What’s It Gonna Be?

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The Supreme Court ain’t so supreme, of late.

Maybe it has always benefited from a certain undeserved mystique- its members aren’t gods, after all, just human beings tasked with important work. Justices over the years have produced many landmark decisions seemingly based on a sincere and fair treatment of testimony and applicable law, even charting new ground from time to time, especially when it comes to human rights and bodily autonomy.

Lately, though, there seems to be some backsliding. More suspicion, more doubt, more finger pointing in the direction of a hand-picked conservative majority on a mission to, oh, I don’t know, tighten things up, bring us back to a “better” place that pleases straight, white Christians everywhere.

In the midst of the Trump mess, the court seems to not want to stick its neck out and abide by the 14th Amendment provision of forbidding insurrectionists from running for office. Though he hasn’t been accused yet, many know what Trump did and who and what he really is, and how dangerous he has become.

So maybe it comes down to how closely the court adheres to the letter of the law, along with its efforts to reel in the temptation to react to certain public sentiment, and to what many are seeing with their own eyes: Trump running roughshod over, and even making a mockery of certain norms that have long served as guardrails.

Sometimes it looks like nothing can be done to make him go away.

No quarter, eh?

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If all we ever get from our government are promissory notes and lies, and the only action we ever see involves an administration that’s constantly engaged in circumvention and cover-up, then we can be forgiven for lacking trust, and even hopefulness.

The Trump debacle has been a gigantic and shameful waste of time since the beginning, since 2016. Even during the Biden term, Trump couldn’t not be in the limelight somehow, couldn’t walk away and keep his mouth shut. He had to find ways to remain visible, to agitate his base, harp on The Big Lie, campaign for the 2024 nomination even as he was appearing in court and getting his very own mug shot.

My word, America! How much more of this shit show are we going to stomach?

At one level, society hums along and gets on with its day. But running in the background for the past 11 years has been this cackling voice and a person up to no good. Donald Trump is needy and useless, worthless as a leader and maybe even as a human, and he is doing his best to leave deep wounds and scars that are going to linger for a long time. He is sick, and damaged.

How can we stand for this anymore? He’s not good for the country. He’s a pox, a cancer, an aging pile of visceral fat taking up space. And it’s very difficult not to feel like he deserves every derisive, cutting comment we can summon forth.

It’s too late for rehabilitation. Or redemption. He’s burned too many bridges.

Perspective Shift

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Daily writing prompt
What’s the best way to build self-confidence?
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I think it takes a certain fearlessness, a bit of determination, finally just saying to oneself that you can’t live your life fearing mistakes or a cold shoulder. No one is perfect, and the ones who look like they are have taken a few falls along the way, have put in the time and effort, and have simply decided to engage rather than withdraw.

It sounds a bit clinical, but there is trial and error involved, whether it’s learning a skill or simply interacting with other people. A certain level of trust begins to replace fear and suspicion, and confidence grows. One also hopefully learns that a good mentor is a gift, and that losing or failure are definitely not the end of the world.

It’s the old cliche about putting oneself out there, and being mindful of an Albert Einstein maxim: “Failure is success in progress.”

Truth Be Told

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Daily writing prompt
How do you build loyal subscribers?
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I initially joined WordPress because I felt I needed an outlet for the observations and opinions rattling around in my brain. I wasn’t giving much thought to having people who, on a regular basis, actually read what I wrote.

But there is something wondrous, something rewarding and seductive about publishing entries that people from all over the world respond to, seeing the Views and Likes spike, relatively speaking, every now and then, and getting an occasional comment.

I’d be lying if I said that a loyal and growing subscriber base isn’t something I occasionally think about. I do appreciate and have become familiar with some of the names of folks who check in on a daily basis and click the Like button. Thank you!!

But a larger scale development of readership isn’t going to happen without much more effort on my part to improve the look of my site, or improving my writing, which is not something that happens overnight.

Other than being consistent– trying to contribute at least one post every day– I don’t take advantage of the graphics or layout options available, doctor up the presentation, or spend any time making my site more appealing in a visual way.

It is the written content of the posts themselves that I will always be more concerned about.

My goals, such as they are, are modest. I simply appreciate this platform as a space in which to express myself. I’m not that interested in, or perhaps not that motivated by the packaging.

In my perfect world, the writing would be enough to interest and sustain anyone who visited the site. That is the ongoing inspiration and challenge.

A Stake In the Outcome

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On the Newshour last night, Brooks and Capehart were asked about the Graham Platner conundrum in Maine, and all I could envision is a scenario similar to when Donald Trump put his name in the ring in 2015.

Back then, people started talking about how Trump was “refreshing’ and “not a stereotypical politician” and that they were willing to give him a listen and maybe even vote for him—because there was some logjam that needed to be broken; someone needed to come along who could “shake things up…”

I found myself resonating with what David Brooks said about the pool of people available to run for important office. His was more a lament that we couldn’t do better than Trump or, perhaps, Platner. Baggage galore in both instances, questionable temperaments, checkered pasts that are following them into the present.

