Life presents us with several opportunities throughout the duration of our lives. Some people miss those opportunities because of some reason or another. The one reason that can be prevented exists within us. We need to open our eyes, and our minds, to all of the experiences that exist out there. We cannot close these doors before they are ever open, for we will miss some of the most wondrous things life has to offer.

Some of these opportunities may not be as obvious as others. Some may seem too risky, or crazy, to even attempt. Others may be right there in front of us, bright as day, and we never even notice them because we forget to look. Sometimes, we just need to stop thinking for a second, and just start doing. I know, we are taught that rational actions involve proper thought before acting. But, to achieve some types of happiness, you can get caught up in rational thought. One type of happiness is Love.

Maybe we would be protected from the dangers and risks involved with love if we just took a step back to rationally think about what it is we are doing and experiencing. Maybe it is completely irrational to put yourself in such a situation, to experience such high, to only set you up to the hard crash. Then again, most people experience the tragic lows of losing someone they love, and deal with the grief and sadness that follows. These highs and lows in life is what makes life what it is. It is these very things that allows us to live, and experience life to it's fullest; to feel and grow as we age.

What is life without love, or some form of it? Can one truly be happy without feeling love at all? Or would they just become cold and numb, and simply exist? Some people become too damaged from experiencing the loss of a loved one, or being hurt by someone they once loved, to trust anyone enough to leave themselves that vulnerable ever again. Their lives become a sad reality, one that they hate to live within. They hide deep within their emotional shell and hide from everyone, emotionally. By doing this, they are not only protecting themselves from further pain and suffering, they are preventing themselves from experiencing true joy and happiness anymore as well. 

The point I am trying to get at, and this goes beyond simply love, is that to truly experience life, you must be willing to experience all of the highs and the lows that it has to offer. You must be willing to take chances, and get outside of your comfort zone. 

In short, just live life without regrets. Sometimes make thoughtful decisions, and don't act on impulse. But on the same token, don't let your thoughts prevent you from doing something that could potentially make you, and those around you, very happy. Uncertainty isn't always a "bad thing" to feel. In fact, it can feel quite exciting at times. I will just share this last thought with you to help emphasize what I am trying to explain.

Time and time again, I have noticed this re-occurring theme. Whether it is in movies, or from what I have heard from friends and family, they have generally said the same thing. There was something that they had wished they had done when they were younger; they had some regret that they didn't live life the way that they wanted, or had hoped for. I believe that you can think about this in two ways.

The first way is that, yes, you can hold some level of regret or disappointment because life hasn't turned out the way you had hoped for. And maybe there was something that you could have done differently, something you could have changed to make your present existence "better". You can live everyday in the past, and just live the remainder of your days miserably. With thought process, though, you will be missing out on the present, and the life you could be living today. This is similar to when we are younger, we have this problem of always wishing we were older and grown up, and we tend to not enjoy today for what it is, precious. In both instances, we miss out on living.

The second way is to live in the present, and not have any regrets. This approach would make it almost impossible to have, or linger on, regret. You would just be focusing on the here and now, and what can be done to make each day as pleasant and enjoyable as you can. It becomes easier to enjoy the littler, and simpler things in life. You will be able to look back in the past and understand why you took certain actions, and why life turned out the way it did. You will, almost certainly, live a happier, and more fulfilling life this way.

Life is like a invisible river that we exist within. Either we can fight against these natural forces, or we can just go along for the ride. Sometimes, something will come along in our life that may not "fit" in our plans. This could be a surprising job opportunity, or the potential love of your life. The key is keeping your eyes open  to these opportunities, and potentially life-changing events, as well as being willing to take risks. Live your life everyday without regret, understanding that you made the best decision that you could given the circumstances. Few decisions or actions are really crazy or unreasonable once the context surrounding them is understood. Sometimes, you won't even be able to explain to someone else why you did what you did. 

Anyways, I will end this blog post, but I am certain that I will talk about this topic again in the future.

Peace and Love,
-Daryl Simons Jr.

While they do make a good point about fixing our mental health system, I don't think this provides a good enough of a basis for not implementing universal background checks. Even though they claim that the tragedies in Newton and Aurora could not have been prevented if background checks had been implemented, what about all of the cases in which violent criminals/or mentally unstable people legally purchase guns? Back home,a man murdered a bartender in her own home with a concealed pistol -- he did not have any prior violent offenses. Even with that said, he did not sound very mentally stable. If mental health checks of individuals were mandated prior to buying a gun, which could be enforced/included with background checks, that might reduce the levels of gun violence. There is no single solution for this problem.

To all who say that criminals don't obey laws, and that background checks (as well as any other gun laws)will only affect the law-abiding citizens, I will just say this. Using this logic, any laws that are implemented will only be obeyed by "good" citizens, so therefore, are not effective about preventing the very behaviors that the law was created in order to prevent. Under certain circumstances, I can definitely see this as being the case. Marijuana, for example, has been under prohibition, but has that stopped the use of it? Not at all. An all-out ban probably won't solve the gun issue, but regulations would surely help reduce the problem -- background checks, increased penalties on crimes involving guns (especially assault weapons), mental health checks, etc.

As for a ban on assault weapons,my argument for people saying that they need one for self-defense is simple.What average criminal is going to rob you or your house with an M16 or AK47? Considering the harsher penalties imposed upon criminals who use assault weapons vs. those who use non-assault weapons, I highly doubt that you will be robbed by someone carrying one. Or to those saying that you need it to defend yourself against a group of robbers, again, most robberies or muggings are going to consist of just a few people -- it wouldn't logically make sense to mug someone, or their house, with a big group of people; more chance to get caught, and less spoils to divide among each other. So, the only time that I see you being mugged, or attacked, against someone (or many individuals) carrying assault weapons is if you happen to be; a member of a gang, involved in some black-ops type operations, or just angered someone very powerful.

With all of this said, I believe that an all-of-the-above approach would be best suited to deal with this issue. Logical and ethical solutions should be implemented. Public safety/well-being should take precedent over individual joy/happiness when using an assault weapon. In reality, I feel like the NRA and many so-called 2nd Amendment supporters are more upset over the potential loss of fun involved with shootings these types of guns rather than their actual concern over self-defense -- no one is suggesting that pistols, shotguns, or rifles be banned; all of which are sufficiently suited to defend an individual against the vast majority of gun-toting/non-armed criminals. I am glad that mental health is beginning to be addressed again. Remember, Reagan was the one that heavily cut mental health programs in the 80s. Ironically, he was a patron saint of the NRA. Now the NRA is the one pushing to return these very programs.

-Daryl Simons Jr.