Offended

#CancelColbert

It's trending. That shouldn't give it much credibility. But it does.

I don't want to rehash what was said. I don't want to investigate who said it or how it happened or why. I. Do. Not. Care.

What I want to discuss is this knee-jerk reaction that has become so ingrained in American culture that we can't seem to elude  or escape it.

"I'm offended".

I'm so weary, tired, frustrated and disgusted by that phrase. I hear it all day every day.

It's old. Not like Wormsloe. I mean like that one slice of cranberry sauce you still have stuck to a coffee saucer in the back of your fridge. You know, the one left over from last Thanksgiving? It's old like that.

If you suffer emotional distress over a joke, a sports mascot, a breast feeding mother or a tweet by a TV celebrity, grow up.

Seriously. There are millions of people living under tyranny of communism and fundamentalism, starving and/or being trafficked into modern slavery and you're griping that someone might have maybe possibly almost insinuated an alleged culturally insensitive thought? Grow up. Be an adult. Have the maturity to laugh at yourself. 

Trust me, if you aren't willing to laugh at yourself, there's a good chance no one will.

So let's try this simple scientific experiment: tomorrow, don't get offended. If you hear something insensitive, rise above it. If you see something revolting, look away. If someone lowers themselves to the level of a slur, don't dig beneath them. Be the adult. Maybe, just maybe,we'll make someone's day. We might make a new friend. We might understand someone different than ourselves. 

We are blessed to live in a diverse world. We aren't celebrating diversity when were all standing around with our arms crossed and looking at each other like we smell a post-Waffle House fart.

Smile. Laugh. Live. It's good for you.

Another for Boston

As I've mentioned before, Boston has had an undeniable influence on my life. 

There's also a bond among the members of the fine line of work that is the fire service.

My thoughts and prayers are with the men an women of the Boston Fire Department and with the families of Firefighter Mike Kennedy, L-15 and Lt. Ed Walsh, E-33

The Ides of March & a Leprechaun

"Beware the Ides of March"was the first reported warning about negotiating the city center of Rome on what was, to ancient Romans, just another day. Just another day, that is, before Julius Caesar was stabbed and hacked to death by those closest to him as he walked in public.

This thought was in the back of my mind as I was mentally preparing myself for my own trip through downtown Rome on the now famous Ides of March. Caesar was dressed in his flowing clothes of the upper-class of Roman society. I was dressed in a strange get up that might have had people wondering if I had escaped a St. Patrick Day parade gone wrong...in Detroit.

I looked ridiculous.

Waiting for the starting gun

My wife and I were participating in the Leprechaun-a-thon, a 5K road race in Rome, GA. I was a little nervous as this would be my first 5K. Sitting in the car with a 3-time Peachtree Road Race veteran wondering what I had gotten myself into, I just kept telling myself, "any race with a costume contest can't be that bad.". And I couldn't help but think about ol' Julius, from a different time, a different Rome, a different trek through town.

Here's what my actual trek taught me that Caesar might have benefited from (and maybe a few that wouldn't have helped him).

1) 3.1 miles is 3.1 miles whether you're dressed like an Olympic runner or a Gaelic snowbird.

2) Shin splints hurt. But probably not as bad as Brutus' knife.

3) Choose companions that you can trust to make such a trek.

4) People who want to be in charge are a real pain in the butt. And the neck. And the back. And the side, and, yes, probably the shin.

5) When the voices behind you tell you to stop, it's time to pick up the pace. You're about to get ambushed.

6) A familiar voice shouting encouragement will work wonders for your pace.

7) Crossing the finish line is the best part. Don't let pain keep you from it.

All in all, it was a good experience. So much so that I'm already signed up for the next one. I guess I'm either a glutton for punishment or I'm just that hard up for stuff to write about. Either way, I'll have these 7 points in mind when I hit the road next time. Wish me luck.