Who ARE we????

Ok. I get it now.

I've posted back and forth with them. I've read the statements and articles and memes. I've watched Fox News at primetime. I get it.

We are not correct in believing all Trump Supporters to be dim, gullible, racist, or any other horrible descriptions others have stated. I'm not saying 'some' have not shown those characteristics, repeatedly. There are actual pro-Nazi far right individuals who are a danger to themselves and others.

What I've discovered is the 33%-35% of those supporters are mostly frightened, not evil. They will never admit to the rising fear and the reasons behind immature, hideous, and at times, dangerous behaviors. However, there is first a legitimate fear of  their safety and security, of losing money and having their households affected by a lack of funds, food, and freedom.

The fear stems from the decreasing number of Caucasians that was predicted in the 80's, along with the increasing number of Hispanics, also predicted. The fear, also, stems from the power African-Americans have recently shown, in the polls, and economically. They fear this will "leave them out" if they are barely surviving as a middle-class family. I want to always assure these groups they do not have to fear they will be treated as People of Color have in this country. We wouldn't do that.

The fear, secondly, is a adamant insistence on not looking at the Big Picture of Life and the World. Many are Christians but have little faith in the outcome of the World, and certainly not in God's care and love of them, personally. Therefore, they strike like a cornered animal at any changes and perceived threats to their existence. It is not an uneducated population, entirely. It is, however, a willfully ignorant one. There is no "One for All and All for One" in the United States. It's a "I'll get mine and take yours, too, if you turn your back!", Independent, Conquer and get the most toys because I'm better than you! It's a constant reminder of how very young our country is.

On that note, the final observation I've had is the fear is being stoked, daily, to keep the flames high, harmful, and to distract. I have my problems with the Left as much as with the Right. Neither is all correct or all wrong. You can see and hear some pretty ugly stuff coming from the "Left" on the daily, too.

All can benefit from the following: you can open your eyes, look, read, think, and ask simple questions like "Why? to discover the truth of what's happening around you. If you see the President of the United States lies about everything then ask yourself "Why?". If you see the President resisting what is politically, socially, and morally acceptable, ask Why?. If you see the House of Representatives seeking more and more information, ask "Why?". If you see Senators fighting like mad to defend the President's lies, ask yourself "Why?". If you see the Mueller Report being delayed release to the public, while Clinton's was out in two days, ask yourself "Why?".

Ask yourself why you were willing to accept a man who harassed women physically, and admitted to it on tape of grabbing them by the pussy, walked into teenager's dressing room during pageants to see them half or undressed, bragged that he paid zero taxes because he is "smart", speaks in nonsense sentences without a beginning, middle or end, like a 3rd grader giving a report on a book he didn't read, who disrespects the Constitution of the United States like it is a mere suggestion not the basis upon which we govern out society, has committed tax, bank, and insurance fraud, calls people names like a school bully, and, generally, has brought the dignity of the Office of the President down to where no one in the World respects us in the same way anymore, ask yourself "Why?" WHY did I select this person?

Did I believe he'd make me rich like him? (He's only 'rich' on paper, btw.) Did I think he'd be different than all the other politicians? (He is. He's definitely not a politician but that also means he has no idea what he's doing in office.) Did I think my business would do better with him in office? (It might be. It would be the cause of the previous administration's work kicking in, not anything done in the past two years, though.) Was I thinking he'd be good for manufacturing in the U.S. and jobs and the economy? (The tariffs he started are costing farmers their farms, increasing prices for consumers of Walmart who gets almost everything from China, and companies are closing plants in droves. That is the great 'business mind' he has at work.) Did I fear the brown people coming over the border and knew he'd stop them? (If  he closes the border as he now threatens, it will cost the country 1 Bil per day, he has no 5th Century wall, and speaks of caravans of 'bad' people who are those seeking asylum as your ancestors did.). Or did I think Trump would just be fun to watch? (Having fun yet?)

My point is that there are many reasons Trump ended up as president. We can stop trying to understand that "Why" now. My 'Why" is Why would anyone still want to keep him there now or in 2020 after he's wrecked the country. It will be years before we recover from the damage he has done. I get it. You, personally, are doing ok. But what about the rest of the country. What about the polarization that has taken us back almost 100 years with each other? What about programs for the underserved he's cutting?  Do you truly not care as long as you get yours? If you are a Christian or any other religion that cares for others, that's a strike, isn't it?

You can no longer call yourself a lover of mankind as you've centered only on your own self and family. You cannot say you are a good person if you don't care about your neighbor's suffering. You cannot claim all the riches you can because despite what you think, that will not bring you the peace and security you desire. If you shut the door and your ears to others' plight, the voices will still be there and you will have to explain to your children why you are ignoring them. You will have to explain why you support an ignorant, mean and classless President who brought down America for his personal profit and you cheered him on in your bright red hat. Or you quietly sat and pretended you didn't  vote for him and said nothing as the damages occurred. I don't know which is worse. Are you still fighting your family and friends about him? Are you truly willing to continue to risk relationships over Trump? Do you feel that he is worth it? Do you feel your greed is worth it? Is your Soul worth it?

