Old joke.
Guy goes to the doctor, doctor examines him and tells him he only has six months to live.
Guy says "oh, my God, doc....what can I do?"
Doctor says "get married...."
Guy says "and that will cure me?"
Doctor says, "oh, no, there's no cure but it will seem like the longest six months of your life."
The last twenty eight months in America have been a lot like that.
And, putting it miles past mildly, it seems like it's been the longest twenty eight months of our lives.
Regardless of which side, regardless of approval or disapproval, regardless of whether you wear your red cap with pride to each and every rally or you wear out your already thin patience dealing with the ripples and rumbles resulting from those rallies....and pretty much everything else that this man does or says on an daily, well, hell, make that hourly basis.
Lot of history made with this choice of chief to hail, kids. From the first president to never have been elected to anything, ever, before taking over the most powerful job on the planet to the elimination or, at least, temporary putting on pause, of what we refer to in the political vocabulary as the middle.
For twenty eight months, there really has been no middle.
We, the people are, either all in.
Or all out.
And, twenty eight long months in, there really is no logical reason to expect the middle is going to reappear until the current occupant becomes the former occupant.
If the middle ever actually appears again. Or if the current occupant ever actually becomes the former occupant.
Yeah, that "kidding around" about President for Life is a real hoot. And, surely, just a silliness that no one in their right frontal lobe condition would ever think of taking seriously.
Much like that silly, crude, blunt tool of a candidate that no one in their right frontal lobe condition took seriously.
Twenty eight long months ago.
So, at the very least, we, the people, are in for seventeen more months of this electoral adventure with the very real possibility that there may end up being another forty eight tacked on for measure.
Yeah, the common expression is good measure. But....well, just.......no.
And the, by now, well honed inclination is, at least for those of us on this side of the street, to continue this thought thread in the direction of " because there's really nothing good about it."
In fairness, a quality that's getting to be a pill of propriety increasingly hard to swallow, it's not fair to say there's nothing good about it.
Even a broken clock and all that.
Or as I like to spar with my conversation co-horts when we crank it up, I imagine even Jeffrey Dahmer sent his mom a birthday card, at least, every now and then.
But during one of those conversations, just this past week, as a matter of fact, something popped out of my own medulla that was fresh issue. A perspective that actually had nothing to do, directly, with the flaws, failings, fracas fiasco that is the presentation, presidency or even personality of Donald Trump.
And being always inclined, not to mention fond, of peeling layers and seeking out the problem that lies beneath the problem or problems, I realized this peeling was possibly profound.
And, obviously, annoyingly alliterative.
Which isn't to say it wasn't, and isn't, right on the money.
Don't bet against me. You'll lose. Tell you why in a few minutes.
Geri Jewell is an award winning actress, humorist, author and motivational speaker. Best known to Generation X'ers and older Millenials for her role in the 80's sitcom The Facts Of Life, in the early 2000's she played the character Jewel in the HBO series "Deadwood".
Her second autobiography, published in 2011, is titled I'm Walking As Straight As I Can. A clever double shot of wit as it refers to a pair of life challenges, as she is lesbian and has cerebral palsy.
I don't know the lady personally, actually have never met her in the conventional sense, but she is a Facebook friend, one of those friend of a friend who knows a friend who is a friend of mine kind of social media friends we all have.
Her posts are interesting, enjoyable and optimistic without being all Hallmark Channel about it. Her good spirits and glass half full approach is to be respected given her physical challenges alone.
I bring her into this commentary because of a recent Facebook post, not a personal sharing or life affirmation, but, actually, a personal, if not commercial, endorsement of a product that a friend of hers invented. One that she personally uses with great satisfaction.
It's called the LifeGlider. Here's the blurb,directly from their website.
The LifeGlider is a new medical device that permits upright,hands-free mobility. It is designed to reduce the fear of falling and the fatigue associated with struggling to walk.
A quick visit to the website and you'll see for yourself that what we're talking about here is a state of the art walker.
