Weekend Coffee Share (2/4/17)

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#WeekendCoffeeShare is graciously hosted by Diana at ParttimeMonsterBlog.com.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you I’m feeling conflicted this morning. When I take part in the “Weekend Coffee Share,” I literally sit down with my morning cup of coffee and share what’s on my mind. I don’t preplan a topic and I sometimes surprise myself with what comes out.

Today, my mind is on so many things, I don’t know which of them I want to write about. I want to be lighthearted and talk about the Super Bowl, and post photos of my dog, and tell you about my latest DIY home impairment project.

But… I’m also thinking about how the country in which I reside is imploding. The saying, “It’s like watching a train wreck,” comes to mind. The destruction happens almost as though in slow motion, car by car by car (or day by day), and even though it’s hard to watch, you just can’t seem to look away.

I’d love to unplug from the media and ignore all the politics. I’d love to try and remain apolitical. And I feel strangely guilty for being “inconsiderate” in “harping” on my “opinions.” For being a malcontent, when I imagine my readers here or my “friends” on Facebook would rather read something humorous or warm and fuzzy.

But I read something yesterday that basically said that ignoring the declining conditions in the world – ecological, economical, political, ethical — is a luxury that only the privileged in life can afford. Or think they can. Major paraphrasing there, but that’s what I got out of it.

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Of course, once a (literal) train wreck starts, you can’t stop it, and maybe we shouldn’t look away. Maybe we need to witness it, look for our own culpability, be there to help pick up the pieces and offer aid in the aftermath.

The metaphorical train wreck can be stopped, and I think we have an obligation to do what we can, to witness what is happening, to look for our own culpabilities and be there to help. It’s not fun by any means. It doesn’t sit well with morning coffee and croissants. It may seem overwhelming.

Or it may all sound like hyperbole. Like Chicken Little running around fretting that the sky is falling. I would still suggest we not look away, because there’s that other fable about the boy who cried wolf. One day the wolf was really there, and no one saw it coming.

And so I leave you with a warm and fuzzy photo of my dog Chules and his anticipation of the Super Bowl, and the humorous suggestion that he is looking bummed because his toy football has been a victim of Deflategate. And I’m off to work on my DIY home impairment project and make the most of today.

There must be a fable somewhere about finding hope amidst the storm.

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14 thoughts on “Weekend Coffee Share (2/4/17)”

  1. Here are a couple storm quotes for you: “Storms make trees take deeper roots.” – Dolly Parton, “In some literature, I’ve read, weather is used as a metaphor. The darker and stormier the weather outside the more diabolical the deeds done. When the clouds roll away, however, the rain has washed away all the blood in the streets and the world is clean and new again, as if all the violence and destruction of the storm served a divine purpose.” – Benjamin R. Smith, “Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.” – Roy T. Bennet. Nice post, thank you for sharing.

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  2. The way you feel today was me on Tuesday. Then I signed up to join a group to be part of the change and I felt better about being silly, too. Being silly keeps one from getting exhausted in a fight, I’m finding. 🙂

    Happy week!

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        • We need to be vigilant and active, but we can’t be helpful if we let ourselves be dragged down with negativity. We do need to acknowledge what is good and have gratitude for that. And the positive is less likely to show up in the news headlines. It kind of feels like a tightrope walk sometimes. :-/

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        • Betty Louise, I hope you don’t think I am being unfriendly. I totally agree with what I think you are saying: That we need to remain positive, do our part, and not get caught up in the hype of the news media. I have a lot of work to do to accomplish that in myself, I know. But I value friendship (even if it is long distance by internet) over “winning” any kind of political discussion. If I offended you, I sincerely apologize.

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  4. Hi Maggie,
    We’ve just been away in Tasmania for three weeks with very limited Internet or phone connection and didn’t watch the news. It was never intended to be such a complete break with the outside world but it can be a bit like that when you’re travelling and you’re out and about all day. I doWe might not be able to affect the bigger stuff but my hope is that when you get loads of little people doing little things, these will all add up and be significant.
    xx Rowena

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  5. In the absence of a government that seems to be disinterested in the common good, I’ve decided that I need to be the change more than I might have been. I need to keep my eyes open, look for the ways I can help – and be a force for good. I can’t do that if I’m ruled by anger, despair, or fear, so the advice to think positively is a good one….but that doesn’t mean I’m going to hide my head in the proverbial sand and pretend that there isn’t the potential for great harm in the course of things, particularly for those who most need it. We’re strongest when we are ALL strong.,,but we don’t need our government to give us our strength. Each of us has our own, and, pooled together, I feel we can flow past any snags the powers that be throw in our path, whether intended or otherwise.

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