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Belong.

Assimilate.

Conform.

Those are the words I think of when I read the word “subscribe.”

“Subscribe to our newspaper so that we may bombard you with biased information.”

“Subscribe to our newsletter so that we may persuade you to believe what we believe.”

“Subscribe to my blog so that I can sneak in a sponsored post every now and again and make a few dollars.”

“Subscribe to my website so that I can trick you into thinking you’re part of an elite group.”

I realize I sound jaded – that’s because I am jaded. I’m also a realist. This world continues to disappoint me and you only have to open your eyes and pay attention to what people are doing, what they’re talking about, or what they value most, to see what I mean.

Values? What are those?

Morals? Old-fashioned thinking.

God? Belongs to Jesus freaks and doesn’t exist – just look at the state of my life, how can an entity that touts love allow me to live like this?

(Because God can’t help those that can’t/won’t help themselves. Ever think about that?)

Too many people subscribe to the influences surrounding them. Too many people do not take the time (or have simply never been taught to think for themselves – which opens up a whole different can of worms), to question what is being spoon fed them. Does it make sense? What’s the source? Is it biased information? What’s the flip-side to that story – because there are always two sides to a given story.

Always.

I get so tired of people subscribing to one train of thought, or belief. No one is 100% right – ever. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I like to think I’m smart enough to pause and consider all angles before coming to my own conclusion.

Many people do not do that. They are simply content to listen/watch/read what is being presented to them and BAM – it must be true. Every last biased morsel.

I wish I had faith in people – I wish I could say, with even a small percentage of confidence, that people can change, that things will get better. But honestly, I think we’re past that point of no return.

We have more takers than givers. That was proven with the re-election of the biggest socialist president in history.

Little by little, inch by inch, drop by drop, governments both in America and in Europe began taking more and more from people, diminishing the incentive of those on both sides of the transaction — the taker and the giver. In America, nearly half of wage earners pay not one single dime in federal income taxes. Many of them trudge down to the local polling place or vote via absentee ballot — and vote themselves a raise.
Source

So no. I don’t subscribe to just anything, or anyone. I’m independent, out spoken, and stubborn enough to dig my heels in and fight every last attempt to conform me to anything.

Are you?

(Well. That was a rather heavy post. Sorry about that. I guess I’m more disillusioned than I thought).

It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who think if we just pass this law, or take away this right, our country will magically transform into some sort of paradise on earth.

What a naïve outlook on life. Newsflash: IT AIN’T HAPPENING IN OUR LIFETIME.

It will never happen – not until Christ comes back, that is. And if you’re not a Christian, then I suppose you don’t even have that hope to look forward to.

How sad.

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but folks – look – we live in a fallen world. It’s controlled by an evil entity, an entity that gets his kicks out of murder, chaos and hopelessness. It’s what he thrives on. And again, if you don’t believe in the whole God/Satan thing then just look around you: mankind is, and will continually become, more and more corrupt as time goes by.

I don’t mean to get all preachy on you, but let’s pause a moment for a reality check. It’s all about power and greed nowadays and humans are imperfect – our world will never get better, it will only get worse.

Hence the reason that many conservatives/Christians push to keep and/or change back, our laws. We KNOW things will only get worse and we’re desperately trying to stall the inevitable by maintaining the laws we have now (because erasing, or easing the current laws will only allow more chaos, less control, into our lives). Because the Left’s push for us to relinquish control over our lives, to willingly hand our lives, and our decisions concerning our lives, over the government on a silver platter, is a dangerous road to travel. Because if we allow the government to fund our lives, then that same government then has the final say over what we can, or can not do in our lives. They have a say in how we live our lives. They have a say over whether or not we need healthcare. They have a say over what we eat, how much we eat, where we eat. They have a say over what vehicles we drive, or how often we drive, or what sort of fuel we burn.

Handing control over to our government means they have a say over how many children we can have, or where they go to school, or what they learn.

How, exactly, is this paradise??

I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to become a puppet in my own life. I much prefer to be free to be allowed to make my own damn decisions, to live my life the way I choose (as long as I’m not denying someone their life, liberty or right to property) and be the mistress of my own destiny.

I honestly worry about people’s intelligence these days. People are so focused on short-term, Bandaid sort of solutions, that they either refuse, or deny, the reality of situations; how will this affect our lives ten years from now? It’s quite disturbing that people are so willing to swallow (or be injected) whatever is spoon fed them without stopping to QUESTION whether or not what is being forced on them is logical or even reasonable. There are way too many sheep in today’s society and not nearly enough Sheppards.

The moment, THE MOMENT, we allow the government to take a small sliver of control over us, we will never get it back. And the more that is relinquished, the more complacent people become. “Oh. What’s one more thing? What’s the big deal?” I hear people say.

The BIG DEAL, people, is that one day we will wake up and we’re not able to leave our houses without permission from “our government.”

Our freedoms have, little by little, been eroding away and it’s like we’re all sleep walking our way through life. It’s like we all have blinders on and only focus on what’s being spoon fed to us – we don’t have the balls, or the motivation (because it’s so much easier to just nod our heads yes and open our mouths), to tear those damn blinders off and look, REALLY LOOK, at the sh*t the government is trying to force on us.

