Standing on a narrow outcropping of cliff, gazing into an ocean so calm and clear that every barnacle on a baby grey whale was visible 60 yards below, I reached for my missing phone.
A very helpful piece. Yes, I am unmotivated. Yes, too much seems overwhelming and going the wrong way. Yes, we seem to be missing worthwhile leadership when the need is close to desperate. Yes, two young male members of my extended family have met harm recently. One stabbed in his own front yard after asking an 18 yr old neighbor again to please stop racing 4 wheelers with his friends over a gravel drive he maintains. Thank God for Medical Evacuation to the Trauma Center. But 2 nieces 11 and 17 must deal with this happening and now the parents have concern for the security of their daughters. Two, my Grandson-in-Law, an attorney traveling for business had his car broken into while he dined at a restaurant on the way home. Baggage, work computer, and a weapon he is licensed for concealed carry were stolen along with property of several other diners. I am 83, never had a crime committed against a family member (that I knew about). The world is disarming every day. National and International News must be avoided or questioned to determine if it is propaganda or truth we should fear very seriously, or a situation not being taken seriously enough. Now, I can begin to understand why older people stay in and stop being involved. Thank you, I am inspired to do something I have put off for a while. That is progress.
I'm so sorry to hear about your family's travails. My family experienced thefts when I was young, but I think the kind of violence you describe in one's front yard feels new. I don't remember people throwing rocks off overpasses, or driving cars through crowds, and certainly the mass shootings are a largely modern phenomenon.
I take some hope in the way the open violence against protesters largely ended when Trump left office and the DOJ started prosecuting Proud Boys and so forth. Our public actions CAN affect the amount of violence on our streets.
Our actions do matter.
I hope you find that the thing you've been putting off wasn't too hard, and did some good for someone.
Get up and do something is wise advice. Vacuuming almost always works. Much of the bad news we hear IS propaganda: if it bleeds, it leads, by economic necessity.
A very helpful piece. Yes, I am unmotivated. Yes, too much seems overwhelming and going the wrong way. Yes, we seem to be missing worthwhile leadership when the need is close to desperate. Yes, two young male members of my extended family have met harm recently. One stabbed in his own front yard after asking an 18 yr old neighbor again to please stop racing 4 wheelers with his friends over a gravel drive he maintains. Thank God for Medical Evacuation to the Trauma Center. But 2 nieces 11 and 17 must deal with this happening and now the parents have concern for the security of their daughters. Two, my Grandson-in-Law, an attorney traveling for business had his car broken into while he dined at a restaurant on the way home. Baggage, work computer, and a weapon he is licensed for concealed carry were stolen along with property of several other diners. I am 83, never had a crime committed against a family member (that I knew about). The world is disarming every day. National and International News must be avoided or questioned to determine if it is propaganda or truth we should fear very seriously, or a situation not being taken seriously enough. Now, I can begin to understand why older people stay in and stop being involved. Thank you, I am inspired to do something I have put off for a while. That is progress.
I'm so sorry to hear about your family's travails. My family experienced thefts when I was young, but I think the kind of violence you describe in one's front yard feels new. I don't remember people throwing rocks off overpasses, or driving cars through crowds, and certainly the mass shootings are a largely modern phenomenon.
I take some hope in the way the open violence against protesters largely ended when Trump left office and the DOJ started prosecuting Proud Boys and so forth. Our public actions CAN affect the amount of violence on our streets.
Our actions do matter.
I hope you find that the thing you've been putting off wasn't too hard, and did some good for someone.
Get up and do something is wise advice. Vacuuming almost always works. Much of the bad news we hear IS propaganda: if it bleeds, it leads, by economic necessity.