I’m no hero

“You (insert religious/political/racial identity here) MORONS!”

“I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness.” -Mother Teresa

 

I am no big hero.
But.

I would NEVER have called every Bush supporter a bunch of conservative morons. Why? Because not all conservatives are morons. Because it’s prejudicial and irrational. Because, no matter how I felt about W, the people who loved him simply disagreed with me. That doesn’t make them morons; it makes them human-there are as many opinions and philosophies as there are humans.

To paint any group with a broad brush is so unfair, so wrong, and though apparently I’m a Universal Unitarian according to the latest circulating survey and maybe not the resident expert, it is SO not Christian. And it’s pretty hate-filled as well, and I do disagree with hate. I suspect that those spewing the “liberal morons” meanstream have issues that go much deeper than those politic. But I digress.

Listen, I could not stand where Bush took us, and it’s well documented how his brother decimated Florida and is profiteering on children’s emotional health while stealing their rights to a real education. I’m not here to argue about that, and I won’t. But you know what I didn’t do? Scream hate about him, pass along undocumented forwards mislabled as “information,”  pass along repugnant and despicable memes, or call his supporters vile names.

That doesn’t make me any kind of hero or peacenik (there’s plenty else that proves the peacenik part); it makes me a person who respects others, and, agree with them or not, respects their AMERICAN-GIVEN RIGHT to have opinions other than mine. And for those who claim Christianity, the (at least the God who lives in and around me) GOD-GIVEN right to not be belittled by others for having ideas.

Authentic Facebook “Art,” or Forgery? Just posting it doesn’t make you compassionate.

^^ Don’t just post it, DO it! ^^

When you call people morons, it dilutes (and in a reader’s mind, deletes) anything in your message that may have been informed or meaningful. Please consider looking over your status updates over the last few weeks. Your updates=your reputation. Your fingers are the brush, your words are your paints, and your page is your canvas. Would you display your ‘art’ proudly?

I’m okay with my social media canvas, even if some of my updates are silly, the quotes are occasionally overly simplistic and trite, my attempts at humor are  sometimes a little cringe-worthy. I will stand in my ‘gallery’ without regret.

Listen, I’m not always right, not always humble, not always as tasteful as I might be, and certainly not as funny or clever as I like to think I am. But I am an unapologetic liberal. Unapologetic bleeding heart. Unapologetic introvert. Unapologetic Star Trek dork, General Hospital fan, and avid reader of everything. Unapologetic advocate for children, for my child, for victims of sexual abuse. Unapologetic over-poster of cat photos. Unapologetic in my never-ending and oft-faltering quest to be kind and my mission to beg the same from everyone else, because it is the ONLY way this is all going to get better.

But hey, do you know what I’m not?

A moron.

I’m actually quite bright.

So as someone who is also unapologetic about standing up for myself (and I do apologize–to myself–for not getting to that place decades sooner):

Knock off calling me a “liberal moron.”   Call me a really smart liberal, because I am. I’m not bright because I’m liberal, nor the other way around. I’m smart because I happened to win that particular genetic lottery. I’m liberal for the same reason I’m straight, for the same reason I’m hyper-sensitive, and for the same reason I’m passionate about the underdogs of the human and animal world: I just AM. And I don’t need to be cured, because liberalism isn’t an illness. I don’t need to be saved or changed because everything’s good. I release the entire world from the need to save my “liberal ass,” as a ‘pub friend once lovingly called it, from certain damnation. I would like you (once again, the nebulous “you,” not necessarily YOU) to stop calling me, and anyone else who disagrees with you for that matter, names.

That would be really courageous.

That would be really cool.

Peace, friends. Please?

Go Read: “The Only Thing Worse Than a Disney Princess is a Disney Prince”

“I can wake myself up, thank you.”

With apologies to the Disney Conglomerate-I read a delightful post on another blog, “Allisms.”

I discovered this blog today and want to share my favorite post (link below). It rang true because of the many status updates I read written by single people who are not comfortable with their own company, or who have subscribed to a movie company’s version of how true love looks. Here’s a secret: this version sells DVDs, but it is not what true love looks like.

