True American Hero Saves Countless Lives in Valiant Act of Selfless Bravery

It surprised me --given the fact that I now live in the rather Liberal Pacific Northwest-- to hear a talk show host on local KIRO Radio state rather eloquently, with honest heartfelt emotion, that the tragic shooting at a bar in CA, on "College Night", "... Isn't about guns.  It's about how we wrap our arms and hearts around the young men and women we have sent into war when they return home."  This statement truly begins to get at the root of the matter.  Our Veterans who have faithfully and honorably served this nation are hurting on so many levels.  We all need to do more to help these men and women heal and reintegrate back into daily society.  This is the least we can do in an honest effort to help repay our Veterans for their service and sacrifice to our nation.

Image Source: CBSnews.com

The above being said, my sincerest sympathy, thoughts, prayers ... good intentions go out to all who are impacted by this terrible shooting.  How lucky we are to have such a brave young police officer who ran fearlessly toward the gunfire in a selfless act of courage that saved countless lives.  The death toll could have been substantially greater were it not for Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus of Ventura CA heroic actions.  Seargant Helus's sacrifice will be remembered for generations to come.

The Greatest Loss ....

What would be the greatest of all possible losses to your way of thinking?  I suppose the answer depends upon your perspective, but I would wager few would argue that the loss of a child comes near the top of such a list, if not at the very top.

Eric Bolling, a former host on the news, opinion and commentary show "The Five" --and more recently, the host of the new show "The Specialists"-- has come to know this profound sense of loss, on a very personal level, this past week.  Over the weekend Eric Bolling's son, Eric Chase Bolling, only nineteen years of age, passed away, unexpectedly.  Eric Junior was taken in the prime of his life, when his dreams for the future had only just begun to unfold.  I can only imagine the depth of sorrow Mr. Bolling and his wife must be experiencing at this very moment, and my heartfelt thoughts and ongoing prayers go out to them during this time to loss and transition.

I wrote a piece a few years back titled "Where Have All the Good Men Gone" and after watching Mr. Bolling for several years now, on Fox News, and getting to know a little about him and his family, I can say with utmost confidence that Mr. Bolling most certainly falls into that category of "A Few Good Men."  Which, to my way of thinking, begs the question "Why do bad things, happen to such good people?"  It doesn't seem fair, nor does it make sense that any parent should ever have to outlive their children.  If anyone can show us the lessons to be learned and the way forward in the aftermath of such tragedy, I'd have to say that Mr. Bolling and his beautiful wife, Adrienne, are probably two of the best people to do so.

We are none of us ever promised a tomorrow.  That is why the wisdom of the ages is "to live your life as if today were your last day", here on Earth.  Easier said than done, I know.  Perhaps this is a common struggle we all share?  That being said, it appeared to me as if Eric Boiling, his wife and son tried their best to live their lives this way. So God Bless and Keep you, Mr. & Mrs. Eric Bolling.  May He help you to heal, in time, and may He show you both the way forward in the aftermath of such profound loss.  May the memory of Eric Chase continue to live in the hearts and minds of all whose lives he touched during his time here on Earth.  I strongly feel, that those whom we love are never far from our hearts and minds.  They watch over us, in spirit, until such time when we are meant to meet once again.

Tribute From "The Five":  Video Link

Praying for Balance

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Texas who have recently been hit by severe storms, with large hail, dozens of tornados and most recently (ongoing) flash-flooding as the Brazos and Colorado rivers overflow taking cars, roads and homes with their fiercely flowing torrents.  From drought --in subsequent several years-- to now flooding? ... Hope nature finds its way back to balance, and cessation of pounding storms, again soon.  God Bless one and all!

5/30/2015 And of course my ongoing thoughts, prayers and donations are with the people of Nepal as they work recover from the two catastrophic earthquakes which recently struck their country, back to back.

Thoughts & Prayers in the aftermath of Tornados

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by the recent bout of tornados sweeping through Texas and Oklahoma.  May God especially Bless and watch over the families who have lost loved ones to these storms.  May those who have lost homes find their way to healing and the resources they need in order to begin the process of re-building.

I saw on a friend's Facebook page this evening how a community is coming together to donate clothes, food and other essential items to storm victims in nearby towns via a school gym at a local elementary school.  Also saw postings for important items found in an effort to identify and reunite them with their rightful owners:  a high school sports letter jacket ... a camera with photographs of a new baby delivered in the hospital not long ago.  Kind of renews your faith in your fellow man to see such an outpouring of love and support.  God Bless one and ALL!

Image Source

(A close match for my recollection of my father's painting and the image,

in my own mind, of the actual twister from my porch-side view)

Thankfully, thus far, my family and friends in Texas and friends in Oklahoma have survived these storms without any major damage.  I actually remember witnessing a tornado, firsthand and up-close, when I was 5 years old, living in Oklahoma.  To the best of my recollection the tornado I witnessed back then was huge, muddy-grey in color and spiraling madly in the not far-off distance from our home in Stillwater.  For some reason, at the time, I had been sitting on the front porch of our old house eating dried cheerios, while my father attempted to paint --onto canvas-- the spiraling beast dancing about before us.  This particular tornado was probably about a mile or two away from us at the time, so we probably weren't in any immediate danger.  I remember watching this twister move across the landscape, uprooting everything in its path and spewing debris back out with a vengeance.  I was too young at the time to fully comprehend that I should have been afraid of this tornado.  I can still see this twister spiraling about before me in my mind, as if the cyclone were right in front of me in this very moment.  I recall feeling the immense energy ... the power and intensity wielded by this storm.  That tornado was definitely a force of nature to be reckoned with, showing no mercy whatsoever to those unfortunate enough to be caught within its grasp.  The randomness of the funnel's motion, its indiscriminate behavior in selecting targets still strikes me with a confounding significance even to this very day.  I remember watching the tornado funnel work its way right towards us ... and I even have a vague recollection of my mother --clutching my baby sister in her arms-- calling for my dad and me to get off the porch and under the house into the safety of the storm shelter as the twister closed the distance on us ... but just when it seemed as if this twister was going to come right down the street, to swallow up my house --and even then fear had not found its way into me-- the writhing fury suddenly decided it would instead take a ninety degree turn and head off in another direction all-together.  So I never did have to go down into that storm shelter, and my father's painting turned out pretty cool from what I am able to recall of it.  I guess we were some of the lucky ones that summer evening so long ago?