Yes,maybe I do have a few thoughts to share

I felt something was not right - no, it wasn't the towel not folded correctly with the tag on the inside out of sight, no, it wasn't the continuing 'stay the course' in the country most Americans knew little about a few years ago, and most would like to know even less about now, (or maybe 'we' will, somehow, transform a culture structured on tribal allegiance into a model of democracy, even as it continues to kill and disable thousands of our fellow Americans as well as drain our treasury of funding for so many perhaps more worthwhile, achievable objectives), no, it wasn't my bicycle rusting away from lack of use while I await arthroscopic surgery, for four+ months - no, it wasn't the inconvenience of Walgreens Pharmacy and my Medicare Insurance being unable to 'communicate' with each others computer system, although that's where I need to fill my presriptions, no, it wasn't any of these, or a myriad of other of life's minor and major inconsistencies, inabilities and/or stupidities (??Is Howard Stern really worth $100 MILLION a year to be obscene on Sirious Satellite Radio where he can't be regulated by the FCC (and why not??- is it not just another form of media??) and are there really now, THAT MANY people intelligent enough to understand how to subscribe, what equipment is needed, have the 'disposable' income and WANT to listen to his nonsense (a value judgement, obviously, on my part??)??
In Chesapeake,Virginia, a beautiful area of the country we'd vacation'd in years and years (another lifetime, or so) ago, an LDS Missionary from Bountiful, with only a few months remaining on his mission, was shot and killed in an apparent senseless (although 'not racially motivated' - Elder Young is (was) white - the killer, black) crime. Why? What purpose, grand plan was served? At his funeral, I'm sure it will be stated, probably numerous times: 'our Heavenly Father called him to another, greater mission' Did HE? Since our sojourn on this earth is 'but the blink of an eye' - not to us it isn't, but according to some writer years ago, purportedly quoting God, in the totality of existence, and by God's standard, couldn't HE have 'waited' a nanosecond of time?? What was the rush to bring grief, sorrow, and a quick end to the Elder's earthly 'trial'? Was (is) this a blessing to the young man, at the expense of the joy and happiness he was obviously bringing to his family and friends?? Why didn't his garments 'protect' him? What did the Church spokesperson mean when the statement was issued: 'the Church leaders assure current missionaries, their parents, and those contemplating serving missions, every step is taken for security and safety of the missionary'. I must have missed something - this was stated right AFTER Elder Young was killed, and his companion injured,(now recuperating at his home in Colorado)
I don't know, and at times, I envy those of you who DO 'know'. I'm told, it is comforting to 'know, beyond a shadow of a doubt' - is it? Is it , just possibly, an 'escape' from, at times, the harsh realities of life - the cognizance MOST of the world lives in abject poverty and misery, apparently, just to test our levels of love and charity.
I don't know - I do know some of you are thinking: 'If Gene only 'KNEW', he'd UNDERSTAND' Guess I just don't see the same vision.
And this is probably good - strenghtens belief in the believers - read that carefully - belief and believers are interchangeable on both ends of the spectrum.
Someday, we'll 'find out' OR maybe we won't but we won't know we haven't 'found out' Now, I could sermanize on the sentence I just wrote (No, not this one, the previous - now, the previous previous - the ..'and this is..' sentence) I'll save it for some future 'BLOG'
Life is, among many things, a continuing adventure, a contining experience, a continuing 'lesson', if you will (even if you won't) to be enjoyed, contemplated, ignored, laughed at, sorrowed at ...you get the jist of this.

.....Gene