Checking In
Sometimes checking out is the only way that you can check in.
We check out by moving to a miniscule town in Italy. We check in by coming back to NYC.
And here is my honest appraisal: We are all delusional. Wake up. Smell the coffee. See the nose in front of your face. Chicken Little was right.
In the US, and I’m only talking about here in the US, right now.
We have our heads buried in the sand. Health care. Insurance. The $. Priorities. Religion. Intelligence. Integrity. Curiosity. Confidence. Censorship. Common sense.
I’m all about food, family, nourishment. In context. And the US popular frame of mind is out of context.
Health care: until we abolish, destroy and eliminate insurance companies nothing will come of the health care debate.
Insurance: In NY, one entire file drawer, and a whole lot of money, is eaten up with insurance related issues: health, car, home apartment, umbrella. In Italy, I have a thin file folder. And neither situation seems to matter, or be in important. One is a drain; the other is a thin file folder.
The $. The rest of the world thinks we are stupid and crazy and they have no interest in investing here. This WILL come back to bite us in the ass. We do not live in a vacuum.
Priorities: The Religious Right who have a direct ear to God, Mitt Romney who channels the Mormon cult as being sane, Paris Hilton, (I’ve been away, is she still relevant, or do we care about Brittany, Brad? Gemma?) When did being intelligent, curious, courageous, tolerant become a bad thing?
We are talking about mindless flag waving, much in the same way that good, normal, German citizens denied the concentration camps. Guantanemo is a slippery slope, my fellow Americans.
Common Sense: When did selling mortgages to people who couldn’t afford or understand them seem like a good idea?
Religion: what ever happened to that idea of separation of church and state? I was brought up to believe it was important.
Intelligence: currently a liability. Don’t speak. Don’t go out on the limb. Norman Mailer died because of sheer boredom and frustration.
Integrity: Can I gain anything with integrity? Can I buy an iPod with integrity?
Curiosity: Why do you think the way you do? How did you come to think that way? What can I learn from you? What can you tell me that I need to know? Curiosity usually is a direct path to respect. Which may explain some of Bush’s lack of respect for others.
Confidence: When someone is insecure, or a country is insecure, they need to act like a bully. When the person or country is secure, they are ready and willing and able to welcome other points of view.
Censorship. We have all been censored since 9/11. If we are to survive and thrive we need to think again, and speak again, and be tolerant and intelligent, and curious, and creative and fearless. It takes more than Tony Sinclair, a Coke and a pharmaceutical.
No worries, I’ll return to the luxury of food in a moment. I just needed to vent for a moment. Thank you for the indulgence, I’m still worried, but I feel better.