Pages

February 19, 2009

Stop the World

"Stop the World, I Want to Get Off" was one of the first professional plays I was exposed to many years ago. Don't ask me about it ('cause I can't tell you) but the name has stuck in my mind. And it's about how I'm feeling right now.
S T O P !! S L O W D O W N !!
It's as though I'm having an attack of vertigo--everything is going around and around and I'm feeling slightly nauseous.

Who can blame me? After EIGHT years of lethargy, 44's whirlwind sprint in the first 30 days of his administration (has it only been 30?) is leaving everybody breathless. This man will be spent before the end of his first 100 days. He's everywhere, doing everything. Of course, given the massive job before him, the luxury of "doing nothing" is not an option. But the criticism, the opposition, the resistance to doing something is overwhelming. Analyzed, critiqued, opined, second-guessed. Everybody is an expert. Of course we don't know if the plans will work; however, we do know what hasn't worked. Give him a chance. And you had plenty of opportunity to prepare plans, look at things carefully, come up with viable options during the last eight years or so. Doesn't appear that you did or we wouldn't be in this God-awful mess. Open the clenched fist.

Mrs. Joe Cool is no slouch, either. Out about town; in and out of schools; opening up the hallowed halls of America's first house. NOTE to Kiddies: Don't touch a thing.

Then we get down to the real life as we know it. Good grief! Stop the world! It has gone crazy! Someone noted many years ago that it isn't the world that has gone crazy but the people in it. Amen! Stupidity (as in the case of the man whose pants fell down, while running from the scene of a crime, because his hands were full and he couldn't hold them up), heinous crimes (too many to name), larceny, just plain ol' man's inhumanity to man. Was it Reagan who said "a better, gentler time"? Can we go back to it? You cannot publish a "cartoon" of a dead chimp with the notation about the stimulus and disavow racial intent. Maybe the artist is too young or too ignorant to know of the symbolism. And to that clown, Ron somebody or other, who appeared on CNN's 360 last night--you cannot see racism in one event and not see it in another. Who picked you as the Black voice of conservatism, anyway? Piss-poor choice. Anderson, find somebody credible, please.

The postman left two great surprises in the mailbox the other day; one from Cousin Jay and the other from Ms. Denise (naw, not that one). Jay sent family pictures, commemorative mags and the inaugural issue of the Washington Post. Loved it! Ms. Denise sent a cd produced by a group of gifted teens (young adults, really) at Greater First. The cover looks great! It sounds even better! Am I proud of them, or what? I know that Dr. Hammond is working her sources to make sure it is widely circulated. And then he, the postman, ruined it all with a light bill that really made me nauseous.

Wally update: I can only assume that word of my proposed transfer has reached Nemesis' ears. Pulled from the register and told to enter information into the system for new hires. Do What? Now why didn't they get her to do it before she left; she hasn't shown me how to do that. It took me two hours of frantically searching the database and shrill calls for help to my buddy, whose cell was turned off, before I found out how to do it. Thanks for the learning opportunity. Nothing like on the job training. In the last half hour, I learned that the overnight crew had not been given the paperwork they needed to sign. Got that started, as well. Could've been doing that instead of ringing up toilet paper. Lord, am I ever waiting for the go-ahead for this transfer.

It's still Black History Month. Click on the link to visit the Smithsonian's museum on African American history:
National Museum of African American History and Culture


The world is still spinning; getting off is not an option! Hang in there!

No comments: