Really big circles

three hundred thirty

I encourage everyone to do three basic things, think for yourself, seek what is true and to trust facts not feelings. This has been a theme of my previous posts but I don't think this can be said enough.

Everyone has feelings but not everyone has the curiosity or the discipline to search for facts that may contradict their feelings. Conmen, propagandists and cult leaders thrive in this environment . Manipulating the masses by their feelings has become main stream today.

Feeling emotions to their fullest is what is special about life. I have experienced love beyond imagination and have had my heart broken. I have felt the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I have felt absolute fear and the soothing safety of a protector. The ups and downs of emotions is the spice of life.

I believe our need to love and to feel loved is what I think God means when He says we are made in his image. Like the need for food, clothing and shelter the need to love and bond is vital to human survival. All of these require a balance but sometimes we get out of balance.

It has become common today that emotions are valued above facts. We hear things like "my truth" or "my reality" and somehow this becomes a valid argument. It has become acceptable that feelings have become arguments that counter proven facts.

It takes little effort to live in a world of emotion. We take in the world around us and simply feel, no research, investigation or questioning. Combine this with pier pressure and the silencing of those who sight proven facts, we have a society that is drifting from feeling to feeling.

This may explain why there is such a divide in opinions. One side feels and accuses the other side that they don't care because they sight facts. It is true that empathy, fear and sadness requires a response so we hear pleas to "do something"! The other side looks at cause and effect, laws, rights and results. How a person feels about a document doesn't change what it says.

Debate is almost nonexistent today. It is hard to argue with feelings. Feelings can change from moment to moment and person to person so feelings are like jello, they are hard to nail down. Polls are sighted as if they are facts but they only prove a majority of people feel a similar way. On the other hand pure legalistic arguments can sometimes be heartless and cruel, there needs to be a balance.

We should not blindly trust feelings or blindly trusting facts. We all need to learn how to value both.

I will admit I have learned not to trust feelings because I was deceived by my own feelings for many years.

When I was lost in my struggle with alcohol I thought I was a logical thinking person but under the surface I was being controlled by my feelings. I knew for a fact my drinking had become a problem so I would swear off drinking but find myself drunk by the end of the day.

This went on until I thought I was crazy. I found help with the 12 steps and other sober alcoholics. I learned I was subconsciously making emotional decisions based on pure feelings, fear, anger, worry and hate. Being comfortably numb most of the time I was deceived by my emotions.

I had to learn to set my emotions aside and trust basic facts to stay sober. This took some time to learn, so I now fall on the side of questioning every feeling. After practicing this for 32 years it is how I think today.

I'm not a smarter or better person, I just learned to question my emotions as a mode of survival. I still get caught up in a too good to be true sales scheme now and then, follow an emotional argument for a while and believe a politician for a millisecond, but eventually I find myself peaking behind the curtain.

This post won't change the world or heal the divide in society but it might get at few people to think. I have seen this as a major problem all through history. Short term, emotions usually win out over facts, but eventually the facts can no longer be ignored because of the eventual consequences.

The pendulum swings eventually but unfortunately it can sometimes be too late. I trust in the one fact that is constant, God is in control. I can want people and things to go the way I think they should but I can only control my own behavior.

Our society is hurting today, I'm part of the "If it feels good do it " generation so I have no moral high ground to stand on. I do however think there is a quiet movement that none of us can see going on in the background. History has shown us that people only change when things get difficult.

three hundred twenty nine

THE SMELL OF A BASEBALL GLOVE

This post is for the young boys in old bodies.

When I was a kid baseball was as popular as video games are to kids today. Boys played baseball endlessly on the school yard, in city parks, cow patty mined pastures or any empty lot we could find with or without permission.

We collected baseball cards, pretended to be our favorite player and played until it was too dark to see the ball. Life was different because we weren't distracted by modern technology. We didn't miss video games or social media because they had not been invented.

