Think about looking through a Kaleidoscope. Every time you move it while looking through it, the colors and shapes change. It’s rather fascinating to observe the seemingly endless variety of colors, shapes and forms. However, regardless the change in colors and variety of shapes and forms, it’s usually quite pretty.
The current political climate and daily news cycle reminds me of a kaleidoscope. It’s constantly changing colors, shapes and forms. But the comparison ends there, because it’s not always a pretty picture.
In the morning we might hear the stock market is up. By noon time its down. Before it closes we hear it’s stabilized. Flipping on another channel, in the morning we might hear President Obama giving one of his eloquent speeches, painting a bright future seeking support for another hundred billion of soaking of the American people. Then next day another speech may be warning us of tough times ahead. Then I’m thinking it’s not kaleidoscope politics, its yo-yo-politics.
Do any of you recall seeing the running of the bulls in Spain on the news? It’s an annual event, where these large bulls are let loose to run down the streets filled with Spanish people, wall to wall. Many are usually injured and understandably so. Bulls are large wrecking animals and it always smack of insanity to me, for intelligent human beings to voluntarily place themselves in the path of a raging bull.
I must admit, I’m somewhat of a news junkie, trying to keep up with what is happening every day. Some days I think the general population reminds me of those people in the streets waiting for a raging bull to come charging down the street, knowing they are no match for this huge running animal. Flocking to the polls by the millions, anticipating this raging bull of political government to come charging at them seems to me to be somewhat of an analogy.
Among all the other news is a lot of attention given to these 100 days of the current Obama Administration. Never, never, never, have I heard so much news about the amount of money these 100 days has taken in and redistributed. Never have I heard such ambiguity about where it all went. Who got it? What was it spent on? Who benefited from it? We were told only the rich would be taxed. Did the already wealthy receive it to pay the taxes Obama promised to impose on them? It’s all such a mystery. We are dazzled by the to and fro of promises one day and charges the next.
In the managed news media, it appears we are to receive relief from our confusion, by interruptions of hype over swine flu one day, an airplane flying around over New York, terrorizing the people the next. Then all the attention is suddenly switched to Alan Specter, the long-time Pennsylvanian Senator announcing his plans to turn-coat from a Republican to a Democrat. Then the news media tries to explain to us there’s a difference in the two parties. This happens to really be news to me.
A couple weeks ago, I decided I needed a project as a diversion, when my head began to spin from all the news. My four year old grandson loves projects. I talked to him about what we could do that would be fun and a diversion and decided to plant a little garden. Nothing makes one feel better than digging in the dirt and planting something. Prince William is a natural at digging with a hoe, using a shovel, planting and watering. Our little plot is only ten by eight feet.
We set out tomato plants, pepper plants, squash plants, six flower plants and planted spinach seeds. Yesterday was a hot sunny day and the spinach seeds popped through the ground. He was so excited to see those little green spinach seeds pop through the soil.
At the edge of the eight by ten foot plot is my concrete drive way at the rear of the house. Late this afternoon when he came for a visit we walked out back and a man had backed up in my drive way and backed his car in such a manner he ran over the spinach plants. He was getting out of his car and I yelled, “Are you a government worker?” He said “Why do you ask”? I said “Because you are so careless and you have no regard for private property and backed your car over my row of spinach!”
I thought this man was going to cry. I calmed down and explained to him this was my four year old-grandson’s garden, and he had ruined his spinach crop. I showed him the sign on the fence saying, “Prince William’s Garden.” He was very apologetic and left.
None of the other plants were disturbed, and I’m thankful for that, because it’s a great joy and wonderful therapy plus a diversion from the daily news to dig and plant and water alongside Prince William, who absolutely loves the little project. We are now referring to it as his “farm.”
I recall during the war, many folks planted a garden and they were called “victory” gardens. Admittedly, this one is not big enough to warrant being classified as a “victory” garden. However it does rise to the level of a very happy time project.
And for anyone out there frustrated over the daily news, I suggest, digging in the soil, and planting something. Try Spinach Seeds.
Let FREEDOM RING
JUST ME
AC
The Freedom Lady
EMAIL: annecleveland@bellsouth.net
One Comment
Maybe you should get a little picket fence to place around your “farm”. I have planted a few things this year- not much because the landlord specifically told me to not plant a garden. One thing I did plant is tobacco, even though I don’t use it. It is just my way of giving the “digitus impudicus” to the state and its tobacco “taxes”. It makes me happy.