Politics

Permanent damage

~ MaryG ~ 4 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What fears have you overcome and how?
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I had a fear that I was never going to be able to get past knowing that certain people in my family had supported Trump for President in 2016 and 2020. When Trump finally lost in 2020 (after multiple days of waffling by the networks), I thought I’d be able to put that knowledge behind me, but then the insurrection happened and they did not condemn it.

When Biden was finally sworn in, I tried to “get over it.” For a while, I did. I never dreamed the GOP would nominate Trump again in 2024, but apparently that’s exactly what’s going to happen next month (despite the fact that Trump is now a convicted felon).

My feelings of anger towards these family members is back and now I feel they are truly permanent. I don’t think I will overcome them.

It’s sad that a once-in-a-lifetime con man and demagogue has torn apart so many perfectly good relationships. To me, supporting the new MAGA GOP is not a matter of right vs left, but right vs wrong.

Image from Pexels

Friends

~ MaryG ~ 9 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What quality do you value most in a friend?
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Now that I’m 55+ and have lost several friends my own age to cancer and addiction, I am not picky. I like all my old friends. If I’m in touch with them at all at this point in my life, it means there was/is a real connection there.

In making new friends, I gravitate to people who both listen and talk. And obviously, no MAGA. That’s a deal-breaker.

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda in “Grace & Frankie” on Netflix. No surprise that I was a big fan of all seven seasons of this show.

Guilt-inducing dolls

~ MaryG ~ 12 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Do you have any collections?
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As a kid, I had numerous collections—shells, rocks, stamps, glass animals, and dolls…lots of dolls.

I’ve purged the attic of all my old collections (I think), including my vinyl record albums. (That one was sad, but they were warped and I don’t own a turntable anymore.)

The last collection to go was the dolls. I had a few specialty dolls, along with a large collection of Madame Alexander dolls, which were very popular gifts for girls in the 70s. I loved their pretty costumes representing the nations of the world. These weren’t dolls you played with (like Barbie), they were meant to be displayed and admired. They lived on a shelf in my room. Of course, I did play with them sometimes, but I felt badly for doing so. Thinking back, I already felt enough pressure to be perfect and not commit “sins” (as defined by the Catholic Church), so I really didn’t need those dolls tempting me too!

In the end, they were basically worthless. Even though they were in good shape (with their original boxes), a doll dealer gave me less than $50 for the whole lot. I should have played with them all along.

They sat on the dining room table for about a week, creeping out my husband, before I sold them.

The child bride doll (talk about creepy!) was the one I played with the most.
I’m pretty sure some of these costumes would be considered stereotypical or even racist now. You can’t see them in the photo, but the Dutch girl had real wooden clogs. And the Scottish girl had bright green eyes like emeralds. Spain was cool with her black veil. The Indian doll had a red dot on her forehead.

Related post:

I’d rather laugh with the sinners

The love you leave behind when you’re done

~ MaryG ~ 5 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What is the legacy you want to leave behind?
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The question of legacy always reminds me of the song “Everything Possible” by Fred Small. I knew Fred when he was my minister in the early 2000s. I heard him perform this lullaby on several occasions and each time it made me cry.

It was especially meaningful during the battle for marriage equality in Massachusetts. We were the very first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004 (20 years ago), but it was a protracted legal and legislative fight. Though it had been written in 1983, “Everything Possible” struck a chord during that time. In our church, Fred took a stand and stopped performing all marriages, until marriage was legal for same-sex couples too. The song became a highly emotional signature anthem for the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus.

Recently, Fred tweaked the lyrics to be more inclusive of non-binary people and created a children’s book to accompany the song and further spread the message of love and acceptance.

The chorus is the most beautiful part.

You can be anybody you want to be,
You can love whomever you will
You can travel any country where your heart leads
And know that I will love you still
You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around,
You can choose one special one
And the only measure of your words and your deeds
Will be the love you leave behind when you’re done.

Here’s a beautiful live performance of the song by the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus.

And here’s Fred himself singing the new version of “Everything Possible.”

I’ll definitely be buying this book for my granddaughter, when she’s old enough.

I’d like to be remembered for the love I leave behind when I’m done.

Rev. Fred Small having a chat with a group of children in my church around 2004—the year when marriage equality became law in Massachusetts

Leader/Follower

~ MaryG ~ 9 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Are you a leader or a follower?
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This prompt gives me pause.

I mean, I like to think of myself as being a serious person that people listen to, but I’ve not held many traditional leadership roles in my life. I can’t think of one committee that I ever chaired or co-chaired. Maybe that will change, as I’ve been appointed to my church’s executive team for next fiscal year.

At work, I was always a respected “individual contributor” (as they say in HR). I never managed a team.

With my family, I’d say I’m pretty much the leader (CEO), with my husband as CFO (and let’s face it, CTO—I’m clueless about technology), but with my son soon to be fully launched, I may be in more of an advisory role soon.

