Two Parties? A Meaningless Choice! (Part 1)

For the last few years, it's been dawning on me that there's a little more to life than, work, eat, sleep, spend money, and vote.

This change started about 10 years ago, when I began to consider the possibility that controlling my life myself was leading to a dead end.  Almost immediately upon starting to pray, hesitantly, free-form and to a "contingent God," things started to change.  For the better - much better!

I'll go into detail in a later article.  Right now, I'd like to connect that thought with our current hubub on broadcast and print media about the economy, "hope," "change," etc.

In my case, I just lost my job.  On the same day, a beloved pet, my parrot Jake, died.  Talk about timing.

Lately, I've been mulling the idea that chasing a pension might not be the highest goal.  Since my realization 10 years ago, I had slowly slid back into pursuit of security and safety offered by someone else: a company and the government.  I really knew better!  It's just hard to resist the slide with all we're bombarded with each day.

A bit of "cold water on my face" was yesterday's shock that the ability to bid on open jobs in my former company was withdrawn.   

This change on the company computer system seemed like a big door slamming shut,  Part Deux of my job being abolished. 

This renewed my former belief that it's important to get with God's rhythm for things, esp. one's life.  This includes aiming for a life which makes best use of whatever talents He gave us.  I've been somewhat amiss in that, working for "The Man."  Now, here I am in the pit of the Rust Belt (not even the buckle) with no job and my meager prospects being taken away.   Is there a reason?  It got me thinking that this may be the time for me to shift another gear and push myself into a new phase - no longer working for The Man - any man, that is, as a defined job.    As soon as this possibility arose, I've started turning on the radio or TV, opening a magazine, etc, to an interview, story or article touting going it alone, following God's plan, etc.  Again, coincidence?  I'm slowly believing not so.  To be clear, I don't think God has this kind of railroad track for our lives.  This doesn't mean we are never to deviate except when He throws a switch.  But, I also agree with the church sign I "happened" to see one time on Rt. 51:  "If God is your co-pilot, switch seats!"    I think I'm here in SW Pennsylvania for a reason.  Maybe precisely because there are no job opportunities for me, now that an employer has dumped me.  Could it be a push out of the nest of Job Security."  Maybe.  The challenge is, that I believe God doesn't make things crystal clear to us.  He may or may not have arranged for us to hear a certain commercial, take a certain job, have it abolished, etc.  That ambiguity keeps us in the realm of Free Will, which seems important.  I disagree with those who say we are either robots, carrying out predestination or some kind of self-deluded fungi, who really have no meaning or purpose.  I guess we could choose one of those two - I don't.  I "stumbled" onto hubpages.com the other day (quotes denoting the timing indicates maybe it's no coincidence).  I posted my first story of many I've been collecting (and which have collected lots of dust).

I'd especially like to get these thoughts of life out there:  If they contain a crumb of truth, many people would benefit from them.    About the Two Parties: This is a big reason I'm not invested in any political dialectic.  I'd rather try to plant the seed that no political party's goal is to save us from anything.  It's obvious to me that both parties want our "stuff."  They are run by people who are arrogant, ignorant, greedy, power hungry and lazy.  They each stir us up against the other, create an enemy or "Fear of the Week," then offer a costly "solution" to the problem they invented.

The current economic "crisis" is just the latest example. 

Meanwhile, both parties work together to take an ever-growing share of our justly earned income.  Whoever's in power keeps a big cut of what they've taken, then doles out the rest to one or another group.  Whether it's Wall Street, Detroit, or "the poor," those of us who earned it get to keep less and less. 

So let's start ignoring "Two Party Politics."  Since I started to, I think I've taken a better path.  I mostly ignore that stuff and focus on a larger matter:  What to do with the x years I have left.  Maybe I'll be lucky and it'll be two digits: xx years.  Was it coincidence that my pet, Jake, and my job both died on the same day?  I think not.  I take it as a message, a dual one:  "Life is Fleeting," and "Time to Get Off the Pot."  Time to harness whatever talents I have and put them to their highest and best use.  My first nudge in this direction was the miracle healing of Wiley, my previous pet parrot.  I guess if sending messages to me through my birds gets my attention, maybe more "nudges" will take that route.  Hopefully it won't be too hard on the birds, though!  Wait... What was the question?  Oh: Two Parties?  Hold on to your wallet! Think about setting your life's sail in the direction you best serve yourself and others.  If we ignore them, we're better off.  We'll have more time to enjoy this wonderful world God gave us.

Coming Soon:  Why I know there's a God, and that He loves us all beyond what we could imagine.  Yes, in spite of the evils and dangers of this world!  Also, why no one religion seems to fully apply.

I'm also open to your questions and thoughts.  Perhaps we can learn from each other! 

Postscript:  See my video about little Jake at www.youtube.com/kutwrite