My Normal Week

I've been quiet this week - both on the internet and in life, I think. I'm tired. Sophia is not sleeping solidly at night and she's waking up early again. I'm thoughtful, I suppose. I have a lot to think about these days. Also, it seems that every moment I get on the computer, I am trying to catch up on the happenings in Iran.

For that reason, I feel very aware of the contrast of my week of ease and tiredness to the week of the people of Iran. Each morning must bring new tidal waves of fear, grief, hope and desperation, only to name a few. Having a moment to moment account of the tentative existence of men and women from the other side of the world changes the way I look at my own world.

Perspective is always a good thing. I always cringe when people share their problems or grief and end with, "But it could be so much worse." I still think that is often just an easy way to not feeling the grief of our own struggles. However, it doesn't hurt to be reminded of the tangible truth of that fact every now and then, particularly when my current struggles include dealing with a beautiful, relatively complacent, although highly opinionated toddler and struggling with having gained extra weight as a result of not setting limits on my appetite.

So, I'm just saying that for this moment, I am going to have some perspective. I am not in fear for my life or livelihood. I know that even though it may take a little persistence, I could get my voice heard by my government without fear of imprisonment. It's a pretty great life. I hope that it becomes a familiar feeling to many, and I know that they would not take it for granted within their lifetime.

National Day of Prayer

I have noticed today that many conservative Christians are upset by President Obama's decision not to hold a public National Day of Prayer event.

I am just interested if anyone here has thoughts about that particular situation. Is your opinion affected by Jesus' instructions in Matthew: 5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

I find it refreshing to see a leader who views his faith as something personal and chooses not to exploit it for political purposes. He could have scored some points today, but he chose integrity. That's my opinion.

Emotion where I didn't expect it

I am really excited for all that today means for our country. I have no idea if any President can remotely live up to the expectations placed on this one. That's really beside the point, and not what this post is about at all.

When I read this story about President and First Lady Bush leaving Washington for good and watched the accompanying video: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INAUGURATION_BUSH?SITE=MOSTP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-01-20-14-41-49, I got verklempt. I actually shed tears. I was really surprised. I knew that I liked the guy as stated in an earlier post, but I didn't expect to get emotional when this presidency came to an end. So here are a few reasons that I think this may have happened:

-George W. Bush was the first person that I voted for in a presidential election. So with the end of his presidency, my first era of political participation officially comes to a close.

-I was probably looking for a reason to cry today and this was my first chance (since I'm saving watching the speech for tonight).

-As incredibly tired as I get about hearing 9/11 bantered about as political rhetoric, the truth is that it was a moment in which our nation changed. For the better? Nope. Just changed. He was the center of much of our emotion related to that crisis - good and then bad.

-I feel awful for the Bush family. No person deserves what he has been dished in the past eight years. Yes, he's aged 16 years in the same amount of time. Any person would. Maybe they were tears of relief for an embattled family who finally gets a little respite.

-My worst case scenario for why the tears came is this. I really believe that President Bush believed what he promised in his campaign and in the years since. I believe his intentions were good and that he thought he was doing what was best for our nation. Yet look where we are now. Maybe my tears are for our broken hopes and dreams that came with the last eight years. I can only hope that the next presidency will inspire tears of a different sort.

Regardless of the reason, I am happy to see them go home to Texas. Politicians and commentators will have to actually deal with facts and problems rather than dumping everything into the laps of Bush and Cheney. Again, I'm not saying they didn't deserve some of it. I'm just saying, I am so glad that I don't have to hear any more (who am I kidding? as much) Bush bashing.

I am really and truly hopeful that this next chapter in American history will be as bright as we can imagine. For now, I will simply enjoy the momentary unity that seems to exist for most people in the possibility that is America.

I Can't Help It

courtesy of http://cupcakesandcouture.tumblr.com/:



For some reason I can't help but love George W. Bush. Now, I am not saying that I think he was a great, or even a good, president. We can only hope that history will sort this all out for us. Fortunately, I don't have to decide how I would have voted in 2004, knowing what I know now. No do-overs allowed.

Regardless, the fact is that when I see clips like these of the innumerable mispronunciations, confusing rambles or "Huh?" moments, it makes me love the guy more! He is who he is, and he is unapologetic about it. Now that might be exactly what you can't stand about him, but it's something I am drawn to. So, here is another clip of why I (and comedians everywhere) will miss W.

The greatest of these

Two weeks from tomorrow, a great deal of our population is going to be pissed off because their guy didn't win. No other way to put it. So let's start preparing ourselves now, okay?

I challenge everyone reading this to love me in spite of my vote. You have to assume I'm going to vote for the other guy. It's a secret ballot, so we can all assume that our friends and family are going to vote with us, unless we know otherwise. I'm challenging you to assume I'm voting for the other guy. Love me anyway. Not only me, but I challenge you to love every asinine, imbecilic and loud-mouth person who disagrees with you. I even challenge you to love the other candidate and his running mate. Whoa. Scary, right?

With what's next, I'm addressing my Christian readership. I certainly don't think Christianity has the corner on the love market. But I can just remind them what we were commanded to do. Everyone else has to love on their own. Paul had it right when he said "The greatest of these is love." He goes on to say that talent, self-sacrifice, righteousness, etc. are empty without love. So what does that mean? Just because you love Obama and McCain doesn't mean you have to vote for them. It doesn't even mean you have to give them the benefit of the doubt. But it might help us get through the day two weeks from tomorrow.

I'm just saying maybe if we all tried to love as Jesus did - not in spite of our differences, but BECAUSE of them - we could see that there are more right answers and more ways to love than just one. Paul didn't say, "The greatest of these is 'anti-abortion' or 'social justice' or 'defense' or 'supreme court appointments'." Nope. It's love. Now, one of the previous fill-in-the-blanks may be the way you think love is best expressed in government, but I'm just saying, what if there is more than one way?

Idealistic? I hope so. Love me anyway.

Ouch

Does anyone else get a little sick at their stomach in watching this? I'm just trying to imagine a situation in which I would booo the President of the United States. I'm having a hard time comprehending that type of disrespect participated in by so many! I'm not saying that I agree with all of his policies, even most at this point. Regardless of how little you agree with the man, he is still the President of the United States, elected twice!

I'm open to other views on this. Please share them with me. I say "Booo" a lot, but the only people that receive that treatment from me are the Kansas Jayhawks, and even then I would never booo individuals or even the team if I thought they took it personally. Am I being a hypocrite? If so, no more Boooos to the Jayhawks either. Can I get an "Amen" or even a "Boooo"?

The reason he's leaving...

....is the reason that we should be sorry to see him go. From the moment I began to work for Governor Blunt, back when he was Secretary of State, I knew that he wasn't the typical politician. I went into Jefferson City without the foggiest idea of what politics requires of its players. I learned very quickly that there were only a handful of Missouri officials for whom I would be willing to work. I just happened to be working for one of them. My idealistic view of politics was only at home in that one office.

Governor Blunt is not the most charismatic leader in Missouri politics. I don't think this comes as a shock to anyone. If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone (on staff and off) moan about the fact that he didn't "take enough time" with them or "wasn't friendly enough," I could have quit my job a lot earlier. That didn't matter to him, and it shouldn't have mattered to us. He is smart and he actually cares about Missouri. That's why he's leaving. He would not be doing his family or the state any favors to stay in a race that he doesn't care to win. I am willing to trust him when he says that this is not where his life is headed. I respect him for not doing what is expected of him.

Just a few thoughts of my own to add to the mix.