Miscellany (March 30, 2022)

This morning the title of this post jumped out and wrote itself down.  The fact is that March has been marching toward its conclusion without a blog from me.  My dimly lit brain has tossed a number of thoughts into my consciousness, only to have them sink back into some linguistic purgatory before I got them into the computer.  A few days ago a series of verbal gems arrived, items that each alone would have been worthy of pursuit.  But I was driving.  By the time I got to a recording device, they had drifted into oblivion (wherever that is.) Ah, but they were beautiful while they lasted!  I continue to scribe this nonsense in the hope that one or more of them will become curious and emerge.  Until that happens, and I hope it will soon, I'll try to maintain this stream of semi-consciousness to keep the literary door ajar.  

Meanwhile, how about we talk of the state of our planet?  No?  How about the state of our country? Of  my mind? ...  Ah, forget it.

Here is something I started two months ago and never finished.  Thought I'd add it. 

Okay, it is now a bit after 2200 on January 31 and this hasn't been finished, or one could say even really started.  I thought I'd missed the opportunity to enlighten you abut my warped mind on this the first month of 2022, but as we were driving home from an overnight stay in Lexington, VA, in light traffic on I-81, I began seeing, really seeing, a sight once familiar that I had somehow let pass unnoticed for many years —farms in their winter sleep. Not the occasional clusters of livestock on hillsides catching the sun on this sunny cold day, but the land that lay at rest, having been prepared for the spring awakening.   I began to notice plowed fields, laser straight furrows interspersed with layers of snow; and other snow-covered fields dusted with fresh manure that will weather and leach into the soil to provide a fertile bed for spring planting.  These are lands at rest, ready to accept seeds when the weather warms. 

I smiled remembering the farms I worked on in my youth and the things I learned from the farmers.  It made the long drive easier.  

I can still see the farms in my mind. Now I need to get back to today, this month, this week and try to make sense of what's going in our world.  

There were times, in my memory when the US Senate was a serious, deliberative body that could be counted on to make good decisions.  Both sides of the aisle contained intelligent caring individuals.  What happened?  

Tom's theory — TV cameras were allowed into the chamber.  We could see live action legislation, not the transcriptions of on-site reporters.  Before TV, a legislator couldn't posture without being called to task by a reporter asking for facts.  Now, live, a senator/representative can say anything, ANYTHING, and it's out on the internet before it can be challenged.  

Posturing took the place of serious debate.  Ranting took the place of disagreements.  

Sorry about this but I had to get it out in order to remain sane, or as sane as I ever get.

Until next time,

Namaste.