As a sort of prolog aside, my last blog post was on August 31st, over three months ago. For about 30 days before that, I kept starting blog posts only to realize I had already said what I wanted to say, or rant about, or whine about. Usually, several times. I began to feel like I had told all my stories and made all my comments. It is the feeling I get when Michele stops a story with “Yea, I know,” or “I’ve heard that story,” or – worst of all – corrects the story’s details. Even though this is the most singular election I can remember, it seemed like I had run out of things to say (or somebody else had already said them). It seems that writing about Trump would have made it easier but, with everybody talking about Trump all day, every day, it just didn’t seem like I had anything new. I also felt completely out of step in the facebook-verse with all my facebook friends who were sure that Trump had no chance of winning, posting things like Five ways Trump’s followers are stupid and Twenty things that make Hillary the most qualified candidate ever, when I wanted to post Holly shit, did you see the Republican debates? This guy is good, he destroyed the other Republican candidates and some of them are better campaigners than Hillary. End aside.
The press takes Trump literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally. Some wag, now unknown to me, a couple of weeks ago.
To start with the bottom line, we need a woman president and the world needs for us to have a woman president. Really. We need new ideas, new thinking, we need a more egalitarian society, and more coöperation, we need more feminine energy if the world, as we know it, is going to survive . We need somebody in tune with our long-term survival, like a strict but nurturing mother. I’m not sure that Hillary Clinton would have been that mother but I am sure that Trump, a self-identified world-class Alpha Male, is not.
But he is going to be our next president and I am just now coming out of the disbelief stage. A friend came over for dinner a couple of days ago and he said that he isn’t reading or listening to anything on the election for the next three months because right now we are either in the I told you stage as in some variation of I told you that Hillary couldn’t beat Trump or the denial/anger stage as in some variation of I can’t believe that many people are so stupid to vote for Trump. It is probably good advice and I am sure I won’t take it.
Gratuitous picture of Granddaughter Charlotte
Cheer up – this is not the end of the world. Many bad things will be happening to citizens of this country in the next four years, but many bad things have happened before. Those of us who think there is abetter way need to say so and defiend our positions as things go down the drain as I believe they will. Change is what life is all about – so wait it out – keeep the faith. We can’t be quiet. but we don’t need to be aggressive or mean. We can listen. We can persuade. The main thing is don’t give up on what you know is right.
Thanks, Arlene. I think what has been most disturbing is not Trump but the realization that Hillary – and, by extension, the political and social elites – seems to be blind to the reason that Trump won.
You make a fine soccer granddad, and Charlotte is a beautiful player. Future World Cup perhaps?
Who knows, Laura, she is strikingly good.
Amen Brother!
You and your amigo have it right!
Family first and no politics for 3 months!
Two mantras I’ve been living since November 9th!
(Cheating a bit, however, as I can’t stop following, and calling the Whitehouse about, the atrocities at Standing Rock)
Enjoying time w/ my fam and baby girl, and getting outside more again, now that I’m not glued to my news feed!
I bet your a new man after watching your granddaughter’s soccer game, with glowing pride, and a health dose of Vitamin D and fresh-cut grass smell 🙂
It is amazing how much better Charlotte gets each year. Soccer is a great game.