Uh oh.

My son, only 11 weeks old, repeated the words "uh oh" last night.  Five times he made the sounds with my wife and I and it was kind of a magical moment. 

As I watched the news - taking a break from our full series LOST marathon - I found myself saying "uh oh" a lot. 

I was once told that I would become much more conservative after I had kids. 

It was a lie.

I have become more progressive than ever.   I am angry at our backwards priorities, the useless culture war, the petty politics that get in the way of good policy, the winner take all game that is played out every day. 

I believe in a greater good for all of us.  That we all contribute to the society we get.  I believe that people should spend more time looking at their reality rather than stargazing, thinking "one day I will be a millionaire."  That's how most of us are duped to chanting for lower taxes for those at the top of the money pyramid - because one day that could be us. 

It won't be. 

I believe in living in this moment.  Life is a moment to moment exercise.  Looking too far ahead leads us to missing the very thing that is happening now.

I hope my son becomes a compassionate, fair person who not only believes in social justice, but demands it - fights for it.  I hope he is passionate about peace, but is realistic enough to know that some things are worth fighting for.  I hope he learns that compromising your truth, your principles, your core for a small victory means you do not have them to fall back upon during the big battles. 

I want to teach him that reason, facts, truth and knowledge will always trump ignorance, bluster and outright lies, no matter what the ratings of some morning shock jock turned comedian turned "cable news man" may say. 

What I really hope is that our age of greed and avarice will pass; that human beings, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the earth that feeds and shelters us will become more important than corporate profits and the bottom line.  

I hope that this time where fifteen minutes of fame last years, ends; that our addiction to cele-bu-tants ends; that we again can find that communal, progressive spirit that celebrates the individual when he does something that contributes to the greatness of us all, not just because of how much money he makes, how many crap albums she's sold or whose sex tape is now making the rounds. 

I hope my son never has to stand in front of the tv watching the news, holding his son, saying, "Uh oh."