Sucarichi Reboot Challenge? BOTH sides...Watch a different news channel with an open mind. Get a different view. See actual facts and think and compare. Figure out which might be true. Grow in your thinking and in your responses to others that disagree with you and learn to discuss, rather than insult. Lastly, pray about it all, and love one another.

Do You See What I See?

Nope.

My eyes see. Your eyes see. They are different visions and different perceptions of what we each see (google Rashomon).

When I look into a mirror or any other reflective surface, I see the opposite of what you see looking at me. We may see colors or light (which determines color) differently.

What I hear is based on my own ears, my own brain, the sound resounding within my ear. I hear my own voice in a different manner than you do because it's in my head. Record it and it's different that what I heard. Many say they hate their recorded voice because deep within, they know they don't sound like that. Others hear a voice that is different from what I 'know' I sound like. That voice I know as mine is different than the unspoken voice in my mind, even. Music will never be heard the same by any two individuals and you'll never really know what you sound like. Pop! Mind blown.

My sense of smell is different than yours. You may like how raw eggs smell. It makes me gag. But I like mayonnaise (google it). Brussel sprouts are another. Meat cooking makes some mouths water and others run for a toilet to unswallow their lunch. No matter how expensive or wonderful my perfume is, Hubs says smells like bug spray.

I taste a beet or banana and think, Yum. You may say Yuck because of your "taste buds" or because you hate the texture. I avoided watermelon for years because the texture was 'wrong'.

Feeling hair or fur comforts many but there will always be those who self-describe 'freak-outs' at the thought of touching a brick wall or a piece of coral.

How then, do we communicate anything ever?? It's a miracle we are able to exist together at all, when you consider the basics of what we consider living, daily. It's a miracle we can accomplish anything together. It's not as if we locate and are only within the group that has the exact same sensory reactions as we do.

Human sensory actions are as varied as every hair on a head. We can call them all hairs but they may react in unique ways. Group mentality is a phenomenon that speaks to a basic emotion in many, seek pleasure and avoid pain. If it's broken in any manner, everyone walks away to live their lives as they are made to.

We force ourselves to forge ahead in uncomfortable, irritating, or fearful situations to 'fit' in, overcome an internal or external resistance, or for survival.

If, for instance, Bird Box were real, and you had to blind yourself or die, your decision would largely be based on what the others around you were doing to survive. Unless you are one of the critical thinking creative analyzers who looks for other answers, you would gladly blind yourself, leaving your other senses which aren't foolproof, to take over. Never mind senses, you'd have to trust others around you to help keep you from harm. There is no 'sense' for that, there is only faith.

How important is it in our daily lives to trust in that way? I may have said before in a post, we trust everyone will stay in their lane on the freeway. We trust we'll wake up every day. We trust the surgeons, dentists, policemen, judges, politicians and the pizza guy to do the right things. We have more childlike innocence than we like to admit. If we didn't, what would life be like? Would be able to rent or buy a home? Would you be able to feed yourself without others to taste your food first like a King? Would you trust the clothes you wear won't irritate your skin or give you cancer? Would you leave your house knowing a big fiery ball is in the sky beaming down on you? Will it fall? Do you trust the scientists? Were the steps or elevator leading to your home built safely?

One can drive themselves insane without trust, without faith.

Trust your own eyes, ears, and opinions, then. Trust the research you do to discover the truth and come to your own conclusions. Be able to discuss or debate, if necessary, for your own well-being and advocacy. Ask questions of everyone, not only to show interest or start fights (especially if you have no desire to hear the answer), but to gain knowledge. The knowledge you gain is compared and weighed against other information you find to land on what is known as Common Sense. Following others is wise at times and at others, foolish.

Just because someone says it enough times repeatedly doesn't make it true. Just because you are around a majority that say so doesn't make it true. Just because that person is the loudest or most persistent doesn't either. Think.

That's the only message I ever really want to get out here is to encourage thinking for oneself. I think out loud here. Take it or leave it. That's the Free Will we have and should use.

Sucarichi Reboot Challenge? Trust like you trust every day occurrences. Listen to the 'other' side and see what, if anything, makes sense. Look for the reasons behind the messages, the hidden or not-so-hidden agenda that everyone has. It has nothing to do with paranoia but with info-gathering from reliable sources. Is what you find a benefit or a detriment to you and yours and All? Educate yourself on topics currently foreign to you to see the wider impacts. Revisit History to see mistakes are being repeated.

As the kids say, "Stay woke". It's more important than you think. See?

