I started a revolution – well, sort of (1993)

Trotsky would have been proud. I started my own little revolution during my time at the University of Stellenbosch. Okay, most of it was unintentional and more like the Oasis song ‘I started a revolution from my bed’. It all started when I became a tutorial lecturer in Political Science at the University of Stellenbosch.

I didn’t want to be the standard lecturer. I wanted to teach and engage. So I made two simple rules that my students must follow. Firstly, they didn’t have to come to class if they wanted a degree. I would just give them whatever mark they wanted if that was their intention. For those who wanted to study – be careful, I will challenge you and try and get you outside your comfort zone. The intention was to get them interested in learning and not focus on the end goal. The second rule was even easier to follow – it better be Liverpool I see if you wear any clothing that highlights some commitment to a sport or team. Anything else and you are out of there. And I am not joking, many students were thrown out of class for breaking this cardinal rule. Hey, even us revolutionaries needs to draw the line somewhere. Come on, Pope John Paul II was a Liverpool supporter as well – so I wasn’t that much of a revolutionary.

Anyway, here I was at the Bastion of Apartheid, the University of Stellenbosch. Banished from most of the more popular anti-Apartheid movement meetings on campus because I questioned how committed they were – see The (student) spy amongst us for more detail. Just like old Trotsky, I was fighting my own fight. The problem was that I wasn’t much of a Trot, I just had as many hang-ups when I was young.

I had my first taste at starting a revolution when I went on my yearly rant against the Student Representative Council (SRC). They were a pretty useless bunch. No power and no backbone. They were very much in line with any university system of voting – whoever is the prettiest and made the most populist promises will win – for a student this meant the one promising the biggest party will be gauranteed the popular vote. I used one of my classes to point out that voting should at least reflect some or other relevancy (this was before reality TV shows). And that the SRC was irrelevant. They pandered to the Nationalist government who controlled the University of Stellenbosch. They never spoke out against any of the injustices of the university rules or questioned the political alliances of the ruling mob at the university. One student piped up to say that her sister was on the SRC and worked really hard. My response was to say that I am sure she worked really hard. But that is different from working on something relevant. Planning the next big party did not translate into something relevant. And that I was sure that the Apartheid government worked really hard at oppressing people. But it didn’t make them right. Hum, she didn’t like this and decided to go for the ‘I-want-a-degree’ option and left my class. And I ranted on about what we needed was for students to take responsibility and show their unhappiness with the system. And in any way they felt was the most relevant – just as long as they show they didn’t believe or support a political structure that had none of their interests at heart. It was a mistake to let them decide what the ‘appropriate action’ should be. A big mistake.

I meant for them to have a protest vote. Maybe a placard ot two. I actually expected them to do nothing. Go out for a few drinks after class and talk about the revolution like good Trots. And then go home and do nothing. Like good Trots. But no. They had other ideas. Unlike Trots they decided to do something together in unity. (Trots usually split into two groups when two gather). I didn’t realize that the revolution started while I was in bed.

I took my normal route to the office and quickly realized that they went completely overboard. Every road sign and wall were sprayed in anti-SRC or anti-establishment slogans. Graffiti everywhere. Not a protester in sight, but their handywork were everywhere. Oh, yes. I was in trouble. People knew it was me behind this protest almost immediately. How? Well, the bloody students sprayed a path that started at the SRC offices and that ended at the entrance to my class. Like Hansel and Gretel leaving little breadcrumbs for everyone to follow. Right to my doorstep. I could feel a headache similar to the Trotsky ice-pick coming my way.

I got to class and my revolutionaries were waiting for me. All smiles and high fives. They were so chuffed with themselves. I sat down and stared at my desk. Where do I start? Do I give them the ‘we’ll fight them on the beaches speech’? Or do I just walk away and go have a drink? After a long pause I looked up and said, “Okay people, rule number three. What happens in the class, stay in the class”.

 

Just don’t call me gay. Or straight.

