Topic #9 is supposed to be My Best Physical Feature. To be honest, I have no earthly idea. There have been times that I have walked by a mirror or store window and not even known my own reflection. I have an odd perception of what I look like. So, I'll let someone who knows me answer this one, perhaps. The whole idea makes me uncomfortable.
Besides, don't we have something more Important and Wonderful to talk about? I'd say that we do!
While this election should never, ever have been as close as it was (and that does make me shake my head in wonder and dismay), I choose to see it as a full repudiation of Chaos, Incivility, and Corruption. The individual wallowing in the White House and tarnishing the Office of the Presidency will continue to do so, but his time is thankfully limited. His bootlicking lackeys can bluster and blow right along with him, but It Just Doesn't Matter. His cult can drive their gas-guzzling trucks with their flapping flags up and down the highways and dirt roads, but It Just Doesn't Matter. He can tweet in all caps about stolen votes and fraud and taking it to the courts (or Court), but It Just Doesn't Matter. He's Out, Gone, Done, and in his own obnoxious word, Fired.
I, for one, feel lighter. Joyful-er. Safer and more secure. I can be Proud of being an American again. Pretty soon, I can watch the national news and not roll my eyes at yet another stupid, outrageous, or infuriating spew of crap coming from the White House. I can, perhaps, retire my #Resist.
Wasn't it uplifting and affirming to listen to a President speak about caring for the country? One who said he was humbled by the trust we placed in him? Who spoke truly lovingly about his family and his wife? Who spoke of unity and not division? My heart was so full as he spoke. I could feel years of stress and pain begin to slough away.
His partnership with President Obama may very well be the way he will view his relationship with Vice President Harris. Since she joined the Senate, she has been a standout. Her questioning of Kavanaugh was masterful and still riles the old white guy republicans in the Chamber. She will be a Force in that office. What a vibrant, vital, and welcome replacement for smarmy, duplicitous Pence.
One of 45* 's ghostwriters said that 45*'s favourite strategy is to create so much chaos and trouble that the other people simply become exhausted and give up. 45* himself said, "I am a whiner and I keep whining and whining until I win." Well, our democracy doesn't work that way. As President-Elect Biden's campaign manager said, "The United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House."
How I'd love to see that!
I did smile, took a deep breath, and let out yet another huge sigh of relief. I was on a such a happiness high all day Saturday, and I literally cried like a baby through the speeches Saturday night. I can't remember the last time I cried like that because I was so happy, I'm not sure if I ever have. I am just so filled with joy that I can't even put it into words!
ReplyDeleteAs for that horrible man, I can't wait until I never have to see him or hear him speak again. I would absolutely love to see him kicking and screaming while they drag him out of the White House!
Martha--I was so uplifted during their speeches, so full of hope and so ready for America's comeback. My eyes were teary as well. I, too, am struggling as I search my vocabulary, and words are my Life!
DeleteAs my husband's dearest grandfather used to say, "I can't wait fast enough". I can't wait fast enough for 45* to make his exit from the White House and our lives. And good riddance!
Nance, I thought of you as I wrote my blog post knowing you felt the very same way. I am breathing again, I did not realize how shallow my breaths had become and how overall anxious I have become. I finally slept last night after over a week of almost no sleep at all. I have been almost run off the road three times because I dared to have a Biden magnet on my car. Yes by big gas guzzling trucks with flags on the back. One was driven by a woman riding so close to me I can tell you the shape of her face and the color of her hair. I am proud today, I am proud of the wonderful people we have elected. By no means do I think this will be an easy job for them but I trust them. Isn't that a wonderful thing to say after four years of chaos and lies. Sleep well my friend.
ReplyDeleteMeredith--I know how difficult this has been for you, this election, because you go to people's private residences to provide services. I know that you cannot pick and choose, and that some of them are his supporters and likely obnoxious about it. To hear of your near-misses on the highway by vile supporters is just as terrible, and I'm sorry.
DeleteAll of us who care about ALL people and the stature and future of our country have been under such sustained stress for years. Like you, my breaths were rarely deep, cleansing ones unless I focused on my breathing. It's been a terrible way to live. As I said in an earlier post last month, I think, my life itself was still good, but I worried and fought for those most deeply affected and harmed daily by this administration. So many wrongs to right!
You really nailed it all when you said Trust. When is the last time you could Trust our president? That time is coming, and it is coming soon. Thank goodness!
Here's to better sleep and better days for us all, my friend!
When I went to one of the homes I visit frequently last week they had a huge flag on their fence with TRUMP and a picture of his face on Rambo's body with an assault rife, there are no words to say just how very pathetic this is.
DeleteMeredith--How pathetic is right. I wonder about people like that, who are so deluded and ignorant. It's cult behaviour, pure and simple. I'm sorry you have to deal with that, and I know you care deeply for the children you help. It certainly tries your professionalism, to say the very least.
DeleteIt sure does.
