Introduction
W
elcome To The Zoo....A show about Politics, Life and the politics of life, hosted by Kirk Lonidier and James "SHAMROCK JIM" Stacey. This is a new show that will cover everything from:- Free Market Capitalism
- Fishing
- Dating
- Relationships
- Sports
| Take refuge America, you've earned it. |
| I was watching on television last week, and saw that the pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training in Florida and Arizona. Soon the winds will begin to warm and two of the most beautiful words I personally can hear will be said, “Play ball.” Baseball is the Grand American Game, the national pastime, and I always eagerly look forward to it every spring. It’s one of my refuges from the hectic pace of life. I began to wonder how much the average American today takes refuge from the job, from the chores, from life. Today’s world is faster paced, more convoluted with on demand information, and more demanding of every minute of our time. Because of this we have no time for hobbies, recreation, and most importantly family. This, I believe, is an un-mentioned reason why American values have begun to erode. Most of our lives center on our job. Yes I’m talking to you, and you know I’m right. I’m constantly hearing about how “when I leave the office, I’m done with work until the next morning.” But how many times have you gone home for the evening, had your wife, mother, husband, father, whomever ask “how was your day” and you begin on a long spill about what happened and how worked up you are about it? I thought you left the office at the office. It seems you’ve done what you said you would never do and have taken work home with you. Let’s all be real, we all say we do this, but very few of us actually do. When we come home we eat dinner, hopefully with a spouse, parents, or some loved ones but tragically I doubt many families eat dinner together anymore, do some homework with the kids, and go to bed only to rise bright and early the next morning to repeat the whole routine over again. Once the weekend arrives there are chores to do, maintenance to upkeep, and various projects that never seem to get started. No time for hobbies, recreation, or family. A few years ago I decided that I would do my best to actually not take my work home and devote more time to what brings me solace and refuge. I personally have many hobbies; my wife says I’m the king of them. On most weeks, at least one night, I meet up with Shamrock Jim, (yes we are actually friends outside of doing this show together) and we head to the local shooting range to get some trigger time. Ted Nugent has said many times in his various media formats that this is one activity he uses to “recharge his batteries,” and trust me it works beautifully. The constant discipline demands that come with the shooting sports ease my mind, and shooting the hell out of something is a great way to blow off steam. When I’m not doing that, you’ll find me on my drum set swinging away to some great be-bop jazz or slamming the beat to some old school rock. When neither of those is happening I read books, watch documentaries, and peruse selected periodicals so that I may be in a constant state of upgrade in my intellect and knowledge. And then there’s baseball, the Grand American Game. This is possibly one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed. The strategy of match ups of pitchers and hitters and how the defense should be aligned for this particular hitter, the discipline of trying to remember all of the intangibles that go into successfully getting a hit, the fact that the pace is slow and it allows for conversation, and the nuance. Hot dogs, popcorn, beer (if you’re old enough), peanuts, cracker jacks, and singing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch. I can go into a ballpark, which I will be doing during the third week of April in St Louis to see my beloved New York Mets, and I can shut off the world. And best of all, if my team loses, there’s always a game tomorrow. This weekend I implore all of you to take some time out. Go outside and play catch with your kids, your friends, your siblings, anyone. Find something to do as a family and get to know each other again. It doesn’t have to be outdoors, although I would recommend that everyone go outside and get some better air in their lungs. If you don’t want to do that, go back to a hobby you used to love, but you just can’t seem to find the time anymore. I look forward every week to spending at least an hour with you to discuss the news and topics of the day and week. And once the show ends, I immediately go into preparation for the next week. But I learned a long time ago that the worst thing I can do is burn myself out. So I always find time for myself. We should all find time for ourselves and our loved ones. Make the family and our spirits the center of our universe again. Don’t worry the job will be there in the morning. |