The one item that connects me to those days is the smell of a baseball glove, a strange combination of leather, sweat and dirt. There are a few baseball movies that I watch when I have had my fill of politics. Bull Durum, Major League, The Love Of The Game, The Natural, Money Ball, Bad News Bears and Field Of Dreams are just a few. I listen to baseball books on tape and when I have an opportunity, watch a live game.

I love the game of baseball but I have lost interest in the Major League. The egos, BLM, wokeness and endless politics just got old, baseball is to be an escape from all of that crap. I love a well coached little league game, a local softball game, a high school and some college games because they are still immune from most of that BS.

My baseball glove was an old style infield mitt, it's now buried with my Father along with a well worn Rawlings baseball.

I didn't always get along with my Dad but the one place where we never disagreed was while we were having a catch. A catch with my Dad was a very special event, we were just a boy and his Dad and a Dad and his boy. It did not require a conversation just a place, a ball and two gloves.

The game of baseball has many parallels to life, every play has a life lesson. Every play can make you a heel or a hero. You had to learn to endure and thrive in the spotlight.

There is no place to hide in baseball, eventually you are the focus of everyones attention. Everything is clear, you get a hit or you strike out, you make the catch or you miss it and you are either safe or you are out. However an overthrow or a throw to the wrong base will leave a mark.

To stand at the plate with a full count and bases loaded you can't just stand there. Watching your favorite pitch hit the catchers glove while you stand there is a sinking feeling. You learn quickly to at least go down swinging.

Many sayings come from baseball, keep your eye on the ball, just make contact, stay in the inning and it ain't over until it's over. Yogi Berra has coined an encyclopedia of these phrases he is worth a read.

Just talking about the scent of a well used baseball glove brings back strong memories. In fact it has me searching the vintage glove sites to find the Bob Feller glove I inherited from my older brother.

The power of scent marks us forever. One whiff takes us back to a special moment in our lives. These are just a few of mine.

Fresh baked bread....

The smell of the ocean....

Freshly cut hay....

Theater popcorn....

Grandpa's Cherry Blend pipe smoke....

An apple orchard in full bloom....

Hawaiian Huli Chicken....

Tomato plants....

Fresh caught salmon....

New car smell....

High desert Sage Brush after a rain...

Freshly plowed fields....

Cold morning campfire...

Leather....

Fresh beef in the walk-in....

Wild spring Watercress....

Sawdust....

Strong fresh brewed coffee....

A summer thunderstorm....

Burning rubber mixed with nitrous fumes....

and Lancome Tre'sor Perfume....

three hundred twenty eight

ELON MUSK

PEES FAST

I just read the new book Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance. The book was originally a book Elon did not want written but he eventually cooperated with the author to tell the whole story. The book covers the ups and downs of his businesses and personal life warts and all.

A brilliant talented driven dreamer like Elon comes along once in a generation. He is a present day Henry Ford, Howard Hughs or Arnold Beckman. As this post is written he is ranked as the wealthiest man in the world. He owns Tesla, Space X, Neural-ink, Star Link, The Boring Company and now Twitter.

What impresses me was his all in approach to everything especially business. By all in I mean he has risked his entire fortune more than once. He bet on his ability to do what seemed impossible, delivers it under budget and before schedule. Even though he has fallen short of these goals a few times, he has delivered against all odds many more times to defy his skeptics.

Another admirable trait is that he really doesn't let critics alter his goals. He is not afraid to make mistakes in public, failure is part of the process. He considers using time and energy to polish his public image is a waste.

Time is his friend and his enemy. He works and plays hard with a sense of his mortality so there is no time to waste, ever. He works harder and longer then his employees and he has no problem sleeping on the floor by his desk.

Over the decades NASA has been paralyzed by bad press so its natural that they fear making mistakes. Because of this they have lost their exploration focus and become just another bloated bureaucracy. As an agency with an annual budget they have been taken over by predator politicians. They have redirected money from the basic NASA mission to buy votes and gain more power.

