Here’s a quick look back at the events
of this past, long, strange year.
·
Russia. The investigation of Russian election
influence and possible collusion with the Trump campaign continues. Never has
the metaphor of the Russian nesting dolls been more apropos. The more you look,
the more they may find.
·
“I Can’t Keep Quiet” became the anthem of this movement,
sung by Milck at the Women’s March in January 2017. https://youtu.be/zLvIw8J8sWE
·
#MeToo was named Person of the Year by Time, as more and more women are
emboldened to speak out, and not stay quiet, and let the world know that
women’s rights are not up for grabs. So very disappointing, the revelations of
such unbecoming behavior by men, tolerated and accepted by our culture. So
disappointed in former Senator Al Franken. I officially rescind my invitation
to him to be my running mate in the 2020 election.
·
Tax Plan. The Republican majority House and
Senate have passed their tax plan, and President Trump has signed it. It may be
years before we realize its full extent and impact. Yes, of course, there will
be a little bump in the economy, as more money makes its way into people’s
wallets, and then people turn around and spend it, given what good consumers we
all are.
·
The Affordable Care Act is in critical condition, especially
given that the tax plan peels back the healthcare mandate. Yes, it was
unpopular, because healthy people don’t like having to pay into and participate
in health insurance they don’t expect to ever need, just so that sick people
can have access to health insurance. Yet, for the system to work, to be
economically viable, there needs to be a larger pool of healthy participants.
The problem is that any “healthy” person can suddenly slip and slide right into
the “sick” pool in the blink of an eye. It’s as the song lyrics go, “We’re all
one phone call from our knees.” https://youtu.be/EMRXXBGotnw
At
the end of the day, we are not purely a capitalist economy. If that were true,
there would be no social security or unemployment, or welfare of any sort. That
would all be left in the hands of philanthropists, churches, and charities.
It’s really capitalism, asterisk, footnote, with a heart, a soul, and compassion
for those who need a leg up, a safety net for the weakest and most vulnerable
in our society, the ill, the weak, children and elderly. They say a society
will be judged by how it treats them.
History will
be our judge.
On the bright side, there are things
to be thankful for:
·
The
Space Station crew of astronauts returned safely in September. Despite all the
turmoil down here, I imagine our planet still looked just as serene as ever
from above.
“From
Great Heights,” a great song delivered by The Postal Service.
·
The
confrontations between North Korea and the rest of the world have not escalated
into full-blown nuclear warfare. Yet. Another song by The Postal Service, “We
Will Be Silhouettes.” https://youtu.be/0rKC7ElkTUQ
Heading into the New Year, we can only
hope for better days.
“Better Days,” by the Goo
Goo Dolls.
It’s also a time for fresh starts - whether
it’s going to the gym, or opening a gym, taking on that big new promotion at work,
or taking on that next big project at home – It’s Time to Begin!
“It’s Time,” by Imagine Dragons.
Happy
2018!
As promised, here are the links to the audio from the radio shows that chronicled this most-unusual year. The link to the first blog in the series is also provided.
December
2016: The Elephant in the Room
https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-schmidt-673577789/election-take2-schmidthappens20161204
January
2017: Democracy
https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-schmidt-673577789/democracy-schmidthappens20170109-1855
February
2017: Alternative Theories
https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-schmidt-673577789/schmidthapppens20170215-febshow
March
2017: Motivations
https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-schmidt-673577789/schmidthappens20170312-marchshow-motivations
April
2017: Dharma & Our Purpose Here (or: Bannon & The Beast)
https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-schmidt-673577789/schmidthappens20170417-aprilshow-bannondharma
May
2017: The 38 Percent (There is Lightness in the Darkness)
https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-schmidt-673577789/schmidthappens20170531-may2017-38percent-take2-20170531-1937
Bonus
Track: The October 2016 Demo Tape
https://soundcloud.com/rosemary-schmidt-673577789/schmidthappens20161030Music from our local favorite, Gilly (Guilherme) Assuncao: https://youtu.be/oDsAnX78lOY
Coming
Next:
Let it snow!
Mark
Your Calendar:
·
January
2018: Summit Fitness in Framingham opens! Stay tuned for details.· February 17, 2018: Poetry night at the Bull Run Inn Restaurant in Shirley, MA. Please be sure to reserve your ticket, and e-mail the organizers if you’d like to read your poetry. Again, it is not a slam, but instead a simple sharing of humanity. “Words Change Everything.”
“Even more than bread, we now need poetry, in
a time when it seems that it is not needed at all.”
~Leopold Staff
Sometimes we
need both bread & poetry!
References
Ueland, Brenda. 1938. (The Estate of Brenda Ueland. 1987) If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit. Graywolf Press: Minneapolis, MN.
©
2018 Rosemary A. Schmidt
Rose
Schmidt is the author of “Go Forward, Support! The Rugby of Life” (Gainline
Press 2004). The views expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do
not reflect the views of any other agency or organization. Use of individual
quotes with proper citation and attribution, within the limits of fair use, is
permitted. If you would like to request permission to use or reprint any of the
content on the site, please contact me. Twitter: Rosebud@GainlineRS
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Statement: To Educate, Inform, Entertain, Inspire, and Open Minds.
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