The Jemez, too strict?

As seen on my blog I show pictures of the Jemez Mountains. While I do enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds and captivates me I have heard a few negative reports about the Jemez, more directly about the Jemez police department. While I can understand their need to enforce the law I've heard of them fining people for things that most police officers would just give you a verbal warning for. I heard of a situation on 94 Rock's morning show where a caller said he was fined for having taped his rear turn signal on because the plastic where he would normally screw the reflector on had just recently broken. I've also heard of several instances where the fines for speeding tickets were almost twice what they would be in Albuquerque. Like many people I can see where additional money needs to be made to preserve the Jemez, especially during the recession, however that additional money should be made in other ways. While I still recommend that visitors see the Jemez Mountains, especially the hot springs, I would just be very careful of the police department and the rangers.

Fate

There are those who can figure out their carrer path early on and actually see if come to pass, then there's the rest of us. I like so many fall into the latter of that statement. How does one truly prepare to become what they were always meant to be. Is it knowing early on or does it require us to actually have lived our lives to a certain point? This is a question that daunts most of us. I believe we're all just waiting for that cosmic click to go off in our head telling us what god, the universe, or whatever one prescribes to, has destined for us. What do you believe?

New Beginnings

Often life reminds me of how great a new beginning can feel. Sometimes it comes in the form of a new lease on life, and sometimes it comes in different forms such as a new job, relationship, or perhaps even a spiritual awakening that becomes such a vital part of your being that you can't imagine how you ever lived a single day without it.
Unfortunately not everyone waits for a new beginning because such a notion is lost to them. The light of hope has diminished in their lives. I refer to these people as the walking dead. They fill our streets and at times empty our humanity. Before the recession we would just ask the easy question, why can't these lazy bums just find jobs? It has been easy to dismiss there attempts to survive by panhandling by saying well their probably just going to use the money for drugs or alcohol and unfortunately in many, to many cases you would be right.
However we need to remember this one important thing and that is no matter how jaded and cynical we become there are those out there who do genuinely need our help, because they haven't given up hope yet. If this recession has taught us anything it's that poverty and homelessness can happen to anyone. Just because you get hustled by one, or hell even more than one poverty ridden soul who doesn't genuinely want money for food, but rather for substances that further serve to kill them, doesn't mean you should give up on hope as well. Don't allow yourself to give up on your hope that people can be saved. Don't become one of the walking dead.