This one’s easy. The ocean always fills me with a sense of wonder and of awe. I often think to myself I don’t understand how anyone standing on a beach watching and listening to the ocean cannot believe in God. I go to the ocean when I need recharging, when I’m feeling empty inside, when I need to remember the universe is infinite and my problems are not
I’m not sure I have an answer for this one. It’s been a rough year and I’m not sure I ever really felt alive. I spent most of 2010 worried, upset and depressed. Hopefully I’ll have a better answer in 2011.
What do I do each day that does not contribute to my writing and can I eliminate it? Well I suppose I could tell you that I spend too much time reading political discussions in my Twitter feed or that I spend too much time watching mindless TV programs but truthfully the biggest contributor to lack of writing is my fear that it won’t be good enough. Or in the case of my political ramblings I worry that I am not astute enough or smart enough to weigh in.
I suppose the best thing I could do is just put it out there and not be afraid of criticism. But I think that would require therapy so I guess I’ll go with my brother’s advice … hands to keyboard.
One word? Hmm … One word to encapsulate 2010. When I first started pondering this the first word that sprang to mind was frustration. Then as I thought some more I decided that hospital was the better choice, but as I sit here writing in my notebook I know the word is fear.
In June my father had a rather serious heart attack. In October I had major surgery and was diagnosed with skin cancer. I spent almost ten days in ICU. I’ve been writing about my fears and my road to recovery here.
The rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the middle class works harder to stay afloat. This is change we can believe in?
Good evening kids. I’m taking a break from chronicling my recovery to rant and rave about my favorite topic, politics.
Me and the hubs caught colds over the Thanksgiving holiday so today was mostly spent on the couch watching CNN. It was a quiet day until I turned my attention to the ticker running at the bottom of the screen. It read, Obama may delay Hawaiian vacation over tax fight.
*Kaboom*
You hear that? It’s the sound of my head exploding? Holy Mother of God! Are they kidding me? Seriously. Am I supposed to feel bad for him?
Just yesterday he announced a 2 year pay freeze for all civilian federal employees. Today 2 million unemployed Americans will begin losing their unemployment benefits if the Senate doesn’t vote to extend the federal extended benefits program. Oh and let’s not forget about those folks who have been unemployed for 99 weeks or longer, who no longer receive unemployment benefits and who the government no longer considers unemployed.
There are families losing their houses, families struggling to put food on the table, families who won’t be able to put gifts under the Christmas Tree this year and President Obama may have to delay his Hawaiian vacation? Seriously. Are they kidding me? I have no words for this. I wonder if he or Congress or the Senate have stopped to think just how many Americans could use a vacation? I wonder if any of them have stopped to think of the families that could use a break from the uncertainty and the fear? Will we be able to keep the house? Can we keep the bills paid? Should we take the kids out of parochial school and put them in public school? Should we try to sell the house? Will it sell? How do we keep afloat?
As I stared at my TV screen in disbelief I wasn’t sure if I should be outraged or heartbroken. Maybe both? If the White House communications office wants this to be seen as a noble gesture they are seriously mistaken. Either President Obama and his staff have not one ounce of political savvy or they just don’t care how it looks to the millions of Americans just trying to make ends meet.
The theme of many of President Obama’s speeches both as a candidate and as president has been sacrifice. I’m curious. What is it that he and his family have sacrificed?