I’m older than a lot of people who are awake. That means I was around in the days when America still felt like America. We had a Memorial Day parade every year in grade school, and we’d walk down the suburban streets near the school waving flags and eating popsicles. We said the Pledge of Allegience everyday and we learned about the importance of Democracy throughout my years of schooling. Yeah, I was the generation that played outside until the street lights came on and cartoons only came on Saturday mornings. Nobody had much materially back then, but in hindsight, I realize we had so much more than we knew.
I see what we’ve lost already since those days, maybe with a clearer view than younger folks. I’m coming from a different point of view. I remember the America where someone came out and pumped your gas and wiped your windshield and said, “Sure is a beautiful day.” I miss the simplicity of life back then, when your father worked at the same company his whole life and your mother stayed home and made you a sandwhich when you came home from school. Oh, sure, America still had a lot to learn back then, and there were things we needed to fix, but we knew who we were as a people and we were united in our declaration that to be and live free was the most important thing in life.
Things started changing after Kennedy was killed, and the Vietnam War seemed to be a harbringer of things to come. I could palpably feel the change—as if some kind of dark cloud was gathering on the horizon. It would take me thirty more years to figure out where the dark clouds came from and who was responsible for them.
I wish I could say that everything is going to be all right—that the days of simplicity and good education and respectful children and happy families are going to come back sometime soon. I think it will happen one day, but I’m not sure we’ll completely right the ship in my lifetime. In some important way, the world is forever changed. We can never paddle back to 1952.
So, my scars are deep. So are yours. We have collective scars—even people who don’t completely understand what’s happening around them. Our lives, our country, our friends and family and neighbors are suffering and may suffer more as the days pass. Some of that suffering is hidden—a few unpaid bills, a lack of formula for the baby, the shock of filling up our tanks. And there’s the loss of a family member from Covid or missing people who are gone from our lives because of disagreements.
Scars used to be something we could be proud of at the end of a battle we fought. Those scars showed we had survived something. But the kind of scars we’re seeing now are wounds not inflicted by the long course of life, but purposely by others who have decided they want a different kind of world. They’re the kind of scars that are hard to abide because they bleed more and heal slowly. Those scars are as deep as our love for our families and our communities and our country.
It hurts me to see my neighbors picking through packages of chicken at the grocery store, or going in to the counter at the gas station to give them their last twenty dollar bill. It kills me to see so many young people in the obituary section of the newspaper and not worry about my own kids. I wake up most mornings afraid to look at the news, afraid to make plans for my old age, knowing all the while the next week, the next year—hell, even tomorrow are so uncertain. I’m not in control of my life anymore and so the future sort of looms ahead in the shape of a big question mark.
But here’s what I want to say: the man who said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself,” was a smart man. What he meant was that being afraid is worse than death. It steals moments from you, it steals joy from your soul, it robs you of the freedom to truly live. Ask anyone who survived the Holocaust how important dignity and hope were to their survival. Like those survivors, you can find peace floating on a shard of wood after a shipwreck, or watching as a cyclone passes by your house. It is possible to find a calm place inside of you no matter what is happening outside your window. What you do is just breathe. You assure yourself that no matter what happens, the dignity and pride you’ve built over a lifetime cannot be taken from you in any shape or form. Surrounding you and within you is all the beauty and goodwill you’ve collected through the years, no matter how long or short your life has been.
I fear death a lot less than I fear living in a world I no longer recognize. There are things worse than death—that much I know after all these years. Giving into the demands of your enemy or hiding your head in the sand rather than standing proud for what you believe in—those things, to me, are worse than death. For once you stop fearing death, you can raise your sword and run into battle. Or you can open your windows and see the truth penetrating the glass. That’s an act of self-love, however silly that might sound. But we all know the truth shall set us free.
Don’t think too much about the end of the war. That’s not half as important as what you do and how you approach today. We’re all learning to live in the moment—to be present right now and create change and engage in resistance by sheer will. That’s the only way anyone has ever changed tomorrow.
Like every other soldier in history, there are days that feel like years to me. I miss my old life. I take it out of my pocket and look at it like a picture from time to time. But then I pick up my sack and march on across the field, unafraid and ready to die if I have to. I’ve been called upon, I guess, to do this for my fellow man, for the family that will continue on when I have left the earth. Our battle today is the only hope for tomorrow. And so I do this for them.
I'm forever grateful to my fifth grade teacher. Every morning after we said the Pledge of Allegiance, she would play the piano and the class would sing verses 1 and 4 of My Country Tis of Thee. Very few people know verse 4.
Our fathers' God, to Thee, Author of Liberty, To Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright With freedom's holy light Protect us by thy might Great God, our King!
Imagine a childhood in which you sang this every day in public school with a group of your peers. Precious, it was.