Eventually this will happen to any government program or business using government money. This may explain Elon's urgency to get things accomplished before this happens to SpaceX. I hear criticisms of SpaceX using tax dollars but I feel we are getting our moneys worth, at least for now.

Elon recruits the best and brightest, the opportunity to work with Elon on the cutting edge of technology is the ultimate. Very few survive more then a year or two because of the job demands. They work as long as their mind and body can hold up. In spite of this former employees generally speak well of Elon.

I love how he cuts cost by reengineering existing products. He thinks out of the box and defies the established norms. Doing things for $5000 vs $150000 by using off the shelf electronic products instead of designing and building "special" space products amazes me. Imagine government spending our money with this frugal approach.

The media tries to drag him into the political world where they have an advantage but he does not play their game. He just keeps launching rockets and stays uncommitted because it would be a waste of his time and energy.

Don't get me wrong Elon is not super human, a political genius or a moral giant. He is a driven visionary who understands he needs money to accomplish his goals. He enjoys his wealth but lavishing himself in luxury is not his focus. Wealth is a tool to stretch the limits of human accomplishment.

Like many with extreme personalities I imagine he can be a bit of a jerk, impatient and ruthless. Top level competitive athletes can perform at a super human level but not always have warm fuzzy personalities. I can admire their abilities but I don't want to hang out with them.

He is now the CEO of Twitter with a week or so of cleaning house under his belt. Many on both sides are imposing values and politics on his every move. I think this is foolish and unfair.

I hope he has core American values like free speech and open debate but I don't expect him to be a shill for either political party. He will figure a way to make Twitter profitable and a place for the non crazy to exchange opinions, openly debate and engage in commerce.

I think Elon will do better to stay in his lane and avoid politics, but I do like that he pokes the bear from time to time.

To me the best line in the book was that he "pees fast". I think this captures how urgently and focused he lives his life.

three hundred twenty seven

A lesson in community...

This is my favorite television series, I have watched all four seasons several times. Each time I understand more about what the writer was trying to convey.

The language is extremely vulgar and seems over the top but there was a historical purpose. The story line plays with history and events, adds characters, but in general it portrays accurately the struggle to build community in a lawless frontier.

The lust for gold was the dream that settled much of the west. This lust drew skilled frontier miners but most were unskilled unprepared men seeking a fast fortune from all over the world. This was followed by other opportunistic men with supplies, the means to sell the gold and entertainment for the all male population.

They had money with no where to spend it so the entertainment was whisky, gambling and "pussy" as described by the main character Al Swearinger a knife wielding bar owner. Episode by episode introduces a character and a new problem. There was lawless chaos and violence but under the surface there was a sense of order being formed.

Open murder, claim jumping, theft and brutality were the norm but eventually a swift system of justice began to form. At first it was violent bullies enforcing order to keep the gold mines going to support the bars, gambling and cat houses.

Civilization was slowly encroaching on this wild untamed city. Some welcomed this, some feared it and some openly resisted.

I watched a writers interview, he said Deadwood was about community. That was when I started watching with this in mind. In fact I started to look for community in other groups and organizations.

Humans interacting with other humans form alliances, enter into agreements and combine their resources for a common cause. This has happened throughout man's history. From the cave dwellers to the United Nations, without a common cause forcing us to work together usually ends in disaster.

There were a few openly religious characters but even the most violent characters acknowledged God. The only event that shut down the entire town was the death of a young boy. The entire community stopped to greave the loss of someone so innocent.

Deadwood with all of the chaos was guided by a basic sense of justice and honor. There were individuals who stood up for right and wrong and at times a group conscience aligned for a just cause.

This was not always for a noble cause but for the self interest of their collective community. They banded together to confront common enemies like small pocks, encroaching government and Randolph Hearst.

Watching animals interact, children during unsupervised play and the dynamics of small business all give me an understanding that is hard to discover in books.

Deadwood is worth a watch but keep community in mind.

three hundred twenty six

WHATEVER HAPPENED

TO THE GOAL OF

The ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with.

