The Storm Before The Calm...

 Hi!

Let's just dive right in, shall we?

It's mind-boggling to me how this Orange Bafoon can slump and sweat behind a podium and try to blame a guy who has never been, and is not yet president for the state of the country that has been under his watch for almost four full years. 

This, my friends, is a masterclass in gaslighting.

I personally grew up on a farm with pigs, chicken, cats, dogs, and cows, and have Never seen crap piled this high.

He, and those who excitedly line up to take turns puckering up behind him, would have you believe that the stoking of hate and blatant racism, has somehow been brought on by Joe Biden.

They would have you believe that marching for equality is the same as rioting and looting.

They would have you believe that a 17-year-old walking around with a loaded AR-15 and shooting people is, somehow, perfectly normal, even something to celebrate.

They would have you believe that a man who was shot 7 times in the back and left paralyzed needs to be shackled to his hospital bed. 

If the thought of all people being treated equally triggers fear in you, or you feel threatened at the thought in any way, a deep, lengthy look in the mirror is, obviously, long overdue. 

Equality diminishes nothing, strengthening everything.

He starts a fire, sends in his minions to fan the flames of that fire, blames the burning people for being flammable, then wants to be hailed a hero for pretending to put it out using gasoline. Then, starts a bigger fire to distract from the one from the day before. 

Before this occupant of the Oval Office, we never heard the terms, alternative facts, or fake news. The words hoax and witch hunt held meaning, Up was up, down was down. We didn't live life down a rabbit hole. 

Our friends to the South seem to be living in a Bizarro World version of itself.

Neighbours, you are one election away from having a VERY different way of life. 

Pay attention to the actions, both past and present, of each of the candidates.

Pay attention to the way they've lived their lives, how they have treated people throughout their time on this planet.

Voting one way will bring more of the same, but worse. There will be more talk of caravans that never materialize, and babies will remain in cages. More people will die unnecessarily from COVID. More people will NOT be covered for treatment. More people will be evicted, more people will be lining up in food lines, more people will wear their racism as a badge of honour. Time has proven he can do absolutely anything his dark heart desires with no accountability. His line about shooting someone on 5th avenue without consequence rings eerily. He is a glutton of power, with no conscience. They went down the long, arduous path of impeachment only to find there is no line in the sand. Soon he will possess the autocracy he desires, just like his buddies Putin and Jong-un. Are you okay with that?

Before you say that's not possible, take a good look at how far the bar has been lowered in the past four years. The same people who refuse to hold him accountable for ANYTHING wanted Obama to resign for wearing a tan suit. 

Voting the other way will be more of what I, for one, believe America is meant to be. More equality. More listening to, and following science. More empathy. More caring. More hope. More kindness. More conscience. More fair housing. More jobs that make an actual living. More actual leadership. He's lived a life that has required unfathomable resilience to not only survive, but thrive. He's conducted his life driven by service of others, seeing himself not as a king but a bridge to what can be. Are you okay with that? I sincerely hope so.

If you so choose, you are amid the storm before the calm. 

Choose Joe and be obliviously bored with politics once again.

Choose the Cheeto, well, good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour. 

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May the next sixty and some odd days pass with the speed of light.

May people claim what is rightfully theirs, the vote, don't surrender it without a fight.

May you choose with your conscience, choose with your heart, choose with your grandbabies in mind.

May you think about the legacy you will be leaving for them, one filled with hate or one that is kind.

May you see the difference between his deeds and his words, as they rarely coincide.

May you see the kind of man that's willing to pat himself on the back as the 180,000th COVID victim died.

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www.margyreidbooks.com 

Umbrellas And Other Life Skills...

 Hi!

Ahhhhh, umbrellas.

Whether you need it to keep you dry or to stave off the beating rays of the summer sun, knowing how to work one is one of those life skills that most people pick up as they walk the planet. 

An unconscious skill. You know, the most basic of skills you pick up with little to no effort.

