Thoughts About the RNC

I am very pleased with the opportunity to vote for such a demonstrably excellent ticket as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan this November.

They are taking a good attitude toward the opposition, described by my dad as essentially a "more in sorrow than in anger" attitude, summed up by Romney in his speech with the statement "I wish Obama had succeeded. I want America to succeed."

They are practical in their approach to the (obscene, monstrous) national debt, as described by Ryan - "We need to stop spending money we don't have." It was perhaps the first time I've heard my father amening during a political speech.

While I am neither Mormon nor Roman Catholic, I am very pleased with the idea of having men of faith, people who trust in God, in the White House and heading the executive branch of the American government. And it's hard to find a more upright person in terms of personal life in politics than Mitt Romney. 

They are both good speakers, and their speechwriters or whoever (I've got no illusions about how this sort of thing is done) know what to focus on. Jobs and the lives of Americans need to be the priority, and there were no statements anywhere near as absurd as "This is the moment when the oceans stop rising and the planet begins to heal." 

Like I said earlier, I certainly have hope for the future of America. I do have more now than I had before listening to the things said at the Republican National Convention. I'm sure the PC Police will find some way to make a bunch of them horribly racist - that's what you get when an incumbent can't run on his record.

If I had to choose between the playlist on Romney's iPod and Ryan's, I would probably go with Ryan's. Just saying. And holy mackerel, is that a lot of balloons.

In Defense of Hope

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about Barack Obama's "Audacity" (though he's got plenty of that) or any of his hopey-changey teleprompter stuff. In fact, I'm not going to get into his politics right now - political rants annoy me. But this is something I've been thinking about on and off for a while, and I wanted to address it.
I was discussing the current election and state of our nation with my little brother and with a friend of ours. This young man and his family are members of our church, he and his sister have done the same theater as we have these past two years, he and I graduated together as the class of '12, and our families are quite close. It has to be understood that they are wonderful, godly people, and this particular fellow makes me look liberal. (That takes some doing.)

However, we do not agree on all things. We will both be voting for Romney/Ryan this coming November, and I will take great pleasure in doing so. He, however, said that he believes that "America is lost to socialism." He also said that he has no hope for the future of our country.
Now, my friend understands well that our hope should not be in this life but in the next. We are told to store up treasures in heaven "where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:20) However, we are told to do as follows: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior..." (1st Timothy 2:1-3)

Let me use a fictional example and quote a passage from "Hamlet" that our Production Team cut for the sake of contemporary sensibilities, a passage that seemed to demonstrate something important regardless and sent me on a hunt through the script trying to understand why it would happen.
Hamlet: Thou livest. Report me and my cause aright to the unsatisfied.
Horatio: Never believe it. I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Here's yet some liquor left... (Picks up poisoned cup)
Hamlet: As thou art an man, give me that cup - by heaven, I'll have it...
To understand, I looked at the background, the basic beliefs of the character and came to a lot of factors that could, combined, provoke this reaction, but there's only one I'm interested in here. By the beginning of that last scene, his last hope in terms of the world being really right again (given setting, etc.) would be for the rightful king to kill the usurper and take the throne. When this...fails to work out...that last hope for the world being right, the way he knew right, is gone, and with it his motivation or desire to face up to life and its difficulties. Without hope, there's no fight left.

Let me say that again. Without hope, there's no fight left. And without fight, you probably don't win.

Paul makes that point better. "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore, I run in such a way, not as without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." - 1st Corinthians 9:24-27

Let me reiterate that these words are speaking of salvation, not of the renewal of an earthly nation. However, this passage also applies to the things we do in our lives for the glory of God - not by half measures, and not having given up hope in advance. We are told to pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10) This means not only that the will of God should be done here on earth when Christ returns, but that until that point we must continue to serve God and advance His agenda while we are on earth.

It is our hope that gives us strength - hope that comes with the faith that in every situation God is in control. There is a reason that "these three remain - faith, hope and love." (1st Corinthians 13:13) Love may be the greatest of these, but we still cannot do without both of the others. And it is the hope God gives us in every situation that allows us to keep fighting without slackening off, without giving up, without quitting the race, because maybe it is God's will that this time we win.

"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight!" - Aragorn, The Return of the King (movie)

World Home of Fife and Drum?

Back at the end of June, my fife and drum corps traveled to perform at the International Muster in Basel and the Liestal Tambouren und Pfiferfest, in Switzerland.
There were a few things that amused me about what we found there; Switzerland is the world's primary dwelling of fife and drum, supposedly, and it held the International Muster in Basel. Why would this amuse me?

1. There is a noise restriction in Basel - neither we could fife nor the drummers drum inside the city limits except during the muster.

This led to serious withdrawal on the part of those of us, a fair number, who arrived about a week before the muster. Between corps meetings and drill rehearsal, we did a lot of sightseeing, and yes, we traveled in packs. As I believe I mentioned a long time ago, when fifers get together we don't typically talk, we play. However, deprived of that safety net, we wound up spending a lot of time hanging out and enjoying each others' company. The only thing wonkier than the fact that I spent more than a straight week hanging out in a foreign country with mostly middle-school aged boys is the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed their company and sense of humor, and they appeared to enjoy mine.
   
     2.   They don't play the fife in Switzerland. They play the Swiss piccolo.

Talk about missing out, right? Seriously, though, the Swiss piccolo is a very similar instrument, though it is slightly more complicated and makes a different sound. One day before the muster our director took any of us fifers who wanted to go and we went to a piccolo-making wind instrument store, where he loosed us on any number of piccolos, flutes, recorders and even a bugle. (Now that's a weird instrument.)

One more strange thing about Swiss corps (or "cliques," as they're called)? When they march in parades the drummers march in front.

Yes, there is a person over here

Yes, there is in fact a person supposedly posting on this blog. She has seen nothing demanding "Blog me! Blog me!" all summer. However, with the descent of another semester, another autumn, it is time to resume the writing drill, hopefully with some semblance of regularity.