My Occu-Time in Washington

As I stepped off the train, I knew I had no time to waste. I was in Washington DC, and I had to find McPherson Square. My bag was heavy, filled with all the necessities of my trip. I had with me my clothes, my tent, my blankets, and all the other things that I would need for my nights out in the elements. I hailed the first taxi that I saw and asked him to take me to McPherson Square. He obliged.

We arrived at the square around four o'clock and I knew that I had to get my tent set up quickly before it got dark. The park was full and I didn't know where to set up. A gentleman came up to me in an old sweater and he had a beard. His name was Bill. Bill directed me to a spot in the square that was not being used and told me that I could set up there. I told Bill that I had no idea how to set up the tent and he did it for me. Acts of kindness like this happened the entire time that I was there in Washington DC for the protest of Occupy Congress.

After my tent was set up, I decided to go get something eat and went to a local pizzeria that was down the street. After I was done, it was dark out and I decided to go back to the tent, my new home. I climbed inside my tent around 8:30 PM, and I heard the first trickling of rain on the top of my tent. I felt so relieved to be inside, safe and secure. I picked up the John Grisham novel that I got from the people's library, and started to read. After a while, I reached my arm out to stretch and felt the puddle of rain that had collected inside the tent. I let out a sigh, but it didn't seem to be too bad and the rain had seemed to end.

What I didn't realize was that the tarp that my tent was sitting on was bigger than the tent. The rain that was falling down the tent ended up going onto the tarp and then collected under the tent, which then seeped into the tent itself. When I fell asleep, I did not realize that the rain started again in the water began to come into the tent again and started to soak into my sleeping bag. I woke up and my feet were damp and I had to change my socks. I noticed that the water was starting to come in, but I could do nothing about it. I put on a pair of shoes, and went back to sleep. I only slept for a couple more hours when I woke up and my pants were wet, the sleeping bag was wet, and my feet were cold again and wet. I was shivering and cold, but I knew that this is what I wanted to do. This is where I wanted to be. Hundreds of other people were in the same square as I was, and I wanted to see it through.

I woke up around 5 AM and waited for Starbucks to open. When they did, I got myself a coffee and a banana and waited to meet up with everybody at Union Station at 8 AM. It felt good to be inside. I met up with a fellow protester in Starbucks, and we talked about where we came from. He was happy to hear that I was from Florida and I was happy to hear that he was from California. I heard stories all day of people coming from all across the country to be in this spot for this protest at this time.

When I arrived at Union Station, the rain started again. I met up with other people from The 99% Declaration, and we drank coffee and discussed what we were going to be doing during the course of the day. We left the train station at about 8:30 AM, and made her way to the Capitol building by foot. We arrived there at nine o'clock, and there is only a couple of people there. I felt like the wind got knocked out of me. I started to think that it was a waste of the trip because nobody was there. Slowly but surely though, people started to come. After about a half-hour, the Occupiers from the two different camps across the city could be seen coming up the street with a police escort to where the protest was being held.

Throughout the day the crowd swelled, and for the most part it was pretty peaceful. A few people got arrested, but it was only a handful. I was in charge of tweeting for The 99% Declaration about what happened during the course of the day. I took pictures of what was going on, which included people conversing with the police, people chanting, and all the ideas that were being spread around. After a few hours of this, the group that I was with decided to go get something to eat.

We ate at Hamilton's Bar and Grill. I got one of the best bowls of chili I've ever had. It was so warm and so good that I ate it in about 23 seconds. After recharging my stomach and my phone, we went back to the protesting area. It was time for the march. By now there were thousands of people there. At 6:30 PM, the entire group headed to the streets.

The police escorted us through the streets. All the traffic was stopped. People in buses and cars waved to us and honk their horns as we walked by. It was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I was among thousands of people walking in the streets of Washington DC with hundreds of police around me, and it felt right. We reached the steps of the Supreme Court, and hundreds of people filled the stairs. We started to chant. We started to clap. We started to cheer. We were there to tell the Supreme Court that they work for the people. After a few minutes and a lot of pictures, we descended back down the stairs, and toward the White House.

After a lengthy walk, we reached the White House. I never realized it before because I had never seen it, that the White House has floodlights that can point out towards Pennsylvania Avenue. Secret Service had turned them on and pointed them at the protest. At the same time, you could see soldiers on the White House lawn with machine guns pointed out at the crowd. On both sides of the protest, in the streets, you could see police getting suited up in riot gear and loading teargas canisters into their guns. It was getting pretty serious, so the protesters decided to move on and go back to the capital lawn.

