The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

I had a rather surreal experience over the weekend. Before I delve into what happened, I'll provide some backstory.  In 1996, when I was 15 years old and a sophomore in high school, I was introduced to a musician, via 101.9 The Edge in Omaha, who actually spoke to me. That musician was none other than Marilyn Manson. You can read the more detailed reason(s) why his music and interviews connected with me in a blog I'll provide here in parentheses ( https://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/2021/01/how-music-saved-my-life.html ), but I'll now give you the condensed version of events. In the summer of '89, when I was just 8 years old, a babysitter, big-brother type, and I thought friend, stopped by to play Ice Hockey with me on the original Nintendo. My mom was away at Vacation Bible School; my brother was at a friend's; and my dad was in the basement, watching television. While my babysitter and I were playing the game, I won't go into details here, but he s...

A cousin and friend of mine recently died from suicide via overdose. Upon his passing, I wrote him this. An Ode to Jason Just one more hit Won't be the end of it Just one more taste Mustn't go to waste I breathe life in Through a loaded pipe Exhaling problems Tossing them to the side I snort some magic In powder form The pain vanishes I need some more I insert medicine The doctor never prescribed Take me away from today Take me away from this life Saddened to see you leave I breathe life in Hoping the pain has left You'll be forever missed.

I've been struggling with the recent passing of a good friend of mine on multiple fronts. Yes, I suppose this is common with the grieving process, but it feels different this time.  It's said that the grieving process is divided into 5 stages: 1) Denial, 2) Anger, 3) Bargaining, 4) Depression, and 5) Acceptance. Oddly enough, I've just been going back and forth between stages 2 and 4. I've never been in denial about my friend's passing; don't really believe in a higher power, so it's unlikely I'll attempt to bargain with any alleged entity; and I've accepted his death. So, I just keep going back and forth between depression and anger, anger and depression, sometimes a bizarre mix of the two.  My seemingly unorthodox grieving process has come at odds with others' more traditional means of grieving, and this has made things progressively more difficult for me. At 19-years-of-age my friend came out as gay, and while he was readily accepted by most p...

I received a kind, thoughtful, unexpected gift the other day. It's amazing how such gestures can affect a person. He or she might be going through a funk; may have just received some bad news; or the cold winter weather could be negatively impacting their mood. For another to reach out, unexpectedly, and make them feel as if others do listen and care, is meaningful beyond words. I can't thank this person enough. Given how this kind, thoughtful, unexpected gesture impacted me, I challenge all of my readers to reach out to a person you haven't seen/spoken to for a while and provide them with a gesture to bring a smile to their face. It doesn't have to be anything expensive or fancy. Just do something to let them know you care and I'm certain it'll make their day. Hopefully we can continue to pay-it-forward in the new year to bring light, hope, and joy to others. Cheers!

Like every holiday season, it was hectic and draining this year. Many presents were opened. A lot of food was eaten. A number of people called for the family to do shots. Movies and football were watched. Music was played. Laughs were had. There was one moment, however, which stood out from the rest this past Christmas season. A family member of mine had alienated himself from the rest of the family for the past 10-15 years. I hadn't seen this individual for roughly 8 or 9 years. After hearing about an awful accident this person was involved in, I wondered to myself if we'd ever see each other and interact again. I thought, "Was it really worth it? The grudge(s) which prevented you from spending time with the family?" That's one thing that's always struck me about grudges. None of us know full well when our time will come in this life, so if tragedy strikes either us or an individual to whom we've given the silent treatment for years, how much regret wi...

It's common this time of year to sit back and reflect on one's life. Between taking a moment to illustrate gratitude on Thanksgiving; spreading joy, love, and gifts on Christmas; and starting anew on New Year's Day, this is the time of year many of us look back at the year that was, and look ahead to the year that we hope will be. That self-reflection has been kicked up a notch for me this year, as just prior to the holidays, someone very close to me's father passed away unexpectedly. This struck an immediate sadness and fear inside me, recognizing that one day, whether I wanted to admit it or not, that was going to be my mother and/or father. That was going to be me. So as I spent time with family over Thanksgiving weekend, I really tried to savor the moments I had with them. Moving forward, I'm going to try to never take them for granted. I'm going to try to keep in better touch. I'm going to try to forever remain thankful for their love and support. I f...

