Anyway.
A couple of hours, many emails, letters, and phone calls later, I was ready to pack the car and head down to DC and tell a few people something about themselves in person. Also, I was pretty sure I could use a few hugs from Senator Sherrod Brown and maybe from Representative John Lewis, National Treasure. Instead, I did what I always tell my sons to do when they're stressed out: do something constructive.
I decided to clean out my bookshelves yet again and donate some more of my languishing hardbacks to the annual library book sale. I got the idea from grocery shopping.
Earlier this week at the grocery store, I ran into a former student. Rather, she stopped me in the dairy aisle where I was dawdling without any purpose whatsoever because I sort of half-assed my list and couldn't remember if I needed any yogurt or butter. "Hey, Mrs. D! How are you? How have you been? Do you still love retirement?" she chirped. I almost didn't recognize her because--and this is sad--she looked so happy.
"Oh, sweetie! It's so good to see you!" I greeted her in return. And I meant it. I had never seen her smile so much. It was obvious that she was doing well.
"I feel I need to tell you that I don't work here anymore. I went back to school. I finished and got my library science degree. It's so awesome, and I work right here in town at the library! I love it!"
Why she felt she needed to tell me that, I don't know, but I was truly glad that she did. We talked a bit longer about her life and her job, and then I mentioned that I had some books I wanted to donate. "Drop them off anytime," she told me.
So, back to me cleaning out my burgeoning bookshelves. I already knew I was going to get rid of my set of Andrew Greeley books on principle alone. Then there were a half-dozen more that I knew I'd never read again, so in they went. It was tough, because back in the eighties or nineties, the fad was to take all the jackets off your books so as to streamline the look of your shelves. I had to really stare at the spines. Some of my books are vintage; some are old carpentry and drafting books of Rick's and his grandfather's. And I have a lot of books. But nothing prepared me to find, way on the bottom shelf, a copy of a certain ghostwritten book by a certain political person who shall remain nameless. And rather than donate it and validate its garbage, I did this:
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| I call it Art: No Deal |
Afterward, I did what every self-respecting Democrat would do, I recycled it. Burning books? Please. Let's not, as they say, Go There.
I did, however, temporarily set aside one page--it was before the opening page of chapter one. It contains a partial quote from a speech by Theodore Roosevelt, former real President of the United States. It does not quote it completely or even correctly (big surprise), but I will:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.--(23 April 1910)
The irony is stunning.
I am part of the Resistance. Since 20 January 2017. And I will keep striving for as long as necessary.
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And thank God you are!
ReplyDeleteRose--You're welcome. Join us!
DeleteMy husband once had a copy of that book you 'prepared' for recycling. If we still had it I'd be inspired to do the same. It's sure been a week of crazy in politics hasn't it. Keep up the good fight.
ReplyDeleteJean--I surely didn't bring that book into the house, so Rick is the only possible source. I'm suspecting it was given to him; he has never bought a book in his life unless it was a gift for me.
DeleteI don't have a ton of time for the Resistance, but I contribute my paltry amount regularly to Beto O'Rourke's campaign to defeat 'Lyin' Ted Cruz' (the Senate is so critical!), have trained immigrants in citizenship classes and also work as a bilingual poll worker. If we all do what we can, we *can* do this. I never tire of telling folks that, as a poll worker who has been doing this for 6 years, I can guarantee that gerrymandering and voter suppression, while very important, are not the main reason we have a Republican congress. Dems don't typically vote in elections except for the presidential ones. The repubs show up every. single. time., and in record numbers. (And I work in a precinct that is 90% latino!!!) In a nutshell: My poll-worker experience has shown that 95% of the voters who show up for *all* elections are Republicans. Many are saying that the 2018 Midterm election will be one of the most crucial in American history, and I believe it. Praying for a Blue Wave and a new future! I was encouraged by Obama's recent speech when he finally lashed out in a very direct way against 45. And yes, it may fire up 45's base even more, but hopefully he will light a fire under dormant, lazy, 'somebody-else-will-vote-for-me' Dems.
ReplyDeleteOrtizzle--I would respectfully disagree re: the gerrymandering, especially when you look at a state like Ohio, which is the most gerrymandered state in the country. Here is a look at it. I live in an overwhelmingly Democratic county and city, but we are in a gerrymandered red district, and our congressman is from a downstate county and is a teaparty republican who has never even once been in our county. For anything. The breakdown of votes by county and city shows that we have voted overwhelmingly Democratic. I realize that it's a numbers thing, but we also have a big turnout. Labor loves to vote.
DeleteYou are also correct, however, that republicans like to vote, especially gun owners and evangelicals/anti-choice voters. They will come to the polls and vote for Satan himself (read 45*) in order to save their guns and force other people to have babies.
The Senate is huge. It's the Refinery Of Legislation. I wish more people understood that. The House is like a mudpit, but the Senate is the potter's wheel. And, like you, I've already given money to Beto. Jared's girlfriend is currently a TX resident, and she is a Blue Voter. She is excited to add her Democratic vote to the mix down there.
