Thank you 2021, Here's to 2022!!!

       

Take a look at NYTimes photos of the year.  It's stunning to be reminded of all the things that have gone on this year: the capital riot, the continuing pandemic, Joe Biden/Kamala Harris inauguration, vaccines, migration from South and Central America, weather/climate change, Trump's second impeachment trial, Delta variant, Omicron variant, the fate of democracy in America, emboldened racists, and the escalating power of the religious right and their threat to American and human rights based on their religious beliefs (abortion rights, lgbtq rights).   

It feels chaotic and sad and scary.  I worry these days, in the future, will be referred to as the 'good old days', or the 'calm before the storm'. 

At the same time there were lots of fantastic things happening. The pandemic was a time when people reexamined their lives, made new choices, quit their jobs, or changed their life focus.  While inequality became more apparent, it also inspired people to educate themselves and get involved in making solutions. The weather disasters brought climate change to the front of conversations. In the most difficult times, we often have the most possibilities. 

2021 has been quite a year for me. A highlight was meeting my biological sister and aunt on my father's side. I'm still getting to know them and at the same time I feel like I've known them all my life.  I graduated from the University of Washington at the end of this year.  Finally.  

My theme for 2021 was 'My Effort Is My Love'.  I have a sense that I was mindful about pushing through with a little more effort when I otherwise wouldn't have.  Small tasks at work and at home.  But also, big tasks.  I didn't want to finish my degree a year ago.  I was done with it.  I felt like I'd gotten what I wanted out of it and didn't need to finish the last three classes.  I pushed on anyway.  They were fantastic classes.  When I was thinking about last year's theme, I had an idea that it would be about making an effort to show people I love them. I don't think I did that very well. I continued to stay isolated. School and work kept me busy. 

I feel energized for what 2022 could bring now that I'm done with school.  I feel the excitement of new beginnings on the horizon (that I can't quite see) and a calling to reconnect with my Higher Self (so I can envision my new path).  I want to learn about creating visual 'explainers' and writing about current events.  Get back to artistic pursuits? I want to read books and watch movies. I want to Make My House A Home - my home environment is comfortable for me but doesn't feel warm and inviting.  I want to continue saving money and prioritizing sleep.  I want to be more physically active. I want to do better with food and eating healthy.  

For the New Year, I will be mindful of staying focused (even if it's for a short time) and making an effort - to take one more step to finish a task completely.  Those are themes from previous years that are still useful and beneficial to my life.

The new ideas for 2022 are two:   Avoid Avoidance, and Trust Myself.

How many projects or tasks are left unfinished because the next step is either scary, uncomfortable, or difficult.  I avoid it. In 2022 I want to recognize when I'm 'avoiding' and think my way through to the action that is best for me.

How many newspaper or magazine articles have I saved that I'll never read?  I'm usually looking for 'perfect knowledge' before I formulate my opinion on a topic.  I don't trust myself to not be influenced by other people whose intentions or agendas I don't recognize.  I want very much to have my own opinion.  

This year, I'd like to accept the fact that I won't have perfect knowledge and I can trust myself, I can stop saving articles unless I'm specifically researching a topic related to a writing or 'explainer' project.

I often feel pressure to make a decision in a rush.  But I can take a moment to check in with myself - take a deep breath - before giving an opinion or answer.

It seems extremely important, when I state my opinion or answer a question without perfect knowledge, to be open to receiving new information.  I often believe I'm open to new information, but deep down the default position I start with is my own previous decision.  I don't think that's being 'open'.  

These are some of the ideas I want to work with in 2022.  

On this last day of 2021, I want to acknowledge that we're all thinking of our wonderful Betty White.  When I was a young game show enthusiast (home from school, sick) I watched her on Password and The Match Game. I saw her bawdy side on The Mary Tyler Moore show.  She was a joy on The Golden Girls.  We had her for a long time, but it wasn't enough.

Along with Betty White, here are some other things I'm grateful for - this year and every year...

        Young people who have a lot of energy to wake up the world

        Old people who have seen the way life ebbs and flows

        Parents who have the courage to create humans

        People who love

        Babies and children who are full of possibility

        Teachers who share their knowledge

        Workers who give all of us food, energy, air, safety

        Thinkers and Doers, Activists and Communicators who help us move along.

        Musicians and Artists who open our hearts

Thank you 2021.  Thank you for the days and nights I was given to dance this life. I didn't use every moment in a way that makes me proud or happy, but there were plenty more moments of love and laughter, of hope and gratitude, of presence and peace.  Thank you. 

I'll keep dancing this life into 2022!!!

Donald Trump's second Impeachment Trial

 

The House of Representatives rested their case for conviction of Donald Trump yesterday.

Last night, three senators - Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Lindsey Graham - met with the President's defense team to discuss their strategy.  

