This Year Counts Too

Because I am so involved in politics I get emails from everyone in my party about things that are going on.  No different in the email blasts are the Congressional and Presidential pleas for money for the upcoming election in 2012.  I understand their need as they have to raise tons of money for their campaigns so it would stand to reason that they would want to get us early before the heat of things has other people vying for our money as well.  However, the fervor has reached the people and common folk are now talking about the 2012 election as if it is the only game in town.

This year, we have an election too.  We have elections EVERY year though you might not know it talking to some people.  This year’s election is for the local candidates, both legislative and judicial as far up as the county.  We elect our commissioners, council people, district judges, etc this year.  These elections are probably much more important that the Presidential election because it affects our daily lives much more than our federal representative do.  I always tell voters that the President isn’t going to fix the pothole in your street, but your councilperson might. But with all the fanfare and news coverage our federal legislators get, people think they are only asked to vote every four years.

So please, look above the hype that is beginning to surround the elections coming up.  Remember that on November 8^th you have a duty to do as well as you do next year.  Get out to your polling place and VOTE.  Make your choice for the people who are going to directly affect your lives, and if you don’t vote, you don’t get to complain.

Stunned

Today I logged onto my Facebook account and saw that a friend posted an article about the youngest person to be executed in America.  I read the article with sadness and anger in my heart for the justice system that would do such a thing.  As you may know I am no proponent of the death penalty, but it makes me especially made, and should make you mad too that the system should be so corrupt.

Lady Justice is blind as they say and there should be no judgment made until the case is argued and decided.  Lady Justice should also be color blind as well.  People should not be judged by the color of their skin, but for the nature of their crime.  But unfortunately in this country it happens all the time.  The right wing may argue that is not the case, but follow the numbers, people, follow the numbers. 

The person who posted it also posted a comment about it.  He said “Fallible human beings should not assume the power of life and death except in self-defense.”  I agree, for the most part, that we should not play God in our determination of guilt or innocence.  There are far too many mistakes made as to the nature of the person committing the crime and the person arguing their defense.  Death is a permanent thing, and regardless of what the Bible says about an eye for and eye, the only consequence the death penalty in my mind, is that people take it to mean that they can be judge and jury themselves.  

Capital Punishment

 “Capital punishment is the most premeditated of murders.” ~ Albert Camus.  There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about the pending execution of Troy Davis, the man convicted of killing a police officer in the state of Georgia.  Since his arrest, there has been mounting evidence that places reasonable doubt on the fact that he in fact committed the crime for which he has been on death row for.  However, and some say it’s because of this race, the powers that be are maintaining his guilt and pushing forward to today at 7pm, when he is scheduled to die.

I have never been a proponent of capital punishment.  But then again, I have never had a person close to me murdered, which could possibly change my view.  I think everyone changes their views depending on their personal experiences and it seems that we humans have a strong sense of justice in their hearts.  Whether it’s a natural part of us, or whether it is placed there by society and upbringing, we somehow feel that a life for a life is the right thing to do.  I just can’t get behind killing anyone even if they have supposedly murdered someone especially if there is any possible reason the person found guilty didn’t do the crime.

There are many organizations that talk about the death penalty and its pros and cons.  One such site, has some rather in depth discussions that seem to be fairly unbiased.  It presents rather in depth discussions and is primarily designed to bring facts to the table rather than emotions, which I think color the discussion somewhat unfairly based on the person’s personal experience dealing with crime.  I invite you to take a read while we hold our collective breaths to hear about Troy Davis’ fate.

Life is a Beach

I have a Facebook friend who lives in Palm Springs.  He seems to be always going here, there, and everywhere and posting his adventures online.  He is young and has no cares outside of his own existence and is truly living life as he wants.  On some days, hell most days, I envy him because I haven’t seen as much of the world as I would like to.  It must be nice to be a trust fund baby and not to worry about things.

I often wonder what it would be like to be stinking rich and not have to worry where the next cent is coming from.  I would imagine that I would be considerably less stressed than I am now, except that I may fuss over what to do with my money.  I am going to be very honest and say that I would splurge on a few things for my family and me as far as luxuries are concerned if I suddenly came into a lot of money.  But I also know that there are a few causes that are important to me that would see some of those gains.  I am one of those people who has every cent accounted for if I were to win, say $10 million. 

So, my frivolous Facebook friend, you have your fun on your beaches all over the world looking fit and fab and tan.  While I would love to live your lifestyle, I am very comfortable staying right here and doing what I am doing.  Life can be a beach sometimes but there is always sand around to get in your eyes.

Back to Normal

I just read that the Norristown regional rail line was back to normal after the hurricane.  Wow, that took a lot of time.  I kept wondering why my canvasser was always late, and he kept blaming it on the rail system, but I thought he was making excuses.  He really had no control over the conditions of the track.  It is amazing to me that it took so long for the effects of the hurricane to sort of wear off, for lack of a better word.  I was so lucky in my area to not have a lot of damage.  My husband and I had a tiny amount of water in the basement and a leak in the roof but that was it.  I know we were really lucky because some of our friends got much worse and I recently saw an acquaintance of mine who had a sewer backup in her house because of the effects of Irene and the recent development near her home.

