A Greatness taken for Granted

Jim, one of my amazing Caesar salad and Grape Juice customers, has repeatedly been bringing me down articles on the horrors of Islamic terrorism, so that I might read with wide eyes during my hour of ultimate boredom. The subject will not evade me, it seems, because I just came from listening to a Rush Limbaugh segment and he was conducting an interview with some guy who wrote a book. I think it was 'Jackson' somebody who wrote some book about the dangers of Islam; dangers most people aren't aware of. That's not what's important, though. What's important is all of that made me start thinking about how people take for granted the greatness of this country.

I think there's a great parallel between the World Trade Centers and America. Alot of people want to argue that since there have been no more major terrorist attacks on American soil since 2001, there is no longer a danger. In fact, they say there is so little danger that our troops have no business interfering on Iraqi soil. All I have to do is mention the word 'war', and many of my customers will get raised eyebrows and go off on a tangent about this 'sorry excuse of a war'. My boss' son is a soldier stationed in Iraq right now, though, so many of those customers will curb their vehemency in her presence. My point here is not that those customer do not have a right to anger, or to their opinion. Absolutely not. I think it's awesome that I can hear people contradict with me and talk about differences of opinion. I think I'm like alot of people in wishing that there wasn't such a thing as war, but I am not so clueless as to think that America is a country that can just sit by and remain great. Even our founding fathers were not sure that America would last for a few years... much less forever.

While the World Trade Center bombing of '93 frightened people, nobody took it as a declaration of war. The Trade Centers stood firm and were repaired. They were considered un-destructable. Life went on. Then 9/11 2001 came and went... the World Trade Centers sank to it's knees... and it sent American's to their knees in prayer and sorrow. The core of American resolve was shaken and on their knees they were strengthend. What happened since then? How has simply seven years weakened our resolve to keep on the offensive to prevent equally devestating attacks against our great country? I think it says alot for President Bush and our troops that America hasn't had any more major attacks on her soil since 2001. When I told one of my customers that, she exploded, "What do you call the anthrax attack?" lol. That was reaching a bit, to compare 'the anthrax attack' to 'the 9/11 attack'.

America is the greatest country in the world. There's no doubt of that. But are we seriously naive enough to think that the war has NOT been helping prevent attacks on our soil? Are we honestly content with the Jimmy Carters' of America conducting 'peace treaties' with Hamas? Are 'we the people' so content with being separated into our political parties, that when a republican in office happens to declare war, we cannot support him all the way to victory because of his political PARTY? Terrorists ARE dangerous... Islam DOES teach violence... All I can do when I hear people whine about how ritarded it is for our troops to be sacrificing themselves for a 'lost cause' is bite my tongue until it bleeds. I just feel so strongly that America is not a 'great' country that will last 'forever' unless we, the people of America, continue to fight for that greatness.

What happened to the unsinkable Titanic? It sank. What happened to the undestructable World Trade Centers? It was destroyed. Great America has been amply warned. The warm security of ignorance is no longer ours. There IS a war, and we ARE winning it. Daily, terrorists (who are often defined in the main stream media as 'innocents') are killed. That's awesome. You know why? Because terrorists are TRAINED to KILL Americans! This is not just a 'war' to them... it is a way of living. We may retire from war, but until they (and their way of thinking)are no longer living, innocent people are in danger. One terrorist killed is quite possibly two Americans saved. I wish these people could be 'untrained' and spared... but where the security of Americans and war is involved... it is not something we have the authority to risk. We cannot just introduce a Bible and immediately retrain the way these terrorists think. They are programmed for death.

I have often heard people complain that the democracy we are implementing there is pointless, and America has NO right to interfere with their politics. WHAT politics? I don't really care about the democracy... that's just something that's supposed to help the citizens get back on their feet. That is the compassion of America in action. Our OBJECTIVE is to destroy Al Qaida and other terrorist regimes. Their main objective is to oppress their citizens and inspire Muslim Extremists to eliminate the real INNOCENTS of America. It makes me sick when I think of how many journalists cannot sit back from their political bias and just look at America as their country that they must defend at all costs.

We want to secure a safe, strong nation for this generation, and the generations to come, don't we? Absolutely. So let's stop pretending that our good name is going to keep us safe. It is our good men and women that are fighting for us even as I write these humble words that are keeping us safe. Greatness is a pursuit, not a fact.

La... What a beeootiful Saturday... Live, Live, Live

I'm going to free-write here, so you (my dear readers) are well-warned. Today I was very ambitious! I started a second job today! Yay- first days! I love first days. Initially on first days I always feel apprehensive, and I have big bad thoughts about all these things that could go wrong. Predictably, I felt that way today - being my first day and all. But there's something awesome about first days. One doesn't have to be afraid to fail. If one does fail, one can smile demurely and whisper, "Tis my first day. Do accept my pardons." That sounds wierd, but picture me saying it and it'll be okay.

My new job is at Potbelly (a Sandwich-with-the-works store). I worked all day today before I finally had my first official Potbelly Sandwich. It felt funny because I was garbed in this huge Potbelly t-shirt and had a Potbelly visor, but I didn't even know where to stand in line. The lady who helped me - my new coworker! - was amply-sized and had a no-nonsense face. She was one of the many new co-workers I was to meet. When I first saw her, I thought, "Oh dear, she's going to take an instant dislike to me." At first she ignored me and I felt quite non-existent. But then half-way through my day, she looked at me sharply and said, "Have you been checking the bathroom every 30 minutes?" I nodded responsibly and said, "12:00, 12:30 and we're just coming up on 1:00 here." She smiled and said, "I knew I was going to like you the minute I saw you." I felt pleased but did not venture to tell her what I had thought when I first saw her.

