President Obama's Farewell Address

Last night, as our little corner of the world began to get the dusting that ended up as a foot of snow, I watched our president’s farewell address.  

As with just about every time he is in front of the camera, President Obama projected calm leadership.  His words were intelligent, well thought-out, organized, consistent, and coherent; his manner was poised, his disposition kind and grateful.  Though not contentious, he expressed ongoing dedication to the causes he has espoused as president, and has lived throughout his life.    

To say he was presidential would be an understatement; he was much more than that.  Many presidents embody some of the qualities President Obama has displayed in the last eight years; few, if any embody them all.  And all of them will be missed.  

Happy Holidays

I welcome any greeting offered in kindness and goodwill this season, as I do throughout the year.  

If I know you are a fellow Christian, I may wish you ‘Merry Christmas’, ‘Happy Christmas’, Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad, Fröhliche Weihnachten, or the like.  I love the warmth shared traditions.   

If I know you are celebrating a different holiday, and I know the appropriate greeting, I will offer that, in a spirit of friendship.  Though our traditions may be different, I respect yours, and wish you well. 

If I’m not sure if or what you are celebrating, I will likely fall back on ‘Happy Holidays’.  I prefer that to risking something that may cause you to feel out of place.  There is much we may all celebrate together without invading one another's privacy.   

But if you are one of those who wears his Christianity like gang colors, and carries hostility toward any whose greeting doesn’t precisely comply with your preferred phrasing I would prefer to avoid you; we’ll both be better for it.  Barring that, I will probably just say hello.  I will try to neither validate, nor trigger your sad little anger addiction.  

But be assured, I will pray for you.  

Total Consensus

One of my father's favorite sayings was that 'any time two people agree on everything, only one of them is doing any thinking.' 

I personally think that gives too much benefit of the doubt to the one.  

My main objection to that kind of unanimity of views is that it's just boring.  

Backward, and in Heels

It is said of Ginger Rogers that she had to do everything Fred Astaire did – but backward, and in heels.  

As you watch the presidential debate this evening, consider the difference in your expectations of the two candidates.  Particularly, consider the idiosyncratic behavior of each, and how you would view it if each exhibited the behavior we expect from the other.  

How would you react if Hillary Clinton exhibited wild flights of fantasy, proposed internally inconsistent massive program expansions, tax cuts, and an aggressive program of deficit reduction, without ever addressing how these can all be implemented at once?  Or if she tossed out a string of horrible insults about her opponent’s appearance, or that of one of his family members?  

On the other hand, how stunned would you be if Donald Trump listened carefully to the question, addressed it directly and clearly, with a well thought-out, reality-based program to address a problem our society faces.  And if there were a follow-up question that took him off his prepared talking points, if he was able to respond in a way that reflects a depth of understanding of the issue.  
Yes, she will have to dance ‘backward, and in heels’ this evening.  And one advantage Ginger Rogers always enjoyed that Hillary Clinton does not … nobody in the audience harbored a visceral hatred for Ginger Rogers, and prayed for her failure.  

Compulsive Liars

We don’t typically think of a child who is a compulsive liar as having ‘special needs’, other than maybe a spanking, (or maybe a more civilized ‘time-out’).  But compulsive lying can be a symptom of much deeper problems, which, if not addressed properly, can continue into adulthood.  

A child who is a compulsive liar may invent a lie, even when it serves no useful purpose; present this sometimes outlandish fantasy as truth, and hold to it, even in the face of overwhelming evidence that refutes it.  Then, when even the liar is forced to admit its falsehood – he will minimize his role in promoting the lie, blaming somebody else for starting it.  The child may, for example, claim that a playmate’s father had been involved in the assassination of President Kennedy – then claim that he was just passing on something he read in a respected publication … like the National Enquirer.  Or he might claim that a playmate had been born on Mars, stick with the story for a long time, and then when threatened with punishment, claim that another playmate had started the story.  

Untreated, the compulsive liar grows into an emotionally crippled adult, who may have never developed the ability to distinguish between his lies and reality.  If he is charismatic (and many are), he may succeed in lying his way to the top of the corporate ladder or even achieve high political office, but he leaves behind a legacy of personal and professional destruction – and it never ends well.  In the end, the only question is who, and what organization, he brings down with him.  

If we hope to help this person, it is likely counterproductive to elect him president.  

The Lesser of Two Evils

If your first choice is eliminated, and in your pique,
you refuse to support what you consider the ‘Lesser of Two Evils’,
you contribute by default to the success of the Greater.

Or, to put it another way (with apologies to Edmund Burke);
‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for’ disappointed Bernie supporters to stay home, or vote third party.

WWBD?

Celebrity Obsession

The problem isn’t whether an entertainer chooses to remain seated during the playing of the national anthem – nor is the problem whether fans express their approval or disapproval of his choice.  If these are not protected by the First Amendment, then it’s not worth the parchment on which it was written.  

IMHO the problem is that our culture has become so barren that we obsess on the actions, or inactions of celebrities.  We ridiculously over-reward, and deify people who accomplish nothing more profound than throwing or catching a football, running very fast, or hitting a golf ball a little further than their opponents – then reveal our passive-aggressive hatred for them by mob destruction as soon as they stray from our script.  

Whether you think Colin Kaepernick is hero or a villain, my advice to you is to not dwell on it.  Go for a walk or a drive; read a book; tell a story, or listen to a story; change your kid’s diaper; check out what you’ve missed in your own life while dwelling on the actions of a stranger.