Moving Forward in the USA

 

November 23, 2020

 

In my never ending search for peace, the tragedy of our nation.. and the hopefulness of our recovery as. thankfully..  these past four years fade away, I've reached out to a few of my republican high school classmates to see how they are doing and to reach a hand in friendship. 

Silly me.

I'll stop naming names, as that seems to stir the hornets' nest. but.. one woman.. really needs to have some of her story told.  She lives in Virginia. Her husband is falling into dementia and her little dog barks a lot.  She does not sound college educated nor sophisticated.  Not dumb.. Just a basic person in Virginia. I asked her what qualities she found 'good' in the now departing president.  She declared that "it's not over" and that she liked 45's stand on killing Roe vs Wade. She decided that 45's locker room chat with Billy Bush was just 'bragging.' 

The kicker is that in my last email, being as civil as I could be, telling her that she and another woman classmate who has been somewhat responsive that I cared about them and hoped that things would be good for us all now. She responded rather curtly saying that if I cared for them,  these two old classmates.. would I come and rescue them from the 'concentration camp' she expected to be incarcerated in!  The terrible thing is that I don't think she meant this as a metaphor.  Of course, in email we have no tone of voice or facial expression.  It was a short sentence and I read it literally.

If the entrenched followers of 45 and the crazy stuff that has been going on keep going on, what can civilized folks do to calm the storm? Another classmate was upset by what seemed to be my campaigning Blue in the one note that I sent to all my classmates. In fact that was not the case, I was just asking a simple question. "For whom will you vote?" I did declare that I was voting Blue, which set off the criticism from a couple of the guys who called me names.. I've mentioned that previously.  It hurt my feelings a bit, but I consider the source..and must fault some Democrats I know for making up names for the followers of 45 and the guy himself.  I don't play that.  But, struggling to ask angry liberals to cut it out seemed like a tiresome job.. so.. on Facebook, I just ignore those angry posts and hope that as President Biden takes the reins for our country, that we'll lick this C19 and get the reputation of the USA back into the world instead of walling our country into isolation.

My classmate who interpreted my asking for whom folks would vote as campaigning told me on the phone recently that she wanted nothing to do with politics and that she had been 'yelled at' by a supporter of the Democrats. She sounded literally upset by the prospect of having to discuss any of it. I so wanted to ask her if she noted the disrespect and lack of compassion in the bluster of 45, but resisted. She's a beautiful woman who has a life beyond the negativity that upsets her and that's just okay with me.

I still have to have a chat with my old pal from Greeley who hung up on me recently.  He is a typical super conservative and uses interesting analogies to prove a point.  He compared having his name on a list of donors for Biden/Harris to being accused of killing puppies and kittens and hanging them from a clothesline in his yard.. or being a member of the KKK.  This kind of thinking .. when folks really believe this.. is irrefutable.  It's like religious beliefs that are in us from childhood that critical thinking never questions.  So? What to do?

What to do? 

As the plague rages on? 

First!  Stay healthy. 

Mentally Awake is good health, too... 

Pay attention and hydrate.  Other than that, we are all ..each of us.. on our own.  

Me? I want theatre and movies back. We can find a way.  The powers that be must consider that the food for bodies is important and equally important is our social connections:  connecting safely is food for the spirit.  It, too, is vital. 

If you know me in real life? Hear my voice as you read this.  It's time for healing wounds and moving forward. Be part of that, please.

michael sheehan

Our National Nightmare

Waking to a Brighter Day.

 Some time ago, when I sent a response to a mass emailing from the coordinators of our high school class, Marvin and Kay Redman, asking for whom they might vote in November, writing that I would vote Blue,  Steve Ley called me 'demented' and Billy Meyers wrote to me via the class, "Are you fucking nuts?"  Wow!  Some folks didn't want politics to interrupt their reports of vacations, grandchildren and such.  How that became a 'thing' is pretty obvious. Conservatives tend to be angry.

I've avoided the news for the past five days and today was awakened by a call from a friend who was so happy that Biden / Harris have been predicted to win the 2020 Presidential election, that I can no longer stay out of the loop.  I am happy, too. 

This is to publicly say to Billy and Steve and to Marvin Redman who responded that he was ordinarily a cross party supporter, but this time he would VOTE RED..  and others, like Carol McNeil who thought that 45 was the best president we've ever had and sweet Sharon Sterkel.. who professed to be a "good old redneck gal",.. all sweet memories from High School Days.. This is to forgive them their opinions and rude comments. This is to thank Carol publicly for taking time to call on the phone and have an actual chat about our lives.  Whether they would ever apologize for their actions..the guys.. not the women.. really doesn't matter, though if I ever called any of them by a bad name, I'd say, " I'm sorry." Apologies are only appropriate, to me, when someone has deliberately wanted to defame or embarrass or be mean to another person.  I've probably done that in the past.. anyone who has an example.. I'll field it. I do owe 45 an apology. Name calling is the venue of the others and I've crossed the line, I'm sure. Out of frustration.  Of course, 'fat old republican' is a fact.. hmm.. Well...