For example:

Tying shoes: maybe a bit of a challenge when you are 5 or 6, but a task most can perform as an adult without much thought or focus.

Propelling ourselves up and down steps and ramps. After about the age of 2, another skill performed by most, regularly, without much thought.

Drinking from a glass: Most have this one down before their first birthday, some needing to use both hands for a little while, but, again, without thought or focus.

Discerning between reality and fantasy. The average bear can make the distinction between what is real and what is not real by the time they hit kindergarten. They know when they are spinning a tale, when they are telling the truth. They don't have to put effort into understanding the difference. (Knowing whether others are spewing garbage is a separate skillset. Some develop a better BS metre than others. A topic for another day.)

Understanding the difference between right and wrong. Even with only the slightest hint of guidance, empathy, kindness, compassion and the desire to do no harm are things kids have instinctually and come to understand as toddlers. Skills that become automatic over time.

Basic skills performed on a daily basis without much effort. For most.

For others, not so much.

Case in point. Cheeto-in-chief.

Although I don't know that he can't tie shoes or, tie, period,  I've never seen him do it.

Ramps, well, that would be a big old no.

Drinking from a glass, apparently not without the promise of a standing ovation.

Discerning between reality and fiction. The thing about this one is he only seems to believe what bolsters him, whether it really does or not. Like this Q Anon crap. He believes their crazy conspiracy because they like him. He only believes things that stroke his ego. He spews utter nonsense. He attacks because he has no real defense for his actions. He makes up and then repeats lies hoping, in some way, that repeating them will make them true. Hell, it started with the obvious lies about the attendance of his inauguration and just got worse from there.

Understanding the difference between right and wrong. Oh, I think he understands it fine enough, I just don't think he cares. Kindness, empathy, compassion the whole idea of doing no harm are, to him,  inconceivable concepts. 

He is now, who he has always been. He wants what he wants when he wants it and will stomp, ruin, crush, and destroy anything that gets in the way. He will knee cap the Postal Service, he will make up horrible accusations with no facts to back them up, he will feed into baseless, ridiculous, conspiracy theories, he will set fire to your constitution, as long as it suits his purpose.

The leaders with whom he shares these characteristics, this utter lack of basic life skills, are dictators, tyrants, just deplorable, garbage humans. Why he consistently chooses to align himself with these leaders is equally baffling and terrifying. 

He sees himself as a King. His talk of a third or even fourth term, his declarations that the only possible way he'll lose the election is if it's rigged, his blatant voter suppression.

In his mind, he is without flaws, beyond consequence, and entitled to all things, without sacrifice.

In reality, he is a delusional, want-to-be dictator who, on his best day, can't work an umbrella.

*******************************************************************

This week, from the outside looking in, with conventions underway, a person can't help but be flabbergasted by the contrast between what is and what can be.

Vote.

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May you hold tight to your right to vote, no matter the hindrances hurled in your path.

May you see that even he knows he'll lose if he doesn't cheat, he's had someone do the math.

May you look at the calendar with hope, the time of this ranting delusion can be over soon.

May you make sure your vote is counted, when run over by a  landslide, watch him change his tune.

May you see he's not fighting for you, he can't care, he's simply afraid to leave the Whitehouse.

May you see the office is his shield from consequence, without it, they'll be forwarding his mail to the big house.

*********************************************************************

www.margyreidbooks.com

And Just Like That, There's Another Crack In The Glass...

 

Hi,

How is everybody doing?

For some, school has already begun, for others, it will be in session soon.

How it will happen, how it will look, will differ widely, depending on where you live. 

Teachers, administrators, and support staff are doing everything within their power to make it a safe space. 

The safety measures implemented by different provinces, school divisions, counties, states, even individual schools will vary, but the goal is the same. An environment that has been made as safe as possible for everyone concerned.

Tough choices will need to be made.

If you don't agree with, or are not comfortable with measures taken, the option to school from home is there. Do what you feel you need to do. No judgment.