That night, I was actually able to stay in a friend's hotel room. I had never slept on a more comfortable floor in my entire life! I woke up the next day, said goodbye to some really good friends that I met, got on the train, and headed back home.

This trip validated everything that I have been doing so far as far as my involvement with the 99% movement. The unity that I felt was something that I had never felt before. Everyone was friendly. Everyone was there for the common good. Everyone was there for justice. The corruption in this country has got to end and we will not go away.

It was a shame to see how wrong the media got it, but that's to be expected. They claim that there were hundreds there, but a police officer told me that there were between 5000 and 6000. The media claimed that somebody threw a smoke bomb on the White House lawn. They were wrong. It was a police officer. They claim that we have no direct message. They claim that we argue with each other about why we're there. They were wrong. Everybody that I talked to knew exactly why we were there. We were there to show the world that we know there are corrupt people in Washington. We were there to say that we are not going to take it anymore. We are on to them. The people in Washington do not represent us. The people in Washington represent themselves and the corporations that buy them. That is unacceptable. We will not rest until the corruption and greed are thrown out of Washington by any means necessary. This is the main goal of the 99% movement. To get the money out of politics.

It is no surprise to me that the mainstream media has a blackout on the entire situation. It is no surprise to me that the mainstream media chooses to downplay what actually occurs. It is no surprise to me that the mainstream media labels the people involved in this movement as being dirty, lazy hippies. It is no surprise to me that the mainstream media focuses on the arrests. The mainstream media is owned by the exact same corporations that we are fighting to get out of politics. They have no interest in our movement because our movement is designed to dissolve them as far as their interests in politics are concerned. They are not welcome in Washington.

So on a cold, rainy day in Washington, I joined with thousands of other people from all across the country to tell Congress, to tell corporations, to tell the president that we are unstoppable. Another world is possible.

Spring is around the corner. We are not going away.

happy new year's resolution

hello, family and friends.  happy new year!  i hope that the year is already off to a great start for you and your loved ones.  i am down here in florida still working away at life and...well, work.  recently, i have been asked what my resolution is for the new year and i have been saying that i didn't have a resolution because it sets myself up for failure when i inevitably would break that resolution.  this is not entirely true.  i have a resolution.


i am going to be pretty blunt in this post.  if i offend any of you, i apologize in advance, but the time has come for the country to act against the actions that have taken place against us.  this country is no longer a country by the people and for the people.  it is a country that is by the corporations and for the corporations.  it is run by the heads of a few multi-billion dollar corporations by using politicians as cronies to do their biddings and i for one am sick of it.  the corruption in this country has to stop and you need to realize this.  i beg of you to get off your behinds and act.  the people that run this country continue to wish that you remain apathetic and have an attitude of not caring or believing that you can make a difference in the fight.  they want you to believe that it has to be like this.  they want you to continue taking where the sun doesn't shine because that's just always the way it's been and you should be used to it by now.


go on.  keep living the life you are living.  keep making the same damn paycheck every week.  as you eek your way through the year, cutting back on things that you used to enjoy, remember that it doesn't have to be this way.  think of your children and what their future is going to be like.  it doesn't have to be this way.  by the time they finish college,  if they even go to college, they will have amassed a student loan debt of close to a quarter of a million dollars...or you will have.  it doesn't have to be this way.  if you do get a bump in pay this year, it will be miniscule most likely.  good for you.  those at the top will have made this money right back from you with rising costs of goods, inflation, and rising gas prices.


why do you accept that things cost more and more everyday?  why do you accept that the very people that are raping us financially have had no accountability and are still getting million dollar bonus checks every year from your tax dollars.  why are you not mad as hell at all of the injustice that is going on?  i do not understand why i go on facebook everyday and never see anything from people about what is going on in the world, or opinions on the matters.  for the most part, i see people talking about football, or where they are going, or bitching about child support, or how they are going shopping during black friday.  god, are we that focused on the unimportant daily nonsense that we cannot seem to focus on the fact that your life is controlled by the few at the top in everything you do and that all you do is continue to focus on other things?  are you that ignorant?  by now, i know that you know about the occupy movement.  i also know that a lot of you get your news from the mainstream media.  if you choose to know about this and still choose to ignore what is going on in the world, that is ignorance and choosing the side of the corrupt.


