I’ve spent my 4th of July in bed and sometimes in the bathroom, puking. Woke up with vertigo, which I get occasionally, and it sucks.
Laying there, dozing but mostly dizzy and nauseous not tired, I’ve had time to think about lots of things. For some reason, the soccer team stranded in the flooded Thailand cave weighs heavily on my mind. It’s going to be tough to get those boys out. Dale and I used to scuba dive a lot, and we learned even experienced cave divers die all the time.
People have come from all over the world to help. I was thinking it doesn’t matter where we land on the political spectrum, we want those kids and their coach to live and be reunited with their families. Is it any different when it comes to immigrant families that have been separated? Even those critical of our immigration policies surely don’t want children and their families to suffer.
In my haze, that led me to think about how we’ve been interacting with each other lately. Liberals are to blame. Trump is to blame. Conservatives are to blame. The media is to blame. But under all those labels are people, some with evil intent, but mostly thoughtful people trying to make their way through the world as best they can.
I’m a progressive who supports liberal policies and a robust free press, and I have been in a funk since the election. And I stopped listening to the other side because I was so angry they elected this man to our highest office.
To me, it feels like we’re losing our grip on democracy, and the darkness is settling in. However, assuming the Russians had something to do with it actually made me soften up … divisiveness by design. The majority of Americans didn’t choose what we have now, but I understand all Americans want something better for themselves and for their children. What is it? How can we work together to achieve it? I’m listening again.
Whether it’s kids in a cave or babies at the border, I believe people of all ideologies have the power to focus not on our differences but on what we can do together for the greater good of humanity. Maybe it’s corny and naive, but on this 4th of July, I’m choosing light, kindness and hope.
All of which may save those boys and possibly the rest of us.
I agree so much with your theme and that is we need to focus on our shared similarities and values and the difficult, more controversial will get worked out better as we all learn to filter through all the propaganda. I am sick that children have few leaders to look up to and I am sad what system we are passing along to them. I hope that all the divisiveness serves as an impetus for change.
Well said — thank you for sharing your thoughts!