Who am I?

I am home from work, sick, today.  Sitting here, pondering life in the quietness of my house, I began to question why I believe in the values I write.  Maybe it is the illness and self pity that has driven me to this point.  Or, maybe it was a blog I read this morning.  I am so delirious I do not know.  Either way, here I am...

I strongly believe that my politics are a reflection of my own personality.  People who know me are sometimes shocked at my political beliefs because of my actions in the real world.  But, for anyone who truly is open minded to politics, it should not come as a surprise.

First and foremost, I am a fiscal Conservative.  Like every family in America, government should live within its means.  This does not mean expanding the tax base or raising taxes for every justifiable cause under the sun.  Americans work hard for their homes, families, food, and other necessary items.  Some are more blessed than others, but many times reflects the education they received or the hard work they have put forth.  Yes, I know, there are always exceptions to the rule.

I was raised in a lower middle class family; we did not have money for extravagant vacations, family outings or any extras in life.  I learned to live with what we had and tried not to complain too much growing up.  My parents worked very hard to provide food and shelter to us and rarely complained.  They gave excessively to our church and paid for me to attend a private school in grade school and high school.  I learned that hard work was required and frugality was a part of life.  We could not live outside of our means without punishment of some sort.  Today, my wife and I are considered highly successful; she too coming from a similar background.  To me, the government's overspending is only hurting those who it purports to keep safe; American families and especially our children.  After all, we are spending so much that our children will now have to pay back much of the debt we are accumulating now.  That would be like my parents charging me for my childhood...so wrong in my mind.

Second, I am a social Libertarian, generally speaking.  I see no reason to meddle in others' lives via the government.  Am I against gay marriage? Yes, but not for the reason that so many sight.  I oppose gay marriage because of my religious beliefs and the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman.  However, I am for civil unions because gay couples have not gotten the respect and rights they deserve in their loving relationships.  Most of all, I would like to see the government out of the marriage business.  But, I am reasonable and know there are too many ties to legal aspects that would have to be addressed.  People have the right to make their own decisions and live their lives in the way they see fit.  If you are GLBT, I hope you find love and live happily with your partner, just as I wish for any married couple.

From an early age, my parents raised me to always be kind to others and never judge them by anything I could see on the outside.  This is much why I see no reason to judge people based on their social habits, preferences, or what have you.  Each of us is different and could be criticized in some way socially.  So, why pick winners and losers through government?

I am, thirdly, a conservative/libertarian regarding our country's international policies.  I see no reason to go to war unless it is keeping Americans safe or preventing a world wide conflict.  I love each and every veteran who has fought for us and cannot give back enough to this group of people.  Some of them have paid the ultimate sacrifice, so that I may write this, raise my children, and live in the greatest country in the world.  We are truly blessed and must remember this each and every day.

When I was in college, I took a course regarding intergenerational communication.  My professor had us interview someone from a different generation; I chose to interview my grandfather, whom had served in WWII.  He had never really spoken about his experiences, but was getting high in age and I was afraid I would never know what he had endured for me and my family.  I interviewed him for 12 hours straight, sitting at his kitchen table, drinking coffee, and many times, sharing tears with him.  It is from this interaction, I learned that Veterans endured some of the most horrific things imaginable and they are heroes to each and every one of us. I do not wish my grandfather's experiences upon anyone.  But, I also am a realist and know there are some really evil people in this world.  They hate this country and what it stands for.  They will stop at nothing to destroy it, so we must stand guard to protect that which we love.

I also believe strongly in family values.  Conservatism is the only political sphere that truly embraces family values.  In my opinion, Liberalism gives forgiveness for all that people do wrong in their personal lives.  And, what do I mean by family values?  I mean married couples who raise and punish their children, teaching them right from wrong, good from bad, and respect.  We cannot be best friends with our children, though, I have accomplished the balance of teacher, dad and best friend with my children.  I am highly involved in their activities, schoolwork and lives; guiding them along the way.  But, when the day ends, they are sincere in their true love for me and we have lots of fun together.  To forgive, and not punish bad behavior would lead to more of the same.  This does no good for our children or society.  Children who go unpunished and unguided lead horrible adult lives many times.

My parents raised me in the same way.  At the time, it was not always fun.  My parents had strict rules; dinner was always as a family, homework was to be done immediately after school, I watched little to no TV when I was young, and more.  They have now been married for 42 years and survived all 3 of us boys.  We are all successful in our own ways.  No, success is not measured in how much you make; it is how we live and what enriches our lives.

However, as I have gotten older and seen what happened to my friends who did not have this in their homes, I feel bad for their circumstances.  Many of them are divorced, miserable, stuck in bad jobs, and don't seem to have a positive direction in their lives.  And, they are passing this along to their children as well.  Meanwhile, I am happy and feeling that my direction in life is one that is much more rewarding to myself and others around me.

We should all look inside ourselves from time to time.  Many times today, we spend our days running about without time to think or reflect.  We need to reflect on who we are and why; if we cannot answer the why, maybe we need to figure out who we really are?  It is my belief that happiness comes from knowing who we are and living our lives accordingly.  This not only goes for politics, but any facet of life. Take this a step further and make sure you know who your friends and family are; understand them, don't ridicule them.  Being someone we aren't, whether through social media or in our daily lives will just make us miserable.  Who wants to live a lie?  I certainly don't and I hope you do not as well.