maybe though, you just don't want to stir the pot.  maybe you like where you are in life.  maybe you don't want to do anything on facebook that would cause family or friends to think of you differently.  maybe you don't want to have a voice.  just keep on trudging along through life making the same pay, putting money into a 401k that will be gambled away by the banks, and try and save to send your kids to school.  maybe you don't think that you can make a difference.  maybe you don't want to do anything that would effect your family.


the one thing we can all do in this world is bring justice to those that are doing wrong to our family and fellow man.  just because those that are rich and powerful does not mean that they are allowed to do this, or that they are untouchable.  they deserve to be treated like you or i.  they are not out of reach.  they are out of touch with the morality of mankind and they need to be held accountable.  they need to be taken out of office.  the corporate financial heads that ruined this country need to be put in jail for ruining the lives of millions by destroying the housing market, destroying retirement funds, destroying the value of our dollar, infesting the government with their bribes of campaign money, and the smiles on their faces in the public eye while they do it behind closed doors with handshakes and a toast to greed.


it is time to make a stand.  it is time to say enough is enough.  we are the people!  this is our country for all to prosper.  it is not to just get by.  we are supposed to be able to live the dreams we have.


those in power need to be removed.  they need to be replaced with non-career politicians that have term limits.  corporations should not be viewed as people and they should not be allowed to contribute campaign money unless all campaign money goes into a pool that is distributed evenly among all candidates.  people are in power not for you.  they are in power for themselves and their friends.  they are in power to have power and to keep power.  that is a far cry from their jobs.  their jobs are to ensure that your life is better.  that your jobs are fruitful and meaningful.  their jobs are to protect the constitution of the united states of america and not to tear it apart without your consent.


what can you do?  speak up!  demand to be heard!  protest!  if you have no time or are not ready to do that then donate money to organizations like occupy wall street, or to the99declaration.org.  being quiet will not change anything.  ignorance will only make it worse.  the time to be heard is now!  be anonymous or be out in the open about it.  just please don't do anything.  that is the worst thing you can do.  educate yourself.


this is not about asking for handouts from those that have succeeded.  this is about those that have succeeded by being unjust.  it is about holding those accountable by any means necessary.  it is about doing what i am asked to do as a human being.  do unto others as i would have done unto me.


this year, i am going to do my best to make this country great again and give the power back to the people.  don't be apathetic anymore.  please.  if you need proof learn about the ndaa act, sopa, glass steagall, the federal reserve, citizens united, credit default swaps, derivatives, the war on terror, halliburton, goldman sachs' involvement in our government, etc, etc, etc.


it is no longer time to just go to work and live life like there is nothing wrong.  there is so much wrong and you should be angry as hell.  the hypocrisy in this union is incredible.  the time for revolution is here.  from the inside out.  get off your ass and do something for yourself and those you love before it is too late.

Congress is Obsolete, or How I Would Change America Into a True Democracy.

The car made horse and buggy obsolete.  The airplane made cross-country trips and intercontinental travel faster and safer.  The computer made working environments easier and more time efficient to manage.  The microwave has given the world a faster way, albeit not a more tasty alternative in my opinion, to eat meals.

Congress has been around for hundreds of years now.  The world has changed in leaps and bounds since it's inception.  Congress was initiated in a time when traveling around the country was very difficult for Americans.  The leaders of the new nation decided that in order for the people's voices to be heard in all decisions for the country, they would vote for and elect representatives from their area of the country and send them to Washington D.C. to represent them and their views as best they could.  They were elected for the people, by the people, and to vote on issues with how the majority of those people in their district would vote on different bills presented to the American people.

Representatives were sent from all corners of the country to this city of Washington D.C. and congress was born.  The people of the time put their faith in these people to represent them as best as they could.  Americans read what was going on in the world in newspapers and by word of mouth.  The people of the country relied on these elected officials to keep abreast on world issues, national issues, and to represent the local issues of the people that supported him back home.

While this idea of how a democracy could be run was effective and functional back in it's day, the very idea of having a congress today makes no sense and needs to be overhauled dramatically.  The new millennium has made way for an amazing array of technologies that make the very existence of congress non-essential.   If it is on a strict look at the reasons alone for why their is congress in the first place, there are a couple of important reasons as to why the theory of it was put in place in our system of governance to begin with.  One is what i explained earlier, the people needed to be represented according to the majority of what people in certain districts believed.  These people could not all be in Washington at the same time, and thus, needed to send somebody there to be their voice of reason.  Secondly, congress was a part of a three system checks and balance system that was to have no more or less power than the president and the supreme court.

