Seize the Day Dems!

I've devoted the past several months, and every day this week totally to health care reform. I’ve attended rallies, met with congressional staff members, made phone calls and marched; and finally, for the first time since the election in Massachusetts, I am cautiously optimistic that we might actually get it done.

I'm optimistic because Senators like Harry Reid and Bill Dodd are finally speaking publicly, and forcefully, about getting the job done with or without the Republicans. Representatives like Congressman Anthony Weiner are plainly stating the facts on the house floor about our congressional members being a subsidiary of the insurance firms. It was clear in Thursday's summit that Republicans have no interest in participating in comprehensive reform. Congress has spent one year coming up with a bill. If they can’t get it done in that time frame, shouldn’t they be fired? Survey after survey shows that the American people want the reforms that are in the bill. It’s true, surveys also show that they don’t like the bill, but I am willing to bet that the majority of the people who don’t like it, don’t know what’s in it. They only know of a few things they don’t like. It’s like going to a restaurant, not liking a few things on the menu (that you have no intention of consuming), and condemning the restaurant as bad.

With a mechanism for success easily within reach, Democrats have no excuse for failure. They have already passed the bill. Now they just need to tweak it, to get rid of some of the “deals” they made. With only 51 votes needed for reconciliation, they no longer need the Leiberman’s of the world, and shame on any progressive House member who doesn’t vote for this bill it because it doesn’t go far enough. They have sick constituents that are counting on them. The writing is on the wall; it’s the end of the march of the wealthy. Democrats need to grasp their moment and run with it.

Seize the day, Dems…or...you’re fired!

Resilience

These days, when I pause from the computer screen to look out at the devastation that was left behind by the beautiful blanket of snow that enveloped all in site, I am reminded that often in life, something that once was beautiful leaves behind something that is not. The more the excitement and beauty, the greater the devastation, the deeper the wound.

So many slender tree trunks, I can now see, are not just bent, but broken. The snow that weighed down the branches day after day, allowing the deer to feed from the highest tips of the evergreen bushes simply grew too heavy for the branches to bear. Though rejoicing in the ability to sustain life, each was badly wounded in the process.

The recovery and clean-up will be long and difficult, but my mind also jumps to the opportunity that comes with replanting and renewal. This is the true test of resilience. How many hundreds, perhaps thousands of times in life are we asked to get back up with the same sense of motivation, hope, and renewal - no matter the depth of the wound?

And so, I view my life through this metaphor, knowing that these challenges are simply tests that I must embrace and conquer each and every time. Also realizing that if I build the trunk a little thicker, or perhaps make it more elastic, I can alleviate the suffering. But again, I question which is the way to go...elasticity or strength?

Closet Democrats

This is an interesting post to write, sparked by a conversation with a friend..... Several months ago I applied for a job at an organization that was predominantly Republican. It was in the home building industry which definitely leans right. While doing so, I wondered if some of my more political statements online might prevent me from landing the job, if I had an "online trail". Though my beliefs wouldn't affect my ability to do the job, they could impact how effective I could be if people responded by being less willing to work with me. Make no mistake, my politics shouldn't interfere, but they could if people weren't willing to look beyond them...

In the past, anytime I meandered into politics on the job, I was always disappointed, it was so right dominant. There was so little regard for others who may have lived or been born in "less fortunate" circumstances. No doubt, this might have been related to my choice of professions, but Republicans have always felt the freedom to be "out" in their corporate work lives, while Democrats seem to hide in the closet. We are afraid of losing our jobs, particularly in this economy where jobs are a bit scarce. When liberal became a dirty word, liberals in the corporate world retreated to their closets. What can be said of a society where liberal is a dirty word, but greed is not -- greed that almost brought this nation to its knees?

I've obviously made a decision to be "out". Will I go broke doing it? Maybe, but how can there be a progressive movement when half of the progressives are hiding in the closet? The answer -- there can't be. There is little strength in silence. We have to shift the dynamic in this country so that people can be "out" and still feed their families. Again, I am reminded of this much quoted Ben Franklin line...."They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Over the past years, I gave gained an added appreciation, of just how difficult, yet how important, this is to live up to.

Notes from a "Pseudo" Football Fan

I have to say, this was my first year watching the Super Bowl when I was truly cheering for both teams. Both teams had outstanding records during the season, and hence deserved to be there. I liked the Indianapolis Colts from the Tony Dungy days -- they just seem to be a classy team that did what it took to win, and I couldn't help wanting the city of New Orleans to have the "feel good" factor and financial boost from a Super Bowl win. But some other things happened while I was watching the game...

The first thing that got my attention was when I heard the announcers mention the name of the head coach for the Colts, Jim Caldwell. It was the first time I had ever heard his name mentioned during an NFL game. Now I'm not saying they never mentioned it before, I just never heard it. Pre-Super Bowl you would think Peyton Manning was coaching the team, because he's who the announcers always talked about and credited for the wins. Then, when the announcers mentioned a quote of Caldwell's, "When you're prepared, there's no reason to sweat", I couldn't help but respect him even more. It was a great quote (until they lost - maybe they should have been sweating a little more). I had first gained respect for Caldwell when he rested some key players, resulting in a few losses, a move he was highly criticized for but a move that made perfect sense to me. It seemed he was taking the low risk approach to the game -- work hard to prepare, then preserve your assets when you can -- easy choices.

The second thing that really impressed me during the game were the gutsy calls the New Orleans Saints coach, Sean Payton, consistently made throughout the game, and the way his players maintained a high level of performance, whether they delivered on the plays or not. It seemed he was taking a high risk approach to the game and the players stepped up to the challenge. In the end, the risks paid out for the Saints.

My take away from the game -- working hard and playing it safe may get you to the big game, but it won't get you to the top of the heap. The question is where do you want to be, at the top, or in the game?