When What People Said Meant Something

I've tried not to hash out my true feelings about the current state of American politics when friends and family are around, because it has just become so unpleasant!  But current events over the past month have pushed me over the edge. I've never been more embarrassed to be an American, and I have been longing for the days when anything expressed on a national platform actually meant something. 

Remember when?

• Leaders had to have integrity and accomplished careers to earn the respect of people they needed to elect them
• 'Family Values' included respect and support for your partner and all of your children
• Meeting, or hearing a speech by, or working for the White House was an honor a select few people got to receive on an annual basis
• Legislation used to be researched, discussed, vetted, tested, re-written, and reviewed again; and citizens had the opportunity to weigh in by sharing their feedback with their representatives, and those representatives had the opportunity to submit amendments, based on that feedback

When did it become acceptable for anyone - let alone someone holding prominent decision-making abilities - to use slang anatomical terms on national media, so vulgar that broadcasts replaying the quotes have to censor them?  I refuse to accept this behavior as 'normal.'

When did we become so attention-deficit that announcements and opinions shared in the incomplete sentences of a 140-character tweet are guiding government policy?  I expect my legislators to represent their constituents, research effective policies, and communicate professionally to defend their decisions.

I understand that politics includes making "promises" during the campaign that aren't always feasible to keep once installed.  However, I am disappointed in all of the people I hear continuing to support politicians who made bold statements and commitments to electors during an extended campaign, and reversed course once they have had the ability to drive those changes.  The leaders I support stand behind their commitments, even when it means explaining why they couldn't accomplish something they were trying to.  Whether you accomplish it or not, if you claim to believe in something, those beliefs shouldn't change when you are actually installed.

When did it become tolerable for leaders to change their story every day until it's nothing like their original statement?  I refuse to normalize the lack of accountability our leaders have for the things they say, on or off the record.

When did it become possible for government employees to continue to add pages to their federal disclosure documents as their past actions are revealed to the public, simply because they didn't realize that "comprehensive" actually means "everything?"  When the rules bend for some, there is no way to hold them fast for anyone in the future.

When did we begin to accept that government employees in public service positions can garner additional profits by directing government business through their personal enterprises - including money from foreign governments?  I prefer that my tax dollars do not end up in the hands and pockets of manipulative corporations, especially when the owners have allegedly committed to serve our country.

When did it become acceptable for our commander in chief to condone brutality by law enforcement agents?  I expect the leaders of our country to work towards equal rights, equal opportunities, and justice for all citizens.  There is no place for violent behavior in a system with the primary goal of keeping peace in a civilized society.

When did empty threats spread over social media become newsworthy?  I cannot listen to any more media correspondents read and discus social media posts as if they had personally interviewed the source.  To maintain any level of integrity, facts should be verified by multiple sources before they are broadcast.  Anyone can post anything on the internet; that does not make it true.

When did bribery become a common and legal component of our political system?  A true democracy would not be controlled by financial contributions, which purchase the opinions and votes of our representatives, senators, and governors.

When did destroying the world around us become common practice?  In less than a decade, our planet will not have the ability to produce enough food to sustain the projected population.  We should be working together to ensure the future of our species, but we seem to be vying for the most efficient depletion of natural resources possible.

How many more people have to suffer or sacrifice their personal liberties before we can offer equal opportunities to all people, regardless of gender, race, religion, economic background, or how you choose to define your family unit?  How far do we have to lower our standards to be able to elect officials who live with integrity and abide by ethical morals? What will it take to get back to an America where I can be a patriotic citizen again? 

I refuse to accept our current state of disarray as the new normal.  Even though it may take years to sort through the mess our society has created, I do believe that we have the potential to find a way out of the darkness.  We are all in this together, for better or worse, and I choose to believe the future will be better.

So Fresh and So Clean Clean

After a high-intensity spring filled to capacity with fundraisers, conferences, and award ceremonies, June ended up consumed by personal trips.  We spent a long weekend in New York City.  Sound Circle ventured to the Western Slope to perform, and spent a few days recording in the Rangely Tank.  Then we joined a family reunion on the Beaches of 30A in Florida.  Needless to say, by the end of the month the yard was looking rather unkempt and the house was much more cluttered than it's been in a while!

The first Friday we were both home again, a cleaning frenzy unlike I have ever experienced was sparked!  After an hour-long search for something I should have been able to immediately put my hands on, I was frustrated at my lack of organization, disgusted by the clumps of golden retriever hair that wafted around with everything I moved, and amazed at how much stuff had collected on all of our horizontal surfaces. 

