It would be so easy to write about people fighting for our freedoms, or about thanking those that have served. It would be easy to write about patriotism, and all the things that make this nation great. It would even be easy to write something poetic about the meaning of this day.
It is much harder to write about the reality of why we need this day.
Today is the day set aside for Americans to recall their war dead. Beyond conversations about duty or sacrifice, there is the loss of a parent, spouse, sibling, or child. Friends are lost, and communities altered forever by the death of a soldier.
Beyond any meaning we can attach to why someone is taken, often in terrible circumstances, there is also the reality that families grieve the death of a loved one, their lives turned upside down.
Memorial Day is so much more than ceremony, prose, or flag waving. It is a day of mourning.
Regardless of how you feel about patriotism, war, or politics, I am of the strongest belief that today is a day to reflect upon the profound sadness or nations losses. It is with the greatest sorrow that we have, in every generation, had to have Memorial Days where those we remember are not from the pages of history books, but from our yearbooks and photo albums.
Today we mourn those taken from us, and all of those whose deaths touched us.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Boerum Hill
Saw this fully grown adult male in Brookyn on Friday night. A fine specimen, he showed no fear as we walked past.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Predator and Prey
I have often been asked about the role of City Snakes in their local ecosystem. Specifically, people want to know if they have natural predators. The answer is yes.
City Snaked do provide a food source to birds, rodents, reptiles, small mammals, and even other City Snakes.
This week, I received a picture from long time blog supporter and City Snake enthusiast @akgspan. He captured the moment a City Snake in Austin, Texas fell prey to another urban animal species.
Though it saddens me to see a City Snake falling victim to a hungry bird, such is the circle of life.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Positive Mental Attitude
I have always been a skeptic, and I have, for most of my life, been a pessimist. I have become a little bit less skeptical and more positive and optimistic. In doing so, I am seeing the results that many had promised me I would see.
I was always told "you can do anything you set your mind to." Now in some ways, this nonsense. It's missing the second part, which is "be realistic and do your research." A great example might be deciding you want to be an Astronaut. In theory, you could become one, provided you meet the requirements. But then the questions isn't so much about if you want to go to space, it becomes a question of if you have "distant visual acuity of 20/100 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 each eye," or a degree in physical science or mathematics. So maybe you want to be an Astronaut, but you can't because of eyesight requirements, or because while visiting the cosmos interests you, studying physics does not.
Yet I have found that applying positivity and optimism to my thought processes has brought some measurable results. It has allowed me to have the courage to pursue big, often scary changes in my life, such as two major cross country moves, starting new jobs and career paths, and getting engaged to the person I love. Being optimistic has helped me to push through many challenges, such as dim employment situations or financial difficulties, allowing me to keep a clear mind and think more rationally.
Being positive alone won't do everything, but it makes facing challenges and meeting goals much easier. It helps me to stay focused on what I want and where I want to be. It also makes me considerably more pleasant to be around. I can get derailed by stress and negativity, and I sometimes go into a tailspin of terrible thoughts. I can physically feel my negativity as I become tense and angry. It is not fun for me or anyone around me.
My skepticism remains, though it has lessened in some ways. I still believe a good dose of skepticism is necessary to navigate the world in which we live; a world rife with charlatans and know-nothings, trying to persuade you to give them money or join their cause. However, I also think that keeping an open mind, and at least listening to ideas about which you may have suspicions is a good thing. It has helped me to grow as a person, and I think has allowed me examine things in a more nuanced way. It should be noted that I still do not think that shape-shifting reptilians belonging to the Illuminati are in control of really anything.
Having this outlook is something new to me, and I think I rather enjoy it. It has certainly been much more helpful than my age-old attitude of negativity and pessimism. I would urge people to try applying positive thinking to their own lives, particularly in regard to the way that they meet challenges.
I was always told "you can do anything you set your mind to." Now in some ways, this nonsense. It's missing the second part, which is "be realistic and do your research." A great example might be deciding you want to be an Astronaut. In theory, you could become one, provided you meet the requirements. But then the questions isn't so much about if you want to go to space, it becomes a question of if you have "distant visual acuity of 20/100 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 each eye," or a degree in physical science or mathematics. So maybe you want to be an Astronaut, but you can't because of eyesight requirements, or because while visiting the cosmos interests you, studying physics does not.
Yet I have found that applying positivity and optimism to my thought processes has brought some measurable results. It has allowed me to have the courage to pursue big, often scary changes in my life, such as two major cross country moves, starting new jobs and career paths, and getting engaged to the person I love. Being optimistic has helped me to push through many challenges, such as dim employment situations or financial difficulties, allowing me to keep a clear mind and think more rationally.
Being positive alone won't do everything, but it makes facing challenges and meeting goals much easier. It helps me to stay focused on what I want and where I want to be. It also makes me considerably more pleasant to be around. I can get derailed by stress and negativity, and I sometimes go into a tailspin of terrible thoughts. I can physically feel my negativity as I become tense and angry. It is not fun for me or anyone around me.
My skepticism remains, though it has lessened in some ways. I still believe a good dose of skepticism is necessary to navigate the world in which we live; a world rife with charlatans and know-nothings, trying to persuade you to give them money or join their cause. However, I also think that keeping an open mind, and at least listening to ideas about which you may have suspicions is a good thing. It has helped me to grow as a person, and I think has allowed me examine things in a more nuanced way. It should be noted that I still do not think that shape-shifting reptilians belonging to the Illuminati are in control of really anything.
Having this outlook is something new to me, and I think I rather enjoy it. It has certainly been much more helpful than my age-old attitude of negativity and pessimism. I would urge people to try applying positive thinking to their own lives, particularly in regard to the way that they meet challenges.
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