Introduction - What is a "Keltic Witch?" - (Repost - Updated )

*Repost with updates - original from 2005

So what, you may ask yourself, is a “Keltic Witch”? And, for that matter, how did she come to be? Well, that is a somewhat long story so sit back and enjoy the ride – it is a meandering one.

I was born and raised in Massachusetts. I spent most of my “growing up” years in the Waltham/Watertown area and lived the typical “small town near a big city” life. My brother is 3 years younger than me and we always tried to “out do” each other. Most of our extended family was within an hours ride – if not ½ hour and we spent a lot of time with family while young.

My maternal Grandfather, Da, was a super great cook. He could go out and have a meal and come home and recreate that same meal. It was amazing to watch him at work. He made fantastic dishes in what has to be the smallest kitchen I have ever worked in. Much of my spare time was spent at his knee and so I learned a great love of cooking and creating recipes.

I went to college in Worcester, MA at the College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit school. I studied Political Science at a time when we were the biggest superpower in the world, the Soviet Union was still our major rival, and terrorism was something that happened only in the Middle East and Ireland.

I tried my hand at everything I thought I wanted to do. I was a banker, office worker, personal trainer, teacher, and finally found that I was good with computers. I made a career out of managing large-scale software implementation projects. I liked what I did and was good at it. It afforded me the ability to travel and see the country.

I fell in love with a man in the U.S. Navy. He was dashing and handsome. We eloped and planned a great life while he was on leave. He went back to his duty station in Japan and we found I was pregnant. Not a huge obstacle, we could handle it! After 3 months, he was killed while out to sea in a training accident and I was alone. Six months later, I had my son and vowed he would have the best I could provide.

For four years, I scraped and sold myself to the company with the highest bid so I could raise my son. I landed in Texas and met the one man I was born to love forever. My husband, my friend. He smoothed all my rough edges and polished my hurts. It has been nineteen of the best years I could hope for. We have our oldest son and our “bitty boy” too. Our lives are so peaceful.

In a few years, we will move out of the big city and have land and a ranch to enjoy with our boys out of the mess of the city. God Bless my family, please.

It's Not the Guns........

I’m going to be blunt - some won’t like it. Florida wasn’t the fault of the gun. It’s the fault of society. Everyone who wanted to be their kid’s “bestie” rather than their parent - you bear some responsibility. Everyone who raised a little brat, but figured someone else would fix it; who shoved a pill rather than applied a spanking - look in the mirror.

It’s not the gun in the hand that is the problem. It’s what is in the heart (or isn’t depending on how you look at it)

Guns haven’t changed. They’ve been in our nation and part of our lives for over 200 years. They are a tool. A tool like a hammer or a saw.

Some people in America don’t need that tool for their lives. Some people do need it. Depends on the lifestyle you’ve chosen - urban, suburban, rural, country, city - or other. Or, your choice - because we live in a nation where liberty and freedom have a cost and that cost is being responsible.

What has changed is the problem.

Pills instead of parenting - “Ritalin makes Johnny behave so I don’t have to be mean.”

Violent media - music, videos, movies, games - desensitize kids to the value of life.

Erosion of the community - we couldn’t do bad stuff, because some neighbor would tell our parents - no one wants to step in today.

Not supporting teachers - “my kid wouldn’t....” or not supporting other role models. Rewarding losing - failure is a great teacher - but, we didn’t get a medal for failing, we got the lesson.

Not teaching morals, values or faith in something more than ourselves. Right and wrong exist - they are black and white. Evil exists - you don’t have to believe in Satan or the devil - but, he sure believes in you. When you don’t have rock solid foundations of right and wrong, evil slithers in and says “it’s ok....it feels good, doesn’t it - so it’s ok then...”.

It’s not what is in the hand that needs to change. It’s the hearts. We can do it and it doesn’t even take one more law on the books.

Start parenting. Stop shoving pills down the throats of young people. Be your parents - and teach the things your parents taught - right and wrong, good and evil, morals and values. Discipline kids. Don’t let them play GTA or other games where it’s ok to shoot people in the head. Teach that life is precious.

Then, you’ll see a change for the better.

Go down the other road and in 10 years we will be arguing about banning knives, then hammers, next rocks.

Make the right choice - but that requires self-examination and admitting that maybe values aren’t relative. Maybe everything permissive isn’t good for us.  Maybe fantasy or fiction shouldn’t be celebrated as truth.

I have faith in people. We can do this.