People

While Rome burned, people probably compared lentil soup recipes.

Just before the Nazi’s took hold, neighbors may have made sauerkraut together and sidestepped political discussions.

In current day, this version could be sharing dog pics in mixed groups as the earth melts.

Maybe we’ve never been that good at engaging with various opinions, openly sharing core values. 

I remember asking questions as my younger self and sometimes getting laughed at, sarcasm, blame toward others, but not truth. I got away from those kinds of people. I found ones who respected inquiring dialogue. 

I glance at headlines daily.

Did that really happen? Did that really happen again? Why is this happening?

I read newspapers. It is bad news a lot of the time. Today’s awful was yesterday’s bad and last years shocking and 2018s impossible, and 2017s no way, springing from 2016s F%&*K THIS S#!T. 

Today is like riding in the dark on a bike with no helmet, no lights, no hands. I just saw a kid doing that last night down Alder street. I’ve done all three though never at the same time.

I have noticed that those who complain the loudest about misinformation are the same ones who spread the largest volume of misinformation. 

For those still curious about what’s happening, here is a summation of news stories:

• Smart people no one listens to 
• Dumb people everyone listens to
• Worries and reasons to be more worried 
• People ripping off people and gaining momentum 
• Analysis of murders  
• Wars for wars 
• Failed coups and how to make one stick 

My personal news update:
I’ve been to three yarn stores and no pot stores.

A friend fished a single puzzle piece from deep in her pocket and flashed a look of discovery and surprise. This is how conspiracy theories are born. Take one piece and build the rest of the story in your mind. 

We need wise ones. We need the woke. Woke in summary means you know where your resources come from and you know where your waste goes (a recent definition I liked). If you dislike wokeness, just get awakened and you will no longer be threatened by wokeness. 

When the mystic poet Rumi was a boy he walked behind his father and a man said he was an ocean following a sea. Now I feel like a river followed by two cats. If elected to public office, I will make a motion for Rumi’s poetry to be in every restroom stall at rest areas along the I-5 corridor.  

Don’t bash the government because the government is people and the people are us.

Choose calming influences. My beginning knitting project got into an angry tangle and it made me feel frustrated and I took the perceived failure personally. Then a friend came over and picked up the strangled needles and yarn, spoke in soothing tones, while gently undoing the problem. She handed it back to me carefully, the situation diffused. This is what we need in any century, skilled problem solvers.