The Evenin' Shadders

At 45, I went back to school. The desire to go back, to get that Masters Degree, has haunted me like a vengeful spirit from a B-grade horror movie. I found myself dreaming about college; I read the want ads in the newspaper and would mentally circle the listings which called for a degree. I remembered my past — almost three decades ago — and how foolish I'd been. I wondered if I could ever atone for my mistakes. Then, somewhere between the end of my first marriage and the the start of my second, I realized I'd been given a gift. A chance to start over. Honestly. There it was, the real opportunity to return to my roots, rebuild my life and take another shot at the brass ring. I just had to be smart enough to see the chance and take it. I did. Several years ago I left a job I truly loved (and was very good at) because the work environment became so poisoned I couldn't stay. I'd lost hope. I felt I'd come to the apex of my career only to have it all come crashing down

I dont' understand state Rep. Sally Kern. She says God wants her to be a "cultural warrior." She says God wanted her to run for state office. She says she's a good Christian. Okay, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. But if the good Rep. Kern is going to stand before a group of men and women in Cleveland County and use that faith as a tool of her Legislative agenda, then she should expect to be held to a higher standard than the rest of those lawmakers who don’t make such claims. Being a Christian is one thing, being God’s Cultural Warrior, is another. Then, there are those two incidents of bringing a weapon into the State Capitol building. Her first attempt, she said, was an accident. Okay, most people will give her a break there. It’s that second time that bothers me. Granted, she was not arrested. But the fact remains, Rep. Kern — who believes we must use Biblical values in the operation of state government — knowingly broke the law a second time when she a