Hi there, my name is Tony Burgess (my friends call me T-Bird) from Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. I am a believer, bleeding heart, idealist, and blogger. I'm married to Laura the Soup Diva and a dog dad to Frankie, Cody, and Mikey. Daily I work for a blood bank recruiting donors. My blog is where I chronicle and curate the sacred, serious, and silly things in my life. I am a member of The Episcopal Church. Thank you for connecting with me. Grace, peace, and love!
These are the two most important men in my life… Gary, my father (on the right) and Leon my grandfather (on the left). I wouldn’t be the person I am without their influence and love. They are both men of faith who served their country and taught me how to be the geek I am. Dad and Granddad have a history of service to others and its something I try to emulate myself. They come from generations where hard work, generosity and commitment are standards that they live by. I want them to know how much I love them and appreciate everything they have done for our family. One thing I know is they are true super heroes!
To all the fathers of various types I wish you all a Happy Father’s Day. I do know some folks are spending their first father’s day without their dads and may the memory and spirit of those men comfort you. Other folks are estranged from their dads and I know this is not an easy time for them. Some women out there have played both father and mother too. People like me are pet dads so our kids are of the four-legged variety. No matter how you are celebrating this day I hope it’s a kind one for you.
Ones identity is a highly personal thing. We make up our identity as we go along by the experiences we have. It changes us, informs us and perhaps colors our view of ourselves and others. Perhaps we should understand ourselves before attempting to understand others. Just saying.
I think I might be on one of those lists and services where you can buy Twitter followers. Not quite happy with the thought of that being a possibility. Some people want to inflate their followers artificially so they can make money or something like that. If someone wants to follow me on Twitter or here on the blog they are pretty much welcome to but know I am not a famous person and at times I find myself rather dull. Interesting.
Memories can be great but they can also obscure our view of the current reality of a situation. It’s nice to look back but sometimes it can prevent needed change. Lately I have discovered this truth to be hard but necessary. I just wish pain wasn’t a part of it all.
Understanding can build bridges and connections where as shaming is about destruction of spirit and soul. I think people need to be more sensitive to the plight of others and that their circumstances are sometimes out of their control. We live in a very diverse world where no two people encounter life in an identical way. Opening your heart and mind can go a long way into creating peace both communally and individually. Maybe this is the door to peace?
The Tony Burgess Blog 