Tag Archives: mental-health

Light at the End of the Tunnel

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How many of us are moving forward even in this bad news crazed world? How many of us are trying to rectify injustices that keep on happening? How many of us are just about ready to give up? Well, today I’m going to urge you to just keep moving forward, and do the best you can every day that you live. Don’t let your brain rest one bit. If you rest, you die. If a bear or mountain lion is chasing you in the woods (or out in the world such as your back yard – really happened to me), stand up and fight! Stand up and shout them out of your domestic domain! No more zoning out until you die! Blissful moments will come when we finish the fight!

Stand up and make a statement about civility, fairness, equity and inclusion, and loving one another! Stand up for people who just want the same things your family wanted when you came to this country. Fight for them as well as all of the scientific community who are trying to tell you about changes in our environment if we don’t stop those who are destroying it for us. Just keep moving forward no matter what. I know it’s not easy, but if you trust my words and make your own movement count, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We only move toward that end of the tunnel when we die! Even if we just don’t get there when we expect to, we must stop wasting time on silliness and retribution. We must keep striving for an end to the madness so we can go into the next plane of existence in peace.

Find that one beautiful and meaningful thing you can do every day that you live that will make a difference for future generations. It can be as simple as using less plastic, composting, or recycling. (HELLO! Wake up restaurants! Make it happen!) It can be planting a backyard garden or feeding others with the fruits of you labor when you have extras. Or it can be big such as all the protests we’ve seen of late. Anything is better than ignoring those in power who hurt the little guys in the end.

“If you do not have an absolutely clear vision of something, where you can follow the light to the end of the tunnel, then it doesn’t matter whether you’re bold or cowardly, or whether you’re stupid or intelligent. Doesn’t get you anywhere.”—Werner Herzog
“Sometimes that light at the end of the tunnel is a train.”—Charles Barkley (Good ole’Charles….)

So don’t wait for that train to run you over. Keep on living, keep on doing what’s right. Love the one you love, but love everyone and everything else equally. Enough said. I’m going to make more delicious zucchini recipes to be at peace for the evening.
Zucchini Boats!

I love you all tonight and hope for peace in the valley (and the mountains!) for everyone.
Jim Reeves Peace in the Valley

Making Up for Lost Time

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Why do we think we always have to make up for lost time? Is time really lost? Are those tasks that we didn’t do in the past causing us to vigorously complete them now? Why is it so hard for us to focus on the present? Why are we compensating for our past? Is frantically pushing forward for the wrong cause the right thing to do? How do we get rid of the thorn in our side that won’t go away or in my case, a thistle in my finger?

Do we want to die forever seeking something from our past, or do we want to move forward freely and become a part of something bigger and better? When I was a younger, fit woman, I listened to cassette tapes with my favorite workout specialists such as Jane Fonda, Kathy Smith, or even Heather Locklear. (Whoa! Talk about the 80’s!) There were many walking tapes and I strode happily into the distance with these women, one step at a time. They inspired me and even talked about taking things One Step At A Time or Moving Freely Forward. I was always seeking a faster pace, better results from workouts, generally always looking for something leaner, better, more, more, more! What I failed to realize is that our bodies aren’t built to keep up that pace. We can never get back that twenty-something body. It is just not the way humans are built. The faster we go, the slower we gain results. So, I realized I could take that mentality and slow down just a little bit to enjoy where I am at any time in my aging self and let life evolve. After injury, or surgery or just life’s disasters, I keep part of that younger mentality, but get right back up and try something different that will work better at my age.

All the pills and ads in the world about weight loss aren’t healthy and obsessing of what we woulda, shoulda, coulda leads us down a path that is depressing. I keep trying for perfection, and yet I can also be happy where I am at this point in my life. I’m not giving up, just slowing down a little and I am learning to live with that. Every day is a journey to stay alive in this world of crazy. If I can focus on putting that one foot forward, I can focus on being the person I want to be at any given point in time. I can be happy with my accomplishments and future that is wide open. Can you say the same thing?

Here are a few great quotes to ponder on where you are at this very point in your life.

