hppants
Well-known member
A quiet reflective morning for Pants today. Perhaps some of you have seen the news about the theatre murders in my hometown. Thankfully, my peeps are all safe but its a very sobering mood here now. I know it's cliche' but really - this kind of thing just doesn't happen here. We know it happens in New Orleans and Houston - we read and see about it often. But here? Hard to imagine, and even harder to accept.
I know that every place is "special" with its own history, culture, and people. I've seen much of it first hand in my travels. My place is no different.
The story of the Cajuns is inspiring. In 1765, when the Acadians in what is now Canada refused to swear allegiance to the then occupied British colonists, they were all deported from their land. Some settled in New England, some drifted, but most found their way to southwest Louisiana, where the French were looking for anyone to homestead the vast Louisiana territory. I often imagine the incredible challenges these people faced to adapt and develop what was surely a disease infested swamp land. I believe they did it by laughing a little bit every day, by having a strong faith, a good bit of stubborness, and by helping each other out and being there for each other for the greater and complete good.
DNA and the Human Spirit are both incredible things. Once you peel away the superficial stuff, you can still see these great qualities in our people 250 years later. What you see in the movies and on TV is exaggerated, but not by much. We have a tendency to celebrate just about anything. If it moves or grows, we can cook and prepare it to taste like a delicacy. We work hard and play just as hard. Most of us are stubborn - set in our ways that are deeply rooted in closeness of family and faith.
But today I'm reminded of what is perhaps our very best quality - when one of us needs help, all of us come quickly, selflessly, and willingly. The biggest will come to the aid of the smallest, and not think twice about it. This crosses every demographic line you can possibly imagine - it doesn't matter. We offer our resources and our talents. And the next day, we check on our brother or sister to make sure they are all right and back on track.
And we will do that with our beloved victims this week. The ones that were in the line of fire, their families and friends, and everyone else like me that can't seem to make sense of this right now. But we are strong and we are not scared. This is not going to change the way we live.
Today my wife and I are throwning a surprise 20th birthday party for our son. Next weekend we put him on a plane to Europe, where he will study in France this Fall. We won't see him until Christmas. Today we will be surrounded by our family and close friends. And you can bet your lunch that today I will hug and kiss my kids, look them straight in the eye, and tell them that I am proud of them....
.....and I love them.
I know that every place is "special" with its own history, culture, and people. I've seen much of it first hand in my travels. My place is no different.
The story of the Cajuns is inspiring. In 1765, when the Acadians in what is now Canada refused to swear allegiance to the then occupied British colonists, they were all deported from their land. Some settled in New England, some drifted, but most found their way to southwest Louisiana, where the French were looking for anyone to homestead the vast Louisiana territory. I often imagine the incredible challenges these people faced to adapt and develop what was surely a disease infested swamp land. I believe they did it by laughing a little bit every day, by having a strong faith, a good bit of stubborness, and by helping each other out and being there for each other for the greater and complete good.
DNA and the Human Spirit are both incredible things. Once you peel away the superficial stuff, you can still see these great qualities in our people 250 years later. What you see in the movies and on TV is exaggerated, but not by much. We have a tendency to celebrate just about anything. If it moves or grows, we can cook and prepare it to taste like a delicacy. We work hard and play just as hard. Most of us are stubborn - set in our ways that are deeply rooted in closeness of family and faith.
But today I'm reminded of what is perhaps our very best quality - when one of us needs help, all of us come quickly, selflessly, and willingly. The biggest will come to the aid of the smallest, and not think twice about it. This crosses every demographic line you can possibly imagine - it doesn't matter. We offer our resources and our talents. And the next day, we check on our brother or sister to make sure they are all right and back on track.
And we will do that with our beloved victims this week. The ones that were in the line of fire, their families and friends, and everyone else like me that can't seem to make sense of this right now. But we are strong and we are not scared. This is not going to change the way we live.
Today my wife and I are throwning a surprise 20th birthday party for our son. Next weekend we put him on a plane to Europe, where he will study in France this Fall. We won't see him until Christmas. Today we will be surrounded by our family and close friends. And you can bet your lunch that today I will hug and kiss my kids, look them straight in the eye, and tell them that I am proud of them....
.....and I love them.
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