My boss warned me that "first days are never glamorous". I nodded, took that with a grain of salt, and set about my tasks with a shy fervor. Basically, after going through orientation and getting the 'official tour' of the place, I was assigned to keep people's tables clean, sweep the floors, sanitize baskets and trays, take peoples' trash, and check the bathrooms every 30 minutes for total toilet-paper efficiency. They called the position a 'fronter', and I was the 'fronter associate' of the day. When I told my friend Kim that, she said, "Oh, so you're like a bus-boy." Groan - but it made me laugh and I clarified, "I'm the best bus-woman around."

Anyways, so I now have two jobs. That's kinda cool. I was warned by my Potbelly boss that I was not allowed to take Potbelly secrets and share them with Grace at my other job. Hahaha, I wanted to laugh. I couldn't steal secrets even if I wanted to. I'm one of those who just knows good food when I taste it. And today, I had some mighty good sandwich food. My mom's a southern cook -- quite good, in fact. Grace is a Korean cook -- extremely good and in some cases just downright unique. Then, to top it all off, I'm a pretty good cook myself if I'm allowed to say so. I make a mean batch of Ramen noodles and baked potatoes. Watch out, future hubby.

It's funny because my boss thought I was married for the majority of my orientation. I thought it was wierd because he kept referring to my 'hubby' and my 'significant other' and then I realized that I would have to clarify my state of singleness or I would be introduced to my coworkers as "Mrs. Andria so-and-so..." La, that seems so laughable.

Anyways, so I was exhausted after that first five-hour shift, but it was a new experience for me! I love learning new things! I can now ask people for trash with the utmost efficiency, and I can clean off tables in a sort of mesmerizing dance-like fury. La I'm laughing at myself. All week I've been so tired and I've just wanted to go to bed, and then suddenly it's like... hey, I'm living. This is life. Whoo! See, you gotta make it happen. Don't expect it to all come crawling to you. Live, live, live.

More later. Expect it, dear readers of mine.

Saturday’s are wonderful things. When my customers politely asked on ‘Happy Friday’ what my weekend was going to consist of, I confided my plans in them. “I plan to sleep in.” That alone, is a big occasion for me. But plans go awry. Often, I plan to ‘go to bed early’. That never happens, so I suppose my dream of ‘sleeping in’ was naturally doomed.

My sister and brother-in-law, two newlyweds who always seem to be buying something new, invited my brother and I to go shopping today in Chicago. The store of allurement was ‘IKEA’. I had popped my head into the fascinating Minnesota IKEA a summer ago, so I thoughtlessly agreed to ‘11:00’ on Saturday. Note to myself: Never make Saturday plans for anything before noon!

Naturally, to ‘be ready on time’, my brother and I were summoned from sleep by my Dad who declared it was ‘time to get up’. As one might imagine, my response was more than mildly crabby.

The parking-lot of IKEA was teeming with cars of people that were ‘waiting’ for a parking spot in the most inconvenient places. The joy of screwy map quest directions, combined with tense words for bad maneuvering - found our four-some rather ruffled by the time our feet entered the fair IKEA entrance. I sensed that some in our party were annoyed by these little traveling dilemmas - kind of like people who are annoyed by a cloud of gnats every time they try to sit down.

Regardless, IKEA was a world of fully-furnished rooms, and unique twists on average products. The countless varieties of baskets began to play with my mind. Did I need a basket? What if I could use that basket? The options bewildered me, and my full hands found themselves a shiny, happy cart, which soon became piled with items that were ’cheap’ and that ’I might be able to use’. I knew most of my chosen treasures were unnecessary, but the thought of later regretting NOT getting them - plagued me. That kind of basket might not be anywhere else! And certainly not for that price! Yes, I needed the basket. Thus, is the way my intricate thought-process works.

Since I refused to pay the 59 cents for a bag, I resorted to the old-fashioned method of carrying all of my purchases. My poor brother followed me all around the store, because nothing seemed too alluring to him - and he was safe passing by colored alarm clocks, organizing bags, 99-cent pillow shams, and adorable little cactuses (I never liked cactuses before today) for 4.99. I, unfortunately, was not safe, but I determined if I was destined to spend money, I would spend it on things for college. What better than a cactus to look after while at college! (just kidding) (although I did think about it)

When I got home, I greedily collected all of my purchases (yelling at my brother for misplacing my awesome blue basket), and spread them before my mother - all the while feeling happy in my heart for the good I had brought into my home. There’s something satisfying for a woman when she shows another woman what she has and the other woman hasn’t. Mystifying, I know, but facts are hard things.

Ever since I got some brand new sheets that I had no particular use for, I have been putting odd assortments of ‘college things’ in a big antique, cat-scratched chest. I have turned the opening against the wall so that I won’t sneak in and ‘borrow’ one of my saved items. I carried up the IKEA items and buried them forever in the college vault. I snapped the latch shut with solemn sacredness.

An investment in the future. Truly.