We won and we lost. Obama winning helped to put one piece of injustice to sleep. But injustice is still with us. Discrimination is still lurking in the laws. Liberty is still for the select few. Freedom is still not for all of us. Equality still hunts us down like we were on cotton plantations.

Because “they” are still not allowed to get married. “They” are still held as second class citizens. Tell me? Who the hell are “they”?

Bullshit. Bullshit I tell you.

It’s like playing that whack-the-mole game. You hit one piece of bigotry on the head and another one pops up. Whack! Whack! Whack! It never stops. But unlike the game, we can’t pull the plug on bigotry. Their batteries get charged by their own hatred.

Look. I am REALLY getting sick and tired of this. There is no “they”.

There. Is. No. They.

There is only us. “They” are you who are bigots. The only people who are “they” are those who preach hatred. Hatred for gays, hatred for Africans, hatred for African-Americans, hatred for rednecks, hatred for Jews, hatred for Muslims, hatred for Christians, hatred for… and more hatred and more hatred and more hatred.

You! Yes you! Bigot! That one who hates gays. Or who doesn’t want “them” to have the same rights as everyone else. All that separates you from burning “them” on a cross is some wood and matches. All that separates you from strapping a bomb to your chest and blowing them up is a book in your hand and a different language. Bigotry is bigotry. Hatred is hatred. It’s only the degrees that differ.

You think you are so different from those who kill innocent people elsewhere in the name of a jihad? You think you are so different from those policemen who killed Biko? You think you are so different from the Christians who murdered during the Crusade? You think you are so different from those who flew those planes? You think you are so different from those who kept slaves on the plantations? Who burned people at stakes? You think you are better than a Hutu or a Tutsi? You think you are better than the priests leading Jesus to the cross?

You are not. You are no better. You are separated only by the degrees of action. You speak the same language. You spew the same hatred. You can cloak it in nice words. But so did Hitler. So did Pontius Pilot. So did PW Botha. So did Mao. So did Stalin. So did everyone who believed they were better than “the others”.

You are no better than those who killed and murdered. You are them. Separated by a small degree of heat. A small step. One action separates you. Just one. They are your brothers. Your keepers. In thought and prayer.

Don’t ever call me straight. I am not straight. I am me. Who I sleep with and who I love has nothing to do with you. It has nothing to do with my bad fashion sense. It has nothing to do with my anger. It has nothing to do with defining who I am inside.

I have no choice about who I am. I am because we are. I have no choice about being straight. I have no choice about being gay. I am just me. Like the color of my skin is not my choice. And my gender is not my choice. Or where I was born was not my choice. It is who I am. We should not be defined by these parts of who we are. We should be defined by our love and compassion for others and for ourselves.

Hell, if I had a choice I would not have chosen to be a pale heterosexual male. Except for the fact that it helped me find the love of my life it is nothing to be proud of. It is nothing special. In fact, I don’t like many of those who look like me. Hitler, Bush, Stalin, Verwoerd – all white males proclaiming to be straight. Too many bigots wear the same “clothes”.

I don’t ever want to be defined as heterosexual. I don’t. Because I am not. I am just a person who met another person and who loves. It could have been anyone. It just happened to be someone from the opposite gender. I didn’t make the choice to love her. It just happened.

That’s all I want the world to have. Just to feel the same love I feel. I don’t care who you are. Jew, Christian, gay, Muslim, straight, male, female, black, white, Chinese, Russian. I don’t care.

I. Don’t. Care.

All I want is “us” to all feel love. And see a better future together. As us. Not as “them” and “us”. There is only us in this world. All of us.

There is no such thing as a “gay issue”. Any injustice is my issue. Our injustice. Any limitation on freedom is a limitation of my freedom. Our freedom. Any inequality takes away my equality. Our equality. Any time the liberty of others are restricted then my liberty is restricted. Our liberty. Any place love is threatened my love is threatened. Our love. There can be no “others”. There can be no “gay issue”. There is only my issues. And our issues. We all have freedom, liberty, equality, justice, life, love and opportunity. Or I have none. I am not gay. But I am gay. 

