still remains undone & what he said recently had become the passion of his life: national health care for every American, I couldn't help but think of the words that President Lincoln spoke in Gettysburg during the American Civil War. If I may be so bold as to paraphrase the President's words:

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what he did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which the senior Senator from Commonwealth of Massachusetts has thus far so nobly advanced.

Considering his tireless work on behalf of just about every underdog under the sun, Senator Kennedy deserves the honor of having a great health care bill named after him, and we who will benefit from it & who will hopefully be a healthier, more robust nation because of it deserve it, too.

I have never stepped a foot in Massachusetts, but, in my heart, Senator Kennedy has ALWAYS been MY Senator, and I will miss him & his fearlessness & his undying dedication to making the American dream real for ALL of us.

God bless you, Senator Kennedy!

My prayers are with his wife, Victoria, and all his loving family...and with our country.

Sexual Orientation is NOT a choice; Murder Is...

Now, why was it again that I chose to be gay???
:-(

God has two dwellings: one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.

The subject of this post is a quote from 17th Century British writer, Izaak Walton. It seemed to fit well here, as does this line whose author I am unable to determine:

I wake each morning with the thrill of expectation
and the joy of being alive.
And I'm thankful for this day.

Watching this video reminded me not only how short life is, but that it's not the quantity of our years that is important, but the quality of our years. Brenden had only 11 years of life, but he lived a real life, and was thankful for the time he was given.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, it also personally reminds me that--while sometimes I may lose sight of it every now & again--I don't need a national holiday to be thankful for all the blessings in my life.

"You're an original, that's what you are!"

The quote which is the title of this post was how George Kennedy's character, Dragline, in Cool Hand Luke described the film's namesake, Luke Jackson, portrayed magnificently by Paul Newman, who, sadly, passed away today at the age of 83.

Like millions of people around the world, I have been a longtime fan of Paul Newman's. He is a true American legend, not just for his obvious acting ability, but for his dedication to the real work necessary to making this world a better place through his many philanthropic works, the best-known of which was the The Newman's Own Foundation, which has donated over a quarter of a billion dollars to progressive causes since 1982.

Cool Hand Luke, which Mr. Newman made in 1967, is probably my most favorite of his films. If you haven't seen it, you should! It is the story of what happens when the proverbial irresistible force meets the immovable object. Cool Hand Luke is an unflinching look at one man's refusal to conform and a rural prison camp staff's determination to break an unbreakable spirit. To me, the film didn't glorify law-breaking or criminal life, because it was brutal in it's depiction of the merciless life of a chain gang. This film, for me, was about how even the lowest of station can have a dream (if not a hope) for a life that's better than their present circumstances dictate. While the real-life actor Paul Newman and his fictional alter-ego, Luke, did share a seemingly indomitable spirit, in at least one very important way, Newman was the anti-Luke: Mr. Newman led the full, honorable, life that Luke may have desired deep inside (like the rest of us), but of which he seemed incapable of understanding or achieving. If Paul Newman had done no other films in his life, in my opinion, his role as Luke would have cemented his place eternally in Hollywood royalty.

Another one-liner from the fictional Dragline comes to mind about the fictional Luke that could just as easily describe the amazing real man who played the part, especially considering Mr. Newman's dedication to giving back to a world that had given him so much...as if his gifted acting ability wasn't enough: Paul Newman was, "a natural born world-shaker."

As a true fan, I thank you, Mr. Newman, for shaking things up for so long.

“I'm a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being... by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant.”

Paul Newman, 1925 -2008

Rest In Peace, Del!

Leading longtime California GLBTQI activist has passed away. I thank God she saw her long-sought dream come true before she went on to her reward. Please keep her wife, Phyllis, in your prayers!

Barack & Joe

I got my text message at 3:11 a.m. Saturday morning announcing Barack Obama's choice of Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his Vice-Presidential running mate, and (as you may suspect) I am quite pleased with the choice. I am familiar with Joe Biden's great work all these years & I know that for a 60+ year old Irish heterosexual white Roman Catholic male, he's pretty supportive of the GLBTQI community (he's not perfect in his support of our rights, mind you, but--considering his background--like Barack, he doesn't see us as the enemy & he appears to keep an open mind, so it's a good start).

After listening to Senator Biden yesterday in his first joint appearance with hopefully the next President of the United States in Springfield, Illinois where Senator Obama began his campaign, I can see why Obama picked Biden. Joe came running up on the platform, ready & rarin' to go & he spoke passionately about how it feels to be a regular working guy (or gal) & trying to make ends meet in an economy that only a multi-millionaire could love. He spoke about how the American people can overcome any obstacle if they have a leader who will actually lead. He also took a few opening shots at Senator McCain. McCain is obviously Biden's colleague and even his friend, but he wasn't afraid to explain why McCain was a bad choice for our country, and how electing the Senator from Arizona was nothing more than stamp of approval on Bush's failed presidency, and how we can't afford 4 more years of the same old same old. He even got the chance to reference McCain's lack of knowledge on how many homes he owns. When he was speaking about what it's like, after you put the kids to bed at night, sitting at the kitchen table & wondering how to get all the bills paid, he said that McCain doesn't know what that's like because he'd have a hard time trying to figure out which of the 7 kitchen tables to even sit at!

