Featured image by Cristian Ungureanu. Follow the link for more of this artist’s work.
Hi all. It’s been a bit. Holidays, getting engaged, contemplating the meaning of life, the universe, and everything (42 for those who know…). And I have had a chance to think long and hard, about the current state of the world, and my place in it.
I’m tired. I think that I have gotten COVID, though the test results say I am negative (I survived by the way). And I am looking at the struggle of politics and the personalities (or lack thereof) in the current crop of aged politicians. What I see around me is the crumbling of the nation and the decay of the soul of this once great country. I have gotten stuck on the philosophical construct of the Ship of Theseus.
I have to think what the outcome to that paradox would be. The United States of America has existed for 246 years, and over the course of our existence, and our culture has replaced many of the things that made it what it was. We valued different things: family and community over the individual, hard and honest work over material possessions, leaving a better world to our children, and doing the challenging things in our time. Our beliefs were different: men and women were necessary partners to each other, the family would be the ones to take care of each other, the church was not only a place to go, but a necessary foundation piece to the community; the government was not a family member, a provider, a caretaker, nor was it responsible for the success of the individual.
And I see the hypocrisy of our politicians, and honestly, I am just kinda over it all. I’ve been more intrigued in the latest Wordle than I have been in the latest variant of Omicron and how many infections we’re experiencing on the CNN chyrons. I am both optimistic and pessimistic about the future of this country, and instead of resigning myself to the sidelines to watch history play out again, I am going to do something about it.
I’ve decided to engage, because as the old adage says, “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.” And I see a lot of evil in the world, justified by those who wish to use its power for their own purposes. And I see a lot of apathy. We have been run down by the lockdowns, the pandemic response, the virus itself, and the isolation that we have collectively been forced into. We have been turned against our neighbors and our friends, forced into ideological camps, and are being told that we must support and endorse everything that anyone we wish to associate with throughout their whole lives, regardless of how “politically correct” it may be.
So, what do I intend to do? I will speak out, and write more. I intend to start writing a book, and I will engage on other social media platforms as I can. I intend to work on myself, not just because I am getting married, but because we as a society cannot survive with such weakness and apathy.
And I intend to encourage you all to do the same thing. I appreciate your support and follows, and I look forward to documenting my progress in the coming weeks and days.
A Place 4Politics 