Since hearing that the Carnival was coming back I was determined to write something new for publication in it. But what?
Something about the War? Good, but didn’t feel right.
Something about Politics? Oh my Gods, NO! There is going to be plenty of that in the very near future on my blog.
‘Bout Mobile, AL? After all, we have a lot of great things happening around here - and our share of scandal to boot. Hmmm…. Later.
Humor? Scumbag criminals? Silly animal stories? No. No. No.
Family.
That will work! I can write about that at any time! It’s my favorite topic. It is a topic terribly important to our survival as a species. The subject is full of dangers, heartache, anger, humor, shame, and pride. Why, by just looking around your house you can write non-stop!
I’ll start by looking back to my memories of Family… My immediate Family growing up exploded when I was nine years old. Divorce. Sucks for kids and doesn’t do adults much good either. After that, it was the extended family that was the focus of my life. Especially my grandparents. Two full sets and polar opposites in nearly every respect. One set were rather wealthy and pillars of the community and one of the founding families of our town. The other set were simple mountain folk. Tilling soil, trapping, cutting dogwood, and running a little ’shine here-and-there to get by. I guess you could say I had a broad spectrum of role models. These tow Families could not have been more different!
One thing was driven home by all involved though - Duty to Family. Loyalty. Be proud of your Family! Sure, fighting in the Family is going to happen. Get it out and solve the issue. It only will make the Family stronger in the end. outside of that, you stick together. Everything - both good and bad - should be open for discussion and debate. Sweep nothing under the rug because later that lump will trip someone and a lot more pain will result. Rules to live by. And so I have.
Then there is the more recent end of Family experience… A beautiful wife and six - yes, six(6) - fine children. Here, take a look…
Life just does not get better that when we are all together. Whether it is around the table at mealtimes or spread all over the living room watching a movie or the latest set of re-runs. Now, how many of you, Dear Readers, just asked yourselves if The Bull has lost his mind? Surely there are better things in life than that! Not if you’re doing it right, folks. Not if you’re doing it right! What could possibly be wrong with a Family getting together at a table for a meal? Nothing. What could be RIGHT with it? Conversation. Seeing each other closely. Remembering those that can not be there. The teaching of manners, (something rapidly disappearing in this Country). Passing on the concepts of sharing and helpfulness. And more. The same goes for our evenings. More often that not we can be found scattered about our living room. Some reading, some watching a show, some playing or dozing off while snuggled next to a Great Dane. Yet we are together. A great comfort comes from such simple closeness. Loyalty grows from it. So does Love.
Yes, The Bull finds Family to be important. Enough so that when I Googled this blog for the word “family” I found that I have mentioned it over 1,620 times in my 897 postings, (not counting this one). A damned high count even if I do say so myself. While I find it important, I will certainly not claim to be an expert or to have all the answers. Every extended family has within it itself certain levels and periods of discord. One such period in my extended Family has, blessedly, just ended. It went on for far too long, yet only because I had failed to confront it. Once I did, the problem was solved. As it turns out, even I need reminders from time-to-time…
The point to all of this, (outside of the fact of The Bull being fallible), it that when all is said and done you really have nothing in this life - except Family. They are your past, and your future. I can only hope that someone out there in the blogosphere gets the point of all of this.
Perhaps we all should take more time to be with, and understand, our Families.
Even me.
Bull, out. 
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Alabama Bloggers Carnival, Better Late Than Never Edition…
Sorry folks, for getting this out so late in the day. I’ll save you all of my excuses and get right down to business.
This time we’ll take them as they came in -
First submission is from nitallica.org, or better known as the longest blog t…