Nance--- Gerrymandering in Ohio is extreme! I do agree that this is also critical in Texas, especially north Texas / Dallas. We are not as convoluted as Ohio, but District 33 on the map I am linking to is incredible considering the alternating Latino / white Caucasian population in that area: https://tinyurl.com/y76uxxs4 (I haven't worked out how to embed links on your blog comments page and just marking text and using 'right click' isn't working; sorry!)
DeleteOrtizzle--Thanks for giving me a look at TX's districts. You know by now how pathetically ignorant I am when it comes to geography overall, so it was very helpful.
DeleteI absolutely think that Woodward's book is aptly named in many respects. One of the driving forces now behind the republican party is fear: fear of caucasian males losing their identity as the dominant being in America. This fake in the White House is the poster child for them. He crumbles away more and more each day. He is literally losing his grip on Everything as the country around him changes and rebuilds itself in spite of him, waiting for the true voice of Democracy to send in the reinforcements of women, diverse representatives from all groups, and people who care about making government work better for others and not just for their own profit.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the most important elections weren't in our past. The elections that gave us THIS Senate, with McConnell at the helm, have done so much damage to our judiciary, I don't know how we can fix it. He has truly done a lot to screw us.
DeleteJ@jj--I hear you. McConnell is the devil incarnate at this point. And I've been trying like hell to get people to understand the lasting damage of this "presidency" lies in LIFETIME APPOINTMENTS TO THE JUDICIARY. Not just Supreme Court appointments, which are devastating enough, but the dozens and dozens of other federal judicial appointments that have occurred in various states that will impact rulings on all aspects of people's lives forever. That, and the complete absence of a working Consumer Financial Protection Bureau now have abrogated our rights in significant ways already.
DeleteSo many people have said, "I just stop watching the news and wait for this to be over." I completely understand; believe me, I do. But that's a dangerous luxury to afford yourself. Now is the time to give a damn and do something about it.
I was noticing the people behind Trump at one of his rallies. I swear they all look zoned (or drugged) out. All those vacant eyes.
ReplyDeleteDee — Funny you should say that. The other day I was watching Chris Hayes (MSNBC) and on his 'Thing 1-Thing 2' segment, he showed a dubious Trump supporter just behind him who was seen to be mouthing "WHAT?!!" at one point during the rally (read: WTF?!). A few minutes later, 2 women appeared, dressed to the nines, and gently nudged this guy and someone who was with him to move out of view of the cameras and let them stand in his place. LOL!!!
DeleteDee--His supporters are scary. They're like cult followers. No real independent thought. They all watch Faux News and they all follow the same script on him and his garbage. Here is a story about a couple who are a perfect example; they went viral because of a teeshirt that I find outrageous.
DeleteOrtizzle--I read an article about that guy. He was actually wearing a Democratic Socialist party sticker on his shirt, and they still let him in and placed him behind the podium! When they finally realized he wasn't Of Them and was ruining the shot, some organizers made him move.
#plaidshirtguy for the win!
DeleteNance-- Thanks for that link-- I did not know the extra information in that article! LOL.
DeleteI applaud you fro all your do to keep the Resistance moving forward. What a week it has been. And to end it with Obama coming out with his boxing gloves on was just perfect. Every week they say this is the worst week yet, can they actually keep getting worse? I am hoping we get some good voter turnout and that the Blue Wave actually happens.
ReplyDeleteMeredith--Your point is a good one about the desensitization of the American people to this Administration's behaviours. Nothing he or his party does surprises or shocks us anymore, and that's a big problem. We've reformatted our view of what is Normal. And because the News Cycle is so rapid and so accessible, we actively (and gratefully!) forget each new outrage.
DeleteThe Blue Wave has been building and it is very real; we need to each do our part to keep it going. Florida's senate race is especially critical. Why it's even close is a mystery.
I love seeing that shredded book. I wish we had one that we could shred too. We probably WOULD hang onto it for the first fire of the season (although it's probably not very environmentally sound to burn books).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your former student has found something she loves to do. And I'm extra glad that you're fighting the good fight. I'm pretty slack - of course I will vote, but I feel sort of apart from NC politics. We didn't have an election to vote in last year, so this will be our first since we moved back. I need to dig & I see what's what!
Bug--I was thrilled that my former student was so happy and enthralled with her career. She was a Searcher in high school, and I wondered if she'd ever land on something that truly ignited her passion (or if she even had one). People without (a) passion befuddle me; I can't fathom going through life not caring deeply about Something/Anything.
DeletePerhaps your student just felt pride that she finally found her way -- that she derives pleasure from letting others who knew her "before" of her accomplishment. You may have held more significance in her life than you might realize, or she has expressed. We don't always know how others have related to us, especially when our professional lives have us in contact with so many ever-changing numbers of people. Perhaps they recognize we really did care about them and would want to know of their accomplishments -- or they simply have a need to seek recognition and approval.
