Robert Kirby

I had a moment of self-reflection earlier this year. And because I don’t have any problems at all, and I’m always right, this kind of moment doesn’t happen too often.

I was outside of my daughter swim meet trying to cool off because it was literally 120 degrees inside the pool (Please someone fix that if you’re in charge of indoor pool climate control). Miserable. I started talking to an older gentleman about how the hellish temperatures inside were maybe a better alternative than hell itself. He said “I’d rather be dead then go back inside.” I like this guy, I thought to myself.

We started talking about random things. How many kids and grandkids we each had, current events, politics,and he even used to be a cop, like me. He talked about all the crazy internal things he witnessed as an officer, just like I did when I was one. He talked about going against the grain with his department, just like I did with mine. I asked him if it got political where he used to work and the look in his eyes told me all I needed to hear. I usually don’t talk to people in any type of crowded event. I get too much anxiety. Very much introverted. But we were hitting it off. I was even laughing out loud at him with his comments.

He then told me his name and it stopped me dead in my tracks. “Robert Kirby” He said as I shook his hand. I was wondering if he saw me gulp. He is a columnist for a local newspaper called the SL Tribune. A newspaper that I can’t say I love. I pretty much read it to guess what the devil’s next social chess move is. In fact, I’m not fond of the majority of his particular articles either, like, I don’t think I have gotten through one of them because I need to do breathing exercises after many of them. And no lie, I’ve even thought after reading some of them “If I ever meet this guy in person, I’m going to tell him what I really think about him and his articles!”

But driving home pondering our interaction is where I had my moment.

I remember during our conversation thinking how enjoyable it was just talking to, and agreeing with, a random stranger on the topics we were talking about; family, out-of-control government, old police stories, politics, and even our mutual agreement about the beauty of the home teaching program change (for you non-Mormons it’s kind of a big deal). But if you read how he sometimes writes, I wasn’t supposed to enjoy our conversation. Or being around him. But I did.

The point of my post is that even though we may wildly disagree with each other about certain topics, and the way we are to get to some type of our perfectly perceived utopia of what society is to be like, I believe we are a lot more alike than we think.

We really are all on the same journey together as human beings trying to get to a peaceful destination with the people we love, and most likely with a kid or a grandkid in the exact same swimming pools.

Hopefully tomorrow I can feel the same way I do right now. Kinda humbled. But knowing me, not much will change.

 

 

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Statues of Liberty?

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These statues were just erected over this weekend in Alabama. This is to help all of us be reminded about slavery, lynchings, and how oppressive America was.

But wait a minute…

I thought we just went through a liberating revolution of ripping down statues of people that were reminding us of slavery, lynchings, and oppression? One statue of Abraham Lincoln was even burned. The man that actually freed the slaves. This is where we are as a people.

My point is that we should try to be consistent as a culture. The destruction of the statues was never about Robert E. Lee. He was just a justification to try and tear ALL of the real history about America to shreds.

I don’t wish to offend anyone. Slavery is disgusting in any form. Just get people thinking about how we are moving as a society.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna869686

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Ramen Noodle Love & My Car Keys

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Does anyone have a child that’s a little too independent and wants to do everything on their own?

Yesterday after succumbing to my 6 year old wanting to eat cup-o-noodles for breakfast, I felt defeated. Then, I tried to justify it. This is an incredibly balanced meal, with like 5 corn kernels, 3 petrified peas, and tiny chewy pieces of cat, I’m sure. Protein right? And Mom wasn’t around to see this go down. So I went for it.

However, I did put my foot down with the idea of her heating the noodles by herself. I didn’t want her dealing with scolding hot water cup-o-noodles needs. That water will melt your face off.

After a huge debacle because she wanted to pour the hot water, and not me, she finally broke down and wouldn’t eat anything. Not sugar cereal, nothing. So I sent her to school upset with a hungry belly and tears down rolling her cheeks. The look she gave me before she left was kinda scary. Almost like “I’m going to get you.”

Hours later I realized I couldn’t find my car keys. I had a sales meeting. I searched forever. Went through the entire house 3 times and nothing. Over and over. Started in a corner and dug through my entire house. I was a sweaty mess. I finally threw up my hands up and asked heaven for help. I then had a thought to call the front desk to summon my 6 year old at school.

“Hi miss so-and-so, is Rachel Moutsos there?, this is her Dad.” “Yes Mr. Moutsos, let me call her to the front desk.”

“Hi Dad” a little voice comes on. “Rachel, do you happen to know where my keys are?” Long pause. “Umm Yes” she said quietly. “Where are they, Rachel?” “Umm in the back of my night stand drawer.” “Why did you put them there, Rachel?” “Because I was mad at you.” Me… very long pause. “Thank you Rachel, please don’t ever do that again okay, I love you.” “Okay Dad, love you, bye.”

After she said I love you, my blood went down to room temperature and I could breath again. I originally was thinking to drive down to the school to scold, but truly, I was so happy to have my keys. And I felt like if I would have scolded her, she would never tell me where they were next time. We now trust each other, right? Plus, if I would have scolded, the look I saw before school showed she would get more revenge. These kids now days plot. These kids will execute. And they will destroy you.

