Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Wednesday Vignette, "the path this country has taken has never been a straight line, we zig and zag"

I took this photo yesterday afternoon, on what was a beautiful day — sunny and warm, full of possibility. The blue sky echoed my feelings of unbound optimism. This vile election was about to end and my country was going to finally elect it's first female president, someone that I believed would govern with our best interests in mind and would honorably represent our country to the rest of world. Someone we could be proud of. Someone who would protect the marginalized, and raise us all up in the process. And most importantly, someone who, if given the chance, would appoint Supreme Court justices that would uphold the laws that reflect the progress we as a country have made.

But that didn't happen, did it? Instead we've gone into the dark. I am so profoundly disappointed in my fellow Americans. I am embarrassed by what we've created and unleashed upon the world.

My apologies to the beautiful Sophora prostrata 'Little Baby', a great plant that doesn't deserve to be associated with this horrible event, but it was the only photo I could think of to represent how I was feeling. We will garden on. We must. It may be the only thing that gets us through these next four years, that and love. I refuse to hate, although I will question, and fight — fight to get back into the light.

*UPDATE* - after listening to President Obama's comments this morning I changed the title of this post, it seemed fitting, what with that zigging and zagging.

Wednesday Vignettes are hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum. All material © 2009-2016 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

38 comments:

  1. Well said. Better than I can do.

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  2. Excellent sentiments well spoken. Fiat lux.

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  3. It hurts that this very warped vision for America has won the day, that people felt so lost, so small and weak that in a reactionary fit they tapped this unqualified bully to lead our beautiful country. Hoping our institutions can hold up to this seismic challenge, that the media/journalism gets its act together -- that's about all the hope I've got right now. Hugs to you, Loree!

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  4. I've been crying all morning myself. I'd hoped for some miracle turnaround last night. I knew that some people felt left behind by the direction the country had taken but I failed to understand the depth of their fear, or that they could be inspired by magical thinking. Or that facts could mean so little. You're right, though - we need to find joy and beauty in the things closest to us and try to shape what we can into something we can believe in.

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    1. I think we all failed to understand, but now it's painfully obvious. As well as that part about facts and magical thinking.

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    2. So right about the magical thinking! But when its been fostered and promulgated by 25 years of crazy, partisan media spreading lies and distortion at every turn, there are consequences.
      A very sad day for the planet.

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  5. "It's always darkest before the dawn." I've never wanted so much for those words to be true as I do now. Well said, Loree. All we can do now is find joy and beauty where we can, and uphold our principles in any way we can.

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  6. Thank you, Loree, and previous commenters for saying all that I have been thinking and feeling. As I listened to the concession speech, I hurt knowing that this capable woman will not be leading our country. I have no more words but was greatly impressed listening to President Obama's comments. Thank you for providing the link.

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  7. I just selfishly hope I stop crying every five minutes …
    Nice post. Crushed.

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  8. You're right, the best we can do is love on, be kind, and continue to shine light where we can.

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  9. I think the vote expresses the apparent collective winter of our discontent (though not productively) regarding the evolution of our political reality, but although I knew our nation has for years been traveling down the road to a less and more poorly educated overall populace, at least in terms of quality, and ability to reason, it's now absolutely obvious that we have achieved a critical mass of unintelligent folks who have now negatively influenced the lives of all the rest of us for years to come. I mean, how smart are people so easily and completely swayed by a load of lies, negative campaigning, insulting, false/unrealistic promises without even the mental capacity to fact-check? Google, much? I wonder just how happy these folks are going to be in the coming years as they realize the real harm they have done, how duped they were, and that their lives are not going to be changing for the better as they so delusionally believe?
    Very depressing...
    I understand it, but I still can't believe it.
    Yes, at least there is gardening...
    Thanks for expressing your reasoned sentiment and lovely photo.
    In the spirit of your commentary, I'd like to leave with you with a relevant quote dating back a few thousand years:
    "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."

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    1. Thank you for the comment and quote Tom, I'll be leaning on that in the coming months.

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  10. Well said. I wish it was April and I could look forward to ignoring the world and concentrating on the garden. Alas, it's time for dark and cold weather that matches my mood. Maybe we should have realized Brexit was possible here too.

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    1. I am feeling blessed the sun is shining here today. Gardening as an act may not be possible but I am able to go for a walk and appreciate the plants and gardens around me.

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  11. Thanks for that link to the speech Loree, I would have missed it. It's hard to say "we garden on" when winter approaches though...

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    1. Garden in small ways. Less doing more appreciating.

