The Wimpiest Hero

Donated platelets today ~ first time ever. It took an hour-and-a-half, but I got to sit in a comfy chair and watch a mediocre chick flick. I picked The Time Traveler's Wife and I'm not sure I could have followed it if I hadn't read the book, but having read the book, I kept looking for missing scenes and characters, etc. It was a pleasant movie, but read the book, it's better.

Anyway, platelets ~ so they stick needle in, just like a regular blood donation, only this time they suck out your blood, spin it around, pull some plasma and all the platelets they can get, and return the rest. Ninety minutes and they got what looked to be thirty cc's of sweetened condensed milk. Apparently, that's a good amount. The various people who need platelets include bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients. Now, my regular job involves making drugs for BMT patients, so the opportunity to do even more for my patients, while sitting on my ass, is extra cool.  I gave my platelets, watched a movie, got my cookie ~ Memorial Blood Center gets the best chocolate cookies ~ and went on my merry way.

While I was driving home, all smug cause I'm some kind of hero, saving lives and all that, I realized that I'm about the wimpiest hero ever. In an actual crisis, I'd be doing good to remember to call 911. Seriously, the pain in the butt in the movies who stands around crying, "Oh God. Oh no." until you want to reach through the screen and throttle her, that's me. Heroes are cops and firemen. A hero is the guy who sees a couple fighting and steps in to pull the dude off his girlfriend. An EMT who braves the scariest of ghettoes to get to his patient is a real hero. Heroes risk something more than the possibility that the chocolate cookies will be gone by the time they're done lounging in their comfy chair.

Next time you see a hero, say thanks. In the meantime, go earn a cooky so I won't have to be the only wimpy hero-lite.

Genealogy tip of the day: When looking at census forms, check institutions in the area ~ some relatives end up in state hospitals, some in prisons. Don't be disappointed if you find them, a black sheep (or a polka-dotted one) livens up the family story. 

OMG! Homosexuals in love!

A gay couple might want to get married someday. Here. In Minnesota. Oh, the humanity! For years, Minnesota was a haven for people who didn't (or at least, tried not to) hate groups of people for something they couldn't help. I'm talking after World War II, of course, we were atrocious in the twenties. Lately, though, we seem to be getting good at that hate thing again.

This whole business of a marriage amendment is silly at best ~ hateful at worst. I think most supporters are drinking the Kool-Aid and have decided that if we don't have a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage (which, by the way, is already illegal in Minnesota) that we'll be overrun by all sorts of special interest groups who want to redefine marriage as a legal opportunity to bond with children, farm animals and their ten best friends.

Proponents claim that gays will destroy marriage if they can marry. How much damage did Sally Ride and her wife do to the institution of marriage? None. How about Larry King, with seven exes? He makes a mockery of it. Easy divorce does far more damage to the cultural institution of marriage than gay marriage ever could. Welfare wreaks havoc on the family by encouraging couples not to marry ~ if Antoine marries Shauniqua, he'll have to get a job to support his kids, if he doesn't, he can live off her check; that destroys marriage and shreds the traditional family. Mai and Toua can marry at 15 and somehow that's okay, but Ryan and Mike can't marry at 30? Preposterous.

Churches should certainly continue to be allowed to pick and choose who they'll marry ~ if you don't like their rules, go to another church ~ it's called Freedom of Religion and is guaranteed by the First Amendment. The state is another subject entirely. The state should only be allowed to discriminate in marriage based on age (and 15 is way the heck too young). If we must have an amendment defining marriage, let's define it as a "binding contract between two consenting adults".

Marriage is the only contract where gender matters. And it shouldn't. Love is love and should be something we celebrate. Happy couples ~ all happy couples ~ are good for us. Emotions are contagious, so let's spread love & happiness instead of bigotry & bitterness. Vote NO.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Genealogy tip of the day: If Great-UncleWalter, the confirmed bachelor, shows up on several consecutive censuses with the same male roommate, they were probably more than friends. Wouldn't it be nice to end the lie for future generations?