  • “You just do it. You force yourself to get up. You force yourself to put one foot before the other. You fight. You cry. You curse. Then you go about the business of living. That’s how I’ve done it. There’s no other way.”–Elizabeth Taylor
  • “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”–Harriet Tubman
  • “You were not made for failure; you were made for victory. Go forward with a joyful confidence.”–George Eliot
  • “Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.”–Rainer Maria Rilke
  • “You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”–Amy Anderson
    Quotes from: https://www.planetofsuccess.com/blog/moving-forward-quotes/

So when the world goes to H#!! and everything dies, there will still be roaches, mosquitoes and thistle. All of our concerted efforts are for nought if we keep rushing by. So let’s just focus on what we can do for the rest of our years and slow down a little. We will never make up for our lost time, so just be in the moment every moment every day of your lives. And, yes, my metaphor (or punishment) for my lost time will be digging up that ever-present, blasted thistle in my flower beds! (Why is it sooooo resilient?) Arrrggh.

I love you all and hope you are thinking good thoughts and making magic happen for all those folks who need you!

Are We Getting Louder?

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Or: Are We Just Getting More Hearing-Impaired?
Or: Are We Just Creating More Regrets by Ignoring Each Other for Ourselves?

Every time I venture out of my sanctuary world of words and gardens for errands, grocery shopping, the gym, and especially the innumerable Doctor’s appointments, I notice that the world is a little louder than it used to be. Usually, at appointments, I try to sit in a corner away from people so I don’t have to hear the loud phone conversations (crazy discussions that should be done out of earshot of others – can you dig it?),  incessant conversations about religion, about their children or grandchildren, or something even less appealing, such as sniffling (grab a tissue already!), clearing of throats, and other general bodily noises. But alas, as doctor’s offices get busier, there are more people with appointments at the same time as me and I must endure. Usually, I bring my headphones and listen to music, read on my phone, or just put them on to avoid weird conversations. But, alas, I forgot them the other day and it was a nightmare of noise. And no matter what time I get there, I always have to wait at least 15-20 minutes.

And what’s up with people answering questions about things you didn’t even ask about when you walk by them? So annoying. I have to stop mumbling out loud! And then they get mad at you when you talk back to them. So very strange. Ahh, the aging process…. We get unwanted advice about everything, even when we don’t need it and it is delivered in an even louder voice because they think you can’t hear! And has personal space disappeared in this crowded world we live in? I am simply asking  you to just back up a little bit when you are making a point, okay?

Okay so now that I am done with my old lady rant, I’ll move on. Let’s talk a little bit about regrets:
There are times when I want to tune out the world and not go outside. And yet, I continue to venture out unless I become that recluse that I’ve loathed and mocked in the past. There are many roads I’ve not taken. I regret some of the decisions, but I am where I should be for now in hopes of taking new paths every year that I live. There are many times when I wished that I’d act differently to someone, and I would probably apologize to those who I have hurt in the past if given the chance. But with every choice I have made, the positives still outweigh the bad. It is a powerful feeling to recognize this.

Unless we have a time machine, we can’t really change our past. It’s how we cope with the choices we’ve made that makes us who we are. It’s how we overcome our past behavior to become comfortable in our own skin and create a better world. So set your goals and you can control a little of your future. Resist and redirect your obsessive thoughts into something new and innovative.

So the best thing we can do for each other is to quiet down a little and learn to listen and feel what others are feeling around us. (Trust me that is a hard thing to do!) Make time to discuss what you want to discuss with your friends outside of public places such as the doctor’s waiting room! There is plenty of room outside in the sunshine (or shade on hot days) to rant, vent or just be loud to each other. Respect the people around you then go home to your sanctuary and create more fun food with your ever-present zucchini!

Chicken Salad and Zucchini Fritters!

My heart goes out to all of you tonight and hope you are not in those flooding areas east of us!

Celebrate and Change with Me!

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Or: Half-Way Mark for 365 Days of Kindness Blogs
Today marks the 182nd post or the half-way mark of my endeavor to enlighten, entertain, and encourage people to keep on living life to the fullest and doing great things. Although there were a few days and weeks where I skipped posting, negating the promise to write every day, I must humbly admit that that was me being me, promising something that is often a huge grand gesture, yet, like life, is hard to deliver. But I am persevering through all the ups and downs of my life with everyone else, and continuing to do my part the best way I know how. So it may take more than a few days after that original 365-day mark (November 2024), but I hope you keep reading and sending out good vibes, love and happiness after my messages come to you unbidden.

Re-reading The Monkey Wrench Gang once again helps me understand how the cyclical thoughts on progress got us where we are today. We want convenience to get to places where we shouldn’t be going. And the big money corporations and their CEOs want to continue to get richer so they pretend that they are doing things for the public (destroying the western lands, like building roads and dams, drilling, mining, fracking, ad nauseum) making life better for us, more convenient for us, all the while hurting the earth and the environment and all of us who live in it. After all, the ads always paint a rosy picture, right? And of course we should believe those, right?

