This has been an interesting week. So many different things have happened or crossed my mind and I just want to share a few of them.
I'll first open with a Dear Abby column:
Dear Abby,
My husband is a liar and a cheat. He has cheated on me from the beginning and, when I confront him, he denies everything. What's worse, everyone knows that he cheats on me. It is so humiliating.
Also, since he lost his job six years ago, he hasn't even looked for a new one. All he does all day is smoke cigars, cruise around and shoot the bull with his buddies, while I have to work to pay the bills.
Since our daughter went away to college he doesn't even pretend to like me, and even hints that I may be a lesbian. What should I do?
Signed: Clueless
***
Dear Clueless:
Grow up and dump him. Good grief woman! You don't need him anymore! You're a senator from New York running for President of the United States. Act like one.
Oh, didn't see that one coming, did you? I thought it was hilarious.
On a more serious note, I also read a column of sorts written by the uncle of a lady I work with. This man, well into his 70s, is a political primary groupie, if you will. For the 2000 and 2004, and now for this year's, primary, he has traveled to New Hampshire in an attempt to actually meet and listen to each candidate, republican or democrat, and then make his decision on who to vote for based on these personal encounters. He described each crowd, each handshake, each comment. It was truly fascinating to me that someone from Tennessee would travel all the way to New Hampshire and listen to each candidate, making an educated, possibly uninfluenced (by the media) decision based on experience. Why don't we all do that? We rely on the media, which is completely biased in their reporting. I know I'm old school, but one of the biggest reasons I left newspaper was because I realized they are just a business, completely run by "the man" and not out on the mission of letting the reader decide any longer. But that's another post for another day...
But this year's primary has seemed to me like no other. Maybe it's just that I'm truly an adult now and I realize what is important and that I'm tired of a president who can't even give a speech without stumbling over it. But a few of the candidates seem to really have a solid foundation of intellectual thought behind their platforms. I have actually had kind of a random thought though. A few weeks ago, Chris and I were watching a PBS special on the assassination of John F. Kennedy and it occurred to me that we could possibly see such a scary scene again. I certainly hope not, but has anyone else realized that either a black man or a woman being elected president could equal a death trap. I'm sure these two candidates have considered this and are willing to take the risk. After all, it is a risk to be the president of this country every day, but with society still struggling with the acceptance of "minorities," I'm concerned.
Also on my list of random for the week: my mom has gone in with my sister and her husband to buy a time share. Yep, that's right girls and boys. A woman who "retired early" and just turned 62 years old, living on a social security income, is helping to pay for a time share that she will most likely never use. There's even more "what the..." involved in this, but I just can't go into it. When I called my brother and told him about it, his comment was this: "You know, I'm not trying to brag or anything, but I made over $60,000 this year and I would NOT buy a time share." Yeah, my sentiments exactly! I just can't care anymore, you know!
More randomness: Jewels, the new puppy, is doing pretty well. At first, Chris and I were seriously wondering if we had made the right decision. She has been more of a handful in the training area. She only peed twice the first week and hasn't had any other accidents like that so far (although she threw up for no apparent reason Saturday or Sunday), but her behavior has been crazy. She's pretty spastic and doesn't really pay attention to you when you are talking to her. But she seems to be starting to come around. We are planning to go to Chris' dad's house next weekend and will take Sadie but Jewels is going to stay home and be checked on by some students that have started a little dog-care business. I hate to leave her, but she is just not where she needs to be behavior-wise to be taking to someone else's house. We are taking both of them to St. George Island with us in May though, so hopefully she'll be ready!
Otherwise, Chris and I are going to the Derek Webb concert tonight, and I'm pumped. Plus, my brother and his awesome wife and little girl are coming to visit tomorrow, and I'm pretty pumped about that, too. One more bit of randomness, which I already noted on someone else's blog: I miss the Super Bowl gathering at the Johnston house. That needs to come back. Just sayin'...
About Me
- Meaghan
- Rome, Georgia, United States
- Apparently, I'm mean at first! Keep reading and have your own impression.
9 comments:
I should really comment on the political commentary but I'd rather just say that I am completely jealous about St. George Island! That is my family's vacation spot - I went there every summer from the age of 3 until I was 17 or 18. IT IS WONDERFUL!!
I really don't think you're going to make any better decisions from meeting the politician in person than you are from the media. The politician is even more blatantly biased than the media is (and most of what is confused as bias in the news is actually laziness on the part of the reporters for fear of losing access. They just don't dig for information like they should.) Plus, there's no way you're going to get the face time to actually get a true feel for each person, unless you believe in being able to know the character of a person from seeing them in person, which I just can't buy.
I miss those parties too. I'm actually having some beer geek friends from Brunswick over tomorrow for dinner and beer geekery for my birthday, but I can't really do anything for the Super Bowl because it's on Sunday. We all have to work the next day and I don't really have many local friends. I may invite one of my old high school buddies over, though. Of course, that means I'll actually watch it this year.
I'm sorry, but the idea that having a woman or a black guy as president equals a "death trap" is ridiculous. I actually know someone who will not vote for either one because he says he doesn't want to sign their death warrant. Every president, every public figure, and hell, every person, runs the risk of being killed every time they walk outside. At any given time, there are hundreds if not thousands of people who would assassinate the president just to make a statement. The risk is no greater for Obama or Clinton. The motives may be different, but their lives are not more endangered than Romney's or McCain's.
Three presidents have been assassinated before, and guess what? They were all white dudes.
Geez Courtney! I didn't mean to offend you so. I'm just saying that I feel like it's more likely for a really stupid person who doesn't see a woman or a black guy as equal is more likely to own a rifle and do something with it. I could be completely wrong. And just so you know, I have already voted for Obama. I would not let something that is merely a possibility ruin such an important decision.
I know that the other presidents were white, and you are completely right. It could happen to a white man just as much as it could either of them.
Well, "death trap" is a strong choice of words, but I certainly see Meaghan's point. The country's got a lot of whack-job skinheads left in it, and I suspect most of them own guns that they know full well how to use.
Of course all the previously assassinated presidents were white dudes. All the previous presidents were white dudes. Maybe Clinton's or Obama's risk wouldn't be any greater. I hope Courtney is right, but I'm sure the thought has crossed those candidates' minds as well. But yes, I voted for Obama too. I'm not that worried about it.
Oops. That last comment from "Meaghan" was actually from Chris. Forgot to log her out.
Meaghan, I guess you didn't make it clear enough in your post that you would never let a rationale such as you stated keep you from voting for a candidate.
I think the point Courtney was making (and certainly doesn't need me to reitterate) is that sure, maybe a minority or woman president would attract the ire of certain hateful people. And Martin Luther King (and Jesus, for that matter) could have figured the same thing and stayed home and kept their mouths shut, too. Then where would we be?
Sorry, Meaghan, I didn't mean to sound so stern. Mickey's right, that is what I was trying to say (and failed miserably, apparently.) I absolutely see your point, but I just think the idea of Black Guy Or Woman In Power Equals Death is a little far-fetched. For one thing, I know it seems like we're a nation of racists sometimes, but the number of people who would want to assassinate someone based solely on their sex or skin color is probably pretty small. And the number who could actually pull it off is even smaller. I imagine it's really hard to actually shoot the president.
(Anyone else get the feeling we're all being put on an FBI watch list for having this conversation?)
Yeah, I was kind of wondering that, too, Courtney!
Dear FBI: Please don't hurt us. We are just a bunch of 20-somethings with nothing to and like to discuss lots of topics. Please see my post devoted to my dog as a true sign of my character!
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