And in this day of wars and rumors of wars, when men call evil good and good evil, when we, as Habakkuk did, cry to God, “Oh Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you, ‘Violence’, and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and Justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.”
[God answered Habakkuk, and us too:] “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days you would not believe if told.” (Hab 1:2-5)
The whole book of Habakkuk could be written today. It is a short book and well worth the read. In the end Habakkuk says he will praise God even if there are no crops or flocks. That really struck a chord in me with the shortages we are seeing.
One final thought from 2 Chron 7:13-14 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Pray for our Nation and all the nations of the world, while it is today, before God’s wrath & fury are unleashed, that we seek God, recognize Jesus died for our sins and all the sins of the world, that we recognize and turn from those sins, be baptized and forgiven. He is our only hope and salvation.
Praise God for his Word and his love that endures forever. Amen
Habakkuk... So relevant today.
I think most people born before 1980ish got a taste of what America was and can be again. Im convinced they started a phase two of their plan starting with Bush's election in 1988 (phase one was Kennedy being "replaced" with that faggot Johnson and all of the progressive bullshit that came along with that cowardly queer). It seemed to accelerate down the shit slide around that time.
I don't know if it's because I am older or whatever, but it almost seems like the USA has been frozen in time since 9/11. Bush I did his job setting up his pieces in the intelligence community ... He handed the country over to Clinton to kickstart globalization, and that led to Bush Jr to install the police state. No matter who would have won the Presidency from 1992 thru 2012, we'd be right where we are at today.
Anyway, it seems as if the culture has remained frozen and fanatically divided since the start of Bush Jr's second term The USA has always had a lot of infighting ... It's history is loaded with it ... But when things mattered, the population would unite in a nanosecond ... That is NOT true today thanks to the fucking swamp and all it represents.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I were to hop into a time machine and travel back to the 50s - 90s, I'd be able to get a sense of when I was just based on what people were wearing, how they talked, and the cars they were driving. Drop me in, say, 2009 or 2018, the only way I'd have an idea when I'm at is going to be based on the cellphones people were carrying or overall TV/display quality, size and weight. Nothing seems really new anymore save all of the LCDs that pop up in homes, phones, and cars anymore. It's like all tech advanced are made to either bombard you with advertisements and/or spy on you.
I pray we get America back ... Not so much for me ... I want my kids to experience it regardless of whatever age they may be when this nightmare ends. If that would happen to mean my life, so be it. People haven't a clue as to how bad things get when you're no longer free. None. They have no idea what a ruling, elitist, leftist regime can do to crush people's will to live.
Great reply. I agree and enjoyed reading your thoughts.
Thank you both, well worth the read.
Well, we went from tunics with leggings and statement necklaces, to mom jeans and crop tops. Also houses went from Tuscany to farmhouse modern, but all in all it’s just swapping out one blandness for another, and I agree overall with your assessment.
Great observation- especially with regards to the time travel.
A friend and I were talking about getting older and what we appreciate about being born in the time we were (mid to late 60s). I said without giving much thought to it that I was grateful to have lived in a time before the internet. Now that may seem odd (after all, how else would I have met all my fellow pedes?), but I think it has blessed me with perspective. I look at my niece and nephews who are in their late teens and early 20s. Without them, it is hard to realize the passage of time because you are right- not much has changed. But if you compare say 1962, 1972 and 1982 - the differences are vast.
Maybe it is because of the 60s and the radical changes that happened then. My dad spent a year in Vietnam in 1968. He told me that he literally did not recognize the country when he got back and he only spent a year there. Compare the last couple of years - sometimes I really have to think about when things have happened. 2020? 2021? Frozen is an apt description.
GOD the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Need a Rock, God gave us Christ, that is our portion and a mighty portion it is.
Prayer for Serenity God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
Dittos- For me, to live is Messiah, to die is gain!
There are things worse than death- a life without liberty is one of them!
I know what you're talking about, AtomicBlonde. I've also watched the world slide downhill around me, and it hasn't been a pretty sight. I, too, try to insulate myself from it to the greatest possible extent, but the relentless intrusiveness of the enemy keeps making it harder and harder.
Yeah, I do believe there are wheels and gears spinning invisibly, doing things we cannot easily see. But although I can read the omens, I can't see when our counterstrike will come.
Like you, I fear death less than the living hell of what the world is becoming. But I have to keep on living for my wife's sake and the sake of those who depend upon us. So until we get The Sign from above, I won't be making any grand dramatic gestures.
You're not alone.
This is beautifully written. Thank you for sharing.
Very well written. If you are not an author you should be. Your words float and drift pleasantly and I found myself enjoying every word.
Please continue to post often. We all need these stories to remember where we have been and why we must go forward. I truly believe that if we all walk together and march towards the future we desire, we will get there.
It may still be along road ahead, but together we can make it. Together we will win.
u/#trumpflag
You write so beautifully
Thanks for sharing this, I wish I could spend some porch time with you one day, you Have been paying attention (awake) four a good long while and it is an inspiration!
