Time To Keep It Simple serves as a record of my life as a traveler, writer, genealogist, photographer, target sports enthusiast, Rotarian, Mason, Jew, PR professional, and many other (mostly positive) things. In addition to this daily blog I am also the man behind the curtain (not named Oz) at gettingyourphil.blogspot.com and I previously blogged at fromgoytooleh.blogspot.com.
Anyone
who has served in the military are familiar with Colt. Anyone who has some
experience with firearms is probably familiar with Colt as well. Heck, if you
ever watched a Western you probably recognize the name. Overall, it is safe to
say that the Colt brand remains in the pantheon of firearms manufacturers.
However, the question now is how long will the company hold that revered place
in the industry?
The
fact remains that of the countless veterans with whom I have spoken that remain
involved in the firearms community the majority of them refuse to purchase a
Colt for the simple fact that there are better firearms on the market (especially
for the price). Heck I can even remember the issues I had with my service rifle
on the range and thinking to myself at the time “how do they expect this to
hold up in the field?” It has become pretty clear that while the name remains
near the top of the echelon, the actual firearms that are being produced fall
far short of that reputation.
While
there is no hard evidence to back up this assertion, it seems as though this is
a significant contributing factor to the ongoing financial struggles that Colt
continues to face. With contracts being cut and a variety of other options in
the civilian marketplace, Colt is finding it difficult to compete and remain
financially solvent. The current bankruptcy mumblings have been part of the everyday
operations of the company for the past decade and now might finally be the time
when the hammer falls.
The
poorly structured company has nearly exhausted their resources even going so
far as mortgaging many of the patents that the company holds. When the reserves
are depleted and the revenue streams begin to dwindle down to a trickle, it won’t
be long before the company faces the inevitable. While I don’t want to see the
company go under, at some point you have to come to the realization that maybe
it is for the best. The products they are putting out into the marketplace are
not Colt quality like production runs in the past. It might be time for them to
step aside.
Given
the power that the name and brand still holds in the mind of consumers, even a
bankruptcy will not spell the end for Colt. It is almost guaranteed that the
brand will meet the same fate at Springfield Armory and be reborn in a
completely different company and corporate configuration. It may not be a bad
way to go.
Over
the year I have come across a variety of lower receivers. Some of them have
been high quality while others have been more along the lines of a basic lower.
However, in my experience, I can’t say that I have ever had a bad receiver. Doesn’t
mean that they don’t exist but maybe, based on the experiences of others, I
have just been lucky.
Today,
if you go online or walk into a local gun shop, you can usually find a wide
variety of receivers to choose from. Just in my area, there are at least a
couple of dozen different brands that I can chose from by visiting just a
handful of stores. And they vary greatly in price ranging from around $40 all
the way up to around $250. This is just for the stripped lower and nothing
else.
Of
course, this is in stark contrast to the environment that we faced a couple of
years ago. For those of you unfamiliar, with the legislative battle raging in
Washington, all of the lower receivers dried up and the prices (at most but not
all places) on the ones that you could find went through the roof. Basically,
you were lucky if you could find one at three times the current price.
But
that ebb had given way to flow and there are countless options on the market.
However, these movements are cyclical which is why I recommend going to the
local shop now and picking up at least one. $40 plus transfer/pics is a heck of
a lot better than $120-200 during a panic. If you can, pick up a bunch of them.
Not only is it a good item to get while you can but it is a heck of a lot of
fun to build a rifle.
The
first thing you need to do is get a stripped lower. While you can find polymer
ATI lowers for around $40 and Tennessee Arms hybrid lowers for around the same
price it is well worth the extra $5 to pick up either an Anderson or Palmetto
State Armory forged lower. Polymer and hybrid lowers have their place in light weight builds and sometimes there is some money to be saved during sales but
for general builds, especially the first few times around, forged is the better
way to go.
Anderson
and PSA are quality manufacturers that provide the no frills lowers that just
work. The same can pretty much be said for those made by DPMS and Spikes
Tactical… which are slightly higher quality but are about double the price.
While there many billet lowers on the market I don’t have any direct experience
with them so any opinion would be useless. However, given the quality and
precision machining of the billet class I would reserve them for higher end
builds and those looking to but tens of thousands of rounds through their AR
annually. Forged would suffice but billet is made for these roles.
