what a waste

Michael O'Hare willing to tell anyone who asks, his family is the SAME family for whom O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named after. After he chugs a few beers, he laughs accordingly and asks anyone still listening, if they are interested in buying a bridge in Brooklyn? His wife Marion, still remembers the many tall tales he used to swap with any willing ear, but that was when Michael still had time. Michael was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but all he was able to afford through his medical insurance was the old finger up the ass test, more than that meant a more expensive coverage.

Arnold met the love of his life 30 years ago. At first Arnold was a little skeptical about anything more than a date or two. But after the date or two, it turned into three four and then 30 years later. The two set up house, shared finances, bought a house together and lived like husband and wife, except they were husband and husband, and in reality could only pretend to be even husband and husband, because they lived in Texas. And in Texas, "ain't" no such sin as men marrying men. Arnold, became sick, he had heart problems and more and had to go to the emergency room to handle the threat to his life. More and more Arnold had to carry a legal form from his attorney permitting Leonard to accompany him to the hospital, and to actually be spoken to by the hospital staff. It was a night in May that Arnold had a severe pain in his chest, they both were in Dallas, not Houston, so the emergency trip took them to a totally new environment. In the rush of the EMT no one brought the attorney's paper permitting Leonard to be with his partner. Leonard had to return to the hotel, and had he still had time, he would have been with his loved one as he passed away.

Jeremiah Johnson star quarterback from Tupelo Mississippi, found his nationalism and patriotism to be greater than any opportunity he might glean from playing football in college. If he was good enough for the college pro's to recruit him now, they surely would find him even more desirable once he won a few medals killing the enemy. Jeremiah faced adversity in the field missed a few misled bullets in Iraq, and was considered by his platoon as a good man. One night Jeremiah left his personal diary open, he was so tired he napped on his bunk, and the pages of his 5"x5" tablet were fluttering in the wind. Noah Cassik wandered by and picked up the diary, read it to himself, after all it wasn't closed or locked. Noah read the part about Jeremiah wanting to tell his Sergeant about his homosexual yearning. Noah, wrapped in red white and hate ran to the Sergeant and reported that Jeremiah was gay. If Jeremiah still had time he might have been able to tell the Sergeant himself.

Maybe the characters were fictional, but the situations were not, maybe the situations were fictional but the people were real.

We wait for debate to make a decision on health care, we wait for a debate but instead of talk there is thuggery, instead of consensus there is chaos and had we still had time many Michael O'Hare's would not die.

We wait for people who love one another, people who do not participate in infidelity or adulterous behavior, people who only want to spend their waking lives, their restful nights, their memory laden life with one another to marry. If we still had time, Leonard could have held his lover Arnold, tightly and whispered words to say goodbye.

How many unsung heros go unsung fighting for freedom in Iraq or Afghanistan, only to be celebrated as true Americans one day but asked to leave the Armed Forces because they were finally honest and did tell before they were asked about being gay or lesbian. If we still had time, Jeremiah could have spoken about his life man to man.

We are running out of so much valuable time, by wasting our time on rumor, here say, bigotry and hate. Wasting our time on Religious babble only spoken to keep those in charge of the Institution of Religion in places of power. Wasting our time on blaming others from succeeding because we have not found the ability to do so. Wasting time never trying to find resolve just resistance.

What a waste.