Preserving the principles of the Constitution.

If you've followed my blog from its inception, or if you've read far enough back through older posts, then you know that while the vast majority of my entries are meant to be humorous and entertaining I occasionally like to shift gears and post a poem, a serious reflection, or a topic I see as important and relevant to the times or my present line of thought, focus, and study. This is one of those posts. I wanted to share a quote by Daniel Webster concerning standing up for and protecting the Constitution of the United States and the principles that it stands for as established by our Founding Fathers.

"...I am committed against every thing which, in my judgment, may weaken, endanger, or destroy [the Constitution]...and especially against all extension of Executive power; and I am committed against any attempt to rule the free people of this country by the power and the patronage of the Government itself..."
-Daniel Webster

Are we just as passionate today about protecting and preserving the principles of the Constitution as our founding fathers and the early patriots were or do we sit back and trust that the Constitution and its principles will preserve themselves or be preserved by those who are in charge? It's a dangerous game to let men of power run about unhindered and unchecked by the people they are said to represent; just ask Nazi Germany.

Let us stay awake, passionate, and vigilant lest we loose these freedoms and this great nation bestowed upon us by the Hand of Providence to the power hungry and corrupt who in turn will gladly offer it as one of ten branches in a one world government that their power might be even more all-encompassing.

Our protection against this is the Constitution. It is as powerful, or as powerless, as we the people allow it to be. God forgive us and have mercy on us should we not steward the gift we've been given.

Not every at bat can be a hit.

Many moons ago, I sat in a classroom in Tallahassee, Florida on the path to becoming certified as an armed security officer in the State of Florida and listened to a retired police officer talk about the importance of first impressions. It was a concept I had completely ignored throughout my recent college career, but for some reason, that night it really spoke to me. I went home and immediately took the earring out of my horribly infected earlobe that had never quite healed after my girlfriend pierced it with a thumbtack on a night of heavy drinking. I was ready to start making a good first impression...something you only get one chance to do.

Fast forward many years to the mountains of western North Carolina to what seems like a lifetime away from that classroom in Tallahassee. Still aware of the power of first impressions I don't always find myself rising to the occasion as I would hope to, but sometimes end up like one of the bumbling protagonists that often find there way onto the pages of one of my screenplays.

Here are a few examples of less than perfect first impressions one can make when meeting an attractive female somewhere in your small town: [Inspired by actual events]

1. "Do I make you nervous? I'm assuming your dog sensed that you were tense and that's why it's barking at me. All the dogs in Japan hated me too because I scared their owners. White guys in Japan make older Japanese women nervous the way that black guys in America make older white women nervous. I got use to dogs hating me so maybe he's actually picking up my tension. Do you think it's you or me who's setting him off?

2. Working cash register: "William...that's a pretty name."
Attractive female customer: (unamused) "It's my dad's card."

3. Attractive female working cash register: "Anything else I can get for you?"
Me: "A phone number would be nice."
Attractive female: "You know I'm in high school, right?"
Me: "...Yes...um...I tutor Spanish, aaand I'm trying to build my clientele. You take Spanish don't you?"

4. As I work out alone in a small apartment complex gym, a lone female enters.
Me: "Hey, how's it goin'?"
No response.
Me: "Feel free to change the channel if you like. I'm not really watching this."
No response.
Me: "I'll probably be leaving in like 10 minutes anyway."
No response.
Me: "I promise I'm really working out and this isn't some Ted Bundy ruse."
No response.
I leave.

I've been blessed with some really good first impressions too, but as an anxious, neurotic, over-analyzing writer, it's the not so great ones that tend to stick with me. "Screenplay moments" I like to call them.

One of these days I might finally introduce myself to the cute neighbor who lives upstairs. Here's hoping it's a good first impression and not something that will find its way into my work.