With my activist volunteer work, I’m definitely a follower. Tell me who to call or write, and what to say, and I’ll get it done. I respect the work of the smart and serious activists in my community and I gladly follow them. We’re united in our mission to create a blue wave in 2024 and save democracy from the MAGA cult. We’ve got new and different people showing up every week (including men—yay men!), plus many helping out from home.

Can you tell who the leader of this group is? It’s Denali (front right)—an experienced, passionate activist who has been organizing since the 60s. She even gives us tips on how to quickly apply stamps. 😉

Lack of fear

~ MaryG
Daily writing prompt
What does freedom mean to you?
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To me, freedom is a lack of fear.

I feel free to share my thoughts, if I’m not afraid of hostile reactions or ridicule.

I feel free to travel or walk alone, if I’m not afraid of being harassed or attacked.

I feel free to go into large crowds, if I’m not afraid that people have guns.

I felt free to get pregnant when I was younger, because I was not afraid my health would be in danger.

I think it’s hard to feel truly free, when you also feel frightened.

Image from Pexels

Preaching to the choir

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What public figure do you disagree with the most?
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“Disagree” is not the right word (far too mild), but I feel I might be preaching to the choir here on WordPress. (As a longtime church choir member, I love that expression.)

Perhaps I’ll see what a (free) AI image generator can do with my intense feelings.

Ooooo…I like this one ^
Perps in Prison. Jerks in Jail. Dirty Old Men. Power Pervs. Catch & Chill (suggestions welcomed)

Taxes

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

What do you do to be involved in the community?

I’m part of a few different communities, but as for the town itself, I mainly vote and pay taxes—lots of taxes.

In fact, I just voted to increase my own taxes to help fund the schools and other municipal services. In Massachusetts, we call that “a Proposition Two and a Half Override.” I have no idea why.

We’ll find out tonight if the override passed.

My feeling is that even though my kids are done with the schools, I want current students to have what they need. But these tax increases are very tough on elderly people with fixed incomes. I see both sides.

A unique brand

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

What are your favorite brands and why?

I got to see Emma’s Revolution perform live last night. They’re a duo (Pat Humphries and Sandy O) with a long history of combining performance and activism for various causes particularly anti-war movements, climate and environment, and women’s and LGBTQ rights. Last night they were performing with two other women (about ten years older than them) who are also folk music icons: Claudia Schmidt and Sally Rogers. They all sounded great. It was a powerful quartet. Their songs are poignant, yet hopeful. We (the audience) learned that a documentary is currently in production about Emma’s Revolution. I can’t wait to see it. Pat Humphries is a tremendous songwriter and last night she played the song that “changed everything” for them—Swimming to the Other Side.

They sell their own merchandise at intermission and have no obvious corporate sponsorships or affiliations of any kind. They perform mostly in Unitarian churches, coffeehouses, and small nonprofit venues.

So, what’s their “brand”?

I don’t really know (just trying to bring it back to the prompt).

Clearly, they’re on the left politically.

They’re white and so is their audience (mostly), but they frequently reference icons of the civil rights movement like John Lewis and nonwhite immigration/refugee activists.

They’re acoustic (although they come with a lot of amps and sound equipment).

They’re good. Like really good. They’re total pros. They sing and play beautifully. They make it look easy, but it’s not. In addition to playing songs, folk musicians build a true rapport with their live audiences. They tell personal stories and anecdotes while they tune their instruments between songs. Again, not easy.

That’s all I got. Go see them on their next tour, if you can. Actually, you can see them tonight (from Schenectady) if you buy a ticket to the livestream.

I vote so we can keep it

~ MaryG ~ 10 Comments
Daily writing prompt
Do you vote in political elections?
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National, statewide and local elections are all important. I always vote. I have a couple of friends who are very involved in town affairs. Sometimes I reach out to them before local elections. They advise me on who to vote for, when I’m unfamiliar with the candidates. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you have friends who share your values, you can ask them how to vote.

On the federal level in the United States, it’s all on the line in November. For those who missed the exceedingly well-researched TIME magazine cover story on how far Trump would go in a second term, here it is.

I hope voter turnout in November is huge and that people don’t waste their votes on third party candidates (or that creepy Kennedy who hates vaccines). Yes, Joe Biden is very old, but he’s the only candidate with a realistic chance of preventing an “imperial presidency that would reshape America and its role in the world.”

King Donald: This is not what the founders had in mind.

On September 17, 1787, at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin was 81 years old and in terrible pain from gout and kidney stones. After hashing it out for more than two weeks (seven hours per day), he finally convinced thirty-nine convention delegates to sign the Constitution of the United States, with just three delegates refusing. (It would still need to be ratified by the states.)

At the end of the day, they all went out to dinner at the City Tavern in Philly. Delegate McHenry (Maryland) wrote a diary entry describing a conversation between Franklin and Elizabeth Willing Powel who said, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Benjamin Franklin responded:

“A republic, if you can keep it.”

Source

The Room Where It Happened:
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, where both the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution of the United States (1787) were signed

Related post:

Nervous about November