Times have changed and both of these conditions can be preserved in a system of true democracy.  A system where all people will be represented fairly and the corruption of single individuals who are influenced by big business and lobbyists would become a thing of the past.  I am disgusted at the way that my vote is being represented in this country.  I am sick of turning on the news, or reading an article online, and hearing about a congressman who is being investigated for doing this, or how a congresswoman has done that.  I am sick of seeing how much money is required to run a political campaign, and since there is not term limits on congressmen, most of them take large amounts of money from corporations and usually return this favor throughout the course of their term.

I am sick of how i hear stories of how much a member of congress is worth before and after they arrive in Washington.  I am sick of how many of them end up afterwards being a member of a lobby group in Washington, or take high paying jobs at the corporations that contributed to their campaigns during their political days.  I am sick of how members of institutions were bailed out with taxpayer money and they continue to get money to this day as a means to stay viable and to be able to stay in business, but the leaders and executives of these companies receive bonuses given out to each other while nobody in congress pays this much mind unless it is just a soundbite on some tv interview where they are only on there for the publicity, and not to truly create action into the wrongdoings because they have been bought.  I am sick that nobody stands for anything anymore.  We have nobody to trust.  It doesn't matter if you are Republican or Democratic:  almost all politicians in washington are in washington for two reasons and that is to stay in Washington and make money.

Power and greed, power and greed.  It is who represents us today.  The sad truth is, is that the power and greed that those in power represent aren't even directed towards the people in their districts.  No, they are solely for themselves and the people are the ones who are suffering on a daily basis.  The very rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is drifting into becoming new members of the proletariat.  When the congressmen that we elect are in the rich getting richer category, why should they really care about the rest of the country?  Do we really expect that morality would be something that these people have?  Where does this notion come from that so-and-so is a great leader and cares for me and the american people?  Can we really trust in someone we don't know that much and be that apathetic?

America has grown by leaps and bounds since she was born.  How can we put this much faith in those we vote for when so much is at stake and so much money can be made?  We don't have to anymore.

Congress is obsolete.  It is unnecessary.  It was a way to get things done.  It is not the only way to get things done.  Not anymore.  All voices can count.  The American people can be that other cog in the checks and balances scale on a much more intimate level.

We live in the age of technology.  Everyone can be anywhere in a click of a button.  The internet has changed the way the world thinks, reacts, and learns.  News is instantaneous.  Opinions are generated within seconds of something happening 10,000 miles away.  All of our thoughts and feelings can be expressed to the world if they want to see it on various social networking sites.  We can harness this power into creating a congress of the people, represented by all of the people.  There would no longer be a need for congressmen and women to clog the throats of democracy with stall tactics and filibusters.  There would be no more need for political campaigns, except for the president who represents us in foreign matters, which means that there would be no more abilities for corporations to buy into campaigns, and thus, be able to buy into laws that would benefit them and hurt the American people.

What i propose is a daily voting social website.  So far this year, the Senate has voted on 206 bills.  206 bills in 320 days.  That may seem like a lot of bills but it is less than 1 bill a day.  Some of these bills are to confirm politicians in different states, or in Washington.  We can truly make it the law of the land if we can manage to translate onto a social website that can be accessed by every television, telephone, computer, or wireless device in America.  Everyone has one of these in their possession.  If you don't then we can make hotlines available in any public library or school.  It isn't that hard to get to one of those devices.  The people would have the ability to vote on all issues presented and be able to present them themselves.

People would be able to vote by registering on the site by using their social security number and PIN number.  They could research any of the votes up for debate and vote on what they have knowledge on.  they would not have to vote on every bill presented and they don't have to vote at all, but they would have the ability to do so.  Any matter that they deem as important to them, they can have a voice and have a vote that mattered and know in good faith that their vote was not diluted in corruption or backroom handshakes.  If a vote is to confirm someone as a judge or what have you in certain states, then that vote would be just for people in the state that would be effected by the outcome.

Bills would be presented to the people by action from the people.  Bills would be written by leaders voted on by the people who would have term limits to no more than two terms of two years each and these leaders would present bills to those in his/her state first.  This will ensure that the country would not get flooded with bills and have too much information for them to process.  If a bill is deemed worthy to continue, the people in his/her state will pass it and it will go on to the national stage where all would vote on it.  The person elected to make these decisions will not be able to run their campaign with any political contributions from corporations and they will make up only bills that deal with national/state issues.  The president will enlist the help of cabinet members to keep an eye on foreign policy and present bills to the American people as to how we want to take action overseas.

