Life and Times of Greg, Monica, & Maddie

Freedom Is Coming!!

Oh, Freedom!
Freedom is coming!
Oh, Freedom!
Freedom is coming!
Oh, Freedom!
Freedom is coming!
Oh, yes I know!
Oh, yes I know!
Oh, yes I know!

These were the lyrics from a South African freedom song against Apartheid that we sang at Westark Community College my Freshman year in 1991. For those of you who know it, you can sing along. However, for those of you who don't, you may think, "What boring lyrics." But it's really a good song!

The reason that I am singing this song is two-fold. First, because yesterday marked the 14th anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela from the Robben Island jail after 27 years of incarceration. Second, because I just took what is quite possibly my last college exam. I have officially finished my written comprehensive exams. So, I am feeling rather connected in a metaphorical sense to the great Mandela. After about 23 years of academic "incarceration," I see hope around the corner. This is only the first hurdle I have to jump before I am free. I still have to find out if I passed my written exams. I have to defend my answers and review my program in my oral comprehensive exam. And don't even mention the dissertation. But I see a very faint light at the end of this very long tunnel. I don't mean to trivialize the struggle that Mandela went through. I know my circumstances are unfathomably different from Mandela's. But I believe his struggle should serve as an inspiration to everyone. When you have faith in yourself and your ideals and a lot of support from family and friends, you can achieve your goals.

I am seeing great meaning in the following quote from Nelson Mandela at this point in my life:

"I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended."

Nelson Mandela inside his prison cell.
(In this picture, I like to imagine that the door is about to open, and he is going to walk out and breathe free air!)

Michael Moore

Michael Moore in "Bowling for Columbine."

Well, I (Greg) have gotten through my first week of comprehensive exams, and they didn't go as badly as I had feared. To take a little respite, we went to hear Michael Moore speak. Yes, he came to the Spartan auditorium, and he was fantastik! Now, for those of you who may live under a rock, Michael Moore is the very liberal and very popular film director who shot "Bowling for Columbine" and has written several books, including the most recent one, "Dude, Where's my Country!" His talk packed the auditorium to levels that they have not seen in over 15 years! It was great to see such support for civil rights, workers' rights, and liberal values in general!

It was so nice to be in a place where the values that I believe in were not taboo to be talked about. It was so nice to be in an environment where people all around cheered when he mentioned the rights of same sex couples to marry, when he mentioned that capital punishment was wrong, and when he stated that sending soldiers into battle to be killed for fabricated reasons (i.e., this absolutely ridiculous war in Iraq) is NOT "supporting our troops"!

Now many of you out there may have heard that Michael Moore recently endorsed candidate Wesley Clark (from my home state of Arkansas). I was a bit shocked by this at first, given that Clark is rather moderate on several issues and voted for Nixon and Reagan. However, Moore explained this very well. He stated that what we need is a candidate that will get rid of Bush. What better than a person with strong liberal values, plus a five star General, plus Southern roots to win some of the key states, plus a converted Republican!? I don't know if he totally swayed me, but he made a good point. Oh, well I guess my candidate, Al Sharpton is not going to get the nomination after all. Alas, alack!

Michael Moore was incredible! He is such an excellent public speaker and really roused the rabble! Monica actually got to talk with him during the book signing. It was a great experience that even Maddie enjoyed.

This is just to say

This is just to say
that I have absolutely nothing to write
cold and gray here
is sunshine yellow and warm? I forget.
Eight inches on the ground
Eight more to come.
Greg has comps,
I have rehearsals
and auditions--
Maddie has us the rest of the time.
The child continues to Amaze and Delight.
That's all--no profundity today
or indeed this week and last.
This is just to say
That life is still more sweet than bitter
Winter still sucks
and we're still here.

Found-Art--Try it!

While I was listening to NPR (as all good liberals do), I heard a story about a ultra-cool movement that is happening. You may remember the bumper stickers that said "Commit Random Act of Kindness and Senseless Beauty." Well, an artist took that to heart and created a movement where artists around the world would randomly leave inspirational art around for people to find with a note attached that said that the art was created for them to take home as a part of this movement to make the world a better place. It also refers to the website, so that the person can learn some anonymous information about the artist. I think it is such an inspiring cause! If you have some artistic ability at all, I challenge you to click on the above link and become an active participant in this. I am going to try myself, and I will keep you posted concerning my successes, failures, obstacles, or inspirations. Please do the same.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Frances St. Exupery

Goodbye Kika!