I
have heard and read countless opinions from a variety of sources of one company
being better than another but, honestly, for the enthusiast there aren’t enough
differences to justify the price jump. Polymer has its place and billet lowers
have their place, for everything else a basic forged lower will do just fine. No
matter what you decide, enjoy the process of building, of creating something
with your own hands, and learn from the process. There is no better way to
learn about a platform than building a rifle from the ground up. And while you’re
at it, pick up a few extra lowers and put them aside for later.
When
it comes to firearms the federal government is very concerned with color. It
seems as though they are obsessed with how something looks rather than taking a
closer look at what it actually is. The most prevalent obsession is about black
rifles in which they clump together all kinds of firearms, attribute
fantastical powers to them, and don’t bother looking at the actual functionality
of the various semi-automatic platforms. This is an ongoing problem that
continues to bother many of us as the claims made are false and the solution
that these “lawmakers” have is to strip away the rights from everyone.
Now
many politicians are focusing on a different color… green. And I am not
referring to environmental issues. They are determined to prohibit the sale of
green tip ammunition which, not so coincidentally, is used primarily in the
AR15 (“black rifle”) platform. The increased popularity of the AR pistol
platform seems to have provided the impetus for the ATF’s proposed ban just as
it did for the recent opinion released by the ATF that the Sig Brace can no
longer be shouldered. In reality, anyone who thinks that an AR pistol can be
concealed as a handgun has never bothered to consider the facts in that scenario.
However, there is huge hole in the ‘logic’ behind this proposal as was outlined by Robert Farago on TheTruthAboutGuns.org:
“Mark Glaze [Executive Director of Every Town For Gun
Safety] wants American gun owners to use ammunition that doesn’t
pierce the “bulletproof” vests of police officers, but the fact of the matter
is that any commercially available 5.56 ammunition will do that same job. The
vests worn by cops simply aren’t designed to stop rifle rounds… Nor is there
any ammunition in the intermediate or large rifle caliber range that will fail
to penetrate a Level IIA vest. .308 Winchester? .30-06 Springfield? 7.62×39?
All of these calibers will pass straight through a “bulletproof” vest, no
matter what kind of projectile is used — “armor piercing” or not.”
Yes, this is the same Mark Glaze that made the following
confession last year to The Wall Street Journal shortly after resigning as
the executive director of former New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg’sMayors
Against Illegal Guns: “Mr. Glaze said the
movement hasn’t solved one of its signature problems: Many mass shootings
wouldn’t have been stopped by tighter regulations proposed by gun-control
advocates, even if they might have prevented other gun crimes.”
The ATF’s proposal really isn’t about the banning of a popular
surplus ammunition, this is the back end work that continues to happen in order
to limit the availability of ammunition for this platform. While it may be seen
as a leap in logic for some to see this as an affront to our rights, when
looking at the larger picture the common motivation is quite clear... they are
trying out flank the banning of the AR platform since their direct assault
failed. And, as Glaze has previously admitted, any legislation that does pass
will not satiate the emotional fervor that they, and other similar groups, have
instilled in many people. These types of policies just don’t work!
When
Sig Sauer originally started producing the Sig Brace they insisted that
reviewers, especially those on YouTube, not shoulder the brace so that the ATF
wouldn’t get their feelings hurt. The brace was designed with a specific
purpose at its inception in that it would assist those unable to shoulder an
AR-15 by allowing them to put the brace on a pistol length platform and wrap the
brace around their forearm allowing for one handed operation. Since the ATF was
fine with people shouldering an unaltered pistol, the brace was frequently
being employed as a means to circumvent NFA requirements and making AR pistols
function similarly to the highly regulated short barrel rifle.
The
Sig Brace even came with (and probably still does) a letter from the ATF securing
the legality of the brace and the multiple purposes that it serves. Everything
was fine for a while but as soon as the first video was posted of the brace
being shouldered, the letters to the ATF came pouring in. The astounding thing
is that these correspondences were not from the registration and regulation
happy crowd, they were from law abiding gun owners basically asking the federal
agency if they were really really sure that shouldering was okay.
Well
finally the ATF had enough and like most people in politics they decided to flip flop and declare that the shouldering of the brace was no longer allowed.
That’s right, we had a good thing going and we are the ones that screwed it all
up. So now we are going to have to wait and see if Sig Sauer decides to fight
the ruling and eventually we will find out if the ATF will reverse their
decision again.
But,
for the time being, here are four simple words for some of the gun owners out
there: “Shut The Heck Up!”
