That Which Perpetuates Good

Sometimes I wonder why people do what they do in terms of a living.  Some I suspect just do what they have to - to get by, feed their families, make the payments.  I know this farming thing is a tough gig, but it's a workout all the same and keeps me plenty busy, meeting just about every need I have- spiritual, physical, emotional.  I have worked many jobs in my lifetime, most of those meeting the first criteria of doing what I had to do just to get by, but I always grew something.  I felt immense pride and joy in putting food on the table that I grew.  The kids would always roll their eyes after every exclamation-"Came from the garden kids!"  Or at the winter table-"These pickles were grown right here, by golly- last July, aren't they good?"  More eye rolling, more sense of embarrassment when their friend happened to be eating with us.  "Mom is such a hippy!"  (I'm too young to be a hippy....)  I think now though, the kids are happy with the jams that come their way, via the postal service these days.  I dream that they sit at their tables, buttering their bread and smiling big as they glob on big spoons of homemade goodness from Mom's garden...kids are kind of reluctant to let you know when something as soft and gooey as jelly touches their heart.  My aim is always there, past their stomach and through to their tickers.

I have always encouraged my children to vote, taking them to the booths with me, explaining the process ...it was a big deal, something when they were little they boasted about at school, displaying proudly the flag sticker that went along with vote casting.  I know Emma is a registered voter, not sure on the other two- I recall hearing of Em's first vote, the memory recalled by her with pride.  But I also hope I instilled something just as important as that vote- which, in all honesty does not carry the weight it once did.  Nowadays- I vote with my bucks.  I try to perpetuate the good being done by those who take from the land and give more back.  Those who handmake  clothing and use resources close to home which helps their local economy out.  I try to buy from the guy that makes pillowcases and donates a dollar of every sale to a program that offers shoes to children who don't have any.  I buy glasses upon glasses of lemonade from the local 4-H who are trying to get needed funds for camps and learning excursions.  Imported stuff does not get my vote.  If the catalog business imports everything, I recycle their rag and purchase nothing from them.  I shop at Goodwill- apt name.  I'm a shopaholic for good will.  Buy USA gets my vote, if only more folks would vote-perpetuate with their bucks local shops and American made- the white washed big box stores might cease to send out all our "votes" to overseas corporations where the workers are treated inhumanely, I do not wish to perpetuate that.  Now there are some who'll say-"but those workers need that job!"  That may be so, but if the workers here are barely hanging on- my "vote" may just help them to get a better hold and gain solvency which perpetuates more jobs here....and so on and so on.

Perpetuates gets a bad image these days.  It does not necessarrily mean a negative.  It has only been reported as such- when a story needs the loudest vibe,  news people abuse the term- "Hitler perpetuates...", "KKK perpetuates....",  etc.  And I can definitely see why it was used, it is a looking through a smoky, scary lens until all the awe and mayhem can come into complete cloudy focus.  But there is another view, a deeper, hopeful and clearer lens- that which perpetuates good, positive and powerful change.  Seeing like that begins with our vote, our buck, our relationship with money that might truly turn the tide, little by little.
I ask you to deeply consider your wallet, the votes in it- what does that next purchase perpetuate?

Take care-

Red Rover, Red Rover send...

Good Sunday morning,

Not a day that I would typically write, but...a casting of ballots is on my mind, my very simple mind...so, I will take the time to convey my thoughts on the presidential ballot.
I could say many things about the all too much brothers and sister in arms, fully locked tight, their family tree the same Bush. But, I would only then persuade an argument, and though it could be extremely interesting to stir the pot up a bit and watch it boil- the time has come to lay down a vote. The arguments, the logic-if any, has all been talked to death and any negative I might add would certainly just be shoveling another scoop of dirt on the already piled too high hill.

Do you remember, as a child-playing the game Red Rover? Let's see if I can help-"Red Rover, Red Rover send Terry right over..." The other side of kids, big and little-would hold hands tightly, trying to barricade your thrust through their line as you ran at it full speed. If you busted through, you took (if you were smart, and playing the game to the hilt) the strongest of their members back to your own line of defense-thereby your own line- strengthened. Now I see the policy makers like that, only-they don't play so fair, instead of locking hands and holding tight-they lock arms, making it almost impossible for even the strongest, most idealistic, most change promoting guy or gal to get through. Sometimes...perhaps one doesn't get through after all and joins their rank- my point here, what if one who has a gift for uniting joins up? And he in turn, now in their game, in their line-gets to call another from the other weaker line, (still talking about Red Rover here)...but in that game, if you recall-there is the option to call the whole of the other team across. The thinking there is you already have their strongest, only the weak links are left, they cannot bust through-in arrogance, they that are left are called. And what if, and this is the biggest if in this whole story, the uniter calls "Red Rover, red rover, send everyone over!" And every one starts to become united in one big line-all for one and one for all. Imagine the change such a line of strength and weakness, all aligned-might evoke?

My vote: Red Rover, Red Rover send Obama right over.

(I don't know if folks really bother to look at all the older posts when deciding if it's worthy reading in the long run...I'm going to do a bit of back pedalling here...my intial reasoning here was based upon my kid's reaction, awakening to the freedom of their vote...I have Mr. Obama to thank for that. But, this day finds me revisiting this post. The kids have awakened...but Obama, McCain seem more like zombies these days, followers. The signs they hold say Yield, I personally encourage Approach With Caution- don't know how I'll vote. I'm even contemplating letting the dog decide for me...at least he's loyal, and seems to hold a great deal of empathy for me and mine- that's more than I can say for our presidential choices today.)

I don't know if I'm right, I don't know if he's right, but concerning all the rest-I'd rather spend my one little voice of a vote on a uniter, not on the united state of the same old gamers-power,prestige- poverty of spirit. To my eyes and my own research, observations- Mr. Obama illuminates, and hopefully will reunite the masses like no other candidate thus far. I do not like this mess we're all in- I'll do my best to clean it up- one soul, one word, one action, one vote-at a time. Imagination and inspiration aside- I will give this guy a chance to walk the talk. I hope he gets that chance, or at the very least-enough votes to make the world wake up and take notice that many more than had ever been expected-have voiced the vote for a much needed change in direction.
Thanks for listening, and thinking, and remembering a game...
Take care-