Are we nuts?

 "Human Beings have a gap—between who we think we are and who we really are. Closing the gap is where being awake is."

~ Natalie Goldberg

Are we nuts?

4:00 a.m.

The ad on the television was designed to help me understand that this particular news team was the one I needed to watch to guide me through and into what they claim is the new normal.

Are we nuts?

There is nothing normal about any of this.

It's a freakin' quarantine.

Absolutely the definitive abnormal!

All being hyped 24/7 by the same people who want me to "trust" them.

Are we nuts?

We are being asked to cheer for and give thanks and praise to people who are doing their jobs.

You want me to cheer for the supermarket worker who a month ago was giving an 80 year old woman a sneer as she popped the gum in her mouth because the woman asked her to not overload her grocery bag since she had to carry it from the car herself ?

The same grocery store clerk who wouldn't let me in her express lane because I had too many items, even though it was 10 o'clock at night and there was absolutely no one else on line?

Are we nuts?

We are living in a time where we are making super heroes out of everyone and everything.

Are we nuts?

I just saw a posting encouraging everyone to go out every night at 9 o'clock and bang pots and cheer for our health care professionals.

Seriously?

This is the career they have chosen.

They signed up for this.

I appreciate what they do. I just won't stand up and cheer for them.

They have their pride and take pride in what they do. If they don't, then maybe they shouldn't be doing it.

Growing up we had this thing called the draft.

You turned 18, you had to sign up. Sign up to possibly go fight a "war" in some God forsaken corner of the globe that our government felt you needed to die for.

No awards.

No promises of glory. It was not a choice. It was your duty.

Today, we choose this as a career path and then expect, yes I said expect, to be honored for it.

It is a conscious career choice people.

I know I am probably pissing a lot of people off here.

No apologies.

Remember, I have a daughter who is a nurse,doing her job on a daily basis,being the caregiver that she has chosen as her career.

Her husband is a cop. You know, one of those first responders who puts himself in the line of fire on a daily basis.

I am proud of the work they do and their commitment to doing it.

I would be really upset to think that being praised was a motivating factor in their career choice.

We are all heroes of our own lives.

I have a daughter who answered the call to become an entrepreneur, opening a small business, the backbone of our economy and the stuff that Americans used to dream about,creating jobs and serving the community.

Go bang a pot for her.

I have a son as well.

A son who gets up every day,5 days a week,50 plus weeks a year and goes to work at a job.He is the American working man.

No one throws a parade for him. No one lauds praise upon him.

It's his job. He takes pride in doing it ,which by the way, is more than I can say for the bagger at the supermarket who is more interested in the time clock than he is in making sure my carton of eggs doesn't get broken.

What have we created?

The society that has given us a culture in which showing up deserves an award, is now exalting everyone and anyone who is doing what they are supposed to do....the right thing!

And don't get me started on humility.

That is certainly no longer an attribute that has any meaning to it.

As you can tell, I am riled up.

Riled up and disappointed.

Amazingly, I actually have a whole lot more to say about "are we nuts?"

Our government? news media?Our so called leaders?Self righteous "Hollywood" types and campus intelligencia?

Are we nuts?

I can create a never ending list of the bad roads they have lead us down over the last 50 or more years.

Maybe I could write a daily on just that....a column called are "Are we nuts?".

Who knows, it may be a new career. And some day, someone will honor for me it as well. I might get an award.Now there's a reason to go do something.

Public displays of adoration.

Are we nuts or what?

I for one am embarrassed by praise.

It's unnatural.

It doesn't feel right..

I have both my pride and my humility.

They are mine and mine alone.

I for one think they are complementary and certainly not mutually exclusive.

As an old coach of mine was fond of saying"you put your jock strap on,suit up and go out and give it your all".

'nuff said,time to go back to bed.