Decisions, Decisions…or, do you read FB first thing every morning?

By Carol Richmond July 13, 2017 behavior, social media, Uncategorized

I’ve not written a blog post for five months.  I’m still here, writing; attempting to finish a script and book that hopefully will help fill the coffers of a dwindling reality. We are down to the canned pineapple in the panty but don’t worry, I checked the expiration date and we have two more days before ptomaine poisoning is assured.

That story is for another post in the future along with the story of the one child that is driving me nuts.   I have three adult children so I guess the odds are still in my favor.

As a side bar, I decided to give up sugar 986 hours ago, or 41 days and 2 hours, but who’s counting? No, I do not count how many steps I take forward and the two I take backwards… every time; just every other time.  I do not wash and clean senselessly or check to see if I remembered to turn off the tea kettle…now wait, did I?

I gave up Sugar.  That means white sugar, honey, wine, Jack, catsup, candy, dried fruit, cokes (in my defense, I only drink a soda with Jack, and ALWAYS more Jack than soda, so that is okay, right?), bar b que sauce, wine, and chocolate. Oh, I said wine twice.  That is an entire food group in my family.  When my eldest was in the third grade, the beloved teacher asked gravely what the elixir of life was… my son answered with equal gravitas… wine.  That’s my boy!

My timing does beg the question, “what are you thinking?” with #45, Don Jr., Ivanka, Pence, Manafort, health care at risk and a host of other head shaking events greeting our fragile state mind each day; what was I thinking?  I figure we are closer to the apocalypse than ever before and I want to be clear thinking about my life choices brought on by the pending doom and not mellowed out by a smooth Pinot Grigio.   The decisions will take clear reasoning:  Will I sacrifice my third child for the good of the group or leave my best friend who has just broken her two legs behind to nourish the zombies?

Decisions, decisions.

Each morning I awaken early with many decisions, and no, I do not check my Facebook page first.

It’s probably the fifth item on my daily list.

1) Always Gratitude First-AGF for awakening to face another day of attempting to figure out how to pay folks without enough having enough to go around and wondering why I am so blessed to be awakened to this same plight day after day.

2) CNN because I don’t believe they publish fake news

3) The Guardian because I would like to know what the world thinks of us. Not a good picture, folks.

4) Solitaire.  However many games it takes to win, not that I am superstitious, but in order to calm my nerves after going through 1-3 on my list and learning what #45 has done overnight

Then and only then….

5) Facebook

6) Actually, I lie, on my brave days I check my bank balance, but that is too scary to be included in the daily ritual.

7) Solitaire, again, yes.

#5 posting this morning has sent me over the edge.

 

A conservative member of my FB friends, at last count 2 people, felt compelled to post after a photo of Elizabeth Warren, ‘this woman is supporting a Muslim for governor’.  I actually had to read it twice.  Are you kidding me?  This post person wasn’t kidding.  And yes, a Muslim is running for governor in the Great State of Michigan.  My birth state.  The state that went with #45.

 

Cropped Approved CFF

The intimation from the FB ‘friend’ was one of sheer horror.  I replied it could only get worse, perhaps next an atheist, Catholic or…. Jew.  Run for the hills!!

He is Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, 32 years old, lives in Detroit, and holds a BA from University of Michigan, PhD Oriel College, Oxford… the one in England folks, and his MD from Columbia University.  He is a Rhodes Scholar and was awarded the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. In case that fellowship is new to you as it was to me:

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States. Each year, they invest in the graduate education of 30 New Americans—immigrants and children of immigrants—who are poised to make significant contributions to US society, culture or their academic field. Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years, and they join a lifelong community of New American Fellows.  He is a Muslim.

Another article about his run for governor:

And I quote, “Egyptian American doctor Abdul El-Sayed could become the first-ever Muslim governor in the United States in 2018.

El-Sayed, 32, was appointed as the chief of the health department of Michigan’s city of Detroit in 2015, and – after making a serious turn to politics – is now running to be the next governor of the state.

He would inherit major water and economic crises in Detroit and Flint, which are the two poorest cities in the US.

Although Michigan has one of the largest supplies of fresh water in the country, tens of thousands of Detroit residents lost access to water in the homes after major hikes in prices left them unable to afford the basic need.

Furthermore, nearby Flint faced a lead-poisoning water crisis that affected most of its 100,000 residents and prompted a state of emergency.

Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder has received the bulk of the blame for the water crises for his part in privatizing many key state institutions, including the water department, and for allegedly ignoring crises that have hit the underprivileged most.

El-Sayed is also running at a time when hate crimes have been at an all-time high in the country, seen by many as being inspired by Donald Trump’s presidency.”

Now the conservatives reading this better sit down and get a cold compress, I copied and pasted the quote from, breathe deeply, Al Jazeera news agency.

Dr. El-Sayed believes the water crisis was prompted by – and persisted because – of Lansing’s inattention to – and disinvestment from – communities; that there is no reason aside from negligent government policies that keeps people from clean and affordable water and he looks to the ability to build a public health system that will cut no corners when it comes to safe drinking water.

God bless Paul and Daisy for putting their money on the future and Elizabeth Warren for speaking up, making sense, and if she is, endorsing Dr. El-Sayad.  And God bless the women that posted her ignorance; she ignited the fire in this post.  And God bless every single person who is an incensed as I am when confronted with bigotry, ignorance, intolerance, and prejudice… whomever or whatever their god (s) might be.

And most of all God bless Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed for having the guts to stand up for what he believes in enough to incur Shakespeare’s infamous Hamlet’s slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, that are sure to park on his doorstep.

Now back to the great American memoir I am writing as well as the screenplay to rival The Ten Commandments.

I wonder if there is another can of pineapple on the shelf.

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