Monday, March 24, 2014

Doug Matthews My dad


                There are many issues we face and I am working to develop my balance.  We have had many years of struggle and as I go through my own life I understand that I must be responsible for my own life experiences.  My father Doug was the memorable teacher because I looked up to him even though he was not around much in my life.  I was walking by a little park on the Eastside of Downtown Denver and a man called out to me, “Hey Lee!”  I stopped and realized it was my dad; I must have been 13 at the time and was going to the Recreation Center on 20th Street.  I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was waiting for his wife.  She was working and he was just hanging out in the little park.  It was powerful to meet my father; he invited me to his apartment. 

                It seemed like I spent the whole summer visiting with him and hanging out sometimes Wally would come with me and we had a great time.  He would ask us what we wanted to eat and I am sure we ate lots of pizza.  Early in life I remember we caught some crawfish in dried up pond and we took them home and he boiled some water and ate them.  Wow, that was crazy; as I remember back and I heard stories he would eat turtles with my grandfather.  I have tried some things but for the most part I stay away from fish or things from the water.  My father ruined black-eyed peas for me as he burned them and I just cannot get the memory out of my head.  

                During one evening with my dad we sat at the breakfast counter and he told me he was going to teach me a game.  I was up for a game and so it began my greatest lesson in life.  He pulled out some dollar bills and he told I would be the “House” and we were going to play Blackjack.  Well I dealt the cards and I kept taking his money and it must have gone on for about an hour.  After he went broke, he leaned toward me and said, “The House always wins.”  He then told me to have fun with the money, I think I went to the movies are something but I know I was smiling as I left his place.  My dad was pretty cool and because of poverty issues I was not able to attend his burial.  Sometimes I think about my dad and realize he grew up in a different time.  I hope to tell my grandchildren about their great grandfather. 

                The Ukraine is blowing up as I write this column and people are preparing to die in what is another act of dominance in the world.  I have read history and have often thought the area is always a hotbed of activity.  East meet West and cultures clash in the Ukraine Region.  I wanted to share some opinion about the conflict because I feel it is important to inform others.  First of all the Black Sea Russian Fleet is docked there and they signed an agreement to lease the port.  Russia resigned the agreement until the year 2042 in exchanged for natural gas help in the Ukraine.  You might be asking me why I am writing about this and what difference it makes to our Lakota people.  Actually it has everything to do with us because if war breaks out and we see the Russian Army move through there is a good chance our soldiers will be there as well. 

                Crimea the Port Province is vital to the Putin’s war machine and he seems to have many ideas about keeping or even occupying the smaller countries from the old Soviet Bloc.  It would seem that we have a huge chess match being played with the huge countries.  The people from this area are struggling because of different cultures but it world greed that moves people.  Biblically speaking The Battle of Armageddon will be used in this area and the world is having pains as we think about these things.  Russia is moving to see what the rest of the world will do and my personal opinion is that these moves are being taken because of oil and natural gas pricing and our bread and milk prices will rise once again.  I hope people are mindful of these things as it is very serious.  I have been keeping a watch because it is interesting to me. 

                We will see the world change in our lives and people need to be ready for the changes.  I do not want to scare people but I want to inform people so they can understand a Little Geo-Political background and how it affects us.  I would like to thank John Hussman Jr. for keeping us up to date on Facebook.  These times will show the world how America will face another aggressor of the smaller countries.  Of course we have seen this over time but we are faced with the deadliest Governments in the history of the world.  I wanted to share with you about my father and what has been on my heart.  Pilimiya (Thank You)