This is my favorite poem. It is so thought provoking but simple. We are here for a short time. After we pass away, what will people say about us? THE DASH- By Linda Ellis I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning to the end. He noted first came the date of the birth and spoke the following date with tears. But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between the years. For that dash represents all the time that they spent life on Earth. And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own, the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash. So, think about this long and hard. Are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real, and always try to understand the way other people feel. And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more, and love the people in our lives like we've never loved before. If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while. So, when your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?

3 years after my nephew Matthew Perna had killed himself, one of the FBI agents showed up at my brother's house with Matthew's clothing that had been taken from his home when he was arrested for Jan 6. The agent couldn't return them to Matthew's Dad's house because he died a few months before. So, instead, they found his uncle's house to bring the clothing. This was EXTREMELY PAINFUL for my brother. He honestly couldn't find the words to speak in that moment. He simply took the clothes and cried. When he called me to tell me what happened, I FOUND THE WORDS. I tracked that agent down at the Pittsburgh office and gave him an earful. He told me how bad he felt about Matthew. He told me he didn't think the DOJ would go that far, to the point of Matthew losing every last ounce of hope. I asked him WHY he felt the need to bring this extremely painful memory to my brother, as we were and still are grieving the loss of our nephew. He said that he was just following orders. He also said that he didn't believe that J6 was the insurrection it was made out to be. I said so, even if you think something is wrong, and the agency you work for tells you to do it, you do it? He started to cry. He genuinely felt bad about his part in arresting Matthew. He felt even worse that he had to face my brother holding Matthew's clothes. I told him that perhaps the FBI isn't the place he shoud be working. Maybe he should choose a new career path that doesn't involve actions that destroy people's lives, especially when his conscience tells him what he's doing is wrong. I don't doubt that his tears were genuine. But his remorse came too late for Matthew, and it couldn't undo the pain he brought to my brother's doorstep that day. There comes a point when "I was just following orders" no longer explains anything. It's an admission that you chose obedience over your own conscience. Matthew never got a second chance at life. That agent still has a chance to decide what kind of man he wants to be. And I hope he never forgets the sight of my brother standing in his doorway, holding the clothes of a nephew he loved and would never see again. @SteveBakerUSA @SteveFriend @GOBactual @KyleSeraphin @PhillipAKennedy

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