All the bills would be presented to the people through the internet, television, and newspapers.  People would either go to the website and clear the security checkpoints that would be built for authenticity and vote, or they could call the voting hotline and speak to a representative, or an automated system.  All the votes would be recorded and you could see your voting history if you chose to.

This is my idea.  I am open to suggestions on how to make it better if you don't agree with all of it, or how things could be made better.  I believe that it would end corruption.  It may need some tweaks, but I believe that the basic premise of the plan would be groundbreaking and instrumental in changing the world and the face of American politics where everyone has a voice, and it would matter.  Why do we have to put blind faith into someone we don't really know when we can trust the one person we know better than anyone else?  The one person who we know will represent the people with dignity, honor, and honesty is the answer.  Ourselves.

history repeating...for who?

history can't repeat what it hasn't even witnessed.  history can only be studied when there is actual facts to go off of.  history isn't a judgement of what could potentially happen in the future when based off of fear.  history is pretty straight forward.  history is repeating itself as we speak...

let's take a look.

once, there was a girl.  she was a very pretty girl.  she had the world at her fingertips and she wanted to do all that she could to make a difference in the world and in the lives of others.  she was also very smart.  she went to a really good school in the big city and had it made.  or, so it would seem.

growing up as a child, this girl grew up in a family with a brother and sister and she was quite different from them.  she was often teased that she was not even a part of the family and this girl even questioned this as an adult.  she was taller and had a different nose and complexion from the others and that fueled her sense of being an outcast in her own family. 

and then there was dad.  what a man.  what a great example on how not to treat your children.  he was an abusive mess that squandered money and treated his children like crap.  the abuse that he spewed upon his children struck the girl at the very core and imprinted the girl with the image of what a man should be.  she carried this into adulthood.

she would pick guys to be in her life that imitated how her father treated her growing up and she would breakup and get back together constantly with these men that treated her like crap.  they would get drunk and they would yell.  they would talk down to her and they would make her feel like she wasn't worth anything that was worthwhile.  she was a flower that had bloomed in the beginning of spring, but a flower that was so beautiful and yet placed in a closet, in a basement, and never showcased by those that she cared about.  she was placed in these places to wither up and just get by on the occasional good word or two that would be given to her.

and she almost gave up at different points.  she spent time in hospitals and she lost her way here and there.  she ran to other places to start over and she travelled to forget the past.  she tried therapy because she could see what she was going through was killing her and she wanted to find a new way to live.  she never stayed in therapy for very long though.  it's tough to face the past, especially when she thought she had the answers and knew which way to turn next.  controlling her own life, she moved on.

and she met a new guy.  he was a nice guy she thought.  he worked out and had a nice smile.  he treats me nice and means well.  he just gets angry every once in awhile when he drinks, but he's working on it.  he'll be okay.  i love this man that has yelled at me for no good reason in the past.  that is behind him now.  i know it.  i'm so good, he will change his ways with me. 

there was a guy too that was a really good friend of this girl.  she and him shared all their secrets about the past to one another and told each other how they truly felt at any given time.  sure he liked her, loved her even.  they shared a kiss one time in the very beginning of knowing one another.  he tried on multiple occasions to start a relationship with this girl.  he wanted to treat her the way that she should be treated.  he knew she was special.  he could talk to her about anything and could laugh with her about the world.  at the same time, he could enjoy his time with her without having the relationship and looked forward to chatting with her whenever it happened.

he looked forward to her on a daily basis because he felt alone in the world.  he was going through his own things too and one night he started to plan the end of it all.  he reached out to her and she helped him through this time of trouble like he had in the past for her.  they always looked out for each other.  she asked him to come and stay with her for awhile to get away from his problems for a bit.  he went to his family and they agreed that it would be a good idea. 

she told him that she was not with her man anymore when she originally told him to stay with her, but that they were working things out.  this is the guy that was treating her poorly before, but she thought that he was really trying and she wanted to work things out.  she ultimately decided that the guy she had shared so much with throughout the years shouldn't come because he would obviously want to be looking for a relationship again and she didn't think that would be fair for the ex that she wanted to reconcile with.  she cited the fact that history repeats and she doesn't want that to happen. 

