As I watched the "Hope for Haiti" telethon tonight and heard about the stories of tragedy and survival against the most heinous of odds, I am deeply humbled. I live in a nation of freedom, immense wealth, and extreme generosity. While I have a tendency to be cynical about celebrities and their public displays, tonight was not a night of self-congratulatory indulgence among the A-listers headlining the telethon. It was bringing the world together to save a tiny little nation sitting in the middle of the sea and the people who call that island home. In the midst of what has become known as the award season in Hollywood, rather than taking the swag and collecting statues, they sounded a siren for the world to hear how badly the people of Haiti desperately need each and every able-bodied person to give whatever they can afford to give. Whether you give $1 or $1,000, every penny counts and makes a difference.
Tonight I lost a friend that I've had since elementary school. I have so many conflicting emotions right now. I'm mad and I'm sad and I'm devastated and my heart absolutely aches for the two little girls who have been left behind. I've walked that path and I know the heartache of your daddy missing all of the big moments in your life - prom, graduation, going to college, getting married, having children. I wouldn't wish that fate on my worst enemy. My friend was only forty years old. He served our country as a young Marine and then re-enlisted in the Guard after 9/11. He did not die in combat, but he wasn't afraid to do so. I give thanks for him, his spirit, and others like him. Because of men and women like him, I am free to write whatever the hell I want out in here in cyberspace or just about any other place where I feel so inclined. Tonight I'll have a beer, listen to some classic Zeppelin, and remember the good times that I shar...
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