Note: those three are 'jurors' in this case.  Although this isn't a criminal proceeding - it's completely political - the expectation is that the 'jurors' will go into the process with an open mind. It's commonly reported that the result of this Impeachment is a foregone conclusion.  Most Republicans will not vote to Impeach the Trump.

The benefit of proceeding with the trial even though the result is already known: 

• Get all the information into the official record.  
• An impeached person is barred from ever holding office again
• To support the institutions of government over the political ambitions of one party or one person.

It's an American Tradition that we often like to put 'ugly' things behind us and just move forward.  We've lost accountability.  There were some who said we shouldn't bother with this because it's just wasting time and we already know the end result; it's best to just move on with Biden's administration. 

I disagree.  I think Trump did extensive damage to our country.  He can't be allowed to run for office again (which he threatens to do in 2024).

I will thank Trump for showing us all how delicate a democracy is, and how many people there are in our country that believe in the status quo where White people, and white men in particular, are the dominant force. 

Its truly unconscionable how bad a President Donald Trump was and would like to be again.

He didn't even try to use the collective power of the government to give all people in the United States a safe, secure, and free place to live.  He only cared about making his base happy and the rest of us are not the 'real' Americans he is working for.  

Donald Trump is the antithesis of everything I understood about what the United States aspires to be...with liberty and justice for all.  

Donald Trump embodies the Spirit of America that I grew up believing in if you tack onto the end of every sentence that it only applies to white heterosexual males whose families own property.

America is the land of freedom

America is the land of freedom for white heterosexual males whose families own property.

America is the land of the brave.

America is the home of the brave white heterosexual males whose families own property.

In America there is liberty and justice for all.

In America there is liberty and justice for all white heterosexual males whose families own property.

(I am not confident I have the proper grammar and spelling on that 'whose families' part)

Here's the problem.

I believe all this is true.  Donald Trump was a terrible president and I think he should be punished for inciting the January 6th Capitol Riot (among a lot of other things he hasn't been charged with).  I don't understand why anyone would support his behavior and his desire to be the king so much that he will destroy democracy to make it happen.  People may support his policies.  I have to accept that in a democratic United States.  But, his behavior - it's unacceptable to me.  

I have no power.  I don't know how to stop this descent into authoritarianism.  

The only way to 'win' is to get in the mud with those people.  I think that's a bridge too far for most of us.  We learned the lesson 'two wrongs don't make a right'.  And 'the ends don't justify the means'.

My hope is that this is the last gasp of a dying idea.  

My hope is that Biden will show that a good government has value.

My hope is that through our actions people will come to realize that sharing rights and responsibilities doesn't take away from anyone's rights and responsibilities.

(The white male power structure is afraid they'll lose something if they allow everyone to have what they take for granted - what they expect from the world).

These are my thoughts before the Senators hear the President's defense and take the vote to convict or not convict President Trump for inciting violence on January 6, 2021.

Maybe I'll be surprised. I hope I'm surprised. 

21st day of 21st year of 21st century!!!

Well there ya go!  

The 21st day of the 21st year in the 21st century!  

I think that is extra cool.

I love those kind of milestones in life.  It cements a moment in time.

As noted by Chelsea's young son Aidan - it's also Joe Biden's first full day as President.  Yay! 

I'm working today - going through emails.  I'm in week three of COM 304.  I don't yet have a vaccine for Covid-19 and don't expect one for several months, I'm continuing to isolate - and way too used to it.  That's my life update on the 21st day of the 21st year in the 21st century! :)

It would be better if I waited until the 21st minute of the 21st hour of the 21st year of the 21st century to publish this, but that's past my bedtime (a 24 hour clock).  11:21 pm  January 21, 2021.  

As a side note. comments replying to Chelsea's post were horrible.  Many of them coming from bot accounts (recently new account with only a few followers).  Others, though, coming from people who just want to say mean things - they say Chelsea made it up because no 4 year old would say something like that.  As she noted in subsequent texts, they do if that's the kind of thing their parents talk about at the breakfast table.  To me, that's typical of people who assume everyone is a copy of themselves - if their kid didn't say it, then no kid would ever say it.  Very Republican, and now Trumplican, way of thinking. 

And what's the point of even saying anything?  Why must those people rain on everyone's parade?  Especially if it's not a parade - just people living life.  What kind of mind must a person who goes out of their way to say mean things - in fact, seems to do it as a full-time job - what kind of mind must they have?  What kind of life must they live to have such negativity coursing through their veins and poisoning everything they see?  I suspect they'd say they live a beautiful life when they're not on Twitter, but that kind of negativity really does find its way into a person's daily life.  They don't notice it, but it changes them.

Memorial for Covid-19 on January 19, 2021

 

I used the photo from the Axios newsletter this morning.

We still have a ways to go before we're done with the pandemic.  It was comforting, though, to spend a moment without politics to acknowledge and memorialize the 400,000 people who have died and the families who miss them.