I am the “gay issue”. We are the “gay issue”.

Because… I am because we are.

All of us. I am us. I am the “we”.

We will not fail each other. Because there is no gay issue. There is only an us issue.

 

A few other posts of mine looking at the “gay issue”:

The “gay problem” or The Idiot’s Guide to Bigotry

The Gay Agenda

And one more thing

How to solve the “gay marriage problem”

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A friend of mine just passed me this link to something Keith Olbermann had to say on gay marriages. I missed it completely as I don’t watch enough telly. But it seems as if Keith and myself have more in common than what I thought. Go watch what he had to say. It is long. But it is worth it. His questions are very similar to mine. Just more eloquently put…

 

So, you’re smarter and cooler than me™

I pick stoopid...

An amazing thing happened a few days ago. On Tuesday evening. Just a regular day. My daughter’s birthday…

It started because someone was bored. Doing nothing. Hanging out at his house and bored stiff. So he decided to do what he always does when he is bored. He went surfing. The internet, dudes and dudettes.

And he Googled. He Googled “What are we doing here on earth”. Just to look for some theories. You know, to look at while he was bored. And he found my blog. Or rather, he found “What are we doing?” (I know, my regular friends over here will roll their eyes and feel sorry for the guy. Of all the places in the world… Some people just don’t have any luck or catch any breaks.) But somehow it made a connection. He found value in it. It made him rethink… I don’t know… how we are in life. You know. What are we doing?

He didn’t stop there though. He went a little step further. He created a Facebook Group – What are we doing? (Join in!)

Let’ me put it in his words:

“The text below is nothing more than a simple blog post by someone I’ve never met before; I just happened to stumble across their written thoughts. It changed the way I look at life.

Forget being too cocky or cool to read it and really try to understand what the writer is talking about: Us. As living things, as human beings, as people, as a global society. I think a lot of people in this world need to slow down and understand what it really means to be alive and enjoy ourselves and each other.

Read the text. Join the group. Invite your friends. Hope that others read it and understand it as much as you have. You might be able to change someone’s perspective on life. Thank you!”

As simple as that. And something happened.

More than 2,500 members and growing.

And people putting it up on their blogs and sites. And translating it into Spanish. Sharing with others. Asking the question. Doing something.

People asking “What are we doing?” And maybe getting inspired to do something. And talking about what they are doing or what they are going to do. They talk change. They talk about being the change. Because they know it starts with each and every one of us.

A few people have asked who I am. Even saying I should get more credit. But that’s where they are getting it a bit wrong. Firstly, he gave me credit. Left a link. And gave the ultimate compliment by finding inspiration in something I wrote. It’s an honor beyond belief. But the most important part of the question is that it is not about me. Who wrote it is unimportant. Who I am is unimportant. Anyone could have written it. I just had the time. And some words. The important part is – What are you doing? Just do anything really. Okay, anything good. To make a difference. Five minutes. One smile. Anything. Really.

It’s not about me.

Most of the people who joined just see it for what it is. A blog written in frustration. Written because I just don’t get it. Don’t get why we aren’t all just trying a little bit harder. It’s our only little ball of rock and crap floating in the middle of nowhere. It’s all we have. Shouldn’t we at least give it a shot? Should we at least try to do something to leave it a bit better when we go? Leave a legacy people can look back at and smile? Something we can be proud of even if we are dead?

But there are a few people complaining that it isn’t “scientifically” correct. That I didn’t get all the “facts” right. You know – science will save us all… They complain that I said our little patch is a few billion years old instead of saying that it is 4.5 billion. I didn’t get all the facts right… Nit-picking. Playing the fiddle while Rome burns.