Later today when I see her, I think we will have a nice loving and emotional talk about the consequences and realities of missing important appointments of a strait commission sales job.

Can you imagine what God must think when we dig our heals in when He is just trying to help us? All because He loves us and doesn’t want us to get burned by the scolding hot water predicaments we get ourselves into? Yep. We are all little children.

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Slow Progress

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I’ve heard so many times that the only person you should be better than, is the person you were yesterday. It’s never rang true to me. I’ll tell you why…

I believe it’s an unrealistic possibility. There are days, weeks, and even years where I feel extremely way behind from the person I was before. Physically, mentally and spiritually. However, some days I feel on top of the world.

Many days, I’m just barely hanging on for dear life. A lot worse off than I was the day before. A lot worse than yesterday, not better.

I believe life is more like the four seasons. With very few extremely great perfect days of spring and fall. A lot of the time life is way too hot, or way too cold. And there’s nothing we can do to change the weather.

I think most of the time we are here in the world just trying to get out of the elements and survive. Are we becoming better? Maybe. Maybe becoming better in spiritual attributes like patience and love, but very very slowly. Then we fall back two steps. A lot worse than yesterday.

Dont beat yourself up if you’re not where you want to be yet. Especially as the world defines as “successful”. It’s just a lie. If you’re still here and trying, that’s a success.

I think we are here to learn and really understand the negative the universe has to offer in every form. Mixed with some excellent times. But few are far between. Just like the few great days in spring and fall.

I think the true answer to life is to just be grateful for each day, moment by moment, and try to see what it is God is teaching us in the next season he has. Trying to do what He would have us do moment to moment to moment. Most of the times one step up, and two steps back. And when we think we have it figured out, here comes the next season.

Besides, the moment we check the temperature of our own oven of happiness too soon, our cake falls, and we need to start again. It’s never even about us anyway. It’s about others.

Don’t try to get ahead. Again, try to be in the moment with gratitude. It’s hard but I think that’s a huge key to happiness. Even if we aren’t better than we were yesterday.

Just a few thoughts.

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Depression is Real – And there’s more to it.

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I’ve come across and been reading a lot about the devastating incline in suicides in our country, especially in teens. It truly is an epidemic. Numbers are skyrocketing. I believe around 30% across the country this year from last. A high school near me had 8 teens commit suicide this year alone. What?! The saddest part is, I don’t see that going down with the direction the world is heading.

There would be nothing worse for a family to go through. I’ve seen it with people I love dearly. It rips me apart and I can’t imagine the pain and suffering they feel each day.

I’m also seeing that “mental illness” is what’s ultimately being blamed in many articles and conversations. Which is true to a degree. However, I think we are missing the root cause to the problem. Which is that somehow we’ve forgotten God in all of this. We don’t even know why we are here.

When I say God, I don’t mean religion. I mean love. Because God is love. We are becoming spiritually weaker and weaker, each generation that passes. And because we’ve forgotten God, and forgotten (or don’t know how) to love one another, blaming something solely on mental illness would only make sense.

We’ve become (myself included) so self-interested, self-absorbed, self-centered, self-indulgent, self-serving, and self-loving. In other words, selfish. And in the end, there’s not many places to turn for peace; so sometimes suicide seems to be the only way out. Because peace can’t be found in the interest of ones “self”. It can only be found in love, in God.

In many ways, we’ve gotten to a point where we’ve sucked every ounce of the “what’s in it for me” world, and ultimately haven’t realized that it should never have been about “me” to begin with. As Maxwell has said, “Selfishness is self-destruction in slow-motion.” And at last, that’s what suicide is. Complete destruction of self.

I too know that depression is a very real thing. I battle it every morning. I don’t talk about it a lot because I try not to focus on it. But sometimes it’s crippling the entire day. Even to the point where I can’t see any hope. Even with my belief in God. And so I write this because I don’t know how anyone with my type of condition could do it without God. I truly don’t. It breaks my heart when I hear people end their lives.

I believe the biggest cure to this epidemic is to talk to each other, help each-other, pray for each other, and love each other; especially in our own individual spheres of influence.

Even if you don’t want to bring “God” into a conversation with someone who is suffering. Just bring love, because that’s what God is, love. And hopefully people who are truly suffering inside can feel that spirit of love inside of you, and gain some hope, and let that love grow in them. We can’t do it alone.

 

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Right or Left Boot? Doesn’t matter.

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Thoughts on some Government –

One main branch and duty of our government is to try and make sure criminals get “justice” for unfairly taking advantage of We The People. We spend billions for that system to serve the people properly. That system sometimes takes really “bad guys” off the street. I’ve seen it happen. It sometimes works, and many times it doesn’t. That system tries keep us safe and free from liars, thief’s, and perpetrators who wish to take advantage of us as a whole.

In theory, I understand why the purpose was initially intended to help us all. We want to be safe, and we want to be free. We don’t want to be victimized.

But what happens when the system itself attracts “representatives” and agents who start to lie, steal, and cheat The People for their personal gain?

What happens when these very powerful branches, systems, and representatives themselves take more advantage of the people than any random “bad guy” could ever dream of?

What do we do at that point as a people?

 

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