***YOUTH OF THE NATION***
Even though some of the songs on my iTunes play list are
considered “Christian rock”, I am by no means religious. But even with my proud
atheist liberal stance, I can appreciate the message of POD’s “Youth of a
Nation”. Instead of trying to push an agenda, the song is simply a mourning of
all of the lives lost due to school shootings. In all of the debates going on
politically, the one thing we always seem to forget is to care for one another
and be the best neighbors we can be. Hugs and hair fuzzles can go a long way.
Hell, it may even be the last time you get to do something like that for the
ones you love. Show your love often and in huge volumes. People remember that
sort of thing, so much so that they’ll take it to the grave with them when the
time finally comes to die. Here are the lyrics to “Youth of a Nation”:
Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would've known
Cause I didn't kiss my mama goodbye
I didn't tell her that I loved her and how
much I care
Or thank my pops for all the talks
And all the wisdom he shared
Unaware, I just did what I always do
Everyday, the same routine
Before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the
rest
Instead of taking a test
I took two to the chest
Call me blind, but I didn't see it coming
Everybody was running
But I couldn't hear nothing
Except gun blasts, it happened so fast
I don't really know this kid
Even though I sit by him in class
Maybe this kid was reaching out for love
Or maybe for a moment
He forgot who he was
Or maybe this kid just wanted to be hugged
Whatever it was
I know it's because
We are, We are, the youth of the nation
Little Suzy, she was only twelve
She was given the world
With every chance to excel
Hang with the boys and hear the stories they
tell
She might act kind of proud
But no respect for herself
She finds love in all the wrong places
The same situations
Just different faces
Changed up her pace since her daddy left her
Too bad he never told her
She deserved much better
Johnny boy always played the fool
He broke all the rules
So you would think he was cool
He was never really one of the guys
No matter how hard he tried
Often thought of suicide
It's kind of hard when you ain't got no
friends
He put his life to an end
They might remember him then
You cross the line and there's no turning back
Told the world how he felt
With the sound of a gat
We are, We are, the youth of the nation
Who's to blame for the lives that tragedies
claim
No matter what you say
It don't take away the pain
That I feel inside, I'm tired of all the lies
Don't nobody know why
It's the blind leading the blind
I guess that's the way the story goes
Will it ever make sense
Somebody's got to know
There's got to be more to life than this
There's got to be more to everything
I thought exists
We are, We are, the youth of the nation
***WEEKLY SHORT STORY CONTESTS AND COMPANY***
It’s a brand new week and a brand new prompt. This time
we’ve got “Deception” and a story called “Exposed”, which goes like this:
CHARACTERS:
Trent O’Neil, Math Teacher
Juliet Farrell, Freshman Student
PROMPT CONFORMITY: Trent
deceived the whole school into thinking he was a decent human being.
SYNOPSIS: In order to improve her math grade, Juliet has
been spending extra time after school with Trent as her unofficial tutor. On the eve of
a midterm test, Trent
leaves the classroom to use the toilet and forgets to lock his desk drawers.
Juliet goes to leave her extra credit assignment on the desk and gets
suspicious when one of the drawers is ajar. She opens it and becomes horrified
when she sees nude photos of herself neatly stacked inside. Trent comes back from his bathroom break and
tries to “explain” how nude photos of Juliet ended up in his desk. The student
tries to escape, but the teacher is blocking the only exit. It’s fight or
flight for the little freshman and she hits hard.
***OCCUPY WRESTLING***
With the completion of Chapter Ten’s editing chores, I have
officially crossed the halfway threshold of this novel. Ten more chapters and
we’re ready to rock and roll. Ten more chapters. I can do ten more chapters.
The eleventh one will probably get a complete overhaul since it’s the scene
where Nina Jordan traces one of Keegan’s prison phone calls to an abandoned gas
station. At least I think that’s the one, I’m not sure. If it is, then I’ll
have to involve a large number of cops along with the ever-present Snakes of
Jehovah. I can do this. I can goddamn do this.
***TELEVISION DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***
DWAYNE PRIDE: Lay off the bee puns!
SONJA PERCY: Yeah, it’s not like
this is a sting operation.
-NCIS: New Orleans-
***POST-SCRIPT***
Speaking of that TV show, John Oliver asked a very important
question in one of his “Last Week Tonight” episodes: “How can there be that
many dead navy sailors in New Orleans?!”
