The Synergistic Pen

I hate this time of year.
Sue me.

Sometime right after Columbus Day (yanno, the celebration of the man that got lost and became famous for it) I see it coming... "THE SEASON"... the time of year when all sense of purpose and reason goes marching out the front door, not to be seen again until sometime in mid February... just in time for Valentine's Day... when you can start it all up again....

I went to the grocery store today. I thought maybe I'd cook Thanksgiving Dinner this year. Hadn't done it in a while. Folk have been taking care of us since Mom moved to Florida so all I've ever had to do was get up, get dressed and organize my naps before showing up at someone's house to eat.

I arrived at my local food dispensary at 6:35 am. The parking lot was full. Not a good sign. I grabbed a basket and tried to ignore the enticing items in the "bargain" aisle you are forced to manuveur through before getting to produce. Ok, so I picked up a couple of bags of marshmellows and they had beringer's on sale. I'll need that...

I didn't make a list. I never make a list. People all around me had lists. I felt like the crazy lady without a list as I picked out green beans and turnip greens and potatoes and mushrooms. The onions were nice, so I got some. So were the bananas. Enough of this.

I wanted to have cornish hens this year, as we really aren't turkey people (another reason why I don't like this time of year, what's so damned special about that dry ass bird anyway?) They didn't have any. Nice capons tho. I got one and a lovely english roast for the red meat eaters. A bit of bacon (pork for cooking, turkey for eating) and I was outta the meat department.

The rest of the trip went uneventually and I turned the last aisle and headed for the registers. Everyone's baskets were so full, as if we were preparing what we felt was going to be the last decent thanksgiving dinner we'll have for a while... that was kinda scary. My bill was less than $200 and I wondered how I managed that. I packed it all up, smiled at the cashier, told her to pace herself the day was young and headed out...

The local Target has a wreath out front. I frowned at it and kept driving. Cabala's had a Santa with something that looked like a rifle in its hand. I shook my head and got on the expressway... I didn't want to see anymore.

Whatever happened to Thanksgiving? Wasn't this the holiday where you saw the cousins you hadn't seen all year and grandma and big daddy sat at the ends of the table and smiled at their fam? Wasn't this the holiday where lies about pilgrims and indians and survival and all that crap gets repeated ad nauseum? Isn't this the holiday when all the women in the room announce the diet plan they'll be starting on January 1st?

Our Thanksgiving is going to be quiet. The way I like holidays. I'll marinate the dead animal carcasses and cook the plant matter and pa will fix a lovely winter beverage for us all. The boy will regal us with stories from his weird, yet errily creative mind and daughter dear will keep checking her text messages and the clock...

Friday morning, I'll pretend I wasn't asked about going shopping and start making some jewelry or something therapeutic like that and I'll scream, like I do every Friday after Thanksgiving as the first Christmas tune makes its appearance on the radio.

If I weren't so busy trying to find a floor to crash on for the inauguration, I'd have time to plan my winter escape to wisconsin or something self indulgent like that...

damn my priorities!

I hate this time of year.
pray for me...

OK, so my daughter is home for Thanksgiving break... and she is doing the thing she does everytime she comes home... sitting on my bed with her laptop showing me Youtube videos she knows I will like....

like this one....

Ok, so, in the last 2 weeks, I've been out of the country, under the weather, and over the hill... lots of thoughts rambled through my mind during this time... and in one short burst (sort of like ejaculation)... here it is...well the stuff that won't get me arrested...

random thought #1: People in the Caribbean are so totally cool. I think I'm gonna pick an island and move... soon.
random thought #2: People in the Caribbean love Obama not because he's black, but because he's intelligent,capable, and represents US... why don't we see it that way?
random thought #3: Never take a cruise during a full moon; it rains more than you'd want it to...
random thought #4: San Juan needs more rain shelters.
random thought #5: Air Conditioning and wet clothing don't mix.
random thought #6: Is that snow on the ground at O'Hare? Nooooooooooooooooooooo! (sniff)
random thought #7: It feels good to show off your tan at work. Just smile and keep walking.
random thought #8 My students missed me! They really missed me!
random thought #9: Viruses can't be cured, they must run their course (repeat three times as you swallow the nyquil)
random thought #10: Nyquil haze is .... wait, where am I again?
random thought #11 Yes, Virginia,I am older than I look....thanks
random thought #12 Damn, I'm old... damn damn damn
random thought #13 Birthdays are for children (takes a bite of ice cream birthday cake and smiles)
random thought #14 My nest is almost empty... oh god...
random thought #15 Maybe next fall, we'll go to Hawaii
random thought #16 What do I bitch about now that the campaign season is over?
random thought #17 wait, is thanksgiving NEXT week?!?
random thought #18 I just spent $23.50 to fill my gas tank; I need to celebrate that.
random thought #19 I need a hair cut.
random thought #20 I need to write.
random thought #21 I need a vacation... wait I just took one...
random thought #22 help....

