I am worried and angry about this shape-shifter being sworn in today, who regularly and without apology violates or ignores every important human-centric tenet we have all heretofore claimed to value and treasure.
I do not care to apologize for this viewpoint, which I consider sane and obvious. You may call it whining or crying or whatever deflecting and obnoxious thing you want; I call it expressing my opinion, which should not only be valued, but encouraged. As long as I don’t treat people like crap while expressing it, which, again, is something that seems obvious to me.
What good are your fancy opinions and assumptions if they create a world in which we ignore others’ humanity and dignity in the name of “speaking your mind” or fixing what ails society? What is the value in these things if we create a world in which a goodly portion of the very people who should benefit from such a society — ALL of us — are despised or ignored or undervalued or victimized? It is as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
I do not always express my treasured and sincere viewpoints on Facebook or other social media. That is my reasoned choice, and I would love to discuss it with you in person or by private message.
But I will definitely link to this on Facebook today, because I feel the need to keep fresh in our minds that we have elected a con man who has no values I am aware of beyond self-promotion and self-interest. To say “But that’s all politicians” just gives lie to all that stuff you’ve been feeding us about how he’s a good choice because he’s “not a politician.”
But here comes the punchline:
I am still me.
Just who THAT is remains a mystery, of course, a constant discovery. The president has no control over that, nor do law, code, orthodoxy, party, or circumstances beyond my control. Only I do. It is a responsibility and privilege we all share.
And who I am is a teacher. Who knows if I am a good one, because I don’t know how to define that. But it is Who I Am as much as anything ever has been or could be. And I got into it by accident. Life is funny.
I clean windows. That’s what I do, and what I do is who I am. That the windows are metaphorical does nothing to diminish the satisfaction I feel as I busy myself at this task. This will give me peace today. It will be my equilibrium for the next four years and beyond.
I am thankful for it. “I’m a working man in my prime: cleaning windows.”