If you feel that your community has gotten a handle on COVID, and are comfortable with measures taken, and plan on sending your kids, that's all good too. No judgment.

If you feel that what's best for you and yours is a combination learning situation. All good. No judgment.

Everyone's situation, like in so many other aspects of life, will be so different. Let's be kind, understanding, and, empathetic of everyone's individual choices.

Being supportive is so important. We are all unsure. How can we not be? None of us have ever been through anything remotely close to this before. We have no past experience that can guide our decisions. This one can't be solved by dipping into the experiences of the generation that came before us. 

All any of us can do is our best. Our best to keep ourselves and each other as safe and healthy as possible. Our best to help the littles get through this as unscarred as possible.Our best to help our not-so-littles do the same. 

Maybe, if you are able, get in touch with your local school to see what you can do to help. Maybe a donation of hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes, masks. 

Be the village.

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Joe Biden named Kamala Harris as his running mate.

And just like that, there's another crack in the glass ceiling.

She is a kick-ass Gen-X woman who has done nothing but earn every accolade she's ever gotten.

Perfect. Nope.

She doesn't need to be.

She, upon the shoulders of those who tread before her, provides the next level of shoulders upon which future generations of little girls will have the opportunity to stand. 

She's capable, she's tough, she's compassionate, empathetic, unapologetically ambitious, and smart as hell.

Oh, and she scares the hell out of the Cheeto-in-chief. 

He and those who have their lips permanently attached to his butt are scrambling to find a 'nickname' for her, scrambling to find a way to go after her. So far all they've come up with is saying she was too tough on Kavanaugh, which she wasn't, she was doing her job.

They are trying the good old birther rout. Trying to say she is ineligible to run because her parents weren't born in the country. Really?! Didn't work with Obama, won't with her either. Careful ass-kissers, your racism is showing.

They are trying to make it sound like being ambitious is a negative. Why would it be? Because she's a female, by chance? I don't recall the term ambitious ever being used in a derogatory way in reference to a male. Interesting, isn't it? Careful ass-kissers, your misogyny is showing.

What's next, Cheeto, you gonna go after her looks? 

You've already tried to label her as 'nasty', didn't you use that one up on Hillary?

Oh, wait. All you have in your "good' brain is an extemely limited playbook. Your arsenal is limited by your willful ignorance. You have two cards. One is racist, the other, sexist. 

I challenge you to challenge her in a real way. Challenge her on factual policy, not the crap you've made up. 

Challenge her on her experience. 

Challenge her on her decisions. But real ones. 

Challenge the Biden/Harris ticket by giving the Postal Service everything they need to facilitate mail-in voting without incident.

Challenge her by keeping your crooked tentacles away from suppressing the vote. Period.

Challenge her on her intellect. I dare you.

"Woman, Person, Man, Camera, uuhhh TV."

This 'woman' is about to be the 'person', sharing the ticket with an actual good 'man', and, on 'camera' will kick your ass at the debates and, ultimately, in the election, and yes, it will be all over 'tv.'

****************************************************************

May this new crack in that stubborn glass cause a shatter, a beautiful mosaic, never to be replaced.  

May this new mosaic become the floor, the foundation on which limitless staircases will be based.

May this be the beginning of the end of the chaos, the last curtain call of the lunatic circus. 

May the adults that are about to enter the room, actual leaders, step in with a plan, with purpose.

May every little girl look to this moment and see herself without limits, ambition is awesome, there is no need to hide your shine.

May every little one look to this moment, seeing first hand how to stand up for yourself and others, face bullies, and come out fine.

****************************************************************

For your summer reading pleasure...

https://www.amazon.ca/Once-Broken-Margy-Reid-ebook/dp/B071HTFTX6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1R9EMUMKE2OCH&dchild=1&keywords=once+broken&qid=1597339671&sprefix=once+broken%2Caps%2C284&sr=8-1

Taking A Minute To Breathe...