I still see, and shockingly I see it often posted by women in the generation younger than mine, status updates that read like “Someday my Prince will Come!” Waiting for the one, waiting on the phone, waiting to get a man so life can truly begin.  Calling some guy “the hubby” after knowing him a week.

Girls, stop it. You don’t need to validate yourself by whether you’re one half of a couple. PLEASE don’t validate yourself by whether you’re one half of a couple. It took much of my generation until we reached our 30s to outgrow that self-esteem busting habit, and the generation older than mine has for the most part never moved past the notion that it’s panic time if you don’t “have a man.”

Boys, don’t think you’re just there to save a girl from the perils of being single; it’s condescending, insulting and not so attractive.  And unnecessary. You need to contribute much more than your handsome presence, please. You also  need to expect more from your girl than helpless adoration under that tiara. Maybe you could use a save once in a while; that White Knight biz must get tiring after a while.

I am not bashing coupledom. If you find love and partnership, that is a wonderful thing. I just hate to see young women:

1) Waiting to be “rescued” from…what, exactly?

2) Thinking that ‘getting the ring’ is be-all and end-all and all that matters. And

2a) Teaching their daughters to think that way.

3) Settling for  ”Prince” who’s, well, not one,  just because he’s “there.”

4) Spending precious time wishing and hoping for,  lamenting the lack of,  or fighting for a man–time that could be  spent living, learning, reading, traveling, discovering….you get the idea.

Stop wishing on a star. You already are a star. You don’t need to play any role other than who you are–not if you want an authentic and meaningful journey. “Draw yourself” as you are–not as the Disney animators drew fictional characters.

Check it out:

The Only Thing Worse Than a Disney Princess is a Disney Prince.

Peace,  friends.

Better Ingredients? Better People: An open letter to John Schnatter and Everyone I Know.

I’ve been watching the mean memes about John “Papa John” Schnatter go around, with everyone swearing to never order from him again because it will apparently cost 14 cents per pie to give his employees healthcare, and he said in an interview that he didn’t want to raise the price of a pizza-he’d rather cut jobs and hours than to participate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Here’s one of the memes:

So a rich guy has a big house. Not a newsflash.

As a liberal, I’d like for the vitriol to NOT be coming from us. As a human, the idea of someone having a catastrophic health event, and no coverage,  is unthinkable. As a person of some intelligence, I get that Obamacare may well cost businesses a little extra, and I don’t think it’s ridiculous to pay 14 extra cents for a pizza to help a whole lot of people keep their jobs, their hours, and have health coverage.

Everyone’s screaming about people paying their ‘fair share.’  Our President says that we are the ones that will make the change. He means all of us.  I was a victim of an unscrupulous sub-prime loan broker and my struggle to keep my home, and for many years, to keep my kid clothed and fed, is fodder for another post. Suffice to say that good old Papa John, with his easily find-able 25% off promo codes, was a hero more than once. A $9.59 large pizza?  Four meals. Price change to $9.73? Even I can handle that.

Papa, will every one of those 14 pennies go to healthcare coverage for your employees? Will every single one of those pennies insure every single one of your 16,000-plus workers? Then do it. Raise the price and don’t slap the employees who helped you ‘build that’ in the face. Care about them enough to give them care.  You’re a hero to no one by threatening to fire people and cut hours so you can pay instead, thinking then the healthcare law won’t apply to you. Be a leader and take care of your employees. Petulance isn’t attractive and it doesn’t sell pies.

If you decide to do this, I’m in. I will make Change with a little change. Look, in order for all of this to fall into place, everybody’s got to pitch in, not just the guys with houses like the one in the pic (is that a moat?). It IS going to cost businesses, small and large, extra to comply with the requirements, and in order to even STAY in business, some will have to pass part of that cost to consumers. Some businesses will try to cry “Obamacare!” and price-gauge, no doubt.  My guess is they will be outed pretty quickly. I do not agree with pretty much anything Papa stands for politically. I also don’t think 14 cents looks like a fleecing. And I would still buy the occasional pizza.