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  12. Thank you for your comments, I hope he can be controlled by his fellow republicans. But I am still terrified.
    Judith in CA



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  13. Thank you for this. 'Disappointed' doesn't even begin to describe how I feel... it feels like a rejection of female leadership, period, and now I don't think that's something I might EVER see. I'll be right there with you in the garden, finding my peace.

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    1. There is a big component of that, to be sure, haters (of woman, minorities) are emboldened. Assuming you were able to vote via absentee? It must be hard to walk around with your head high when your home country has done this.

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  14. Oh Loree - that was beautifully expressed. I've been carrying this huge lump of sorrow in my gut since last night, and your words and those of the commenters, almost dissolved it. Tom Eichler touched on something that has been worrying me for years. Other than battling sexism, racism, misogyny, hate, and poverty, we also have to figure out a way to finance education, and to make it more affordable for all. We're cultivating a majority of shallow minded, self righteous ignorants, and - frankly - it scares me more than anything else right now. Like you, I was so excited for what I thought would be a historic moment, and feel in complete panic over what we got instead. And, I have this sinking feeling that whatever has been done to enable getting this close, will be systematically dismantled over the next four years. I'm in shock...

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    1. Education, I agree. Knowledge, the ability to question and reason. Seek out the facts, have compassion. Thank god there are people like you raising kids like yours.

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  15. Loree, my brother sent me the following this morning which sums up the insanity/calamity:
    In the end, having had the night to sleep on it, I feel forced to conclude that despite all of the blame going around, that there was no way to prevent this. He tapped into something that a certain segment of our society wanted all along but thought no serious candidate would ever offer them, and when he came down that escalator 18 months ago and promised them the universe, they were ready to fight for him no matter what happened. I hate that those people didn't demand even basic competency from him, but in the end, they didn't care. As long as he could inspire that sort of fanatical support, there was no way he was ever going to lose.

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    1. Thank you Craig, unfortunately your brother is right.

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  16. I wouldn't only blame Trump voters. We know they're a despicable lot. I also blame the Hillary voters who didn't show up in the same numbers in key states the way they did for Obama. Instead they just sat aside and watched. My best guess as to why is that they were decidedly underwhelmed by Obama

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    1. The fact 46.9% of our fellow country men and women didn't even bother to cast a vote is most certainly disappointing.

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  17. Thank you Loree for your thoughtful words. I am overwhelmed with sadness for the many citizens of our beautiful country that felt that this bully was their only option for our next leader. I am also terrified how far we can be set back with right wing choices for our Supreme Court justices. I am praying that Trump will somehow become a moral human being when he realizes that he truly holds the future of the USA in his hands.

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  18. Thank you Loree. And thank you to all the commenters. Every comment expressed my feelings perfectly today, from how I feel about the GOP, our fellow Americans and the turmoil going on in my stomach and heart. I'm just sick. And last night I was trying to figure out how I was going to be happy and I thought about my garden. Sadly, I will have to wait a few agonizing months to be in that happy space again. I so hate where we are now - everyone above summed it up perfectly. Sigh.

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  19. Poor Ruth (notorious RBG)...she MUST hang in there for another four years.

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  20. Wonderful post Loree. I've been trying all day to find any sort of silver lining in this horrid event and it's difficult. I'm not a negative person and it's hard for me to process complete gloom. I'm hoping that now he is *gulp* elected he can stop pretending to be a social conservative , and at least turn his attention away from those matters.Since he really has no party loyalty to the GOP , he may be interestingly critical of their 'agenda' . Thats all I got. I'm cringing at the thought of his appointees, and his disinterest in the environment. I feel badly for the people who just want better lives and believe he can deliver it to them.I worry about the agricultural workers here who are vital to the Napa Valley wine industry,and their rich culture of family that is admirable in so many ways. I could go on. And I hope this is at the very least no worse than the W administration.

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    1. Thank you Kathy, I appreciate your desire to find that silver lining.

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  21. Good plant, title, and photo for this post. (Even though the plant is an honorable one, it will forgive you for using it to make a great point.) It is very true that we do zig and zag with our elections and policies here in the U.S. Usually that wouldn't be so worrying as it is this time. I'm trying to stay optimistic, but it's tough. We truly live in interesting times.

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  22. If the election was a Zig then role on the Zags but I do not have much hope. The whole world seems to be moving to a nationalistic position. Europe is disintegrating I am worried about the coming elections in France and Germany too.

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  23. I'll add my belated thanks for this post. It means so much to this Mexican-American (at least! I'm sure I speak for many) to hear of your determination to fight against the darkness, with love. Forward together...!

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