My Thumper Blog

     In the spirit of Thumper the rabbit, made famous in the movie "Bambi" for quotable wisdom he learned from his father, and to show my intense and sincere desire to find the good in things even if it means getting more dirt under my nails than my garden ever did, I pulled out pad and paper and decided to list the good in our political landscape as I view it now today. 

     The good news: there is plenty of good to be found, so to the haters out there, may I just say it feels a lot better not to hate, so here's to getting in sync with the possible good that can happen here~ if I but allow my creative mind to take it to heart.

Here is a list of the "good" as I see it today when it comes to politics ~

1) We have one very pretty first family. 

     I don't care who you are, this is a bunch of pretty people. Sure they have money, so their clothes should be pretty. But I'm talking about them...as a group. They have a regal spirit about them and I, for one, thought they looked pretty dancing last night and I really liked seeing that one son carry his daughter down the parade route.  If world rule were decided by pretty, our team would win. 

(The Trumps are a bunch of pretty people.)

2) We have a negotiator in the house.

     Being a former fan of The Apprentice (admittedly I have not watched the new one...I've been too busy watching hearings) but just when I thought I couldn't like it more,  John Rich won, and then Trace,  so yes, I've been a fan of the show since its inception...The show was very well produced. This guy DOES know how to negotiate and he knows how to get sponsors on board. (He also likes to fire people. Good luck with that last one. It'll be up to the public and mid-terms when it comes to firing, but this is a blog on the positives and where we stand today and Trump DOES like to negotiate. I say "Knock yourself out!" (And I mean it sincerely.) Your reputation for negotiating should be our greatest asset. I believe that's what elected you.  (Just don't negotiate with that code if you would. Our country is scared enough as it is...My bad...Positive blog...Stay focused Evins, stay focused.)

3) He is CAPABLE of respecting women.

     Let me be VERY delicately as I explain my thoughts on this one. I didn't say he HAS respected women. I don't feel he instinctively DOES respect women. More than anything his disrespect has saddened and yes, sickened me. Let me be VERY clear: his MOST offensive comments and off-the-cuff remarks are despicable and indefensible. But in watching far more of this stuff than I'd care to admit, I am reminded of an undergrad philosophy course and Hempel's Paradox in particular~ (i.e. "All Ravens are black".. a discourse involving inductive reasoning.)  If he is capable of respect for even one woman, he is capable of more and we should not only give him the space to prove this theorem, we should WISH it.  

     How do I KNOW he is capable of respecting women? Because I have seen it done at least once ~  his clear and obvious devotion and NEED for the input of his daughter, Ivanka, says to me "Well, the man clearly respects (at least) one woman. And that one will be advisor and confidant through this thing whether she's paid or not. (Note: this is not a discourse on the ethics of nepotism. Again, this is my Thumper blog.) But I DO think he counts on Ivanka for all things "women" and then some. And so far, I think I'd like Ivanka.  (At least I wouldn't be scared if left alone in a room with her, and I think she has a lot of Ivana in her.) But disclaimers aside, never underestimate the power of a father's love for a daughter and a daughter's devotion to father.  This, more than anything "women-related" gives me hope... It's a lot for her pretty young shoulders, and a stretch for me to even type these words, I admit, but in the spirit of Thumper, I WISH ( how I WISH) and I hope and I pray that Hempel and his black crow logic will apply. 

4) Finally (for the purpose of this blog anyway) the best and greatest thing I can say about the man is he inspires me. (Once again, let me be VERY delicate in explaining.) This man and this entire election process has sent me on a soul search the likes of which I have not experienced in ...I can't say when...and for that I do personally thank him. As I watch today's outpouring of feminine energy I am reminded that there is no more amazing power on this planet than that of us coming together. We may not do it as a nation. I pray we get there; admittedly, we have a ways to go. But we can and ARE doing it, each in our own ways. I believe it is in our wiring...our very DNA to turn to those of like spirit in times of contrast and conflict. The conversations I'm having and the people I am witnessing, both male and female, Dems and Republicans alike are "pricked in their hearts" and as scripture will attest (Acts 2:37) a heart pricked is a heart that's ready to change. This is a state of being from which great change can come, so yes, I am inspired... (From the Latin word "inspirare"~ inspire is a spiritual, even metaphysical word suggesting an otherworldly energy force swirling from within and pouring throughout our beings and no matter your party politics, there are passionate winds a-blowing right now.) 

     This election has not been fun to watch and even less fun to stomach (i.e. feel).  I have felt pain, I have felt confusion. I have felt sadness like I didn't know possible. But I must say I don't know when something inspired me to sit up and take note as it would seem, it's doing to everyone I'm talking to these days. It has forced me to dig deeper, to reach higher, to seek further, and to ask myself the hardest of hard questions about my life both out there in our country, but more so...in here, in my very own heart.

     And if THAT is the ultimate take-away...well it's a dang good one. (Whadoyaknow? Politics went deep for a change.)

     My goal now is to discipline myself to stay poised for the good in whatever is to come, for all that is bad is easily enough spotted...(Why it's as easy as flipping on a remote cable changer...Takes no effort at all, save to find the remote.)  But to rise above it...to literally look at all that makes me weep and ask "Why would this torment me so?" and "What's to bless in this mess?" well THIS becomes a challenge and a day to day proposition to keep at it no matter how much my human mind may be patterned for the wallowing.

     It's up to us folks. It's up to us.

     As I watch my television set today (and this was true yesterday as well) all I could think was "WOW! What a force of power." And to think, the decision lies within us to determine which way that tidal wave shall go.

     If we don't believe in the system, let's at least believe in us.

(I shall  now hop off my pedestal and thump my way back to my little garden patch ~ Never has a girl missed a garden more...2017's the year~ The kids and I can't wait!)

A Crayon in the Hand of God

     I love the prayer of St. Francis...
         "Lord, Make me an instrument of thy peace..."
     For the musically gifted, this metaphor makes perfect sense. Each individual is but one instrument in this grand orchestra of life. The breath breathed through us to make the music...that's a God thing. (For we sure as heck didn't invent it.)
     As a creative, I prefer a different analogy. I like to think of myself as a crayon in the hand of God--preferably a cheery colored crayon--something that adds color... there to brighten the scenes I am blessed to take part in.
     But here of late, I've come to appreciate that the darker hues are what an artist picks when craving more depth. There's nothing wrong with them. We're just living in a time where chipper bright reds and blues are the attention grabbers, after all, there's nothing fun about black (unless you're a little dress)...But those darker hues, God made those too...and for a reason. You never see a Crayola 64 pack with only primary colors. Nope. Just like the orchestra with all its variety,  it takes a village of shapes, sounds and colors to make symphony or a masterpiece come together.
     Whether piccolo or Crayola,  flute or brush, we are but instruments...the life and breath of the larger creation is not ours to decide. Only when Spirit takes hold, sweeping through these instruments, will the creation be felt. Best we can do to facilitate is to keep our own instruments free of debris and in tune...Keep our inner crayon sharpened...For it is not ours to decide when the conductor will tap his wand or when the world might be due another masterpiece.