And that's not meant, in any way whatsoever, to minimize or trivialize the creation or usefulness of the device.
Put in a simple, not tech talk manner of analysis.
This thing is pretty cool.
And what does all of that have to do with twenty eight long months of a presidency that 80+ million people believe a) never should have happened in the first place and b) cannot end one single millisecond too soon?
Not to mention the possible profundity I mentioned earlier.
Seriously, did you think for a second that I wasn't going to tie it all together tightly?
Really?
Welcome. Glad to have you along for your first time.
If you bet against me a few minutes ago, get your money out.
Sorry, no checks or credit cards. I'm a cash only commentator.
About ten years ago, the NEA announced the results of a study that showed that, at the time, there were approximately 2.1 million artists in the American workforce. And for the predictable hair trigger naysayers prepared to ready, fire...aim, the term "artist", in the NEA study refers not to actors or songwriters or musicians or painters but designers, whose designs contribute in an essential way to industries whose products are used every single day...by Americans.
There's a whole "jobs" thing we could go off on for a while, but we'll do that another time.
Keep in mind, as well, that number, 2.1 million is both almost ten years ago...and refers to those documented as being in the workplace. It doesn't account for the increase in the number itself in the last ten years, nor does it account for the, safe to say, tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of inventive, creative, visionary people laboring away in their spare time in the comfort of their own home or even Mom's basement.
Makes you really think about investing more heavily in Hot Pockets stock, doesn't it?
America, to be sure and with all due modesty, doesn't have a corner on the market when it comes to inventive, creative, visionary people.
Not everything that has been invented has been invented by an American. Or by Donald Trump.
Regardless of what Donald Trump tells you.
But America has an amazing, exciting, dare we say dazzling history of invention, creation and vision.
The list is long and luxurious and, when you need a little psychological pick me up, available for a gleeful glance at your friendly neighborhood Google.
And as technology continues to advance, making it easier for bright minds to find an outlet and a method for them to invent, create and work out the kinks of those inventions and creations, the sky isn't even the limit anymore.
But here's the thing under that thing.
I'm not even talking about the next great smartphone. Or faster gaming. Or something as simple and basic as a better mousetrap.
I'm talking about actually solving the energy crisis with clean, affordable, environmentally compatible methods.
Medical breakthroughs that, by minimizing the outbreak, even occurrence, of diseases not only enhance and increase quality of human life but begin to solve the Rubik's Cube dilemma of quality, affordable healthcare....it's very simple math....the less poor or ill health, the less need for outside care of that health.
New designs and concepts for simple, affordable quality shelter for any human being in need of it. Homelessness....gone.
What else? What else do we need? What else needs to be improved, replaced, replenished, renewed?
What else you got?
The mere act of beginning to think "why not" begats more ideas that begats more invention, creation, vision that begats more ideas that begats more invention, creation..........
....see how easy that rock rolls once somebody pushes it?
But there's something required for any of this United Federation of Planets futurism to happen.
That rock? The one that has to be pushed?
It has to have a clear path available for it to roll all the way to that future.
And, by the nature of our systems, and the way our societies operate, that requires leaders who, if not, are, then, at least, understand, endorse and are, even, enthusiastic about invention, creation, vision.
Visionaries.
It's been twenty eight long months of arguing back and forth with each other about the flaws, failings, fracas fiasco that is the presentation, presidency and even personality of Donald Trump.
And there will never be agreement, by all of we, the people, as to his worth, or lack, as a president, a man, even a human being.
But here's a written in stone fact that cannot be disproved.
With every action, presentation and 99.9% of the words that come from his daily posts and/or his own mouth, Donald Trump proves that he is not a visionary.
And while many, present company included, get worked up, truth be told,we are distracted by the frustration he inspires and fail to see what he really is.
That rock of amazing invention, creativity, vision needs to roll until there ain't no more roll left to roll.
Donald Trump....is in the way.
Suddenly, all that talk about a wall takes on a whole new meaning.
No comments:
Post a Comment