I remember reading this interesting thing about Sartre when we were in Paris. Apparently he became such an eminent cultural critic during the height of his philosophizing that he began having to write for the newspapers ever day. His opinions would fluctuate wildly, and he would say more and more incendiary things because that's the sort of thing you do when you write ever day, even if you are a French existentialist. I'm merely pointing out that Sartre was one of the world's first bloggers, and I think it's fair to say that I am picking up in his fine tradition when I blog each evening.
With that in mind:
I am excited about the health care legislation. Why? I'm not sure. I started to read how it might affect me but then I got bored and started checking scores in inconsequential NBA games. I'm pretty much the bar when it comes to how much Americans know about legislation. The only people who know as much as they should are way too polarized to have anything useful to say to us neophytes.
I am firmly anti-Communist. I don't know exactly when American went astray, but I imagine it was somewhere around the time when kids stopped growing up in fear of being punched to death by Ivan Drago. I've always said that American functions at its best when it has something red to fear. And if you don't agree with me, well then, you're probably a commy. See how that works? Why did we ever get away from this circular logic? It was certainly this sort of fear that drove us to fake a landing on the moon. Do you know how hard that was? I can only imagine what my life would be like if I woke up every day with a fear that some Rusky was working harder than I was. I'd probably be a high level business man or something, pulling myself up by my boot straps. I'd probably have to buy some boots with straps though, mine just have laces.
6:13 A.M. Awake to find myself denuded of covers. Glance over at my wife sleeping peacefully under two sheets and our comforter with a duvet cover. Spend ten minutes angrily contemplating blankets back/somehow strangling her with them. But lovingly mind you. Don't actually do so for fear that the movement will keep me from being able to fall back asleep.
6:34 A.M. Awake to find S tucking the covers over me lovingly. "There you go," she says, as if she's been planning this all morning. Secretly begin plotting ways to poison her. Fall asleep mid-plot and like a dream, I forget that I was even planning to until now.
7:17 A.M. Awake to S shaking my shoulder. (Grunts) "Oh, I'm sorry, I just couldn't tell if you were in there." Imagine myself saying something like, "Was that really the best way to figure it out? Why didn't you just pour a bucket of water on me? Or hell, why not light the bed on fire and see if I got up to put the flames out? Is that you? I'm sorry, I just thought the best way to check would be to put these bamboo splinters underneath your fingernails?" (I think it's fair to say that a shake of the shoulder is almost akin to these things when the person in question is enjoying a night's rest/dreading the arrival of the morning). I didn't say any of this because I was tired. My response was more akin to: squinty eyed look filled with confusion followed by a grunt.
7:40 A.M. Wake up to my alarm and walk to the shower. Mumble "Oh shi-" to myself. A phrase which has pretty much become a mantra for me at the start of the day. I consider it my embracing of this next decade. My utter surprise that the morning will continue arriving early and that the world will still have expectations for me. I seem constantly surprised and disappointed that the day would have the audacity to ever start before about 9:30 A.M.
8:00 A.M. Eat a bowl of Kashi cereal in the dark, alone at the dining room table.
8:20 A.M. Navigate my way through traffic in our neighborhood. Aside: (kind of) The worst of which is the people who are exiting the Mcdonald's that is on the corner. They wedge out into traffic blocking the far right lane, which is otherwise car less, that I need to get to work. And something about the fact that these people are starting the day with Egg McMuffin's just enrages me even more. No wonder we need health care. Aside: I could really go for some delicious grease soaked, beef infused fries right now.
8:45-4:15-Work.
5:30-Proceed to my yoga class in clothes that smell like the inside of a shoe. Wonder briefly if anyone else is conscious of it. Stop wondering. Begin doing poses in my completely normal yoga class. 15 women and me. I do my yoga in the far corner and try to keep the groans, as my back gives way, to a minimum.
7:00 Read the update on the squirrels. Apparently they've chewed through the cardboard again and the trap has been re-set. I'm considering taking bets on how many squirrels we catch before they actually seal up the hole. My guess is twelve. We're at five right now. Luckily, they charge by the squirrel. When we can't pay our mortgage I'll have those little rodents to thank.
