Questions I have for Kamala Harris

Like many of you (in the U.S., at least), I’ve been thinking a lot about the recent election that’s actually still going on (as they continue counting votes, and challenging the results). Joe Biden has prematurely anointed himself as future President when the rest of everyone knows Kamala Harris is the Democrats’ “chosen one.” So with that in mind, I have a few questions for Mrs. Harris.

Why did you say yes when Joe Biden, a man you enthusiastically accused of being racist, asked you to be his running mate?

Exactly when did you know you would eventually become the President?

Has Tulsi Gabbard stopped running for the Democratic nomination yet?

If the United States is Dorothy, and freedom is our ruby slippers, does that make you the Wicked Witch of the West?

Can you please stop with the disingenuous smile and laugh?

Back when you were running for the Democratic nomination, you admitted that in your past you smoked marijuana (and laughed about it). What was your angle in that admission?

If folks coming into the U.S. illegally are not charged for breaking a law, then why should anyone obey any law? In fact, why should we have laws at all?

How does it make you feel that Biden said he was going to choose a woman (and a woman of color) as VP, possibly overlooking other people that might be more qualified for the position?

Will you please consider that abortion is not just the woman’s choice? When will the father have a say in what happens to his child?

-Out of the Wilderness

I cuss in your general direction!

For all my life I’ve been nothing but an angel. A saint. Not a good Samaritan… the perfect Samaritan. *stares into the distance with a holier-than-thou smile* OK, OK, none of that is true…. all I’ve done now is prove that along with being a little rascal, I’m also a big, fat, self-righteous liar! But mostly I try to be kind with my words… mostly… I try. Well, as of this week I can officially say I’ve cussed in anger at two people in my life. *stares into distance as single tear rolls down face*

The first was in high school, way back in the black and white days of 1997. I was driving to school, n’er a worry in the world! All of the sudden, about 50 yards from the school parking lot the driver behind me bumped into the back of my Nissan pickup truck. HOW DARE SHE. We were literally so close to my school that the nearest place for both of us to pull over was the school parking lot.

It was a rainy day. That was her excuse. *stares into the distance with a skeptical look*

Moving right along to when I was walking my dogs just the other day. It’s 2020 so of course a big ol’ box truck comes barreling down my street just as me and the pups started our walk. Though we now have speed cushions to slow drivers down, he didn’t seem to care… or even notice. As he quickly and loudly passed by, I blurted out my feelings in not so uncertain terms, to which he blurted his feelings back, also with not much uncertainty. We were both such adults in that moment. *sarcasm*

For the next 10 minutes I was upset at the guy and also at myself for letting him get to me.

These examples aren’t something I’m proud of at all. I guess I’m also not NOT proud of them either. *stares into the distance confused by my own statement* As a Christian I know I need to hold myself to a higher standard. In these couple of encounters I wasn’t kind with my words. It’s not to say the other person wasn’t deserving of a tongue lashing, but as I judge others, so to I am judged. There have been plenty of other times in my life when I was the a-hole. *stares off into distance thinking about what a dweeb I can be*

Have you ever had a moment of split-second thinking that you might change if you had the chance? I’d say for me with these two folks, if I could do either again I wouldn’t cuss; I would try in a more effective way to change their behavior. Because I’m always right. I know what everyone else should do and I need them to know it. 🙂

Also, today is my sister’s birthday. Happy birthday sis!

-Out of the Wilderness

The Clothes and Music of Gap TV Commercial – “Too Fast” By Sonder

Gap has an ad out featuring the slick dance moves of Lil Buck and Miles Yachts. I guess wearing Gap clothes makes you a good dancer? If so, I need a major wardrobe overhaul. Check out the 30-second commercial below. The song is “Too Fast” by Sonder, a trio formed in the mid-2010s.