Does Platner deserve a shot at redemption? Mainers will have to decide.

This all got me to thinking that our role in all this, our responsibility, is not to be taken lightly. We need to do our homework on these candidates, listen closely, take seriously our responsibility as voters, and not just settle for or rubber stamp people on the chance that they’ll work out, that we went to the polls and did our duty, and now we can wash our hands of whatever comes next. History has repeatedly told us that it doesn’t work that way.

As much as “evolution” may be a four-letter word for The Base, the electorate in this country would be better served if everyone who votes also works on nurturing their own intuitive hunches, their own spidey sense– some unavoidable feeling in the gut– that causes them to hesitate before leaping, to further evaluate and question before jumping on a bandwagon and electing the next ill-suited and disappointing candidate. Or, in Trump’s case, the next devious circus clown with creepy make-up.

Not Always

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Daily writing prompt
Share a proverb you think is completely wrong and make your case.
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Every cloud has a silver lining… It’s not completely wrong, but if one finds him- or herself often searching for meaning or an upside in the midst of trials and tribulations that come with a certain regularity, I would think it becomes a tedious chore to always have to be looking on the bright side. It’s more honest just to say “this sucks” and call it what it is.

And two heads are better than one…? Not if you’re talking about the Trump administration, where it’s more often a doubling of the trouble.

Whatever Gets You Through the Door

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Daily writing prompt
Do you believe in soulmates? Why or why not?
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My take on this is laced with skepticism bordering on cynicism.

If I’m grasping the concept properly, it sounds like destiny is in play. It is difficult for me to read that much into anything, to believe that there is only one person out there– on this entire planet– with whom one could make a life. It’s romantic, I guess, and it might add staying power and poignancy to a relationship. I’ve always felt, though, that it seems a bit over-the-top, too cinematic and starry-eyed and unrealistic.

If people feel this way about each other, more power to them. I just wonder how long the head-over-heels feeling can last, and if sustenance and long-term commitment aren’t made of sterner stuff.

Pie In the Sky

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Daily writing prompt
What’s something you’d love to see in the future, but know you probably won’t live to witness?
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Where we easily tire of egomaniacs and despots, and can readily stifle and quash their aspirations.

Where there is a concerted effort, as a species, to recognize our caretaking responsibilities– for one another, for the planet. Where we acknowledge and honor one another’s humanity, and put down the weapons of war– which could facilitate a massive re-allocation of resources away from destruction and toward research and discovery and an age of peace.

Where everyone possesses a bullshit meter calibrated to recognize the faintest hint of ill intent and skullduggery.

There’d be a lot of evolving to do between now and then.

Approaching Catatonic

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Donald Trump is on a downward spiral and it appears he can’t pull out of the tailspin.

Just when we might think we’ve seen it all—as this applies to the depths to which he so willingly plummets—The Donald outdoes himself and finds another circle of Hell in which to reside for a bit.

He has long left embarrassing in the rearview mirror. It’s moving quickly toward self-immolation anymore. Trump looks weary, he’s perennially angry and clueless, acting more like a child every day. He’s saying things, threatening annexation of Canada again, frustrated by a boondoggle of his own making in Iran, issuing insane tweets left and right, more energized by arches and ballrooms and UFC preparations than being mindful of the condition of the nation he’s supposed to be leading.

Meanwhile, many of us are still, somehow, summoning incredulity, wondering where Congress has gone—especially its Republican membership—and if it will ever mount viable opposition to this wholesale abandonment of reason and responsibility.

We’re watching a person who cannot grasp the solemnity of any moment continue some sort of rampage, fixated on fluff and superficiality, totally self-involved, deceived into thinking that people love when he speaks.

This can’t be real. How on earth can we let it continue?

Stripping Away the Chaff

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Daily writing prompt
Do you believe in minimalism?
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I had to read up on this, since I think I get the basic gist, but not the details.

According to an article entitled Becoming Minimalist, written by Joshua Becker, minimalism involves intentionally promoting the things we most value and removing everything that distracts us from those things. According to Becker, it is a freedom from the passion to possess– it steps off the treadmill of consumerism and dares to seek happiness elsewhere.

Minimalism is a freedom from modern mania, it slows life down and frees us from this modern hysteria to live faster. It is a freedom from duplicity, it is counter-cultural, and it is internal– not external. Removing the physical clutter allows one to more clear-headedly address issues that impact relationships and our lives.

What’s not to like about simplifying things? I’m not sure I could live with such wholesale intentionality, though I see the wisdom in it.

So, yes, as far as believing in minimalism. Living it would be another matter.

Surprise!

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment in your life that felt like it was straight out of a movie?
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After publishing this, I might think of something else, but the only moment that’s coming to mind seems like something that would nowadays show up in a YouTube clip about surprising loved ones with an unexpected visit.

Long after we had all married and started families and moved to different states, my brothers and I traveled back to Massachusetts to surprise our parents around the time of their birthdays, I think it was. We hatched a somewhat elaborate scheme to stay out of sight until the appropriate time, and the “reveal” was everything one might hope it would be. It was a great weekend.