Conspiracies and the Kennedys

The other day I needed to be at work exceptionally early. It was the day right before the holidays began and quell nightmare. Those days are always pure insanity. 

I arrived and remembered that there are a few other people in the office who arrive that early every day. They are morning people by nature, admittedly I am not, but after a direct shot of espresso to the head and heart, I was able to chirp with the best of them. Except, instead of chirping, I listened. They were discussing JFK. 

I’ve always found discussions about John F. Kennedy to be interesting if not especially relevant. He was assassinated and there were many strange parts about his assassination. This is all true. And if you discuss the case from every possible angle, you will always find more and more strange things. Assassinations are always interesting because we don’t know what causes them. Most are usually done by the lone-nut-fanatic (John Wilkes Booth comes to mind) yet the idea of a shadowy hand directing the puppet strings still persists. Why is this?

The interest many people show in conspiracy theories and in New World Order ideas being propagated has always confused me a little. While I love to listen to conspiracy theories, back in my head I have this idea that none of this could possibly be true. There are some people who believe in the Masons and believe that there’s a group of about 4 or 5 men in the world that control governments and stock markets and mass movements and I don’t buy it. For starters, I’ve never met anyone smart enough to run an entire world on their own. Have you? The last time I checked, a country that produces reality television and Facebook is not intelligent enough to run an entire planet, but that’s just me.

In addition to the above, conspiracy theories and the idea that our world is run by only a select secretive few leaves out the possibility of God. In a world where we believe in God and believe that He is controlling all, the idea that the power remains in the hands of only some is just a wee bit foolish.

Setting these things aside, it seems to be that human beings believe in conspiracy theories because we like to speculate. Our social instincts drive us to gossip and to get together and rehash plans and ideas until they become tall tales larger than life. Eventually truth and lies merge in our heads to the point where they become one and the same and the truth, the real truth, is lost. It’s lost to the vestiges of time and the stories and implications of others.

Back in the office, as these thoughts were running through my head, I listened to those around me talking about JFK. For myself personally, the stories have always fascinated me. The Kennedys, love them or hate them, were a beautiful family. Graceful Jackie and darling John Jr. and Sweet Caroline captured the hearts of the American people and it’s easy to see why. My dad has a LIFE Magazine that published the details of Kennedy’s assassination shortly after it happened and when I was young, I’d stare at the pictures for hours, lost in the ideas and dreams of Kennedy Camelot. 

I suppose the reason I remain interested in the Kennedys, and why everyone else does, too, was because of that beautiful, fascinating quality they possessed. Setting aside the important things (Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cold War, etc.) one could learn to really like the Kennedys as a first family, and America did, and then the idea was shattered with a brutal gunshot. I suppose this is the reason why we still remain fascinated by them…because we all saw the dream and then it was gone with a bang.

I wasn’t around when the Kennedys were here. The only Kennedy remaining in that particular family branch I don’t care for (Maria Kennedy Shriver, you would have been a terrible senator). The magic, for me, is a secondhand magic. It’s usually the best kind. In my mind, the Kennedys are a series of pretty pictures. I didn’t ever have the opportunity to dislike them for the things that mattered (politics), I was just able to be enthralled from afar. Familiarity does breed contempt, as Shakespeare so famously put it, and I was never familiar enough. 

Listening to the others in the office who actually lived through that time though, I can understand why they would still talk about the assassination of JFK. I suppose we will continue to discuss it until all of us who saw the pictures are finally gone. 

Thoughts on a December Day

It’s Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I always remember this date, although I think many others forget it. There are probably some who live in this country who don’t know what Pearl Harbor was. This is sad considering what those men and women went through on that day. It’s interesting to think about as well as grotesque – bodies being blown to bits, people being burned, mass hysteria…I’m grateful I was not there and I am willing to remember the sacrifice of everyone who went through something then not just to honor them, but so I can keep myself mindful of the prayers I need to pray so that never happens to me. I think this is the two-fold purpose of remembering the fallen. One, primarily to honor them and two, to make sure it never happens again.

Anyway, it’s cold outside and dreary, or it was this morning, and I have a bad case of allergies that have pounced on me and threatened to snatch my oxygen away. They’re such a pain, allergies. I read somewhere that eating clean for a few months can make them go away and I have considered giving up chocolate and bread of all forms just so this miracle can occur.

My Christmas tree still sits at HEB waiting to be purchased. It simply isn’t Christmas until my tree is set up in my living room and decorated. This December is already moving by at the pace of lightning – the first round of holiday parties begin next week and I’m sure they’ll continue until pre-diabetic comas have descended on the attendees. That’s the only thing I have against Christmas. I end up either exerting a tremendous amount of self-discipline or waddling. Neither of these are fun to experience and unfortunately there is no in-between stage one can levitate in - slightly waddling and slightly saying no.

How nice is it that we have the opportunity to buy Christmas trees and celebrate holidays. It’s such a blessed world we live in. We are free from dictators, from oppression of all kinds, and we are blessed with more than enough goodness, in terms of presents and food and friends and family. This American life is beautiful in so many ways, and I’m thankful to be alive, enjoying it. 

A random Monday

It’s been a hot minute since I had a chance to write something. I’ve been so BUSY lately…and also lazy. Lazy and busy and listless. Anyway, but today is the day where that ends and where new life and new verbiage begins.

Yesterday was a lazy Monday. Typically when you think of Monday it’s associated with words like “hectic” and “stressful” and “busy” and mine was all of those things until I came home from work. It was cold and rainy outside and a trip to HEB was the only thing worthwhile that I accomplished.

I enjoy grocery stores. Up North the grocery stores are small and overly packed with carbohydrates that I’m not interested in purchasing. St. Louis in particular had a depressing set of grocery stores. They were tiny and not very well-stocked and just a drag to go in. But here in Texas where we have the wonderment that is HEB, purchasing broccoli can be fun-filled and slightly joyous. Perhaps I’m the only person who feels this way. Probably so. In the countries I visited in Europe, the highlight of my trip was a visit to the local Eurospar. If you want culture, real culture, go to the country’s local grocery store. The cashiers typically do not speak English if they bother speaking to you at all, and there aren’t helpful signs translating everything into your local tongue. You are on your own amongst the cheese and bread and salami.

Followed up my trip to HEB with a visit to Chick-Fil-A because there’s nothing that says fast food quite like a visit to the grocery store. The heaps of produce don’t cook themselves you know! While in the drive-thru, the helpful young lady took my order. While we exchanged pleasantries, her male counterpart came over and made a awkwardly flirtatious attempt in her direction. She shrugged him off, annoyed. I asked her what he wanted and she looked at me, whispered, “he’s weird”. I laughed and she remembered I was a customer and smiled and said, “I’m just kidding,” but I knew she wasn’t.

Ah to be young and work in Chick-Fil-A where you’re certain that this is only a small stepping stone and surely greater things lie ahead. And usually they do. Especially at Chick-Fil-A. I’m not sure why, but the employees there are usually much more pleasant and well-groomed than your average fast food place. I’ve yet to meet a dumb cashier at Chick-Fil-A but at my local Whataburger, I had to repeat my order four times the last time I went.

It was still wrong.

So here’s to Tuesday! It’s the first day we’ve had without rain for a while now. This disappoints me a little – gloomy and rainy days speak to me in ways that merely sunshine days do not.