To my lib friends, “see, I’m not a total hack!”
| Your Political Profile: |
 Overall: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Social Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Ethics: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal |
This past weekend has been one of memories and emotions. In a series of circumstances, parts of the last 30 years of my life came flooding back, bringing both laughter and joy, and also regret, sadness, and some guilt.
It began when my brother posted on our family’s website a picture from my Confirmation a picture of my dad and me. I chucked as I saw how much I’ve turned into my father 30 years later. We lost him nine years ago now, and I still miss him so much.
Last Thursday I reunited with old friends with whom I sang in a worship band at my old church. It’s been three years or longer since I ministered with these ones who shared life with me for so long, during many wonderful times and tough times. It was just a couple hours of pure joy.
Finally, my sibs are finally cleaning out the attic of my mother’s house, home to boxes and boxes of stuff from the childhoods of eight children. My mom admitted that we all received the pack rat gene from her and Dad. I found lots of junk with a few gems. My notes from college: trash. My Michelin maps of Europe from the 70’s: golden! I found tons of letters and cards from old friends, many with just chit-chat, and some with profound meaningful messages. My memory is so bad that I couldn’t come up with a couple of the names!
What is it about friendships that ebb and flow? Why is it that there are people that you loved so much that you’d give up your life for them are hardly ever communicated with? I feel a lot of shame that I haven’t been a better friend; haven’t kept up with old friends as my life has transitioned through different seasons. I know that we all have limits of time and resources, but just as technology has shrunk the world, so can it facilitate keeping friends communicating.
To all of those people who in the past four decades befriended me and allowed me to share a part of their world, thank you.
In the latest NBC News/Wall St. Journal poll, over two-thirds of the American electorate are fed up with our representative government. The pollsters are blaming the recent decline on Republicans who are running away from President Bush. The news for Congress is even worse: only 23 percent approve of the job that Congress is doing.
So why is Average Joe so surly? For me, it’s not the fact that the government is at a legislative stalemate. The less the government action the better. Rather I think it’s what they are focusing on: constant investigations, the Bush Derangement Disorder sufferers, and yes, the brainlessness of Alberto Gonzales and others in the administration that don’t seem to do the boss any favors.
The constant drumbeat by the media on the bad news coming out of Washington has definitely dinged up the chassis at the White House and Capitol. Who gets inspired by Sen. Reid’s declarations of defeat in Iraq? When the Prez says that his base is misinformed about the new immigration policy, it doesn’t generate faith that this new deal will work.
Psychologists will tell you that anger is a secondary emotion, masking the true feelings of the ticked-off. Perhaps for both Republicans and Democrats living in fly-over land, it’s a sadness that no matter what we try, or who we support, little positive change is realized.
Recent Comments