Some of you may know that Maddie got a hamster about 2 1/2 years ago. It was the first pet that she could truly call her own. The truth is that our two older cats were a little set in their ways, and they didn't really want to devote any time to getting to know Maddie. So, we got her a hamster. Now, this was no ordinary hamster. She loved to be held and played with and she LOVED to escape! We discovered after we had her a few days that she was able to open her own cage! We had to construct a lock to keep her in. The funny thing was that when she escaped, we didn't worry. We always knew where she was. Kika had built herself a little "Hamster Hotel" in the broiler of the oven. When she escaped, she would go around the floor gathering bits of food to eat and bits of material for her nest, then would get nice and cozy right in the oven. We just had to be careful to make sure that she was in her cage when we wanted to bake anything!

We recognized that Kika's fur was starting to become a little gray a few months ago, and she was not moving around very much. So we started warning Maddie that Kika was pretty old for a hamster and might not be around much longer. When we got back from our Christmas vacation, we noticed that Kika had developed a lesion on her belly. We told Maddie that it was probably cancer, and she should be prepared if Kika were to die soon. Unfortunately, as we predicted, the cancer took her life last night.

We told Maddie after school, and she was a real trooper. She began talking about her hamster and reminiscing about the fun times she had with Kika. She helped me remove Kika from her cage and place her in a box and then proceeded to tell her grandparents, baby sitters, and uncle via phone about our loss. We plan to have a little funeral ceremony tomorrow to say our formal goodbyes. After her burial, Maddie has said that she would like to get another hamster to begin again-- "The Great Circle of Life" happens even at the level of hamsters.

Hamsters are small animals; most would even say they are rather insignificant in the pet world, but Kika was a good teacher for Maddie. She taught her how to be gentle and kind with small creatures, and she taught her about life and death. Sometimes big lessons come in small packages. Maddie says that somewhere else today another hamster was born, and we should remember that. She also says that Kika is in "Hamster Heaven" and is probably really happy there! --Out of the mouths of babes!

Goodbye Kika! Thanks for staying with us!

Abolish the Death Penalty, NOW!!

One of the presents that Monica got me for Christmas this year was a "Peace Calendar." It is a calendar that discusses significant moments of activism throughout history and celebrates diversity and human rights. The calendar reminds us that tomorrow marks the date a year ago when the "Illinois governor, George Ryan, commutes the sentences of 167 death-row inmates. 'How many more cases of wrongful convictions have to occur before we can all agree that this system... is broken.'"

Monica and I, along with my brother, Michael, were the local Fort Smith, Arkansas activists against the death penalty. (The above cartoon requires me to state that, in spite of the fact that Michael diverges with President Bush on the issue of Capital Punishment, he is a strong supporter of him as President. Similarly, I was a supporter of Bill Clinton, even though he was very much pro-death penalty.) Michael and I wrote several letters to the Southwest Times Record editor proclaiming the inadequcies and injustices of the death penalty. Monica and I gave several persuasive speeches in our Westark Community College public speaking class against capital punishment. All was done in a highly pro-capital punishment town. We received lots of arguments trying to refute our statistics showing that the death penalty was: 1) injustly administered more to lower-income criminals and racial/ethnic minorities, 2) actually more expensive to administer than life imprisonment (due to the lengthy appeals process that is necessary to maximize accuracy), 3) not a deterrent, and 4) not prudent due to the risk of convicting the wrong person. Mainly our statistics and logical statements were met with quotes from the Old Testement of the Bible that were parrallel with verses that condoned wife abuse and slavery, which our opponents chose to ignore.

Now, 10-15 years later, when technology has advanced to the point where we can determine through DNA testing the identity of some of the killers (and discover that the courts are not at all perfect as the death penalty requires it to be), one governer in Illinois has the guts to go against public opinion to proclaim enough-is-enough! Unfortunately, with the severe backlash against the last publicly anti-capital punishment presidential candidate, Governor Dukakis, I'm afraid it may be a long time before we actual get a candidate with enough guts to lead our country away from this barbaric and antiquated form of punishment. However, I am optimistic. I have sensed a changing of the tide in America. More and more of the people I talk to are questioning the prudency of the death penalty, and I think that it might not be long before we see an end to this injust, cruel, and ineffective form of punishment.

