The kids are never alright

There is a overwhelming feeling of grief and fear running through the blood of my veins today. Those safe and sound should shutter.. because life is fading and fragile–fleeting and fearful. 

The past 36 hours have been mentally dedicated to events of the realistic nature. 

While the world is being torn apart by warfare regardless of continent or country, the ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude is still something worn as a badge of confidence throughout the planet. The idea that you, me, and whoever reading this, is immune to the horrors of war and the scars of battle. The people flying on that Malaysian airliner, shot down by some group hell-bent on causing fear and bloodshed, did not know they were going to die on that flight. The nun and the AIDS researchers hadn’t the clue that the angel of death was not only knocking but also busting down the door to get in.. the men and women had no connection to the war ravaging parts of Ukraine over Crimea. They don’t know and maybe did not even care of the battle lines. And now, 300 souls become victims. Without notice, without mercy, and without warning. Their bodies vacant souls–now if only we knew where the souls went after life.. There are times world events move me tom tears–lately that’s been happening quite a bit. A NEW YORK TIMES article published today made me eyes swell up with water.. Especially this section of the article, which describes some of the articles of possessions found in the debris of Flight 17:

Dutch belongings were scattered through the grass: a pink children’s book; a parking ticket picked up by a man named Hans van den Hende; a book of stickers. Children’s playing cards were sprinkled near the road.

Anyone with a heart–and especially anyone with children–gets a disburbing feeling in the pit of your stomach when you read that. I did.. and I still do as I re-read it.. 
I ask myself, and constantly scream out in silent anger to God or whatever else controls this universe: Why always children. Why must they be collateral damage in the sins of men? The drums of war have no beat.. they are just a mix and mess of conflicting thumps and noises of bombs.. 
With scores of dead children around the planet every hour. 
The latest dead child had a pink book, stickers, and playing cards. Little trinkets of goodness and innocence.. now those pieces of peace are shredded by the hounds of war. Gone for good are the beautiful children who played with them.. 
I pray that this missile hit fast and so furiously that the passengers felt no pain.
But even if they did not feel pain, there will be other innocent men, women, and children who constantly feel pain and suffering in the billowing smoke of the world, on fire, with war.

For people who love goodness —and dogs— here is a little story about a dying boy and his special bond with a dog named Juno.

Study finds eating chicken on the bone makes children more aggressive

A new Cornell University study has found that children who eat chicken on the bone are more likely to disobey adults and be aggressive towards other kids.

No comment.

Except they never met my son. He had yet to meet a pop tart he doesn’t like. He has yet to eat meat. On or off the bone.

The only question I am left with: Who thought about this as a study? Did some scientist realize his kid was eating lots of wings and cussing him out? 

Study finds eating chicken on the bone makes children more aggressive

From mild mannered child to .. monster of mayhem. And then he smiles and melts your heart..

Ayden Morris is 16 months old. He is amazing. At times it feels like he’s one of the adults, he tries so hard to be independent. He’ll go so far as to hold the cup with his own hands, but in the process rips it out of yours. He will take walks on his own, but make a fool of you as he whips his hands ferociously away from yours.

And yes, he eats on his own, even if it means he forces utensils out of your hands before you are ready to give them to him.

This is a wild ride. Parenting plus panicking. 
Laughing.. getting angry.. getting sad.. contemplating existence.. contemplating time.. Getting embarrassed as the frenzied flip out occurs at a grocery store checkout counter. 

My wife and I love being parents. We love having the task at hand .. we enjoy having something more important than ourselves being at the center of our marriage and lives. But .. by God, aren’t the terrible 2s supposed to occur when, well, when Ayden turns 2!?

I love the little man.
I love his emotions, as pure as they are.

And yes, even when I wish he wouldn’t get red in the face and belt out louder than a lawn mower on a microphone, I still am amazed as he grows, amazed as he learns.. and can’t wait until he starts asking “Why” to everything.

I think adults stop asking why..

And yes, we stop having meltdowns in grocery stores, too.
But that’s what makes kids more fun, don’t you think? 

*Another* new study suggests that autism may be triggered in the womb

The latest in a number of theories as to what causes the distressing ailment to children..This theory is according a study by Stanford University.. They compared cases of autism in identical and fraternal twins and found that fraternal twins — who share only half of the same genes — have unusually high rates of autism. Reuters reports further:

"In another, researchers at health insurer Kaiser Permanente found mothers of children with autism were twice as likely to have been prescribed a common antidepressant during the year before their pregnancy than mothers of healthy children.

And the risk was even greater — a threefold increase — when the drug was taken in the first trimester of pregnancy.

*Another* new study suggests that autism may be triggered in the womb

My strange and rambling thoughts on being a father in the 21st century

Someone who read this already said it was overly negative. But I present it as a hopeful series of thoughts.. It’s not a fun world, but as a parent, I’m trying .. and making my child’s life the best ever is now the central point of why I am here.

Oh the perils of parenthood.. the faulty ground of fatherhood.. So much running through my mind these days as my son grows older.

Back in February when a new life entered this world, my wife and I celebrated.. As time goes on, I become more fearful.

