Who Are We?

 

The times are heavy upon me…and I know you are feeling it too.  I’m striving for balance between a stoic stance: “there is always evil in the world”, and heart stopping emotion: “how can they get away with this!” 

In The New Yorker, Jill Lepore shares with us how she coped with the first 100 days of Trump 2.0. She kept the classics close at hand.  She tapped into the treasures of the human mind and heart to find appropriate quotes.

My oldster friend Naomi handles it this way:  “I’ve lived through so much:   World War II, civil rights, Vietnam. I’m taking it in stride.”  I guess when your book has many chapters, you don’t linger on one page.

There’s no right or wrong here.  I like the way Jill summed it up:  “There is no emergency, or any day, that does not require poetry.”

Living Small

 

At lunch with my friend Doris yesterday, we shared some “up close and personal” stories about ourselves and mutual friends through the years.  We smiled as we agreed that the big decisions and high stakes lie in the past and along with them the drama and excitement.

Today, I find what might seem depressing to be oddly comforting.  A new job, love affair, or home becomes a new book, new class or new restaurant.  Or even, smelling a new bar of soap.  

Boring?  Remember, we can put danger, guilt and regret in the rear view mirror too.

Up Against AI

 

In my class the other day, one of my classmates presented a very clear, even eloquent definition of a concept we were discussing. “That’s AI speaking”, he said. 

My friend Barb sent me her copy of JAMES by Percival Everett. She is curious about my thoughts and opinion of the book.  An idea, entirely new to me, crossed my mind.  “I wonder what AI thinks about this book?  Would my ideas overlap with AI?  Would we agree?  Would I miss some of what the author intended that AI picked up?  How much?”

Most unnerving, “Will AI leave my thoughts in the dust?  Who then will I be?”

Wimbledon

 

The tennis matches at 6 a.m. are perfect for early risers like me.  But don’t worry, you can catch them just about any time now on ESPN.  I continue to be convinced that tennis is the most difficult sport.  All alone, hours of play, equally matched opponents.  Tennis is heroic.

I’m just coming out of my funk at the loss to time of Nadal and Federer.  And, I’m somewhat annoyed that Djokovic — my least favorite of the “Big Three” —remains.  Okay, not just “remains” but continues to play gloriously.  

I’m going to stop whining now, pour myself another cup of coffee, and settle in. I’m going to enjoy the current crop of heroes.  Wanna join me?

America Then and Now

 Holidays always prompt memories of the years spent on that day.  Traditions emerge.  Some of my happiest holiday memories are of July 4th with Kathy and Jerry.  I loved taking the kids over to their big house and yard to picnic and play.  Their family was an emotional anchor in my more fractured family life.

Kathy and Jerry are gone now and the house has been sold. But I’m still around to keep the memories alive and I'm sure Bill and Marguerite will carry them forward. 

This year, many of us are feeling “iffy” about America.  We’re a fractured family. So let’s celebrate the best of who we are.  And what will always be possible.

A Better Bubble?

 People in my political bubble are still saying:  “What can we do?  What can we do?”  And they are doing more than most:  protesting, postcarding. calling, writing.  The ideas here came my way from Robert Reich.  They didn’t originate with him, but he thought they were worth passing on.

The Democratic Party has to adopt a new attitude with new tactics.

Form an indépendant, civilian-powered investigative coalition of experts:

Veterans, whistleblowers, watchdogs, 

Hold public hearings. 

Channel DNC funds into all 50 states: rapid-response teams, legal defense coalitions, sanctuary networks, digital security training.

Use your platform to educate the public on rights and resistance tactics.

It’s time to shift from panic to blueprint: Project 2029

Lay out the laws and amendments you’ll pass to make sure this never happens again.

Discuss this now.

Go International!

Join the International Criminal Court

Invite the ICC into US borders.

Leverage international media and watchdogs.

Feed stories to BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Reuters, Der Spiegel

Make what’s happening in America a global scandal.

(I don't think the current Democratic Party is up for this.  Something new must emerge.  Do you agree?)

Another Chance

 My broken computer, which for weeks stumped the experts,  has experienced a “Lourdes” type miraculous cure.  Chris, who once again stepped up as the “driver to the cure”  (my heart attack) got me to the Apple store where the laying on of hands took place.

So, I’m back.

It’s just as well that my keyboard didn’t work these last few weeks.  No combination of words, even thoughtfully conceived, could have captured how the country has turned on a dime.  

So far, they’re getting away with everything.

Maybe enough of us, hearing about my iMac, will rise from our chairs, throw away our crutches, and usher in a new day. I’ll start typing.