100 Things I believe

02 Aug 100 Things I believe

In no particular order

I believe…
…quiet can be interesting
…experimental is not always challenging
…or brilliant
…or good
…politics and government are not the same thing
…propaganda, while not always evil, is more often bad than it is good
…patriot is a term defined by the winning side
…so is treason
…love and happiness are often and mistakenly believed to be related
…evil doesn’t always show itself in big and obvious ways
…hindsight really is 20/20
…often the best choice from a historical perspective is not always the obvious one
…sometimes letting it go is the healthiest thing you can do
…action and movement are not the same thing (ok, I stole this one from Hemingway)
…the devil is in the details
…so’s God
…there’s not much better on earth than a night in a small bar with a great band
…add a pretty girl who digs you as much as she digs the band and that’s better
…add a great ham and cheese omelet for breakfast the next day and that’s better yet
…warm sunshine through a window on a cold afternoon with nothing to do actually restores your soul
…souls exist – yes they do
…there is goodness in people – not all people and not all the time, but it’s there
…generosity of the spirit is built into people – you can be taught some of it, but some people are just good, dammit
…some people just don’t get it
…and never will
…stories are important
…stories do get better in the telling
…the best stories don’t always have a happy ending
…but some of them do
…bittersweet is an underused, underfelt experience
…American’s don’t have a corner on the market in brilliance
…America really is as good a place to live as exists on earth
…but there are more than a few other places that’ll give us a run for our money
…family means more to some people than it does to others
…when it’s made up of a bunch of generally good people, family can be as important as breathing
…friends and people you’re friendly with are not the same thing
…not that there’s anything wrong with being friendly with people
…friends are imperative
…friends are easy and difficult and complex and impossible to understand sometimes
…a friend, if you have a real one, is more important than your mate – simply because your friend doesn’t have as much at stake in you
…rock and roll really can change the world
…jazz did
…classical and country have a place in the world even if we don’t listen that much
…the Beatles, while an obvious choice, really are the most important band of all time
…but the Stones area better rock & roll band
…still.
…yellow cake with chocolate fudge icing out of the refrigerator could be confused with heaven
…a glass of milk so cold it makes your teeth hurt makes it even better
…drugs are a curse on the weakest among us
…so’s booze
…I still drink from time to time
…most people in positions of power don’t understand the way regular people live
…or want to
…freedom and liberty are not the same thing
…liberty is far more important
…as much as the French would have us believe that their revolution set the stage for democracy across the world, it never would have happened if not for the American revolution (that’s what our British friends still refer to as “the rebellion”)
…a handful of idiots dressed as indians pitching crates of tea into Boston harbor in the dead of winter, 1773 should never be forgotten
…and never bastardized into contemporary anger
…you CAN fight city hall
…and the White House
…and the crown, emperor, fuhrer, il duce, or the boss
…if you really believe it
…there’s nothing more powerful than words, if you believe them
…our current elected representatives would be wise to remember this before people start quoting Thomas Jefferson about the tree of liberty again
…modern patriots need to be careful they’re not labeled terrorists
…there’s no argument so deep that can’t be solved by compromise – or simply agreeing to disagree for the time being
…there doesn’t always need to be one winner
…not every situation has a winner
…not every situation is a game
…but when it is a game… winning is fun
…winners should be gracious
…losers shouldn’t be sore
…cheating is wrong
…if you get caught, you just just suck it up and take your medicine
…the best things in life aren’t easy
…that’s what makes those things great
…listening to waves roll onto a shoreline is one of the most joyful sounds to the human ear
…helping someone who doesn’t know he’s being helped is really a beautiful thing
…stealing is a cowardly, two-faced, low-down thing to do to someone
…conning someone who deserves to be separated from his money can be an art if it’s done well
…most people eventually get what they deserve
…death isn’t the worst punishment on earth
…money may not be the root of all evil, but it is at the root of all evil
…everyone should know what it is like to win
…and lose
…and be embarrassed
…and heartbroken
…there’s something beyond this world
…we’ll never understand it until we get there
…we’re supposed to help each other
…we’re connected to the seasons
…some people really are just dumb
…most clever people aren’t nearly as clever as they think they are
…some very rare people actually are scary-smart – and I’m glad to have them around
…life is terminal
…and short
…and disheartening, disenfranchising, and disappointing
…but also inspiring and overwhelming
…so think before you speak
…and act
…and enjoy the simple things – because they really are the best things

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