Purple State, USA

Simplify, Simplify.

Today, as we contemplate not only the dawning of a new year, but of a new decade, I am reminded of the words a friend once scrawled in sidewalk chalk in front of my car nearly a decade ago--"Simplify, Simplify."

The quote, I learned, is attributed to Henry David Thoreau. If you aren't familiar with his works, I highly recommend him. Though he lived more than a century ago, it is intriguing (and perhaps a bit sobering) to see how our society and our country still struggles with many of the same issues today. He has many interesting thoughts (i.e. "What's the use of a fine house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?"), but on this day I find that most simplistic observation of his particularly noteworthy.

Legislation hundreds of pages long? Simplify, simplify.

Airports that bemoan a lack of funds for high tech security scanners when potential terrorists are getting on planes with explosive material that more (and cheaper) bomb sniffing dogs could detect? Simplify, simplify.

Americans in trouble with over-inflated spending and under-funded budgets? Simplify, simplify.

When my friend first scrawled these words in front of my car, I translated simplicity to laziness. I took his observation, in other words, as an insult. I have since learned the distinction. Simplicity is a catalyst to productivity. Think how much white noise fills our social and political consciousness, of how much time we waste on poisonous nonsense.

My recommendation? Simply refuse. Refuse poisonous relationships, damaging distractions and any logic that does not jive with your own good sense (presuming you have good sense, which might be a stretch). If we can do that in this new year--new decade--then I have no doubt we can move ourselves and this country forward.

I am not typically big on New Year's resolutions, but some of you have asked, so here are my three:

1. Write 3 Android apps in the first 3 months of 2010 (you won't get that if you aren't a bit of an IT geek); 

2. Give monthly to St. Jude in honor of a 2.5-year-old little boy named Dax Locke, who lost his battle with cancer just yesterday; and

3. Find JOY (thank you, Chad, for the idea). 

Most importantly, I wish you all a very happy and safe New Year. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I look forward to more discussions and exploration with each of you in the year (and years) ahead.

(Purple State, USA, has expanded! You can also check us out on OpinionEditorial.com!)

Complicated People.

People complicate our lives. They bring with them their complexities, their flaws, their baggage. Sometimes they appear in our lives in a way that makes any complication associated with their arrival inconspicuous. Sometimes they come crashing in with such force we have no choice but to immediately contemplate the ramifications of their arrival.

I look around at all of us and, despite all my hopeful words, I admit that I sometimes wonder how the founding fathers really expected this all to work. Did they expect people different than us? Were they truly ignorant of all the pitfalls of freedom? Were they more idealistic than realistic? Instead of thanking them, should we blame them? For expecting more of such a diverse group than was truly practical?

As a handful of people already know, I bumped into the back of a man's car last night with my Jeep. I use the word bump because that's what it was. We were both stopped at a light to turn right, he started to go, his car died (or so he said) and my response wasn't quick enough to stop the light tap of our two cars touching. Given that the Jeep has a steel bumper on the front and his plastic bumper didn't have so much as a scratch, I take this as further evidence that I didn't imagine how trivial the contact was.

He made several statements that made the whole encounter shady (not the least of which was that his wife has apparently been rear-ended four times resulting in four major surgeries... now that's some bad luck), but I stood ready to be accountable. After all, it doesn't matter what happens, the law says my job is to not put myself in a position where I will hit the car in front of me. I didn't call the police--we were both out walking around--and handed over my insurance information.

I was still wary, so I called my insurance company as we left to give them the 411 on some of the suspicious statements the man made "just in case"... Then today they called to say that he told them I rear-ended him twice and they suspect he's laying the groundwork to make this a big deal.

*sigh*

Complicated.

We live in a society that grows resentful of how much the government has to intervene in our lives, of the cost to insure not just our health but the many trinkets we own... yet what else can we do as individuals when a few others choose not to play by the same principles the rest of us would judge as fair?

That old man is no doubt telling himself he's not hurting me, or you, or anyone but some faceless company. But that's bullshit. Wherever his sense of entitlement or lack of moral scruples originates from, it's people like him that make it all but impossible to live in a free society. Who protects the people trying to do the right thing? Who foots the monetary and emotional costs associated with that? We all do.

I don't like everyone, but I seldom feel true contempt for anyone. Mr. K, I know you don't give a damn from your twisted-the-world-owes-me-something-for-nothing view, but I feel contempt for you. For you and for those like you who make it harder and harder for people in this country to continue to do the right thing lest they be taken advantage of. You are a sad and pathetic excuse for a human being, much less an American.  

(Purple State, USA, has expanded! You can also check us out on OpinionEditorial.com!)

14 Years Ago Today.

It was 1995. I would have just turned 16. And I was in the hospital surrounded by nurses and doctors struggling to save my life. I remember drifting in and out of consciousness. Confused. I remember my dad being there. I remember regretting that he was having to deal with this the day before his birthday.

It is 2009. I just turned 30. I now have ample evidence of just how much that 16-year-old would have missed had those doctors and nurses failed. I am grateful. I can see them in my mind... the experiences and people and lessons that have colored the last 14 years. I am so freaking grateful.

How does that relate to this blog? Well, I'll tell you. That day started a chain of events that ultimately led to my being placed in foster care the following spring. And, from there, doors did not close, they opened. Maybe some required brute force supplied by yours truly, perhaps other individuals would not have turned that road into what I did--I don't take away from myself the role I played--but it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the opportunities I had as a result of the city, state and country I live in.

The origin of my bias toward this whole United States thing? I'll reveal it to you here... When I had nothing else, I had a government that stepped in and gave me what I needed (and made me crazy enough to make me never want to need them to again lol).

So now you know. Why I am so grateful. And why this country means so much to me. For a short but crucial time, it stepped in as my family--fed me, clothed me, guided me. I count that as a blessing. There are other countries in which I would not have been as fortunate.

We pay too many taxes. But next time you look at that paycheck stub and cringe at all the money you never get to see directly... think of me. And know that I am grateful. And that I strive daily to build a life worth any extra trouble it may have caused along the way.

What if citizenship wasn't automatic?

Could you keep your citizenship if someone knocked on your door right now and said you had to know what every new immigrant being sworn in as an American citizen has to know?

A challenge for you this week... Take the U.S. Citizenship test and see how you do (yes, we can all Google the answers, but try it without all your digital tools the first time ;)). Be honest--humble if necessary--and let us know how you do.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25461301/

For the sake of discussion, do you think our country (or any country) might be better off if continuing to keep one's citizenship beyond their 18th birthday required them to pass this test, maybe not once, but every six or so years? What if citizenship--like driving--wasn't a right but a privilege we had to continue to prove our ability to responsibly manage? Might we care more? Want it more? Take care of it better? Or would it make no difference?