Patience is a Virtue

SELDOM FOUND

I hope you know that the “seldom found” part of this post is what is important. Personally, I find myself getting impatient with the 4-rev cycle of my electric toothbrush. I had actually stopped using it for a while, but since grand baby now has lots of teeth I figured I should be an appropriate role model in the brushing department. Not that we are together for the procedure, but I am not one to lie about things. So I think of baby as I routinely spend what I consider too much time on that chore.

And now on to the important things. We are all being bombarded by the long-standing plot to take over our lives. Project 2025 was in the works for much of the time between Reagan and the golden staircase descender. As I shared before, I am now reading the book about the selling of Clarence Thomas to the American people, and I am learning so much about how the backrooms of political intrigue operate. This history precedes the latest useful idiot that the extreme right-wing ideologues have propped up to assist them in their radical reshaping of modern society. Did you know that Clarence was not endorsed by many black organizations because he opposed affirmative action? I hope many of you remember Anita Hill (no relation to me although I would be proud to claim her) who is still alive, by the way. The behind-the-scenes campaign to bolster Clarence and discredit Anita is awful to read about. And the rise of the Christian Nationalists is clearly evident in this history.

At the time, I was busy working and mothering, but I did manage to watch a bit of the hearing. I hadn't realized that a bunch of Democrats were needed to vote for him and that’s how he got appointed. And ever since then, Clarence has basically kept his mouth shut and voted for whatever his backers wanted. I am going to finish this book because I am fascinated that some of the names I’m reading I now see here on Substack. I think quite a few people have had that come to you-know-who moment and regret their previous political shenanigans. Anyway, enough about self-serving suck-ups.

I’m writing this on a Sunday morning when it might be nice to have a community of like-minded souls to convene with. But somehow religion and I have never bonded. And from reading the abominable message from some of the so-called Christians who have seized power, their god is not someone I would want to emulate. In fact, almost every organized religion as such is problematic for me because so many of them denigrate women.

And to continue on this theme of patience, a lot of us are anxiously awaiting our Social Security checks (or electronic deposits as the money is now delivered). A friend usually gets hers on the third Wednesday of each month so I’m awaiting news that it arrived. My deposit arrives the first of the month, and so far so good for February. Who knows going forward though. And that, my dears, is the crux of this whole damn shock and awe crap. We are all in a dither! Even if the idea were to cut fraud, waste, and abuse, this was hardly the way to go about it. I have worked at enough different levels of government to know that things take time. I have also worked at a number of defense contractors, and in fact was a Contract Administrator at one of them. I remember specifically handling what were called CPFF or cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts. Now how on earth could one of the biggest receivers of government largesse possibly lead this smash and grab kindergarten free for all. It is absolutely insane to operate a government by, of and for the people as a private company which can just re-tool quickly and manufacture another rocket to replace the one so gratuitously exploded as a learning experiment.

Oh dear. I am definitely getting my knickers in a twist this morning, and obviously it will not end well. So now I will take that deep breath which always helps and wrap up this morning’s diatribe with a more positive thought.

It seems to me that perhaps the insanity that MTV has wrought can be the catalyst for an even more determined resistance. (I just realized that calling them that might be confusing—you know I mean Musk, Trump, Vance—not the beloved music station.) And speaking of music Thursday was the passing of Jerry Butler at 85 (RIP) who among many other great hits wrote and performed “Only the Strong Survive” and also served as a County Commissioner in Cook County Illinois, for many years. So I would urge all the kind and compassionate people who outnumber the bullies to take heart. As the wonderful government programs that keep many people going begin to be affected, I believe that the blame will fall where it rightly should. I hope that many disaffected Republicans will join with the rest of us and right the ship. Europe is aghast. Russia is overjoyed. And China is just waiting for the spoils.

While I started out with patience as a virtue and with Jerry Butler singing “For Your Precious Love” in the background, I firmly believe that the time is now. Those with enough energy left to get in the streets for peaceful but loud protests WILL make a difference. And the rest of us can call, write, or buttonhole our Senators and Representatives to let them know: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

RESIST ALWAYS

TTFN