This has been one of my favorite expressions–motherhood isn’t for wimps–meaning basically at any age of the child or parent. Even though these kiddos come with many blessings, this expression still holds true, no matter how I slice it…from finances, funky relationships, sibling rivalry, health, car, or work challenges (to name a few). Nevertheless, we love them and I do cherish my motherhood role…and now having a precious granddaughter…my role and my heart have been expanded…what a joy!
Meanwhile, as we roll along with this democratic experience, we seem to be having our challenges keeping it intact. I cherish my democracy and living in this free country…realistically, who doesn’t like democracy, right? It seems there are many foreign people who are fleeing persecution from an authoritarian government/dictator and who are literally dying to call America home because of our democratic values.
However, interestingly enough, this doesn’t seem to phase many extreme right wingers who are trying to control or do away with this democratic deal in many regards. What about the recent leak from the conservative Supreme Court potentially removing women’s rights for personal freedom to care for ourselves. Seemingly, white men are determined to control women so what can we take away from them…should all convicted sex offenders be legally required to undergo sterilization?
In addition to those issue…what about creating voting challenges in many states including gerrymandering of voting boundaries; white supremacy rants, wanna-be dictator, Donald Trump, holds no secrets about his goal of dictatorship and power….and his flunkies who have “kissed the ring” continuing to spread the lie of the 2020 election being taken from them…all hallmarks of our democracy being threatened. And please…how can we forget the insurrection of January 6th? Had that gone through, none of our votes would have counted…democracy not at work!
While the American story has not always, or even often, been heroic, we have been sustained by a belief in progress and hope even in the gloomiest of times.
In his book, The Soul of America, Jon Meacham shares: “The genius of the American experiment lies in its capacity to forge a single nation with peoples of remarkable diversity of racial, religions and ethnic origins…it is what all Americans should learn because it’s what binds all Americans together” (instead of living in fear and hate)..
Typically, humans are amazingly adaptable creatures. We can live at the poles, in harsh deserts and even in space. But sometimes our adaptability can be costly. Unhealthy diets, limited exercise, poor work-life balance, excessive time on social media–we each have bad habits we’ve become accustomed to that end up biting us in the shorts later. It takes an effort of will to recognize and modify the destructive patterns of behavior we’ve normalized. Let’s compare this phenomenon to the “boiling frog” analogy.
The metaphor of the boiling frog has long been used to describe this potential risk. If a frog is placed into an already heated pot, the fable goes, it will immediately jump out. If, however, the frog is placed into a cool pot that is slowly heated, the gradually climbing temperature will fool the frog into thinking conditions are not changing, and it will eventually be cooked.
Science tells us that this story is false, at least for frogs. But might it apply to humans? In reality, this democratic threat is heating up, however, there are many that don’t even realize what could potentially be coming. So is this what we are up against because of how complacent many have become with our political divide…many seem in denial that our democracy is under the largest threat of our time.
As Jon says in his book: “For all of our darkest impulses, for all of our shortcomings, and for all of the dreams denied and deferred, the experiment begun so long ago, carried out so imperfectly, is worth the fight. There is in fact, no struggle more important, and none nobler, than the one we wage in the service of our better angels who, however, besieged, are always ready for battle.”
So it’s up to all of us, Warriors, to keep this democratic experience going through our voices and voting power…lifting up our better angels through truth and love.
Covid Humor: To accommodate anti-maskers, we have provided this space away from everyone else where you can stare at your reflection since apparently you are the only one you care about.