Marriage Equality

The rate of divorce in the United States is around fifty percent.  If an individual attends four weddings in a year, then by these statistics, two of the marriages will not endure.  Marriage for love is a relatively recent phenomenon.  People used to marry around fourteen with little acquaintance with their spouse.  These individuals were unable to obtain a divorce despite horrific conditions including a loveless marriage.  People still marry for political or financial gain rather than love, but when two people of the same gender truly love each other and wish to join together in matrimony, people begin to object. If loveless marriages are allowed to exist, how can we deny two individuals marriage based upon their gender? Let's continue to progress in our attempts to grant more freedom to people rather than regress.

Equality

How can people claim to believe in equality, yet they judge others based upon their alternative appearance or lifestyles?  Equality exists only through the ability of others to accept the differences of people. One of the most beautiful aspects of humanity is individuality which allows humans to be unique creatures. A difference in lifestyle or attitude does not translate into a wrong action.  We all live by different standards as set by each person individually. The basic notions of "right" and "wrong" cannot be determined for all people based upon the opinions of few. If we all try, equality can be more than a theory. 

Assisting Others in Need

The cry for help from an individual is not always as obvious as a scream in an elevator.  Many of the people who are seeking/needing help the most often hide their emotions behind subtle hints.  Rather than ignoring these hints, it is necessary to further explore the severity of the hints. The process of seeking others in need requires mutual cooperation between the person helping and the person seeking help.  The ability to help another is a greatly rewarding experience, but it often requires an individual to understand when a person is truly in need of assistance in some method or another.  The cry for help can often be concealed, but a whisper can only be heard when a person is listening for it.

Once...

A common misconception currently resides in American society. Through musical lyrics or common speech, it is repeated numerous times. Before a toast or a regretable act, it is uttered. Following a large unsuccessful gamble, it is relied upon once again. It is the motivation for some actions, and it is the justification for other actions. For some unknown reason, the phrase has become a staple for American actions. "You only live once." The irony of the situation is that you do not only live once. Instead, you only die once. This statement will occassionally present the person will the opportunity to achieve this certainty. The phrase that is most correct is "The only certain thing in life is death." Life is never guaranteed and never certain. Defining life in the biological meaning of the word would allow you to only live once, but moments are when we truly live. The moments in which we are impacting society, developing intellectually, feeling love, and understanding the meaning or purpose of life. Life is only lived once for the one dimensional individual, but to the rest of us who thrive on living to the fullest degree, we only die once. We live a million times in unique situations that define us.
Dream, think, love, and LIVE.

Chances

People are granted many chances in life. Some of the risks are rewarding, while others are devastating. Life is about taking the risk to dive into the abyss. It is about taking the chance to seek greater opportunity. Many people are given the chance to make a difference on the life of an individual. Some people relish this opportunity, but others let the opportunity fade away. When life gives you a chance, it is not about being afraid of the risk. It is plunging into the unknown seeking the reward.

The Band-Aid

Pain is a biological response, but many of the deepest pains are within the soul. A cut on the finger does not cut as deep as a cut on the heart. Physical pain is simple to fix. The inventor of the Band-Aid may have constructed the most popular bandage in the world. Emotional pain causes much deeper wounds. It is never as simple as finding the Band-Aid to put over the open wound, or is it? The best way to cure an emotional wound is with a "Band-Aid." Each wound, whether emotional or physical, is fixed with the same method. Unfortunately, the emotional wound requires a more extensive search than the medicine cabinet. An emotional wound heals with alternative methods. Occasionally, this method consists of consulting with a friend. Expressing inner emotion and pain to other people can provide extremely beneficial. Sometimes, people cannot make it alone. People require a "Band-Aid" to fix their emotional wound. It takes time, patience, and the use of this "Band-Aid" to heal.

Death (hopefully not soon for anyone reading this)

At some point, we all die. It is never a pessimistic realization that we all encounter death. It is an actual realization. What is the purpose of life? Each life has a special individual purpose. I wish and pray that before I die, one person can say that I truly changed their life.