It is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations. — Bleak House

My Take – Every group has its crazies and asshats.  A lot of people I know have a religion and are quite Ok with others who either worship differently or have no faith.  Unfortunately, along with them come the people who feel the need to save your soul, no matter how they do it.  I know people who don’t like guns, but recognize that their personal preferences do not mean that I should give up my guns.  I have to try hard to not lump them in with those who believe that it is immoral to own guns and want anyone with a gun to turn them in or face prison.

Our own side has its crazies.  Not all gun owners are responsible, respectful, or, let’s be honest here, stable.  We have a lot of parents that make sure their guns are secured against little hands.  We also have asshats who leave a loaded gun where a child, either their own or a visitor, can find it and harm someone.  Most hunters and target shooters are respectful of the land and clean up after they’re done.  They are all hurt by the people who leave brass and garbage everywhere and commit vandalism.  And finally, the vast majority of gun owners are stable, law-abiding people who only want to be left alone to exercise their rights.  We are all tarred with the same brush that is given to the anti-gunners by gang-bangers, criminals, and crazies who use their guns to harm the innocent.

If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers. — The Old Curiosity Shop

My Take – In order for you to be good at what you do, you have to practice.  Every emergency room doctor who does wonders got that way through easing the suffering of untold numbers of patients.  A police officer who not only finds the bad guys but also knows how to make things better in his area learned how to do that by dealing with the worst that our society can offer on a daily basis.  The EMS guy who knows just how to talk to his patients and how to keep them on this side of death until they get to the ER got that way by wading through years of accidents, overdoses, and illnesses.  Yes, we lionize those who do their jobs well, especially when their jobs are unpleasant.  But we should never forget just what those people have to go through in order to get that good.

The civility which money will purchase, is rarely extended to those who have none. — Sketches by Boz

My Take – I have a duty to extend civility to everyone.  I’m not always friendly, and I’m rarely a smiling paragon of gregariousness, but I always try to treat people with respect.  It doesn’t matter to me how much money they have, or how they’re dressed, or where they’re from.  I like to be treated politely and with respect, so I deal with other people the same way.  I’m not perfect in my efforts, but I do try.

Not everyone behaves this way.  In fact, I see people be as sweet as honey toward people they like or they want something from, then crap all over someone who they believe is their inferior.  The lady in line for breakfast in front of me this morning is a prime example.  She was on her cell phone, talking in that high-volume, high-tone southern lady voice, bless her heart.   She was even smiling widely as she talked.  As soon as she got to the front of the line, she very politely excused herself to her friend on the phone, put it on mute, then proceeded to give the poor man working the cash register four rations of hell.  Her smile was long gone, her voice was an octave lower, she spoke to him as if he was wasting her time by taking her order, and the words “Please” and “Thank you” were gone.  To his credit, the man kept his cool, was polite and professional, and got on with his day. 

People like that are becoming depressingly common, and that’s regrettable.  Manners are a social lubricant, and the loss of them causes needless friction.  Their liberal use costs nothing, and can gain so much, that I cannot understand why more people refuse to use them.

In the little world in which children have their existence whosoever brings them up, there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt, as injustice. It may be only small injustice that the child can be exposed to; but the child is small, and its world is small, and its rocking-horse stands as many hands high, according to scale, as a big-boned Irish hunter. — Great Expectations

My Take – One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to teach my children is that life is rarely fair.  In fact, I’ve had to teach them that life is usually unfair in a way that goes against them.  Thing is, whether they accept this lesson from me or not, they will learn it.  My way is just a little easier than having life itself teach it.

I don’t say half I mean. I can’t. I haven’t got the gift. There are talkers enough among us; I’ll be one of the doers. — Barnaby Rudge

My Take – I’ll admit, I’m a pretty skilled stand-up philosopher.  I can bloviate with the best of them.  But the time for talk, the time for the soapbox, is quickly ending.  The next few months will be a wicked fight.  I suggest that we all follow the advice of Robb, and start engaging with our legislators now, especially if they’re on the fence.  Be respectful, but be firm.

When the people found that they were none the better for the blessings of the Druids, and none the worse for the curses of the Druids, but, that the sun shone and the rain fell without consulting the Druids at all, they just began to think that the Druids were mere men, and that it signified very little whether they cursed or blessed. After which, the pupils of the Druids fell greatly off in numbers, and the Druids took to other trades. — A Child’s History of England

My Take – When people realize that the all-powerful government is actually quite weak without them, they realize their own power.  Government exists for the service of the people and continues because the people choose for it to do so, not the other way around.  When the people begin to doubt the validity of their government, to believe that it has forsaken its duty to them, they will either destroy it or allow it to wither on the vine.  Alas, men yearn for leadership, so a new government, hopefully better, but usually worse, than the old one springs up, and the cycle begins anew.

It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour. – A Christmas Carol

My Take – When I’m around a bunch of happy people, I feel better, and eventually I start to laugh along with them.  Being happy is sometimes hard to do, but it almost creates a feedback loop when people start to make each other happy.  Tell an old joke to someone who hasn’t heard it, and you will get as much pleasure out of it as they did when they start to laugh.  I love going to the range and shooting, but doing it with a crowd of friends is much more enjoyable, as experiences are shared and stories are swapped.  Think of how much we react to the sound of children and babies laughing, as well as the laughter of other adults, and you may discover the reason we are a social creature:  We enjoy the happiness of others.

“Did you ever taste beer?” “I had a sip of it once,” said the small servant. “Here’s a state of things!” cried Mr Swiveller, raising his eyes to the ceiling. “She never tasted it — it can’t be tasted in a sip!” — The Old Curiosity Shop

My Take – Life must be taken in deep draughts.  In order to know whether or not you like something, you must experience it.  If all it takes is a tiny sample or a small amount of time to experience it, so be it.  But if it requires a lot of tries to truly know its true nature, take the time to know whether or not it is for you.  Life is not won by those who didn’t learn drink deep from it.

Accidents will occur in the best regulated families; and in families not regulated by that pervading influence which sanctifies while it enhances the—a—I would say, in short, by the influence of Woman, in the lofty character of Wife, they may be expected with confidence, and must be borne with philosophy. — David Copperfield

My Take – I don’t know where I’d be without Irish Woman.  Oh, I’d get through life, but it wouldn’t be half as easy or as fun.  She is the head project manager, dispute resolver, transportation specialist, and logistician of our little family.  She knows just what we all need, when we need it, and never stops until things are taken care of.  I imagine it’s like that in most families.  One of the adults is the one who keeps the wheels on and rolling.

Let’s face it, I’m a pretty boring individual.  I’m dependable, but I don’t have much imagination when it comes to day-to-day life. When Irish Woman met me, I fed myself and the kids on a few dishes that I could make easily, quickly, and inexpensively on Sunday and re-heat through the week.  My wardrobe and a lot of the other cloth articles in the house were either gray, so that everything matched, or white, so that I could just bleach something to make it look right.  My walls were the same off-white that the house came with.  Our idea of weekend entertainment were endless walks in the park and reading Dr. Seuss.  She not only accepted that, but added her own flare that has made life much more interesting and worth living.  Before, life was survival.  Now, it is lived.