Tuning Out is Death

I truly do not know where to begin. I'm not condescending. I'm barely sarcastic, if at all. My mother, a quite ill woman taught me two things. As ill as she was, I listened to her along with others. I took the best advice I felt was necessary.  I took the best and left the rest.

Her two pieces of advice I held onto dearly were:

"Don't pick up a baby when you're angry."
"Don't ever be sarcastic to a child."
I've held both those suggestions close to my soul and still to heart.
And I've extended them towards adults. As only few have realized was, I am literal and not sarcastic even to adults. My fear is of being unkind, even to those we feel don't deserve our kindness. And I remove myself from a person's personal space when I feel an onset of anger or I stay the anger, temporarily changing my essence to a more appropriate time alone to deal with it. 

Anger is tough on the blood vessels. Rage is different. It's separate and can move mountains. Please know the difference.

The other week, I had an ethical discussion with a friend. She said, "It's your moral compass." I replied, "Yes." Emphatically.
This morning I looked up to the heavens and said, "Thank you Honey, for all you've done for me and the kids." I paused went downstairs, poured myself a cup of coffee and then said,  "As you see now Norm, I finally have won the debate. The debate I didn't want to win, that you and I'd had all of our 36 year marriage. As I decried, 'Checks and Balances will fall and we will lose our democracy.' You disagreed. But I pointed it out to you, that if we allowed Nazis and the like to have power. Or allow them to march hatred in our streets, it's going to be a problem. You wondered how this Catholic kid from a broken home would know such a thing could happen. I told you I saw and heard hatred in my childhood. Some aimed at me. Why? I wondered. Because I refuse to have my judgement clouded. I knew it was my duty to put in military service. As I've said, military service is not for many. But I did have a calling. Norm you realized this after 9/11. You said it to me. 'I know you want to re-up and go fight the war.' Yes, you were correct. But like I said, I was devoted to my promise to us, we would have a family together. And I told you then I was staying with you, to have a family and volunteer differently for the cause and that's what I did. Now Honey, you see democracy is at steak. Because the fear I had in our checks and balances was that few were paying attention the way I had. So, there's that."

Now, the fascists have grown. Infiltrated with their demands, a traitor to democracy has boisterously crept into the fold. He's embedded himself in a party that once had some sanity, some meaning. Now that party, known as the GOP is being abandoned by true conservatives and has been handed over to greed, hatred, fascism and to one man, a criminal at best.  

And the people that could change it have tuned out. I've heard them say, "I can't listen to the news anymore." They rattle their heads. But refuse to contribute to service. They write a check for charity, those that can. Then crawl back into their bubble feeling safe, more than likely because they're white, perhaps Christian. So, they feel safe and good riddance to those who vary from them.

Yeah, thanks a lot Americans. I'm only asking you to vote, not to judge someone for their choices. But to vote so democracy prevails, freedoms are kept for all in our country. But you Americans with no heart. Thinking only white men matter and that women and all others should be at your beck and call.

Meanwhile, you've tossed away a little piece of sanity in someone other than your demon spirit traitor. Why? Because, that little piece of sanity for the GOP, was a woman. You men, didn't have the brass balls to back her. It's a damn shame. And either you're going to hell or I'll meet you there. That's what I know. By the way, you won't need pockets down there. Because you've already sold your soul.---Jody-Lynn Reicher