Every time I hear of things like this happening to other people it kind of feels like the other shoe is about to drop.  I wonder why I was spared and wonder what I am going to have to go through in place of that.  Everything is in God’s hands, they say, and so far He has been very good to me and mine.  I am blessed and I wish everyone was so as well.  I have heard, and have said before, that God does not give you that with which you cannot handle.  He must know that I am a whimp because I don’t know how some of these people survive with such horror in their lives.  I give them a lot of kudos for not breaking down and losing it all. 

So for a while the rail system is back to the way it was.  Life can resume again. 

Moods

So this morning I am mopping about.  Don’t know why all of a sudden my mood suddenly become sour.  I mean things are great.  Well they could be better but in the grand scheme of things, things are great.  Why do people suddenly get depressed?  All of us go through “the blues” or mild feelings of sadness or being “down in the dumps”.  The things to look out for are not being to pick yourself up and get back to your normal state after weeks of feeling this way.

Major depression can be a serious problem.  One needs to watch for those feelings of being miserable lasting for more than two weeks and having a major impact on your life, and that last part is key.  There are many sites on the Internet that talk about depression and what to do about it.  One good one that lists things in a very concise and clear manner is on the PubMed Health page about depression without trying to sell you something.  If you are experiencing this kind of feelings on a daily basis, then you may need more than a quick fix of a new pair of shoes. 

For now the feelings of “the blues” will pass, I am sure.  In the meantime I am going to don my headphones and listen to my favorite Blues singers while I work.  For me, it’s a sure thing.  See you on the other side!

Honor Thy Mother

I know the commandments say to “honor they mother and father”, but in some cases that is rather difficult.  I know my mother means well, but she has an annoying my-way-or-the-highway way about her that rubs me wrong.  I guess she did well raising me.  I have a fairly good work ethic, I don’t lie or cheat, or steal, or any of that other stuff, and I appreciate education and art.  For those things I am grateful for her teachings and her guidance.  But her manner, especially as she ages, is quite another matter.

Last night, I saw an old episode of Law and Order which had a character that so typified my mother I thought it was she they wrote the part about.  The actress played the part of a grandmother who was so driven to do things right that she drove her daughter-in-law to commit murder to get the grandchild into an exclusive pre-school.  The grandmother was nasty, downright nasty, and haughty when she spoke to the police complaining that her son married down and that her daughter-in-law tricked him into marrying her.  The mannerism of the actress was my mother down to a T.  I wish I could have taken a snippet of the episode and sent it to her so that she could see what others see about her.

They say you become your parents, especially when you are a parent.  I certainly hope that I don’t get to be that way, although at times I hear my mother coming out of me when I speak to my son, and it scares me.  I don’t want to become that way.  I don’t want to have those around me fear to anger me or go away thinking that I am a world class bitch.  I want to age gracefully and be thought of as a person with kindness and humility.  I suppose that it will take work and it is so worth it.  

Happy New Year

For some reason, the beginning of September seems more like New Years to me than January 1^st .  Maybe it’s the start of a new season, the start of a new school year, the start of a bounty harvest in my home garden, and the start of earnest campaigning.  This morning I heard the cry of a goose flying overhead and all those feelings started rushing back to me.

Sure the sound of party horns and the sting of cold air hitting my face as we rush from the party to the car is what News Year’s Eve is all about, but the smell of newly sharpened pencils does more for me than that.  I mean what do you do New Year’s Day except lie around and watch the parade on TV and relax from partying all night long.  After Labor Day it’s back to the grind of school work, if you are still a student, and looking forward to long hours in the campaign office if you are politically inclined.  It’s productive and it is motivating to start anew for all those projects. 

Or just maybe it’s my Jewish ancestry that gives me this feeling.  After all Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year.  It is the first of the High Holidays, celebrated this year on September 28th.  On Rosh HaShanah it is customary to greet people with "L'Shanah Tovah," which is Hebrew that is usually translated as "For a Good Year" or "May you have a good year."

So Happy New Year or L'Shanah Tovah.  May you have a good and productive start to your new activities this season.  

I Remember

I know all of you remember where you were on 9/11 and what you were doing when you heard the news that the Twin Towers were attacked.  I remember it as if it was yesterday.  I was sitting at my desk at work, being one of the first people in that morning.  One of my coworkers came in and told me that he heard on the Howard Stern show that a plane had hit one of the towers in New York and I remember thinking that it was some kind of sick joke because it was that show.  A few minutes later I heard coworker say, “Oh my God a plane hit the Twin Towers! It’s on the Internet.”  I ran over to their desk to watch along with some others, mesmerized, wondering what was going on.  One of my first thoughts was wondering how my son was doing and if he had heard and whether he was scared – he was 10.  I call his school and talked to the headmistress who said that they were going make a decision as to what to tell the children and hadn’t really made any decision to close the school as I heard other schools were doing.   They ended up not closing, but sent home a letter to the parents telling them what they had told the children and suggesting things that we could talk to them about.   My son was not scared.  He felt that our town was very small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things and that we were perfectly safe.  He took it very well, for which I was very grateful.