S: (Laughing in her sleep)
M: What?
S:(Still sort of sleeping) I'm just dreaming that you're writing this really funny blog about the squirrels eating our pillows.
M: That's depressing.
S: (Sleeping again).
"If I had to do life over again, I'd probably have chosen the steak over the chicken at that restaurant on the corner of R and Captiol. But, then again, hindsight is 20/20."
APB Modern existentialist philosopher/probably should buy a pipe to smoke guy.
by the way this is tara french
ReplyDelete"The only people who know as much as they should are way too polarized to have anything useful to say to us neophytes."
oh come on, let's have a conversation.
certainly, people don't need to know all that's in a bill etc. that is part of the point of a representative government, that we hope we elect people who will read the bills and try represent their constituents(since that is technically the definition of what they are elected to do - not to use their 'superior' intelligence to usurp their constituents, but to represent them.) but there is validity in understanding things that are in bills that will greatly affect our everyday lives. many bills don't. this "one" (the health care reform plan of course will have many bills and many versions, but you know where i'm going) does, and i think is worth caring about.
so i'm serious, let's talk about health care reform like normal everyday people. although it's likely most people would put me in the polarizing category, you know me, i'm normal. well, i'm not "normal" but i'm a normal person. i work in the non-profit sector, i own my own business, i do not make a ton of money doing either of these things, i'm a "normal citizen" let's say that.
so why are you excited about this health care reform? i am legitimately interested in your answer.
is china the only communist regime left???
ReplyDeleterussia not only forced us to the moon but
allowed thousands of people to have a reason to build bomb shelters deep beneath their back yards
perhaps there is one in your back yard-
check to see that food did not expire in 1964
and that water is still fresh!
you left out sausage mcmuffins and cheesy mcmuffins
again..why is america obese??
the current generation being born will have a shorter life span than their parents
who needs health care----3/4 of the bill does not take effect until 2014
squirrel dreams???strange...
Tara,
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right. I attempted to exclude myself from having anything substantive to say by admitting that I'd probably check an NBA basketball score before the specifics of health care. I'm exactly the sort of person who Jefferson wouldn't have wanted voting in the first place. I'm a fairly lousy member of a democracy in that I don't really gather specific information about candidates and the like, but tend to go on vague sorts of feelings. It's the very same sort of rhetoric that irritates me when people try and apply it to art. Ie, I just like the Twilight books. Get yourself educated, is always my thought.
Caveats aside: I regard universal health care as a noble (and perhaps attainable) endeavor. And I don't mean that pejoratively. Rather, I mean that in my granted limited experience working in a hospital in San Francisco I encountered a very poor population being given quality health care that I feel they deserved, not monetarily, but as fellow human beings.
Aside: I have a co-worker who was complaining that forcing people to get health are who don't want it, will in fact basically be taking 700 to 2,000 dollars out of their pocket. And I'd acknowledge that it is not a good thing, however, I'm okay with people told to get health care because I'd hate to see a family go bankrupt or a sever injury untreated because of penny pinching. Your life isn't worth it.
I'm also disappointed that the legislation didn't go further. I believe that a public option would have created a real competitor to private health care, and would have pushed costs down across the board. I fear that these companies are not being pushed enough, and I believe a government option would have done that.
But that's just me, and I realize that. My friend's Matt or Nick would be much more qualified to speak about the bill positively. I need a good and long Atlantic or New Yorker article to start to understand the specifics.
In short, this whole democratic citizen stuff requires effort, effort that I'm not always willing to give. Perhaps that will change with age, though as time goes by, the days and years seem to get shorter not longer.
Assumption implicit here: I'm guessing you're not a fan. Why not?
friend, you're awesome. i have been so busy, but will try to have carry on this convo with you soon. also, am so looking forward to coming out and seeing your new place. it was secretly my hope it would work out that way, so i am stoked!
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