Can you feel it? The stress. The anxiety. The utter crabbiness of a nation. Can you feel it? Can you feel our foundations crumbling? Okay. STOP. Stop right where you are right now and take a breath. Turn off the news, and the radio and all the other outside 'noise' and just STOP. This American, this Being on Planet Earth has a very important announcement. And it's a far cry from the Doomsday reports you've been hearing in recent days.
If you're still reading this, I'm going to make a very happy assumption (which is rare, since I always have that little thing in my head that says "assume: makes an ass of u and me"...but that's for another day....) The happy assumption I'm going to make is that you are actually hopeful. You have that little glimmer of optimism fighting to access oxygen and turn the glimmer to a flame. And, perhaps, you're one of those people who actually believe that all this insanity is for good cause. Perhaps not. Either way, I'll take my stand and offer it up like the powerful Being that I am...like we ALL are.
Here goes....
Just yesterday, after writing a piece about anger and it's affect on our well-Being, I had to run a very quick errand to the post office. I live in a pretty rural setting, but not far from 'the big city' (that would be San Diego City). I don't often travel there, unless I must. More often I can be found in my wonderful little 'west wing', just north of the city and just south of L.A. So, going to the post office or the market is a little treat, most times. Very little traffic, very few nasty encounters, a LOT of mostly friendly folk who smile at you for no reason other than to acknowledge your passing...it's just how folks are around these parts. Which is why I live here. Don't much care for all the hustle and fear that's found in the 'big city'. Been there. Done that. Nothankyouverymuch.
So, I'm off on my little errand and it's about 104 degrees (no kidding!) and I'm sitting in a queue because of some pipe work that's being done on the main road to anywhere. I have my BuddyDawg with me, riding shotgun and grinnin' his way up the road. I have the tunes blasting (country music, of course...is there any other kind?) and I'm waiting for the road worker to give us the go-ahead. As I'm sitting there, sweating in the sweltering heat, I remember how so many folks are merely trying to survive the latest hurricane. I say a prayer of thanks and send one out to bless them to safety. I smile at the thought of my prayer traveling all the way to 'there', all the while ignoring the wetness that's spreading down the sides of my tee-shirt. I'm in my happy zone.
Finally, the road worker gives us the 'slow' sign and the queue begins to move.. I travel about 50 feet when I hear this obnoxious honking from 3 cars back. Apparently, whomever is in this car (which happens to be one of those monster SUVs....and she's traveling alone!) seems to think that her honking is going to make this procession move more quickly. I look in my side mirror to see her faliling her arms furiously, screaming god-knows-what out her window. She is very agitated. I silently send her a thought: "I wish you peace". And I continue down the road to our quaint little post office.
When I enter the tiny building, the rush of air is a blast of cool. Ahhhhhhhh....a moment of refreshment. Another prayer of thanks flashes through my brain. I walk through the foyer and take my place in line. There are 4 people in front of me. I have 2 small packages to mail, already labeled and ready for the scales. I smile at the person in front of me when she turns to see who it is that just came up behind her. She scowls. I say another silent prayer; "I wish you peace". I don't expect anything at all. I just say my little prayer and wait. As I'm standing there in the queue, I watch the interactions of the customers and the postal workers as they run through their motions. It's at this moment that I feel it. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is edgy, snippety, ready to snap. It's so thick, I can almost see it. Even the postal clerks, who are normally so pleasant, are on edge. The woman who steps up to the counter just as I take my place in line is giving the clerk a whole lotta grief about the box she's chosen to re-use. The clerk is trying, in vain, to explain what the policy is. The woman is NOT having it. The clerk uses every ounce of patience (I can feel that too), repeating U.S. Postal Policy. Still, the woman argues. I'm standing there, watching this drama unfold, when the woman's little girl comes running up to her mom and exclaims, "MOM! Look at this! We can have our very own stamps with our very own pictures on them!!!" The mom is not impressed. She's far too busy growing her angst.
Right next to her is another customer who wants to know 'why in the hell it costs so much to mail a damn resume". She's enraged over the cost, being as how the last time she sent 'this very same resume' mere months ago, it cost half as much. Livid is an understatement.. The lady is about to lose her mind.
All the while I'm watching this, I can't help but realize that just a week ago, everyone was calm. There were no outbursts of anger or accusations or caustic interactions. Sure, people were a bit 'testy'. But nothing like this. There was an angst that was so heavy it was almost painful. What happened? Why was everyone so freaked out? What did I miss?
Turns out that the whole multi-billion dollar bailout is a bit more than folks can bear. Turns out that everyone is suddenly aware of the fact that our nation, as we know it, is crumbling. Turns out...even the 'rich folk' are feelin' the heat. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe I should pay a little more attention? (Or not.)
Here's what I'm thinking...I'm thinking that all of what's going on is not 'new'. This has been happening for a long time (oh, let's say about the last E-I-G-H-T years???). Now, the old proverbial poop is hitting the fan. And we're surprised? Where have we been? On Mars? I think not. I think the American people have been numbly walking through their pretty little lives, trusting that we're impervious. Trusting that America will NEVER fall. Trusting that the people WE put in office are going to handle it. You know what? It just ain't so. And it's high time every single American with even half a brain get off their lazy butts and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. The people in office are there because we put them there . They're not serving? Boot their butts OUT. Enough already. What are we, STUPID? Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......(again).
No. We're not stupid. Merely complacent. Which is even more dangerous. This nation was BUILT by anarchists, tired of being told what to do, how to do it and not having a voice with which to exercise any sembalnce of freedom. I'm betting it's been a very, very , very long time since any of us have read the Declaration of Independence. So, pull it up on the net. Have a read. Remember how, why and what this country was built on. Let's all get off our fat, lazy behinds and DO SOMETHING TO AFFECT CHANGE. This is our right. This is why young men and women are dying in the name of 'freedom'. This is why we are America. What are YOU prepared to do?
» left by sue thom from nj (67 days 13 hours ago.)
hi camille,
i loved the way you worded this article. it was fun, yet about a serious thing, ya know what i mean? i am hopeful that God has His hand in this election, and for all of His children's benefit, He will allow the best qualified to serve and make the changes we so desperately need, health care being number one, and social security number 2.
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