DeleteI love every word/opinion that you wrote. I know it's not going to be easy for the incoming administration given all the challenges Biden and Harris will face but I know deep in my soul that they will make good decisions and represent our country with class and the daily drama will be gone. I hate what Trump is doing now with his planned rally wanting a million people to show up and demand a recount. I hate that he won't go with grace but I'm not surprised. January 21st can't come fast enough but he WILL be gone, whether willingly or not.
ReplyDeleteJean--You bring up a great point here that you are confident that Biden and Harris will make good decisions and represent our country well. We have not had that confidence in years. We've been the object of pity and ridicule for four years now. And 45* is oblivious to it.
DeleteCertainly he'll make this as troublesome and dramatic as he can. He is a narcissist, a whiner, a spoiled child, and an individual of little to no moral character. He can have ten million people show up and make a demand for marshmallows to rain from the sky. He won't get that, either. That's not how this works.
Me, I don't have a good physical feature, let alone a best one.
ReplyDeleteCertainly the present results are worth celebrating. I was much impressed with Kamala Harris, especially the comment about young girls watching. And Biden is a known quantity, and a good one. You can imagine the whole of Canada, with few exceptions, breathing a sigh of relief.
Maybe it is a silly comment to say that Trump has no manners, but his refusal to concede is such a prime example. Why do so many people, and not just Americans, approve that? Ugh.
Mary G--I do hope the Canadians (My Best Friends!) are relieved and happy. Certainly PM Trudeau and President Biden are friends already and have a common diplomatic language. I know the rest of the world is thrilled.
DeleteIt's a huge inspiration for young girls, and to say that it's enormous for young girls of colour is not an understatment. Once Kamala Harris is VP and begins to be more visible in her role, she will show them that it's not unheard of for a woman of colour to be VP. It's already happened. So many powerful occupations will seem attainable at that point in so many fields.
I don't think it's a silly comment to remark on 45*'s lack of basic etiquette. He has no sense of propriety, period. He probably feels as if his money buys him the special privilege of not having to observe any social norms. And attaining the presidency reinforced that and made it worse; now he has two reasons not to be socially acceptable. Look how far he got being an objectionable pig, so why change now?
Many Americans mistakenly see him as "authentic" and "just like them." These people have no respect for higher institutions or titles or authority. They want a president that is just like them instead of a president who is brilliant, well-read, intellectual, and diplomatic. I understand that they are tired of politicians speaking out of both sides of their mouths and trying to please everyone by saying nothing at all, but having a crass moron is not the answer.
The question is ... why no respect for people in authority? I, for one, admired Obama for his intellect and for his ethics and basic humanity. And Michelle Obama, ditto, in spades. Yet she got called " an ape in heels" and one of our more prolific commentators felt free to be funny about the size of her butt. If I could put it down to sheer jealousy, it would be easier to understand. But it is nastier than that. Trump is a petulant child, in my view, but given his vote count, he has a lot of folk like him.
DeleteMary--They have no respect for authority because they think no one is better or more anything than they are. They think authority is "bullshit" and posturing. A lot of this is driven by being able to go on the Internet and have a huge audience. And they can, on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram, speak directly to the celebrities themselves. They feel even more equal. They can go to the store in their pajamas, to the restaurant in their ballcaps and dirty jeans and sneakers, and to church in flipflops and shorts. They love being called deplorable and revel in their trashiness. That a president of the United States name-calls and acts trashy and crass and eats fast food makes them feel better and good about themselves. It validates their actions, their lifestyle, and their low moral character and selfishness. And yes, sadly, there are far too many like him.
DeleteHe will sneak out unseen like a slithering snake that he is.
ReplyDeleteIm so Happy about Biden/Harris
kathy b--I wonder if you're right. He's such an attention hog and so cantankerous. Yet, he hates being a loser. Interesting to think about.
DeleteAmen! I'm guessing it will be a "show" until January, but yes, breathing easier for sure.
ReplyDeleteVera--And can I get a hallelujah!? LOL
DeleteI agree; there will be quite a few acts to his show.
I don't like whiners, so tRump's immature tactics won't work with me. As for his followers, like you said: "It Just Doesn't Matter." They are either greedy or amoral or stupid, and as such I've no more interest in their grievances. Moving on
ReplyDeleteAlly--WELL SAID!
DeleteIgnoring the boors is a good tactic.
As I read somewhere else, ‘Trump is raising money now to pay off his campaign debt, and because of his ego and his general shitty disposition, he wants to burn the place down on his way out. Failing that, he will steal the copper wiring out of the walls.’
ReplyDeleteHe is loathsome and disgusting, and these last days may be the most dangerous of his presidency. I hope not. I found myself wishing we had a system like in the UK, and Biden/Harris would just start tomorrow.
It has been lovely to breathe and unclench everything that has been clenched so tightly for the last 4 years, I’m grateful for that.
