Monday, September 19, 2016

Dark days

Saturday night brought news of an explosion on New York City's West 23rd Street and an undetonated pressure cooker bomb later found some four blocks north. That area, Chelsea, is one of the busiest in the city on any Saturday night. I watched on TV as police and firefighters and EMTs worked the scene. I worried about other bombs that might not yet have been discovered, and was silently grateful my son hasn't finished his training and been assigned to a station house yet.


Thankfully no one died in Chelsea, and all of the 29 injured have now been released from area hospitals. But this morning brought more disturbing news—several unexploded pipe bombs discovered in a New Jersey train station, right next to Newark airport. Get it together, people. We are not doing this!

I fear these events will only embolden Trump. The young people in my life actually think Trump might win, not because they want him to, but they are talking to other young people, former Bernie supporters who are having a hard time voting for either main party candidate, and who may vote for a third party candidate or not at all. Endless conversations are being had to try and convince the reasonable to vote for the only candidate in the race who makes any kind of sense. But of course, there are those who will vote for Trump no matter what. How did we get here again? I still can't quite fathom it, even though I thought I was watching the whole time.

I spent most of the weekend indoors with my family. My children's loves and various friends were here, too. My living room was crowded with tall men, including my husband, watching football and noshing on beer and chicken wings. In another room, my daughter and I watched Gray's Anatomy on Netflix, and later, my son's girlfriend and I watched the Emmys. I was intrigued by Mr. Robot's best actor win. I've never seen the show, but the premise sounds interesting. Is anybody watching? Is it worth tuning in?

It's a rainy, dark Monday here in the city. I have choir rehearsal tonight. If I didn't, I might not go out today either. My house feels hidden away and safe.

10 comments:

  1. I thought about your son when I heard about the bombs.
    Jesus.
    What the hell is going on? I can't begin to fathom any of this.

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    1. Mary, your post today said it all, inexplicable as it all seems.

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  2. Like Mary, I thought of your son and all of you when I heard the news. Very scary stuff. My son follows US politics quite closely and has told me about the third party option, but I do not see how it could deliver the knockout punch needed in this case. Also very scary stuff, in a different way. Thinking of you all.

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    1. jenny, thanks for thinking of my boy. The third party candidates can't win, they can only ensure that Trump wins if enough people vote for them. It's a nightmare scenario.

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  3. The world has gone batshit, again. I cannot wrap my head around any of it.

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    1. e, it's so extreme it sometimes doesn't seem real.

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  4. Again we ask, WHY do things like that happen? What drives these people to violence? I repeat what I have wished your son recently: may he always come back home healthy!

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    1. Thank you for that wish on behalf of my boy, Kaki. I hold it dear.

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  5. It helps me to think of all the human tragedies that have already happened, how resilient and kind the human race is at its best. We can't lose hope. I'll tell you one sure thing -- I come here, to your blog, and the first thing I see is the warmth of the photo at the top. Just as you and your children and their friends are gathered warmly in your home, I feel gathered warmly by coming here. Sending love.

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    1. Elizabeth, it usually helps me to think that way, too, but sometimes that lens slips away, and I feel so hopeless. And then I remember, I cannot lose hope because I am, we all are, living for and loving a whole universe of souls who depend on our ability to believe in the good, even when so much of what we see says otherwise. Thank you for the reminder, friend.

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