Of
course, there are many of us that see the Bureau of Always Totally Fudged more
as a waste of money rather than an effective means of regulation. After all,
who are they really regulating anyway? That’s right, it is the law abiding gun
owner (some obviously a little too overzealous in their caution) not the ones
that would use any of the NFA items in a nefarious way. The $200 tax stamp,
extra paper work, and additional background checks are only ensuring that they
know where all the legal firearms are and doing nothing to remove them from the
hands of criminals.
Given
that this is the 556th post I thought it appropriate to dedicate
this time writing about the AR15 (chambered in 5.56mm NATO) again. I was first
exposed to this platform and round when I was 20 years old and on the firing
line at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. I had started shooting only a couple of
years prior during my year in Vermont when I would take my 7mm Magnum bolt
action Savage up on an old ski hill and aim for small targets we would set up
in the slope. Given the kick that I had become accustom to, the M4 (military
version of the AR15) was a bit surprising when I first pulled the trigger.
The
light recoil and surprisingly simple design of the AR15 has made the rifle (and
sometimes pistol) hugely popular in the civilian market. Additionally, the
ability to customize the firearm has encouraged a confidence in shooters to
adjust the rifle to fit both their needs and their personal ergonomics. This platform
has given birth to a varied accessory industry which includes companies like Magpul,
Mako (FAB Defense),
Geissele,
and countless others. All offering something a little different and appealing
to different people. Of course, the low recoil cartridge also affords one the
flexibility to change a lot of things too.
When
you take your AR to the range it is not just about the performance of the
firearm or how good of a shot you are. Many times the discussion revolves
around the accessories you are using and customization that you have done to
your rifle. This is why many debates are started not about who is the better
shot but rather what the best parts and accessories to put on your AR. However,
there are also many of us that use a variety of parts from numerous companies
to create the best possible fit and performance in our hands.
While
I think he would be amused by these kinds of conversations, I don’t think this
is what Eugene Stoner
envisioned when he created the AR and the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. At the same
time, he was trying to make the best rifle possible and all we are doing is
customizing his ingenious design. After all, the only thing that we are working
on is aesthetics and basic functionality improvements… the heart of the rifle,
the means by which it operates, remains the same. The ease by which this can be
accomplished may be the most brilliant aspect of Stoner’s design.
When
it comes to firearms, the lack of education in this country is astounding. While
the raging liberals want to paint us as the ‘uneducated hicks’, it is all too
apparent that these people are the ones that have failed to educate themselves.
In fact, when it comes to firearms safety and general knowledge, it is safe to
say that we are heading toward what Mike Judge called an ‘idiocracy’.
Recently,
examples have been floating around the internet and across social media sites
making astoundingly stupid statement accompanied with the hashtag “gunsense”.
These nonsensical holophobes have been spewing skewed statements in an effort
to sway the uneducated. Below are the top three ridiculous posts that seemed to
have gained irrational traction:
A “Full Auto” Bolt Carrier Group is legal!
Just
because you put a loud muffler on your Honda Civic doesn’t mean that it is a
race car! If you bother to look at the design of the AR-15 (semi-auto) vs that
of the M16 (auto) you will know that the bolt carrier group (BCG) is not what
determines whether the gun can fire in full auto. A ‘full auto’ BCG is simply a
reinforced version of the standard AR15 BCG. There are many other parts that
are needed to turn an AR15 into an M16 as can be seen in the following
comparison diagram:
Please
also note that such a conversion is HIGHLY illegal and the ATF will put you in
prison for doing so.
What does AK-47 mean?
Mikhail
Kalashnikov (K) designed an automatic (A) rifle for the
Soviet Union in 1947 (47). As it is officially known in
the Soviet documentation as Avtomat
Kalashnikova (AK) and it was designed in 1947 (47) the rifle was assigned the
designation AK-47. Also note that the models that you see in gun shops are NOT
automatic rifles, they are semi-automatic. While legal in many states,
automatic rifles are highly regulated and inordinately expensive.
What does 10/22 mean?
Unless
you have a large bore rifle and 22 people lined up in a row, this is simply not
happening. All you have to do is look up 10/22 on Wikipedia and you can figure
out what the 10/22 designation really means:
“The Ruger 10/22 is a semi-automatic rimfire rifle
chambered in .22 Long Rifle. It has a removable 10-round rotary magazine which
allows the magazine to fit flush with the bottom of the stock.”
