Be Heard

I voted early yesterday, and it did not take very, long. They did not have a sticker, which sort of bummed me out but that is not why I was there; to get a sticker take a picture to post on FG, insta, or Snapchat. I was there to cast a ballot for the people and ideas I think are most like my own values and beliefs. I have voted in person most of the time, but I have also voted by mail / absentee while I was in the US Air Force. Way back when I was in basic training, before I left, my mother’s father, took me down to the local registrar office so I could receive my absentee ballot while I was in basic training. This was weeks, maybe even few months before I ever left for basic training. I promptly forgot that I had done this, just as any 19-year-old is likely to have done. Later, about this same time of year, I was in basic training. We, the basic training flight, were gathered for mail call and a general daily briefing from the drill instructor. At the beginning of this briefing / mail call the Sergeant was holding an official looking envelope and started giving a talk about duty, values, and citizenship. The talk was about personal responsibility, and to protect the rights of the people and the protect our own voices in government by voting. During the talk, the Sergeant grew very, disappointed in our training class as this was the first and would be the only absentee ballot that came to our training class. There were 52 people in that training class and the ballot in the DI’s hands was the only one that came in that year. My name was called, I was given the envelope, and I was told to go into the DI’s office and vote, while the rest of the training class remained in mail call and the daily briefing. The Sergeant had the very same resolute look on his face that my grandfather had when he insisted that I get my absentee ballot. I have always been mixed in my feelings about that day. I was glad I was voting but I was also upset with myself for getting the people in my training flight a dressing down. Especially since it was not even my own idea to get the ballot sent. However, that day has stuck with me. Two men, one family by blood, the other family by service instilled a sense of responsibility and the importance of voting. The rights we have are talked about in schools, with families and with friends but often it is not talked about in resolute terms. It should be and more should be done so that every citizen can vote and have their voices heard. I do not know what the rest of the people I was in basic training with, did after that or if they voted in any elections after that year or got absentee ballots after that or not. I have voted in elections every year and I hope they have as well. Statistics show that half of people eligible to vote go to vote. Do not sit on your rights, if you do not vote, decisions will be made regardless. Time waits for no one. Silence is consent, your vote is your voice. Be heard. My beliefs are my own, I am not a republican nor a democrat. I am not affiliated with any other party. I vote because I have the right to do it and try to vote for the candidate that most often represents my own values. I hope that everyone else who votes does the same and I leave it at that. I am a citizen and I vote. Please vote. Well, that is all for now, other stuff to follow most likely Happy Birthday if it is your birthday and a very merry un birthday if it is not your birthday Thank you for reading, please subscribe, follow, or give a like. Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood. Ciao, Invisible Don PS 3 / PS4 Gamer Tag: invisible don Invisible Don PO Box 4425 Roanoke VA 24015 Send me Post Cards … I love Post Cards

He mumbles in his coffee...

There is a saying that the more things change the more they remain the same. Well it is not said much anymore but trust me it is or was a saying. Which is not surprising. No one with any “power” wants you thinking for yourself anyway and they certainly do not want you doing anything that is truly in yourself interest. As Alanis mused, ‘isn’t it ironic’, inaccurately but that is a peeve for another time, “life” has a way of leading us away from the things that will truly benefit us. Us as a collective, not as a you or I, now don’t go getting your panties in a wad over the word collective, or at least just not yet. There will be time for that later. What I mean is that society is not structured for a larger percentage of the people to have real success. In fact, it is better that we only have an appearance that we are getting ahead. When the reality is that we are just running in place and not making any progress at all. Sure, you can disagree all you like and that is fine, it will not change the reality that all of us are stuck. Just like Bob mused when singing about Billy looking up from his coffee and suddenly roared, ‘It’s a rattrap Judy, and we’ve been caught.’ People are too much like water in that we seek to find the path of least resistance. Which is good in the sense that we find ways to do things smarter but in many ways most of us end up more ignorant. Which given that we are in the information age is a feat. To be fair, there is so much information out there and most of it is garbage or at least distraction. And there is garbage specifically designed for you or to your refinement. We are caught in a labyrinth and weighted down stumbling without even knowing that there is a maze let alone that we are struggling. There is a lie about frogs staying in a pot that is slowly turned up to a boil and the frog will stay there unmoving until it is cooked. It is a lie because the frogs had been lobotomized prior to the test so they did not really know what was happening. If you thought that was a true story, then is serves well to prove the point about there being a lot of garbage information out there and it is truly, difficult to find useful or beneficial information. Most of it is just there to be a distraction, but other information is intentionally designed and distributed to mislead you and keep you uninformed or informed in such a way that is beneficial to the structure of things. That being you on the bottom and someone else on top. However, things have gotten to a point that everything is a point of contention. Which should be a red flag but largely it is ignored. Again, to be fair a contending point of view hits differently when it starts to tear down the normalcy of our understanding of the shape of things. Our nature is to defend what gives us ‘protection’ or ‘comfort’. Putting those in quotes not because they are not real, but they are very board terms which are adaptive to facets of life and to each person. Next time you feel that twinge really ask, why does this bother me, and try to see the opposing point. We do not do this enough. Look around, most of what you will find is division, divisiveness, derision and deceit. Some of it is just life being different however a larger part of is purposeful. Designed to keep all of us sectioned off into our own little parts of the maze and making sure, that most of us spend our lives wandering without knowing we are lost or weighted down. The truly, ironic thing is that we can walk away from all of it at any point, but just like those lobotomized frogs in a pot that is slowing killing us, we chose to stay in the cycle. It is easy to be weighted down and find yourself just sitting there because it is the path of least resistance. Most of us don’t even think to ask, is it getting hot in here? It is. Well, that’s all for now, other stuff to follow most likely Happy Birthday if it’s your birthday and a very merry un birthday if it isn’t your birthday Today’s title: Lyrics from Boomtown Rats, ‘Rat Trap’ Thank you for reading, please subscribe, Have a great day and play nice in the neighborhood. Ciao, Invisible Don PS 3 / PS4 Gamer Tag: invisible don Invisible Don PO Box 4425 Roanoke VA 24015 Send me Post Cards … I love Post Cards