I grew up in rural Ohio with an understanding that we should be tolerant toward those who are not like us. It was a community standard even though there were a few narrow minded exceptions. I worked beside people that agreed on very little, had nothing in common other than work and at times did not like each other but we learned to tolerate our differences and achieve our common goals. I thought that was the point, live and let live.

Years later I moved to the city known for it's tolerance, San Francisco. Unfortunately I soon learned the summer of love has been dead and gone for a very long time.

Don't get me wrong I met many wonderful people in my seven years in the city. I did also meet many who brag about being the most tolerant people in America but made a sport out of not tolerating anyone who disagreed with them.

I heard more hatred for people in different parts of the country for how they looked, acted and thought. Ironically most of them had never lived or even visited these places. If they had they were usually slighted by a rude waitress or got a hand signal from a jerk driver. Whatever it was it was enough to label entire regions of the country as bigots and haters to justify their victimhood. Many times it was based only on a television sitcom or a Netflix movie.

As one of those rubes I think most of us caught on to this tolerance thing long ago. Live and let live is pretty straight forward. If you dress, talk and act weird for attention you will get attention. If you are a few pages ahead on the latest woke fad or list of politically correct words don't judge others for not sharing your priorities.

Yes if you look and talk differently we will do a double take. If you are rude and condescending we will react to you like anyone who is rude and condescending. If your whole identity is based around your sexual practices don't be confused if we react with a puzzled look because your sexual practices are none of our business.

The goal post has now been moved from tolerance to total acceptance. This is where we run into trouble because this seems to only go one way.

If a person has different values, beliefs or opinions he can be judged as a hater, bigot, racist, denier or fill in the blank "......phobe". I do not expect the San Francisco crowd to totally accept mid-western opinions and beliefs, but I do expect them to tolerate them. None of their opinions and beliefs need to change and they should not keep them to themselves. I will tolerate their speech and vigorously defend their right to voice it.

I welcome debate about anything, but I won't be forced to agree. I am by no means a victim. There are people who hate me for how I look, talk and think, that is as the Dude says "Like that is your opinion man".

Those things we learned in kindergarten my stuff and your stuff, keep your hands to yourself and say please and thank you. This community thing is made up of many different kinds of people, division is easy but tolerance is how it works.

Waiting for everyone to totally accept each other's differences is unrealistic utopian bull shit, it isn't going to happen. People have different opinions, beliefs and lifestyles, that is how this America thing works.

The utopian dream has been attempted through history but it is always at the point of a gun, sword or spear. Humans are unique individuals we are not bees living in a collective directed by a queen. Peace is as close as it can get without somebody losing their rights.

Hundreds of millions have lost their lives in attempts to achieve the myth of utopia. It is always the beginning sales pitch for achieving power over the masses. Perhaps we are again treading on dangerous territory. I think we should just stick with the goal of learning to tolerate each other and live together in peace.

three hundred twenty five

Not me, he has too much hair.....

I found this picture years ago on the internet. I have no idea who he is or the context but this picture has captured my imagination. Is it a Vespa scooter speed record attempt using nudity as an aerodynamic advantage, a new tanning method combining wind burn and sun bathing or just a weird Burning Man art project? I think it is just a good old fashioned "hold my beer and watch this" moment.

I have had many of those moments in my life. Some were successful but a lot of them ended badly. I have scars and broken bones to prove my impulsive behavior. As a young man most of these were fueled by Rolling Rock beer, Boon's Farm apple wine, Dickel sour mash whiskey or that stinky ditch weed from the 70's.

I have had impulse problems my whole life. If they said don't touch the hot stove I touched all four burners and the neighbors stove too. I jumped off bridges, climbed buildings and hung one handed from the rafters during a high school basket ball game. Many were on a dare, some were to show off but a lot of them I did alone without witnesses.

My driving was like a deadly video game and adrenaline was a daily drug. Somehow I survived my youth with only a few near death injuries. I slowed down on the daredevil stuff and moved to obnoxious behavior.