ReplyDeleteI think we're in this political mess partly because of a combination of factors including both gerrymandering and low voter turnout. Surely do hope some D.C. seats here in California change -- one of which is Nunes in a district other than my own. The L.A. Mayor visited your fair state as he ponders making a bid for Prez come '20. I wonder what Kasich will do? CA mayor Garcetti seems to be quite effective in L.A., but don't know how he'll compare to others coming to the Dems forefront. Hope the Party doesn't go too extreme or they'll shoot themselves in the foot with voters. For now we just need to focus on '18's election -- one step at a time.
Joared--I think she may have wanted to make sure I knew that, even though she was in the grocery store, she wasn't there because she was working there. She always had a sort of extra dry sense of humour. But I'm sure it was also much of what you said.
DeleteNunes is a Nightmare in more ways than one, certainly. Kasich is deeply unpopular in Ohio. He plays well on a national stage because outside of Ohio, no one knows what his missteps in governing have been and how he played fast and loose with funding and how his pet initiatives drained the budget, especially away from education, which he ignored. I give him credit for never compromising his principles and accepting 45*, but he's a narcissist in his own right.
You're right--the Midterms are the prize right now, and the Democrats can take the House and have a decent shot at the Senate. But our voters need to stand up.
That was true of Nixon, too, -- people in Calif. knew what kind of person he was I learned when we moved here in '73 -- but they knew all those years ago when so much of the rest of the country went for him. Large segments of the population here recognized after Reagan was our Gov. he was problematic and heaven only knows Schwarzenegger was. Kasich sounds like bad news as prospective candidate for Repubs.
DeleteI would respectfully argue that you are not the most gerrymandered. We've had judges rule they must be redrawn and yet again they are unfairly drawn by our bright red General Assembly.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted a real library so when we built this house, we made the smallest bedroom a library instead. Like you, we have been donating boxes and boxes of books. We still have enough for the shelves of the library and somehow they give me solace. I love sitting in there to read, knit, or listen to my old vinyl. And we have a Futon for a bed if we need an extra sleeping space for guests, a comfy recliner, and a wonderful rocking chair. It's my favorite room in the house.
Yes, we must all be part of the resistance, especially those of us who live in such red areas. I still have my volunteer's Russ Feingold tee shirt from our WI days. It has a backbone running down the back. I wish I could send duplicates to our NC Senators and Representatives.
NCmountainwoman--Oh, we've been in court, too. We still are. And had a ballot issue in May which overwhelmingly passed, telling officials that districts must be redrawn more sanely and fairly, eliminating gerrymandering altogether. There is a brief story about the legal tangle here. I am following NC's story with more than a little interest, and not just because of its bearing on future precedent. It's interesting to me because of the number of nonnative North Carolinians who reside there, thus impacting its demographics.
DeleteI like the idea of sending backbone graphic tees to members of Congress, especially on the right. However, they probably wouldn't recognize a spine when they saw one.
We are part of the resistance, and we refuse to be decieved...If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck its probably a duck...
ReplyDeleteTry to have a great week ahead, this weather though, OY!!!
Denise--We certainly know the lies when we hear them, and boy! do we hear them. Thousands by the day.
DeleteThis weather--I'm just happy it's not 90, honestly. (But the rain! yikes...)
I have been enjoying this thread for days although as a Canadian all I can contribute is a cheer from the sidelines. If you can even up Congress a bit, that might be the salvation of the Canadian economy. Most of us still cannot figure out what is causing Trump to try to wreck us. Maybe it is as simple as his looking at a photo of himself next to our Beautiful Prime Minister and not liking the contrast. It would be on the outward and visible though, as neither of them has a brain.
ReplyDeleteThe Trump base, however, scares me spitless.
Mary G--Your Head Of State at least has a heart. And I'll take the Tin Man over the Scarecrow any day.
DeletePlease know that the slouching orange beast temporarily in our White House does not speak or act for the majority of Americans. We are appalled at his behaviour toward Canada, and we apologize. His base, such as it is, full of those just like him and worse, are nothing but contrarians, racists, and scared nativists who are longing for the days when Everyone Stayed Out Of Their Yard and candy bars were a nickel. If they can't have Those Days back again, then they're happy to blow the whole damn world up. The rest of the republicans think 'that's never going to happen, but in the meantime, let's put all the far-right judges out there in lifetime appointments that we can while we can, and the hell with everything else.'
Please tell Canada to stop trying to figure out 45*. You cannot, and in trying to think like him, you debase yourselves in the process. The Democrats are trying to Send Help.
I, and many other Canucks, are longing for a viable, elctable Democratic candidate for President in the next round. I am sure you are working on that. And, yes, Tin man is preferable. So is Toto.
ReplyDelete