This I Believe

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NEW PROMPT:
. Your prompt for today is to write an ESSAY or POEM entitled "This I Believe," as if you were writing one of these essays for NPR. The only catch is that as you share what it is you believe, whether spiritual/religious in nature or not, do so in a way that only speaks for yourself -- in other words, share your personal values, ideals, or beliefs in a manner that does not condemn the beliefs of others.
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My beliefs have changed over the years as I experience life in its many forms.

Once upon a time, I thought adults kept the world safe for children. Growing up in a small New England town, our Chief of Police was known to all us kids as Uncle Pete. Our friends’ parents always were there to scold or spank us, wipe our runny noses, or listen to childish secrets too scary to share with our own parents.

The times were different for children back then, I suppose. Nowadays, I can’t imagine any child walking around alone in a deserted town after midnight as I used to do. They would fear a predator attacking them. I believe most adults can no longer keep the world safe for children, which I find extremely sad.

I believe that war is insane for any reason, especially in the name of God. My birthday was four months before our country entered World War II on December 7, 1941. I can’t remember a time since then that we haven’t been at war with some country or other. So many people have died for the religious beliefs of others. I sincerely believe God would not approve of war in any form.

My personal belief, which I rarely share with others, is that God has a marvelous sense of humor. Have you ever seen a giraffe? Can you imagine a mere human designing such a silly looking animal? My belief in God also gives this Supreme Being a gentleness that soothes us in prayer. No, this God would not approve of war for any reason whatsoever.

Another belief I have is that animals are more trustworthy than most humans. This is after a long life of hearing lies from others. Some lies were small and easily overlooked. The large ones dug into my very being, and I’ve fought to keep from becoming overly bitter. Animals don’t lie. If one of my cats is peeved at me, I immediately know about it. Trust me! I have the scratches to prove this.

One important belief of mine, which might contradict some of those mentioned above, is that life is good. I believe people, except for criminals and maybe for a handful of politicians, are basically kind. I believe our world, our country, and wherever we live will survive despite all the efforts of the warmongers who are doing their best to send us up in mushroom clouds.

I do have one last belief I can share with you because our world is not all doom and gloom. All you have to do is think about what a hero of mine created to believe in joy and wonder. Walt Disney gave us magic via black and white televisions and a brand-new Disneyland when we were children. I still believe in his magic and often visit Disneyland to become a child again when the world begins to close in on me. Let me end this piece with one of my most important beliefs.

I believe in the magic of a mouse.

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Microsoft Word count = 510

"The Writer's Cramp - Poetry Week"  daily entry for 06/30/09
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