Things Are A Little Weird Here

I need to write tonight because there is an election tomorrow. I have never missed an election since I hit the age where I could legally vote. I used to go to the polls with my mother, and she let me pull the lever on her choices, as she explained that voting was her responsibility as a citizen. When there was an election coming, we would discuss election issues at the dinner table for months before the election, before the primaries. Now, I will admit, I got my parents point of view. Didn't last long.

My father had a sister who lived in New York City. She was married to a man who sold furniture in a department store. They were down visiting at a time when New York City was not doing well. The citizens of New York felt that they deserved a break on their Federal taxes, because it cost so much to live in New York. Certainly, the citizens of New York weren't getting back all the money they were putting into the Federal government. I was now a taxpayer and i felt like I ought to have something to say about that, so I did. I asked, "Do you get defended by the military like the rest of us? Do you get food trucked to you on the Interstate Highway System? You are serviced by three airports, all staffed by Federal Air Traffic Controllers. What do you want to give up?" That's when the screaming started. My parent's generation had the attitude that they didn't have to be right, they were our elders, and were to be respected. I am not good at respecting nonsense. This doesn't make me perfect, trust me, my wife has a list you wouldn't believe. But when I'm wrong, i wave the flag early so we can move on. BTW, they are still angry at me in New York, the ones that are still alive. I am not a nice person, you got it from me first. It's better that way, trust me on this. President Ford handled it much better than I did.

So what's the moral to this Election Eve Story? Turn off the TV, and stop listening to the infinite analysis. The War, The Economy, Immigration are probably the big three issues in this election. Where you sit and your situation determine the weight of these issues to you. Please think for yourself, please make that a habit from now on, decide what is best for you, and look at the candidates. Vote for the one that most closely represents your thinking. There isn't going to be a good match.

How are we going to get a better country? We need to let the local representatives from both parties know how unhappy we are with both the people they are running and the campaigns they are waging. Then we need to get our friends to do the same things. I am really fortunate in that I live in a small town so close to the Nation's Capitol. I know really wonderful Democrats and Republicans. People who really care about the country, and feel that they have a better way to run it. The brains of these outfits really want to do good, but they are not electable. Therein lies the problem, and it is us. American men no longer read books and American women read fiction. We get our information from places like TV and the computer. if you read everything I am writing, you are in the extreme minority. And thank you very much. Clearly my blog is not the answer. But, the answer is out there.

Last, my cat Holmes. Holmes is 18, and her kidneys are failing along with her thyroid. We simply don't tell her. When she would get a bladder infection, we would fight it with an antibiotic. Her stomach would be upset, and we'd get some Tums into her, and she'd start eating. It's been four days now, and she isn't eating or drinking. We got her into the vet today, and she got fluids, vitamins in the fluids, antibiotics, and I started breathing again.

She ate a tiny amount earlier today, but not enough to make a difference. At her heaviest, she weighed 11 pounds. Her average weight was 7 pounds. Today, she weighed 4 pounds. Holmes still gets up, and walks around. she still talks to the animals outside, and she still has the drive to live. When that is gone, I will be time. Among the rights that she has is the right to die with dignity. I guarantee you she will be in my arms, and not alone when the time comes, no matter what.

So, as this post clearly demonstrates, my publishing is not exactly predictable. I apologize for that, but it needs to be a little wierd around here for a while. Thank you.