WE'RE BORN, WE LIVE AND WE DIE

It's what happens between the moment of birth and the instant of death that is the true mark of a man or woman.  Some have great positive or negative impact during their lifetimes, while some come and go without so much as a whisper, merely an entry on a birth record someplace and perhaps on a tombstone in some obscure cemetery.  

Some are instilled with love of their fellow mankind and become servants of God; some murder a dozen people and become subordinates of the devil.  Some work tirelessly to raise good families, while others have no inner compunction to do so.  Some join service organizations and do good and worthy work in their communities; some turn to drugs and alcohol and allow their souls to seek the gutters of life.  

But, we all start with the same clean slate; it is only what is on that slate when we die that is a measure of how we have lived our lives.  Those of us who do not take the opportunity to ponder these simple statements, to adjust their lives according to the principles of religious and moral teachings, are more often than not destined to fail.  

Although whether or not one lives a righteous and just life is of no concern or earthly consequence to many, most religions teach us that those who do not are going to pay a heavy price when they pass on into the next world.  

The main reason that I try so hard to live by the rules is that I want to minimize the odds that I will end up in eternal purgatory surrounded by the avowed jackals of the universe... politicians and journalists.  

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.