Okay. You are brighter than me. So what? Tell me. What are you doing? And I don’t want to hear about quantum mechanics or the general theory of relativity. (I don’t like conflict.) I don’t want to know if you are a scientist building a new kind of bomb, testing on animals or creating a super drug to heal us of hair-loss. I just want to know what are you doing as a human being to make our little patch a bit better.

I don’t care if you think the earth was build in a day or seven. Or a billion. Or that we are heading for disaster. Or that God made earth. Or Allah rules. Or no one rules but you. Or that it is in our nature to rule. The fittest will survive. Or that we shouldn’t eat meat anymore. Or that we should eat meat. Or J-Z rules. Or Paris is so yesterday. Or all the other cool things you know. (I like your t-shirt, by the way.)

But all that? Is nothing. It’s minor details. It’s noise. It’s excuses. It distractions. It’s the glasses you put on while watching life go by. It’s the fiddle you play. It’s you being Nero. It’s not doing. Anything. It’s just blah-blah.

You are smarter than me. So much more intelligent. You are cooler than me. You know it baby. I give it to you. I hope it makes you feel better. Can we agree and get a move on?

I’m just a guy. Born in South Africa. Writing on the train going into Boston. I’m the guy you walk past while you listen to your iPod. I’m the guy who serves you your dinner. I’m the girl who helps you at the bank. I’m the guy who works in your garden. I’m the girl cleaning your house. I’m the girl you work for. I’m the guy who works for you. I’m the guy who is trying to sell you a newspaper or a packet of cigarettes. I’m just a guy. No one special. Just a guy who wrote a blog. You are the cool one. You are the smart one.

Now tell me. What are you doing?

I know what Nathan did. And he was bored. And decided to go surfing. And do something.

__________________________________

To Nathan: Thanks. It’s the best birthday present my daughter got on her birthday. She won’t even know it. But thanks to you she has a better shot at having a bit of a life when she grows up. Salt man. Salt.

 

News on the Weakly News™

The news isn’t getting any better is it? Time to have a closer look. I must apologize first though. I do get a bit worked up today. So please excuse the anger. But some of this stuff just isn’t funny anymore. Don’t worry though, some of it is still pretty funny. Hey remember, no news is good news. So some news is slightly crap news. I’ll start with the crap news first.

Same old, same old...

1. Mr McCain, act your age – or maybe not

It’s becoming a bit tedious. Every week I tell myself that I will leave McCane alone. His an old man after all. And I am not being nice. My mom won’t be impressed. You know, she always said I should show respect to old people. And I really want to. But then he does it again. Or maybe I should say, “Oops he did it again”. Yes, McCane has scrapped right through the bottom of the barrel and is now digging up old cat crap from the garden soil below. He is reaching a new low. Even for a Republican. Okay, maybe I am wrong. You can’t really reach a new low as a Republican. Or at least not this type of Republican. They boldly go where no one has gone before. Anyway, let’s get back to the Mac. McCane decided to take Obama on by focusing on the issues. Not. No, he decided to tell us nothing of his own policies or why he might be a good President and instead compared Obama to Britney and then said Obama is playing the race card. Sigh. (I wish my wife would allow me to swear in my blog. McCain deserves one.) Come now Mista McCane, what the hell do you stand for apart from anything anti-Obama? The USA actually needs someone to stand for something and not just against everything. Look what happened the last time you picked a President that stood for nothing but anti-everything. You are living in that world right now. Who are you McCane? Who are you when you look in the mirror apart from an angry old man with no life or policies? If Obama is Britney, are you the wino old hag who hangs around Britney trying to catch a bit of her “shine”? Get a life of your own please. And saying Obama is playing the race card… Have you actually been on the “internets” as your buddy calls it? Have you seen and heard the things people are saying of Obama? Have you not heard how that stupid blond woman called Ann Coulter play “funny” with Obama’s names? Have you seen the original racist comments that Rooster99 left on this blog? Obama playing the race card… Bah! Wake up and smell the roses. Grow up and act your age. No wait. Please don’t. We don’t need another President asleep behind the wheel. I guess the next thing you should start bitching about is that Obama is playing the intelligence card and walking the leadership path. That is so unfair hey? Ek is gatvol van MyPyn se wyn.