It seems that civilization itself is a heap of wreckage. It appears that society is breaking down and becoming a swampland of corruption.. The entire land of the free and home of the brave seemingly is circling in a toilet of depravity. Maybe I’m just overdoing the amount of bad news out there, but a few notes of interest lately showcase why I am a fearful father.

The TSA is groping children—or at least they were going to—at a prom. Checking for weapons.. the breeding ground for a pscyhological test appears to have begun at airports. And now, in our modern day life, we are faced with a future in which some could be touching, groping, and grabbing, all in the name of security, at proms, schools, churches, old-lady lunches, trains, and whever else one can envision people freely moving. 

Tornadoes and other natural disasters seem to be occurring on an extreme level. Sure, we’ve been here before. Our atmosphere has a history, and tsunamis, earthquakes, and devastation all took place on this pale blue dot before. But this time, it seems different… it seems quite frightening. It is almost as though we are on a hair trigger, and at any moment the bottom could fall out from under us..

The economy is getting no better. Jobs are painfully few… McDOnalds just hired 50,000 folks, all whom won’t get health care since the Obama Administration gave the company a waiver. How quaint. Burger King tells you that you can have it your way.. McDonalds, however, has it their way.

Corruption is everywhere. Child prostition rings, disgusting abuse of our elderly, horrible treatment of innocent civilians in warfare… all of which adds up to a world in utter chaos.. It can lead even the most religious person to wonder aloud of there is a God that is watching. After all, if a higher power is watching how could such disgraceful abuse of human life itself be tolerated.. At least hopefully there is a God keeping good notes.

GMO crops frighten me… Buffoons declaring that the end of the world is coming alarm me because so many others follow them, often into oblivion or even mass Kool Aid induced suicide.  Just pick your flavor and drink away..

Sure the news is bad. Yes it seems bleak. And bringing a child up in a world of war is troubling.

However…when I sleep at night, and hear the quiet breath of my baby boy, I myself sleep better. When I look at my wife, see me child, know that he has grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, family and friends, all who love him, it gives me a bit more hope for my sometimes hopeless mind.

Being a parent isn’t easy. As a matter of fact, everyone I spoke to who was already a parent told me it wasn’t going to be a simple affair at all. 

But what I find easy is the hard stuff… late night feedings, boxes of diapers, belly aches, gas, and fevers.. All of that is a part of the natural progression of life. 

I expected all of that. 

What I never expected was the wide range of emotions when I read the news…the idea of sitting at a table with my son on some future day, where I need to explain why some grown persons don’t treat other persons with dignity.. why murder happens.. why masachistic child torture takes place.. and why sometimes people in a distant land want to destroy innocent purity. That, my friends, may be the most difficult thing I’ve even come across.

What prompts this verbose text? This morning, I saw a snippet in my morning paper about a mom in New York City, right after giving birth, tossing her newborn child down a dumpster. The baby lived. It was saved by a maintenance man who heard the muffled cries of the suffering life form. The mom was arrested. And that was that.. another story of another sad beginning of another life on earth.

I want to save children from this.. I yearn to break out of my conditioned negativity, despite all the negative, and work against established norms, because those norms are so oftern perverted by men who declare the ‘norms’ to be normal. 

I want purity. Honesty. Love. I believe the whole of society is better than the worst of society. For sure, though, we see the worst on the front pages and top stories of our newcasts. 

I want to teach my son to be himself, treat others with respect. And I want to tell him to ignore all the others who don’t.. because in the end, they go against human nature and have given in to a cult of decadence that has never given any good people a good outcome. 

No it won’t be easy. But neither are those late night feedings. And my wife and I are happily doing that.

Wish us luck.

And good luck to you too… Hope these words light a fire of goodness and love within your heart.

Government gets its first three subjects from Schuylkill County

A local story of interest to me, and maybe even you.. Three babies have been born in Schuylkill County, PA, and are going to take part in a decades-long government study on children..

The government study, according to the report, intends on asking not why children get sick, but instead why some children are healthier than others..

My wife and I were offered the chance to stick Ayden into the study a few weeks before he was born, but we declined. I am not accusing anyone of anything nefarious.. I just didn’t have the interest and maybe even the paranoia of untrustworthiness for any government study that will watch my child until the drinking age of 21..

As far as health? Schuylkill County!? If you’ve never been here, you’ll most likely not know it’s the home of a vast array of abandoned former coal mines.

Nothing unhealthy in the ground there, right?

And it’s the home of a sulfur creek that many have labeled the ‘shit crick’.. Yes, I said crick. Local word..

And this county of Coal Speaker home base is also the home of a rare cancer that has been seen more and more in the region.

So I hope the 21-year-long study goes well. I’ll be 51 by the time we find out why certain kids are sicker than others.

Baby clothing is awesome

No, really, it is.

My wife’s job threw a baby shower for her yesterday.. Her coworkers are saints. Believe me, they are.. some of the most adorable clothing I’ve ever seen in my life.

It’s almost here.. Ayden Morris is just about to step foot on the planet earth with his own two feet… Counting down the days now.