I Was Wrong
Because something is happening here
But you don’t know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
— famous line often quoted by Hunter S. Thompson…
Ah — home sweet home. I’ve managed to pack in about 4 months of activity into the last 4 weeks. My niece and nephew came to tour parts of Europe with me the last portion of my stay. We started in London, then went through France, Switzerland, Italy, then finished in Poland. We saw my father and family in Krakow, with the last stop being our massive family apple orchards outside of Warsaw.
Off our eight hour flight from Europe to Philadelphia, our first step on to US soil meant me being detained by US Customs for the 3 family apples I apparently still had in my bag. They wouldn’t even let me take one last bite. Three Federal Customs officers seized them all(I guess one agent for each apple). My niece and nephew waited patiently outside. It was pretty scary, coming home to that kind of scene. As Hunter always said, it DOES matter who is running your government.
But I did make it back to Owl Farm without an apple lawyer, and Woody Creek is peaceful and beautiful, even after a record snowfall year. Writers/caretakers Andrew and Jonathan aged considerably after each consecutive snowfall which damaged the roof, porch, flower beds and almost everything else. But all is well and sunshiny now that it is Spring. The peacocks are in full character, along with the daffodils, tulips and Jasmin. I spent half the day yesterday planting pansies, which were already taller this morning.
But yes, so much seems to have changed while I was gone. The first thing I saw on American CNN was a shot of Obama mentioning how he had been campaigning in all fifty seven (57) states. Wow, I thought. Things have changed. Even my mom immediately mentioned (with a wink) that Bill Clinton had switched his support to Obama too.
Which leads me to what I’ve been meaning to write to you for some time now. I have been totally wrong about Barack Obama. I underestimated him completely. To say he was too inexperienced, young, naive and hip to run for president was unobservant and stupid of me. Anyone who has the balls to stab his mentor in the back, with the whole nation watching, must be ready for Presidential politics. Jeramiah Wright had been one of Obama’s mentors for over two decades — including his controvercial, bitter sermons. Obama called him "uncle," but, Jeramiah wasn’t needed anymore…. Obama now has Oprah, the Kennedys, and even Melissa Etheridge! Not to mention his arugala eating, latte sipping support base who not only found this betrayal normal, they actually applauded him for it. Bizarre.
So anyway, I was wrong. Although I find that behavior despicable, anyone who can do that to friend or mentor, and still cast his colagate smile, must certainly be ready for the White House, right?
In the beginning, as in a couple years ago, I wasn’t really a fan of Hillary either. But, watching how unfairly the majority of talking head pundits treated her, and learned that they have been for the last 35 years, I gained more and more respect for her as the months passed by. She is tougher than I imagined. That she ran a flawed campaign can’t be denied. That she has served this country from behind the scenes and front-n-center for the last 35 years also can’t be denied. Please do keep in mind that she was outspent 4-1 in those states that she won (and most that she lost). That is pretty victorious in my opinion. That she would have been the best candidate? Only time will tell, if more testosterone enters the white house.
One thing Hillary has done is that she has created a powerful grassroots network of political camps all over the country. If Hillary really is out of this presidential race, there are going to be empowered groups of women all over the country that will need to get into local politics or SOMETHING to avoid deadly estrogen buildup. They saw her strength and class, and were not entertained by it, they were actually awakened by it. Perhaps Hillary, after taking a rest, will make a tour around the country to help organize women into local politics. That would be beautiful, and truly revolutionary. But she shouldn’t wait too long, as Sojourner Truth warned us in 1867…
I am for keeping the thing going while things are stirring; because if we wait till it is still, it will take a great while to get it going again. -Sojourner Truth, Equal Rights Convention, New York.
All politics is local anyway, right? Plus, with all the abuse Hillary has taken just for running against a young, hip, slick politician, it becomes martyrdom after a while. Perhpas it IS time to lovingly detach.
I’m no political expert, so maybe I’m overthinking. But what HAPPENED to this primary, I wondered last night as I gulped the last of my tea. Could it be the simple fact that Obama was smart enough to listen to his wife while Hillary was dumb enough to listen to her husband? Nah. SURELY, it’s more complex than that.
Anyway, I’m going back to the garden.
Until next time, your friend in Woody Creek,
Anita Thompson
p.s. My sincere condolences to the Kennedy family for the tough road ahead. But the Senator is a strong man, and I wish them all the best of luck.