Fighting was different back then, there was a code of sorts. You got a buzz, did or said something stupid, another drunk was more then happy to go out back. It was always one on one and you fought until someone got a couple good hits.

It usually ended quickly but sometimes there was only trash talk. I was not a talker I usually started right in. Don't think I was a good fighter I was usually the one with a fat lip and a bloody nose. My only fighting accomplishment was I learned to take a punch. It wasn't unusual to end the night as sentimental drunk friends.

There may have been hard feelings but nobody was pulling a weapon or driving by your house to shoot holes in your front door. The point was just a bunch of guys trying to stay awake in a small town.

Usually fueled by alcohol we raced and wrecked cars, climbed and jumped off land marks, shot holes in things, blew stuff up and pulled some pretty legendary pranks. Any dare was answered and injures were mocked. I see the skate boarders today I relate and admire them.

Over the years I have adopted the Dirty Harry code, "A man must know his limitations". In the face of a dare, "Do you feel lucky punk" also goes through my mind. The odds are stacked against me after 71 years of cheating death so I don't do the real crazy stuff anymore. I do ride a motor cycle and plan to take another cross country bicycle ride. That sounds foolhardy to most but I refuse to stop living life to the fullest.

I think eliminating alcohol has been the thing that has saved me from an early demise. If I hadn't crashed and burned I would have eventually pissed off the wrong person.

The point of this post is not to recommend my past or even my present lifestyle. The point is to live life and say yes to opportunities when the door opens. Life is worth living at full volume. See things, hear things, love with all of your body, mind and soul. Love and live without a net but wear a helmet.

three hundred twenty four

One of the remaining truth seeking journalists.

SHARYL ATTKISSON

Sharyl was an award winning CBS investigative reporter and news anchor for years until she asked the wrong people the wrong questions. She was known for her straight forward investigative reporting. She was no stranger to asking probing questions of the powerful regardless of position or political party.

She uncovered government scandals, revealed unfair big business practices and dug deep into issues the main stream press had only lightly covered, they splashed a few headlines then moved on. She kept digging into these stories to wherever the facts led. She wanted to find "the story" not just "a story". As a young reporter she was schooled by the older generation of reporters who viewed journalism as a sacred trust.

A few decades ago this was the expected standard of the majority of the media. Unfortunately over the years these standards have deteriorated. Young journalists took on the roll of news makers not reporters. Many got into the news business to "make a difference". Their goal is to push a narrative, be part of the story and not hide their feelings and bias.

The media is now owned by corporations and powerful individuals, they use the media to gain profit, ratings and power. It was a natural process for journalists to seek success by pleasing their bosses by abandoning the old standards. Ratings and commercial profits were added to "If it bleeds it leads". Actual in-depth accurate double sourced journalism was all but abandoned.

Shayrl did not change so eventually she was demonized. She investigated stories equally and only used sourced material. This was fine if her reporting hurt or helped the correct people or party, but when the story fell the wrong way she faced resistance from her editors.

She resigned after years of being continually blocked by her editors for reporting on stories like "Fast and Furious" a gun running scandal, Benghazi and green energy scandals like Sol-Indra. She has consistently covered Republican scandals with the same dog with a bone intensity. In fact she was given awards for these stories.

Sharyl is the real deal as far as I am concerned. She represents what journalism should be. She now covers stories the other media ignores. Her stories are well researched and unbiased with a let the chips fall where they may style.

Working as a network news anchor is a prestigious and lucrative gig many have sold their souls to remain in these positions of power. Sharyl walked away from millions to keep her credibility and integrity.

As a result of this she is called a political hack, irrelevant and a liar but for the most part she is ignored. Her books raise many questions about the powerful abusing the investigative tools of government to spy on journalists and private citizens. Her books are rarely promoted or reviewed. In spite of this they are still best sellers.

She has two podcasts and publishes her stories on Just the News and a few other publications. She does not chase the latest headline, instead she digs deep into stories and stays on them. She presents all sides of a story so you sometimes like her reporting and at times you do not. This is the sign of good reporting.

