Getting Real

I'm looking at the weather today and it could warm up to be a very comfortable day. I might take my lounge chair outside and read my newest book; or I could get my bike out of storage, pump up the tires, and see if I can find my balance again; or I could...oh well! When you have to take an early, medical retirement, you have all kinds of time but not much money to spend, so options are decidedly a bit narrower, but they can be found.

The first thing I see on FNC is a group (herd is more like it) of women sprinting for a courthouse door to be first in line to sit through the Casey Anthony murder trial. What is wrong with this picture? What is so alluring about watching a young woman and her family stumble, lie, and cry their way through a pitiful farce of injustice. What's even more distasteful to me is that there is an element of our society that is hooked on this kind of "reality". What has our society come to? For some reason I'm reminded of the Roman reality, many years ago, involving lions, humans and lots of bloodshed.

More flooding in South Dakota and the state of Massachusetts was hit with devastating tornadoes . I recently read a report accusing the mainstream media of ignoring the flooding in the Midwest and playing up the same conditions in the southern tier states along the Mississippi River as it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Well, I don't watch mainstream news just for that reason. Admittedly, states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas have suffered greatly at the hands of Mother Earth's indignities. Many places still have not totally recovered from the throes of Hurricane Katrina six years ago. Be that as it may, the states of Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri may never recover, and the effects from flooded farmlands will have a negative effect for years to come. 

I have been watching with interest the developing list of GOP hopefuls vying for the Republican nomination to run against the current president of my country. I was a fan of Sarah Palin when she ran on the Republican ticket with John McCain in the 2008 elections. I liked what I heard from her. What I didn't like was the way MSMBC (the cable news channel I watched at that time) attacked her and other conservative candidates. So much so that when it was suggested that I watch Fox News Channel, I immediately knew I was "home", politically speaking. I was disappointed when Huckabee recently announced that he would not be running, glad when Trump made a similar announcement, and very much impressed with what I was hearing from Michelle Bachman. As a friend posted yesterday, wouldn't it be just the ultimate if we had two female politicians running on the GOP ticket in 2012? Imagine that!!!

Right now I'm listening to Marco Rubio, a Republican senator from the state of Florida, share his views on our current Medicare programs. He agrees that the Ryan plan, while not perfect, at least offers a way to begin the magnanimous job of reform. Additionally, he challenges the other side of the aisle to offer something concrete that will be part of the solution and not more of the problem. The man makes sense, listen to him! Reform, do not continue to deform!

Another equally ridiculous state of affairs is this obsession of the GOP to pressure Chris Christie to run. The man said he didn't want the job of president of this country. Leave him alone! Let him continue his plan as governor of New Jersey. I like his no nonsense approach to state government. He takes a stand and follows through regardless of the flack or criticism coming from the biased media looking for a chance to pounce and publish. 

Lastly, and embarrassing so, is New York congressman, Anthony Weiner who still will not make an affirmative statement regarding the photo that was Twittered from his personal account. First of all, this man has never failed to provide me with another "I can't believe he said that" exclamation. He either sent out a picture of himself in his briefs or he didn't, how complicated can that be? And the more he tries to deflect this primary question with alternative scenarios the deeper he digs the hole he may accidentally find himself looking up and out of. Keep digging, Weiner.

I have friends from other countries who read my blogs, so I try to share some background that will help them understand what I'm talking about The facts of many of these matters are often embarrassing. The solutions from some camps are just plain pitiful and inadequate, and the simple state of our union has reached a dangerous level that has been so far obscured that truth is hidden and often conveniently hard to find. 


A decade ago I was sitting in a modern truck stop restaurant as the big rig my husband and I called our "home on wheels" underwent some much needed repairs. Behind me was another commercial driver coaching his trainee and I listened with interest as the trainer pointed out to his student that the reasons he used for not properly executing a "backing-up" procedure amounted to nothing more than not accepting responsibility. I realized at that time that I, also, had been guilty of this in too many areas of my life. 


From that eavesdropped conversation I came to terms with my own shortcomings and made a promise to myself to correct those self-defeating cover-ups. After that day, I intentionally kept track of my actions and reactions and as I gradually made some necessary changes, I came to experience the freedom to learn from my mistakes so that I could face the future with more confidence and no guilt. 

I'm hoping to see more examples of this in the upcoming elections. Stick to the issues, present viable solutions, and DO NOT engage in mudslinging. Be responsible, candidates! If the election can't be won by dealing with the facts of the issues, then it's not worth running, for anyone. Our country's candidates for any public office must be trustworthy, and trust is earned, so why not start with the campaign? Please!!!