Someone I know- this person is not a friend- took the opportunity yesterday to take another swipe at Michelle Obama. It made me think about this.
I love my country. I Sing the National Anthem WHENEVER it is played, full voice and with all my heart. I get a lump in my throat when the flag goes by at parades. If you asked me, I would tell you I am a Christian. I vote in every election. I qualify for the D.A.R. I pay my taxes without ( too much) complaint. I participate in local government, and I am a CARD CARRYING LIBERAL.
People use Liberal like it's a bad word, as if I should be ashamed of it. I'm not. My political opinion is my right. I think the Bushes, both of them, were bad presidents and I think W is an idiot. Probably a really nice guy and he should have been allowed his once-stated goal to just be the owner of a baseball team. If he had been allowed that instead of sucked into the vortex of the Family Business... well.... I can speculate all I want. I never "prayed" for his death or the death of any president as so many faux Christians seem to do for Barack Obama. What kind of person does that? Don't get me started on the hypocrisy of religion.
Did you realize that the "office" of First Lady is an unpaid position? That the wife of the President is expected to do all the work she does and NOT get paid for it? Talk about"pay inequity"! I wonder if that will be changed when a woman is president. For a "Developed nation" we certain have some antiquated notions, don't we? I am looking forward to the day when a woman is allowed to lead this country. I will be working toward that goal and hope I see it. A friend observed the other day that college kids who helped elect Obama don't seem to have any idea at how huge his election was; the fact that here was a black man being elected ( I like to think of Obama as an Irish man, as he is on his mother's side, but that's just my little joke). I told her that I am GLAD that they don't know, that the fact that they worked so hard for the ideas he proposed, rather than the color of his skin gave me hope. You have to have hope to get out of bed in the morning. I have hope for this country, despite it all or maybe because of it all.
Yesterday was Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor those killed in battle. We take a moment to think about their sacrifice, at the very least. We honor their memory , by care-taking what they fought and died for. I will continue to be a proud liberal American. That is NOT an oxymoron.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Back at work
I am still working on the blog about my vacation. We had a splendid time. My husband is the perfect companion and I love traveling with him and his Mom. We're all pretty easygoing. I could have used another week off, because I came back to a full inbox and a slew of stressors.
So.. yesterday, while I was working on a solution to a longstanding problem that I have tried everything to fix, I get a call from the new head of the Guild's Health and Safety Committee. He had already talked to my co-worker who was picking up my emergencies while I was gone and she had a detailed accounting of what I had done and what the Department had done about the issue. He called me to ask what I was doing about it as well, and when I told him, he snottily said "Good. I wanted to know if you were doing anything for OUR people" His tone implied that it was an us-and- them situation and I was one of "them" I said "They're MY people too, Jeff" and he said something like "well ok then, keep me posted." I was insulted. This is the second time in the past week or so that someone has accused me of not doing my job properly. It got me to thinking about whether I am doing my job properly or if people just have unreasonable expectations. It also got me thinking about all those people who work in jobs where people only notice when it isn't done. When was the last time I thanked someone for doing a good job at a "thankless" job? The cashier in the grocery store? The custodian? Security? The counter person at the coffee spot? Today I will try to thank someone for doing their job and to remember how much I appreciate what other people do that makes my life easier. In the mean time, I will try my best to do what it is I do and not to take offense at the few people who want to complain about me.
So.. yesterday, while I was working on a solution to a longstanding problem that I have tried everything to fix, I get a call from the new head of the Guild's Health and Safety Committee. He had already talked to my co-worker who was picking up my emergencies while I was gone and she had a detailed accounting of what I had done and what the Department had done about the issue. He called me to ask what I was doing about it as well, and when I told him, he snottily said "Good. I wanted to know if you were doing anything for OUR people" His tone implied that it was an us-and- them situation and I was one of "them" I said "They're MY people too, Jeff" and he said something like "well ok then, keep me posted." I was insulted. This is the second time in the past week or so that someone has accused me of not doing my job properly. It got me to thinking about whether I am doing my job properly or if people just have unreasonable expectations. It also got me thinking about all those people who work in jobs where people only notice when it isn't done. When was the last time I thanked someone for doing a good job at a "thankless" job? The cashier in the grocery store? The custodian? Security? The counter person at the coffee spot? Today I will try to thank someone for doing their job and to remember how much I appreciate what other people do that makes my life easier. In the mean time, I will try my best to do what it is I do and not to take offense at the few people who want to complain about me.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Saturday
It's Saturday morning and I got up at my "regular" time to get my act together to work an Art Fair. Some of the proceeds will benefit McGroarty's Summer Scholarship program, so I am going. It's getting harder to do this, as no matter what I do, someone always complains about it. I'm a volunteer. People always have some kind of caustic remark but very few offer some kind of assistance. It is wearying. Maybe I am getting jaded. I know I love the Center and want it to succeed and thrive. There are so many people who for whatever reason, do not. I think they feel it is their own private secret and if they share, they won't get all the goodies. If things do NOT change, they won't have ANY goodies. Things are still very difficult in the non-profit world. I have hope but am fading.
