What Happened To Our Country?

I wasn’t asked to help or offer my protection but I saw a situation and waded into the middle of the fray and started swinging.

Some promises are never forgotten and will be kept forever because I know no other way to be and were I to ignore what I saw I would not be able to sleep.

I’d tell you I have forgotten how much fun I sometimes have in these moments but the truth is I never stopped engaging or having them.

Been doing it on my own in a variety of places for decades now but probably with a little less frequency than before because the joy of battle isn’t what it used to be.

Because there was a time when it felt like more minds were open to change and now those moments feel fewer and farther between.

Tribalism and partisan politics are being adopted as more important than truth and fabrications filled with falsehoods are promoted as reality.

What has happened to our country.

Focus Is Blurry

Long ago an editor told me my focus was blurry and that I needed to zero in immediately upon the topic so that my readers would kn0w what they were supposed to take from the article.

I pushed back against the editor said sometimes an article should be written from the perspective of romancing the reader.

She told me I couldn’t just walk up and stick my nose in a woman’s neck. I laughed and when she asked why it was funny I said it sounded silly to me.

“I have never heard that is a thing. I have been part of discussions about who kissed who first or who said I love you but never this neck thing.”

“Josh, you do realize women like to be pursued and you should be the one to say I love you and kiss them first. Don’t you.”

I laughed again and said it sounded like it was part of an international female conspiracy to confuse men.”

“Women have kissed me first and said they loved me before I said it, so I don’t know what the hell you are talking about.”

We went back and forth for a few more minutes and pulled rank on me.

“Write this the way I want it.”

“Ok boss, if it makes you feel good to be in control you may have it.”

When I wrote the piece I made a point to make the lead read the way she wanted and wrote the rest my way. Since it was carved up I figured the compromise must have worked out.

And then we had a meeting in which I was told I had written a fine piece but that I needed to follow directions.

I nodded my head and she said she didn’t believe I was sincere.

“I am sincere, but I can’t promise I’ll do things exactly the way you want them done. I’ll use your style  as a guide and we’ll see what happens.

The real test will be how the readers respond.”

She asked me if I would treat a man the same way and I told I didn’t have a problem with a woman telling me what to do.

“I don’t like anyone telling me what to do. Authority and I sometimes bump heads, but I get the work done and generally there is a Whitman like response. Ya know, that we were together and I forget the rest.

That got a heavy stare and a remark about my walking on thin ice.

“No worries chief, I am good at dancing in the fire.”

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”
― Albert Einstein

I have friends on Facebook who share fake news dressed up as scientific fact.

It makes me a little crazy and I want to shake them and ask if they will let me operate on their brains or do open heart surgery upon them.

Most days I ignore the nonsense they spew because they are friends and I don’t really want to get into a fight that will end the friendship.

In part it is because I don’t think their minds are open to the possibility they are posting garbage and thus the fight will kill the friendship and nothing will change.

S0metimes I wonder if I am doing other people a disservice by not challenging some of the nonsense and then I decide this way is better.

Let them see reality on my posts and maybe if they don’t feel like they are being attacked for being stupid it will have a positive influence.

Because there is no way to challenge them on these things without making them feel or look stupid.

Look Into My Eyes

Someone reads posts about secrets and I wonder what they take from it.

Sometimes I look back at them and remember exactly where I was and what I was thinking but not always.

Time and experience can impact that and just when I think I know exactly what was going on I realize I don’t.

Sometimes I make a decision based upon thought, a handful of experiences and good intentions and discover it just doesn’t matter.

Why?

Because sometimes you experience something and it only takes a millisecond to remember everything you thought you had forgotten.

Blink once and all that you had decided is null and void for no reason other than you felt a flicker of flame upon the dark places.

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Sometimes I look that ape and wonder what sort of conversation we would have if only we could speak.

Light Our Way Lady Liberty

I wonder and worry about the political discord and the unwillingness so many have to compromise and or discuss our differences.

The intentional dumbing down of society and the willingness to say a couple of Google searches make you wiser and smarter than scientists who have spent years studying and researching things and situations.

It would be fine if they questioned the hypotheses and scientific standards using the traditional proven methods but so many don’t.

They are convinced that those who do so are suckers because someone is intentionally trying to fool them.

Sometimes they’ll tell you about secret societies who control the world and use their vast influence to keep us dumb and subdued.

The thing is, these secret societies are always given away by one or two good people who want to help everyone.

That sort of conspiracy theory doesn’t fly with me. It may make for a good story, but it is highly unlikely.

And though I have had ample experience that proves truth can be stranger than fiction, I also know sometimes the smoke you think you see above the fire is just dust in the wind.