Are You There God? It's Me, Dawn

On this Memorial Day, I figured I'd tell you a bit about my dad.

He was a Vietnam veteran who receieved both a purple heart and a bronze star.  Of course you get the purple heart for getting injured in battle and the bronze star for valor in action.

He didn't really talk too much about his service until the last few years.  But I learned the most about his time in service after his death.  So many folks who served with him told us how brave he was over in Vietnam...a real hero. 

Also, in going through his papers, we found out that he'd been exposed to agent orange which has been linked to hypertension and heart trouble.  As you know, my pops died of a heart aneurysm which I've been trying to convince myself didn't occur because of his service to our country. 

Did he die suddenly at age sixty two because of things that he was exposed to as a twenty-something?  As an adult, I always marveled to my dad at how amazing it was that he wasn't mentally traumatized by the things he saw and had to do as a young man in Vietnam.  He'd always say there was no use dwelling on the past.  So I won't dwell.  At least I'll try not to.

I just think it's good to remember that when those young men and women come back from war, they still might not be alright...I think my dad was a special case.

Tell a veteran thank you today.  They're still with us...but who knows what memories and demons they're carrying with them.

...I'm a dork, but I'm happy that David Cook won American Idol last night.  Did anyone else watch the finale?  It was great!

So I came home during lunch the other day and noticed a bird's nest in my gutter.  Since I love nature, I stopped and stared for a while and the nesting mama robin didn't seem too concerned about me.

Fast forward to that night and I walked out onto the porch to tie my shoes up before going for a run and poked my head up to look at the nest.  Oddly enough, mama robin wasn't there.  I thought that was weird, but then went about tying my shoes.

When I looked back up at the nest, mama robin was back...and so was papa.  And he was none to happy.  Papa robin was screeching at me in his loudest and most intimidating voice.  And it worked.  I had visions of papa robin poking my eyes out in defense of his family.  Not only was he hollering at me, he was advancing on the branch...and rapidly.

I just knew he was going to swoop and dive bomb me and it'd be all over, but the only way out was to pass papa robin.  I couldn't go back into the house because I'd just tied my house key onto my shoe and no way was I taking my eyes off of that bird.

Anyway, he's still hollering and (no joke!) I've got my hands up in surrender mode just trying to get off of the porch so that I could get my run started.  I take a deep breath and just go.  I swear papa robin followed me to the end of the block.  I think it's safe to say that I was scared.

So I haven't walked in my front door since that happened a couple of days ago and I'm good with that.

We can start it you know.

We can make church what it ought to be: diverse...racially, ethnically, and philosophically.

Start a revolution at your church.  Go to your pastor and tell him that this homogenous congregation isn't what you thought Christ was about.  When you really think about it (I mean really), do you think Christ would be happy about all the Black folks, Hispanic folks, Asian folks, and White folks going and separating ourselves into comfort zones.

Wasn't Christ a radical?  Didn't He challenge folks to be uncomfortable?  And through that discomfort, you will learn that we're not so different...and that will bring comfort.

If you're not around racially diverse folks...what about philosophically?  Christians are notorious for segregating ourselves from those that don't think like us.  Don't believe me?  Why do we have Lutherans, Episcopalians, Baptists, etc.?

Like it or not, we're all part of the problem.  And believe me, it's a problem.

Hola amigos!

I've been bustling about lately.  The first of May was my dad's one month anniversary...not my best day.  The second I cut my dreads off so I'm trying to get used to seeing myself in the mirror.  The third I had a Cinco de Mayo party that was a smashing success.   The fourth, me and Mr. Fab vegged out.

I know I said I didn't want to talk about my dad non-stop (which is kinda why I haven't been around for a while), but I'm still amazed at all of the stuff that there is to do when someone dies.  Praise the Lord for my brother, because I'd probably just throw in the towel and say screw it.

I'm wondering when I'll stop being weird and get back to normal.  *sigh*