Monday musings

Fountain in Franklin, Pennsylvania.

I have politics on the brain today.  Nothing specific in terms of candidates or parties.  Just a deep weariness of all the rancor and division in the political ads.  Rumor has it that those who don’t live in swing states are not subjected to this toxic waste of money.  Turning off the television or radio makes no difference.  Most of the ads I am subjected to online are political in nature, and the phone rings frequently throughout the day.  The Republicans must have more money to burn than the Democrats as all the robo-calls have been coming from the RNC (Republican National Committee), with the occasional Tea Party call thrown in for good measure.

Graffiti outside one of the tunnels on the Allegheny River Trail.

I am sickened by the billions of dollars being spent on political ads.  Money that could feed, clothe, and shelter so many people being thrown around to spread hate and divisiveness.  Way to go, politicians, lobbyists, and other special interest groups.  U.S. politics have sunk to the level of reality television shows (where there is often very little reality — in the shows or the politics).

Entering the darkness of the tunnel

I keep forgetting that we’ve gone from being “swing states” to “battleground states.”  It’s all out war now, isn’t it?.

Coming and going

I heard an interesting comment on the radio this morning.  A woman mentioned that a lot of young people — people who are interested in being socially responsible by doing positive things in the world — have no interest in politics or the election because they don’t see the government or elections as part of who they are or what they’re doing.  They don’t feel change can or will be made higher up in the government, but at the grassroots level, one small place at a time.  I found this an interesting and somewhat refreshing approach.  I know it’s not new, but it’s something that has been off of my radar for a while so there was a brightness to it, like an unexpectedly found shiny-new penny.

Somewhere on the Allegheny River Trail

I often think about not voting at all.  Oh, I will.  I’ve been conditioned with the idea that not voting is allowing someone else to make the choice for me, so I’ll vote when the time rolls around.  I’ve become cynical enough over the last twelve years or so that I don’t take advantage of early voting for fear that They will somehow come up with a way to discount those votes.

Louis Comfort Tiffany windows. St. John’s Episcopal Church. Franklin, Pennsylvania.

When I think about not voting, I consider the possibility of someday voting for a candidate whose speeches and ads reflect who they are and the specifics of their plans rather than the usual mudslinging.  I’d like to see someone step up with facts, numbers, and positivity rather than soundbites for a two-second world.  Leave the other candidate alone.  Tell me what YOU are going to bring to the table of this feast we call life.

That’s why I don’t want to vote.  There is no such candidate (that I’ve seen or heard from) currently running for any office.

Ah well, enough of that for today.

One of the places M and I visited while in Franklin, PA, was St. John’s Episcopal Church.  We went to see the windows.  The Louis Comfort Tiffany collection in the church is, according to the church website, one of seven surviving complete collections of ecclesiastical stained glass.  They are gorgeous, especially with the light pouring in.

I went to see the windows.  I found peace.  It’s a lovely church, and a wonderful place to just sit, meditate, and let the calm energy soak in to the core of your being.

Brilliance in the woods. (From this morning’s walk.)

I guess that’s about it from me for today.  I meant to show you the geese who came to visit this morning, but they will have to wait for another post since my words took off in a completely different direction from the original itinerary I laid out while I was walking around the pond.  Funny how that happens.

Oh okay… I’ll show you the geese. Just one photo, though, so I’ll have some for tomorrow.

Thank you for visiting.  Wishing you a joyful day, evening, or night… wherever and whenever you are on the spectrum of time.  🙂

The big picture.

Thank you to Christina for Election Nonsense which helped me to verbalize what I’m feeling and thinking, and to Kathy for this brilliant post which helped to flesh it out.

Advertisement

---