and now she is back together with him.  just like how she got back together with the boyfriends of the past.  she sees that he has really tried hard to change his entire way of being in the last couple months and that he is going to be on the straight and narrow now.  history surely doesn't repeat for people like him, or like her.  she isn't trying to find someone like her dad.  she isn't living over and over again with a relationship where the guy treats her like shit.  no, no.  that isn't repeating.  no, what is repeating is that this damn guy i have known for so long, who actually cares about me and has never treated me like crap keeps saying that he wants me as a girlfriend.  what nerve!  i got this guy right now who treats me like shit occasionally, but he is turning it around.  you'll see.  i will fix this relationship because i owe it to myself because i couldn't do it with my father.  that's what i am gonna do.  i won't just accept someone who cares about me and that's it.  that would be too easy.  i don't deserve that.

things may be good now, but she believes that history repeats.  her friend hopes she is prepared then for what she has done to herself again.  it's gonna happen.  it may not be now, next week, or next month...but, it's going to happen.  she says so herself.  and then what?  who's next?  who can fix her? 

as the sun sets

he grabbed his iced tea and walked out onto the porch.  sitting down in the fading sun, he heard the voices of crickets in the fields around him.  the rocking chair creaked as he started to sway.  he had surely seen his fair share of sunsets.  grey now, his hair had receded back from it's once youthful abundance.  his face and hands were seasoned and wrinkled from a life spent living and working like anybody else.  he took a sip of his drink as kids rode by his rancher on the dirt road that his house sat next to.  he waved and smiled into the sky.

oh, to be young again he thought to himself.  to be able to do it all over again!  how he wished for those days again when he could carry maggie lee's books home from school.  he remembered his first car and taking it downtown the first chance he could to show it off to his friends.  he was so athletic back then.  picturing himself running down the field during high school football games and hearing the crowd scream as he crossed the goal line  he closed his eyes and relished in the memories.  he opened his eyes and looked all around him.

and there was nothing around him.  his house was out in the middle of nowhere with about a mile in between houses.  his wife, nicole, passed away from cancer about four years earlier and he was now just waiting for his time.  he thought of his time left on earth as a precursor to his time to come in heaven.  he questioned the lord for a time about why he took his beloved first, but that time had come and gone now.  he knew that the things in life happened for a reason and he would just relax his soul in his final days of life.

yes, he took a sip from his perspiring glass and brushed the drops off his shirt that fell from the bottom of the glass.  he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and let out a sigh.  the sun was coming down the sky now at a good pace and he anticipated the color show to pick up at any moment as the ball of fire made it's way toward the tree line in the distance.

it reminded him of his days as a truck driver.  he would take his loads across the entire nation and he sat back in his chair and rocked away while thinking of all the magnificent sunsets he had witnessed.  all the colors he had seen painted across the most beautiful canvas ever created.  the pinks and oranges mixing with purples and blues set his mind into utter awe as he kept his motor cruising down the highway into the unknown.  driving was a time of peace for him when he was out on the open road with nobody around.  he was fine being by himself for long stretches of time.  he remembered how he used to sing out loud in his cab while the sounds of the day filtered through his ears.  oh, how that brought a smile to his face.

he remembered that feeling he had as he walked back through the door, of the very home he sat in front of now, to see nicole turn from prepping dinner in the kitchen and how she would run to him and kiss his lips.  it was the best reward for a job well done he could ever had asked for and she gave that gift to him every time he came back home to her.  she was all that he could ever had hoped for in life.  she had a smile that only god could have provided him.  she was a dedication from god to him.  how he missed her.  he kept her voice running in his head all day long now.  he longed to hear her yell to him that dinner would be ready soon and could he set the table.  one day soon it would be again he thought.

he gazed off into the distance.  he practically was looking through the distance now and into what was to be.  he was content with his life.  he didn't do much to improve the world, but the people around him improved his life and he liked to think that he helped the people he knew as much as he could.  he raised a good family and his children were parents now themselves doing the best they could for their own.  this put a smile on his face.  what more could he have asked for?  by no means was he rich monetarily, but his life had been a landslide of royalties that made him the richest man in the world.

he had loved.  he was loved.  he appreciated.  he was appreciated. 

now, as the sun set underneath the horizon, he got up slowly from his chair out on the porch and stretched his back and arms.  he turned towards the door and made his way.  he turned the knob and pushed it open.  he heard his kids scream daddy with huge smiles on their faces as they ran to him.  he picked them up.  one in each arm and kissed them on their heads as the dog barked and wagged his tail frantically beside them.  his wife peeked around the corner and walked up to him with a smirk on her face.  he set the kids down and took his best friend in the whole world into his arms as she welcomed him home.

