Thank Sarah Josepha Hale for Our Thanksgiving Celebration

 

Few people realize that our national day of thanks resulted from a decades late long lobbying effort by Sarah Josepha Hale, the longtime editor in chief of Godey’s Lady’s Book- the premier magazine dedicated to mid 19th Century fashion and culture as well as the authors of Mary Had A Little Lamb.

It is nearly impossible for 21st Century women to appreciate the impact of Godey’s during its heyday. It was a combination of Vogue, WWD, Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, Magnolia, House & Garden, and the NYT  Book Review combined. 

Beginning in 1834, SJH began to lobby for a national day of Thanksgiving, believing it was a catalyst to unite the nation in a celebration of the freedoms and values of the USA. 

It was not until 1863 that she found an ear in President Lincoln in the midst of the American Civil War.

While SJH was not a suffragette and was politically conservative, she exhibited the courage and determination of American women to pursue their dreams.

Every American woman should give gratitude to SJH- if not for her determination and dedication to a cause, but at least promoting a holiday that provides most American workers with a four day weekend.

SJH is a mostly unsung heroine in American history. Remember her, Say her name. Thank her for her vision and her mission to encourage an attitude of gratitude. 

A National Day of Gratitude Should Engender Acceptance of Our Differences

 

President Abraham Lincoln said established the fourth Thursday in November as a national day of giving thanks and gratitude in 1863 in the midst of the American Civil War. The national holiday was proclaimed following the lobbying efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, a woman’s activist, editor in chief of Godey’s, the most important publication for women at the time, and the author of Mary Had A Little Lamb.

It is incredible that Ms. Hale exercised such influence on President Lincoln at such a divisive time in our country. But it speaks loudly of the importance of exercising an attitude of gratitude during particularly challenging times.

Whilst reading the numerous publications that I peruse everyday, I’ve noted the increasingly virulent comments by subscribers that exhibit zero tolerance for the views of anyone that professes a different opinion. It is anathema to me that our society cannot find even a scintilla of common ground.

I’ve heard so many anecdotes from friends and relatives regarding loved ones that have ‘cancelled’ relationships because of political disagreements. 

At one time, there was a proscription for discussing religion and politics at family gatherings, at work, at friendly get togethers, or at charitable events. Perhaps we should return to such self moderation.

Instead, we should focus on our commonality. Life is short. Do you really want to wake up one day and discover that you have wasted years you cannot claw back because of pride, recalcitrance, intransigence, intolerance, uncompromising ideology, or self importance only to discover a friend or family member is dead and you are unable to make amends or reconcile? I do not. 

National politics, in the USA in the 21st Century, is a game played by ideologues who are unwilling to put the American people first, care only about retaining power, are beholden to lobbyists who contribute to their campaigns, forget they have a duty to represent everyone in their constituency- not just those who voted for them, and have abrogated their responsibilities to compromise and enact legislation that serves the entire electorate. 

As we approach our national day of Thanksgiving, consider putting your differences aside, adopt an attitude of gratitude and exhibit a bit of grace for your fellow Americans. 

As I learned during my years in Al Anon, we have no control over other people, places and things- just how we respond to a situation. Respond with kindness and acceptance. 

Just Release the Epstein Files- Let The Fallout Be What It Must Be ~

 

I believe in transparency. DJT campaigned on transparency. The back and forth over the Epstein records is ridiculous. You either believe in transparency or you don’t.

At this juncture, I really do not care who may be suspected or go down in flames. People either knew Epstein was trafficking underage girl, marginally aged  girls or they didn’t. If they knew, they  have culpability. If they did not know, why? 

Epstein and Maxwell were predators. Those that participated in the predatory practices or turned  a blind eye are all complicit. Notwithstanding the fact that I lean towards a moderate, liberal conservative ideology, I cannot, under any circumstances, excuse predatory behavior towards at risk women. 

It is inconceivable that the political elite enjoying transport on the Lolita Express were blind to the exploitation below the surface. Even if the ‘passengers’ did not partake of the marginally aged girls, they had to have known something was amiss.

Why are members of Congress so resistant to releasing all of the records with only the names of the victims redacted?

Frankly, at this juncture, it is time to let the chips fall where they may, no matter who is implicated. 

The exploited women are owed this accountability. And Maxwell should be returned to a maximum security facility with minimal privileges. 

To Counter Divisive Political Rhetoric- Practice Random Acts of Kindness

 

No matter whether you vote blue, red, green or rainbow, it is my hope that those of us that make up the majority of the voting public, moderates that skew slightly liberal to slightly conservative and abhor the antics of our elected officials and the extreme hate spewed by podcasters, mainstream media, and  those that rant on social media and buy into conspiracy theories across the political spectrum will counter the divisiveness by showing love and compassion to our fellow sentient beings.

The ridiculous shutdown of the federal government that caused undo hardships to furloughed federal workers, those who were required to work without a paycheck, citizens who did not receive their SNAP benefits and couldn’t afford groceries, and the flying public that experienced flight cancellations and delays because of air traffic control understaffing should cast blame at every member of Congress who has kicked the budget challenges down the road for decades. This is not a one party debacle. How many people missed trips of a lifetime, weddings, funerals for loved ones, birthday celebrations for elderly family members or grandchildren because the petty partisanship is more important to politicians that want to keep their positions rather than the welfare of their constituents?

We the people can act individually to change the current climate by unilaterally deciding to do the next right thing.

If you see an elderly person at the grocery store with a nearly empty cart checking the prices on each can of dog food or cat food or parakeet food, talk to them and offer to help so they can keep a beloved pet.

