General Comments on the World...

I remember TV shows where, whenever the protagonist had to make a decision, there appeared a little angelic figure of himself on one shoulder and a demonic figure on the other. Each whispered urgently in his (or her) ear, touting the advantages of being good...or not. The audience always knew what would happen; either our hero(ine) would choose the right thing to do, or, if he/she chose the devil's way, she/he would reap the consequences of her (or his) misdeeds.

Well, throughout these past months, we've all had angels and devils riding on our shoulders, and they are whispering, talking, shouting-- incessantly, it seems. It's called a presidential campaign. For  a bit, we paused our personal consciences to put those opposing voices on television during the conventions. But now, they are back in force. It's election season.

I am an unapologetic Democrat. There have been Republicans that I've admired and respected, but, for the most part, I've voted for the democratic ticket down the line because I have agreed more with their take on government. 

This year has been a hard one. I am not a Hillary-hater, and I truly do not understand the depth with which some people detest her. She may not be the paragon that her campaign literature claims, but she surely is not the devil incarnate painted by her detractors. Whether she is liked or disliked, she does have more qualifications for the job than most people who have sought it. And that's what we are all about here: picking the best candidate for the job.

Oddly, I have friends and relatives who are part of the 'hater' bandwagon. I can't talk to them. They have abandoned all reason, and see the Democratic candidate through a red haze, and, like maddened bulls, charge with murderous intent at any attempt at reasonable discussion. Which I could understand (sort of), if there were any alternative.

However, there isn't. I had sort of resigned myself to a race against Jeb Bush. Gone. Then, sighing, I thought, well, maybe Marco Rubio. Nope. With a shudder, I saw Ted Cruz fighting to stay in the race, and, were it not for the alternative that remained, I'd have dropped to my knees in thanksgiving when he called it quits.

What is wrong with the world? A voting public who can look at Donald Trump and say, "There! That's who I want to be America's face in the world!" must be a country of lunatics. HE is a lunatic. I cannot comprehend the mindset of the people who have flocked to help elect him; these people should know better. They are not all shotgun-toting ignoramuses who have no interest in how global relations work. They are not all binge-watching idiots who think we live in the ultimate 'reality' show, and that what plays on TV will play in real life.

In the words of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, "Who ARE these guys?" We are beset by indefatigable groups of Trump fans, bent on destroying government as we know it, as our founding fathers envisioned it, for some indeterminate wrongs that he can't fix, no matter how many lies he tells, no matter how 'great' he believes he is. He hasn't even given us the plans for how he's going to do anything. And wouldn't know how to implement them if he did, because he knows nothing of the Constitution or how government works. So why would anyone lend credence to his claims? We are not children who wish for things with such passion that we ultimately believe them to be real. This Pinocchio will never turn into a real boy. He has proven himself incapable of that.

I do get it. There are plenty of people out there who have legitimate grievances. The economy has not been kind, the job market poor, wars and terrorism present very real fears--but there has been improvement in most areas. A stubborn Congress that refuses to budge on anything that might be even loosely interpreted as progress or relief, or (horrors!) a presidential success for Mr. Obama, has stalled other programs with potential benefits. Who hasn't wished for the ability to crumple up the current version of things, toss it in the wastebasket, and start fresh? But, but, but....who could look at Donald Trump and imagine him capable of thinking of anyone but himself? Of being statesman-like?Of compromising? If this is our fresh start on government, god help us all.

There have been layers upon layers of slurs and insults and lies from Mr. Trump. He has repeated them so often that I daresay he might actually believe them. But that doesn't mean that WE should. I find myself watching him, mesmerized by his consistent disregard for truth, for decent behavior, for consideration. He speaks, not like a head of state, but like a spoiled child with a childish vocabulary of "great" and "huge" and "awesome". He has to be the center of every room, of every conversation, and will do whatever he needs to to achieve that end. Children generally outgrow that phase. Mr. Trump has not. Compare his demeanor to that of President Obama. Calm, articulate, thoughtful, compassionate, intelligent...this is what we want, what we need, what we have had in the White House. Not Trump. Even with his apologists lined up in ranks behind him, attempting to explain what he REALLY meant when he encouraged violence against his opponent, when he ...(I was going to list his gaffes, but decided it would take too long and be too boring..Instead, let's just shortcut to "whenever he opens his mouth or taps out a tweet")

I try not to blog politically. I try not to use Facebook to broadcast my opinions, unless I find something that truly says what I think. I even keep my mouth shut in company sometimes because I realize there are people out there who disagree with my sentiments on certain issues--and I value my friends for more than their political choices, misguided tho they might sometimes be :) Consider this rant, then, my way of letting off steam, of coping with the insanity of the Republican party this year. Consider this my long-winded way of saying--and explaining why--"I'm with her."