Seldom Seen Smith was right: “The river, the canyon, the desert world was always changing, from moment to moment, from miracle to miracle, within the firm reality of mother earth. River, rock, sun, blood, hunger, wings, joy—this is the real….All the rest is androgynous theosophy. All the rest is transcendental transvestite transactional scientology or whatever the fad of the day, the vogue of the week.” [Abbey, Edward. The Monkey Wrench Gang (p. 61). RosettaBooks. Kindle Edition.]

We all want the adventures from our past but in a more convenient, easier way. After all, we are getting older and can’t do those hikes like we used to. We embrace those conveniences at the detriment of those beautiful areas. But we also deny how much our climate is changing and what havoc is wreaked upon all of us. Perhaps it is just too big a problem not one for immediate resolution and that breaks us. So many of us ignore what is happening, and yet many of us are stepping up to the task. We know we can’t fix everything, but we are trying to do the best we can in our smaller environments. Every day I am thankful for all of my adventures in my younger years and what I saw. But I am also thankful for the new inventions in gear, such as better equipment, less plastic, and better shoes and backpacks for the young ones to take those adventures. We can’t give up on the new inventions, yet we have to come up with solutions to stop destroying the land for profit.

Monkey wrenching in the oldest of ideologies doesn’t work the way we think it should. Perhaps we should think of new ways to change progress, maybe purchasing lands (including the mineral rights, if possible) to protect them from the marauders. Smarter people than me are making this happen in many states. It is my hope that this way of thinking will be the new tool to protect our children and grandchildren in the future.

So my thoughts for today are these: Keep picking up trash and plastics no matter where you are and recycle, reuse, etc. You know the drill. Stop using plastics in your home. Go electric or maybe hybrid in your vehicles (I know I am in a few years!) Eat less beef (I love it and I know we are in beef country, but come on!) And grow some wonderful food items in your gardens to feed your family and others!) Stop listening to advertisements. If we can start these practices, thinking before doing, and making changes in our lives, the movement will grow and change will happen.

Keep writing your congressmen to stop granting rights to those in big oil and gas, big mining, big, well everything. Ask your congressmen to stop taking money from these corporations in order to stay in office. I know that is a hard one and many people don’t think like me, but that’s the only way we are going to stop it. Support those who support us. I know we won’t change everything, and I know we’ve heard it before, but we can keep the conversation going. At least our tiny piece of the world will be cleaner. Thank you for listening and I look forward to better times!

Love to all tonight.

END OF TRUTH AND REAL NEWS AS WE KNOW IT

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Or: We Can’t Give Up!
So now we are silencing our comedians for making fun of you know who and his ilk who are making a mockery of our government. It’s a sad day for America when large corporations are silencing the last vestiges of sanity and news reporting and giving money to those in power. When is it going to stop? It’s a sad day when we allow these people control our world.

On Colbert’s show Wednesday night (7/16), his monologue was a bit scathing about the parent company selling out because they wanted CBS to be sold to Skydance and you know who’s billionaires didn’t like what they were hearing. They wanted to make a lot of money so they paid the orange one off. Last night, Colbert announced not only were they getting rid of him, but they were also cancelling The Late Night Show for good. The last show will be in May 2026 after 33 years on air. And of course, the owners said it had nothing to do with politics and was purely a financial decision. Really? Do you think the public believes you? There are many articles posted on this subject and it has made me realize that I no longer want to support CBS. As government slowly demolishes our right to know, our right to the truth, I hope we are all thinking about the long-term consequences. Colbert-Late Night Show Cancelled

But that’s not the only thing I wanted to say today. Colbert’s guest on Wednesday was Dr. Francis Collins, former director of NIH (National Institute of Health), an amazing and renown scientist. After the current regime gutted funding and the ability to conduct research, Dr. Collins retired from office. He stated that over 2500 projects were stopped. They were told to shut down any further critical research on Vaccines, Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Covid and even Aids which they were making great strides in creating cures and advances for our health care. Now the science has stopped and we will no longer have those medical miracles at our fingertips.

Dr. Collins also stated that since our brilliant young scientists are being laid off and can’t get jobs here, they are leaving to go to countries where they can, such as Australia, Europe, and China. He stated we will start to see the effects of this brain drain soon. We are allowing this to happen. I don’t blame these young people. They want to learn and discover new cures and aren’t able to do this here. Perhaps if we get a sane and rational person back in office next time, they will come back. But it will take years to catch up to the progress we made in the past. Contrary to popular belief, it takes time to study and research cures.

