Blog Revisited

Well....it's been awhile,  to say the least.  As I have said before,  I do more short term writing on Facebook now days,  along with some of my former blogger people who I continue to have fun with....it's about immediate gratification,  and unending discussion possibilities!!  But,  I do miss having a forum to write with more abandon.  Not everyone will see it,  so there's that cathartic thingy! Also,  at one point I couldn't access my blog,  and it took awhile to get back on here!  Resolved.....obviously.

I'm grateful to be back,  and besides everyday rants and raves about life,  I'm looking forward to writing about the coming election.  I started my blog in 2008,  so that I could share my passions about getting the President elected.  It was an important election,  and gratefully x2.....but the one coming up,  will be even more important for our country....CRITICAL as a matter of fact.  More on that in the coming year....

Rant....Technology has changed our behavior!!

Let me start by saying I am addicted to my tech devices....as a Facebook user,  and a blogger,  my computer and Kindle are important parts of my life now.  Since I'm not an iPhone person,  I'm not that into texting,  and rarely use my phone in public.  This allows me to observe some rather horrifying behaviors....I call it Zombie behavior!

The Zombies are in cars,  at bus stops,  standing in line at the grocery store,  in restaurants,  walking down the street,  picking their kids up from school.....everywhere....at any time.....heads down,  staring quietly and emotionless at a small device in their hands,  fingers dancing,  and devoid of all human contact.

I saw two women having dinner in a restaurant....both were on their phones...no eye contact,  no talking except for an occasional share of something on one of their devices.  What happened to talking,  laughing,  gesturing and just having a good old raucous time over a meal and a good glass of wine!?   The other day a woman was picking her kid up from school.....she waited,  unlocked the car door,  kid climbed in the back seat and she drove away without saying anything,  looking up from her phone,  or missing a letter.  Without my pesky phone,  I was able to wave to my grand daughter so she knew I was there,  greeted her and asked her how her day was.  You get the picture.....

I don't think it's a generational thing completely,   but I do think we older folks have had a life time of personal communication,  and it's natural to want it.  I'm very concerned that the younger generation will miss out on this important aspect of life,  and that it will become status quo to be sitting right next to someone while they are busy communicating with someone else on a little box.  It won't even feel like being ignored....it will just be normal to have no body contact,  no speaking,  no eye contact.  And someday,  it will be normal behavior for them too.  Am I the only one out there that finds this just so sad!!!?

Texting and driving is another concern,  and probably another blog post....I see it everyday,  and it's getting more commonplace.  Even with new laws in place,  how can it really be enforced?

These observations have started to change my behavior at home.  If I'm busy on the computer,  and someone needs to speak to me,  I'm more inclined to stop what I'm doing and listen.  I try to make certain times of the day for blogging and checking Facebook,  or when I just have time for myself.  I am purposely paying for texts,  so I don't do it much,  unless necessary with family situations.

What are you doing to avoid using or passing on Zombie behavior?

Rant....Love Distorted

 Love comes in many forms...we say it so often , and for so many reasons, it becomes diluted and distorted. No wonder we are confused. A special some one walks in a room, a baby giggles, a favorite song, a friend or family remembers you with a kindness, God & country....all warm and fuzzy. When and where do we learn it? When or how do we unlearn it? Or do we?

 Well, personally, the first lessons were unconditional parental love....not everyone gets that, but that was my experience. My other unconditional love lesson was suppose to be from my church, but that's where it got a little murky. Started out okay, I guess. I always felt loved, safe, and accepted by God and my church family, sang "red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in his site", and generally felt like we were all on the same page about the loving each other thing. Since I was also very socially aware of my world in the 1960's, thanks again to my parents, I started to notice some discrepancies. My youth leader was telling racially hateful jokes in class, and my Mom was harassed, in a nice "church lady" sort of way, when I brought a black male friend from high school to share his incredible voice with us for a Sunday service. Okay, that was the unlearn part for me....no more love of church and it's distorted message. God and I are okay though.

