Columbia, Columbia, fire of the skies, you are but one
That we look up to:
Congress, Court, President; Your powers three
are there for
Us. We cry for our five
intrepid explorers. Not since 1986
Has curiosity been so costly. Two hundred and sixty
Million people shed tears that day. With this, the crying should be complete, should not one
more tear be shed for those who we hold so dear. It is no longer 1965,
the world has changed and war is not an option. Now not even two
years removed from those four
deadly attacks and the lessons have yet to be learned. We are grateful that only three
hit their targets. Three
manned missiles, each containing less than six
enemies apiece, and the huddling mass of scared America could only subdue one of four.
The ones
that hit created heroes in foreign lands, still towers fell. Hit were two
symbols of commercial strength, and one of military might, but now must we unleash our forces five?
USAF, USMC, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, we have unquestioned might. But these five,
if unfettered, breed more adversaries than they stifle. A nascent nation, the 13
independent states, Signed an oath that we shall be free. One reason for this birth was to
establish justice. Hope that in 1776,
justice had a different definition than imperialistic warfare. If so, be afraid for Amendment One.
anxiety is justifiable; our inalienable rights have been forfeited before
In uncertain times. Lincoln took similar liberties, and he would still speak of an idealistic time, four
score and seven years ago. For integrity, we look at a man over five
hundred score in past memory. Columbia, you are still one
nation under God, and it is his will you serve; Him and his body three.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he that in six
days created all that we know. He made man in his image and gave this terrestrial paradise to
us. When was this entire realm granted exclusively to
Columbia? Never. We are but solely the guardians of these four
little corners that he has allowed us to inhabit. Our will shouldn’t stretch over the six
inhabitable continents. Five
millennia of written history, and three
spirits in steadfast watch know all empires someday fall, perhaps even this one
June 30, 2009
Christmas Letter 2005
Ok.
Listen:
Another year has passed us by. What have we accomplished? Children of the revolution, now is the time to show your powers if ever there was a time. Once upon a time we all though that we could change the world, now all we do is look for happiness inside the one world that we inhabit. Maybe it is possible, maybe not, but this search is as important as the eventual point that we will reach. For an example, and to avoid speaking in generalizations, I would like to bring evidence my friend; we’ll call him Billy Tudor. He though that life was an empty shell of bleakness, and that there was no solace to be found. Eventually he found heroin and contracted sepsis from a rusty needle. This is not the positive example, but old Bill can teach us a lot about ourselves. When we finally decide to pack it in, we can always rely on a rusty needle to finish the job. He didn’t feel any pain at the end. The heroin dulled all his senses, and he left this world not fully cognizant of the realm of possibilities. Education had failed him. Love failed him. His parents failed him. But he persisted until he found drugs. I don’t know where I’m going with this, except for the idea that drugs are not the answer. Or don’t use rusty needles to shoot your drugs. In fact, avoid drugs that need injected. You know, or even avoid drugs as a patent concept of your character.
Yet, it is the holidays. All of us will partake in something that would make baby Jesus cry. You know, the familiar cast of characters: gluttony, avarice, lust, sloth, and their friends. It appears that they hang out in groups. Being born into sin as something outside of our choice, I am advocating an embrace of sin as a conduit to holiness. Indulge your fantasies. Overeat. Buy too many presents. Expect too many presents. Feel pride at your new acquisitions. Sleep in late. Don’t worry about school until 2006. I won’t see any of you guys for a while, so pour some out for me.
But remember those who are not with us, whose numbers will increase throughout the years, but thankfully stayed static this year. I would appreciate all of you living until the next time I see you, or else I will feel a tinge of guilt for the last letter I sent to those of you who I love so much. And you can know that I love you by the your receiving this mail. Hold my love for you as a sense of superiority over the people you encounter in everyday life that annoy you. That cashier at the supermarket who is taking forever? I don’t love her. In this context, she is nobody except for the happy fact that I was able to imagine her existence for a minute. When the revolution comes, she can genuflect at my feet as much as possible, but she will be no one. Remember this. It will allow understanding of her plight. It just might elicit a pity response, if you can sympathize with her position.
Most likely, not, and someday she will be a hunk of carbon forgotten by all but those who are close to her. Whatever. It doesn’t really matter to me. She’s so dead to me she might have never needed to exist. Small matter. What matters is that I love you guys. This is a strong, redeeming love; so don’t take it too lightly. Package it in small vials that you can bust out at the most urgent time where my love can be used. It’s helpful to know: even if you seldom need to make use of it, it will always be there for your consumption.
Listen:
Another year has passed us by. What have we accomplished? Children of the revolution, now is the time to show your powers if ever there was a time. Once upon a time we all though that we could change the world, now all we do is look for happiness inside the one world that we inhabit. Maybe it is possible, maybe not, but this search is as important as the eventual point that we will reach. For an example, and to avoid speaking in generalizations, I would like to bring evidence my friend; we’ll call him Billy Tudor. He though that life was an empty shell of bleakness, and that there was no solace to be found. Eventually he found heroin and contracted sepsis from a rusty needle. This is not the positive example, but old Bill can teach us a lot about ourselves. When we finally decide to pack it in, we can always rely on a rusty needle to finish the job. He didn’t feel any pain at the end. The heroin dulled all his senses, and he left this world not fully cognizant of the realm of possibilities. Education had failed him. Love failed him. His parents failed him. But he persisted until he found drugs. I don’t know where I’m going with this, except for the idea that drugs are not the answer. Or don’t use rusty needles to shoot your drugs. In fact, avoid drugs that need injected. You know, or even avoid drugs as a patent concept of your character.