I see that Kate and Wills have had their baby girl. Good for them. I have to admire Kate. She is constantly in the shadow of her sainted late Mother-in-law. It must be hell, playing second fiddle to a ghost. As time passes, Diana's "faults" fall away and people only remember "the People's Princess" ARGH. I wonder how Diana herself would have been about her perception in the media. As for Kate, I think she is doing a fine "job" having married into a business that is 24/7 glaring spotlight. I am certain that the public pressure to name their daughter "Diana" is intense. I hope they won't, at least as a first name. The Royals have.. what four or five names attached to them? I am sure "Diana" and "Elizabeth" will be in there somewhere. I am betting on "Mary" I have no idea why.
I see they released the names and photos of the cops in Baltimore in the Freddie Gray case. Interesting how the media played it up as a racial thing you know "bad white cops" and it turns out that a few of them were NOT old fat white guys. While I agree that what happened should not have happened and it is a symptom of a larger problem, can we PLEASE stop jumping to the conclusion that everything that happens is because of white racism? I know it is there in droves, but white people do not have a monopoly on racism. Hate can spread it's ugly seed across all lines of humanity. We need to look at the problems that allowed this to happen in Baltimore and in other cities across our country. It should unite us, not divide us. We need to say "why did this happen" and try to solve it; and yeah I don't think burning down the city is the way to do it. There was a meme about the Boston Tea Party, how no one wrung their hands and worried about the tea owners. hmm, that was ONE shipment of tea. They didn't go to the guy's house and burn it down. They didn't burn his warehouse or his fields or steal his cows. It's an "apples and oranges" thing in my book. People are trying to justify their behavior. I understand anger, I just don't think destroying everything is a positive solution.
I see that Kate and Wills have had their baby girl. Good for them. I have to admire Kate. She is constantly in the shadow of her sainted late Mother-in-law. It must be hell, playing second fiddle to a ghost. As time passes, Diana's "faults" fall away and people only remember "the People's Princess" ARGH. I wonder how Diana herself would have been about her perception in the media. As for Kate, I think she is doing a fine "job" having married into a business that is 24/7 glaring spotlight. I am certain that the public pressure to name their daughter "Diana" is intense. I hope they won't, at least as a first name. The Royals have.. what four or five names attached to them? I am sure "Diana" and "Elizabeth" will be in there somewhere. I am betting on "Mary" I have no idea why.
I see they released the names and photos of the cops in Baltimore in the Freddie Gray case. Interesting how the media played it up as a racial thing you know "bad white cops" and it turns out that a few of them were NOT old fat white guys. While I agree that what happened should not have happened and it is a symptom of a larger problem, can we PLEASE stop jumping to the conclusion that everything that happens is because of white racism? I know it is there in droves, but white people do not have a monopoly on racism. Hate can spread it's ugly seed across all lines of humanity. We need to look at the problems that allowed this to happen in Baltimore and in other cities across our country. It should unite us, not divide us. We need to say "why did this happen" and try to solve it; and yeah I don't think burning down the city is the way to do it. There was a meme about the Boston Tea Party, how no one wrung their hands and worried about the tea owners. hmm, that was ONE shipment of tea. They didn't go to the guy's house and burn it down. They didn't burn his warehouse or his fields or steal his cows. It's an "apples and oranges" thing in my book. People are trying to justify their behavior. I understand anger, I just don't think destroying everything is a positive solution.
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