Link.... https//ShayrlAttkisson.com

I get bored with hacks no matter which party. I agree with a few but I don't agree with anyone all of the time. Only listening to what my itching ears want to hear is fun but foolish if I say I want to know the truth. That is the first and most important question, Do I want to know the truth? Be prepared the truth isn't always what you want to hear.

three hundred twenty three

"THE BUCK STOPS HERE".....what a load of crap.

I'm really an expert at creating elaborate believable excuses. I have for many years perfected my skills to create complex, dramatic and convincing excuses. I'm so good at this I have at times convinced myself.

Fortunately I have been saved from a career in politics. I have an intact conscience that I occasionally listen to. The ability to look people in the eye and cast blame on everyone else while simultaneously claiming to be the only person of character who takes responsibility, this should be the definition of a sociopath.

They say things like, The buck stops with me, but the opposing party did it. It's like a school boy saying, I know I had an assignment but the dog ate my homework. They look and sound respectful but they are rarely challenged by a lazy and fawning press. Instead we give them our money and votes then call them Congressman, Senator or President. Their only real talent is the art of blame and excuses. Elected officials are in a league all their own.

I'm just a garden variety sober drunk. In my active disease I used excuses to protect and hide my secrets. I sometimes think about the elaborate tails I told the people around me. This went on for decades until I had no idea what was true.

I have found it much easier just to do whatever it is I said I would do. Do what you say and say what you will do, what a simple concept. I know now people saw through me because my memory has never been good enough to keep my lies or excuses straight.

One thing I have not done is claim the same relative has died two or three times, but I know I would have done it eventually.

Sometimes there are reasons that we can't complete a task or make an appointment but I have been amazed how if I really give my full effort I can complete the vast majority of my tasks.

The principles of AA have had an influence on this behavior. My friends in the rooms are excuse experts too who will call me out for passing the buck or relying on excuses.

There was one special person in my life that early on set the standard for our friendship. It started by making a commitment then changing my mind. I didn't even waste an excuse on it I tried to sell it with my boyish charm. Needless to say it did not work.

I was shocked because what had always worked did not work on this person. I was told point blank if you say you will do something I expect you to do it. I cared enough about this person from that day forward I was committed to following through on what I said. Sounds simple and I'm sure someone had said it before, but the clarity and directness broke through and changed my life.

I hate others giving me excuses almost as much as I hate hearing myself give them. I would rather hear I accept responsibility and this is my plan so this will not happen again. That is what I like hearing but I only want to hear it once.

three hundred twenty two

There are days I hate this word.....

I have made no secret that I am a sober alcoholic but I don't wear it on my sleeve. I certainly don't point fingers at anyone who can enjoy alcohol like a normal person. If a person can't I'll gladly share with them what I did to get sober.

There is no value in pointing fingers, feeling superior or preaching AA. All I know is my sobriety has given me a way to navigate life and have a great deal of peace and serenity.

I'm writing this a few months before a mid-term election so the media and politicians are in full crisis mode. There is always spin but the country is in a real mess that can't be hidden.

Like the AA's 10th Tradition I try not to bring politics or other outside interests into my bicycle blog. However the stress meter is being turned up by foolishness or purpose.

I am riding and getting in better shape but because of circumstances I can't do a long multi state ride for the foreseeable future, but the bike and gear are here when I need it.

I spend my days with the ups and downs of my moods. Like everyone I have good days and bad days but now I have tools for living and many more good days then bad. I am very fortunate to have over 32 years of sitting in church basements with other sober alcoholics sharing the burdens and pleasures of life.

This sharing thing works even here, from the moment I began to write I have gone from hating this word to celebrating it.