Yet, it is the holidays. All of us will partake in something that would make baby Jesus cry. You know, the familiar cast of characters: gluttony, avarice, lust, sloth, and their friends. It appears that they hang out in groups. Being born into sin as something outside of our choice, I am advocating an embrace of sin as a conduit to holiness. Indulge your fantasies. Overeat. Buy too many presents. Expect too many presents. Feel pride at your new acquisitions. Sleep in late. Don’t worry about school until 2006. I won’t see any of you guys for a while, so pour some out for me.
But remember those who are not with us, whose numbers will increase throughout the years, but thankfully stayed static this year. I would appreciate all of you living until the next time I see you, or else I will feel a tinge of guilt for the last letter I sent to those of you who I love so much. And you can know that I love you by the your receiving this mail. Hold my love for you as a sense of superiority over the people you encounter in everyday life that annoy you. That cashier at the supermarket who is taking forever? I don’t love her. In this context, she is nobody except for the happy fact that I was able to imagine her existence for a minute. When the revolution comes, she can genuflect at my feet as much as possible, but she will be no one. Remember this. It will allow understanding of her plight. It just might elicit a pity response, if you can sympathize with her position.
Most likely, not, and someday she will be a hunk of carbon forgotten by all but those who are close to her. Whatever. It doesn’t really matter to me. She’s so dead to me she might have never needed to exist. Small matter. What matters is that I love you guys. This is a strong, redeeming love; so don’t take it too lightly. Package it in small vials that you can bust out at the most urgent time where my love can be used. It’s helpful to know: even if you seldom need to make use of it, it will always be there for your consumption.
Christmas Letter 2004
Dear friends,
Another eventful year has passed us by (Almost). If I can remember, things that happened to me: I graduated, got a promotion at work, and lastly a car hit me on the crosswalk. Not too shabby. As an old man, I may somehow look at 2004 that I passed further on the road to becoming a man than in any previous years. You never know. To obtain perspective on a course of events, you need to distance yourself in time from said events.
As an example, when we say goodbye to our high school friends, hugging and crying, saying that we’ll be “friends forever,” we really didn’t know what that meant. I personally hoped that I would remain as close to everybody as the day we walked to “pomp and circumstances,” with uncertainty and hopefulness in our minds. The realities of time and place, along with our own ambitions and the cruel hand of fate (unseen plan of God, etc., choose your poison) have presented each and every one of us an existence that couldn’t have been imagined five years ago.
And so it will be. We will each grow and change; becoming more like the person that we are. In the end though, in four short years we all grew binds that will hold us close together forever, if it is impossible for us to be physically proximate, we have the advantage of always being somewhere in each and everyone of our souls. There is a small part of each of you inside me. Being friends with you have shaped me and helped me become the man I am.
It is this time of year that we do reflect on those that we love and care about in the world. I don’t know if it’s the weather or the incessant Christmas songs that they play on the radio, but it has become fact. This is not the season of glittering silver, and green plastic trees, the real meaning of the season is in remembrance of those you love. Hopefully those you care about surround you all. Not only at Christmastime, but the whole year through. Sadly, that isn’t the case for all the people I’ve grown to love over the years. But remember sadness cures nothing; rejoice in the fact that she lives still as long as parts of her memory live within us all.
To those that I love,
Merry Christmas.
John Edgar Mihelic
Another eventful year has passed us by (Almost). If I can remember, things that happened to me: I graduated, got a promotion at work, and lastly a car hit me on the crosswalk. Not too shabby. As an old man, I may somehow look at 2004 that I passed further on the road to becoming a man than in any previous years. You never know. To obtain perspective on a course of events, you need to distance yourself in time from said events.
As an example, when we say goodbye to our high school friends, hugging and crying, saying that we’ll be “friends forever,” we really didn’t know what that meant. I personally hoped that I would remain as close to everybody as the day we walked to “pomp and circumstances,” with uncertainty and hopefulness in our minds. The realities of time and place, along with our own ambitions and the cruel hand of fate (unseen plan of God, etc., choose your poison) have presented each and every one of us an existence that couldn’t have been imagined five years ago.
And so it will be. We will each grow and change; becoming more like the person that we are. In the end though, in four short years we all grew binds that will hold us close together forever, if it is impossible for us to be physically proximate, we have the advantage of always being somewhere in each and everyone of our souls. There is a small part of each of you inside me. Being friends with you have shaped me and helped me become the man I am.
It is this time of year that we do reflect on those that we love and care about in the world. I don’t know if it’s the weather or the incessant Christmas songs that they play on the radio, but it has become fact. This is not the season of glittering silver, and green plastic trees, the real meaning of the season is in remembrance of those you love. Hopefully those you care about surround you all. Not only at Christmastime, but the whole year through. Sadly, that isn’t the case for all the people I’ve grown to love over the years. But remember sadness cures nothing; rejoice in the fact that she lives still as long as parts of her memory live within us all.
To those that I love,
Merry Christmas.
John Edgar Mihelic
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