“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves: ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?” – Nelson Mandela
That Nelson Mandela quote was my Facebook memory from July 28, 2011.
A dozen years later – contemplation is ongoing – as I try to understand my life, I’ve about decided FEAR was my biggest obstacle.
Brave of me to say, perhaps.
2022.
MAGA beta testing continues in Florida.
This is America’s future post-Trump.
DeSantis targets Paypal and more: The governor wants to ban credit card companies and money transfer services from “discriminating” against users based on political or religious ideology.
Drag brunch is next: DeSantis’ administration on Tuesday filed a state complaint against R House, saying the Miami bar’s weekend event exposes minors to “sexually explicit drag shows.”
Jailhouse campaign: Jeremy Brown is running for Florida House from the Pinellas County Jail. He faces charges related to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Influencing news site’s coverage: A firm working for Florida Power & Light gained control over a Tallahassee-based political news website and made editorial decisions ahead of the 2020 elections, records show.
Meatball Ron – sadly savaging something savory – be better named Lima Bean Ron.
2021.
“In my administration, we understand that reducing crime begins with respecting law enforcement. We will not tolerate smears, or slanders, or assaults on those who wear the badge and police our streets. In order to keep every American safe, we are making officer safety a top priority—unless you’d rather not have that.”
Donald Trump, February 2019.
Unless you’d rather not have that….
Headlines re January 6.
Lest we forget. There was no lovefest.
Not a normal tourist visit.
An insurrection fomented by sedition.
Critical Reality Truth.
2020.
We jump ahead. Or behind, in this case.
2015.
“Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything… It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.”
Enid Bagnold
Actually, I am still pretty much astonished by everything.
And I am still trying to become a writer.
Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.
Orison Swett Marden
That must have been the year I won ‘Best Running Book’ and didn’t get invited to the awards banquet.
2013.
Lunch with my 88-year-old Mother. You could make a long – tortuous – movie about the day. But we took her to a Chinese buffet (my bad) and I asked her a question about a mayoral election coming up in her home state.
“So, Mom, suppose you were a New York City voter. Are you voting for a lesbian or a pervert?”
Short pause. “Well, I guess I’d vote for the lesbian.”
And so we discover the positive side of the Carlos Danger situation.
I have written time and again about the value of “Sports Illustrated.” (I give my copies to my garbage man.)
Where there is slow growth, there is humility…. You have to know what second feels like to appreciate first.
DeMarcus Ware
The problem with slow growth is the length of time it takes.