America, My House

I don't like to talk politics or sex or religion. My parents taught me that wasn't nice and, really, usually talking about these subjects with friends caused more problems than solved them. But seeing that the next few days will be one big celebration caused by politics, I thought I would delve just a little. Forgive me if I ruffle feathers, but I am not going to bring down an eagle, I am just going to exercise my right as an American...

I love this country. There is no better place to live, you all know that...that fact is a given. But, like any home, it does have its problems and not all the inhabitants of the home agree on how to fix them. Like I said yesterday, we are trying to find "a guy" to help us fix these problems. Our house, afterall, is an old house, and it does have some major problems.

But the core is good. In all the times we were looking for houses, we looked for houses that were not necessarily new, but rather had character and a good set of bones. We wanted a house that we could work on, make changes where needed, and love. In Arizona, when we looked to retire, we found one that was about forty years old, definitely needed some work, but we could make it ours over time. We had enough money to buy it, but we would have to make a list and whittle it down a little at a time. We redid the pool first (a must in Arizona), then the kitchen (if you know me, or take a look at my picure, then you know why this was a must, also.), then the roof. All these things were immediate needs, and we did them over time, not in the first year, not in the first one hundred days. We had to have patience and a plan. We did not always agree on the plan, nor did we agree on the schedule, but we worked things out without too much fighting or name calling. We knocked down some walls, threw some good money after bad projects, but overall, Dorothy and I negotiated and remained compatible. After all, we have had much larger bad times than a meer reconstruction project.

The point is this... our house, like this country has problems. Some of them have built up over the years while no one was paying attention to them, and suddenly the small cracks have become major fissures. The "guy" that was working on them was a little conservative and he ran out of time. He did some good things, but he also did not do some things he should have and he took on projects that had a negative impact on the maintenance of the foundation. When he left, we, the people, hired someone with different ideas who initally spent a great deal of money. But, we are giving him a chance. He has many problems. His problem is he is trying to satisfy everyone in the family at once, and is taking on too many projects. We will have to sit him down and have a talk with him and tell him to focus more and not spread himself so thin. The key is we are talking to him, not yelling at him, not degrading him.

When I go looking whether I need to get a new guy or rehire the old guy and let him continue on his plan, I look at the competitors and those that speak for them. By this I mean that I look at advertisements and I listen to what supporters say. If I feel that I need to change, I review what has been said not only about my guy, but by whom it was said, and the tone of their voice. If the new guy and especially his supporters are loud and obnoxious and seemingly throw mud constantly, then that guy has no shot at my business. These supporter can tell me ideas, but they do not need to demean my guy or shout at me and tell me how dumb I am for trusting him in the first place. I also wonder how these supporters can be so negative, so full of self righeousness, but not willing to take on the job themselves. My guess is that their bark is far louder than their bite, and like the bully on the block, have no real punch.

Ok, I have broken my promise that I expressed at the beginning of my blog. But it is Independence Day Weekend. I am going to celebrate the birth of our nation. Like a good parent. However, I will never stop trying to help it grow. Things are different now than they were in 1776; the ideals are the same. We as a nation have had a couple of family feuds, but we have always gotten through it. We will get through this, too. We will, if we do not listen to the voices of irrationality that scream at us through the radio and on TV. America was born of free thinkers, so now, we, too, must listen to all sides, not just one. To be a free thinker, we have to be open-minded and allow our brains to search through the rhetoric to the brunt of the message.

Tomorrow, eat, drink, make Mary. Then on Monday, talk to your guy and tell him how you hope he will change. Ask him if you can help. Don't listen to the angry mob, but rather tell them to be rational and talk to you, not at you.

Happy Birthday, America.

Doughnut