It's a Show Up or Shut Up Thing

Dear America,

happy state of the union day.  yea.

so I keep Yahoo! as my home page...
no, it doesn't really scream G, but it seems a suitable place to start my day and get a layout of what is up or down with the world.


it's the little things that sometime speak to me the loudest -- things like waking up to the holiday icon, always featured up in the top left corner of the Yahoo! page, playfully showing a Chinese dragon chasing the bunny (year of the rabbit) away.  kinda funny, huh.  I have no other reason for bringing this up other than the matter of providing pure fluff; just hanging on the dragon's tail for one more day.

we've been talking about what I missed chatting it up with all of you while on the unexpected twenty-eight day hiatus.  And yes, it is; it is long enough to change a really bad habit, break an addiction, and even jump start a life all over again.  (Not that I have any...bad habits...addictions...)

It was quite the cog in the blog, wasn't it?

One of the things I thought about during the break(down) was simply this:  just showing up is everything.

Whether good, bad or indifferent, nothing happens when we don't participate and become the active, essential element of our success.  absolutely nothing.

AND when we join the power of showing up along with doing the right thing when we do -- we have the potential of making magic happen.

The Yahoo! page was also highlighting two stories this morning  -- and giving you just the headlines -- one reads "White House delays release of [Obama's] 2013 Budget"; the other one, "Expect [tonight, @SOTU address] 'very specific' economic blueprint from Obama: Advisor"


So the president plans on giving us 'very specific' economic projections and insight and reality based solutions WITHOUT a budget?

And, by the way, congress has been operating without a budget for 1000 days now -- something that is unlawful and out of integrity with one of the primary duties as members of congress.  what a mess.

Now, talk about not showing up  -- talk about not showing up AND not doing the right thing.

What has our president been doing?  campaigning

What has our congress been doing?  pointing fingers

The funny thing is, our lives usually -- and sometimes immediately -- reflect the demonstration of right action, good intention, and sound purpose every time.  Of course, the opposite effect is also true when deprived of such clear thought, whether a fault of our own un-doing or through who we associate and surround ourselves.

This country has been talking about controlling the debt/spending since I was born.  You would think -- over a span of nearly fifty years now -- we might have been able to get a handle on it.  just sayin'

Now, as we are all well aware, we will have an opportunity to welcome in the same president for another term or tap into our venture capitalist skills and bring in a replacement.  So running on the re-birthing theme of the last twenty four hours, the only thing we really know right now -- unless the skies open up and the earth shatters into a billion pieces -- all we really know now is that 'it's a boy'. 

"Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature…If the next centennial does not find us a great nation…it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."

works with presidents, too...

...the thing is, these words came from just a boy by the name of James Garfield. It was during his centennial address in 1876 -- with thanks to George Stephenson, of Grassroots America We the People, for his blogpost capturing the moment and timely sentiment for the ages.

So just in case you missed it -- that was then, this is now; we didn't get any better in 'the next centennial' ending in 1976 now did we...
And given that we are now merrily barreling down to the half way mark of 'the centennial' after that -- we, the people, STILL haven't learned how to show up...doing the right thing when we do.

Ignorance, recklessness and corruption is defining us.  Intelligence, bravery and purity is nowhere to be seen.


wonder what kind of American president will show up tonight?

Make it a Good Day, G

last word:  show up or shut up