The Circle of Life, memories, the past and a glimpse of the future.

The opening to Broadway's Lion King was one that immediately teleported me back in time.  I had heard the tribal scream opening a thousand times before followed by laughter of little girls as the sun rose on our tv screen years ago.  We had purchased the VHS tape the Lion King, and it quickly became a favorite of my girls who were all able to sit on my lap.  It also provided some relaxation time for dad if mom happen to be working or out doing some shopping.  I did not mind watching the Lion King particularly since I had reached the point of dreaming of ways I could render extinct a certain purple dinosaur who kept saying he loved me.

Our small house in Ozark, Missouri on a quiet cul-de-sac frequently was full of the sounds of an African jungle and the presentation of the young prince of Pride Rock followed by the laughter of three princesses.  They would dance to Hakuna Matata,  cautiously looked at the screen when Scar was giving Simba the evil eye.  To this day instead of having a deer in headlights moment we describe those type of moments as Simba moments realizing the stampede is coming as the cameras close in on Simba's face and a look of horror comes across the screen.  This movie has been part of my kids lives as much as Superman was for me as a kid.  Simba however was a kid himself, one that they related to, and the life lesson of running from life's troubles or facing them is something that touches every human on the planet.  They would dance, giggle, and applaud as Simba assumes his role as King of Pride Rock and the happily ever after coming full circle as Simba's child was presented at the end of the movie.


As the crowds walked in and the mezzanine and balcony began to fill up at Tulsa Performing Arts Center I snapped a shot of those three princesses sitting next to me eagerly waiting for the curtain to rise on the broadway show.  No longer in my lap, they were three young women all looking forward to the show starting.  For me it was a circle of life moment, you see that night my youngest daughter turned 18 years old and in that moment I related to what Mufasa was saying to Simba when he said there comes a time that you will take your place in the world.  My daughters have all three begun a transition from being under our care to learning their place in the world. 

I am so proud of each of them and who they are becoming, they each are kind and have hearts for others. The realization that my kids are grown is one that is still taking some time to set in as I write these words.  I looked over several times during the play as those three princesses watching eagerly and again it was amazing to see how far we had come together as a family.  I am looking forward to embracing what is ahead with my daughters the joys, the sorrows, and the challenges for them because I believe they know who they are and that God has a plan for each of their lives and that He is making sure that plan comes about. 

If I had a son he would grow up to look like Chris Stevens, American Ambassador in Libya.

Not so long ago, September 11, 2012, there was a 3 a.m.  phone call to the Obama Administration and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that an attack was underway at our American Embassy in Benghazi, Libya.  Inside that embassy were brave Americans and four of them were killed, Christopher Stevens, Tyrone Woods, Glenn Doherty and Sean Smith.

We have been told this week that it happened a long time ago and not now an issue that the current administration is focusing on.  We have been told that the attack was because of an American made video that caused a crowd to riot.  I believe that the current administration was more concerned with a coming election than they were with the facts or sending help to the embassy that had requested it.  

We are a nation of people that serve and for each person that is now serving and who has served in any capacity the words "What difference does it make, Why 4 Americans are dead" uttered by the occupier of the head office  in the State Department rang like a slap in the face.  This quote also shows a person who is so focused on keeping a reputation, rather than doing a job that her capacity to serve in any future office as far as I am concerned is destroyed. 

We now have 3 more brave Americans who claim that they have been threatened with career ending consequences should they cooperate with a congressional investigation, these whistle blowers are testifying now as to their knowledge of the events that evening.  These are also people that are serving that are providing us with a different picture than what has been provided to the American people so far.  

You have to ask yourself if three friends of the Boston Bombers can be charged with covering up the evidence in that bombing that happened during the Boston marathon, what then are we calling what this Administration has done to hide the fact that Al-Qaeda was involved in the attacks in Benghazi.

I believe there will be legal strategies played out, it happened a long time ago, it does not matter now, there will be accusations of Monday morning quarterbacking on what could have been done and that this is all about politics.   The issue however is getting to the truth, and look at what it is taking to get there because we know now that it was not a video as we were told, and our leaders have NOT been forthcoming with the facts.  Abraham Lincoln said, 

"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."

In the end it is about 4 Americans who are now deceased who served this country and anytime an American dies in the line of service asking why always matters, and is never to long ago. 

Darren Stewart