2. UK decides not to prosecute corruption

Imagine if this happened in South Africa. Or anywhere in Africa… The anti-fraud agency starts to investigate allegation that the largest national arms manufacturer and dealer offered bribes to a potential buyer. A bribe to get the buyer to buy some weapons. Maybe even a few weapons of mass destruction? And the buyer? A Middle Eastern buyer. With a really bad human rights record. And then the agency drops the investigation. Why? Because the buyer blackmailed the investigators by saying that they won’t give any anti-terrorism support or intelligence info in the fight against terrorism. What would you expect the agency and your government to do? Don’t answer – let’s first look at what the UK did. The UK government actually supported the investigators decision not to probe a bit deeper into the bribery case. Even though they already had good evidence. And they are so happy the agency dropped the case. The reason? National security. Bull. Let any African government do this and guess what – everyone will be all over them and throw their toys. They will talk about the corruption by African governments. And say it is just “the way these Africans are”. Well, stuff you. Go put it where the sun don’t shine. You Mr Brown and gang, the bribes are on your hands and for the whole world to see. The blood of those who die because of these weapons? One your hands. National security? Guess what. Did you know that Osama bin Laden comes from that country involved in this corrupt arms deal, terrorism threat and blackmail case? To the UK – you just lost your right to bitch about corruption anywhere else in the world. Especially in Africa. Go clean your own house first.

Oh, in a new development… This same UK arms manufacturer (BAE) was just caught in another case. One that involves their links to a Zimbabwean arms trader. A Zimbabwean arms dealer with strong ties to Robert Mugabe. Sweeping that one under the carpet as well now shall we? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Right? No reason to investigate this one if you didn’t want to look at the Saudi one. “Nothing to see here folks. Please move on.” Spineless bigots. Murdering bastards. What a pair they make. The UK and Zimbabwe caught necking behind the barn. Brown and Mugabe seen doing some heavy petting in the hay. Blood on your hands you stupid gutless Pom.

3. UK crime levels fall

I know I joked about it in my Next Week’s News Today II, but it is actually true. Crime rates are falling in the UK. It has done so by 10% over the last year. I stand by my original assessment that the economic crunch is behind it all. There is just nothing to steal anymore. I just wonder if the nanny state UK government will provide the criminals with some economic “stimulant” package as well. I mean really. It’s bad if the mob can’t even squeeze anything out of the dry UK well anymore. See? Crime doesn’t pay. Not now. At least they will have the dole to fall back on.

4. Scientific proof that Conservatives are sick

A new study from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque!) has just linked religion with diseases. Basically, the study “proves” that there is a link between the number of religions and the “control” of diseases. Apparently, society organizes itself in religious groups to limit the spread infectious diseases and other health risks. That’s a bit of a bummer. It makes the US a pretty sick society. I mean really, the Christian churches over here are worse than Trotskyists – they split into two separate groups every time two Christian conservatives/evangelicals get together in a room. Aah, now I get the whole anti-science thing amongst some of the more fundamentalist Christian groups in the US. You see, some science actually focus on healing people. Get rid of diseases. So the basic fibre of religion will fall apart. The healthier we are the more secular we will become. I hope Hagee and Bush don’t read this. Or maybe they knew about this all along. You know – denying evolution and denying global warming. Very Christian of them.