What Are Your Demands?

Today was my first public demonstration. I, like many others, have felt that my government has failed me. I am not too sure if it ever was succeeding for me in the first place. Sure, I have had an education given to me through high school and I live in a free country that gives me the ability to write what I am about to write, but I feel that the ability to grow and to become successful in our current environment is hard at best. That is why I believe in the Occupy Together movement and stand in solidarity with those around the country in Occupy demonstrations. This morning, I had to become a part of the solution as opposed to just complaining about the problems.

I walked up to the park in front of the Selby Library at 9:30am to find a group already assembled and we talked one at a time to each other about what we were so against. It was a group of about fifty or so and the people came from all facets of life. There was young, old, rich, and poor. We all came from different angles of the social spectrum, but we all had a common voice. That voice spoke out to the fact that there is something fundamentally wrong with America, we have little say right now in how things are being handled, and that we wanted to find a way to empower ourselves again. After we all greeted each other, we took to the streets with our signs and our voices.

And we marched. We took our voices up and down Main St. We parked our campaign in front of major banking institutions like Bank of America and Suntrust Bank. As we walked and chanted slogans like, "WHO GOT BAILED OUT? BANKS GOT BAILED OUT! WHO GOT SOLD OUT? WE GOT SOLD OUT!", people not involved with the protests looked on in the beautiful Florida sunshine. Others in cars and trucks that drove by put there windows down to hear what we were saying. Most of the people that went by gave us the thumbs up, or smiled, and others honked their horns as they drove by. And yes, a handful of people yelled back at us to get a job, or that they disagreed and that we should go home. All of these were acceptable answers to us because even if you were displeased with what we were saying, our message was getting out there to the masses and that message would stick in the minds of those that saw and heard it.

We made our way back to the park around 12:30pm and we gathered to chat to passerby's who had questions for us. A lot of the people that had questions about our movement had similar questions and seemed to have been misinformed by the media as to what we were doing out there. Someone that I was talking to made it seem like the only goal of our operation was that we were looking for some kind of handout from the rich. This is far from the truth.

I can tell you what I was there for, and what a lot of others there would agree with. The government is corrupted by corporations. The corporations run today by the 1% of our nation have a stranglehold on our entire country and all that inhabit it. My goal in my life is to see that corporations are no longer allowed to be viewed in this country as a person and should not be allowed to donate a single penny to any political campaign or party. Politicians in this country are bought figures who do only as the corporations say for them to do. This country is for the people, not for the business of the elite. Politicians are put into office to represent the people and to accurately judge what the majority of people in their district want so that their lives become better. It is not to institute zero regulations on major businesses and help them to create a monopoly over the lives of the American public. Maybe if we instituted campaign finance reform to eliminate businesses from being able to influence politicians, and also create term limits for Congress, we can start on a road to what the people need again.

I read earlier in the week that the average politician is worth half a million dollars. Half a million dollars. How on Earth can someone who is worth that kind of money, who spends all their time in Washington D.C. know what it is like to be poor? To have debt up to their ears from college loans, or unethical credit card companies? To have to drive to work and have a job, if they are lucky, which has paid them the same wage over the past 5 years or so, while in that time span the average income for those in the 1% has gone up over 200%? Politicians don't know what it's like, and they don't care. What they are worried about is staying in power and continuing to stay in power and doing whatever it takes and shake whatever hand is necessary in order to maintain the status quo. Politicians in office today are parasites and they feed off the poorest of Americans, which is turning out to be more and more everyday, the 99%. Me and you.

People asked us, "What do you want? What are you goals? How do you plan on fixing all this?" It is a hard question to answer as we are in such a stage of infancy of this movement that the conclusions are unclear. What I can tell you is that this movement is not going away. Eventually, a consensus as to what actions need to take place will be made, but for now, voicing our concerns and our unhappiness will have to do. This displeasure is popping up more and more everyday all across the country from major cities like New York City to smaller cities like here in Sarasota. The goals of the movement are simply to affect change and to bring about social reform where the rights of all people are taken into account based on our Constitution and not based on the boardroom of a company out for itself and it's top shareholders. We are hear right now to let it be known that this is not going to take place on our watch anymore and that something has to give. And we can do it. And we will do it. There are more of us than them and all corrupt empires fall. We represent all of those that are oppressed: unemployed, employed, black, white, red, brown, teachers, policemen, firemen, small business owners. Anyone who has felt the backhand of our government over the past few decades. It is time to wake up and we are ready to go.

