Musings

Disillusionment and Re-evaluation of Efforts

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Athens 2017I haven’t posted on this blog for awhile, stress about all the events #45 is doing really got to me.  Every day there is something, not just one thing, but multiple distractions, idiotic, stupid stunts.  Every day you read about the injustices and rights of others being denied them.  Every day, you hear about all the proposals the Senate and Congress want to make to make our lives “better”  (more miserable)  and line their pockets.  You hear about collusion, you hear about the nepotism, the payoffs, the lack of transparency in this administration and you wonder is NOTHING going to stop this madness!  Is there no way or anyone going to do anything to stop this.

I had to take a break, so I got out of the country, only to find out what other countries think about #45, what other countries are going through and making me wonder what is happening to our world, not just our country.

I think the reason I have been mostly disillusioned and stressed lately is seeing what has happened to our ethics, morals, and integrity.  Not just in this nation, which is closer to home, but in this world.   These three words are not just words, they are values that are not abstract, they have been valued for centuries even millennia.  Although history has seen these values cycle in the populace, these observations that I am making,  at almost 70 makes me realize that I now am living in an era that these values seem to be missing.  It’s disturbing to see the trend that is taking place in the world, here in the US, Turkey, Paris and Britain.  Why are these values, these truths of an honorable life being ignored and devalued? When did an ethical life, a person with high morals and integrity become such a rarity and why do those with these values lose so much in society.  Those individuals that work hard, live a clean life, treat others fairly and honestly become the victims of a society that seems to rapidly being taken control by the bigots, narcissists, and cruelty of those who feel necessary to deny equality and a good life for those that live this honest, ethical life?

Since when did TRUTH become a dirty word and lies become acceptable? Why are we as a society turning a blind eye to justice?  When did we become so jaded as to accept the violence, the dirty dealings of power, the lies of those in power as acceptable behavior and allow it to continue without even standing up for the truth?

There has always been corruption in society through the ages, however, we have always strived to overcome that corruption and injustice.  There has always been inequality in society, but we have worked hard to build better relationships and equality for all. These problems were not acceptable!  We fought to achieve more, to achieve better!  It will always be a continuing battle, we cannot rest, we cannot be apathetic.  We cannot accept anything other the highest of values of equality for gender, race, religion, or beliefs, otherwise, we become complicit.  Fighting can be tiring and discouraging, we need to pick our fights and not focus on trivial commentary or appearance but the results and/or possible outcomes of actions that will affect our future, our children’s future, our democracy, and our world.  We cannot allow this normalization of hate, bigotry, and lack of global concern persist. We must maintain fortitude and strength to continue the fight.  Fighting for our beliefs, for global conscience and ethics takes courage.  It’s time now to take stock of our own values and see where we stand, how we want our world to go forward. Do you have the strength and courage to evaluate your own ethics, morals, and integrity and take it to the world?

We need to not only protect each other in this turbulent and dangerous time, we need to protect ourselves.  We need to protect our energies and spirit. We need to re-evaluate where we can do the most good while still keeping true to ourselves and keeping the negative energies from draining us.  This is vital to maintain the resistance, to maintain the fight for what is right for the good of the earth, our democracy, and our own souls.

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Activism for Introverts and Highly Sensitive People

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Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray)

As you might already know, kind and gentle reader, I am an introvert and a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Because of this I prefer dialogue over debate, connection over confrontation, individuals or small groups over large crowds, quiet over noise, calm over chaos. To be completely honest, most of the time I prefer to be alone.

I used to say, “I’m not a very political person.” I’d joke that if people were on opposite corners of the street carrying signs and chanting about the various ways they opposed each other, I’d be more likely to show up with sandwiches for everyone than to grab a sign and join a group on a corner. I had strong opinions, voted, donated money to various causes, used my social media and blog to share information and marginalized voices, but I wasn’t what’s traditionally considered “active.”

Now I understand that perspectiveas a manifestation…

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Activist

Who do you put your HOPE in?

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Who do you put your HOPE in?

