I’m a person who likes my ducks in a row. I am a planner, an organizer, and very much a worrier. I try to do the right things. I am responsible. I am careful in what I say and do. I like to be in control of my life. Usually I am. Then something happens that reminds me that it is all just an illusion. Something beyond my control. I know that I am not the only one experiencing this. Somehow that is not comforting.
Like many people in this country, I am losing my job. I found out that my position is being terminated in a little over a month. While I knew I could have my hours cut, I was not expecting this. There are not many jobs out there right now and I’m not so young anymore. We need my income. Our youngest daughter is unemployed in New York City and we have been helping her, or should I say mostly supporting her. She needs help for anxiety and depression. She’s in a difficult point in her life and I’m trying to be supportive. Now our cat is sick again. Hundreds of dollars later, she is still not better—we are giving her antibiotics, fluids and sticking food down her. I’m also dealing with some medical issues of my own, including a blood test result that the doctor says she’ll be watching—another weight hanging over me. I have no control over any of it.
I guess this is where faith comes in. I’m working on that. . .
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
What Can We Learn from the Tragedy in Tucson?
It seems difficult to escape the fallout from the tragedy that occurred in Tucson a week ago. While in some ways this horrible event has brought people together, in other ways it has sparked even more controversy. I need to stop reading the online comments to various news stories; many of them make me lose all hope for the future of this country.
The far right is claiming that they share no blame for this violence because no clear motive can be determined. I think it is ridiculous to try to assess a motive from someone who is clearly irrational. Somebody who is off balance mentally can possibly be led to violence by incendiary language while a more rational person may not be influenced at all. Words do matter. If they didn’t, why would our politicians spend so much time talking? Isn’t it possible to be civil to each other while disagreeing? The hate and vitriol spewed by politicians and loudmouth talk show hosts have contributed to the divisiveness in our country. How we speak to and about each other matters. If we truly love this country, we must all work to tone down the rhetoric and learn to talk to each other.
I am so tired of hearing “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Give me a break. Nobody needs an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. They are meant for one thing and one thing only—to kill as many people as quickly as possible. AND people who have known mental health problems, like the shooter in Tucson, can go out and buy these weapons. Now that is totally crazy. This guy would not have been able to kill and maim so many people if had been wielding something like a knife. These weapons allow a disturbed person to inflict a lot of damage. I actually heard a guy being interviewed the other day who said that it was too bad that there wasn’t another person with a gun present. Then that person could have taken out the shooter. The interviewer somewhat incredulously asked if he meant a shootout. This guy was convinced this would have been a good thing. Incredible. I don’t even know what to say to somebody with that kind of mentality. Maybe he’s been watching too many cowboy movies.
I hope and pray that we can take away some lessons from this tragedy. I understand that for the President’s State of the Union address, members of Congress will not be separated by party this year but will sit together, Democrats and Republicans as one. Maybe that’s a start.
The far right is claiming that they share no blame for this violence because no clear motive can be determined. I think it is ridiculous to try to assess a motive from someone who is clearly irrational. Somebody who is off balance mentally can possibly be led to violence by incendiary language while a more rational person may not be influenced at all. Words do matter. If they didn’t, why would our politicians spend so much time talking? Isn’t it possible to be civil to each other while disagreeing? The hate and vitriol spewed by politicians and loudmouth talk show hosts have contributed to the divisiveness in our country. How we speak to and about each other matters. If we truly love this country, we must all work to tone down the rhetoric and learn to talk to each other.
I am so tired of hearing “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Give me a break. Nobody needs an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. They are meant for one thing and one thing only—to kill as many people as quickly as possible. AND people who have known mental health problems, like the shooter in Tucson, can go out and buy these weapons. Now that is totally crazy. This guy would not have been able to kill and maim so many people if had been wielding something like a knife. These weapons allow a disturbed person to inflict a lot of damage. I actually heard a guy being interviewed the other day who said that it was too bad that there wasn’t another person with a gun present. Then that person could have taken out the shooter. The interviewer somewhat incredulously asked if he meant a shootout. This guy was convinced this would have been a good thing. Incredible. I don’t even know what to say to somebody with that kind of mentality. Maybe he’s been watching too many cowboy movies.
I hope and pray that we can take away some lessons from this tragedy. I understand that for the President’s State of the Union address, members of Congress will not be separated by party this year but will sit together, Democrats and Republicans as one. Maybe that’s a start.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Hope for the New Year
On this New Year’s Day, I am reflecting on the past year and looking forward to 2011. Our celebrations are always quiet. As I search my Facebook news feed, I see the parties, the expressions of good riddance to the past year (difficult for many), and the excitement for new opportunities. The hope. I think that is what New Year celebrations are all about. No matter how bad the previous year was, this is a new chance. In reality it’s just another day. However, once a year we put away the old calendar, put away the past, and look ahead. We can dare to hope for something better.
What do I hope for in 2011? I would like to see an end to the divisiveness in our country. Isn’t it possible to disagree but still show respect for our fellow citizens? Can we research issues and think for ourselves instead of jumping onto a sound bite bandwagon? Many try to claim that this is a Christian nation but show no love for their fellow human beings. Can we try to accept each other and love each other for who we are or in spite of who we are? I hope that we can tackle the greed, selfishness, and ignorance in this great country of ours and move ahead together. I hope for peace at home and across this world. I try to be hopeful.
Personally, I hope that my young adult daughters can support themselves in work that they enjoy, have access to health care, and find meaningful relationships with other people. In these times, those things are not a given and they and other young adults struggle. I hope that my retired husband and I can afford to enjoy a few simple trips, and purchase things we need and want—not easy as we support an unemployed daughter. I hope that I can move forward and stretch myself in many ways—in meaningful work (paid or not), in my faith, in my relationships with my family and friends, in care of my mind and body, as a citizen of this country and this planet. I have great hope in all of this. I am an optimist by nature.
May hope, faith, and love carry us through whatever this new year of 2011 brings.
What do I hope for in 2011? I would like to see an end to the divisiveness in our country. Isn’t it possible to disagree but still show respect for our fellow citizens? Can we research issues and think for ourselves instead of jumping onto a sound bite bandwagon? Many try to claim that this is a Christian nation but show no love for their fellow human beings. Can we try to accept each other and love each other for who we are or in spite of who we are? I hope that we can tackle the greed, selfishness, and ignorance in this great country of ours and move ahead together. I hope for peace at home and across this world. I try to be hopeful.
Personally, I hope that my young adult daughters can support themselves in work that they enjoy, have access to health care, and find meaningful relationships with other people. In these times, those things are not a given and they and other young adults struggle. I hope that my retired husband and I can afford to enjoy a few simple trips, and purchase things we need and want—not easy as we support an unemployed daughter. I hope that I can move forward and stretch myself in many ways—in meaningful work (paid or not), in my faith, in my relationships with my family and friends, in care of my mind and body, as a citizen of this country and this planet. I have great hope in all of this. I am an optimist by nature.
May hope, faith, and love carry us through whatever this new year of 2011 brings.
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