Random Thoughts As the World Burns

on DEI, hurt toddlers, schoolyard name calling, Elon, RFK, etc., etc.

Artist Sharon Nullmeyer, known on social media as “Nullsie,” graciously granted me permission to post this image. It’s available at Society6 as posters, stickers, note cards and maybe more. (I’ve ordered them all as gifts for special occasions, pick-me-ups, and keep a stash for irreverent friends who enjoy a little dark humor to placate their political indigestion.)

On DEI:
My daughter is DEI. Knock the concept of giving opportunities to marginalized populations—who are often overlooked based on skin tone, disability, country of origin, gender—and you knock my daughter.

Don’t mess with Mama Bear.

Elon Musk is DEI. He’s neurodivergent. And an immigrant. So there.

A meme I saw recently picturing Trump, Musk and JD labeled them as WEI.
(White Entitled Individuals)

Toddlers in charge:
I commented to my therapist that the country was being run by hurt little boys. Her response was: “TODD.LERS. Toddlers!”

Hurt People Hurt People:
I quoted my wise friend, “Anna,” previously: “Hurt people hurt people.”

I started reading VP Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy* shortly after it was published in 2016. I became bored or distracted and eventually sold or traded it at a used book store. Once again curious about this emboldened young-ish man, I recently watched Ron Howard’s eponymously named movie. Some critics question the legitimacy of Vance’s account of his life in Appalachia. I don’t know. I haven’t delved deeply into this. But, if it is true, and I believe some of it is, man, that’s one traumatized little boy inside the second third man in charge of our country.

Hurt people hurt people.

Much past reporting has revealed Hurt-Man-in-Chief also has unhealed wounds hidden in his childhood psyche. Which, is then angrily retaliated upon the world stage. Sigh. Grow up. Seek therapy. Do your work. Heal. Stop hurting people. Ugh. As a former boyfriend said, apparently America wanted to take a long, hard look at its collective [Jungian] shadow. He said that while we were dating in 2019. In the years since, as DJT’s return to the seat of power seemed impossibly imminent, I wondered, are we done yet? Are we done looking at our dark shadows? I feared the answer. It’s a very costly and painful way to deconstruct.

And, Elon? Who knows what’s the deal? Except his motives are not in the country’s best interest and most likely in the interest of his and Trump’s back pockets.

We’ve got three narcissists running the country and a posse in Congress and Supreme Court behind them. But that’s another post for another time.

Suddenly, All Made Bad
Curiously. Furiously. We’re all bad, bad Americans now. A HUUUGE lot of us: Immigrants. Scientists. Federal workers. Anyone not heteronormative. People with disabilities. Protesters. Women. It’s confounding how an elected leader would marginalize so many. Without cause. For. existing….

RFK
At risk of losing any remaining credibility that I might have on this space, there’s actually some causes of RFK that I could endorse. And, no, as a parent of an autistic loved one, I do not believe that vaccines cause autism. It’s way more complicated. But public health’s sacred cow doesn’t exactly get a pass from me either. That’s another post (probably not,) or a private conversation.

My looping thoughts on RFK are this: Dear MAHA folks, if you think that RFK, (not to mention his deeply mangled character,) is going to clean up our food, air, and water in THIS administration…In THIS administration that’s all about cutting our defenses in order to protect greedy corporations and make billionaires more money….Well, sweeties, c’mon. #delusion

School Yard Names
For a decade, I’ve mostly resisted blowing spitballs and yelling schoolyard names into the cybersphere when referring to political leadership. I figure it only oozes more toxic energy into an already poisonous and largely unconscious space. But, I’ve decided to allow myself a name-calling concession for the Leader-in-Chief.

…And that is: The Orange Mad Dog. TOMD. Or…OMD. (Which acronym do you prefer?) It’s pretty benign and I like that fact. More, importantly, it makes me chuckle to myself. I mean, one must find levity as the world burns down, eh? If you really want a good knee-slapping time of it, the Scots do it best. (Trigger Warning for those faint of heart around F-bombs and other explicatives.) Initially, I could not find the Scots’ name-calling article. But I did find this one. For the sake of my heart and conscience, I regret that you’ll have to wade through some (understandably) mean content to get to the fun stuff I’m intending to share. Immune to profanity? Well then, enjoy. It’s the two, bold-faced paragraphs beneath a photograph of TOMD / OMD. I got a healthy daily dose-plus of giggle-induced endorphins reading both lists.

In closing, as we say in the autism community: If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

Mean does hurts my sensitive heart. Am I being mean here? Hmmm. Yeah. Is my conscience absolved? No, not really. I don’t display the aforementioned stickers, posters or cards, but I delight when I give them to others whom I know they’ll bring laughter. And Louis DeJoy’s legacy delivered this fresh third-time ordered batch of Nullsie stickers, above, just before I finished this post!

I’ll return to kinder content next week although I do have an opine about Elon, empathy and autism hanging out in my draft files….

*Natch, the Hillbilly Elegy link I cut and pasted for your reference, should you be led to purchase it to judge for yourself, is Bookshop.org. One way we can rebel against corporate greed is to shop local and independent, if possible. If you choose to order online, Bookshop.org benefits small, independent bookstores. Or, better yet, walk, pedal, motor, ride and train or bus to your local purveyor of books. Yay, books, bookstore, and LIBRARIES!

PS: I’m sure that the following does not apply to you, intelligent, ethical reader. But, just in case: don’t be a thief. Ante up or just admire illustrator Sharon Nullmeyer’s featured work here. Artists train a lifetime to produce quality work. It’s the thievery of billionaire corporations that make money off the backs of creatives that helped get us to this place. Don’t be like them. Okay? Okay. Thanks. Glad we’re square on that. It’s the art that’s gonna save us. In one flavor, medium or another.

PPS: Writer’s don’t take likes/hearts, comments—here or email—or subscriptions—free or at any paid level—for granted. Especially in an algorithm reality where more voices are clamoring to be heard. Your appreciation in each of these forms helps elevate my work. Regardless, thank you for reading. I am grateful.