MEMORIES

Watched the Vice-Presidential debate. Again, I am compelled to write as I did after the Presidential debate from the week before.  I never intended this blog to be a political blog but what I see happening is more than just political.  We are witnessing a complete breakdown of the responsibility of our government to communicate honestly with the citizens of this country.  These people are NOT --gilding the lily; stretching the truth; walking it back; flip flopping; misunderstanding; misrepresenting------------- they are lying.

Define: lie (n) “make an untrue statement with the intent to deceive”

This is what the Vice President did throughout the evening.  He intentionally lied to deceive the public.

This will be a hard memory to forget….

Memories:

When my parents passed away, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I would deal without them in my life.  As it happened, after my sisters and I sold the home we grew up in, I assumed the care of the Steinway piano that my father played every night.  This piano was built in 1920 and now is 100 years old.  Recently I had this marvelous instrument completely refurbished.  Upon its return I sat on the bench, placed my hands on the keys and heard my father playing as I went to sleep at night.  It helps me reclaim some memories of my childhood.  I am not as accomplished a player as he was, but just hearing the resonance of this wonderful instrument allows me to think about my father, my mother and how I grew up in the same house for all those years. 

I was parked in the lot of a local Lutheran Church.  I was depositing some paperwork with Kathy who has been helping me assume control of my life of bills and payments.  As I was leaving, I saw the Rector walking form his home to the church.  I stopped to tell him that I was using his parking lot as a drop off for paperwork, not the drop off for drugs.  He smiled at my absurd reference and we engaged in conversation.  He asked about my religious background and that conversation led to a discussion of his sermon from the previous Sunday.  I returned home and listened to his sermon which was based on a quote from the Bible.  Apostle Paul wrote: “this one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining towards what lies ahead I press on for what lies ahead for the heavenly goal.”  In his sermon the rector went on to suggest that our memories are important. Most important are the positive memories that give us the strength to forge ahead and create memories that are constructive for our lives and the lives of the people around us.  The memories of listening to my father play his piano will always bring back positive remembrances. Those, in turn, will help me to be with my children, grandchildren and the people around me in a more positive way.   Focusing on positive memories gives us perspective and strength to proceed into the future with love and grace.

I hope to discard as useless and debilitating the dark time our country is experiencing.  This time of mistrust in government that has been deeply sewn into our lives by the lies we hear daily.  I hope to never remember this Vice President as he refuses to utter a truthful phrase to the citizens of his country. 

“The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves” …Julius Caesar, Act I.  These charlatans are merely taking advantage of what we have allowed.  We must rise up and reclaim our democracy from these demagogues before it is too late.  They are no different than the McCarthys that came before. 

As we move through these challenging days, conflicts are ever present.  From the absurdity of our current government to the kindness of a clergyman trying to give us hope.   We must move the negative memories to the background so that we can hold on to the positives which will give us strength and guidance for the future.

I hope that all of us can have memories of the piano as we slowly fall asleep dreaming of the positive life ahead.