If your community has a food drive, seeks donations to help with holiday dinners, collects items for disadvantaged children to succeed in school- give what you can. The Dollar Stores always have lots of options.

Try to avoid being lured into reading a negative social media post that confirms your biases. Better yet, use social media only to keep in touch with friends and family.

Do not become estranged from friends and loved ones over their political affiliations. Life is short. Instead, convey  that you disagree with their opinions but love them to the moon and back anyway.

Say good morning, good afternoon or good evening to strangers. A lot of people are lonely, struggling, dealing with health issues or financial issues or addiction. We never know what an influence a simple kindness can be.

Refuse to engage in groupthink. Avoid discussing politics with friends and acquaintances unless you know you agree. Find out what your kids are doing online. Refrain from succumbing to the labels that are being bandied about in attempts to demonize the ‘other’.

I read multiple online publications daily, fully aware that the actual truth is somewhere in the middle. There is no such thing as ‘my truth’ or ‘your truth’. There are facts. And, there is opinion. Too many conflate opinion with facts.

As I learned during my years of recovery in Al Anon- detach with love. This applies to every facet of life. Avoid being sucked into the vortex of hate, bigotry, judgments and argument for the sake of argument. As we know, I’ve struggled with engaging in argument for entertainment. It is time for me to let go.

What Privileged Voters Supporting Socialism Do Not Understand- Most Have Easy Lives

This is the house where I grew up in Logansport, Indiana, the less advantageous west side of town. Both of my parents, elementary school teachers, were the first in their respective families to go to college. 

My dad was raised on a farm in southern Indiana that had no indoor plumbing or electricity. My grandfather, a farmer and teacher, road a horse to the river and then rowed a boat across to get to the school. During the dust bowl, the impoverished relatives migrated to the farm and lived in the chicken house, the barn, the smoke house and the wash house.

My mother’s father was a plumber with a tendency towards drink.

We lived in a house my parents could afford, wore handmade or hand-me-down clothes, did not go to fast food places or restaurants, had one television, one phone, and played outside with the neighbor kids until Mom rang the old school bell telling us to get home for dinner.

From the age of 14, my siblings and I had jobs. Most of the kids in town had summer jobs. My parents expected us to go to college, graduate in four years, and get jobs so we would move out and become independent. We were expected to work at least part time to pay for our non tuition expenses. I worked waitressing in a diner on the graveyard shift. My brother worked scraping animal carcasses of the road for the highway department. My sister mowed grass at the cemetery and worked at a slaughterhouse.

Our parents scrimped to provide us with piano lessons or drum lessons, ballet lessons, swimming lessons and ensure we could participate in our chosen extracurricular activities. Failure was not an option.

When each of us graduated, we were strongly encouraged to get a job, any job and move out. We did. Even when my sister was working towards her masters degree and PhD, she still worked as the principal breadwinner for her family.

My husband was raised similarly in small town Michigan. We all trend towards conservatism with middle left views on social issues. We were raised to be thoughtful, accepting of people no matter their race, creed, national origin or sexuality. We’ve all worked hard for more than forty years, pay taxes, believe in a safety net for less privileged that is a hand up but not a hand out. We celebrated the call by JFK to ask not what the government could provide us. Instead, we were called to be good citizens and contribute to our society. 

We are patriotic,  believe in the Constitution and know freedom isn’t free. Our families include veterans, disabled persons, LGBT, religious and non-religious individuals, liberals, moderates, conservatives and libertarians. We watched the Twin Towers fall on 9/11 following heinous attacks by terrorists that hate us. 

I can only imagine that those voting for the mayor elect of New York City have not experienced such horror. I can only assume they were taught that they are entitled to an easy life. Other than Bernie Sanders, I doubt any of the new young socialist have spent extensive time in Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, China, or Belarus~ at least not on the everyday economy. 

From an historical perspective, interest rates are low. They have been as high as 18% for mortgages. Housing has always been expensive in New York City. It is called supply & demand. Young socialists were apparently not taught about WWI, WWII, the Russian Revolution, world history, and the failed experiments wherever socialism has been practiced. They should watch The Americans for insight into life in the USSR and just how well those Soviet government grocery stores worked out. They also likely missed the bits about the gulags. 

 In America, we believe that anyone with enough ingenuity, drive and creativity can achieve anything. Our history is filled with examples of individuals with humble backgrounds reaching the pinnacles of success in small businesses, major corporations, and the political sphere. 

It will no doubt be fascinating to watch what happens to New York. As the Iron Lady so aptly quipped, eventually the socialists will run out of other people’s money. 

I Refuse to Recognize Jay Jones as Virginia AG

 

Elections have consequences. That is the appreciation I have had for the American election system my entire life- until today. Despite my questioning of the electorate’s ability to navigate the bull feathers associated with these off year elections, my Pollyanna psyche tried to believe in voters putting decency before politics.

I was wrong. Despite Jay Jones stating in online exchanges with colleagues that he wished the children of a political opponent would die in their mother’s arms,the citizens of  Virginia decided that they would rather have this wrongheaded, psychotic, exploiter as the top law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia rather than the decent Jason Miyores.

The fact that any human being could support such a reprobate boggles my mind. Are your political affiliations so entrenched that you believe this  mindset is okay? This is anathema to everything that formed the basis of my psyche. 

I cannot with even a modicum of good conscience accept this result. He has zero moral authority. And having already flouted the laws of the Commonwealth for his own benefit, he has no moral authority to judge others. What a travesty.