No wife ... two ex-wives. I have three daughters.
The oldest, a Junior in College, is going to a top ranked engineering school and working half time as a project manager.
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The middle daughter has one more year of high school and lives with her mom. She is more art and literature oriented so I am sending her my treatment on 'Noblility and Corruption', although I am not completely finished with it (may never be).
Nobility
Human nobility established on a regard for the common goodness in all, is the foundation of a healthy society. Rather than a rigid dictate, handed down by social authority to control you, it is the idea that you control, by your free will, the choice of a beneficent path over the corrupt.
Nobility is realized individually through freedom of conscience, which maintains the delicate balance between responsibility for the care of one's fellows and the freedom from oppression by one's fellows that we should all seek individually and on behalf of one another.
If it were given that the world offered only a live and let live existence, there would be no cause for human nobility. It is more complicated than that, so we are left with purposeful choice.
Common Goodness
Common goodness is a mutual regard for the well being of self and others. It provides the freedom to be left alone in pursuit of dreams, while allowing one to encourage and even support another.
The texture of humanity is bound by living well and being well as one amongst others, while bringing harm to none. Our future lies within the dwindling flicker of hope that we can fan the flames of liberty while simultaneously and absolutely extinguishing brutality.
It is essentially a struggle, since our existence may at times observe virtue and honor, while simultaneously being provoked by base and vile injustices. We must claim autonomy, direction, and responsibility for the condition of a unique soul, while maintaining a universal obligation toward our relationship with the one and the many of creation.
We cannot legitimately claim there is even a flicker of hope for our own well being as long as there is even one oppressed member of humanity forced to live under brutal tyranny.
Freedom of Conscience
Freedom of conscience maintains the delicate balance between responsibility for the care of one's fellows and the freedom from oppression by one's fellows that we should all seek individually and on behalf of one another.
Any form of coercion that would limit our ability or desire to pursue our noblest nature is a violation of conscience and liberty. The list of ways to coerce a fellow into such an existence is unending. A common label for this experience is oppression.
Any violation of this principle is a violation of Peace, Justice and the Liberty to live as a noble human being. Any such violation must be opposed, beginning at your heart and continuing by word and deed as necessary, lest you forgo your membership as noble human being, and deservedly become one of the forlorn and oppressed.
‘neath the lamp of human nobility can be no darkness.
Noble Cause
Any noble cause is defined by its purpose. The restoration or establishment of that which is held in common as good, such as justice; or efforts to liberate self and others from grosser endeavors of human existence are noble.
Purpose
As awareness of life in the Universe is founded upon conscious meaning applied to matter, the age old natural question arises… ‘So What?’ What purpose does human consciousness serve, if not to allow human will to liberate self from the grosser endeavors of human existence.
Liberation is not a matter of defeating your opposition; it is a matter of locating common purpose that binds the good in all of us.
The history of the world is one of liberating human beings from one form of powerful corruption to another. If you have something to lose, you are not free to choose.
“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don’t mean nothing honey if it ain’t free, …” (‘Me & Bobby McGee’, sung by Janis Joplin on ‘Pearl’ album 1971)
Freedom is living without coercion from government authority, social doctrine, religious dogma or pressure from the elite and powerful. So, when anyone talks about freedom for this group or that, ask yourself whether he is advocating more or less coercive action.
“I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man"? (Thomas Jefferson)
If we hope to remain free, we must cut through the fog and attach concrete meanings to the words of those who make use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power or to deceive us.
"We're not here because we're free. We're here because we're not free. There is no escaping reason; no denying purpose. Because as we both know, without purpose, we would not exist.
It is purpose that created us.
Purpose that connects us.
Purpose that pulls us.
That guides us.
That drives us.
It is purpose that defines us.
Purpose that binds us." (The Matrix Revolution 2003)
You think your stuff is important. “What does it profit you if you gain the whole world but lose your very soul?” (Book of Mark 8:36, King James Bible)
"We must be the change we wish to see in the world" (Mahatma
Gandhi)
“It’s not who I am underneath…
It’s what I can do that defines me.” (Batman Begins, 2005)
"The question isn't 'who is going to let me'; it's 'who is going to stop me'." (Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead)
Be the change
Be the Reason…
Corruption
A representative is under social contract to serve the interests of their constituencies even when it may conflict with material interests of their own. Those being represented have in essence lent their trust to the representative and this trust is the basis of social contract.
So any form of private or group advantage that is brought to bare as an influence on the conduct of a representative represents a potential breach. It is a breach, if it influences the representative to do anything other that represent the best interests of the representatives constituencies.
We seem to have developed a high tolerance for influence peddling and patronage in this country. These are very corrupt practices which seem rampant to the extent of acceptance as habitual practice.
The link to corruption is in the act of 'allowing'. The act of allowing, or not allowing, is the responsibility of the representative.
Corruption occurs when a representative allows an influence to adversely effect or conflict with them representing the interests of their constituency. Even though we are all confronted with all kinds of influences on a daily basis, the act of allowing, or not allowing, is the responsibility of the representative. Corruption is then, the responsibility of the representative who allows it to occur. Any breach of this trust relationship is a violation of the social contract.
Restoration
Until we begin individually to demonstrate and encourage commitment, establish mutual expectations and benefits, promote excellence, expect mutual respect and support models of respect and cooperation, we will not be able to strengthen the confidence of every individual to participate in a future desirable state of being, as individuals and for the sake of our children’s children’s children. Those who give up quickly find them selves experiencing a purposeless and baneful life of woe.
A Soul’s Renewal
Hope is a haunting pest
Vision mingles lurking past
Flickering yond horizons of will
E’er hazy of aim m' resolve instill
Course befalls dream at fading glance
Abandon collides wi’ pursuit of chance
Endeavor anew while in reprieve
Mortal stress assuredly ‘twill relieve
Where slender streams illumine brinks
Lovely fire storms of blissful links
At long last sparks of fond recollection
Establish desire’s most singular perfection.
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I am a single parent to the youngest (8 year old). She just took a test at a private testing center and topped out on the test they gave her at 7th grade plus. She's goes to public school and they don't have an accelerated math program so I am struggling with options.
How 'bout you? |
