I grew up in the 60’s. I was a kid, born in ’56, so a lot of what went on did not impact me with the significance I have since come to understand. It was an eventful time for our country though, with a Cold War, a Cuban missile crisis, a Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam war, protests, riots, cities burning, government corruption, hippies, flower power, making love, not war, sex and drugs and, of course, rock and roll and Woodstock. It was, to say the least, tumultuous. It was also amazing. Now, in 2017, I am grateful for the time when I grew up, because I watched our country grow up too. It evolved. It morphed into something better and stronger, because people stood up and shouted. They made themselves heard. Silence was no longer an option. We’re at that time again. A time to stand up and be counted, a time to be heard. Peacefully and with love, but heard nonetheless. Trust that the Universe will listen. It is our destiny.
I am excited. I am headed to DC in a few days to participate in the Women’s March on Washington. I find I am drawn to this, because this country has given me so much over the years, and I owe at least this much back. I’ll admit, I was fortunate. Born into a middle-class family, instilled with a strong work ethic, personal ethic, and integrity. Over the years I was able to get my undergraduate and graduate degrees. I have worked since I was a young teen, and spent 8 years serving in the military. I always had some money in my pocket. I am grateful for the opportunities which allowed me to do these things. I look around and thank the Universe everyday for my partner, my home, my pets, my job, my life. Some days I feel undeserving of just how fortunate I have been and how good I feel. I flip a light switch, and lights come on. I turn on a faucet, and water comes out. I turn on the heat, or the air conditioning, and it works, My roof doesn’t leak, and my home doesn’t flood. My car gets me where I need to go. My job is good and fun, and pays a decent wage with decent benefits. I am (hopefully!) 6 years from retirement and have a few bucks in retirement savings. I am so very grateful for it all, but I could not have done any of it alone, and could not have done the same in many other countries in this world of ours. I have trusted that the Universe would listen to my individual desires, and it has. Now my desire has shifted to encompass all around me.
Which brings me back to the march and the state of our government. To say I am disappointed by our county’s electorate is an understatement. We are at a crossroads, where hate and fear intersect with love and understanding. We’ve all heard the rhetoric that the Trump voters aren’t bigots, they just wanted change. But I still struggle with that logic because, truth is, the hatred and bigotry spewed by the Trump campaign was not a deal breaker. We’re better than that as a people. I have to believe we’re better than that as country. And so I find silence no longer an option. We need to take our country back and create a place where all are safe, respected, loved, fed, cared for. We are a nation of immigrants, representative of all religions. We need to continue to welcome all, especially those fleeing persecution and death in their home countries. We have to raise our voice for all those who can’t. Trust that the Universe will listen. I know it will, because our very humanity depends on it.
~ jwb ~