Definition HOPE:

1: to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment 

2: to expect with confidence: trust 

If you “HOPE that 45 won’t get us into a war”, are you “trusting” him that he won’t, or are you expecting, that he won’t?  Have you seen any proof of action that supports this HOPE? When someone is a threat to our democracy and threatens our media that keeps him in check, can you say that the world will look to the United States as an example of Democracy?  Can the world trust us?  Why do you “HOPE that he will figure out how to get the USA out of the financial crisis”. What are your facts about this financial crisis?  What evidence supports your HOPE that he is to be trusted to fulfill this desire? (our unemployment went down from 9.8 in 2010 to 4.6 in November 2016 per the Department of Labor Statistics, do your research). Again, are you trusting that he will or are you expecting that he will do anything about unemployment?  When you HOPE that he will do something about the “morass of ridiculous rules and regulations” that you say have been driving our jobs out of the country, I wonder what regulations you are talking about?  You say that they are ridiculous, have you proof that they are, how have they impacted you? Do you know how these have benefited the country, what are your facts to support the claim that they are ridiculous? The ridiculous regulations that finance and banking companies that are required to abide by to keep you safe, to protect you from consumer fraud? The regulations that keep your privacy safe?  The regulations that prevent conflict of interest in public office? The regulations that prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?  The regulations that prevent nepotism in the workplace to give you equal footing for promotion? Do you expect him to or trusting him to put anything in place that will regulate corruption, human trafficking or money laundering? When you say, “you HOPE he will get rid of the Obamacare scam”, how do you know it is a scam? More people now have healthcare than ever before and had HOPE. What are your facts? Do you expect him to or trust him to replace it with a healthcare system that is equitable for everyone, what about those with pre-existing conditions, what about those who cannot afford healthcare?

Seriously, I think you need to redefine and look at where your HOPE lies.  Hope cannot have a foundation in lies, schemes or bravado.  Hope cannot be found in bigotry, hate, denial of rights or freedoms.  Hope cannot survive in chaos, abuse, or continued suppression.

One can hope that an abusive spouse will not strike again after they apologize, but they will. Pathological liars, narcissists, and abusers seldom change. They gaslight and demean their victims.  They have character flaws that speak for themselves.  One can hope a puppy will not crap on the floor, but it will, it is inherent in the fact they have not grown up yet and do not know better.  One can hope that Hannibal Lecter will become a Vegan, but that’s never going to happen.  He has a past that is undeniable and to think that he will change is delusional.

This has nothing to do with past politicians, this has nothing to do with who he ran against in the election, this is strictly about ETHICS, MORALS, and INTEGRITY!   We should hold these standards to ANYONE we put in office.  They should be accountable to the people to maintain them.  Lying is unacceptable.  Suppression is unacceptable.   To maintain HOPE, the American people – no, the World, needs to keep our leaders accountable to these ideals. Granted, it is a difficult and on-going task, but one that must be done to achieve the world we want to live in.

Hope and desire, go hand in hand with action.  We are responsible for creating the outcome.  Unless we maintain the morals, ethics, and integrity, the hope or the expectation of a positive outcome becomes an uphill battle.

I can HOPE that my children grow up to be responsible, productive, and happy adults, but it’s up to me to be the example and to teach them the values to achieve these goals.

I can HOPE that it’s going to be a good day, but it’s up to me, to strive to make it a good day by doing the best I can at my work, to be the best person I can be to my fellow man, to be the most honest, ethical and giving person I can be to make it a good day.

I can HOPE to have a great vacation, but I need to prepare, to do my research, to determine the facts and plan, to make it a great vacation.

I can HOPE that the United States becomes the shining example of Democracy and freedom in the world, that we exemplify what true freedom means to the world.  That we show the world that we honor what the Statue of Liberty stands for – “the melting pot” of the world.  Bigotry and racism do not have a place in our land.   For this HOPE to come to fruition, we must maintain our stand, our voice must be heard.  We all need to STRIVE for better, we all need to learn from the past, we all need to remember that because there may be a few in the world that are determined to create chaos and destruction of a society, that it does not mean all of any particular race, society, gender, country or religion are to be included in that category.  When we all take appropriate positive, peaceful actions then we can HOPE for a better world to live in.

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