Yikes!

What would you give up so that the people you love the most could stay alive and live to their fullest potential? Would you give your life? Would you give your eyesight? Would you give up your happiness? Your serenity? Your SUV? Your air conditioning? Your Ipod? Your right to feel superior?

I’ve often wondered how or if our country would still be fighting in Iraq if W’s twin daughters were in the army and stationed over there – no special treatment, just a couple of regular recruits. Would our country’s military strategy be different?

What am I willing to give up? In a heartbeat I would give my life to save my daughters’ lives, to allow them to live and prosper to their fullest potential; but that’s an easy one. What am I willing to give up today to ensure they are able to live full, happy lives? “Why, anything...almost...I guess,” I say. “Then why aren’t you, Flip?. Why are you spending your life working as a capitalist, corporate drone, charging others money to help them figure out how to encourage as many people as possible to consume as much as possible? More, more, more. Instead of that, why aren’t you working to save as much of what’s left of this planet’s resources and living environment? For your kids. For your loved ones. For everyone else’s kids and loved ones.”

My answer is, “Bills to pay, mouths to feed, tuition to pay, on and on… And I do spend a few hours each week on service work, too, you know.”

Right, Flip. And Barbara and Jenna would love to fight alongside our troops, but first they need to get a good education and find themselves....a good publicist.

W really gets my goat. He falls in the category of “The Things I Cannot Change.” I fall in the category of “The Things I Can Change.” All it takes is courage.

I’m extremely grateful for and proud of the men and women…our kids, our fellow human beings…serving our country in the military. I am grateful for the men and women who have given their lives over the past centuries to allow our country to fulfill its potential. I wonder how they would judge the fruits of their sacrifice in the year 2006. Are we fulfilling our potential? Our potential to....?

It reminds me of the second chance at life I've been given through sobriety. The only way I can keep that gift is to give it away. Sure, I’ve got to be healthy and take care of myself to be able to give it away. But I also have to be humble and grateful. I’ve got to be willing to never turn my back on a fellow alcoholic, regardless of his or her state of health or recovery, nationality, religion, age, sexual orientation, political beliefs, color, or anything else. Never. No matter what.

Fellow alcoholics? Fellow human beings? What's the difference?

Humility and gratitude. Is it sitting armed in my air-conditioned Hummer on the US / Mexico border with a self-righteous itch to shoot somebody who’s trying to receive the same gift I’ve received? I don’t think so.

OK, Flip, that’s what it ISN’T. Now tell us what it is. And don’t forget, talk is cheap. How about practicing it? Starting today.

Yikes!

Peace everybody.

Flip