Other People's Rooms

JC and I do a bit of traveling, and so we see a number of hotel rooms, which is not so bad. However, we hardly ever spend more than a day or two in a hotel, so I don't pay a whole lot of attention to them, aside from finding out how to work the TV, the shower, the thermostat and the lights. This summer, however, is a different kettle of fish--a whole new aquarium-load.

We are suspended between lives. In the east, we have our house on the market. If you've ever sold a house, you know the drill: throw out, hide, or store all your meaningful items in order to de-personalize your house. Potential buyers need to be able to see THEIR life inside that house. The end result is that what used to be our house is now a shell. We have moved out in all but actual fact. We're living in someone else's house, even though 'someone else' has no name as of yet. We are simply the household help.

On the other side of the country, we have a house to which we are adding a room. Until construction is complete, it is unlivable. No gas, no electric, no water. The furniture--and all our belongings-- is crammed into two rooms unaffected by the construction, that were accessible only via two zippered doors in plastic barriers. We rented an apartment nearby on our last visit. Other people's rooms again.

In between, we have visited our daughter and her family (hotel room, three days) and paid our annual visit  to Chautauqua, NY (one week, apartment rental) and another weekend trip to Shepherdstown, WVA, for the  Contemporary American Theater Festival (long weekend, hotel room). There may be a trip to NY (Hamilton!) this fall, and to Rhode Island in September as well (more hotel rooms..)

Being me, and suffering from the need to find meaning in even the most meaningless of events and coincidences and occurrences,  I insist upon thinking about all this and what it's teaching me.

1. Patience. Or, more accurately,  the NEED for patience. This untethered state is not my style. I like to make a decision, then act on it. I need to move on, but all our avenues are roadblocked by construction schedules, required inspections, selling the house, and other events beyond my control. I like having things under control. (I see you all, snickering..)

2. Observation. All these places we are stopping at have different ways of doing things, whether it be pillow arrangement, furniture placement, or TV offerings. I'm finding out what's important, what we like, what we can live without, brands of washer/dryers that drive us crazy, color combinations that work, and loads of other things at various levels of importance. I am Goldilocks, stepping into the lives of the three bears: that bed's too hard, that washer too noisy, that kitchen too spartan,  that chair just right...Why have I never noticed all these things before?

3. Lifestyle choices. I like being somewhere where I can walk to things. But I also like having a car handy when I can't or when the weather is inclement. I like having a library nearby, and using it makes more sense than buying books that I ultimately have to store. I like volunteering for things--and this gypsy existence doesn't allow for that right now. I like having quiet time, though. There is a reason why I generally write more when I'm in California or just NOT in Virginia. There just aren't as many demands on my time--or cable channels on TV-- to steal hours of my life.

4. Freedom. I really like not having to think about whether it's too hot or too cold or too humid or too rainy when I'm planning to go somewhere or do something.  About the only factors we need to consider when going someplace in San Diego are timing and traffic. In Virginia, it's the heat and humidity--and timing and traffic. (Have you tried leaving Alexandria at 5 PM?) Traffic wreaks havoc  round any decision, no matter where we are, I fear.

5. Distance. In addition, I like being outside the beltway, outside all the political angst and angles, particularly during this god-awful year. Granted, we get ads and news coverage elsewhere--but not to the extent we experience in Virginia. I dread stepping into that arena, and experiencing the political frenzy of the lead-up to the election. And the phone calls. The unceasing solicitation phone calls. I get a few on my cell, but nowhere near the number that come through on the landline in Virginia.

6. Uncertainty. And through it all, I worry and wonder. My brain is full of 'what-if's. What if the house doesn't sell? What if it DOES and we can't find a place we like? What if the place we THINK we'll like turns out to be impossible? Can we do without an outside space? Will we end up moving in the dead of winter? How well can we predict what we can live with? How do we decide what will go and what will stay and what will be disposed of? And how will we ship/store/dispose of all this stuff?

At this point (unsold house, not-quite-finished addition, indefinite goals and deadlines) I just assume all will be well, sooner or later. The things I worry about will either resolve themselves, or we'll deal with them as they arise. This lack of movement is temporary. I hope. Maybe by next summer, all the balls-in-the-air will have finally come to earth and rolled off to their respective corners. I'd been hoping that would happen by this fall, but, for now, we are still learning in all these areas. Still hoping. Still wondering. And juggling, always juggling.