Finally, Dr. Collins told Colbert that right now two-thirds of the country are what he calls the exhausted middle because of the controversy and outrage Olympics happening in our world right now. He believes that this has happened because of these deficits:

Truth deficit (no penalties for lying)
Trust deficit (we have stopped trusting each other)
Civility deficit (we are just being really mean to each other)
Compassion deficit (he gave an example of the USAID cuts and how people are suffering world-wide; over 90,000 children have died unnecessarily)
He believes that we, the exhausted ones, have to get all of this back. We are the ones who can make change happen.

I know we are all tired, but we can’t give up. We can’t stop believing in each other AND the science (and scientists) behind the advances to create a better world. We must continue to write to our representatives who are supporting this slippery slope slide (say that mouthful out loud!) into fascism. We must ask them to not take money from those billionaires who support this nonsense because these people are not helping to make a better world for all. Those billionaires seek power and want to buy your representatives. Those billionaires are only thinking about themselves and their money. I am starting to worry that censorship will not be far behind these blatant acts of our cancel culture.

So keep up the protests. Don’t give up even though you are exhausted. Don’t give up on learning and loving all people. Check out Dr. Collins’ book: The Road to Wisdom. I ordered it on Kindle today. It is going to be very interesting read.

I love you all, and hope you continue to do good things and support those in need every day you live on this smoke-filled planet!

Who Will Be There for You?

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I have been contemplating how I want to be remembered and who I want to have around me, especially when it’s time to dance off this plane of existence. My writing has always been one of a mixture of fact and fiction and my past frequently shows up in the characters I’ve written about. I don’t always reveal my darkest moments, and I am okay with that. I want to be remembered as one who loves life and appreciates others for who they are. I don’t want to dwell on past realities or relationships that brought me down. I want to celebrate the love I have been given over these last 25+ years. I hope that my family feels the same. I constantly search for what Wallace Stegner called a usable past that I can employ in my characters and reveal a little of myself to strangers. There are so many things that I want my family and friends to remember about me that are positive.

I wish that I had been more of a documentarian like Edward Abbey and kept my journals full. I wrote during my travels, but over the last few years, I became more sedentary and didn’t keep up. I began writing sort of a prequel about my beloved Caitlin, which came from notes over the past 50 or more decades. As I go through the notes, there are so many things that I wished I had fleshed out when I was living them. But that is the beauty of storytelling I suppose. Write what you know, and remember, and the story will follow.

I suppose pictures will have to be good enough for my future generations. As they fade, we are endeavoring to digitize those old Polaroids and other camera photos. But one thing I’d like to share with you is to keep a journal on hand at all times. Document your adventures because places you’ve cherished may not be there when your family travels to them.

I loved the fact that Wallace Stegner had a legacy, to-do list on his desk when he died and it was later published. He reminded me that while I am on this earth, there is still so much work to be done. I have completed many to-do lists and put them on my desktop of my computer, both short and long-term projects. I want to begin to add writing lists to this, for people and places I want to research and learn about.

But who will be there for you through your failing brain, through sickness, through general aging? Decide who is most important and ask them to be there as you will be there for them. Even if you don’t leave a large legacy, be there for the ones you care about the most, a family member, a loving spouse, or a best friend. My spouse is my both my spouse and best friend. I hope that he will be there for me as I will be there for him.

Finally, ever think about what you want to put out there at the end of life? As a writer I think it’s important to create your own obituary ahead of time. Find a picture you love, and save it on a thumb drive somewhere. Put it in an envelope and give it to each other. You’ve lived a wonderful life so why not have your family celebrate it the way you want them to?

So after walking around the house for 10 minutes looking for your glasses so you can finish your epic novel, and after finding them on the top of your head, rejoice in the fact that you are still here. Embrace the knowledge that your loved ones still love you, and that your words may not be read by everyone, but that they have been immortalized in print. Know that you have left a tiny footprint on this earth and those that love you will still remember your impact on their lives, whether good or bad, mad, or sad, cursed, or beloved. Hope for happiness during the life you still have and wish for happiness for you loved ones in the future. Acknowledge (and write it down) that special someone to watch over you. Someone to Watch Over Me

Love to all on this dark and stormy night! Keep enjoying the zucchini! Here is a wonderful recipe I just tried! Very delicious! Stanley Tucci’s Zucchini and Potato Muffins

Dancing in the Moonlight

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Or: Do You Remember Where You Were in June 1973?
Or: Do You Remember When You Were 18?
Or: Do You Remember When You Believed You Had the World at Your Fingertips?

