Society has issues...marital in nature.

They were right...that was my response after reading the article included in the link.

By they I mean the Mormon church. I know what you're thinking, "Those incredibly nice (albeit somewhat zany) people from Utah were right about something?"

Yes my friends, other than the extraordinary efforts the LDS church goes to for humanitarian aid, other than the fact that the church has some of the happiest and strongest families ever seen on the planet, they also got something else right: the moral degradation of society. Not to mention the continuous attack on the family. Whether or not you believe in all the aspects behind the Mormon religion, or any religion for that matter, they still have got something here. For those of you who don't know me, I was raised in a very strong LDS household. We were the typical Mormon family: church every Sunday, family home evening every Monday. The works.

I have been taught all my life that Satan will continually try to destroy the most fundamental and essential unit: the family. Don't believe in Satan? Fine. It still doesn't change the fact that society is changing and evolving so much that it's view on the family, and on marriage, as gotten to the point that many are saying marriage is now obsolete and unnecessary. This is exactly what the LDS church has warned about for so long. I suppose it took me a while longer to really see it.

Read the article enclosed. Scratch that, I know how long it is (I read every word)...I'll fill you in.

Author Sandra Tsing Loh has decided to end her 20 year marriage. She had two kids with her now ex-husband. After going through the divorce, she now proclaims that marriage is obsolete in the modern era. Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that she had an affair, THEN divorced her husband. Yes, a woman who was too immature, irresponsible, and simply put stupid to even be honest in the one marriage she did have, is now giving the rest of us advice on what she botched bitterly?

She says don't get married, and you will avoid all the trouble.

This woman, Sandra Tsing Loh, is making her case against marriage. Reading the enclosed article, I was steadily growing more and more angry at a woman who is attacking what I consider to be one of the most essential and wonderful aspects of being human. How can someone suggest that marriage is obsolete and unneeded? Sure, some marriages fail. But that is because people are imperfect, people get married for the wrong reasons. People lose sight of what is really important in life. Why do most marriages fail? I believe it is selfishness. People become so engrossed with their own needs and wants, they simply are overcome by selfish desires. Keep in mind, the key word here is most. Of course there are some marriages where divorce is the appropriate path. But this should be a rare occasion. You may now be thinking that since %50 percent of marriages end in divorce, maybe this author is on to something...Wrong. Do you know why? Because that statistic is wrong. Sure, TECHNICALLY it is a correct statistic. And since it is thrown around so often now by so many "smart" people, no one seems to question it. That statistic only applies to you if you meet very specific criteria. In Glenn Beck's Book "An Inconvenient Book," he provides several statistics about the oft-referenced divorce rate. The following are factors that dramatically LOWER your odds of divorce: annual income of more than $50,000; waiting until 25 years old to marry; waiting to have children until at least 7 months into the marriage; having parents who are still married; being part of a religion; attending college.

Basically if you are a reasonably well educated person who makes decent money, has an intact family, practices a religion, waits to get married and waits to have children, your odds of divorce are incredibly low.

The point is that marriage is not a failed institution like some people would have you believe. Where else can you find such dedication and commitment? The loyalty of two people who love each other so much they would literally do anything for the other, even give their own life, that is truly amazing and inspirational. Where else can you find such utter and complete love? Such devotion?

Marriage is such a wonderful and important aspect of our lives that it frustrates me and even saddens me to see so many people taking such a negative view toward it. Strong families are essential. Strong marriages are the core of this. Strong marriages build strong families, which in turn lead to strong people. If we dismantle the essential family unit then we are ensuring the disintegration of society.

A different kind of movement

What moves you? What makes you feel, what makes you realize you are alive because every inch of your body is electrified with such exhilaration that you almost forget the world around you, you are so enveloped with the energy coursing through your veins...

I have felt this. I know all of you have felt this. This isn't just being alive, this is living. To steal a line from one of my favorite movies (Braveheart) "every man dies, but not every man really lives."

One thing that makes me feel such power and energy is music. It is such an important part of my life, it is a source of motivation, inspiration, and strength in times when I may not feel strong. One song that has struck me lately is by The Offspring. The song is called Half-Truism. I don't know what it's about, or if there is any story behind it, but for some reason this song has been in my head the past few days.

Now you may dismiss this as simply being temporarily obsessed with a rock song. But music is so amazing because of how it makes you feel. In this song I have mentioned, it moved me somehow. I can't quite explain it, so I will simply say that I feel an energy and excitement when I listen to the song.

Find a song that moves you, find a melody that will take you away, if only for a moment. Let your mind and spirit become enveloped in the harmony, in the rhythm, in whatever it is about the music that you love.

The literary adventure begins.

I am a storyteller. That's probably the first thing you should know about me. And I want you to get to know me. (well duh Nic, what are blogs for?...) But bear with me.

If you want to get to know someone, truly get to know them, then learn what they are, not just what they do. That is a subtle difference, and is often overlooked. Someone who writes isn't necessarily a writer. Someone who drinks wine may not be a connesuir. Someone who camps may not be an outdoorsman. Someone who believes in Jesus Christ may not truly be a Christian.

I don't just tell stories, I am a storyteller. I am also a journalist. I relate things in life with stories, and that is how we all relate to each other.

Where am I going with all this? I'm not entirely sure myself. All I know is that I am a writer, therefore I must write. Just as lions must hunt and oceans must swell, (and politicians must lie...the list goes on) I must do what is in my nature.

By this point you are almost ready to stop reading, wondering why I even started this blog. Someone very dear to my heart recently started their own blog, and I suppose it was motivation for me to start writing again. I seek to express my experiences, thoughts, and feelings to you in a way that you can relate to. We are all so closed up in our own worlds, too preoccupied with what we want, that we don't realize that simply looking beyond our own problems will open worlds without number to our perception. That is what this is really about, reaching out and connecting. I want to make you laugh, I want to make you smile. On occasion I may make you shed a tear. Most of all I want to make you think and feel, and to share the thoughts and feelings that have carried me the first 21 years of my life.

I want you to think about what you are, as I have mentioned. What do you do every day? Go to work, drink you coffee, perhaps read a newspaper. But separate what you DO from what you ARE. This is an identity that goes far deeper than your facebook profile description. This is such a crucial aspect of yourself that we can't afford to overlook it. As for me, sometimes that's easy. I'm a writer, I'm a swimmer. I'm an aspiring political scientist. But sometimes it isn't easy...am I a pragmatist, am I a Christian, am I fulfilling my full potential...The answers that seem unattainable are almost always the most valuable to seek.

I hope you join me on this journey, to who knows where. But if no eyes but my own ever read this text, it isn't lost. The writing is as much for the writer himself as it is for the readers.

I'll leave you now with the questions I've raised. Dwell on them for a time. I welcome any comments you may have. This is about people connecting, this is about sharing life's rich experiences. I'm an adventurer in life, I'm a friend.

I am a storyteller.