I was impressed, too, with Joe Biden's life story. When he was first elected to the U.S. Senate, before he even took office, his family was in a horrific car accident where he lost his wife & his daughter. His two sons survived, but had to be hospitalized (his son, Beau, who is Delaware's Attorney General, is being deployed to Iraq this October, by the way). When it came time to be sworn into office, he wasn't on the floor of the Senate with his colleagues, he was in the hospital with his sons. He even considered not going on with his Senate career. Anyone in his position would have probably done the same thing, but instead of giving into the grief & the unspeakable sense of loss, he soldiered on & began the work that his family had supported him in...luckily for the rest of us.

Joe also underwent brain surgery in 1988 for two life-threatening brain aneurysms, from which it took him seven months to recuperate, and yet, here he is. After having personally endured not only the loss of his wife & daughter, but nearly his own life, Joe Biden has continued his good work in the U.S. Senate for the country he obviously loves. He had every reason in the world to just give up & go back home, but it wasn't what his father taught him. Not to diminish or minimize what Joe has had to endure, but he obviously knows that some fights are worth a few scars. In his speech yesterday, he recalled how his dad told him that it's not about getting knocked down, but about how quickly you get back up, and that seems to be the story of Joe.

Considering the background of Senator Biden's own personal life experience, the testament to his dedication to making a difference in this country in spite of his own personal tragedies, his ability to intelligently & passionately discuss the important issues of the day, his way of being able to connect with the everyday man or woman on the street & his obvious expert grasp of foreign & military affairs, it is hardly a surprise that Senator Obama would choose this man to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

I think Senator Obama's choice of Senator Biden for VP says as much about Obama as much as it does about Biden. It shows that judgment matters...even more than one's military service or lack thereof. If Senator Obama's decision to ask Senator Biden to join him on his campaign of change is any indication, I am even more convinced that Obama is the right person to lead us & that we, as a country, can do whatever we set our minds & hearts to do.

Yes We Can.

Jesse Helms Dead at 86

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/04/conservative-icon-senator_n_110867.html

I never agreed with him & I am disgusted at what he did to make people like me feel like second-class citizens & less-than-human.

As with his brother-in-arms, Jerry Falwell, I will not miss him; I will not pretend I am sad that he is gone; and, I will not heap fake praise on a human being so undeserving. I do, however, wish his family quick relief of pain at their obvious loss, and pray that God is much more merciful with Sen. Helms than the Senator was with his "enemies" on earth.

A Life Well Lived

Like most anyone else who follows politics at all, I was/am familiar with the name Tim Russert. I know he's been the host of Meet The Press as well as the Washington Bureau chief for NBC News for over a decade and a half & I've seen how he can make the most experienced politician squirm when he/she isn't being fully forthcoming or is trying to backtrack on statements they wish they hadn't made or is trying to change the subject.

I also had watched MTP so often that I knew that he loved his hometown, Buffalo, NY: he was a big Buffalo Bills fan, and a dedicated Irish Catholic who loved his faith. I know that, before he began his career in journalism, he worked for legendary Democratic senator Daniel Moynihan & the former Democratic New York governor Mario Cuomo. I know he also loved his father dearly and that he wrote a book about him, but what I didn't know (til this weekend) was how very much he was loved & respected!

Starting with Keith Olbermann on this past Friday afternoon up until this morning's telecast of MTP with Tim's chair empty, I've heard so much about not just the great journalist he was, but more often & most importantly, how great a friend & person he was. I heard not just his co-workers but his competitors (Bob Schieffer of CBS's Face The Nation & George Stephanopolous of ABC's This Week) talk about how thoughtful & how kind & how simply nice he was. There must have been a hundred people I've heard during the course of this weekend talk about Tim Russert. Without exception, they all spoke of their great admiration for the man first & the journalist second. You could also see how difficult it has been for each of them to find the right words to describe how they felt about their friend. Almost all their voices cracked with emotion talking about their fond remembrances of their colleague. I even saw the hard-nosed Republican operative & Dick Cheney employee, Mary Matalin, wiping away tears. I wasn't sure til then that she even possessed the ability to cry (jk). From the President of the United States to everyday folks invited to leave their thoughts about Tim on NBC's website, people have spoken & written about how much they will miss this man, who, at 58 years of age, left his family and his obvious many fans much too soon. Even the politicians called him tough but fair & not one of those "gotcha" types.