5. China and US sync laptops

China. What can I say. Loved it over there. Just don’t take your laptop with when you go and visit. They don’t like free information that much. Like to control it a bit. Can’t get access to all the sites on the internet. Including this one. (Wonder if they lifted the “ban” on this one when they relaxed their control a bit this week?) Anyway. They like control. And they have a bit of a habit of taking laptops at airports. You know – to check for “information”. And good luck if you can get it back. They go a bit further though. They check what you do and download your information, contacts and everything they can get their hands on. It helps that they control the networks you have to use. They are checking for anything that can “threaten” China. I call it no freedom and control freaks. So no surprise that American politicians are a bit unhappy about that. America is build on the foundations of freedom. Free expression and information are the cornerstones of this great country. I was even happier to see that it was a Republican being pissed at the Chinese for doing this. Senator Sam Brownback from Kansas was really pissed at the Chinese and their attempts to get every single piece of information they could get their hands on. Good on you Senator Brownback. Freedom of expression and information should always be protected. It’s the American way. But… Hang on a minute… What do we have here? It can’t be. The US doing the same? Yes! You see, first it was invasion of privacy with the “Patriot” Act. Like the Chinese, they will track your info like a true Chinese autocrat. And now it seems they are taking another leaf from the little red Chinese book of control. They are ready to take your laptop at the airport. And do pretty much what ever the hell they want to do with it. And they go a step further. They’ll take your iPod as well. Not to control your music as if it is some 50’s rock ‘n roll clampdown. No, just to check what info you have on there. (I would be so embarrassed by my playlist.) So there you go. Information control. China and the US dancing to the same tune. And I bet it ain’t to the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Closer to the Grateful Dead I guess. George W Bush and Hu Jintao, both President and Commander in Chief of the two most powerful nations in the world, dancing the slow dance of control. It’ll make Mao so proud. He didn’t even have to invade the US for the Red Revolution to take over. First they took over the economy and now exported they own special brand of information control and freedom suppression. Tangle or tango anyone. Any wise words of wisdom now Senator Brownback?

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That’s it folks. More pissed than usual. But can’t help it – they keep on feeding me crap.

 

Notes from Philly

Out here in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Having a ball. Having fun. I’ll give the the rundown at some later stage. I’ll tell you all about our holiday and the places that we visited. For now I’ll just say that Riegelsville is an amazing little town. And that I want to live in New Hope or Lambertville. Yes, Lambertsville, New Jersey. It doesn’t smell! Hah! Beautiful little village. Not Atlantic City at all. Sorry Boss – love your music, but don’t want to live in those towns you sing about. Oh, and I have no idea why anyone wanted to fight over Easton just north of Bucks County in Northampton. Maybe fight over who can have it. But more like – “No, you take it! I don’t want it!”. A bit like Northampton in England… But more on that later in another story. For now we’ll just do a bit on Philly.

We went to Philly today. Our first time there. The place where it all happened. Back then. The birth of the US of A. Before that. Just A. No US. Hah! No us. A few things stood out about Philly. Stuck in my head. Here’s a few highlights. Just three random notes on my experience and observations while in Philly – and I’ll start with the heavy one.

Do you have wireless and how do I plug in my laptop?

1. Independence Hall is way small

It’s amazing how small Independence Hall really is. Not a big building or even a big hall really. I mean really. It is a pretty insignificant-looking building. Brick and mortar. Pretty square with a little tower on top. Two floors and that’s it. You wouldn’t notice it if you drove past. Okay – take away the Rangers and you wouldn’t know it was much of a historic place. Especially not if you compare it to some of those buildings in England. No castle this. Not Windsor. Not even a wing in Buckingham Palace. Hardly a maids quarter in Downing Street. I mean really, even my living room is bigger. Well, almost. Not really. But you get the idea. It really isn’t that big a place.

It’s so small you can’t even change your mind in there. And the “entertainment area” upstairs isn’t much to write about either. Smaller than most boardrooms. But in its day one of the largest rooms in America. They even hired it out for weddings back in the old days. (Sorry – they don’t do that anymore. So don’t even bother asking.) Yes, the building and rooms are small. Very small. But it fills a huge space.