I had an extremely educational day. I have learned that for the most part, the media has gotten this wrong. There is no savagery. There is no unsanitary conditions. This was a peaceful day that promoted a message that we are all Americans and that as Americans we need to look out for each other because if you really think that the ones that we elected have our best interests in mind then you need to look up the word naive in the dictionary.

Finally, I heard many great things on my walk around Sarasota today, but one of the best things that I heard was when someone I was protesting with was asked what his demands were. He replied, "I am not a terrorist. I have no demands."

We are seeking true freedom and a true democracy in a peaceful manner.

sitting, waiting in the grass

in a tiny town, in a big state, there sat some land in a faraway place. it was a little off the beaten path, but not to far from the cars that buzz by the highway a mile or so away. on this plot of land, sat a place of commerce. it was a building that stood like an old blues man sitting on a stool. a little slanted to one side, but still kept living strong. the land sported patches of grass, but mostly dirt, which whipped up into little vortexes everyone now and then when the spirits moved through.

behind the building was a cemetery of sorts. it was filled with cars and trucks. this was a junkyard. this is where cars were brought to die. this is where they were brought when everyone had given up on them. they sat there in the back of the yard. they sat there and waited for their guts to be removed one by one until there was nothing left but just a shell of what they used to be. they sat there dented and damaged from the past. they sat there and remembered what it had been like long ago.

one car in particular yearned for the way it was. he remembered when he sat in the showroom brand new, ready to take on the rigors of life. he harked on the moment that he saw his first owners come in and take him out of the dealership, no longer alone, but with his new family. he took them wherever they wanted to go. they went on trips out of state and he brought them to work everyday. he was always there for them and they appreciated him and took care of him in return. he welcomed the addition to their family and gladly took care of it as best he could. after a few years though, that family grew apart from each other and the wife went away with the child. the husband could no longer enjoy him like he had before as it reminded him of the past and so one day he brought the car to a used car dealership and just traded him away for another car. it was over and he was back where he started, waiting for someone new to come along. waiting to make someone happy again.

and that time came after a month or two. the owner came in and said they just needed something to get around in. the car knew that he was no longer new, but knew that he could make this man happy. they drove off together and he was neglected from the very start. the man paid no attention to him. he talked all the time on his phone and slammed on the accelerator and the brakes all the time. the man would not change his oil on time and he got into fender benders here and there and wouldn't fix the car. the vehicle wished for the past, but knew that the past was just a memory. the future was the only thing left.

one day, in a blink of an eye, an older woman came by the house where the car was parked and she drove away with the car, who was now 11 years old. his insides knocked and he needed new tires and the woman did all she could to rejuvenate the car, but it was no use. the car tried all it could to get her to where she wanted to go, and understood her attempts at saving him, but she didn't have the money for the parts that he needed. one day, as he was taking her to work, he broke down on the side of the highway and she got out and walked away from him. later, he was picked up by a tow truck and was taken to where he sits today.

the grass was growing up around his tires and the rain was just collecting on his roof. the car looked around at the carcasses that sat scattered around him and he wept inside for another shot. another chance. he could make someone happy again. he just needed to be cared for in return. he could be what he used to be if he was believed in by someone, anyone. so far, nothing of his had been parted out for sale and he just hoped that someone would need him.

and one day it happened. a kid came into the backyard and saw him. he remembered the cars from when they came out with this body style years ago and appreciated it and wanted it. he just wanted to see if the engine would still turn over. if he could drive it the short distance to his home, so that he could fix him up, he would keep him. the car was nervous. he wanted nothing more than to start just one more time so that he could leave this place he was brought to die to. the kid sat in the driver seat and took the keys from the worker and put it in the ignition.

he turned the key and the car tried to breathe again, like before. it chugged and chugged and tried with all his might to turn over just one more time and get out of that place. just one more time, it thought. you can do it...you can do this. believe you can. and he clenched and shimmied and turned over his engine into an engulfing roar of victory! he did it! he was ready to go with the kid who had a delightful grin on his face.

of course the ride back home was a grueling one with aches and pains of the past, but the car focused on the future. he was ready to be fixed up and helped along by the ones that loved him. he was ready to make a difference to someone again. he was ready to be meaningful again...

and he was so grateful.