The sun came out briefly this morning in St. Louis, and it was so lovely. I greatly appreciated it. I go home to Tucson tomorrow, and it doesn’t look like I am going to be back for a month. I’ll miss kitties and boys and Bill (who defected to Texas this morning, having a talk to give at SMU).
Oddly (or not oddy, I really don’t have the tools to sort things like this out) I am at a crossroads in every area of my life. I feel like a living Tarot card, standing at the intersections of times and spaces, with my feet in different pools, contemplating a hundred golden keys.
I have a different sense of my self at this time; I feel feather-light, like I am a series of transparencies. I have a deep desire to go inward, and do things like dig trenches by hand in the sunshine. I definitely do not want to manage or direct anyone, or pick up after them, or take on their dark depressions or their bizarre political or religious outlooks.
I just want to be small. I had a bad morning on Facebook, when I was up early and decided to have a look at my scrolling News Feed. I saw people’s surgery pictures (WTF are you people THINKING) and awareness-raising photos of corpses stacked up at Auschwitz, and I read comments from Teabaggers, birthers, and people talking about their illnesses, their treatments, jobs that they hate, and their fucked up family members.
I’m not quite sure how to comport myself. It’s an election year, and I feel an obligation to speak up for common sense, and carefulness, and to point out that if the Republicans say that they want a conservative with real family values, and someone who will not push a Liberal Agenda™ then they already have one, and he is Barack Obama. There is no reason on Earth for a Republican to object to him (unless their actual problem is racism) and in fact I can’t see why we are even having a conversation about crazy mofos and egomaniacs like Newt Gingerich or the soulless moneybag Mitt “The Raider” Romney. Surely no one really actually wants any of that action? Really?
I can’t quite figure out how much attention I should pay to the legions of possibly dangerous freaks that are apparently running rampant out there in the world, none of whom I actually know (or want to know) personally.
Hell, I can’t even figure out a sensible way to clean them out of my Facebook feed. I have made a beautiful bubble for myself, and I live in it blissfully. I’m as annoyed as I am mystified that I have put myself into Meta mode. I hope it passes. I greatly prefer my life as a dog.
Visit the Beadmobile blog and keep up on the progress of our new book, Geometrics!
January 27th, 2012 at 10:43 am
If you don’t know them personally, and you don’t want to know them personally, just delete them quietly. I’ve done it numerous times before when “friends” have posted things that I found unforgivably offensive.
I have a real problem with how Facebook forces us to be “friends” with people out of some tenuous sort of obligation. Sometimes it seems like every beader and belly dancer on the internet wants to be my “friend” even if we otherwise have nothing in common.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:40 am
Well, that is certainly one way to look at it. I have been trying to use one page to cover both bases of “public figure”, as much as I am one, and regular person. I don’t want to have a “Fan” page, because I think it’s pompous (or would be for me) and I’m not very interested in being a Businessperson. So I’ve been allowing everyone who asks onto my “Friend” list, because most of them are fans of my books or jewelry, and then only actually viewing the posts from the 250 people that I actually know and like.
I’m not really interested in preventing people from looking at me, I mostly just don’t want to look at them if they are fucking freaks who post surgery pictures or racist rants. So, I have been evaluating or re-evaluating my idea about being a “public figure,” you know.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:49 am
Oh, well, if you want to use your FB page as your public face but not see nasty, disgusting posts, you can “Hide” the people you don’t like. I’ve done it with some people who post nothing but political crap all day. You can also choose to just hide certain things — so if for instance you have a friend who is mostly nice and posts funny, insightful statuses but ALSO reposts every poorly-designed inspirational photo that crosses their news feed, you can hide their photos but get the rest of their content.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:04 am
Ditto re: Barack Obama. I can’t think of one possible candidate who could be considered a representative of anyone’s family values, not any family I would want to know. I do believe their racism has tainted them and I think politics has gone awry. Basically, they won’t like anyone in office unless its them. Money, money, and ego.
Personally, I’m laying low a bit. I’ve also been noticing nut cases running rampant – I’m related to some of them – and greatly appreciate your comments – “I feel like a living Tarot card, standing at the intersections of times and spaces, with my feet in different pools, contemplating a hundred golden keys.” Wow.
When I read this – “I saw people’s surgery pictures (WTF are you people THINKING) and awareness-raising photos of corpses stacked up at Auschwitz, and I read comments from Teabaggers, birthers, and people talking about their illnesses, their treatments, jobs that they hate, and their fucked up family members”., I first laughed. But then I had to get on my own FB and see if I knew any of them because I’ve noticed people post personal, PERSONAL, things. I have a family member who posts when she’s going to take a bath. ????? Luckily, our last names are different…LOL
Should we ignore the nuts out there or not? Don’t know. For me, however, I’ve decided to continue to lay low, plug back into my own self, and let everyone else dance their dance. Sooner or later they’ll all get tired and I’ll be refreshed. That might be a chicken shit thing to do, but I’ve come too far to let anyone else piss me off.
The wax lipped folks in our society need to all have lobotomies….:)
January 27th, 2012 at 11:42 am
Laying low is both intelligent and cowardly, and it’s only cowardly if one of those insane candidates shows signs of possibly winning. I had to stand up and battle that cocksucker John McCain last time around, because he almost won. But this time, I hope Barack has it in the bag and doesn’t need us all up in arms.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:49 am
I’m laying low after standing up, if that makes sense….LOL
Actually, I’m laying low from family stress – the rest, I’m a cougar/tiger/gorilla/bitch. And in the end, no one wins in my life except me.
I am a staunch Obama supporter. McCain was an embarrassment, as are these others.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:32 am
Completely off topic but possibly of interest – Am I correct that you like Bill Nighy? Have you seen Wild Target? Hilarious and, I think, one of his better and more surprising performances….http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235189/
January 27th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Bill Nighy fan here–check out his film with Kelly McDonald “The Girl in the Cafe”, absolutely wonderful acting. Powerful, yet a ‘small’ film, as I like them.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:51 am
The Girl in The Cafe was marvelous!!!!
January 27th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
I will watch Wild Target and Girl in The Cafe stat! Thank you both, yes, I love Bill Nighy.
January 27th, 2012 at 6:42 pm
I LOVE movies and Bill Nighy, so it was good to see those movie recommendations.
I never joined Facebook because I am such a private person, but I am glad that I never did. I would feel horrible if I had to unfriend someone. I have had relatives get downright nasty with me because I am not on Facebook. Some relatives won’t share their photos with me (don’t care) because I am not on Facebook and I miss out (don’t care) on a lot of family news.
January 27th, 2012 at 7:01 pm
I have been breathing in and breathing out. It is all I can do.
love, jean