I like it! It has been a long time...!

Remember when BO was elected? Feels like a generation ago. Phew!!! Remember when we saw the helicopter of the previous Prez (hint...the "Decider"...) flying out of Washington out of the White House? Can you remember how you felt in that transition? The possibility of possibilities occurring soon, taking you and I, all of us (US as in U.S.?), the World even!, on a new course, a new life, and renewed pride in the country?

And then, for how many months have you sensed all that hope disappear, day-by-day, little-by-little, as the interaction between the 'rulers' (yes, rulers, and that includes Government, Elected Officials, and the lobbyists such as the Chamber of Commerce, Tea Party'ers, PharMA, rabid extremist Conservatives and Republicans who act as if 'they-can-not-accept-an-intelligent-nonwhite-but-Black-President-who-can-speak-coherently-for-more-than-three-words-and-who-can-debate-with-the-best-and-knows-the-Constitution-better-than-the-penguin-dressed-alike-Supreme-Court-recalcitrants, etc., etc.) and the new Staff and the President gets you thinking and feeling that all is lost: your faith in hope, your sense of ethics, your belief in democracy, your outlook on purpose, your values...

All of this, to also include things closer to basic life components, such as housing and the threat (or reality) of mortgage default, underwater values, underemployment, unemployment, loss of health insurance coupled with sickness demanding pocket cash not available...

Not pretty, but rather depressing. 

And then the intuitive path to hope out of all of this - Government, yes Government! - and its stance toward some sort of social net to rescue you in the time of actual or future need, as the case may be, is accosted and intentionally attacked and vituperatively labeled "socialist", "fascist", "communist", and you become "lazy", "ignorant" "Acorn", "drag on the economy", "irresponsible", etc., by the "rulers", who are now polling at 50% or so of the population and your side of Government. Whoaaa!  

Bring me the antidepressant!

And you ask yourself, how have I lived in the richest country in the world, cradle of liberty, justice, and freedom for all - all? - without noticing these traits before? What was I sleeping on?

And then you realize that it is all a bubble. The economic bubble was the mirage. You were being sucked deeply into the stage, announced as protagonist of the 'dream', while you had a 'buck' to decide where - out of the multiple hands vying for it stretched out in front of you - you were going to'deposit' it. And you did not know because no one wanted to 'wake you up'. The so called "room service wake up callers' were also after that same dollar, and were telling you the time based on what they thought you wanted to hear. They - the media - was complicit in keeping you asleep. But the day came when you were in another bed, with a different 'room service wake up call', one out of the main 'drag', in the 'boondocks' of the station lineup, or the google fast search samples, and you receive the 'call' and realize that you have been part of the troupe that brings in the 'mula'. Little goes to you, and if you can not 'play', tough luck! "We have a waiting list" of responsible ones.

The individualism orientation of society is so deeply embedded in the consciousness - no, not at all, but in the "reptilian hypothalamus" -  that the death and pain and misery of millions in its backyard is invisible. Its cries - not heard. Its lament - another proof that "people need to go to training and be prepared for a second career". "You can be all you wish to be", in this country: just work hard ie., harder!)

And so much more.

But!, someway, somehow, yesterday's day-long watch of events brings in, reverses the prevailing stories. The word "right", and "health", are used in the same sentence. And, the "rulers", are mad as hell, and irrational in their discourse. And calling epithets (let's not go there...), and raising fear, and "representing you and me (in their speeches, calling us "the american people"...I don't know who those are, for they never asked me: did they, you?), and making promises that they will do this and that...the more they act out the more I get in touch with myself, and remember my own rants when I was hurt, and mad, and behaved the same way! Yes, their bluff was called. The bullies were pushed back. Hard. And they don't know what to do except what they do best: incite fear, lie, exaggerate, cover up, misrepresent, and manipulate. They are doing a lot of that.

And, hope comes out of its 'cave', and asks: "are you sure I can come out, again?".

"Yes - do". Change is in the air. It's not going to be nice for a while, but in the long run (!), it is going to be...er...different. The structure is being taken down in order to put in a more sound, stable, strong one. Enjoy.

PS: Check out this note by Robert Creamer: "House Health Care Vote Transforms the Political Landscape".