Brian had an emergency at the office and had to go in that Saturday.  On top of having to work all day, the poor guy had to be at his desk by 6am!  Trying to be supportive, I rolled out of bed when he got up to shower, and made coffee.  Initially I was thrilled at the prospect having the house to myself to work some and relax, but as I was lounging in bed after he left, my brain wouldn't stop thinking about all of the work that needed to be done.  I wanted to organize the storage closet in my office, and sort through the piles of mail that had collected on the kitchen island over the past month.  There was lots of laundry to do, and all of our packing and un-packing had created a pile of half-used toiletries on the bathroom counter.  It didn't take long for me to get out of bed and make a tour of our main floor, mentally listing all of the areas that desperately needed attention.  A lot of attention!  

I wish I could re-create the angst that inspired such a burst of energy, because I don't remember the last time I was so productive.  I cleared off every surface and loaded the dining room table with the piles that needed to be sorted.  I started the laundry, deep cleaned the kitchen and all of the bathrooms, swept and vacuumed the whole house, and refreshed all of the sheets and linens. 

At some point during the day, I realized that since the yard is usually his domain, when Brian got home he'd feel obligated to mow the lawn and fix up at least the front yard.  But who wants to deal with that after a full day of problem-solving?  With Bosco's supervision, I trimmed a bunch of low-hanging branches and cut back our aggressive bushes, dead-headed the faded iris, and pulled all of the thistles and milkweed I could get my hands on.  The mower cooperated and I got the entire yard cut, and scrubbed the sap off the deck furniture. Between the weeds, all of the dead pine needles piled on the deck, and the shredded pine cone bits our charming squirrels insist on dropping in the back yard, I filled both of our trash bins with yard debris.  By the time Brian got home, I was giving Bosco a bath, in hopes of extending the pleasure of the clean house and neat yard.  

It was a whirlwind of stuff.  And dirt(really grimy dirt).  And no writing or goal-setting or daydreaming.  And oh, was I sore for a couple of days.  But Sunday was pure bliss!  Sleeping in, with fresh sheets and a soft fluffy pup.  Waking up to a clutter-free truly clean house with no chores left to do.  We both got to relax and enjoy our little sanctuary for the rest of the weekend!

All this week I've felt organized, more productive, and and more motivated to keep things from collecting like that.  Something I hope to remember in the future every time I am inclined to put off something menial - chores/responsibilities/work tasks only get bigger and more complicated the longer you procrastinate them! 

Please Don't Wake Me Now

My alarm went off five minutes earlier than my husband's this morning. Some days I hit snooze and doze until his alarm goes off, but not this morning.

I got up, started a pot of coffee, and did some morning affirmations before 30 minutes of yoga. While he was in the shower, I spent fifteen minutes triaging my email to check for any surprises, and then put myself together for the day. With him out the door, I got on a conference call, and then spent a half hour following up on client task work. I took a break early on to drive my mom to a medical appointment, swung by the post office to ship a gift to a friend, go to the bank, and stop at the grocery store. I returned home just in time for another work-related call, got the roast for dinner seared/seasoned/started in the crock pot, and then made myself lunch. My afternoon was full of client work, and I also did a consultation with a local non-profit coordinating an awareness walk in the spring. I signed off at 6pm and went to rehearsal, where I spent two and a half hours on stage, preparing for our upcoming concert and discussing our trepidation about the current state of the country. I returned home around 9:15 to find my husband on his computer, so I made a salad, steamed some fresh broccoli, and sat down to eat dinner around 9:45.

 "How was your day?" he asked, as he sat down next to me. It wasn't particularly a good day...there were a lot of miscellaneous things to do, and I didn't feel very focused. "It wasn't a bad day," I shrugged, contemplating all of the unfinished items on my to-do list and unsure how I really felt. "How was your day?" After a heavy sigh, he replied, "Today was a really long day."

He doesn't have a trivial job and I know he works hard. Lots of important people report to him, and he reports to other important people, and there is always tension between time spent in meetings and time actually doing the tasks assigned in meetings. But comparatively, he drove to work, went out to lunch, worked all afternoon and came home, where I assume he just worked some more. I got to exercise, eat healthy food I made myself, run personal errands, help out a family member, volunteer time to a local charity, and put in 6 hours of contracted work for clients I love. I also spent fulfilling time engaged with activist sisters making art to improve our community, and cooked a wholesome meal for my partner.

How was my day? I was a serious bad-ass today, and I am literally living the dream!