Knock, Knock. Who's There? The NCDOT!

    I catch some flack from my more liberal friends when I complain that the Government has become too big. Too invasive. Too wasteful. It seems there's no money in the state budget for things like textbooks, art education, or mental health care. Well, don't tell the Department of Transportation. They seem to have plenty. While most of us struggle to make the mortgage, they have a truck with four guys sticking orange signs up on the sidewalk, only to come back around an hour later, same four guys, same three in the truck same ONE removing said signs. There also seems to be plenty of funding to widen a road that never seemed too narrow to begin with.
    About two years ago, our neighbors completely gutted and remodeled their house. Last week the NCDOT hauled it away in dumpsters. It kinda went like this:

First you get a letter saying: "Thanks for taking care of our property, now get out, we're coming to tear it down."

Then they bring in a large piece of equipment.

 Then you watch 15 years of hard work and sacrifice get put into a dumpster and hauled away.

No big deal, really.

Most folks just go on about their day.

Now some of these road projects are needed. I-40/I-77 interchange. I-40/Hwy21 interchange. But the project at Exit 50, East Broad seems to be a huge waste of money. Enough money will be spent on this project to put plenty of textbooks, plenty of teachers, plenty of mental health resources in the hands of those who need it. Make no mistake. We are taxed plenty. The problem is Raleigh's politically misguided use of the funds already in their possession.

Stepping off the soap box..for now.

What a week!

    First of all, let me just say how much I enjoy life; just being alive every day is a blessing. The arc of the sun across the sky, the daily art exhibition from the supreme architect. To experience creation is to experience life. Being a creation, and passing the act along does a great service to our creator.

    Much has been written about receiving blessings from the universe. Knock and the door shall be opened, Ask and you shall receive, etc.. the trick is avoiding the powerfully creative weapon our minds are. If we get too focused on the wanting, then that is exactly what we create. Want. "I want this, I want that". Want is exactly what we create.

    Sometimes we have to let go of the thing that's holding us back, redefine our true passion, and wait for an answer. When the door opens, then we have the choice to walk through or not. Getting out of our mind and following the heart is difficult. From the day we're born, the world tries to break us of the habit. Stay in line, don't make a fuss, if you're happy, you must be doing it wrong. I say Bullshit! What if our only obligation is to the one who created us, and his instructions include enjoying this beautiful experience which has been so conveniently placed before us.

    When my time here comes to an end, I know there will be a final conscious thought. I don't think it'll be "Man, I wish I'd been more obedient", or "I may have been a bit too happy". I plan for it to be " Man, that was fun; Let's do it again!"

The picture for today's post is me, and two other happy people, engaged in the joyous act of creation. Thanks Katy, Rob, Karen, Bob, and all the other folks in my life who allow me to create.