The freewill disclosure of what caused my “condition” might be resolved with the following memory: I was maybe three or four years old, sitting cross legged on the floor, playing with any obscure object that might come my way.
I noticed a loose random bobby-pin along the baseboard.
After a brief thorough inspection wondering why my mother stuck these things into her head, I was curious what would happen if they were inserted into the electrical outlet along the wall. “Zzzaapp!” “Okay,” I thought to myself, “that wasn’t smart.”
Recovering from the 110 volt jolt, I repeated the experiment to make absolutely sure the conclusions were the same. “Zzzaapp!” again. The results were identical and I wobbled away looking for something less painful. Why an important lesson such as this was not readily memorized after the first shock wave traveled up my arm is a mystery. I guess slow learners come in all shapes, sizes and ages.
Doing my due diligence by watching various mainstream media coverage regarding Donald’s cabinet picks, I heard someone mention the term “Political Wilderness,” a reference to the fact that very few of his choices have much experience on Capitol Hill. I hit pause on the remote and thought about that for a few minutes: Is that supposed to be a bad thing? I’m still a little befuddled with the lack of comprehension.
Stepping back in time by perhaps 12 hours or so, we'd just finished watching the Oregon vs. Wisconsin football game and the enchiladas were ready to come out of the oven. The decision was on my shoulders of what to watch while we ate so I picked a National Geographic documentary entitled; The Rise and Fall of the Neanderthals. Without intention, the analogy between the programs content and the political views of certain commentators is only an odd irony.
They – the Neanderthals, it has recently been speculated by the scientists who study such things, were a society that expressed joy for each other’s accomplishments as well as disdain for each other’s short comings. They celebrated life and grieved death. They scratched the caveman’s back in the rock formation next to their own in return for an equal return of scratching when the time necessitated. It’s no different for modern humans today including politicians in Washington. The new folks on the inside are not ambivalent to this.
And the credentials that many of president-elect Trump’s choices bring with them are indeed impressive. They all aren’t squeaky clean and far from perfect and more than one may not make it through the confirmation hearings, but they aren’t the same stale curmudgeons that have occupied the halls of power either. They know the game and will not play with complete reckless abandon; however, they won’t be afraid to take the hit – or give it, when the circumstances dictate.
It's going to be up to us, the people who placed them in office, to actually hold them accountable. The pleasures of enjoying the scrimmages that will ensue from the comfort of our easy chairs are gone. The iron is hot and if we're able to affix our brand to the leather upon the hip of the nation that we desire to rebuild, we cannot shy from the task.
I should have become a speech writer. The garden has been tilled and it’s a clean smooth swath of possibilities, asleep now and at rest; microbes and other little creatures beneath its surface working magic, waiting for next spring’s seed.
If a weed appears – and they certainly will, pluck it. If a storm approaches and threatens the early sprig – protect it. If the stem is strong and shows promise of success – water it. It isn’t any different for those people we’ve chosen, along with those that they have chosen, to represent our best interests, remembering that without some pain there isn’t any gain.
And fertilizer is easily available, regardless of who spreads it.