And here I am, 50+ years later still dancing, but with many harsh realities coming at me every day that I am alive. I just read about this, but it happened a while ago. It is still noteworthy to mention again. A bunch of so-called righteous moms checked out all of a San Diego library’s featured LBGTQ+ books and refused to bring them back unless the library took them off the shelf. Okay, so now I must rant a little. Here is what I am saying to you (I wish it could be directly to your face): First, what gives you the right to censure every other human being that uses that public library? Secondly, why are you soooooooooo ignorant? Thirdly, this worked against you, because when the public heard about your little stunt, they went out and purchased all of those books and gave them to the library, AND raised and donated $15,000.00 for the library. Then…. the City of San Diego matched that donation so now they had $30,000.00 total to buy many more wonderful books! So your little stunt backfired! Also, if I was the librarian, I would have sent you a big whopping bill!

All I’m saying to you people who think you know best for EVERYONE, just let it go. There are many other people in the world who have different opinions and lifestyles from you. You cannot dictate what others think or do. It has never worked in our society. We worked hard to be different and more tolerant of all people. I am still amazed there are so many small-minded people in the world. You should be striving to change every day that you live and let others live their lives. Don’t dictate demands on others who don’t agree with you. Don’t be afraid of DIFFERENT even if it is within your own family. They are still your siblings and children. They love you and you should absolutely and unconditionally love them back. Isn’t that what we fought for? To be a nation different from Europe? Everyone who came here in the past have their own ways of thinking. I don’t agree with all of them, but that doesn’t make me want to censure them. Conversations don’t have to be about your small-minded ways of thinking. Embrace everyone and Lighten Up!

So as we face and accept our aging, we can still believe that we all have the world at our fingertips. We can still believe that we all have choices and accept that we are all wonderful beings and choose love, not hate. And, after we’ve faced the heat of the day, we can just wait a little while for nightfall and thank the universe that we are still alive. We can then go outside and water the tomatoes, say hello to the bugs, the bats eating the bugs, nightfall, and embrace the moon! Do a little dance, make a little love, and get down tonight (KC and the Sunshine Band).

“We like our fun and we never fight
You can’t dance and stay uptight
It’s a supernatural delight
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight….”
Dancing in the Moonlight
King Harvest – Original (Although Toploader does a good job!)

I love you all and wish some of you would just grow up into loving humans!

The Heat is On

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As I ponder the many things I can do inside because of the heat I return to my writing once again and try and capture the thread that will finish the book. But, alas, my mind wanders, there are loads of inside chores to complete and I return to the blog, if only to get some writing in today.

Summer Solstice is upon us and I want to return to a simpler time when I danced with the goddess on the longest day of the year with my fellow merrymakers in sacred spaces. I once believed that I was on the right path to enlightenment and the world’s woes were slowly being resolved. I once embraced the path that we as a people of this great nation believed and cared for each other. The police I knew were starting to come around and be the friendly neighborhood protectors instead of using evil [gestapo] tactics. They were proud to be a part of the neighborhood. People weren’t shooting each other in my neighborhood. Neighbors left their doors open, had block parties and shared beautiful food and music without interference from the evil ICE folks, or local police using military tactics for no reason. I want to return to hearing that violent crime is down. Maybe it was all an illusion, but I was proud to be a part of that illusion of the world.

Today, things are rapidly deteriorating to fear tactics and hating BIPOC [i.e., the brown people or anyone who doesn’t look exactly like you]. I still don’t understand how some people can embrace this in their lives. I want those people to wake up and fight back no matter what. I want people to take away all the guns from those that are insanely violent and hurt those who are trying to do the right thing. And I want to return to the belief that we must allow justice to take place and punish those in the wrong (you know who I am talking about). I want that weird secret police to go away and stop harassing those who believe in the democratic process and are just doing the right thing within their jobs and the courts. I want to believe that we can return to finding enlightenment within our lives without worrying about be accosted, or even worse, shot.

So, enjoy the peaceful moments today. Go inside and leave off the TV and phone. Write to your heart’s content your thoughts and musings in your beautiful journals (or laptops!). Read a good book. Work on a puzzle with your family or play a game. And, put on some 80’s tunes (Glen Frey) and get away from it all for a little while.
The Heat is On

I love you all and hope only great things happen to you!

