Revolutionary
On the evening of November 4 2020,
I watched a movie called Lincoln.
Stick with me here;
History is short.
Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln is presented as a bit of a bad guy.
The 20th president, James A. Garfield,
was NOT a fan of Abe’s wife.
“A stocky, sallow, pug-nosed plain lady.”
His words, not mine.
Although most of his insults were about the quality
or lack thereof
of her appearance,
perhaps it was her radiant selfishness that so repulsed him;
she appeared to be restraining her husband’s
dream of legalizing freedom
for all men and women in the United States.
But let me check myself here.
Was her desire to restrain him?
Probably not.
Her primary desire
was to prevent her sons from dying
in an excessively bloody war.
Her desire was to protect her babies.
It’s hard to blame a mother for that.
It’s important to dream big,
but we must carefully balance the big picture
with our every day realities.
Our words and actions do impact those around us.
If we want a more positive world, we must create it.
It’s a bit of a trope, but sometimes I feel like I was born at the wrong time.
I often feel like I dropped in from another dimension
and I perceive the humans here from an outside perspective;
Sometimes struggling to relate, sometimes failing completely to understand.
But I think everybody feels like that
sometimes.
When we interact with other people,
we feel like alien outsiders because
our unique perspectives
are our personal alternate dimensions.
In the film, Lincoln asks two men
whether they think some people
may be born in the wrong time...
they say Abe was surely born at the right time.
Perhaps we are all born at the right time.
Perhaps each of us is filled with
a beautiful intention that was made for
now.
How can I use my skills and talents
now?
Anyways,
My opinions are nuanced.
Political decisions shouldn’t be about any individual actor -
Not who they are.
Not what they look like.
Not what they SAY they believe.
What will they do?
What will we do?
We are the important factors.
We the people.
What are they doing to help us?
What am I doing to help us?
Most of my opinions are built around
the principle of Love.
Is it loving?
Is it just?
Is it logical?
Is it respectful?
Does it make sense from my perspective?
Given that I believe most people have good intentions,
how might other people perceive my ideas
and why?
Fighting may change the world, but not for the better.
How often has your mind been changed
by an unpleasant argument?
But people listen
when you say the core of what
you truly believe.
With all this election madness,
I can’t help but consider
how and why we got to this point.
We all can see that something needs to change.
If not now, when? When will we be ready?
Don’t tell me to wait four years.
No matter who wins the election,
I want a peaceful revolution.
Revolutionary love and joy for all.
No more fear.
No more hatred.
No more hating each other.
And no more hating ourselves.