I couldnt resist...

I've been watching quietly since Monday night... just wanted to see what people would do, how people would react, what people would say.... and I heard something Tuesday night that made me stop and think...

One of the commentators on CNN was speaking about Obama right after the final projections came in... he used the analogy of Moses getting the people to the precept of the promised land and looking over to see what was there... Moses sent Joshua to see what was there and how the people could and would survive there...

Moses knew he wouldn't see that place, God had told him he couldn't go... he was part of the "corrupt" generation...he would not see the promised land... yet, he knew it would be ok...he knew Joshua would be a good leader...

I related my "MLK" experience to my 9th grade advisory class Wednesday morning as we basked in the afterglow of historic victory... I told them where I was and what I was doing the day MLK died... I told them how the experience of knowing, seeing and hearing MLK's words had made an impact on me and how that day had changed my life forever... as I was talking...it occured to me... Barack is the same age I am... he was somewhere having a life changing experience similar to mine... I wondered, how did April 4, 1968 change HIS life...? How has becoming "Barack Obama" over the last 40 years prepared this man for his role as president?

Barack is our Joshua... He has gone forth and inspected the land of the "enemy" and he has come back with a report and a plan... and as he has told us, we will have to sacrifice for the things we want and need and deserve... it won't be easy... but we can do it...

I've had people, of all racial persuasions tell me this week, how inspired they now are to do more, to want more, to work harder to become more... there really are no more barriers, are there? I've known this for a while...I just didn't want to believe it...I didn't want to step out and do the things that I KNOW I am met to do...

there are no more excuses for me... this is a new day...

We are the Joshua Generation... and we can do this...

This crossed my line of sight today.... enjoy...

Oct 05, 2008

The Norwegian newspaper VG has reported a truly amazing story about a newly-wed trying to get to Norway to be with her husband, and the stranger who helped pay an unexpected luggage surcharge. The blog "Leisha's Random Thoughts" has translated the story.

It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:

When it was finally Mary's turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.

-You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway , the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway , and she had no one else to call.

-I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.

As tears streamed down her face, she heard a "gentle and friendly voice" behind her saying, "That's okay, I'll pay for her."
Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.

-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?

Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still rememb <> ers the authority that radiated from the man.

-He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.

She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

Who was the man?

Barack Obama.

Twenty years later, she is thrilled that the friendly stranger at the airport may be the next President and has voted for him already and donated 100 dollars to his campaign:

-He was my knight in shining armor, says Mary, smiling.

She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway . At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago , and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

Mary even convinced her parents to vote for him:

In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

And Obama replied:

In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped 'United States Senate, Washington DC ', Barack Obama writes:

'I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama , United States Senator'.

The parents sent the letter on to Mary.

Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election, especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the story of the k ind man who helped out a stranger-in-need over twenty years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high office.

Truly a wonderful story, and something that needs to be passed along in the maelstorm of fear-and-smear politics we are being subjected to right now.

UPDATE: Thanks for the recommends, folks! Also, remember this was 1988, when 100 dollars was quite a bit of money, compared to today's value.

Guess what I did Friday night? I sat on the grounds of a country club golf course in 40 degree weather with thousands of my "neighbors". We listened to music and watched children in their Halloween costumes and we laughed and talked. There was electricity in the air. There was something very different about to happen to us all that night. Something that normally doesn't happen in our little corner of the universe. We were excited... very excited.

We endured state politicians from downstate; we were polite (you have to understand, up here in the northwest corner of the state of Indiana, we're that po' redheaded stepchild that folk only acknowledge when they want something from us) They told us how they loved us (yeah, right), how it would be the "right" thing to do to vote straight ticket (yeah, right) and how they "love" us up here in "da region" (ugh) ....

I almost fell asleep. The only reason I didn't was because I was fascinated with what was going on around me. I stood in line with young, old, white, black, hispanic, asian, disabled, disillusioned... I listened to discussions about family who have, for years, have voted republican, wouldn't be doing that this year. I heard people talk about insurance bills and lost jobs and taxes... I watched people who have a lot of things that makes us different talk about the things that make us all alike.

We were there, in the brisk October weather to see Barack Obama. We were not disappointed.

His speech has actually been heard before. For the last month or so, the rhetoric of it all has become very familiar, but there was something about hearing it in person (I couldn't see him, I was too far back, and I DO suffer from a rather severe case of vertically challenged disease) There was something special about seeing all those posters and the media and hearing that man, in person, that has, for me, been the icing on this long baked cake.

Its finally, almost over...

Regardless of the outcome... its been quite an experience...

I'm going to fix a cup of tea now; my throat is killing me...