Here are a few quotes to think about:

"Them in old time hath said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,' but I say bless them that curse you; be kind to those that despitefully use you and persecute you."
--The New Testement, Fifth Chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew

"'An eye for an eye' makes the whole world blind."
--Mohandus Ghandi

We who believe in freedom cannot rest, we who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes,
not until the killing of black men, black mothers' sons, is as important as white men, white mothers' sons!"
--Sweet Honey in the Rock

Bowling For Columbine

Greg and I just saw "Bowling For Columbine." I can't believe we waited this long to see it! It was incredible and sad and thought-provoking. If you haven't seen it, it's basically about the underlying problems in America that make our children shoot other children in their schools. It deeply examines the very nature of our country and how and why it is so troubled, warped, and violent. If you haven't seen it, stop right now and go out and rent it. It's that important. It should be required curriculum in the public schools.

I also just read an article in Utne magazine about the pros and cons of leaving America and becoming ex-patriots. There are so many reasons to leave--neither Greg nor I can believe the things that are happening in this country right now under this administration. It saddens and shames me to be a citizen of such an aggressive, domineering country whose motto is to "kill them before they kill you." However, as the article stated and as I believe, it is cowardly to leave just because there are problems and you don't like the way things are going. It is infinitely more difficult and stronger to stay and fight for what we believe. I also happen to feel that this country is wonderful and full of a lot of incredible people. And way back when John Adams and his fellow revolutionaries tried to convince the country to declare Independence from Britain, it was not the popular opinion. But he did not just give up and move to Canada; he fought tooth and nail for his values. The abolitionists and suffragettes didn't give up either, and they were certainly not in the majority! All the things they fought for are now just accepted as the right and proper way for things to be. And so it will also be in our future. Yes, I'm sick at heart about a lot of things here. Yes, a part of me would love to just move to Canada or Switzerland. But if all the dissenters just leave, I'm scared to think what America would become. The story of our country and its freedoms and strengths is all about a long history of dissention. So I urge everyone who reads this to commit to making their voice heard. I don't care if you don't believe in the same things I do--that's what makes us great! Not unity, but unified diversity. Apathy is the only true evil here.

by Matt Stone and Trey Parker (Creators of South Park)

Surgery Completed

This is just a short, quick post to report that the surgery was a success. I only had one hernia as it turns out, and it was repaired laparoscopically (the way with the fastest recovery time). Thank you all who remembered me today in your thoughts and prayers. I felt way better after this surgery than I did after the last one. Maddie is being very helpful and condierate, and Monica is being the best wife/nurse that a man could hope for. Especially considering that she is functioning on only 3 hours sleep (she had some insomnia last night).

The doctor said that everything turned out great and he said that I can begin running again in one week! Well, I need to go now as I am feeling a little fuzzy with the pain meds.

So Long Herman and Hermione!

I am writing this blog entry on the eve of my hernia operation. Most of you know that, for Maddie's enjoyment, I named my two hernias "Herman and Hermione" and gave them personae complete with a British and an Arkansas accent, respectively. Now it is time for them to retire for forever, hopefully. Although I am looking forward to being able to sneeze and cough without holding my crotch, and being able to lift Maddie without wondering if I should be more careful, and being able to go running again without worrying about the weird feeling down south, I am a little anxious about the surgery. The last time I had it done it went well, but it is never a trip to Disneyland when you have to go under the knife for any reason. So, I would appreciate it if you all could remember me briefly in your thoughts and prayers at 9:00 EST tomorrow.

I said yesterday that I was going to spend the day playing with Maddie, and we did just that (as much as we could anyway with all of the stuff I had to do to get ready for the surgery and the few days recovery). I said that we were going to build a snowperson, and we were successful. In spite of the fact that it was only 12 degrees outside and the snow was very powdery, we built us a snowman! And it's a BOY! Maddie named him "Jack" because (I quote) "it is a nice name and very popular!" Below you can see our creation. He is 100% natural and completely edible to the creatures who are hungry enough to venture out in 12 degree temperatures.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

OUR BACKYARD JANUARY 4 AT 3:30pm EST

OUR BACKYARD JANUARY 4 AT 6:30pm EST

Well, here is what we came home to after our balmy Christmas vacation in Arkansas and Missouri. Maddie and I (Greg) are a little more enthusiastic about winter than Monica seems to be. We got a total of about 3 inches with more to come. Maddie and I are looking forward to building an edible snowperson (edible to the birds and squirrels, not to us). We will be doing that tomorrow. After that I will have my hernia surgery, so I am going to be trying to get in a lot of playing with Maddie before my recovery period starts.

I leave you with a picture of the snowflakes in mid-air-- an accidental shot that happened when we tried to use the flash. I thought it was pretty cool!