Do you honestly think we’re on the path to paradise? If we ONLY give more control over the government, then we’ll find that non-existent utopia??

An authoritarian nation is defined not just by the use of authoritarian powers, but by the ability to use them. If a president can take away your freedom or your life on his own authority, all rights become little more than a discretionary grant subject to executive will.

The framers lived under autocratic rule and understood this danger better than we do. James Madison famously warned that we needed a system that did not depend on the good intentions or motivations of our rulers: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”

Benjamin Franklin was more direct. In 1787, a Mrs. Powel confronted Franklin after the signing of the Constitution and asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got — a republic or a monarchy?” His response was a bit chilling: “A republic, Madam, if you can keep it.”

Since 9/11, we have created the very government the framers feared: a government with sweeping and largely unchecked powers resting on the hope that they will be used wisely.

The indefinite-detention provision in the defense authorization bill seemed to many civil libertarians like a betrayal by Obama. While the president had promised to veto the law over that provision, Levin, a sponsor of the bill, disclosed on the Senate floor that it was in fact the White House that approved the removal of any exception for citizens from indefinite detention.

Dishonesty from politicians is nothing new for Americans. The real question is whether we are lying to ourselves when we call this country the land of the free.
Source: 10 Reasons the U.S is No Longer the Land of the Free

(And I challenge you to follow the above link and read precisely what freedoms have changed and/or have been lost since 9/11. Go on, read it for yourself).

Why, exactly, do people think Paradise is even attainable when our world proves, time and time again, that it can’t, or won’t, exist without Big Brother to hold its hand?

Want to scribble along?
This was inspired by a true event.

___________________________________

The Toast Says it All

Elsie dipped her head to listen to her brand-new husband’s whispered words. His breath was sharp in her ear and the tequila smell that wafted out of his mouth tickled her nose.

“So, there was never anything between you and Dillon, right?”

Elsie forced her lips into a warm, but faintly tolerant smile as she made eye contact with a few of their wedding guests. “How many times do we have to do over this, Kaleb. Dillon and I have been friends since the 5th grade. He’s like a brother to me.” Her lips barely moved and though her voice sounded light on the surface, there was an underlining thread of hostility peppered throughout her words.

“Funny,” he ground out between clenched teeth, “that wasn’t exactly a brotherly hug I witnessed in the reception line.”

“Do we have to do this here? Right now? Can’t we talk about this later?” She fought to keep the desperation out of her voice.

“I’d rather know the truth now, before this marriage gets any older. Do you love him?”

She sighed and lifted a hand to wave at one of her great aunts. She straightened up and nodded at the woman’s cheery greeting. As soon as the woman’s head turned, her shoulders slumped and she hissed her response. “I can’t believe you’re ruining this for me. I can’t believe you aren’t over the fact that my best friend is a man. Are you really that insecure?”

Kaleb opened his mouth to reply, but before anything could come out, Dillon stood up, a glass in his hand.

Elsie expelled a breath in relief. Kaleb’s obsession with Dillon wasn’t anything new, he had been jealous of her best friend from the very beginning. But the fact that he couldn’t let it go, no matter how many times she told him, or what she did to prove it, made her entire body tingle in a most unpleasant way. She had married him, what more proof did the man require?

She gave her new husband a sideways look and noted twin spots of color high on his cheeks, a sure sign he was upset. She hoped he wouldn’t make a spectacle of himself – he always went a little overboard on the dramatics when he was upset, and it was even worse when he had been drinking. She placed, what she hoped was, a placating hand on his thigh and gave it a reassuring pat or two before turning her attention to Dillon.

Elsie’s best friend lifted his glass to her, flashed a charming smile to the audience at large, followed by a hugely flirtatious wink, before placing his glass on the bar behind him and with great fanfare, he bent to pick up a huge poster board at his feet.

He lifted it up high for the audience to see.

“And here we go,” grumbled Kaleb beside her.

Elsie felt like punching him just to get him to shut up. She swallowed the lump of irritation lodged deep in her throat and set about ignoring him. He would NOT spoil this day for her. She would NOT think too much about his sour disposition on a day that was supposed to be filled with laughter and happiness. She simply would not travel down that thought. Not now, perhaps not even later.

The sign read, “What can I say about Elsie that hasn’t already been said?”

Dillon twisted around to give the poster board to Gary, one of the guys she worked with at the singing diner located in the heart of Branson, Missouri.

Elsie smiled at Gary before shifting her eyes back to Dillon. She sensed Kaleb scowling next to her but she ignored him.

Dillon held up the next sign: “Elsie has been my sister, my best friend, and my better half.”

Elsie could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

“She’s been my lifesaver, my confidante, my sounding board.” The next card read.

“Remember ‘When Harry Met Sally?’” Kaleb muttered under his breath. “Men and women can’t be friends. Straight men, anyway.”

“But really, words can’t do justice to our beloved Elsie.” The next poster board read.

“Hey, maybe he’s gay?” Kaleb continued, his tone hopeful.