So. To John Schnatter:  Is it worth the well-being of your employees and the goodwill of consumers to accept what is, and behave accordingly?  You’ve done a good business, and congrats on the castle–I won’t begrudge you your real estate. Are you going to do what’s right for your people?

So. To Everyone I Know: What do you think would make people boycott PJ’s more: him firing employees and cutting hours so he can bypass Healthcare requirements, OR raising the price of a pizza 14 cents?  If he had just bitten the bullet and charged the extra pennies in order to cover his employees without saying anything, would you even have noticed? If Papa John decides to keep his employees on their current schedules, would 14 cents be too much to pay to help 16,000 people?

Yes, I realize that if EVERYTHING in America suddenly costs 14 more cents the world will end, the terrorists will win, and the (insert Armageddon of your choice here, we are an equal-paranoiac-opportunity blog) will crash down upon us. I don’t pretend to understand economics, and if you post an econ lesson in the comment, I will really try to read it through, but I live in the right brain and my eyes will probably glaze over or close completely. But if I’m just way off base here, educate me. It just seems like we all need to face a change or two in order to make things work in our country, and helping people keep their jobs and businesses is a good place to start, and I’m okay with that.

But I thought I’d just start with a pizza. What do you think?  I feel like I’d pay the 14 cents. You hear me, Papa?

(p.s. For local small biz, I will gladly pay more to help you make it.)

(p.p.s. The current online 25% off promo code for Papa John’s is VISA25.)

(p.p.p.s. Share it up; maybe Papa will answer! Unlikely, but you never know)

Peace and pepperoni, friends.

Added 11/14: Check out the link below from Forbes to read their Mathematical take on this whole thing:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/calebmelby/2012/11/12/breaking-down-centi-millionaire-papa-john-schnatters-obamacare-math/

 

 

Killing Kindergarten

I read this piece on Huffington Post and had to comment (the link to the article is below):

“Thank you for this post-a perfect illustration of what NCLB and it’s offspring has done to our children (not FOR them). I will repost in the hope that at least one narrow mind might be opened and we can get closer to going back to teaching children, not teaching the test.”

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Phoenix Rising

I take care of a few feral kittens who live in my neighborhood. They are healthy and happy, with the exception of one baby I’ve named Phoenix.

Phoenix is a sweet and loving feral who needs a lot of medical attention. I am virtually fundless but cannot watch this girl suffer when she still has so much spirit and life in her. She has fleas, ear mites, roundworm, and a nasty skin infection, and that’s just what I can see.

I set up a “Chip In”  page to raise funds to help her live the happy life she deserves. Once she’s well, I’ll work on finding her a home. She’s full of spunk, purrs, and talks up a storm. Somebody will be very lucky to have this little girl as a best friend!

Believe me, I understand broke. If you can’t donate a buck or two, you can still help- say a prayer for little “Pheenie.”

To donate, go here:

 http://paxgirl.chipin.com/mypages/view/id/069b548429740859

Thanks for caring.

4/28: Phoenix update-There were enough donations to the ChipIn page that I was able to get enough help for Phoenix that she now looks like this:

Phoenix says, "Thank you.'

Click HERE for wise advice!

Click HERE for wise advice!

For every item on this list you complete, an angel will get his wings.

An Invitation.

At an event last night, a poem was read that resonated so strongly within my heart that I had to share. I contacted the poet this morning and got permission to post the piece. Even though these words were written by another, they put into words feelings I couldn’t have articulated nearly as well.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’ve been working, going to school, and standing through a year that tried its best to knock me down. Moments like last night, listening to a beautiful soul read this poem, are like raindrops that wash me clean. I hope you are as touched by Oriah’s words as I was.  I’m glad to be back.

Peace, Friends.

The Invitation by Oriah

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

By Oriah from her book, THE INVITATION (c)1999. Published by HarperONE,
San Francisco. All rights reserved. Presented with permission of the
author. http://www.oriah.org