What Are We Becoming?
I’ve been quiet for quite some time.
Not that my brain stopped churning.
It never does.
But fingers on keyboard?
Dead Zone sometimes.
It’s taken me a good long while to fit words to emotions
and, while I’m not all that convinced I’ve managed to pull feelings and words
together sufficiently, I’m better prepared than I was a few months ago.
It kinda started with the “Holidays”.
I’m a clinical depressive.
There, I’ve said it. I’m not
proud of that. In fact, I grieve that
the person I once was is no more. I
kinda like who I was once. I’m still
discovering who I am today.
OK, forgive this digression.
I’ve got more important things to say.
The thing about the “Holidays” is that it gives us a chance
to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances.
I’m grateful I had the chance to do just that. I passed bread and wine with people I’ve
known for decades, but had not seen for years.
Just being honest...the years have not been kind.
We’ve changed.
We’ve grown older, obviously. It shows.
Some of us are broken.
Most of us are warped, spindled and mutilated to some
degree.
Even so,
There’s laughter and warmth wrapped ‘round resignation.
(Fueled by goodly quantities of alcohol)
We’ve changed.
We ponder what we’re becoming.
* * *
Within this existential backdrop came Sandy
Hook .
Twenty-six souls slaughtered.
Twenty-six souls, twenty of them innocent children.
I can’t wrap my mind around that.
Twenty-six souls and a troubled individual,
With a lethal military-assault weapon.
Blood everywhere.
Bodies, hearts and families shattered forever.
I can’t wrap my mid around that.
I. Can’t.
And I can’t wrap my mind around the subsequent response:
National “Gun Appreciation Day” sponsored by the NRA!?!
WTF!?!
And I can’t wrap my mind around what we, as a Nation, are
becoming.
My country seems to be spiraling into dystopia.
Twenty-six children slaughtered and the NRA's "answer" is more
guns. Did Orwell dream this?
The plutocracy has drugged a large segment of the population
into believing that the path to a better society is to make the wealthy ever
wealthier, cut benefits to the needy, buy more guns and ammo, spend ever
greater sums on the military, jail ever more people, deny others basic human
rights, ignore our infrastructure and continue polluting with abandon.
I don't think I've felt quite this disgusted ever before.
What are we becoming?
* * *
posted by Jonas | 2/17/2013 10:47:00 PM
9 Comments:
I TOTALLY agree. I don't know why Washington keeps inviting the NRA to participate in talks to decide what if anything can be done. The NRA today is not the NRA of yesterday. They are run by a right wing nut group representing gun manufacturers and arms dealers. They hate our president and they pound their chests behind the 2nd ammendment. They fuel paranoia, hate and fear. And they have a lot of money.
I'm glad you fit the emotions to words. Should do it more often.
I don't know what to say Jonas. I don't know why shit happens but it does. There is no rhyme or reason. The only thing that matters is love. I'm starting to believe that it's our purpose here, our only true purpose, to learn how to love well. Take care my friend.
You are so right! So right I can't begin to add to what you say.
The bit that resonated for me, since I find myself almost always among retirees - busy, active people. Now and then a photo, a poem, a piece of their writing shows who they were -- and that that person is worn, warped, changed. But once in a while the person is deeper, more aware, honed by experience and loss and pain. You, too, Jonas, in pain but a deeper person than ever before.
.. and answer came there none...
Some despair, others take care of their own little corner. Like the first person who stopped hurting others.
Time isn't holding us, time isn't after us
Time isn't holding us...
Letting the days go by, letting the days go by, letting the days go by, once in a lifetime
Letting the days go by, letting the days go by, letting the days go by, once in a lifetime
Same as it ever was. Only kindness matters.
But I for one am glad to see you here again… and being human and alive and connected to the world, in all its strangeness and wrongness.
Thank you, Yvonne, for your comment and exhortation to search for words with a bit more diligence. I'll try to do just that.
You're right, of course, Deb. Learning to love fully and truly remains the greatest challenge. The more we succeed, as individuals and as societies, the better the world.
Thank you, June. These "Golden Years" of ours are full of mysteries, pathos, charms and humors. The emotional richness seems to grow in inverse proportion to the decrepitude.
Hello, Friko!
It's not all that often that someone appears out of nowhere quoting Lewis Carroll. Made me smile. Thank you.
I've gotta confess, Mary, that I never truly understood the lyrics of "Once in a Lifetime." But, hey, that's just me. I DO GET that "only kindness matters." Wish there was lots more of that kindness going around...
Oh, Eleanor! So happy you dropped by! I've been remiss myself in following your poetic progress, but I note with great glee that you've garnered quite a following! Well deserved.
And, indeed, you're right. The world is plenty strange and, often, horrifically wrong. Even so, there's beauty everywhere. Enough so to keep me from falling into abject despair.
Wow. The same thoughts have been roiling in my head, and I haven't been able to write a word. Thanks for saying it all.
All we can do is do good, one bit at a time. I would like to believe if everyone did that, things would turn out fine. I don't, but that won't keep me from trying.
Years ago, beachsiggy, I quoted Lao-Tse:
http://attwilightblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/makes-sense.html
Just as true now as it was so many centuries ago.
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