The journey to the west is not all downhill and unpleasant. There are moments of great joy. Last night, Halloween night, my daughter-in-law gave birth to a fine six pound, twelve ounce son, a mere two days overdue. Both mother and son are apparently doing very well. Thus I have become a grandfather for the first time at 83 years of age. Somehow my life has never been very steady, predictable, or properly chronological. To say that I am pleased and happy has to be the understatement of the year. I am ecstatic!
Even politically things seem to be picking up and heading for the best. You probably know that billionaire Governor of New York, Bloomberg, unexpectedly announced he was endorsing President Obama. Even the Economist, a prestigious conservative business publication has now endorsed Obama. Those endorsements, along with the Colin Powell endorsement, and the flattering things Governors Christie and Cuomo have said about Obama should, I would think, pretty much sink Romney. I guess Romney’s deceitful, dishonest, lying, unprincipled campaign is too much even for many Republicans and Independents. It couldn’t happen to a nicer, more disgusting guy. And this whole disgusting, ridiculous pretense of an election will be over in just another five days. Hooray! Of course the 2016 campaign will start on the 7th and we will have to endure it all over again, curses! I would like to think that all those multi-millionaires and billionaires have wasted all their money, but as they merely moved it from one of their pockets to another I guess it didn’t much matter to them.
It appears that the horrible storm in the Northeast may have at least one positive effect, both Cuomo and Bloomberg have been forced to acknowledge there actually is global warming and something must be done about it. There is no guarantee that anything much will be done but at least there is some hope now that has not been present previously. I wonder if even perhaps the oil and coal industries will be forced to give up their suicidal race for profits long enough to help, doubtful, I fear.
And so the Great Mystery continues here at Sandhill (aka Sandpile). That life and death will continue on as always with little predictability other than the end will come for all of us eventually. Some, like my wonderful wife, will be taken unfairly and far too soon, some others, like myself, will mysteriously continue on for longer than most, new ones will be born and begin their own inevitable journey to the west, even while looking eagerly every morning to the east for the new beginnings. The cycle continues in spite of human short-sightedness and stupidity. But will it continue forever? Will we, perhaps, drown in our own filth before we blow ourselves up? Have we become so estranged from nature and mother earth there can be no turning back? Has the die been cast? Are we, as some believe, doomed? Or, as others more optimistically believe, it is just a question of human ingenuity? Obviously I do not have the answer to these questions. I am no longer sure I even want an answer. I think I am prepared now to just Let it all remain the Great Mystery.
But welcome my new little man, at least you will learn how much your grandfather loved you.
Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.
- Emily Dickinson (extract, The Chariot)
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2 comments:
Congratulations on the new life.
I like your writing very much. I especially like your personal comments, astute political observations, and the way you integrate different but relevant subjects into each of your entries. Most of all I like knowing that you are writing these things in my own local north Idaho town known much more for its anti-government, gun-toting, god-fearing zealots than for folks like you. Your blog gives me great hope, although I still lack the courage it takes to put an Obama sign on my lawn.
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