Attention Must Be Paid

The DEVIL is in the DETAILS . . .

And I do mean devil. Having been trained and then functioned as a Title Searcher for the past 40 years, I am accustomed to paying attention to the smallest details. And having also been a proofreader/copy editor before that, I am particularly attuned to the written word. So I am aghast at the Thanksgiving message posted to the Nation by the never-fit-for-public-office former President. Since the words appeared on his own social media site perhaps most of us were thankfully spared. However, it is important that you know its contents. Several other savvy people have reposted it so the words are available for scrutiny. I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU HOLD YOUR NOSE AND READ EVERY WORD.

And along those same lines, I happened across a video by the former Fox host now potential vice-presidential nominee, again on a channel of his own invention so perhaps not widely seen. In this speech, he tells his audience that he has been lying to them for years—but of course no longer does. He then describes how everyone should go with their gut in making political decisions because your gut is never wrong. I managed to stomach about ten minutes of this drivel before having to turn it off. Perhaps I will go back and watch a bit more with my notepad and pen in hand to keep track of the absurdities.

A bright note on Thanksgiving Day was a wonderful column by Jackie Calmes (love that last name) for the Los Angeles Times, reprinted in my local paper. The headline is “Let Trump’s ‘best people’ do the arguing with your MAGA uncle today.” As the story notes, “No president in U.S. history has been so damned by so many who were part of the inner circle.” The article gives a taste of the many high-ranking officials who have now spoken out about their time with that administration. Many of them are terrified of a return. Please read this article for yourselves, even if you have no close relatives who have been brainwashed. The talking points will be useful for everyone in the coming year.

Some final thoughts on the importance of taking things one day at a time. A very dear friend is recovering from a second occurrence of lung cancer, while another is going to have a brain tumor removed tomorrow. Neither of these occurrences was anticipated and each was found rather serendipitously from other issues which arose. Taking things as they come is by far the best way to progress through life.

HOWEVER, in certain circumstances we must project the warnings that are loud and clear into the future. The time is now to stop this drift towards an authoritarian leader. We grown ups don’t need to be told what to do; we need instead a kind and compassionate leader to take the reins and help guide us as we form a more perfect union.

P.S. Latest book I’m reading is DIFFICULT WOMEN by Helen Lewis.