 

I sort of get why my old pal, Tom, in Colorado.. out of respect I won't mention his last name.. has been a guy to the far right of conservatism for all of his life.. I recall his coming to help me at my home in California a long time ago. He would listen to Rush Limbaugh on a walkman when in the yard because I asked him to not bring that energy into my home. He complied. He is aligned with a guy I don't know much about Tucker Carlson? A Fox news guy, whom he wanted to discuss the last time we were talking on the phone.  The distractions that many conservatives toss around avoid the direct point.  It's in the tone of responses that we see the truth. Tom did the courteous thing, calling me back after he'd hung up on me in the conversation before that.  He did not apologize for hanging up, but I take that as a symptom of angry politics.  Fact is that I teased him past his endurance level. I'd apologize, but I didn't think he'd get upset by being teased as we have done to each other for most of our lives. I am sorry that he felt it necessary to just hang up!

Sigh.. 

Tom in Colorado won't see this, I don't think.  He refuses to be on line these days.. I guess he gets his input via TV and Fox News and elsewhere, while I am on the fringe with seeing what Facebook pals have to say.  And, free TV, mostly ABC.

 I voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I even tried to sneak their legacy into a special wall being erected at my alma mater,  Greeley High School. My donation and tribute was rejected by the administration, saying that "political tributes were not acceptable."  Actually, the tenor of the times was really evident when the guy who was in charge of vetting donations called to reject my hundred bucks.  Phil Ulrickson opted to just hang up on me when I asked him for whom he would vote.  Is that a 'thing?'  Just hanging up on someone who asks a civil question? He asked if I wanted them to shred my check or send it back.  I asked for it to be sent back.

When the envelope from Greeley Schools arrived, all that was in the envelope was the check.  No letter of thanks for my attempting to make a contribution to my alma mater or anything that would have been a civil response..or to offer the opportunity to add a brick to the wall with an 'appropriate' memory. 

They had a deal: two bricks for the price of one. Admittedly, I thought that I could do an end run and have the election of Joe and Kamala forever enshrined with my own name on each brick.  Nope.  When Phil Ulrickson hung up on me, I sent a snail mail to the principal of Greeley High, Cary Smith. asking for an apology from Mr. Ulrickson.   Mr. Smith is a jock.. former scholarship football player for UoP in Stockton, California.  I thought he might align with me.  His responses were professional and he sent me a Letter 'G' for Greeley High that I'd won as a wrestler long ago. Again.. no note.  No apology. But.. now.. we hope that we might awaken on January 20, 2021 to a bright sunny day and a national administration that will reflect not only the Will of the People, but will sound a cheerful echo of the people for a time for healing in our nation. 

Obama's "Legacy of Hope" will live again If those angry others will see the good that comes from Good. We may even regain some status as a nation in the eyes of the world.

 

To my angry red classmates:  Please come on board the Peace Train.  Please stand for justice. Please know that we must be One Nation.. whether you believe in God or not.. and hopefully, Indivisible.. in time.. with Liberty and Justice for All.  to coin a phrase.. ahem. 

 

Four years ago, a woman, Carol Elliott,  a background player, whom I met at the SAGAFTRA Film Society was a strong supporter of 45... a few days after the 2016 election when I walked by her at the DGA she mocked me loudly.. She'd been ill, I'd heard..which may have impaired her thinking.. but..it was mean and nasty.  I vowed  to her face that I'd never speak to her again. I was deeply hurt that someone would be so mean. I had suffered what felt like a death in the family.  This is to say that if anyone knows Carol..or her lovely husband, Elliott.. I want to wish her well and health and love.  

 This essay is longer than I'd intended.  But.. if our 'national nightmare' is truly over.. we can only hope.. We can also hope that the folks who supported 45 will see the benefit of a nation not divided and will participate to make the USA a country we can all be proud of. I'm proud and happy that the mistake we all made four years ago may now begin to be repaired.  Fingers crossed. 

President Elect Joe Biden is about to deliver a Victory Speech. Hundreds are gathered.  He and Kamala sounded sincere and present. It's the tone.   These are good days. 

This is a good day.

 

Michael Sheehan

Glendale, California 

November 7, 2020