Sadly, someone very close to my family and I passed away today. He was my son's maternal grandfather. His family is struggling with finances and is need of some help for his cremation. This family means a great deal to me. Any donation, no matter how much it is, would be greatly appreciated. Every little bit helps. Thank you. https://www.gofundme.com/dad039s-final-rest?fbclid=IwAR0pO12eE7B8aR2QLCjZFFOcu4vdflnYd89LOmvWMvrE4q8557705HrGlqo

Just a week or so ago, I was informed that an uncle of mine had been involved in a serious motorcycle accident. Broken bones, deep bruises, staples in the skull and all, it sounds as though he'll be okay when all is said and done. Sadly, I had to hear about this news through the grapevine, as this very uncle of mine has kind of alienated himself from the rest of the family over the past decade (or so). I always worried about something like this happening - that he or another family member would get seriously injured or, worse yet, killed, and he'd be forever left with guilt, allowing grudges to be thicker than blood. For as awful as this incident had to be, I sincerely hope it was a wake-up call to him and that the family can be united once again due to it. Regardless, I wish him a full and speedy recovery. Trust me, no matter how awful the disagreement may have been, it's never worth sacrificing your entire history, relationship over said grudge. Life is short. We ne...

About a week and a half ago I spent a weekend with a Trump-voting family. At no time did I bring up politics, even when the subject was broached by a member of said family. I just listened and came away with these observations: - The family came across as quite welcoming. - Simple people. I don't mean that in a bad way. They just didn't require much to be content. If the Thesaurus gods were aware of them, they'd be the first listing for antonym under the term  high-maintenance . - It appeared as though one was highly reluctant on staying tuned in to the every day happenings in the country, let alone the world, and the other was satisfied getting his/her news from Facebook. - They came across as educated in general, but ignorant when it came to the world of politics (one of them at least). - Their favorite word appeared to be  taxes . - Oddly enough, it seemed as if they have received governmental assistance for quite some time. - Without rationalization, both ...

I've always found it ironically comical that the Republican Party brands itself as the party of Christianity/God, high morals/ethics, family values, etc., for their actions and devolving beliefs run directly contrary to those very labels. Take the latest such poll to showcase this. It was conducted by The Daily Beast/IPSOS  and revolves around the Trump administration's zero-tolerance immigration policy. In the survey, participants were to mark their approval or disapproval based on this statement: "It is appropriate to separate undocumented immigrant parents from their children when they cross the border in order to discourage others from crossing the border illegally." Here's how some of the results broke down: Approval Overall: 27% (56% disapproval) Democrats: 14% Independents: 29% Republicans: 46% (32% disapproval) That's right; Republicans scored at a net +14%, while the general population scored at a net -29%, a difference of a whopping 43 ...

I have a 5-year-old Siberian Husky rescue named Lexi. She's my third husky, fourth dog overall, and although I might be a tad biased, I think she may be the best dog ever. Huskies are typically great dogs. They're: Full of energy; always in the puppy stage; great with kids; force their owners to give them exercise and attention, improving their health in the process; and tend to see everyone as their best friend. Having said all this, though, huskies are also typically not the most loyal bunch of dogs and are rather notorious for being escape artists. My second husky, the biggest of the three, still found a way to work her Houdini act on numerous occasions, where she'd dig under the backyard fence and roam about the neighborhood. My first husky wasn't so eager to leave the backyard, yet if a strong wind knocked the gate or a door open, she was off to the races. They had starkly different personalities, as one was fearful of walking down to the basement and ran outside...

Like a lot of people around this time of year, I'll be spending a lot of time with friends and family over the coming few days, so just in case I'm unable to write in that time-frame, I thought I'd send a "yuge" Happy Holidays shout-out to all of my readers, listeners, and followers (of the cyber-stalking variety). So, Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you have a fun, safe, and (relatively) drama-free holiday weekend! Remember, if a relative starts to spew Trump, don't hesitate to dump eggnog on them! 'Tis the season, or something...

As is typical for me around this time of year, I've been spending a lot of time with family around the holidays. My brother, sister-in-law, and niece will be flying this way around Christmas, and as always, I'm incredibly excited to see them. While I love my niece dearly, however, I was quite thankful she wasn't with my family and I on Thanksgiving. When it comes to family, I consider myself very lucky. Sure, there always appears to be some unnecessary drama, not to mention a couple of individuals whom have all been alienated themselves from the rest of the family. What family isn't a little dysfunctional, though? When we're together, chances are we're talking, laughing, eating, drinking, and having a good time. While we find a way to make the diverse mix of constants work together, however, the wild cards are always the cousins' boyfriends/girlfriends, and last month, one such individual prompted me to say thanks for my niece to not be potentially placed ...

As Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'll be spending a great deal of time with friends and family over the next few days and will be unable to write much, I thought I'd wish all my readers/listeners/followers a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are all able to travel safely, share several smiles and laughs with loved ones, avoid political debate at the dinner table, and see a light at the end of the tunnel as you reflect and realize for what all you're thankful. Have a great weekend! Take care.

Due to the numerous tweets I posted yesterday on the trending hashtag #TrumpSuperpowers, my Twitter account was quite abuzz (https://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki). This was especially the case with regard to the following tweet: "Bashing gay marriage & immigrants after being married three times, twice to immigrants, all while keeping a straight face #TrumpSuperpowers" While I received hundreds of "likes" and "retweets" in response to this tweet, I also received a handful of negative comments, such as these: - "yur a special level of stupid, arent u? (expletive expletive expletive)" - "There's a huge difference between legal and illegal immigrants, or are you to stupid to know that?" - "Did you forget to use the word 'illegal'?" - "Hey, sh*t fer brains, it's illegal immigrants!" - "At least this man has convictions and is trying to do something!" I didn't bicker with the...

It's been a rough year for my (extended) family and I on the health front. My former uncle passed away in December of 2014. My last grandparent (grandfather on my mom's side) passed away a month later. A long-time friend of mine fell victim to cancer this past summer. Then just last night, I discovered a Great Aunt of mine passed away as well. She was 94. No, none of these passings were all too surprising, but that doesn't make accepting the reality of them any easier. Irene was an incredibly sweet woman, who lived a good, long, and productive life, and will be dearly missed. I sincerely hope the family and I will be able to come together once again in this time of mourning, lean on and support one another, and be able to find a silver lining to these hardships. I also hope we can all try to appreciate the past, the special moments we shared with Irene, and take her many influences with us into the present day and future, for while Irene's physical body may have passed ...

Like a lot of people, I traveled to spend some time with friends and family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We consumed large amounts of food, adult beverages, and football. There were laughs shared, as well as interesting stories, inside jokes, gaffes, like most other family gatherings. As normal as this all may sound, there was one experience over the extended holiday weekend which would be viewed as quite atypical for most people, has sadly become typical for me, and I felt the need to share it. On Wednesday night, like a lot of people, I ventured a local bar and had a few drinks with friends and family. Not five minutes after sitting down, a drunken older lady pointed at me and said, "I know you, right?" to which I simply replied, "Yeah, karaoke." She had seen me sing previously and commented about it to a cousin of mine. She then told a couple guys close to her, as she pointed at me, "He looks like a young Tom Hanks." I'm not sure what I've d...

Well, I'm heading out of town for the holiday to spend it with family. I hope all of my readers have a very fun and safe Thanksgiving weekend! I'll be back Saturday or Sunday and hopefully writing again by Sunday or Monday. Travel safe, eat well, drink plenty, and when a crazy conspiracy-prone drunk uncle attempts to talk politics with you, be sure to grab the list of exit-excuses you have in your pocket and choose wisely!

One thing I've noticed as I age is that holidays tend to lose that spark they once had. It's still highly enjoyable to get together with family over Thanksgiving and Christmas, tell stories, share a few laughs, eat way too much food, drink a bit too heavily, and reflect on life (hopefully not while eating or drinking too much). Over the years, though, perhaps partially due to repetition, a loss of naivete, and reality slowly overtaking one's dreams, many such annual celebrations lose the magic they once possessed. This is especially the case around Christmas. I can remember my younger brother and I staying up all night on Christmas Eve, not being able to sleep due to the excitement we felt about the following morning. Without bothering to bathe or change out of our pajamas, we'd jump out of bed as soon as an adult started walking around the house, would dart for the Christmas tree, and start unwrapping presents at light-speed. After a few years, that level of excitement...

I don't do this very often, but I'm going to come to the defense of two conservatives: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin. Jindal has been the butt of a lot of jokes this week concerning a video where he announced he was going to be running for president, and Palin has received criticism for once again getting pregnant. While I'd be the first to admit that Jindal's video appeared to be a tad on the creepy side, I also prefer how he went about things (minus the video) over how most other candidates go about making such announcements. I thought it was kind of nice that he sat with his family and talked to his kids about his decision, and even went so far as to ask what they thought. I respect that. I don't agree with Jindal on much of anything as far as politics are concerned, but while the video provides material for easy, cheap jokes and laughter, I think people should lay off him for this. It's nice to see a politici...