I write about this because it makes me wonder if Tim knew, while he was still here, how all these people felt about him. I wonder if these people took the time to stop & tell Tim Russert exactly how much he meant to them. If I had to guess, I'd say he knew. I can't imagine someone so apparently loved & so admired didn't know how blessed & how loved he was. Tim's friends & co-workers have been so eloquent about how they felt about him that they must have had lots of practice at least thinking about how important he was to them. The words seem to have come so easily to them, even though their hearts have been completely broken. I would wager that anyone who's seen the coverage on MSNBC has wondered, as I have, how these people will continue their lives without him. Much as they may not relish the idea, they will go on, of course, because that's just how life works. I'd also wager that that's how Tim would have wanted it, too. Being the devout Catholic he was, I'm sure he was pretty sure of what was awaiting him after this life, and I'm sure he knows that those he left behind know that he's happy where he is now; he's home, and the burden now is on those who loved him & cared for him so much. I think that they are the ones for whom the rest of us should feel the sorrow. Tim Russert's passing must represent such a loss & such a hole in their lives, and,the sad truth is, some voids just can't ever be filled. There is an emptiness by necessity, even if it's only as a reminder of the blessing he was to all those who knew him. If you think about it, those memories we all create in our lives & the lives of those we touch are the permanent part of us impermanent creatures.

As I have been watching the remembrances & the tributes to Tim Russert, I can't help but wonder if I let my friends & my family know how much they mean to me: how blessed I am that they share my life with me...how they decorate my life. I don't think that I could ever really communicate to those wonderful people in my life all they have given to me. I just don't think I have the words...which is saying something for someone like me who usually doesn't know when to stop talking.

I hope each of us has somehow--in some way--let those special folks in our lives know the difference they make. Even if you don't get a chance to hug them or write a beautifully-worded letter or email, I hope we each get a chance to somehow communicate what we probably each carry around in our hearts every day & maybe even unintentionally take for granted. We are only human after all.

Even though Tim Russert's family, friends & co-workers have said so much about Tim these past few days, from what I've seen & heard, I'm positive that none of them had to utter the words that I pray none of the rest of us will have to say one day either: "I wish I had told him/her what he/she meant to me while he/she was still here...".

Beauty is lung-deep

So I went crazy this morning & decided to take a 25-mile bike ride (what a way to celebrate Memorial Day!) & at the half-way point, I stopped at a Walgreen's to get a drink & sit & rest my weary bones a few minutes. As I was sitting there on the bench sipping my Celsius, I saw this rather handsome young man glide by on his skateboard. He was about 6 ft tall, broad shoulders with dark hair & sunglasses & was wearing surfer-type shorts & appeared to be in his mid- to late 20's. Unfortunately (for me), he decided to wear a shirt instead of shoes! He was on his cell phone & circled the parking lot a couple of times while he was carrying on his conversation. Sitting on the bench, watching the show, I thought, "What a wonderful view on this wonderful Memorial Day!" As if to prove that all good things must come to an end, he eventually stopped in the corner of the parking lot in the shade and reached in his shorts pocket & pulled out a pack of cigarettes & lighter. Of course, he lit up & started puffing & all of a sudden, he became not-so-hot-after-all. What a dirty rotten shame & such a waste! I guess he doesn't know or care that the average male smoker dies 13.2 years earlier than their nonsmoking counterparts (and females smokers die 14.5 years earlier than female nonsmokers). I wonder how many miles you'd have to skateboard to make up for those years?!?!

Well, if he's planning on living off his looks, I hope he's taking full advantage of it now. Sadly, he probably doesn't have much longer...

I hate cigarettes.

"...we ain't what we should be, we ain't what we're gonna be, but at least we ain't what we were..."

I just finished watching one of my most favorite episodes of Designing Women where Charlene was giving birth to her daughter, Olivia. The title of the episode is "The First Day of the Last Decade of the Entire Twentieth Century" and was aired on CBS on January 1, 1990 (pretty appropriate, I guess).

One of the last scenes in the episode show the main cast huddled around the bed of one of the hospital's oldest patients, Miss Minnie Bell Ward. Being a century old, she was apparently in the hospital a lot, so the hospital staff knew her well, and they invited the Sugarbakers & their friends to come talk to her while they were waiting for Charlene to have her baby.

Miss Minnie apparently had a lot to say regarding her life: watching her children be born & then, one by one, leave her behind. She was obviously so tired & so ready to be done with a life without those people her heart had grown to love over the many many years.

Her last few lines, as she lies in her bed on the verge of her last breath, have always really touched me, and I am sharing them here with you in hopes they touch you too!

"...I thought as I got older, the bold outline of truth would be revealed to me, but it hasn't happened. When I was young, I was in such a hurry. And now, I've been here a hundred years. It seems like only yesterday I held my babies in my arms. I'm glad to be going home. It's been a long time since I've seen my family. And I wish for all of you, all the love and happiness I had in my life -- and I hope the world keeps going toward freedom. And I hope that people everywhere can learn to live together in peace. As my pappa used to say......we ain't what we should be, we ain't what we're gonna be, but at least we ain't what we were....."