Metaphors

Our, shall we say, not very sophisticated downstairs neighbors, whose population keeps rising, have been very irresponsible about keeping the common front and side doors locked, as we had asked them to from day one.  They claimed they kept losing keys, even after we let them copy ours again.  They want to be able to smoke out there and then just disappear, leaving the front door wide open day and night.  If we said anything, they would get very adversarial.  This is not a safe neighborhood, with people breaking into houses on our street all the time.  We are understandably concerned about all of our security.

Today the neighbor came upstairs and admitted that we had been right to warn them.  Our next -door neighbors had an attempted break-in and burglary, only they had installed security cameras,  caught the perps in the act, and had them arrested.  Our downstairs neighbors, confronted with this evidence, and other near-break-ins they had experienced themselves, finally saw firsthand the threat they are exposing all of us to, including their little children.  They promised to do better.

I’m always seeing metaphors.  I immediately thought of all the ignorant Trump voters who don’t see the danger they’ve brought upon themselves and all of us.  But when their choice comes back to bite them, when they no longer have healthcare or the safety nets they depend on, when their and their children’s basic needs and protections are denied, they are going to have an extreme wakeup call.  It’s inevitable.  I just hope we all don’t have to suffer too much deprivation and insecurity waiting for them to realize the consequences of their actions.

I admit to being judgmental of stupid, ignorant people who refuse to look at the facts and weigh their options and decisions, and how they affect others.  I’m having to teach myself to reserve judgment and hope that some of these people will eventually see the cause and effect and make better choices next time around.  I’m also learning how much I don’t know.

I now understand that many rural poor people have not been able to benefit from the healthcare marketplace at all because of the way it didn’t work for their demographic, and they’ve seen the modest economic dream they aspire to priced out of the market and crushed.  We in more privileged, progressive circles don’t always get that memo, and then are shocked when these people vote for an illusion of change.  All of us need to study the facts and unite around reform that includes everyone.

Well there you have the metaphor of the day.  I had been going to write about how my resolution plan is coming along, but I’ll just say it’s working well.  It’s hard at first to build new habits (including mental habits), but with realistic daily practice and repetition, you can even teach an old retired horse new tricks.

These are blue-footed boobies, just because.

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