 

Hi!

How's everybody doing?

I don't know about you, but I could use a break. From all of it.

So, that's what I'm going to do. I going to take a news holiday, bundle up some grandbabies, my hubby, and have a COVID-friendly summer adventure. 

We are very fortunate to live where we do. We live a heartbeat from a massive lake that allows lots of people to have all kinds of fun without getting remotely close to each other, so we are going to take full advantage.

It will be a weekend filled with a lot of sunshine, swimming, treasure hunting along the beach, ferry rides, and picnics. There will be gratuitous amounts of ice cream and other treats, knock-knock jokes, and Disney sing-a-longs.

It's a weekend to take a breath, maybe several of them, and make some space to create a few magical memories during this stressful time. 

This weekend will be spent with the littles, next weekend, with the grandbaby that is no longer so little. 

Different types of adventures, equally precious memories made. 

The world's troubles and life's stresses will still be here when we plant our feet on solid ground once again. But, for the next couple of days, I will only adult when absolutely necessary, the rest of the time you will find me within arms reach of tiny hands, searching for magical shells along the shallow waves of mystical waters, and proof of the unicorns which are fabled to frolic in the nearby hills. 

I hate to write and run, but I have a few things to get ready before the littles get here. 

Everybody needs to take a minute to breathe now and again. It's okay. You're allowed.

************************************************************

May the waters lap at your sunkissed feet, bringing with them the treasures you crave.

May every breeze breathe life into your heavy heart, may joy be brought in every wave.

May the sun dance across your face, may your smiles once again, find their way to your eyes.

May the moonlight find you bathed in serenity, in calm, stress melting away under the star-filled skies.

May you embrace the grace of here and now, for it's all that is ever truly ours.

May you allow yourself to find the magic, letting your minutes turn into gloriously wasted hours.

****************************************************************

www.margyreidbooks.com

Dilemmas, Decisions and, ummmmmm Demon Sperm??

Hi!

Well folks, it's been another crazy week! How are you holding up?

Here we are, smack in the middle of summer. The heat, the humidity, the not winter.

This summer, however, seems filled with booby traps. We find ourselves wrestling with decisions we've never had to make before. Some, of course, harder than others.

The dilemmas and decisions...

The dilemmas of the Summer of 2020 differ from any we've known before. In the past, Summer dilemmas consisted of ice cream vs. popsicle, pool vs. sprinkler, bike vs. walking, shade vs. sun, sunrise vs. sunset, Paw Patrol vs. Sponge Bob, road trip vs. back yard barbeque.

This year, the dilemmas are much more serious. In-person school vs. virtual, sending kids vs. homeschooling, crowded beach vs. backyard... again, canceling gatherings vs. shrinking them immensely, ice cream vs. popsicle.

By definition, a dilemma is a problem with no clear solution. When you throw in the consequences of decisions reached, this year, in the midst of the crap storm we are in, it adds even more stress to a time that has everyone at their anxiety limits.

As we all wade through all of the grey matter, let's be clear about one thing. 

None of us want to put kids, teachers, janitors, and the families they go home to in harm's way. 

Every school and every school district is different. Some areas have a pretty good handle on this nightmare, some, less so. Some have stringent protocols in place, some, less so. Every parent will have to make decisions they can be comfortable with. Every teacher will have to make a decision. Every superintendent, every school board member, every janitor, every bus driver will need to decide.

There is no purely correct answer. This is a walk into the unknown no matter which direction you turn. Thankfully, none of us have to do it alone.

Okay, so... on a less serious note.

Demon Sperm...

I'm not exactly sure what it says about a country's president when he tweets out to the masses the ramblings of a 'doctor' who believes and promotes the idea that women's gynecological issues stem from internalizing demon sperm during sex sessions that happen in their dreams and then... and then chooses to double down on that support later, defending it at an actual press conference. 

