Thought i'd post this, kinda self explanitory. cire
Freedom - Our Heritage and Legacy - The Cost of Freedom
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education.
They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: Freedom is never free!
Me 48 X's vary S 27 S 18 Back with high school sweety after 30 years..
George Carlin was an American comedian of the 70's and 80's. He was known to be a little foul-mouthed and it is fascinating that after the death of his wife and 9-11 he would write the following.
A wonderful Message by George Carlin
"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more,but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air ... but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
Me 48 X's vary S 27 S 18 Back with high school sweety after 30 years..
Some time ago, a friend of mine punished his 4 year old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the small child tried to decorate a box to put under the tree. Nevertheless the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said "This is for you Daddy."
He was embarrassed by his earlier over reaction... He opened the box and his anger flared again when he found the box was empty.
Then he yelled at her:
DON'T YOU KNOW when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside of it???
The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said,
Oh Daddy it's not empty, I blew kisses into the box, all for you Daddy.
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her for forgiveness. My friend told me that he kept that gold box near his bed for years.
Whenever he was discouraged he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense each of us has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses.
There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
Me 48 X's vary S 27 S 18 Back with high school sweety after 30 years..
Question? If you have the feelings that you are being called to stand is second guessing part of that?
I ask this because of my circumstances. I have had 4 loves in my life, and each one I still love. Mind you, lots of promiscuity, but these 4 loves were long term and 2 marriages.
The first one I messed up and wanted to play because of my age, 23. We had something wonderful and I still pine for her at times 21 yrs. later.
#2 is my kids mother, married 8 yrs. and she left me for another man. I'm to blame for some of this like anyone here. I believe we are both better off apart now. She still goes psycho b@#%ch on me at times 10 plus yrs. later. Including December around Christmas talking with W at bar and spewing about me to break us apart. Yet she has a part of me (kids) and some memories that I will always love.
#3 5 yrs. together everything in common. She leaves, remarries and then regrets it and wants back. I tell her not now but lets see in time. She can't wait divorces H and marries again. Then later tells me it was a mistake and still wants to come back. By this time i'm with W and working on what I have now. I still love her and wish her the best but she has since moved to midwest and I haven't heard from her in 6 months.
Which brings me to #4 current. I truly love her like no other. We have talked about this in the past. She knows my history, and I know hers, (sad as it may be). We connect for each other like nobody before. I haven't heard from her in months. She still has things of mine at her house. I still have a key. Yet, she has a BF. What she's thinking and if i'm in her thoughts I don't know. What makes this confusing is we don't have kids or the long term together (4 yrs.) on and off. I still have this draw to stand and I don't know why...
Like I said, I do Love them all!
It sounds cliche but my W feels like my soulmate and I feel compelled to stand but I have second thoughts. Even a current young hottie (OMG) that is professing love for me over the internet. YES I KNOW.......
Lots of history for a small question but I don't have all the family stuff with this one that so many of you do.
Does it make a difference in the stand?
cire
Me 48 X's vary S 27 S 18 Back with high school sweety after 30 years..
A turtle family went on a picnic.. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outings.Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found it. For about six months theycleaned up the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements.
Then they discovered the had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home.
Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
Three years passed-- and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years.. then in the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and began to unwrap a sandwich.
At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, "SEE I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt."
The Moral Is...
Some of us waste our lives waiting for people to live up to our expectations of them. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves.
******
Me 48 X's vary S 27 S 18 Back with high school sweety after 30 years..
maybe a gentle nudge