“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” Dalai Lama
I had barely begun to think about creating a story from the title and a few, very small things occurred. The engine icon came on in my 2012 Nissan Murano and I freaked out. Went to my man, John, and he told me he has been driving his Lincoln for five years with his on. Then, my lady called to say her phone was miraculously reconnected to her Tesla PowerWall for no reason. Both are quite minor and make no sense. However, they were a great way to explain how small things can drive us crazy, They don’t hold a candle to the upside down world that is America.
Everybody is so goddamn busy taking sides, we seem to be unable to step back and look around. I love the above quote from the Dalai Lama. No, I am not going to waste our time by attacking what isn’t right about our country. Attacking is the antithesis of building. In joining the chorus, your voice is easily lost. More of the same is just that. Shouting about what is wrong does shit to get it right.
I fell into the trap of name calling in my last story, because it is so easy. In this current midterm election, it is clearly an epidemic. It is so effortless to step into the gutter and so much harder to fly over it, looking for the light. We seem to be stuck with a dearth of possibilities, because we keep looking down and all we see are our damn feet. Today, it is all about what can’t be done. Not only that, blaming has nothing to do with taking credit for advocating on behalf of all of us. We are up to our asses in this dialogue of darkness. It doesn’t need my help either.
The Washington world seems to be much more important than the world you and I share. It is a painful disconnect, regardless of party affiliation. The Left is communist and the Right is fascist. To make matters even worse, it is all about their wallets. It is that huge space in between, where we all live.
Our laws are meant to be a leash on our propensity for selfish excess of all kinds, instead of a shield for both of those sides to hide behind. The people we elect don’t truly see us or hear our voices. Our European brothers and sisters are today making sure they are seen and their voices heard. Over there, Gen Z is moving mountains. Over here, their silence is stunning. The people with the most to lose seem to be lost in a haze of impotence and myopia.
As for me, I will take naïveté over cynicism any day. I just have one other quote, if you don’t mind. It is from Kierkegaard. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Going forward, it is a time to be proactive and not reactive. Happiness is not a crime. It is a basic human right. It is actually possible we are better than this shitstorm we are living through.
The voices of the uber wealthy are filled with self-serving lies. We actually got a guy, who is dictating our foreign policy in Ukraine, convinced he is above the law. Our current President and those, big dollar ghouls, ignore the will of the people, convinced they can’t be touched. Watch for an American Party to be started by that same ghoul, who believes he owns our country.
I guess this is probably a good time to talk about what we, the people, want to make us feel life is worth living. The political rhetoric has become so goddamn loud, it is purposefully deafening, making our own voices impossible to hear. Of course whenever we bring up what we want, we are told it costs money we don’t have. I am sorry, that is simply bullshit. There is always enough money for wars, or whatever euphemism is used. I’ll bet the stupid war with Iran has cost us at least $100B. Our brand new Gestapo, ICE, has run up $ billions in payroll and idiotic gear, like shock gloves. The government waste is criminal.
There is money, but not for us. Our tax structure is simply insane. How about actually taxing the wealthy and making big corporations pay their fare share, instead of absolutely nothing? Our system is ass backwards, favoring the few and punishing the rest of us.
Speaking for the rest of us, if we stopped bitching about each other and started looking for the obvious commonality, we’d be in much better shape. The availability and cost of healthcare is criminal, when it ought to be a right. Universal healthcare should be a non-profit entity, period. The right to a decent, public education is another one of those. Screwing with our social security is nuts. However trite you think the Golden Rule is, it is the only way. Since our cave days, it has been treated as no more valuable than Fool’s Gold.
The Citizen’s United court ruling would be comical if it wasn’t another name for corporate, influence peddling. Corporations are not people, which is why they are called corporations. All that money should be paid in taxes to help underwrite the cost of social programs, our entitlement as Americans. Here is a quick fact: In 2010, they spent around $13M and this year so far, a little less than $750M!! Keep in mind that is only corporate spending, having nothing to do with PAC’s and wealthy individuals, like that same guy, who spent around a $500M.
It doesn’t seem right that the few people speaking and acting for a higher purpose are deified, receiving awards. The reason is they are an exception to the rule. Good ole Bernie Sanders, with his Brooklyn accent, has become a tired voice and not very impactful, God bless him. We need an American Chorus, demanding our rights. We can make a difference, but we have to believe we actually can.
I am not happy with this story, because it feels like it is missing something. On top of that, negativity was unavoidable and I apologize. At the same time, I sit here, where I always do and say to myself, “Who the fuck am I to be writing about things that are so much bigger than myself?” I am a seriously, humble dude and I look at some of the stuff I write and feel kind of embarrassed. Now, I could lie, but that is not my forte. I am being really straight with you. I wish I could make things better, but I simply have words to be read and a heart to be shared.
Blessings to us all.
LISTEN TO IT HERE:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/1292459/episodes/20049586-usa-united-states-asylum