How about those clothes, though? Well, I’ll list each item for you and what they’re going for at your local Gap store. You’re welcome!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

Killing things

I recently had to set up a mouse trap and to be quite honest, it was so hard to do. Not physically, but emotionally. For years I’ve thought, “Who am I to decide if this creature has to die today?” I know it’s just a tiny animal, but it’s a living thing that is just trying to survive. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals, whether it’s the cutest puppy or the biggest possum you’ve ever seen. Take a scary one, for instance… alligators. Frightening. Deadly. Yet, fascinating. Remarkable. Same with sharks. Terrifying, yet amazing.

Photo by Vova Krasilnikov on Pexels.com

I have a neighbor that used to ask me to go hunting with him. It’s never going to happen. Can you imagine shooting and killing a deer!? Well, maybe you can. I have nothing against those who hunt, I just can’t do it. Again, who am I to decide when another living thing has to die? Especially creatures as beautiful as deer!

It even happens with insects like wasps, spiders, and moths, though. If I discover them in my house or somewhere nearby, I’ll diligently try to get them to a safe place outside… where they belong. Sometimes death is the only solution but not if I can help it.

I think this comes from my belief that all creatures have been created by God, and their (our) mere existence is an example of His beauty, creativity, and love for life. Why would I want to kill that? I can’t justify ending the life of something God has spent time creating and designing to contribute to the amazing, diverse environments of earth. I just can’t do it. Well, I CAN if it’s a wasp or bee stinging me, for example. Or a tick that’s trying to latch on to me or my dogs.

But you get my point, I hope. There’s just something to marvel at when a creature is out there doing what it was designed to do, and thriving in the world God created it in.

This post was originally going to wind itself around to human life, and my belief that people begin very early, like…. conception early… but I think I’ve said enough for now (haha). I suppose the post is more of a tribute to God, who’s creativity and imagination are qualities I can’t often comprehend. But when I see his creation in the form of animals and insects, I can thank him for it… and help those creatures live, even if it means strategically moving one from inside my house to outside my house. 🙂

Photo by David Hablu00fctzel on Pexels.com

-Out of the Wilderness

My favorite U2 songs – part 2

This post is going to wrap up my favorite U2 songs. Part 1 can be seen here. How do you feel about any of these songs?

“All I Want Is You” – For all you lovey dovey’s out there, this one is uber romantic. I can’t exactly remember the first time I heard it, but it has stuck with me ever since. Another version I enjoyed was performed by Jars of Clay (click here for that one)… not quite as earnest in its message of desperate love, Jars puts a rockabilly flair on it. But with a rock band like U2, you don’t often get a ballad of love laid out so bare. This shows that when it comes to U2, there are no rules, I guess.

Favorite line: “All the promises we break, from the cradle to the grave… When all I want is you.”

“Mysterious Ways” – This is a song that exemplifies the “rock” side of U2 perfectly. Crunchy guitar, heavy drums, it’s just great. One of my favorite bands growing up was DCTalk and I can definitely hear the influence of U2 in their music, especially U2’s style in this song.

Favorite Line: “If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel.”

“MLK” – The first time I heard this song was close to 20 years after it was released. It was on the 1984 album “The Unforgettable Fire” which is also a good description of the song, really. A tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., the instrumentation has a mystical feel to it and might very well stop you in your tracks, as it did me.

Favorite line: “Sleep, sleep tonight… and may your dreams be realized.”

“Running To Stand Still” – This song is new to me, although it was released in 1987 when I was just 9 years old. Now I’m 41 and I’m kind of glad I heard it for the first time as an adult. It’s sad but with an element of happiness somehow. Bono’s voice is really nice in this one.

“Jesus Christ” – This song was also new to me this year (2020). If you listen to it and think it sounds very, very old, you’d be right! It’s a cover of a song from the 1940s, U2 performing it in the late 80s. I love the upbeat tempo that is a reminder of country/folk music from the mid-19th century.

Favorite Line: “When Jesus came to town all the working folks around, believed what he did say.”

Thanks for stopping by. What are some of your favorite U2 songs? Comment below!

-Out of the Wilderness