Well,
I can’t expect people to be logical so let me break it down for you… the rifle
ships from the factory with a standard 10 round magazine (10) and is chambered
in 22LR (22). Put them together and you get the designation 10/22.
This
is the same kind of crap that has been bandied about for years but now the
dissemination of such falsehoods is accelerated by the ignorance found on the
internet. It is this kind of crap that pushes countries into a nanny state where even knives are being regulated. The solution is not to inflame ignorance
and strip the rights away from law abiding gun owners. The problem lies within
the people who do not value life and in those who refuse to assign blame for
heinous acts on the individual rather than inanimate objects. Fix the people, educate
the public, and change the way these acts are perceived and you will find the
results that you desire.
In New Jersey, this could become an "assault weapon".
The
Brady Campaign might have to adjust their rankings as New Jersey could be moving
up as the state with the third most restrictive firearms laws and into the
second position if the current legislation is passed in the State Senate. As reported in the New Jersey Star Ledger, on Monday, “The state Senate’s Law
and Public Safety Committee today voted 3-2 along party lines to approve the
legislation (A2006), which lowers the allowed size from 15 rounds to 10. The
bill has been kicking around the Legislature since 2012 as one of several dozen
pushed in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Ct. But
while it has already passed the Assembly twice, this is the first time it has
advanced in the state Senate.”
For
those proponents of these ridiculous restrictions this is a clear victory in
the limiting of the second amendment rights of New Jersians. However, the
expansive wording found in the legislation underlines a clear misunderstanding
of firearms and the manpower needed to enforce such harsh restrictions. Case in
point, is how the term “assault weapon” is defined….
Since
the legislation covers both detachable and fixed magazines, it has the effect
of banning popular, low-caliber rifles.
The
Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs gave the draft legislation to
top firearms experts in the country to determine what guns would fall under the
expanded ban.
They
discovered that the bill would affect tube-fed, semi-automatic rifles because
the magazine cannot be separated from the gun.
Thus,
the experts found that at least 43 common rifles would suddenly be considered a
prohibited “assault firearm,” such as the .22 caliber Marlin Model 60,
Remington Nylon 66 and Winchester 190.
Just
having one such gun would turn a law-abiding owner into a felon overnight.
We are not just talking about the AR-15 debate anymore which, by
the way, they do not meet the actual definition of “assault weapon” either. So,
now that we have that bastardization of the term out of the way, let’s discuss
the actual evolution of the term “assault weapon”. Actually, it all began with
a completely different term, “assault rifle”.
During World War II, Adolf Hitler personally chose the
name "Sturmgewehr" (literally, "storm rifle", translated in
English as "assault rifle") to describe the first (the Sturmgewehr 44)
of a new class of small arm, which combined the characteristics of a carbine, submachine
gun and automatic rifle. A half-decade earlier the propaganda-friendly term
"Sturmgeschütz" ("storm gun") was similarly invented and
applied to certain armored military vehicles, turretless tank chassis mounting
artillery intended for direct fire support. Otherwise, in English, use of the
term "assault weapon" was restricted, prior to the 1980s, to naming
certain minor military weapons systems, for example, the Rifleman's Assault
Weapon, an American grenade launcher developed in 1977 for use with the M\16
assault rifle. More information and misinformation can be found on Wikipedia.
It wasn’t until later years that the definition was
expanded, beginning with politicians in California in 1985, to incorporate the
semi-automatic classifications and magazine restrictions of 20 rounds and the
creation of a term, without definition, “assault weapon”. Basically, it was a
means to lump in all firearms they deemed “scary looking” and to rally liberal
support of restrictions on the second amendment. However, even this terminology
is shaky to this day as “assault weapon” and “assault rifle” are seen as
interchangeable when, in reality, they are separate terms. “Assault weapon” is
still a term floating in the realm of rhetoric… it is basically a slogan
relegated to the island of undefined terms. “Assault rifle”, including the
definition above, is a fully automatic rifle chambered in an intermediate
cartridge. You can get a better understanding of this whole dichotomy on the
website “The Truth About Assault Weapons”.
The current actions of New Jersey politicians are a clear
example of the slippery slope that all Second Amendment supporters have been
dreading. And, since we are using completely made up terms anyway, moving
forward I will see these actions in New Jersey and other right repressing
states as assault legislation. Because while a hunk of steel cannot harm anyone
without a person imposing their will upon it, a piece of legislation written on
paper cannot harm anyone without politicians imposing their will upon it and upon
the people. That is the real assault that is happening in the world today.