Having met you in person once, I cannot decide on your best physical feature. You have lovely eyes, hair, smile, skin, figure, you have it all.
J--My goodness. You are the kindest friend. Thank you for your generous assessment of my appearance. I would say the selfsame thing about you.
DeleteI was hoping that 45* would simply walk away like a Sore Loser and figure, "Okay. They don't want me, so I'll just go and leave them the mess they inherited." That way, Biden/Harris can step in and start working. Your scenario, however, is likely because he is so deeply in debt and his cult is so perverse. Rick is concerned about any damage he can cause in these waning days. I am hopeful that there will be some curb somewhere to prevent it.
My best feature used to be my small waist, but that's just a twenties thing to be proud of. Now I'm just happy that I HAVE a waist! Ha!
ReplyDeleteI was in happy tears most of Saturday. I do still have a lot of anxiety & will until January. For example, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the ACA today & since Mike has "Obamacare" I'm pretty worried about that outcome. And Trump has already started creating more chaos. But at least I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Maybe I'll be so busy trying to have socially distant holidays that these next couple of months will fly by.
Bug--You do! You do have a waist, and I'm impressed at your progress with your weight loss journey.
DeleteI know the ACA is before the Supreme Court, and I have such concerns there. Here in the Cleveland metro area, it will have a catastrophic impact if it is ruled null and void. This is where the idiots who supported 45* will have a huge disconnect. Many of them are on Obamacare and don't know that the ACA and Obamacare are one and the same. The same way that they cry out against Socialism, yet would never, ever give up their Social Security or their Medicare.
Fox News and the OAN need to be declared domestic terrorist organizations. That is what they are.
We're trying to figure out Thanksgiving here too. It's so difficult.
My sentiments to the letter. I literally burst into tears when Biden was declared the winner. It felt like (and still feels like) a four-year iron curtain of oppression has been lifted. And you're so right about The Whiner-in-Chief. I saw an interview with his niece last night and she said, predictably, that "Donald cannot accept loss... he will create as much chaos and disruption as he possibly can in the next two months." But that's to be expected. I, too, would love to see him carried out of the White House kicking and screaming. And as I saw recently in a popular meme: Mexico will pay for the movers!
ReplyDeleteBiden and Harris have inherited one of the most challenging mandates in our nation's history. And it will be a rocky road just dealing with all the angry, disgruntled Trumpsters. For now, however, I prefer to bask in the election results that restored my faith in what is possible when we all bother to vote. The fact that we pulled this off in the middle of a raging pandemic is all the more amazing. I am so grateful that I got to see it.
—Sidebar: Sorry for not commenting lately. It's been a little traumatic at Casa Ortiz. I went to the ER just before election day: slipped on some water I didn't see, fell backward, and fractured one of my top vertebrae. I'm OK, thankfully, but wearing a neck brace 24-7 for several weeks and it's a bit wearying. (Is that a word? If it isn't, it should be, lol.)
Ortizzle--Oh, my dear friend! What a terrible accident! I'm so, so sorry to hear this news. Any fall is jarring, but falling backward is particularly so. I can't imagine your fear and your pain. I'm glad to hear you're okay, but goodness! And no apologies necessary for not commenting.
DeleteI, too, have concerns about his post-election disruption. He does have quite a bit of intel and despite not reading or paying attention to briefings, he still has some knowledge that is highly sensitive. He'll think nothing of using it or teasing it to cause chaos. But I'm allowing myself Basking Time, too. Heaven knows we need and have earned it.
Take good care of yourself, my friend.
I just want him and his whole administration gone! Jan. 20th will not come soon enough! He can have his supporters march but it won't change the results. We marched in 2016 and he still took office! (I still have my pussy hat!)
ReplyDeleteEllen D--I want him gone AND silent.
DeleteFunny how the shoe is on the other foot now, isn't it? (Or the hat is on the other head?) I'm sure they won't like it any better, but they have absolutely zero right to be protesting. Their arguments are as empty as their heads.
"I can't wait fast enough" ... Oh, my goodness, isn't that the truth? I cheered, cried, worried about the coup attempt (authoritarianism experts says we should not dismiss this concern and hey, look at how much has happened the last 4 years), relaxed again, and then got worried again. I won't truly breathe easy until he is gone, gone. And I will try to put all the articles that say the next authoritarian Republican running for POTUS will be far more savvy and that is far more worrisome. Fear is not a good thing to live with. I'm ready to be mostly done with it for a while.
ReplyDeleteShirley--I love that saying.
DeleteI've listened to and read the opinions about how much the current republican base love authoritarianism. No kidding! And they protest about mask-wearing being an infringement on their Constitutional rights. Sigh. IDIOTS.
I'm taking this victory and relaxing and rejoicing with it for a while. I deserve to. President Joe Biden. This sounds so good to me.
President Joe Biden does sound wonderful. I relax more every time I hear him speak.
Delete