This week is going to be a departure from the norm of what and why I created this format as I'll be discussing politics and likely the last time (but you never know so have bail money handy just in case)... but in the spirit of why I started this I will try to use a bon mot or two.
I've been referred to as a bon vivant by a few people who know me and I've tried my best to live life to the absolute fullest... but as a child and a younger adult at times I was no stranger to living a life with fear and uncertainty mixed with regret... and frankly given a choice I pick joy and fulfillment hands down... The details of everyones personal life are always a mixed bag of emotions based on your experiences and perspective... What really started to turn everything around for me was the advice and guidance of a special grandmother (everyone should have a special grandmother when they are young--- even if it's not biological relationship--- any special understanding person can fill the part usually) because for me she helped to make the initial steps from childhood into young adulthood easier to navigate. As children we are often conditioned to be afraid when things change and will exaggerate the unknown future in our minds... I know many adults who still behave this way but being an empowered adult is taking the responsibility for defining and shaping changes.
So much of my early life revolved around me wondering "What if this happens? What if that happens? What is going to happen if we do this?..." the emotional paralysis from this was so debilitating to my soul and I can see now how a steady diet of this can crush a spirit. My special grandmother knew that too and taught me the valuable lesson of understanding "You will see what you see when you see it!" and further that nothing good can come from worrying over any issue until you are actually face to face with the reality rather than the fear of what might happen.--- I've had to remember this as we are approaching the dawn of a new day in the United States but this country has been anything but united we seem to have become the Divided States of America as the world has just witnessed the most contentious and appalling political battleground that started with a House of Representatives and Senate that either could not or would not do the jobs they were elected to do and thus helped shape the primaries and finally everything boiled over in the race for the president and all of it has subsequently in one way or another tainted everyones community and life and collective conscious and left a black stain and a bad taste that continues to be felt in disdain or fear.
For me personally... I have been at odds with the majority of administrations in the US during my adult life but managed to have a full and happy life in spite of it... I fully intend to continue that trend and kick up the overall bon vivance in me a notch or two... but in addition and maybe most importantly I'm not going to be conquered and divided by fear... but by the same token I'm not going to put my head in the sand and ignore the world for the next four years. The last few days I have been carefully gathering my thoughts and making outlines and plans and as a result have been galvanized into action by accepting and understanding that my world begins and ends with me and my family, friends and loved ones and have made the commitment (at least to myself for now) to expand where my world begins and ends to reach out and get involved with the rest of the world by becoming more involved with community and state politics and policies and perhaps eventually on a more national and/or global level. I fully intend to research legislature much more carefully and thoughtfully and if necessary send certified letters to my state representatives with my research and concerns and not accept any changes in law or policies apathetically as I have in the past and if necessary I will travel to Washington DC to make my voice heard again... My house. my block, my town, this country and the world have made too many important strides forward that I can't accept a single step backward for anyone.
As my guideline in this I plan to use an organization in Hawaii called... Vote Smart as my model; that is based on understanding the issues and making the most informed decisions based on facts rather than purely party affiliation which has been the basis of how I always cast my vote. I'm planning to start with current and future legislation as well as making an outline of what is on the docket for The Supreme Court justices... There is so much that has not been clear and/or forthright with so many things in life and in particular the political arena I'm going to take on the challenge to distill some of this information and make it plain and easy to understand including who is funding lobbyist and special interest groups that are helping to get laws passed that don't take everyone and their rights and the impact on the economy and environment into account. Basically I want to outline objectively the rewards and consequences of each vote and action.
The more people who stand up and get involved the better... I think we need to rise above the idea that we as individuals can not make a difference...But it's important to understand making an informed decision is knowledge and knowledge is power and with power we can make positive changes... I stated in an earlier segment that sometimes certain politicians just like terrorists have counted on using fear mongering as a tool for division and control... just remember in the sometimes dark or lonely hours of change and uncertanity... United We Stand... Divided We Fall.
I'm clearing a chunk time in my schedule to embark on this mission and I realize that not everyone has the luxury of making time in their lives and schedules... but each and every informed decision will make a difference and if you can spare only an hour in a week to help then collectively all those hours will add up to something beyond doing nothing... even if you march and/or protest I will always respect your First Amendment Rights to do so but please choose each word and action carefully to make the most of what you want your cause and voice to say (or not say) to achieve and ultimately we can all work together to make the world what we want it to be for everyone... not just a select few. Above all else it's so important to understand that being informed with the truth will help make a better decision and will help shape a favorable outcome. I think we learned this week and with the issues surrounding Brexit remorse that not being informed and/or not voting can have an unanticipated impact leaving us to make the best with what we have to work with.
I'm going to be very optimistic about life and the world again... and the first few things on my list for the next 100 days will be researching the possibility and means necessary of ending the electoral college so that everyone will actually feel that their vote matters (it was started before the two party system emerged in the 1800's and is now as antiquated and unnecessary as a few other issues in the Constitution)... and researching tax laws and the loop holes that have been created so that in the future we have laws that make sense and everyone pays their fair share of taxes... and finally throughly researching all Supreme Court Justice nominations and understanding where each individual stands on every important issue... I just hope we have enough responsible men and woman in the senate that we do no have a repeat of Robert Bork's nomination by Ronald Reagan when Ted Kennedy outlined Mr. Bork's America as having woman forced into back-alley abortions and schools and lunch counters segregated or an educational curriculum that does not include evolution and writers and artists who are censored at the whim of government and the doors of the federal courts shut on the fingers of millions of citizens denying them their individual rights...luckily others followed in both parties rejecting the nomination.
Part of living the life of a bon vivant is it's important to stand up for yourself and what you believe in and I've participated in protests for the Vietnam War
... The PMRC and censorship PMRC & Censorship The March On Washington in 1988
and Pro Choice... nothing worthwhile is easy but making your choices and having your voice heard opens the door to finding a way.
From the very beginning I never took President-Elect Trump seriously because I said early on he was never going to revel his income tax returns and income status (now we know why) I also had an early theory that he was just trying to shake up the GOP to become more unified and help restructure it... or might be throwing the election to Hillary Clinton (I thought they were friends)... another funny thought popped into my head in the middle of the race "I wonder who Monica Lewinsky is going to vote for?"... we may never know but I'm still curious if she voted and how she came to her decision if she did... I have an optimistic theory but that's all it is...
So I will probably never write about the political arena again (at least not in this venue) so next time we are either going to travel to someplace exciting or talk a little about fashion and I'm going to go through my recipes to see what delicious concoction we can cook up together as we live and love life as bons vivants... The most important lesson is that life is about living and not settling for less and perhaps in the next four years is about being informed... and being ready for anything and taking a stand for right and wrong... but living free and happy... It's been very dark and contentious the last few years and now that I've gathered my thoughts I'm going to go and look for a rainbow for a little inspiration before I jump into action...
