Thank Goodness for Decent Political Candidates

Tuesday, February 27th

Good political candidates are about as rare as shooting stars at noon. I wish it weren’t so, but this is pretty much the truth. And everyone is frustrated. Republicans complain about “RINOS” which are “Republicans In Name Only.” Democrats complain about Neo-Libs who costume themselves in social issues while selling out to corporate interests. And Libertarians, Greens and Independents complain about all of them! So, what are we to do?

Honestly, accept that humanity is a shit-show. And, I don’t say this with rancor. I say it with sincerity and calmness. Because, it’s true. And it will stay true until the sun implodes. Or explodes. Or…whatever.

According to an article by Life Science: “Though the ultimate death of our medium-size solar mass is trillions of years in the future, the sun's "life" in its current phase, known as its "main sequence" — in which the nuclear fusion of hydrogen allows it to radiate energy and provide enough pressure to keep the star from collapsing under its own mass — will end about 5 billion years from now.”

According to the Christian Bible (or some people’s interpretation of it), we’ve got raptures, tribulations, doom days, second comings, and other interesting things to look forward to, some of which may be brought about by the return of the Jewish People to Israel and the building of the 3rd Temple. And, it might be true.

I don’t know. Do you? Really? Or, do you just believe one narrative — or another? Honestly, what else can we do but believe? Evidence is just evidence. It’s not proof. Proof will come after the world ends, not before. So, here we are. Stuck in the human shit-show of unknowns, chaos, sin, error, hope, wishes, desire, fear, and so on.

What’s a person to do?

Step One: Be Grateful. Yes, it could actually be worse.

Step Two: Accept. Yes, this is what humans do. And they always, always, always will.

Step Three: Control Expectations. One primary source of angst, I’ve noticed, comes in the form of disappointment. We could be doing things so much better, why aren’t we, this is so frustrating, I’m so upset we haven’t “arrived” at our perfect future to be….blah, blah, blah.

Hint: Perfection on Earth, with or without humans, ain’t happening. Ever. Unless we consider obliteration peaceful. An argument can be made for that, actually.

Step Four: Embrace Your Mortality. You have decades, at most, left to you. And, that’s just a possibility. No guarantee. So, seriously. Stop wasting time.

Step Five: Delegate Your Time Wisely. Time is many things. One minute is one minute of experience, intention, feeling, thought, memory making, creativity, and then — it’s behind you, gone, poof. I say delegate, rather than “spending,” because you can’t earn time. It’s given to you at birth, and so, your job is to delegate what you do with it.

Step Six: As your own personal “time delegator,” be stingy! Say no to activities that aren’t of real value to you. It’s okay to say no. In a way, be like a dragon. Hoard your time so that you give it away to only the most worthy of experiences and activities.

All of which brings me back to the title of this Substack, my memories of Bernie Sanders, and my current appreciation for how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has and is delegating his time.

The above image comes from Kennedy24.com. It’s a succinct elevator speech (30 seconds or less, meant to capture your attention) — a blurb that encapsulates the primary goals of a narrative, a story, a novel, an experience you’re invited to engage with, and so — will you?

I can’t encourage you to do so. Nor can I discourage. I will offer my perspective, though.

In 2015, I discovered Bernie Sanders. He was moral and ethical, had avoided the pitfalls of political sell-out-ism, and he offered a primarily positive message that said, “Yes, we can.” In 2015, I still felt like I was in the first half of my lifespan. I was filled with energy, and frustrated by the dissonance of Obama’s public persona versus his obedience to corporate interests, Bernie Sanders appealed to me. And so, I embarked upon a 15 month journey, devoting thousands of hours and thousands of dollars to promoting his campaign. I organized booths at local festivals, started a “Vashon for Bernie Sanders” group that became very successful on our island, began to participate in our local Democratic Party 34th Precinct, volunteered to be our Lead Area Caucus Coordinator (that was 4 months of endless work), observed closely the Delegate Process, traveled to Philadelphia on my own dime for the DNC where I spent 9 days on the ground interviewing dozens of people and organizations, gained a ticket for entry into the DNC one day, and yes, I tracked and wrote about the blatant and disheartening corruption of the DNC from start to finish as they manipulated American voters for their own elite goals with ZERO credible interest in what American voters actually want, need or care about. We are merely their justification and evidence for “why they should control positions of power,” in OUR government.

The truth is, he would have been very good for America. But, the human shit-show (the DNC and Organized Media) conspired to place Hillary Clinton on the ballot and she lost. “Nuff said.

What did I learn from that?

I learned that one needs to delegate time wisely. Am I glad that I dedicated 15 months of my life to a campaign that lost? YES. Because, I discovered just how bad American politics is at this time. And I’m talking about the Democratic Party. I can only imagine the Republican BS is similar. With vim and vigor, I dove down that rabbit hole and, fifteen months later, I climbed my way back out, covered in grime and grit, exhaused and emotionally worn to the bone. It was so traumatic, having all of one’s bubble popped in one fell swoop, that after the DNC, I stepped back 100%. I, quite literally, needed to tend to my soul, my emotional health, my physical health, I had zero interest in the General Election (Yes, I wrote in Bernie Sanders) — and not because I had become apathetic.

I had become wise. Which is where I am today, almost a decade later, when I am far more careful about how I delegate my time. So, how do I feel about Kennedy?

Grateful. Relieved. Hopeful. Impressed.

And, I’m willing to remind my readers that he exists, is running for President, and that he would be a very good one. Far better than the other options. In my opinion, he’s sincerely worth your vote (as an easy minimum) and maybe worth some of your delegated time, energy, attention and money.

Check him out and decide for yourself. Because, in this shit show of a world, good news and good people aren’t to be squandered.