The next few days were surreal.  I was glued to the TV trying to make sense of what had happened.  I was worried about my family and their safety.  The phone lines were sketchy and sometimes didn’t work so well.  Not hearing planes overhead was very strange which seemed odd to me as I really never notice them in the first place.  At work, we had several radios tuned to KYW which were placed by the windows because there was bad reception at people’s desks.  I remember feeling pretty fearful more than anything.  This event was happening so close, but yet it was a world away.  I remember how packed the churches were all of a sudden with people praying that there would be peace and hearing about friends of friends that were missing or dead.  We went to a special evening Meeting for Worship a few days later and there was such a feeling of closeness in our little worship community.

I remember people hanging flags and being nice to each other, especially to the police and fire fighters.    There was a genuine feeling of neighborliness going on that hadn’t been felt before.  I remember seeing special concerts on TV and hearing songs written about people’s feeling about all that was going on.

All of these things have faded since that time and now people are pretty much back to the way they were before.  Why should it take a life changing event for people to become decent with one another again? Despite our differences, we are all neighbors and should be there for each other.  I shall never forget 9/11/01 and I am sure many others won’t either.

What were you doing when the Twin Towers fell?

Great Flood Waters

I sat in wonder as I was reading the accounts of many of my Facebook friends who had issues with the flooding that are going on today.  Several of them experienced cars flooded with water, basements and homes ruined, and schools closed.  I saw on the news that one school was forced to close because of the mold that resulted from all the wetness.  Many people have made reference to the Great Flood as well as building arks and other types of flotation devices.  I really feel for these people and wish I could help every one of them.  I also feel very fortunate as I have had nothing more than a few rivulets of water in my basement and one small leak in my roof.

When tragedy strikes people I know, I don’t know about you, but I tend to feel a little guilty also.  I hate to see people suffering when there is nothing that anyone can do.  I question the tests that God puts us through sometimes and try to keep the faith trying to believe that God only gives us what we can handle even though it seems insurmountable at the time.  I am very thankful that I am not affected and wonder if I am being tested as well.  Am I expected to do something?  Should I be doing something?

Often we lose ourselves in the walls of our own universe.  We concentrate on our own families and friends and leave the outside world to its own devices.  We tend to close our front doors to the noise and problems going on outside our homes and relish in the peace that our environment provides.  However, we are our brother’s keeper, or so the bible says.  Should we not be concerned with the things going on immediately behind our own closed doors?   Shouldn't we be involved, at the very least, when our family and friends outside the confines of our own homes are concerned?  If we don’t reach out ourselves, how can we expect total strangers to help out?  Let's all see what we can do.

Twenty and Five

Twenty five years ago today, I married the man who would become my best friend as well as my lover and father to our child.  It has been a wonderful life so far and I know that there are more good times to come.  Sure, there have been our squabbles and for a while there I didn’t think we were going to make it, but it has turned out great.

I am not going to say what the secret is to a long marriage.  All I am going to say is what works for us, and that is two people who treat each other with respect and kindness.  We are honest with each other and work to be kind.  Both have to work at it because it is not a one way street.   I think that is where the trouble can be in some marriages; one or the other turn it into a my-way-or-the-highway kind of deal.  There has to be a large amount of compromise for both parties to make the relationship last.

I must say I am very lucky to have found a person who is as agreeable as my husband is.  He has his moments but on the whole he is a kind soul; one who has compassion and that makes it relatively easy.  So here’s to another twenty and five years – if we both live that long.

Happy anniversary, dear one.

Productivity

I wish I could clone some people.  So much more could be accomplished.  I have two really hard workers and the rest, well the rest just do the barest minimum.  I was supposed to have a new person start the other day.  She came in and filled out the application went through the interview and since she was the niece of a friend of mine I thought I could trust that she would be a good worker.  I should have trusted my instincts instead of doing a favor for a friend.  The young lady had my friend call me about a question and then when I called her back, she said she would be in shortly – about 20 minutes.  She never showed up.  Something could have happened, but I think my friend would have called me.  The person I was sending her out with did her job as well as his.  I just shake my head sometimes. 

What makes people do what they do?  The question both fascinates me and infuriates me.  I know I have been lazy myself.  Everyone has.  But there is a time to be lazy and a time not to be and the time not to be is when you have a paying job. Get the job done and then you can rest.  That’s how I was raised.  

Time will see if this person works out or continues to be late or non-existent.  I have a feeling that there are going to be issues, but I welcome the surprise.