Birthdays and Worry

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Is it wrong to worry about the future when you are older than most people?
Is it wrong to worry about your child’s future so much that you make yourself sick?
Is it wrong to question why people are the way they are when they support an idiot in office with no regard to their families or other families?
Why are we where we are?
Why are we shooting people who are trying to do the right thing?
Why are people in power afraid to do the right thing?
STAND UP!

Today is my birthday and I am pondering the state of the union and the world as we know it. Each year that I am alive, I have seen the good and the bad of administrations in power and it seems that this one is really bad. I am amazed at the people who are turning out in droves to protest and feel good that there are so many of us who care about what is going on. I am also amazed at those in power who aren’t marching with us, who think that this king is right and just and they refuse to depose him. He should not be the one leading the country. What will it take to bring about change for the better?

Today I am asking everyone that have supported this administration to reflect on who you voted for. I am begging you to ask good questions of your representatives why they are letting all of this nonsense happen. I am asking the red states to turn a little more purple and vote out those who support him. I am asking everyone to be brave and send out love to those who are being oppressed. I am asking everyone to lose their prejudices and accept everyone the way they are. Don’t kick out those in the military who are different than you (you know who I’m talking about). They signed up to do a job to support their country, just like you and your children did when wars were looming (or not). They wanted to do their duty to keep democracy alive. I am begging you to stop ignoring your children if they tell you they are different that what you expect. Have an open and honest conversation with them. Accept them the way they are. Embrace their differences with pride. You raised them to be independent. They may not be the same as you and you need to be okay with that. Love them for who they are.

And finally, don’t be hateful to anyone who doesn’t look like you. They have a right to be on this earth just like you. And many of them were in this country long before your family came here. RISE UP and make a difference before it’s too late. Move beyond your small plane of existence and see the world in a multi-colored perspective. Thank you.
RISE UP

Love vibes to all on this fantastic summer day.

I Yam What I Yam

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Or: You Cannot Keep Ignoring the Truth
Popeye said it so succinctly that we are who we are no matter what others think of us. With all the Pride parades and parties coming up, I want to return to a subject that the rednecks (male and female alike) of the world have latched onto because of that guy in office. Why are you so worried about others whose identity doesn’t match up to what your expectations are? Why are you afraid that others who can be incredible and yet different from your perception of reality?

And you women out there who are so loud and obnoxious and sooooo terribly wrong in these matters, ask yourself: Why do you fall into line because a ridiculous man is telling you what you think and what you should do? Are you that privileged that you don’t see the pain of others when you belittle those who are unique in their own ways? Why are you threatened by this?

Blaming DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) on everything that is happening is just wrong. We had come a long way before the buffoon started telling us what to think. Women, get it together and change this! Teach your children (especially your male children) to respect women and diverse people. Stop agreeing with this nonsense and support your community – those who are alike and different that you. DEI isn’t a bad word. It promotes:

  • Educator Growth: Professional Development, Training, Hiring Practices.
  • Classroom and Climate: Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Practices and Curriculum.
  • Student Belonging: Identity, Empathy, Inclusion.
  • Community Cohesion: Parent/Guardian Education and Involvement, Town Partnerships.

I grew up in an era where if you weren’t a white Anglo-Saxon male, your voice meant nothing. Have we completely returned to this way of thinking? And, if so Why? Everyone is unique and have made it so far in this world. Hating someone for being of a different race, a different gender, for what they believe, or even how they dress and identify is just wrong. We have to return to loving kindness for all and if that is what it means to be woke, then count me in!

“Everyone deserves to live free from hate, fear, and violence. We cannot free ourselves from hate if we don’t identify and acknowledge it when it happens. What is typically included in ongoing reporting is just as important as what is left out – the voices of individuals who experienced incidents of hate.” AND:
“Today’s political climate is highly charged. From white supremacist and anti-government movements coalescing and moving more into the political mainstream, to conspiracy theories circulating online, to the amplification of hate by public officials. We refuse to let the loud volume of a few define us.” https://civilrights.org/value/fighting-hate-bias/#

For more information on this organization and what else you can do see:
https://civilrights.org/blog/

So all I am saying is stop the patter of malcontent and learn to accept that not everyone is like you. Embrace all those who differ from you, even if you don’t always agree with them. Make life a little easier for yourself if you choose your battles and words with others.

Get outside, enjoy the beautiful days, and have a heart full of love tonight! Love to all who are trying to do their part every day they live!