Aaron Welty
As I sat down on this rock, my bag of materials beside me, I stared out at the horizon, lost in time as the surf hit the beach, white bubbles greeting golden unmolested sand. I found myself looking back in time, to the last time I was here at this place – one year ago…
Seven years ago…
I rapidly blink as my eyes come back into focus; the words on the page suddenly becoming clear. I stare at ancient wisdom, words and ideas of a time gone by, words of wisdom from great men, words I desperately want to grasp and understand with my feeble mind; a language no longer used, the language of the Founders. I try as best I can to block out the noise around me, it’s that camp song about the Blue Jay, again. As I feel movement under me, the wheels on the bus propelling me and about 45 other people forward, I realize how uncomfortable the seat is; it sure doesn’t help that the little kryptonite goblin known as joint pain sees an opportunity for mischief . The fact that everyone is screaming, the fifth verse of the song having reached it’s apex, doesn’t do me good either. All of these factors come together at once, shattering any concentration I thought I had mustered in an attempt to further my knowledge.
This past weekend I took my “first step into a larger world” and spoke at the Students for Life of America conference that happens each year around the March for Life in Washington, D.C. I’d never spoke at a conference before and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous walking into a room that was at 75% capacity – filled with teens and college students – and could hold 700 (or more) participants; it was big. If that wasn’t enough, you know it gets serious when they wire you up with one of those “head mics” that wraps around your head and the mic sticks out from your face. No lapel mic for this run through Beggar’s Canyon.
Imagine a world where the precious life of an unborn child is cherished; imagine a world without abortion. My friend Kristan Hawkins does that all the time. She’s the director of Students for Life of America here in Washington, DC and the mind behind the Students for Life of America Conference that happens annually around the March for Life. While the March for Life has drawn nearly a million people in recent years to the National Mall in Washington to stand for the unborn, this conference draws 2,000 pro-life student activists to hear from luminaries in the pro-life movement.
I never thought I’d actually go to a movie, that’s a musical, that has Wolverine and Selina Kyle singing.
Half a lifetime ago, as I was lying helpless and worn in a hospital bed, my best friend sent the best get-well card I’ve ever been given. On it’s front was Luke Skywalker arguing with his uncle, Owen Lars, about doing chores around the moisture farm; first amongst them cleaning up “Bantha poodoo”. Inside the card simply said “even heroes have bad days”. As “hero” culture has shown countless times, even amongst the best, hard and difficult things happen…even to heroes like Batman. In late 1988 the Batman story took a dark and stark turn with the death of Jason Todd (a.k.a Robin II), something the folks at DC Comics actually let the fans vote on. Simply put, Jason was murdered in cold-blood by the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker.
Previously, I’ve written multiple times of different real life experiences that feel like I am living the television show Touch, that’s broadcast on FOX. (Surprisingly, it hasn’t been cancelled yet as FOX has a tendency to be the death knell for intelligent television with previous casualties such as Firefly, Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Dollhouse being axed). A few weeks ago, I felt as if I was once again living that television show.
Shortly after the election last month I mused about the nature of governing in light of the election results and the reality of the “fiscal cliff” that was speedily approaching. Now, with just days until the new year deadline and a new Congress, we’re speeding toward it faster than a young James Kirk speeding toward the precipice in his uncle’s stolen hot-rod in the Star Trek reboot. In the first part, I focused on the fact that getting elected is easy, it’s actually governing well that’s difficult. How does one (or a group) govern well and get things done is an era of hyper-partisan gridlock?
Hindsight is 20/20, right? At least that is what people are sometimes told when they make a mistake or pass up an opportunity and those around them have little else to say to assuage the emotional aftermath. In this case, hindsight makes me wish I had “Force Sight” from a number of the Star Wars games.
Author, Speaker, and Super Nerd. Aaron Welty speaks and writes regularly connecting the dots of life, faith, and science fiction. Originally from Michigan, he now lives and works in the Washington, DC metro area.