In
honor of the Eugene Stoner’s birthday (the engineer behind the AR-15) which I mentioned yesterday in my post about the assassination of President and NRA member John F. Kennedy I have decided, after numerous requests, to post an
AR-15 parts list. Not just a simple list of what you need to get but a list of
some of the prices I have seen over the past couple of months in order to build
a budget rifle. I will tell you the websites and the lowest prices I have seen
but I am not going to link to the product page as many of the dollar amounts
have changed.
Of
course, there are a few things to keep in mind with this list. While these are
sale prices that I have seen during different moments may not be available now,
you must be patient and wait as these parts will go on sale again for the same
price or lower (I have no idea what Black Friday will bring). The quotes below
do not take into account shipping or transfer costs (I am not even going to try
and calculate that in as a factor). In addition to this list, there are tools
that you would need to purchase to build the firearm and certain things that
you may want to have a trained gunsmith work on rather than doing it yourself.
Lastly,
keep it legal. Don’t build something in such a way that it would be deemed
illegal (if you don’t like the laws in your state move). Make sure you go
through your local FFL when you purchase your lower receiver. And, generally speaking,
don’t be an idiot. You are building a firearm and you need to respect that
fact.
For
those of you keeping track that brings the total up to $425 compared to an off
the rack rifle (new) which would cost you a minimum of $650 plus the additional
tax put on complete firearms. This part list will complete the most basic of
rifles but, if put together correctly, will function as good as or better than
a basic AR that would cost you a minimum of $225 more. But, as I stated before,
it takes patience both in waiting for the right price for parts but also in
putting all the pieces together. It is not a complicated process but one that
should be given your full attention.
However,
be forewarned, I have seen people get carried away with their builds which is
not that hard to do. Start with the basics. If you want to switch out parts
later than go ahead. For now, you don’t need that $250 Geissele trigger in your
first build. Keep it simple. Simple works. The last thing you want to do is
build a FUBAR rifle.
Fifty years ago today the world stopped as President
Kennedy’s motorcade sped through the streets of Dallas in a futile effort to
save his life. It is one of those moments that becomes seared into the minds of
those who lived through it much like 9/11 will forever haunt my generation. It
makes you look at the world a little differently when you see the pattern of
tragedy and the regularity of its occurrence in our history.
Whether it is a single life lost or the lives of many, they
are all equally tragic and the questions will still stumble from the tips of
our tongues about what we could have done differently. There will always be
people unwilling to accept the reality of tragedy and there will be ones who go
too far in the emotional response to such heinous acts. However, one thing we
should keep in mind as we attempt to cope and recover is that we can’t rely on
others for answer.
As President Kennedy said, “Conformity is the jailer of
freedom and the enemy of growth.”
If
you come to the same conclusion as others after searching yourself and finding
what makes sense in your own mind that is one thing but simply accepting the
suppositions of others without the effort of original thought is what President
Kennedy warned us about. Simply going along with the crowd does not make us
free, in fact it makes us unable to grow both as individuals and as a nation.
Agreement isn’t enough without the ability to offer your own means of drawing
that conclusion.
Such
has been the case in recent years with the frequent calls for gun control, the
same lobbying that occurred in the wake of President Kennedy’s assassination.
Why is it that in the past fifty years we have learned about every detail of
one man’s life but we refuse to learn about society and the murderous motivations
of people? Why are we so willing to glorify one man for his accomplishments but
unwilling to condemn one coward for his actions? JFK didn’t make every Irish
Catholic a Saint so why does a person who commits a murder with a firearm make
every firearm owner a criminal?
I
have read the articles leveraging this anniversary of mourning as a call to
action for more gun control which is why I have made the statements above. But this
is also a day of great contradiction which makes me wonder how well informed some
of the antigun people are as today marks the birthday of Eugene Morrison Stoner who was born on this day
in 1922 (we will celebrate his birthday tomorrow). For those of you who don’t
know, Stoner was the genius behind the AR-15 platform which was designed just
eight years before the world went silent.
So, on the same day that we
mourn a great loss we also celebrate a tremendous innovation. Well, some of us
mark the birthday of Stoner while other, those filled with hate, would rather
eliminate this many from the history books. Kennedy and Stoner, one really has
nothing to do with the other beyond a simple date… just like the actions of one
deranged man has nothing to do with the rest of us.
