First of all.
If you haven't donated to Puerto Rico. Click Here.
They are Americans. They need our help and they sure as f**k aren't getting it from the Federal Government.
If you can't donate money, find a Salvation Army or a drop off point and drop off stuff. Again. They need help.
Okay--back?
On 60 Minutes yesterday Oprah hosted a roundtable discussion about how divided we are. She invited people from across the political spectrum. It was interesting. It is what we should be doing, sitting and talking about what is going on.
The thing that scared me though, is that they mentioned civil war.
I am so scared about that. I was so scared that I was filled with anxiety when my daughter came and played with me. I worried that her countrymen and women would see her as other and take her from me. I held her so tight and I started to cry. I tried to pass them off as happy tears but the five year old wasn't buying it.
One of my friends who is of the same political bent as I am got annoyed with me because I say that we have to start people to people who don't agree with us. He's happy in his echo chamber. He pastes the most far-left memes on his Facebook page so people who agree with him already can nod their heads. He has happily un-friended all the people who don't agree with him.
I won't.
I have unfollowed people when I don't want hate to clog my feed, but I make sure they see what I can post. Maybe they will like the picture of my daughter with the colander on her head.
It's the ten days of repentance and I repent of a lot. I want to change in small and big ways.
I need to acknowledge that my pre-diabetes has turned to type 2 instead of burrowing my head in the sand. I need to take steps to take far better care of my health.
I need to exercise. I will be joining the Y or Health Center.
I need to go on social media fasts. I might do that in a way to honor the sabbath. I don't know. Still thinking about it.
I need to forgive.
Yom Kippur is coming up and I need to forgive.
I need to forgive the people who voted for Donald Trump. Some of them are my friends. Some of them are horrified with their decision. I need to forgive my fellow countrymen who are both elated by their choice and horrified at what they have done with their precious votes.
I need to forgive Trump and the current administration. Please understand by forgive I do not mean acquiescing to all that they suggest and do. I mean that I need to stop letting it eat at me. I need to stop giving into the hate and fury that it causes in myself. I need to let go of that hate and channel the anger into fighting the actions--not the people.
I have no illusions as to how difficult that it will be, but the hate and the fury they cause me is eating me up. It is not helping me or our nation.
If we fall into civil war I don't want to say that there was nothing I could do to stop it. There IS something I can do. I can be the change I need to see. I can be better than I have been. That is what Yom Kippur is about. Trying, always trying to be better.
I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year and all who celebrate an easy fast.
One quick note from a long time (15-year-plus) charity volunteer.
ReplyDeleteBefore donating items, make sure that (1) the organization you're donating to accepts items and (2) the organization accepts the items you wish to donate and (3) the items are in good condition. It takes time to sort items and inappropriate (or downright unusable - I have opened bags of garments that were so filthy that you could smell them 20-30 feet away the minute the bag was opened) items, and time/money to transport or dispose of them.
So think - and CHECK before donating items. It's a great thought, but the execution matters as well.
Also, Habitat for Humanity has a hurricane fund (Harvey, Irma, and Maria). They're a highly rated charity helping to rebuild in PR.
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