Monthly Archives: January 2017

Gratitude Amid Chaos

Women’s March,Sundance Film Festival,Park City, Utah. Thank you, VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty Images

I do not like chaos in my life; I prefer order and a semblance of predictability. I am not alone given the number of crowd-swells starting with the day-after-inaguration Women’s Marches throughout America and continuing night and day, in the streets, at senate and representative’s offices, and at airports on this 9th day of Trump’s presidency.

We are living with a leader who , by nature, shoots from his gut in total defiance of rationality, especially if it fits a sound bite that feels true to his “fantastic” sense of self. We have elected a man without the resource of executive functioning—i.e., the ability to consider consequences of rhetoric in service of self-aggrandizing emotional spillage.

Those of you reading thus far know exactly what I am describing. We are all in the same boat, unmoored, longing for a navigator to set our course, provide assurance and reassurance about how this trip will end. But setting this boat called Democracy right, and keeping it on course depends upon all of us. Trump leads by defying what makes moral and legal sense. Our right to protest, long ago modeled by the founders of our Republic set the format for how citizens can create order out of chaos through peaceful demonstration. Case in point: The Women’s Washington March attendee estimates range from 440,000-500,000. There was not one arrest.

I have endless gratitude for the thousands of women who planned ahead, left their families or included them, bought bus, train, airline, metro tickets or drove to the capitol to show our newly elected president that his crass rhetoric, bankrupt values, and bullying-my-way-or-the -highway leadership style will not be tolerated in our United States of America.

I wanted to attend the Boston March but did not, my own effort at executive functioning in acknowledging my age and need to balance my energies. Instead, I watched on television with pride at the outpouring of families and women, their pointy pink hats and bold signs.

Four (yes 4!) female organizers, in conjunction with Planned Parenthood, organized and planned the event. The issues — reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, gender and racial inequalities, worker’s rights, environmental issues, to name a few. It was amazing to witness the sheer numbers, the energy and dedication of so many navigating what they/we believe are the issues we need embrace and protect.

One week later: we are in the midst of the chaos ensuing from Trump’s immigration ban on January 23rd. I am grateful to Judge Ann Donnelly who, on a Saturday night, stepped up, made the phone calls, determined that safety for people came first and ordered the first emergency stay on the ban.

For myself and for so many with common concerns, the course ahead is about how to maintain focus and a healthy balance. The how, the where and when will depend on what feels essential to each of us. Each in our own way, joining others in the essentials of democratic principles, can make a difference.

As a guide for focus, I offer this Boston Sunday Globe’s Citizen Guide to Survival in Trump’s America: http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2017/01/29/citizens-guide-survival-trump-america/gMZVkKI3thauRlgUxH4dWM/story.html

 

 

Trump: Like The Weather, Hard To Predict

January 19, 2017

Yes, the weather is unpredictable and variable, ranging from chaotic to sunny. We fear tornadoes, earthquakes, and intense coastal storms. We frequent our weather apps, stay up late (at least I do) to catch the 11:00 news, to watch my local weather person track the trajectory of what lies ahead. I like to plan; I need to plan.

I spent the two days before the inauguration watching CNN and MSNBC to educate myself about a few of Trump’s cabinet choices—who they are, how they think, how they respond under the pressure of astute questioning.

I’m grateful to these networks for their willingness, without extensive commentary, to cover as many hearings as possible.

In my last blog post— I am NOT the Enemy, I addressed my concern over Trump’s lack of executive function as demonstrated by his itchy-finger communication style. Given his reactivity and potential for impulsive decisions, I needed to see first hand if any of his cabinet choices could balance Trump’s inclinations.

  • Nominee: Health and Human Services Secretary, Representative Tom Price, a dedicated Tea Party member and 10-term representative. Smooth talking and unflappable, even when confronted with gapping conflict of interest investments, Dr. Price assured but did not promise that he would maintain the intent of the Affordable Health Care Act. Under the precise questioning of Senator Elizabeth Warren as to how he can justify his recommendation to cut billions from the Medicare and Medicaid budgets, he said that spending on the programs was the “wrong metric.” How can his metric— care of patients, be separated from economics ? This man’s policies will take careful monitoring and translation.
  • Nominee: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, company employer since 1975. At first, Tillerson appeared straight forward, possibly a man of his word. But as the hearing focused on his cozy dealings with Russia and his assurance of support of sanctions (in direct contrast to Trump’s stated opposition), beads of sweat and stress appeared on his forehead. Can we believe Tillerson’s assurance that Trump would heed his lead on sanctions and on the effect of fossil fuels and climate change. I want to believe but cannot.
  • Nominee: Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, a Goldman Sachs banker and now CEO of his own fund, Dune Capital. By far, Mnuchin’s testimony was the most fascinating—it was the complexity of his character. Ingratiating and polite to a fault, it was as if the sincere articulation of personal phrases such as “thank you” and “I’m empathetic and sorry,” could wipe out the multiple stories of people who lost their homes under Dune Capital’s watch. Only when Mnuchin turned to the tasks of the job at hand—modernizing the outdated Internal Revenue technology and a willingness to track and monitor overseas investments which violate tax laws, did he seem a credible candidate. My verdict: Maybe, on some accounts ( no pun intended), given his expertize in technology and tax laws.

