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Forgiveness

Posted in Family, Uncategorized with tags on January 28, 2009 by macmystery

A while back, I posted an item about the guy in California who lost his family — wife and kids — when a military jet crashed into his house.

Despite his loss, the day after the accident, part his first public statement was about how he didn’t want the pilot to blame himself and how he was praying for the pilot. I thought that was amazing, given his loss.

Well, here’s another story like that.

A south Florida family lost all three of their children in a traffic accident caused by a man with 26 traffic tickets in the past eight years.

This is what forgiveness is supposed to be all about, but I’m not sure I could do it.

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We’re gonna rock down to Electric Ave.

Posted in Family, Music with tags , , , , , , on January 25, 2009 by macmystery

Since I got my XM Radio subscription for Christmas, when Dylan rides any where with me, he listens like me.

I do a lot of listening to the 80s on 8. Last week, driving Dylan home from school, I heard Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue.” Turns out, Dylan loved the song, and now it can be added to the list of songs I’ve introduced him to that drive Brooke insane (see “Werewolves of London”).

Then, when we’re in the car together with him, we hear “Centerfold” by the J. Geils Band.

“I like this song,” he says. “I like the “na na na na na nas.”

So he tells me as I’m taking him to school, ” I like this XM Radio, Daddy. It has a lot more good songs than the other radio we have.”

I tell Brooke this. We laugh.

The next day, she takes him to school and he tells her, “Mommy, for Christmas next year, I want an XM Radio , just like Daddy’s.”

Now I’m in the doghouse.

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Where to take the kids

Posted in Family with tags on January 25, 2009 by macmystery

I found this a couple of weeks ago.

It’s a list of the top 15 American landmarks that every kid should have a chance to see.  Some of the things on the list, I have yet to see. Some I’m not sure I agree with, but it’s interesting.com.

Here’s the list.

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Torture me with Born in the USA, please

Posted in Family, Music, Politics with tags , , , , , , , , on December 13, 2008 by macmystery
"Born down in a dead man's town ..."

"Born down in a dead man's town ..."

I find this funny.

Several pop and rock musicians are protesting the U.S. government’s use of popular songs as a way to torture detainees at places like Guantanamo Bay.

According to published stories, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” is one of these, along with tunes by artists like Britney Spears and Rage Against the Machine (a natural pairing if ever I’ve seen one).

What makes it funny to me is that my wife, Brooke, has probably considered “Born in the USA” to be torture for some time.

Somehow (there’s some sarcasm here), mysteriously, it’s become Dylan’s favorite song. In fact he knows the words so well, if I try and slip the acoustic version by him, he recognizes it as well.

In fact, it’s only one among several songs that he likes that she could do without. He’s also a huge fan of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.”

Brooke … she hates it, especially when it’s played over and over (Who would do that?).

And he loves anything by Johnny Cash.

Fine by me.

Torture?

Nope.

That would be Celene Dion.

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Sometimes people amaze me

Posted in Family, Uncategorized with tags , on December 10, 2008 by macmystery
Dong Yun Yoon speaks after losing four family members when a military plane crashed into his house on Tuesday.

Dong Yun Yoon speaks after losing four family members when a military plane crashed into his house on Tuesday.

Dong Yun Yoon lost everything on Monday.

As if the sky fell on them, his two daughters (two and 16 months old), his wife of three years and his mother-in-law were killed when a U.S. Marines F/A-18 slammed into his house in a quiet neighborhood near San Diego.

As a father of two young children, I have no idea how I would react. I’m not sure I could keep it together.

So it’s safe to say I was surprised … no, amazed … when I read about Yoon’s plea to the public in the hours following this tragedy. Having just lost his entire family, the Korean immigrant was concerned about … the pilot.

“Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident,” Yoon said of the Marine who safely ejected. “… I don’t blame him. I don’t have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could.”

I’d like to think I was strong enough to be thinking of someone else after I had lost everything. I don’t know. And I hope I never have to find out.

Mr. Yoon, his family … and the pilot … are in my prayers. I hope they’re in yours, too.

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