What is amaziing is that from the most humble beginnings we have the most powerful nation and notion in the world. Not just in military and economic power. More than that. Way more than that. That will come and go. But from this little crappy room came an idea. An idea that inspired people across the world. And continue to inspire people everywhere. And drive fear and hatred into others. The idea of “the people”. To rule themselves. To be free. To be equal (eventually). Not bound by king or religion. But by “the will of the people”. A-bloody-mazing. All from this little room in Independence Hall. I felt underwhelmed and overwhelmed at the same time. It is so appropriate that this room be so small. So insignificant.

Because it tells us that the freedom we seek is not in big symbols. Not in a big White House. Or a House of Parliament (in the UK and elsewhere). It is in the heart of us all. It is small. It starts small. It starts with us. And then it builds. And grows. And the single heart (or small hall) is a drop in the ocean. But the meaning we give it and the struggles that go with it make the dam fill and will break the walls. The walls that keep us chained. We are the freedom. We are the people. We can be the driver of change no matter where we are. In our houses in Boston or Baghdad or Beijing. It doesn’t matter. The will of the people starts anywhere. And everywhere. No matter what the size might be. The heart is to big for that room. Or your room.

Man, I am glad that the Independence Hall is so small. Because the power of that is just so huge.

Oh – hang on. You know it isn’t actually called the Independence Hall? No. It is actually the Pennsylvania State House. Again. Beautiful. Call it what you want. The people will give it a proper name.

I like that it is known as Independence Hall. So American. So to the point. Say it as it is. If it was the English? They would call it the Great Hall of Change. The French would call it Hall de Magnificant. South Africans would call it Die Moerse Groot Hol. But no. Americans just call it Independence Hall. Not even Hall of Independence. Just two simple words. And to the point. Good on you. Keep it simple. Keep it straight. And say it like it is.

Another lesson – especially for Americans. You don’t need the big car to make a difference. You don’t have to make it bigger to make it better. These Founding Fathers got together in this small little building and wrote a one page little document. The Declaration of Independence. And then, about 11 years later, another one. A simple one page document that started with a simple preamble…

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

All this from a small room in a little nondescript building in Philly. You don’t need it to be bigger to be better. They didn’t use a word they did not mean or need. They just did what worked best and what was needed. Scale back baby. They gave you the right to pretty much do what you want. But you would celebrate them more if you remember what they did and that you carry the same responsibility today. So drop the big car and super sized meal. You don’t need it. Your ego doesn’t need it. They didn’t need it.

The smaller the better. Less is more. God bless those dudes in the small house. Job well done. Wicked man. You were way cool. And you didn’t even have air conditioning.

2. Rocky Rules!

Yeah! Went up the Rocky Steps! Sorry, Philadelphia Museum of Art. My wife really wanted to see it. And so did I. Kids didn’t get it. Kept on asking, “Why the heck do you guys want to go up there?” And we’ll look at each other and laugh. And start humming, “Duh, duh, duh … duh duh.” You know. The Rocky song as he ran up the steps! We just had to go.

Of course we wanted to sound all superior. Didn’t want the “people” to know we are going to the Rocky Steps. We waved down a taxi and jumped in. I sat in the front seat because it would be a squeeze with four of us in the back. The cab driver looked at me and asked, “Weh ya’ll goin?” (Or something like that.) My response… “Philadelphia Museum of Art. Please.” He looked at me and mumbled, “Rocky Steps?” I was like a kid and gave him my idiot smile and said, “Yeah!” I am not sure if he rolled his eyes.

But we got there. My wife and myself were like little kids. But we had to go to the Rocky statue first. Get our photo taken. Wife and daughters stood while I took a photo. And then came Blainy. A dude hanging around as the “official” photographer. Offered to take a few shots of us as a family at the statue. And made us do all these poses. Arms in the air like Rocky! Man it was cool. Sylvester is way bigger than I imagined though.

