September 27, 2021 ~ Monday morning (gusty and gray outside)
I’m tired. 106 dog sits (166 including my own dogs) this past month have done me in!
Once again, this is not the blog post I was thinking of writing yesterday – not the one I was thinking about while at my friend’s memorial … but it’s the one that is bubbling out of me today. Things change … yet, in this instance, things have so disappointingly, stayed the same … or have gotten worse.
I am disappointed in my peers, family, friends, neighbors and fellow countrymen. Not everyone – but if you’re not doing what it takes to be part of the solution – then you are part of the problem.
Covid-19.
This has been going on since March of 2020 (or thereabouts) and here we are 18 months later and people are still being foolish, rebellious, selfish and well … stupid. But, why am I surprised?
I’m not liking the American public (generally) at the moment. How and when did we get so stupid?
Seriously.
I’ve been in the educational arena – perhaps peripherally at times – for most of my life. I went to school/s until I graduated from college when I was 22 years old. So, do the math … 17 years of education. I took night classes (for fun) when I also worked 2-3 jobs after I moved to Colorado. Less than 10 years after I last sat in a classroom, I was back again as a mom of a kindergartener. And for the next 24 years I was, one way or another, associated/affiliated/injected into and a part of the local school scene … room parent/advisor/some board or another/student/chairperson/president/association or committee member/special something/tutor/substitute teacher … you name it, I pretty much did it.
I know that my education platform was different than the ones my kids got – theirs was much more tech-focused. I know that my education platform was so very different than my parents’. But somewhere along the way – I have to think that my parents got a far broader/more encompassing/deeper and richer education than either I or my kids got … and we’re talking about education in the 1930s and ’40s.
I know they didn’t have all the technology back then – but their studies were, if nothing else, rigorous. I know nothing of mythology, classic lit or music, or actual history. I never had to take an accounting or economy class. And still, I flew through my early years, was an honor student in high school, placed out of basic classes in college. I always got As and Bs (except for those geometry/trig classes!) … but I feel I know nothing!
It might not be necessary in today’s age to know how to diagram sentences … but my mom can do it with any sentence you give her. It’s astounding and so impressive! I’m lucky I can identify an adverb … forget about passive voice and dangling participles or prepositional phrases or modifiers! Egad. At times, I wish I knew about these things but I never learned them and now? I am not that turned on by them to find out! I could (and probably should) but I’d like to use these brain cells (at least at the moment) on other things.
My own lack of knowledge of English comp aside, somewhere along the way, sometime in the ’90s, I remember thinking that I was witnessing the “dumbing down of America”. It was bothersome. What used to be taught in 3rd grade was now being taught in 5th – or not at all. Cursive writing was an after thought (even back then!). The science fairs were mere poster boards along with colored carnations or potatoes growing vines. No real science! I had a conversation with one teacher who told me if my son got additional/higher course work – that he’d know too much. I remember staring at her and wondering how that was even possible?!
What was also bothersome, at that time, were the “Participation Trophies” that everyone had to purchase for every team and every sport that their kid was active in. It went against my nature to reward kids for playing a sport and just being part of a team. What happened with rewarding skills and cooperation? Who started that “trophies for all” shit?! Hard work was no longer really necessary. Teamwork – eh! Winning – why put in all that effort! Good sportsmanship – what was that? All kids, regardless of ranking, were going home with a trophy. I’m sorry – life’s just not like that! None of us leave here with a participation trophy or medal around our necks. You have to EARN what you get.
And, right now – I believe we are getting what we earned. What we deserve. And that is this country is a pathetic, disgusting mess. There are no trophies here. We’ve voted in politicians who are far more concerned about keeping their jobs than doing their jobs. Some of us are following people who lie about everything and what they spout out is taken as the truth. Conspiracy theories, politicizations, so much screaming that no one knows what anyone is saying anymore. How did we get so angry? How did we get to be lemmings? The winds through the trees might be just wind – or it might be our ancestors groaning their disgust. How did we get to be such a mess?
I don’t know if it’s the political mayhem that has been the norm for the past 5 years … or the blind eye that has been around for centuries … or if it stems from people’s (lack of) educational backgrounds or broken family units or from watching our political leaders lie and cheat their way up the ladder or from seeing sports figures and entertainment icons making zillions of dollars for chasing a ball … or all those that have “made it big” without putting in the time/effort … or all the crap that is fed to us via 24/7 media input/output … but we are missing something here. Collectively, we have become so selfish and so blind to what is real … what is needed … what is necessary. “All for one and one for all” is no longer a thing. It’s me for me – me, myself and I. What happened to the Common Good? What happened to the spirit of Community? What happened to the Golden Rule? What happened to common decency, integrity, empathy and compassion?
