I'm different....This has always been very apparent to me throughout my life.  I see things from a different lenses and I feel from a different place.  Everyday is deciding whether it's a curse or a blessing and pretty much deciding, in a general retrospective analysis, it's a bit of both.

I'll spend many posts talking about my lenses and giving you a glimpse of my world.  So I begin with what is affecting me today.  I have been watching one of my all time favorite movies on Netflex during lunch in 30 minute increments.  This movie has and will always be controversial because there is a distinct phobia and misunderstanding of socialism.  That movie is "Reds".  Many would say that this movie was shear propaganda, but while being a hollywood movie, it had some very inherent qualities.  Showing how Lenin had good intentions starting out and that activism in general is an idealistic form of passion, and most importantly Communism is not socialism.

I read the book "Ten Days that Shook the World". (you can read this for free on google books)

I believe reading this book and seeing the movie back when I was barely 20, and taking a college religion course, was influential in developing an interest in the world and how it works. Looking back, this has influenced my thinking more and more profoundly over the years.

I came from a conservative southern family that was complex and complicated.  My father was really my step-grandfather.  When I was young, I hero worshiped this man.  As a young adult I started to see his flaws and judged him harshly for it.  He was politically conservative and racist in someways and not in others.  He was very well read for someone with just a high school education.  He had worldly views on some things and very biased conservative on others. He believed in reincarnation and never attended church.  He was a war hero of WWII, yet never talked about being on the frontline in Germany, and yes, killing other human beings.  I never saw this man be violent or ever raise his voice.  It dumbfounded me!

So yes, I'm idealistic, passionate, strong willed, stubborn, emotional, and pessimistic.  You may never know which one will strike first, but I do my most human best to be understanding, tolerate, loving, caring, and humble..........