 Stay with me here....free association is a wonderful thing. All of this started with my attempt to make sense of the extreme, zealot-like thinking and behaviors of some of my fellow Americans. (This is true in other countries and religions as well.) Where's the love? Why the judgmental attitudes, and the ignoring of common decency and kindness? Did they unlearn love somewhere along the way? You can love God and country, but not have compassion for your fellow earth mates? Or for the earth for that matter? This is why God and I are still okay....I don't actually believe these crazy people even care that they don't get it, and I'm sure they would say I'd be burning in hell about now. I don't pretend to a LOVE expert, but..... pure and simple, we were told that LOVE is the most important thing there is, and if we were listening and practicing it, the world would be a different place....just saying!

Rant.....Note to GOP

Now that you have had your hatefest at the CPAC, stop basterdizing religion, leave my vagina alone, start helping to run the fucking country!! The fun is over, time to earn your keep.....okay, got that off my chest....be back when I can actually type on my new computer instead of henpecking on my tablet!

Rant....Unwanted Solicitations

This blog is not a vehicle for advertising. Kindly refrain from using it as such, or you will be reported. If you don't want to hear what I have to say.....leave.

Rant...The GOP just isn't into him!

Okay, I'm not going to bore you with a repeat analysis of the President's speech...the good, the bad, or the ugly. I was happy, however, that he did stick to the real issues, had some real plans, said it with conviction and passion, and pretty much handed the GOP their asses on a platter! Not that he actually said anything mean, hateful, or threatening, but he just showed them up in a way that I don't think he was even meaning to do.

The GOP did it to themselves! They sat there like pieces of stone, with faces all pinched, sour, disgruntled and smirking. Refusing to applaud or stand in solidarity while our President made an attempt, once again, to lay out his vision for America. No words are even needed to describe their disgust....they showed us openly that they haven't, nor will they ever accept and help out our President to make America better.

Remember those faces...this is what you will continue to get...you will get what you vote for!!

Rave....Fresh Start!

I've probably posted this before, but I'm a big fan of the new year...I like the idea of a fresh start, with all of it's implications. This year especially, has promising and challenging possibilities. Of course every new year begs for weight loss, more exercise, etc, but for me, I'm looking at the bigger picture.

My daughter and our two grandgirls are still with us after 2 years. She is a chef now, with a real job in the last week! She continues to work on her own catering business when possible. The girls are healthy, happy, and well adjusted...a no-brainer 2 year investment gone good!! The chances of them being able to get on with their own lives away from Grandma and Grandpa's house is promising in the months to come. The whole experience has been one of emotions that range from A to Z, as any blended family knows, but I feel blessed that we were able to be here for the support and love they needed.

One of the most challenging parts of the year will be dealing with losing my healthcare coverage in June, and being too young for Medicare. As you know, if you've followed my blog before, I will be 5 years into my retirement from 30 years of nursing. I have been working tirelessly for healthcare reform since 2008. I'm disappointed that we haven't found what I think would be best for America, a single payer/universal health care system, but am glad that we are at least moving forward for now. We are up against one of the most conservative, rooted in the ideology of the 1940/50s, and compassionless Congresses in a long time...You will hear more from me on this subject!!

The other no-brainer challenge, is that we make sure that the president has another term to complete his plan to bring the country out of the aforementioned old fashioned, proven to be wrong, economy busting plan of past administrations. We can't let the same 'good 'ole boys' ruin it another time....we won't do well with another disaster like we just experienced. The pundits say don't blame them, Obama had all this time to make it right....well, he actually did turn it around fairly quickly. What most people don't know is, it takes at least one administration to get out of the hole from the last one and another to fix it, and we're already on the road!! More to come on this subject as well, as we can't afford not to look at it.

To keep the 'promising' part going strong, we need to work hard and focus to bring about that 'hopey' thing that got lost in the shuffle....whether you have been hurting, disgruntled, disillusioned, or whatever you're feeling....don't give up on the process.

As Dr. King said: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."