When did people stop caring, listening, helping … THINKING?
How many accidents happen because someone follows their GPS signal when it tells them to take a left turn – off a bridge? How many kids were scuttled through the educational systems (on points for bringing pencils to class) just so they didn’t have to be around another year? How many graduated not knowing how to read? How many believe the insanity that is spoon-fed them because they were never allowed, told or shown how to think on their own? How many believe the lies because the hate-speak makes them feel empowered or like they are not alone in their deranged thinking? How many think truth is whatever is spoken or written, seen, heard or projected? How many blame others for what is wrong here without looking inward to the responsibility that is ALL of ours?
Currently, we (the US) have tallied nearly 43 million cases of Covid-19. Nearly 689,000 Americans have died in the last 18 months. Horrific stats that, seemingly, no longer really bother people. A year ago when we were told 500,000 deaths might happen, we were appalled. Now? We have become complacent to this on-going horror. This is the worst, most fatal pandemic in our history and we now have the means to squash it … and people still do not take those steps to do so. WHY? Over 2000 people a day are DYING from this virus. STILL. And now, with the vaccines – that is so avoidable. WHY are people not acting on this? Studies show that wearing a mask, washing up, keeping your physical distance all help with stemming the virus … and getting the vaccine pretty much guarantees you will not get sick and if you have a break-through case, you will not die.
Are we lazy? Tired? Overwhelmed? Stubborn? Or are we just that stupid?
I hate to think that, but I do. I have a friend who says it’s “media’s fault”. REALLY? Since when did we give our brain function over to media – social or otherwise? Do we no longer think for ourselves? Do we not trust in science? Since when is everything politically based, biased and agenda’d? Use your brains, people – our children are getting SICK … some are dying. KIDS! OUR KIDS! This is outrageous!
This all makes me crazy, nuts, bonkers … because it is so simple to abate. Keep yourselves, your family, your kids, your neighbors and community safe and healthy – do your part!
This past week I’ve been walking earlier at night as it’s been getting darker (so much) sooner each evening. That means, I’m home and eating dinner at a different time and I’ve discovered the History Channel’s programming of “Cities of the Underworld”. It’s fabulous – if you’re looking for something amazingly informative, chilling, creepy, educational, and/or enlightening – tune in!
And, what has been my take away from watching these mere eight shows of history? I know so little! And, humankind is/has been so awful … generally speaking! No matter when – no matter where … humanity has been cruel and devious and ugly!
These shows revolved around life underground – the underbellies of society. The nefarious doings and dealings of criminals and businessmen since the dawn of time … or at least the last 5000 years. It explained how a trap door in a western saloon would make an unsuspecting patron an oarsman on a slave ship to China – thousands of men each year. Human trafficking in the 1800s (and even still) was a big business. Russia would take over entire towns (in the 1960s even) and everyone within those walls were then owned by the government – say goodbye to life as you knew it. You were now (pretty much) a government slave laborer. In other places, if you were in the wrong place – you’d be shot/questions asked later. Human sacrifices … floods … hundreds of years of famine, disease, drought and peril. I watched programs where people were going about what then was “daily life” wearing gas masks. It was all so enlightening and horrifying!
And, it made me feel terribly fortunate … and terribly sad. We have it so easy. SO EASY! We live in a time when anything we want is basically at our fingertips. ANYTHING. You want to know how big a kangaroo joey is at birth? Look it up on the internet (about the size of a grape!). You want music? Turn on your phone, radio, computer, tv, or talk to Alexa. You want take out? Call a restaurant and have it delivered! You want more education? Go online/get started! You want a job? There are plenty. And yet – people fritter their lives away being complacent, selfish, lazy, stupid … or all of those.
And, here we Americans are – living relatively lovely lives compared to SO many others around this globe – and instead of improving our lives and mankind – we put energy into protesting things that will help save our lives and keep each other safe and happy and healthy and thriving. What a stupid lot. People would rather risk their children’s health and safety and their lives than wash up, physically distance and wear a mask – not a heavy, metal gas mask but a nice, soft piece of cotton over their mouth and nose. And now, we have the vaccines and only 56% of our country are fully vaccinated. Children now account for nearly one-fourth of all new cases. It’s astounding … and disturbing … and pathetic.
I don’t know how we can stop this downward spiral and all the rantings about this being unjust and politically charged … media input or not … but people have to start thinking again. How do we get our neighbors to use their brains? Get more education – on anything? How do we go forward with more hope?
I guess we have to keep talking … keep trying to get the good messages out there. Do something positive every day. Help your neighbor – help yourself. Get a shot. Wear your mask. Be nice. Be smarter. Be good. Be BETTER.