I CHOOSE Hope

Whoa, there was quite a bit of exciting news this morning...the super, watered down instant mashed potatoes I ate last night seemed to settle OK in my stomach, I feel pretty good...Oh yea and US Special Forces Wacked Osama Bin Laden and kept his body...Awww, the poor BASTARD. But you know what? He considered himself a soldier and he got a true soldiers reward: death

My initial reaction to that was one of revenge inspired Glee, for I have worked up enough hatred for that a**hole to burn for a lifetime. I will admit it felt good knowing he was dead, that he no longer walks the planet, influences people with his Sermon's and inspiration of HATE. He hurt me and mine by what he inspired and lead on 9/11/2001. He needed to pay with his life and he did, I'm happy about it and feel no guilt.

Yet...in my heart I know that nothing will really change in this world. The hatred still exists, the violence will continue and whether our government and the government's of the Free World want to admit it, we are engaged in a world wide Religious War with Extremists.

Violence in the name of Religion has been going on since the advent of Religion...it is just another reason man uses to repress and kill one another. It won't just end on it's own, man is too flawed and it's now in his nature to kill and destroy. That's tragic and sad...it's also enough of a reality to send the most positive and optimistic of people into a deep depressive funk.

I truly think the only hope is to pray for our enemies, those people or groups of people who openly hate and try to kill us. That thought would have been laughable to me just a few short years ago. Not today...Though I still strongly believe that as people we need to always defend ourselves with whatever force is required and I have no doubt that this world is just as dangerous as it always was. I believe passivity only gets innocent people killed. Yet I see a glimmer of hope in prayer...why?

Because it changed me, that's why. I was a hopeless addict and alcoholic....HOPE-LESS, WITH-OUT-HOPE, no future, no tomorrow, NOTHING...I was NOTHING. I could not stop hurting myself and the people who loved me the most. I tried every possible way to quit, rehabs going back to when I was in High School, will power, religion, doing it for my kids, doing it for my wife and none of it worked. So I tried to kill myself and failed at that as well...

Hopeless...and yet here I am today, clean and sober. One Day At A Time, I live a life of sobriety and service to others to the best of my ability. This life, based on the spiritual principles of honesty, service to my fellow man and a belief in a Higher Power...to me that is GOD.

And I am different today because of it...and because of that I realized that with God's intervention, nothing, absolutely NOTHING is impossible including bring peace to this violent world. It's truly the only hope.

People will passionately disagree with me and argue....that's OK, this is simply one man's personal belief...MINE. If you don't agree...then don't agree, you are free to think and feel as you choose. Here in the United States anyway...without getting yourself or your family raped and killed for your beliefs.

So though I know that the world is a hard place, where the harsh realities of violence and death confront us daily...I have hope. I choose hope because I know from experience how things can change. I'll choose HOPE.