A lone tear rolled down Elsie’s face. One part of her brain tried to stop the flow because she didn’t want to ruin her makeup, but the other part, the part that craved love, allowed it to remain glistening on the curve of her cheek.

“So,” the last board read, “let’s do something different.” Dillon handed the last card to Gary and he gave a brusque nod to the sound man. Music burst forth with such force, Elsie jumped and placed a hand over her heart in reaction.

The musical composition of Oklahoma filled the reception hall and Elsie sputtered a laugh. Oklahoma was the very first play her and Dillon had performed in high school together. Dillon had been Curly, she had played Laurey and though they had just been friends back then, they had such stage chemistry that rumors soon started about them being a couple. In fact, they had been paired as a couple all throughout high school.

Dillon began singing to the song, only he had changed the lyrics to apply to Elsie’s new life with Kaleb, and their past life together. Before long, Elsie was clapping along with everyone else and her emotions alternated between happy and nostalgic. At various points in the song, men and women from Elsie’s past work places, college chums, and fellow singers stood up at irregular intervals to sing a verse. She was delighted and it oozed from every pore of her body.

At one point, she gasped in surprise as Kaleb stood to sing a few bars. He knelt on one knee and put a hand to his heart in a dramatic gesture of love and Elsie’s eyes glittered with amusement and relief that he would find the humor in the whole charade.

Kaleb ruined the moment by rolling his eyes and Elsie’s bright smile wavered.

She cleared her throat and turned her attention to the grand finale as all of her beloved friends and family danced onto the dance floor for the final act. With a waving of arms and a rising crescendo, they finished the toast with a grand bow. There was a few seconds of stunned silence after it ended, but Elsie broke the mood by standing and clapping furiously.

Guests all around the room followed suit and before long, the toast participants were given a standing ovation. Elsie let loose a very unladylike whistle and then rushed onto the dance floor to give her friends an appreciative hug.

Laughter and memories flooded the reception hall and Elsie couldn’t remember ever being that happy. Once she had hugged each of her friends and family, she turned to find Dillon standing in front of her, the familiar goofy grin lighting up his strong face.

“You ding dong,” she said with a half-laugh, half-cry. “You just can’t resist embarrassing me, can you.” Dillon opened his arms and Elsie walked into them for a hug.

“Yeah Dillon, you bastard,” Kaleb said behind her and Elsie stiffened.

Dillon laughed and gently released Elsie. “What can I say? I’m a ham.”

“Among other things,” Kaleb said, his smile softening the harsh tone of voice.

Dillon shrugged in a self-depreciating way, but didn’t act very contrite. “You’re taking my best girl, Kaleb. She deserves to go to marriage jail in style.”

Elsie stepped back to take her place next to Kaleb. She snuck a look at her new husband to gauge his reaction to Dillon’s words. He continued to smile, but she noticed the hard glint in his dark brown eyes.

“You will take care of her,” Dillon said. It wasn’t a question.

“Of course.” Kaleb looped a possessive arm around Elsie’s shoulders and pulled her close. “I always take care of what’s mine.”

Elsie opened her mouth to tell Kaleb that she wasn’t anyone’s property when Kaleb’s parents joined their little tête-à-tête.

“Well, that was, um, some performance, young man,” Kaleb’s father barked out, his voice gruff and gritty.

“Uh, yes,” chimed in Kaleb’s mother, her arm tucked under her husband’s hand. “It was quite … loud.”

Loud? Elsie looked at her mother-in-law to see if she was joking.

She wasn’t. Couldn’t the woman say something a little more flattering?

Dillon chuckled, seemingly nonplussed by the disapproval emanating off Kaleb’s parents.

“Kaleb honey,” his mother said, “we need to go over a few things before you two leave for Mexico.”

“Right,” Kaleb gave Dillon a sharp look before grabbing Elsie and planting a possessive kiss against her cold lips. “I’ll see you later. Don’t forget, you still owe me a dance.”

Elsie nodded her head and watched her new family walk away from her.

“You have your work cut out for you,” Dillon said, his voice close to her ear.

She sighed and looked up at him. “I don’t understand why they were so rude. They aren’t usually like that.”

“Aren’t they?” Dillon asked with a lift of his brows. He continued before she could respond. “You’re happy, right?”

“Of course,” she said with a grin. “Kaleb is good to me. He just … he just has a problem with you, that’s all.”

“Hmm.” He ran a hand through his hair and looked toward the bar. “I need a drink. Listen,” he went on without pausing, “if you need me, all you have to do is call. I’ll come, whenever you need me, no questions asked. Okay?”

She gave him a puzzled look and choked out a chuckle. “Of course.”

Dillon nodded, gave her a quick hug and walked off before she could question him about what he meant. Her eyes slipped from her best friend to her husband and in-laws deep in discussion at a nearby table. Just what sort of family had she married into, anyway?

By Kirsty OUP-UK

Yesterday you read an extract from Virginia Smith’s new book Clean: A History of Personal Hygiene and Purity. For today’s post she has kindly agreed to answer a few questions about her work.

OUP: How did you come to write a book on personal hygiene? (more…)

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