I feel like we’re kin. I grew up in a very similar way and you described it perfectly. I was remembering as I read. Thank you for this post. We do it for them. I have 8 grandkids so I do it for them.
💚
I am with you 100%. I feel like I don't even know the people around me even though some are my kids and grandkids. I also can't relate to today's world that we live in...just feel out of place. I am looking forward to heaven...no more sorrow or tears. Life has been full and rich and for that I am grateful. I loved growing up in the 50's and I often reminisce, remembering the good times and good people.
Even when nothing makes sense, we stand in the solid rock. HE makes sense. Truth does. I loved your comment because it had heart. I have chalked it up to the fact that freedom isn't given freely. It is hard fought for. For such a time as this, we were given life. And everything is as it should be, and must be, because it is. Because HE is, always was, and ever will be. Blessings to you. As long as you stand as a light and shine for HIM, you will hear the words, "Well done my good and faithful servant." I believe.
We can't even paddle back to 2019. Whatever any of us thought we had or believed how things were is gone forever. Even if/when things change for the better, it will only be better compared to how bad things are. For things to actually be good on its own merits will take multiple generations long after the last vax side effect dead are buried. We're in a new era now, beyond beyond. New BC is Before Covid.
Kennedy brothers & mlk assainations were psy-ops which destroyed many peoples beliefs in positive conservative values, their generation felt it was the republicsns who did it, stil now they believe the democrats are the good guys... they cannot see beyond the trauma based mind control...
Very beautiful.
Trust in the Lord.
God bless you.
You write beautifully atomic. I could smell and feel my childhood.
To all the young people who participate in protests: against government, for my body, my choice, etc., I ask the following. Have you ever worked a day in your life and held a job for over 6 months? Do you vote or are you even registered to vote? Are you addicted to alcohol and/or drugs? Do you stop and help others in need-carry an older person’s groceries, help them if using a walker or cane, or give a few dollars to someone struggling in the grocery line to find the correct change? Have you served in the military or if not do you show respect for our military? Do you put BLM flags above the U.S. flag? If the answer to any of these is,”No” then you have zero right to complain because you are a useless bottom feeder who hasn’t learned yet that God helps those who help themselves. You feel better about yourself when you help others, when you trust others how you want to be treated, when you wake up each day and than God that you are healthy and here for a purpose. Stop being self centered. Recognize that alcohol, drugs, human trafficking, gun trafficking are part of the government’s plan to control YOU. You can give into the government where they control your food, housing, income, whether you go to prison or not. Your destiny is in your hands. Many a person from bad home lives and poverty, little parental support have resolved to do better. Educate yourself. Stay in school and study. Don’t succumb to gangs. Use your spare time to educate yourself further by reading on the internet or going to the library. Drinking, drugs, stealing, gangs are a one way street to death or prison. Be grateful for your relatively healthy body. Do something positive for yourself and others, it will change your life and your outlook on life.
There is no reason to fear death. Death is inevitable for all of us. It is a completion of a circle. All of us, great and small will find ourselves departing this mortal shell into an unknown. The good weep for those that they are leaving behind, wishing to carry on to protect and aid their loved ones. Have faith in your loved ones that they will continue living when you are gone. The spirit/soul/life force whatever you wish to call it, is a form of energy. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only change forms. Whatever you believe happens when we die, a part of us continues on in some other form. Whatever happens to one of us, happens to all of us. It is literally the ultimate WWG1WGA.
AtomicBlonde, you are truly a wordsmith. Beautifully written. I too remember those days.
Understand that the Great Awakening will actually be harder for you than for the young.
Decades and decades spent in the illusion, in Clown World. You can't help but grow fond of it, at least, you find comfort in things you think you know.
How will you handle the revelation that JFK and the USSR coordinated the Cuban Missile Crisis on purpose in order to boost his approval rating? That the entire Cold War was not US vs USSR as it appeared, but instead US + USSR vs The Pyramid?
Young people, as inundated with technology and chemicals as they are, will adapt quickly. I fear for the elderly during the Great Awakening.
Beautiful, poignant, and elegantly written. I feel exactly the same but couldn't have said it half as well.
Thanks. I needed that.
You "learned about the importance of democracy throughout your years of schooling" Guys, I think I found the problem. ITS A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC. ITS NOT SEMANTICS.
Ah, I know that. But democracy was also taught. You do remember the Greeks, right? You do know where the ideas for our laws came from, in part, right? I know you couldn’t resist being a hero here, but it fell flat.
Hero? Commenting on a website? Okkaaayyyy..?
I'm sure we'd still be in the same mess if your school spent 16 years drilling the importance of being a constitutional republic into your head. I was a victim of public schooling, I know they didn't! Anyway, try to relax and thanks for the post.