I'm not sure what it says about a country's president when he chooses to go golfing as so many of the citizens he has taken an oath to care for are sick, dying, facing a hurricane, hungry, unemployed, and a heartbeat away from being homeless.

I'm not sure what it says about a country's president when he continually tries to destroy the postal service to make voting more difficult, constantly trying to undermine the very backbone of what makes their country a democracy.

I'm not sure what it says about a country's president when he sends goons into cities to pepper spray peaceful protesters, beating them, kidnapping them, dragging them from their wheelchairs, shooting them with rubber bullets, inciting the very violence he wanted to make people believe he was trying to quash, all of this made so obviously apparent in the face of the utter lack of violence when the goons were removed.

I'm not sure what it says about a president who is good friends with child sex traffickers and wishes them well in their arrest/trial... wait, yeah I do.

It says about this president that he is absolutely everything he has shown himself to be over the course of his entire adult life, and more.

On the surface, he is a despicable person. We know this from past actions. Because he has an insatiable, gluttonous need to be the center of attention, much of what he has done has been in full view of the public eye. 

The overt racism, misogyny, cruelty, and complete absence of conscience are painfully obvious. He routinely refused to pay subcontractors, daring them to take him to court, knowing, of course, they didn't have the means to do so. This action, in and of itself consistently forced blue-collar workers into work-for-free situations. 

The effort and money he put into the ludicrous birtherism issue about Obama. 

The full-page adds trying to condemn young black men who had been proven innocent by indisputable DNA evidence. 

The lawsuits he was willing to go through to prevent people of colour from moving into his developments.

The way he refers to women, treats women, talks to women, assaults women, especially powerful, smart women. 

If you want proof, all you have to do is listen to the words that come out of his mouth, witness his actions, watch his body language, and be willing to truly listen to his tone.

He has been this person his entire life. He continues to be this person. He will continue to be this person. 

His tolerance of others is directly linked to what they can do for him, how they can service him, their ability to promote him, and their blind willingness to climb up his rectum.

Just like before the last election, he is planting seeds to be nurtured by his sycophants, that the results of the upcoming election will somehow be tainted. His go-to is crying fraud. NO evidence to support that. NONE. He's trying to hedge his bets.

The truth is as long as everyone who is legally allowed to vote, takes advantage of their right to vote and isn't prevented from doing so, he'll lose, and he knows it. He also knows that with the loss of the title, gone too are the powers and protections of the office. The powers and protections that he has come to rely on. The powers and protections he has used and abused to prevent people from testifying against him, prevent people from seeing his tax returns, prevent him from being convicted in his impeachment. He's going to miss those. 

The crimes won't evaporate with his loss, but the protections and protectors will.

When you are 74, not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, and, let's face it, an unredeemable dumpster fire of a human, you find yourself fired, and for the first time in your life, about to face consequences for your hateful actions, of course you're gonna panic. 

The only problem is that, as president, his panic button has nuclear capabilities, and he could not care less who gets taken out in its wake. 

****************************************************************

In honour of John Lewis...

May we all stand up, march in peace, face the uncomfortable, speak to inequality, step outside our safe topic bubble.

May we all be willing to face the fight, face the truth of our history, be willing to get into some 'good trouble.'

May none of us take for granted the shoulders on which we stand, it can be easy to lose sight of the bruises and scars beneath them.

May we see that with equality there is no 'one and done,' until perfection is achieved, we have to fight the big wars and the little ones between them.

May we all stand up for all those who are not able to stand alone, speak for those without a voice, lift those who struggle.

May we all be willing to get our hands dirty, walk the walk, talk the talk, be willing to get into some 'good trouble.'

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For your back yard summer reading pleasure....

https://www.amazon.ca/Once-Broken-Margy-Reid-ebook/dp/B071HTFTX6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ARDTJEWVNCU4&dchild=1&keywords=once+broken&qid=1596307503&sprefix=once+broken%2Caps%2C217&sr=8-1