Breathing in 2019

Hello. I'm a news junkie. I think if anything ever happened to our way of life, the only survivors may be really strict Amish people.

So....there's that.

The goal for 2019 and forward is to remain aware of the happenings of our Country but include the rest of the World even more than I do now. I merely have to do it in a less obsessive way.

Currently, I can tell you every action, theory and prediction of politics, names of the players, and my thoughts and philosophies about it all. Breathe.

I run on all cylinders with the volunteer work I do with the Guardian ad Litem Program in my County. Breathe.

My home is undergoing a rehab of monumental proportion (overdrama, much?).

What is in the home is to be used up. What is not wanted will be sold or donated. What is in the kitchen pantries and fridge will be eaten. What takes up precious space in my small home is leaving. What is not recyclable or reusable or up-recyclable will not make it into my home. What is plastic will not be purchased for my home, nor will chemicals for cleaning it. Hello, DIY! I will no longer use paper towels, paper plates, plastic utensils or straws, and disposable cups. Looking closely at the packaging of items I buy and making some big changes!

Simultaneously, my body is undergoing a rehab.

What is not, technically, 'food' will not enter my body (Bye-bye, Coca Cola and fast food!). I'm cooking even more at home. In fact, I'm growing and re-growing some of our food.

AND...Breathe.

It sounds like a lot to take on all at once, doesn't it. Did that make you feel uncomfortable and squirmy? Did it make you annoyed with me? Good. Didn't want to feel all of that all by myself!

Here's the part where the annoyance may increase. I really don't have that far to go to be lower-waste at home and didn't realize I'd taken on the task many years ago! Being old-fashioned about a lot of areas of life, I follow my Grandmother's and Great-Grandmother's methods of living (except for paper towels. My Grandma went through a LOT of paper towels! Like, forests full.)

In considering all of the new year plans, I embraced the name of "Collector of All Things Glass" given to me by my husband. My glass jars have been in use for years for storage in pantry and fridge instead of plastic fake Tupperware. Now, I will fill them from the bulk area of the grocery stores.

I wash my dishes by hand, although I own a dishwasher (that has never been used except for storage!). I make my own hair and beauty products and cleaning supplies already, use cloth rags (old t-shirts) for cleaning/dusting, cloth napkins (but need to make more) and the car only when necessary. I use essential oils, a stainless steel straw, make my own toothpaste, use leftovers and veg scraps (for stock!), carry cloth grocery bags, shun Styrofoam, use a refillable water bottle and have a simplified life with less and little shopping because that's how I roll,  Finally, just before the year ended, (don't hit me!) I found the easiest recipe for making delicious bread, EVER! I'd never considered all of this is part of  how we travelled to Berlin, Prague, Amsterdam, and London in 2018! I never considered I was well on my way to zero-waste living. That's not my goal yet, of course. Not yet.

So what's left? Breathe.

Will purchase a reusable razor like men used in the olden days. Make those cloth napkins I mentioned earlier. Use up all products in the house before buying new or making new ones. Make the small repairs in my garments instead of tossing out and buying new clothes until absolutely necessary. Plant the seeds and grow nutrient-dense sprouts, more regularly. Shop the thrift stores. Bake the bread when this store-bought plastic-enclosed loaf is gone. And, Gloriosky!...SAVE the money I'm not spending on all of the above for a wonderful memory, like another vacation! That'll be another challenge to see how I can travel with this mentality. I know it can be done. I will take the last of the nonrecyclable items used up from the house, including makeup, and dump it with the promise of "nevermore". Then I will go forward with a lighter heart.

And.....Breathe.

Although, my husband's pleased that on the 5th day of 2019, I've only spent $8.93, including $4 for valet parking and tip, I'm already tap-dancing on his last nerve with these discoveries because I now talk about them instead of just doing it. Like me, he'd never noticed. He only appreciated having a wife that doesn't have the 'shopping gene' women are supposed to have. In confronting him with our lifestyle, it's been the equivalent of introducing myself to everyone as a Vegan before my name (You know who you are!). As with everything, it's better to live it without words than talk about it.

HOWEVER.....I helped deliver a beautiful little baby in December and pushing me to think of the kind of world she will live in. It's changing so fast and being ruined at a speed I fear we will never be able to backpedal and correct the damage. At least I can say, I did a little less damage in my later years.

Doing what I can with the information that's out there and encouraging everyone to do so, no matter how much. Our ancestors did fine with less. I laugh when I see how going backwards in methods of living has become cool but I'm cheering young people on vigorously! When I see ridiculous prices for reusable items, it's not so funny. Keep it simple. One step at a time. It's not necessary to start all at once with all new stuff. Find a single difference in your own life that can be made that isn't inconvenient, uncomfortable, or impossible for YOU but still effective.

That's the Sucarichi Reboot Challenge for 2019. Wishing us all good luck!