It's President's Day and the only people really ecstatic about this holiday are those who get a paid vacation day and those who are aiming to sell a mess of "on sale" crap to materialistic hordes of people who don't want to stay home with their kids. Both feel rewarded because they figure they're getting free money to do with what they want.
Then there's the rest of us. We constitute the majority of the population, and it breaks down into these sectors: 25 percent who attend online or live observances to honor past presidents like Washington and Lincoln; another 25 percent who read or make use of e-media to learn about the Kennedys and other eminent skeletons in the presidential closet; 25 percent who hate the current President and spend idle moments thinking of workable assassination plots; and the remaining 25 percent who love, adore and worship at the feet of Donald Trump and like the Pied Piper of Hamelin tale, would follow the Donald over the cliff and into national and international disaster. Think of the Titanic and all those musicians who played pop tunes while the boat was sinking ever faster. Now think of Donald as the orchestra leader who dictates how fast or slow the musicians should play. Or whether they should play at all for that matter. Perhaps the Titanic crowd should have just junked their instruments and had a few good drinks.
It's obvious which group I belong to so if you're a fan of Donald Trump, please don't send me any dead rats or boiled bunnies. You can, however, send them to Donald, who might even tweet about them, calling them fake hate symbols from the incredibly stupid media who get everything wrong when they know damn well that the Trump is perfect and there's "no collusion."
What really worries me is that 25 percent of the national population who voted for Donald in 2016. What is wrong with these people? Do they believe every promise that tumbles out of the Donald's mouth? Do they really think that Mexico will pay for the Wall? Do they really think that this administration can cut a better no-nukes deal with Iran and solve the Israeli-PLO divide that has been going on for 50+ years? These people have got to be so naive and mentally challenged that they like the new Geico commercial, they like walking into glass doors and love getting their airline seats kicked by bored children. This impressionable group cannot even connect the dots in a kiddy art book yet they feel confident in their vote for the wrong player. It's not that I think the Dems have their act together; they don't. It seems that most legislators on both sides of the aisle only think about one thing: his/her personal agenda--How can I get re-elected? What can I say or do that will help me gain friends and influence people? How can I get a free flight to Paris?
I've never been this pessimistic about our political future. Maybe it's because I'm older now and realize that the people in charge really don't know what they're doing and even if they knew the answers, they would rather do what's good for little ole me-me-me the victim than for the general populace. The goody-two-shoes (and I say that in the most loving way possible) are not taking over the world. They just make it smell a little better. Helping the homeless, the sick, the defenseless, and the hungry cast a little light on a dark world that's getting darker every time I pick up a newspaper or tune into Fox or CNN.
Where's the humor in all this? I did promise you humor, didn't I and I like to keep my word. Well, the humorous or ironic aspect of all this wreckage is that for the most part people say they're happy--they like their jobs, their children, and their social networks. They are content if they survive the day without crashing into another driver glued to his iPhone, if they don't have to be the one to change the toilet paper roll; if they have total possession of the remote control on the Smart TV; and if they don't gain weight despite gorging on those nachos,, oreos, and beer during the Super Bowl.
What's funny is that when it comes down to basics, people are happy with very little, and as they age, they become even happier. Just getting up in the morning and being able to brush your dentures becomes a blessing, no matter who's in the White House. And remembering where you live or how to navigate to the closest Safeway becomes a biggie for those afflicted with senioritis or worse. A wise man (maybe it was a woman, I'm bad on names and genders) said that all that people want is kindness. I know my mother always asked for "a kind word" when we questioned her about birthday or holiday gifts. Mothers are smart. They know that the Trumps of the world won't last long--they lack the human kindness that is so sorely needed in a mentally and ethically challenged society. And kindness is the glue that keeps us from straying too far from our national and personal values.
Then there's the rest of us. We constitute the majority of the population, and it breaks down into these sectors: 25 percent who attend online or live observances to honor past presidents like Washington and Lincoln; another 25 percent who read or make use of e-media to learn about the Kennedys and other eminent skeletons in the presidential closet; 25 percent who hate the current President and spend idle moments thinking of workable assassination plots; and the remaining 25 percent who love, adore and worship at the feet of Donald Trump and like the Pied Piper of Hamelin tale, would follow the Donald over the cliff and into national and international disaster. Think of the Titanic and all those musicians who played pop tunes while the boat was sinking ever faster. Now think of Donald as the orchestra leader who dictates how fast or slow the musicians should play. Or whether they should play at all for that matter. Perhaps the Titanic crowd should have just junked their instruments and had a few good drinks.
It's obvious which group I belong to so if you're a fan of Donald Trump, please don't send me any dead rats or boiled bunnies. You can, however, send them to Donald, who might even tweet about them, calling them fake hate symbols from the incredibly stupid media who get everything wrong when they know damn well that the Trump is perfect and there's "no collusion."
What really worries me is that 25 percent of the national population who voted for Donald in 2016. What is wrong with these people? Do they believe every promise that tumbles out of the Donald's mouth? Do they really think that Mexico will pay for the Wall? Do they really think that this administration can cut a better no-nukes deal with Iran and solve the Israeli-PLO divide that has been going on for 50+ years? These people have got to be so naive and mentally challenged that they like the new Geico commercial, they like walking into glass doors and love getting their airline seats kicked by bored children. This impressionable group cannot even connect the dots in a kiddy art book yet they feel confident in their vote for the wrong player. It's not that I think the Dems have their act together; they don't. It seems that most legislators on both sides of the aisle only think about one thing: his/her personal agenda--How can I get re-elected? What can I say or do that will help me gain friends and influence people? How can I get a free flight to Paris?
I've never been this pessimistic about our political future. Maybe it's because I'm older now and realize that the people in charge really don't know what they're doing and even if they knew the answers, they would rather do what's good for little ole me-me-me the victim than for the general populace. The goody-two-shoes (and I say that in the most loving way possible) are not taking over the world. They just make it smell a little better. Helping the homeless, the sick, the defenseless, and the hungry cast a little light on a dark world that's getting darker every time I pick up a newspaper or tune into Fox or CNN.
Where's the humor in all this? I did promise you humor, didn't I and I like to keep my word. Well, the humorous or ironic aspect of all this wreckage is that for the most part people say they're happy--they like their jobs, their children, and their social networks. They are content if they survive the day without crashing into another driver glued to his iPhone, if they don't have to be the one to change the toilet paper roll; if they have total possession of the remote control on the Smart TV; and if they don't gain weight despite gorging on those nachos,, oreos, and beer during the Super Bowl.
What's funny is that when it comes down to basics, people are happy with very little, and as they age, they become even happier. Just getting up in the morning and being able to brush your dentures becomes a blessing, no matter who's in the White House. And remembering where you live or how to navigate to the closest Safeway becomes a biggie for those afflicted with senioritis or worse. A wise man (maybe it was a woman, I'm bad on names and genders) said that all that people want is kindness. I know my mother always asked for "a kind word" when we questioned her about birthday or holiday gifts. Mothers are smart. They know that the Trumps of the world won't last long--they lack the human kindness that is so sorely needed in a mentally and ethically challenged society. And kindness is the glue that keeps us from straying too far from our national and personal values.
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