At 71 I realize life is very short. As the saying goes life sucks then you die, but if you don't live it alone life can be pretty awesome.

three hundred twenty one

Donald Ray Surrett Jr

A LIFE WELL LIVED

I worked in dozens of grocery stores for over 40 years. I started at 16 as a bagger, became a clean up boy, served a meat cutter apprenticeship, then managed. I have seen fist fights, stealing, medical emergencies, felony arrests, robberies, boycotts, people having sex or using the sales floor as a bathroom but I never feared for my life.

I did work in a few dangerous neighborhoods where the owners brandished guns on a regular basis. Customers would threaten to retaliate but there was a sense of order to it, at least you were aware something could happen.

One store was firebombed at night, another was struck by lightening about ten feet from where we were working while standing on a wet floor and a pickup truck crashed through the front windows into the cash registers and sales floor only moments before we opened.

Working in a bad neighborhood, by a busy highway or during severe weather at least gives you a heads up that you could be in danger but a store in quiet Bend Oregon on a sunny Sunday afternoon it never enters your mind.

I took my scooter about two blocks to our local busy Safeway around 6 o'clock. I have shopped there at least a hundred times. After 40 years of working in a grocery store, needless to say grocery stores creep me out.

I want to straighten meat cases, write up slacker employees and yell at rude customers, but I refuse to be that old guy telling the young clerks stories about the good old days, I made fun of them when I was a young guy.

I did notice Mr Surret because he was retirement age but I never had a direct conversation with him. I said hello or nodded a few times but he was a head down worker going about his business.

For months only a short distance from the store a young man was plotting a mass shooting. He posted his twisted manifesto on line then headed for the unsuspecting neighborhood store.

Around 7 PM dozens of gunshots rang out as he approached the entrance where Glenn Edward Bennett, 84 was killed.

Before this all happened I returned home, had dinner and watched some television. I had ignored my phone most of the day but I finally noticed a string of messages from worried friends concerned about the shooting.

As the story played out it was revealed that Mr Surret had made a fatal attempt to disarm the evil murdering asshole. Instead of hiding to save his own life he waited for an opening to attack the gunman with his produce work knife.

Mr Surret was fatally shot but the attack was stopped. It might have been a mortal knife wound or the approach of the police but the gunman died of a self inflicted wound probably to avoid arrest. Link

All of the details haven't been revealed as I write this but the investigating police are calling Mr Surret a hero. Whatever happened Mr Surret saved lives at the cost of his own.

The store is still closed, the scary gun people are blaming the guns, memorials are being planned, the peaceful neighborhood has been violated but I'm focused on Mr Surret's selfless act.

My hope is that I could be that brave to lay down my life for strangers.

Rest in peace Donald Ray Surret Jr you have lived a well lived life.

--------------------------------------------------

"Let no good deed go unpunished. "

Oscar Wilde

Days later some cub reporter dug up Mr Surret's criminal past. They characterized him as a child molester. He did serve time in the military for a level one offense which is defined as....

Level 1 or Tier I offenses are the lowest level of sex offenses. These typically involve non-violent sex offenses with people who are not minors. People who are convicted of Tier 1 sex offenses must register on the Sexual Offender Registry for at least 15 years and report for verification annually.

I'm not excusing his criminal past I don't know or need to know the details but framing it in the worse possible way after his passing is mean, unnecessary and irresponsible. Mr Surret must have paid his debt to society and lived a respectful life, what on earth does this story accomplish other than a shocking headline and clicks. That is why I'm not including a link.

They fill the headline with shock words and provide no specifics which leads the reader to assume the worse. They say he "Did not serve his full sentence" how about the context?....What was the reason he was released early?.....Was this unusual or normal policy?....Was he honorably discharged?.....Did he comply with Oregon law?

What is the point of bringing this out? Perhaps an in-depth look at a murderer's past and home life would be more appropriate but in my opinion I would not give this evil lost soul any more attention or fame. I just can not understand why any person with any sense of decency would dig up this crap about a man who risked his life for others? The writer an the editors need to check their tabloid journalism skills and get some common sense.

Out of all of the negative in today's world why tarnish the memory of a man doing something brave and selfless?