The Question That Precedes Everything Else????

Who are you??

I've seen this question posed in many places including the profile for this blog. I realized though, that no matter how hard I tried I could never really answer 100% correctly.

Time changes who we are everyday. Both in the physical and mental characteristics, which are the very echelon of the human self. I know today that if someone asked me if I would be willing to risk my life for another I would without a doubt and with a sounding affirmation do it for my wife or any member of my family and a few close friends. At least that's what I think I would do.

Could I do it for a stranger? I would have to say, that if put in that situation I most likely would because I tend to think that is the kind of person I am. Here's the twist to that theory. I've never really been put in that situation. So I ask myself again could I endanger myself or even give my life to save another?

Most of us would most likely say that we would be willing to endanger ourselves and even maybe give our life for another. This question goes beyond that scope and even further though. If you found a million dollars in a suitcase on the street with the owner's i.d. in it, would you return it? Or even try? If you knew a fellow employee was stealing from work would you report it? If you knew your friend was cheating on their spouse would you tell the spouse or would you be afraid of losing the friendship? Take any question that would bring into play your integrity or moral fiber and see how you would answer it.

Most of us would choose the more morally right answer to those questions and use that to measure the ingredients and the strength of fabric which makes us up. I find this to be slightly hypocritical and lacking in factual information to be able to justify making that decision though. Rarely in our everyday lives to we take a guess at something that hasn't happened yet and accept it as being true or factual. It doesn't make sense to do such a thing. We could take an educated guess using information from something that already has happened that is in retrospect close to what is happening now and anticipate an outcome. We couldn't with a 100% certaintity say for sure what something would be until it happened.

With all of this said I look back at all the times I've been asked "Who am I" and I've come up with this. We are all the factual information such as our address, hair color and age. To describe myself any further I think I will go with this description. I am but a single seed planted in the sands of time that is growing into a tree that must bend and sway with the wind, enjoy the rain when it comes, ride out the dry spells and be willing to lose a leaf now and then.

Whew!!!!

I don't plan on rambling much in this one other than to say my thoughts and prayers have been with the people of the Gulf Coast the last couple of days. Hurricane Gustav only hit as a Cat 2 storm and didn't do anywhere near the devastation that Katrina and Rita did.

I want to applaude the people of New Orleans, Southern Louisiana and anyone else who evacuated for evacuating in the manner they did and leaving as soon as they could. This could have been a far worse event. I have family in the New Orleans area so I do keep good Ol' Nawlins and it's people close to my heart. Nevermind the fact they have the greatest food down there as long as you don't ask too many questions about what your eating.

Secondly, to the local and state governments along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama, my hat is off to you as well. Its a shame we had to learn the way we did and that the storms couldn't have been reversed. As to be expected, many people were temporarily displaced due to the storm but the organization and readiness this time allowed for a much smoother process. Countless lives were saved, resources spared, and property protected.

God bless you all!!! I hope you all make it home safe.