Blainy handed back the camera and said he “accepted tips”. A bit of a shame really. I was going to pay him a decent wage. But a tip is 15% of the pay – so I gave him 15% of what I was going to pay him originally. He lost out on that one.

No. Not really. But I thought it would have been cool to tell him that.

And then the steps. My wife went up and I took a few shots. And then I had to go up. I wanted to run up those steps like Rocky. But I had the Oakley backpack stuffed with maps and toys and drinks and food and more things for the road. So I just slowly made my way up the steps. But in my mind I was running up those steps. With the music playing. “Duh, duh, duh … duh duh.” I got up to the top at last. Sweating more than Rocky did after he ran up the steps. But hey, he did it in winter with no backpack. And he got paid to look good.

But it wasn’t just us. Everywhere people were running up those steps. Old people. Young people. Middle-aged people. Men. Women. Kids. And all of them ran like Rocky. And when they got to the top? Like Rocky. Jumping up and down with their arms in the air. It was a sight. It was great. Rocky rules.

The Rocky Steps. More impressive than that little room back in the Pennsylvania State House. But almost as inspiring. At least it worked off a few of those Philly Cheese Steaks.

3. Philly Cheese Steaks are awesome!

A friend of mine – let’s call him Slacker – told me to have a Soft Pretzel and a Philly Cheese Steak (and a Hoagie). Never had the Hoagie. I mean really. How much can one man eat in a day? The Pretzel was great. But the Philly Cheese Steak was awesome! Wow. They really knew what they were doing with this one. Meat and cheese. Mixed and melted together. As simple as that. I dropped the onion. I love onion. But onion doesn’t love me. We have… hum… issues. That always needs some dealing with later in the day… And counseling doesn’t help. Neither does Pepto Bismol. Still. The Philly Cheese Steak was awesome. But also troublesome. For reasons other than the onions.

You know that Philly is the fatest city in America? No wonder. How many Hoagies and Soft Pretzels and Philly Cheese Steaks can you eat before you start swelling up? I had to flee Philly before I “forced” myself to eat another Philly Cheese Steak. And I already had one-and-a-half! (My wife didn’t have all of hers.) Man, they are damn good. Too good. Way too good. And it shows. In the waistline. And waste line. Too much of a good thing isn’t a good thing at all.

Philly – take note of the Founding Fathers and their lack of “size”. Cut back on those Philly Cheese Steaks and Soft Pretzels. And Hoagies. Get out and run up those Rocky steps a bit more often. Be lean. Like the Founding Fathers with words. Wait. Now I know why those Founding Fathers kept on meeting up in Philly. It’s those damn Philly Cheese Steaks. They just couldn’t say no. Or stay away for too long. I thought they looked a bit “rounder” than I expected…

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Note: Friends make the world go round. I must tell you just a little about us being in Bucks County. We are staying in a gorgeous house in Riegelsville. It is really beautiful. A dream house for anyone who need to get away for a few days. Or forever. All thanks to my good friend M and his husband R who gave us their house for the week. Actually, I never checked if they are married. I haven’t met R yet. But looking at his house – he knows about making a home. And making it beautiful. But that’s just it. They have this stunning house and they just gave it to us for a week. I didn’t aks. M just asked me if we don’t want to go there. Almost begged me to go. And R hasn’t met any of us yet. And M only knows me. Haven’t met my wife or kids. We have known each other for about two months now. Become really good friends. But still. They gave us their house for a week. And the fact that R gave us their house without having met me or my family. What can I say. Some people are special. And they are for sure. More than special. Just two of those people I am honored to know. And even more honored to have as friends. M even phoned today to check how we are doing. Wanted to know if we were enjoying ourselves. M&R – salt of the earth. But with taste.

I am just so happy that they didn’t see the t-shirt I bought today. It’s brown with two simple sentences in 70s style blue writing. “49% trailer, 51% trash”. Love it.

Oh – why are the postcards of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall printed in China? Really people…

We’re having fun. We’re having a ball. See ya later.