Thinking About Things

It’s snowing out there – the snow arrived about the same time I had decided spring was definitely near. I guess Mother Nature decided I needed a dose of reality.

Reality – in these days, that’s rather an interesting term, don’t you think? I mean, what I see as real is not what some of my friends see as real. I am so far from understanding how there can be so much difference in what we see, how reality can be defined so differently.

Yes, I’ve been paying attention to the impeachment hearings. I haven’t been watching steadily, but have gotten several updates on it from various news organizations. I’ve watched the video of the insurrection at the Capitol building – I’ve read that most of the Republicans will vote not to convict Trump. I’ve heard too many of them say Trump is not responsible for what happened. Wait! Wait! We all heard the same words spoken, shouted, from the lips of this man, did we not? I recognize that English as a language can be confusing, with the same words having different meanings – but, really? Really? You think Trump did not encourage this demonstration? You think Trump did not tell those people, his white supremicist supporters, to take this action?

You tell me the whole thing was BLM and Antifa, when it has been very clear that it was the Proud Boys, that it was people who clearly stated they were doing “what their president asked them to do”? Really?!

And then we have the Congressmen Hawley, Cruz, Graham, and others – who openly and loudly pronounced Trump as correct, right, in saying the election was stolen. These men appear to be continuing on in their lives as normal – without any condemnation or correction. Yes, we have the freedom of speech, but don’t we also have a responsibility to moderate that speech, to not encourage violence with that free speech?

I am rambling, but I am truly, deeply worried about this society. About how duly-elected persons who are supposed to be in our government for the people, by the people, can turn blind eyes to truths that are so obvious. How those same people can be more concerned about being re-elected, about being in “good standing” in their party of choice, than they are about making decisions based on fact – reality – on demonstrating integrity in their decisions. On how a political party can get so off track, can be so subversive to what I believe our forefathers have intended. I am not saying it is only the Republicans who are off-track – I am saying our political system is off-track. It is corrupt.

And – I worry about our future leaders. My daughter left a teaching job with a preschool because she was suffering real abuse at the hands of these small children – our future leaders. Throwing objects – rocks, chairs, toys, directly at the teachers. Refusing to follow instructions or direction by the teachers, with no consequences. Time-outs, discipline, the things that make our children responsible adults, not allowed. Really?! My son, who is also a teacher, has had students strike him, kick him, call him names – and when those students are sent to the office, they are coddled, they are stroked. They are not punished, they are not reprimanded, they are not corrected. These are the days of “trophies for all”. But, hey, life is not really like that! You will grow up, you will be fired from jobs, you will lose competitions, you will have responsibilities and you will have to face up to those responsibilities. Life is not all trophies.

Medical costs so high too many of our citizens cannot afford to be treated by doctors. I spent 7-1/2 days in a hospital in October – no surgeries, but lots of odd tests – swallow tests, because it was decided I could not swallow properly. Yeah, sometimes when I swallow I make the mistake of taking a breath – you know, that silly thing we all do now and then – means I can’t swallow. Wait – I’m going so far off-track. I was talking about medical costs – My insurance was billed nearly $70,000 for those 7-1/2 days. I now understand why people end up filing bankruptcy after an illness. I understand now why people die at home because they could not afford medical treatment. They could not afford the costs of medical insurance. Isn’t that a really sad statement to be made about life in this country, supposedly one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the world?

I know that now I have enough. I fear that, in future, there will not be enough. For anyone. Enough caring, consideration, reason, tolerance, logic, thoughtfulness, for this country to go on. I fear we will one day have the “Big Bang” that will bring us to our knees, open our eyes, make us refocus. Sad.

And now I’m going to go look for some happy stories, maybe a few tales that will make me less fearful for mankind.