...On the fifteenth day of this
seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the L-RD. -Leviticus 23:34
Tonight
marks the beginning of Jewish camping season, also known as the holiday of
Sukkot. This is also the opportunity for some Jews to let their inner MacGyver
(or MacGoyim) out… if you have wandered around Brooklyn or Jerusalem during
this holiday you know what I am talking about. It is a time when we construct
makeshift shelters, or booths, where we spend time eating all of our meals and
spend time in reflection, prayer, and togetherness. In stark contrast to the
somber observance of Yom Kippur five days ago, this is a holiday filled with
joyous celebration.
You will dwell in booths for seven
days; all natives of Israel shall dwell in booths. -Leviticus 23:42
The
holiday of Sukkot has a dual significance: historical and agricultural. Historically, Sukkot commemorates the forty-year period
during which the children of Israel were wandering in the desert, living in
temporary shelters. Agriculturally, Sukkot is a harvest festival and is sometimes
referred to as the Festival of Ingathering. In this regard, the holiday takes
on a Thanksgiving quality familiar to all Americans.
On the first day, you will take for
yourselves a fruit of a beautiful tree, palm branches, twigs of a braided tree
and brook willows, and you will rejoice before the L-RD your G-d for seven
days. -Leviticus 23:40
In recognition of the fall harvest,
we demonstrate our appreciation for all the gifts that we have been given to
sustain us. The four spices that are used in prayer and practice during this
holiday consist of the etrog which is a citrus fruit found in Israel (similar
to a lemon), a palm branch, two willow branches, and three myrtle branches. All
the branches are bound together to form the lulav which refers to the largest
of the components, the palm branch. The etrog stands alone. With all spices in
hand, we recite a blessing for the holiday and wave them all in six directions
(north, south, east, west, up, and down) to represent the fact that G-d is
omnipresent.
Lulav? Check. Etrog? Check. Tallit? Check. AR-15? Check. Yep, everything is ready for Sukkot!
The
two meanings, or common explanations, behind this combination is put succinctly on the Judaism 101 site which states:
“Why are these four plants used instead of other plants?
There are two primary explanations of the symbolic significance of these
plants: that they represent different parts of the body, or that they represent
different kinds of Jews.
“According to the first interpretation, the long straight
palm branch represents the spine. The myrtle leaf, which is a small oval,
represents the eye. The willow leaf, a long oval, represents the mouth, and the
etrog fruit represents the heart. All of these parts have the potential to be
used for sin, but should join together in the performance of mitzvot
(commandments).
“According to the second interpretation, the etrog, which
has both a pleasing taste and a pleasing scent, represents Jews who have
achieved both knowledge of Torah and performance of mitzvot. The palm
branch, which produces tasty fruit, but has no scent, represents Jews who have
knowledge of Torah but are lacking in mitzvot. The myrtle leaf, which has a
strong scent but no taste, represents Jews who perform mitzvot but have little
knowledge of Torah. The willow, which has neither taste nor scent, represents
Jews who have no knowledge of Torah and do not perform the mitzvot. We bring
all four of these species together on Sukkot to remind us that every one of
these four kinds of Jews is important, and that we must all be united.”
Those
are the broad strokes of the holiday but what does it mean to me?
Not
only is this a holiday to give thanks for everything that G-d has provided us
with, it is also a time to be humble in our surroundings and realize that when
you strip everything else away we are all quite similar. Every sukkah is different
and many demonstrate a distinct personality of the family or individual but the
basic dimensions and requirements are the same. Some do the minimum, some pimp
their temporary crib. It is all up to us.
When
I stop to consider what we are remembering, 40 years wandering in the desert,
this is when I am truly moved, humbled, and left with a greater appreciation of
those in my life as well as a hope for the future. We all find ourselves lost
or wandering at some point in our lives. Whether it is spiritually, physically,
emotionally, or simply trying to get through life (maybe trying to find a job)
we are all wanderers for some period of time. Some of us take multiple journeys
during our days while others may be fortunate to only have a brief delay.
What
we have to remember during these lost times is that we have all we really need
in our lives if we just open our eyes. We have our family, friends, and a
desire to keep moving forward in our search. But maybe what might be more
important is that, like our ancestors wandering in the desert, we must keep in
mind that all journeys, all trials of our will, come to an end at some point.
We have to keep pushing. We must remain determined to improve our lives and to
reach the promised land. Hope is what we need to fulfill the potential that G-d
has instilled in all of us.
