Hope

 Hi, everyone (or anyone who might be reading this blog),

 After quite some time, I am able to start posting again. It’s been an interesting and sometimes scary interlude, to say the least, between the last post and today’s.

Let’s start with how Covid-19 has pretty much turned the world upside down even more than it was when the pandemic hit in late 2019 and early 2020, lasting through 2021 and still going on (the mutated variants) with intermittent spikes in 2022-23).

There are more wars (how is that even possible), the cost of living is beyond exorbitant (as if it wasn’t already before Covid), lack of affordable housing and regular healthcare are slowly (or not so slowly) trying to finish what the pandemic started, and climate crises happening all over the world are literally earth shattering.

Billionaires are competing to build spaceships to evacuate to Mars (abandoning the rest of us, nice guys that they are) instead of using their resources to create a better world here on Earth now and in the future. Megalomaniacs in governments and private corporations are frantically trying to maintain their power structures, destroying everything decent in their wake.

So why do I believe there’s hope for humankind? Because:

1) people are still helping each other, no matter what country, culture, or creed

2) I see love being stronger than hate, especially when challenged by hateful rhetoric or actions against it

3) today’s youth are not buying into the narrative of corporate culture that supports the destruction of the planet 

So while everything seems to be going to hell in a hand basket, there’s still hope and hope brings courage, strength, and resilience to outweigh outlast and outrun all the negative forces that threaten our planet and our lives today. When all is lost…there’s still hope. You just have to drill down to your core and find it.

Here’s to everyone’s health and happiness.

Cheers,

Mimi

I’m Still Here

 Well, it’s been a wild ride these past years what with Covid, lockdown, etc., etc. 

And here we are again, just before Thanksgiving, with the world going crazy, hellbent on destroying everything and trying to drag us all back 5,000 + years into an even darker, worse age than the first Dark Age. 

I re-read my post from Thanksgiving in 2019 and found that in spite of all the raging, out of control, events happening around the world right now, that post is still relevant, still my perspective, and, even more important, necessary to put into action, the goodness and caring for those who are in need, be it a kind word, a bottle of water, food, whatever one can contribute towards the wellbeing of others irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. 

There are many reasons to want to turn a blind eye towards the misery and suffering that is happening daily; it’s overwhelming to say the least, deeply discouraging, and seemingly hopeless at the worst, but the truth is one person at a time, who is taking action by helping others in distress, can turn the tide of hateful actions. There will be those who no matter what goodness is shown to them will still choose the dark side; but their days are truly numbered. Hope, despite all the attempts to destroy it, still prevails. So we must stand with hope, loving despite the darkest hatred, helping where and when we can, being brave enough and strong enough to walk away when necessary, but also fight with courage when necessary. 

So it comes down to the ability to discern, to identify which action is our best choice, and then take it. Everyone has a choice, but especially those of us who are not without food, water, clothing, and shelter, to help those who are so desperately less fortunate and for us to do so with true compassion and caring every day. Therein do we show our gratitude for the blessings we are enjoying every day this Thanksgiving holiday.

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season.

Cheers,

Mimi

P.S. my next post will have some details about the past years since my last post…

Hello again,

Today's blog is about something I had posted on Facebook (that a friend had responded to) and it made me realize I should use it as my next blog posting. 

The fb post was about how today's students (those in college) are not able to distinguish fake news from real news. I responded that I understood this first hand since I had just had a conversation with a college student at a Thanksgiving celebration. 

I also said it was really sad and maddening since he was supposed to be 'learning' but was only parroting falsity about both the candidate he is supporting and Hillary Clinton (oh, her emails!...oh, Benghazi!), citing positive false narratives for his candidate and of course negative ones for Hillary. When I asked him why, if "Hillary is the establishment" (as he gave for one of his base reason(s) as to why he doesn't like her), why didn't "the establishment" embrace her platform, he couldn't answer me. 

So I told him why: Hillary's platform was and still is about changing the 'establishment' and of course the 'establishment' is not about change of any kind, but solely about maintaining the status quo. 

That's when he got this look of omg I didn't think of that and told me that because of our conversation, he was definitely going to do his homework on all current candidates, i.e. look at their voting history and who they associate(d) with as well as actually read their published platforms. 

Hopefully it means he will not be sucked into any more false 'news' about any candidates and instead become a truly knowledgeable informed voter whose vote is based on facts (to help counter all the 'adult' voters who are equally being sucked in emotionally about their chosen candidate). 

Democracy is not about being emotional and saving our republic demands that we be rational, intelligent, well-informed citizens who participate in our government and vote based on the facts of who is the best person with overall experience and positive outcomes for the well-being of our republic. 

We as a nation need to separate our emotions from our ability to be critical thinkers. That is the true definition of a patriot.

Sigh...nothing's easy.

Here's to your health and well-being.

Cheers,
Mimi

Being thankful...

It's the holiday season and it usually signals a time of stress (for everyone) and depression (for some of us) and platitudes about how we should be grateful. But what exactly does that mean?

Of course we are automatically grateful that we don't have to suffer deprivation in the same way as, say, any other country going through warring, starvation, and any other plague(s) happening around the world. But how exactly do we show our gratitude for that exemption?

Being thankful needs to take action every day. Not just superficial condescending insincere lip service. It's about being there in the moment when someone needs a kind word, a thoughtful gesture, a polite respectfulness and giving of our selves; these are thankfulness in action.

Everyone talks too much, so much, about love and inclusiveness. ACTIONS speak louder than words. I look at my actions everyday and work diligently to make them worthy of love, inclusiveness, and serving others. It's the little things that count. Ahh, platitudes. But with ACTION behind them...

Here's to your health and happiness.

Cheers,
Mimi

Aha! Finally saying Hello, World...

You know how everyone talks about the 'Universe' letting you know it's trying to help you? And how it's always a question of: how does that happen? Talking with my son today let me see just exactly how that works. 

Opportunities are sly, you have to look at them in the flash of the moment they happen and be quick about grabbing them when they do occur. Then you have to take ACTION and just do it. 

Writing has been the theme that keeps recurring in my life. That's the Universe telling me over and over that I have that purpose: using my words to be of service to others. 

So, here I am, a 20th century female living long enough to enter into the 21st century with all its glorious technological advantages. The luggage I carry with me into that century will only contain snippets of wisdom, insights to experiences that have made me grow so that now I am able to share the wisdom gained. I hope you enjoy my words.

And finally: 
I am about love, laughter, and living a life worth the time it took to create me. 

Here's to your health and happiness. 

Cheers,
Mimi