Like the challenge of weather, we need to develop  ways of tracking and resisting the complex machinations of Trump appointees and their effects. I’m grateful for this forum for grounding me like a port in the storm.

 

I Am Not The Enemy

Faye Snider,
circa 2013

Readers, I’m grateful for this blog, the freedom to write on this difficult subject. Since New Year’s, I’ve been pondering Trump’s New Year’s eve tweet, not quite believing that as president-elect, he wrote the following:

Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do. Love!

The word “enemy” caught me. Does he believe I am one of his many enemies because I voted for Hillary? Are all Democrats, all who voted blue, his enemy?

The definition of “enemy,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is:

  • “one that is antagonistic to another; especially: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent.”
  • “something harmful or deadly”
  • “a military adversary, a hostile unit or force.”

At first, I brushed it off— the words of a non-thinking man, a man who uses Twitter as a megaphone, in the moment, tweeting out whatever is on his mind. When I looked closer, I noticed that Trump, in fact, used the word “and” to separate his “many enemies” from “those who fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do.”

In reacting emotionally, I merged the words— enemy, fought, lost, and the final insult— “they just don’t know” ending with “LOVE.” Huh? LOVE?

Gratefully, I know to take a deep breath, slow down, pause, try to think it through. What was Trump thinking when he typed these words on New Year’s eve? In my opinion, he was not thinking. The man who will assume the executive office in just one week, lacks ‘executive function,’ the ability to regulate stimulus reactivity, to consider the effect of his words, to offer an appropriate response.

What I know is that I am NOT Trump’s enemy. I am, however, not his friend, either. I’m a citizen who voted for a woman I respected. I would like to respect Mr. Trump. But to do that, I need behavior that shows he is taking into account all those who did not vote for him. How do we get a man who is gleeful over rendering Democrats “helpless” to consider inclusion of the other and responsibility to all?

I watched the confirmation sessions with gratitude yesterday. Our country DOES have checks and balances. There are bold representatives and senators who are digging in, speaking out and doing the job of legislating best they can. Yesterday, I embraced a new heroine, a woman nearly my age, Diane Feldstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary committee, who on the second day of the Jeff Sessions hearing, took a day off for pacemaker surgery.

She surprised her colleagues by returning to the hearing the very next day to pick up,  without fanfare, where she left off—holding Mr. Sessions accountable for his behavior and questioning his intentions.

I am grateful to realize that all of us who lost the election are not alone. We are a unit, a voting block of 65,844,954 men and women, who, by speaking out and opposing thoughtless measures, can bring reasonable solutions and civility to our national life.

 

 

 

 

 

QUIET

Companion Oaks
January, 2017

The first snow came this past Friday morning— a white, powdery quilt cover —tucking away and hiding the slimy, wet leaves matted down, scattered over the driveway and hills. For the first time in weeks, I perceived order; there was quiet.

I am grateful for the calm of this brief snow. The winds of change swirl all around. Senator McCain conducted a three-hour hearing on Russian hacking yesterday. The radio and Internet are abuzz with anticipation over how the president elect will respond to the in depth release of the CIA’s long investigation. When I switch to AM/FM or to CNN or MSNBC, I am anxious, anticipating disquiet.

From my kitchen window, I am grateful for the sight of a rough hewed oak trunk mottled with snow clumps. The tree is sturdy and steady, sheltered, in part, by a lean companion pine with its green feathery needles stretched outward. The sight brought to mind observations of Peter Wohlleben, the author of The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate. 

These trees are friends. You see how the thick branches point away from each other? That’s so they don’t block their buddy’s light.

I decide to look closer, grab my IPhone and sweater, step out onto the snowy steps and patio. Close up, there are two grand oak trunks leaning towards one another in a “V” shape, root-linked.

Trees like to stand close together and cuddle. There is in fact friendship among trees.

I am grateful for the presence of these two companions just as I am grateful for the friendship of my women’s group. We met yesterday, five of us huddled under hand-knit shawls, to fend off the chill on our necks, our backs as we shared news of family, and worry for our country’s future in anticipation of Trump’s inauguration.

Last night, Marv and I shared Shabbos dinner with two couple friends. The ritual is familiar— we light the Shabbos candles, say a prayer over wine and challah. We talked—first of pleasantries, the winter, plans for travel, one couple, “snow birds” for six weeks, my envy hidden. Mid-meal, we land on Trump, the GOP, their mission to repeal, the topic of dissent— how to make it positive, avoid backlash. What I know, deep down, is that we must stay alert, just as when one tree is attacked by insects…electrical signals pass through the bark and into the roots and from there into fungi networks in the soil that alert nearby trees of danger.

As darkness comes, I lose sight of the trees, turn to the television for news, the worry of new Trump Tweets, its effect on programs I believe in. Would that I could remember, call to mind at will, the soft comfort of calm my morning companion trees invoke. Calm, like gratitude, must be invoked with the deliberate intention to dial down and focus on the in and out breath, the deepening sigh at the sight of snow.