Peeps
A reader response to yesterdays post “Bible Study” stimulated my thinking. Those with whom we disagree are in a position to help us the most. That is counter intuitive, and true.
Why are many scared, so angry? And what about my state of mind and heart? What emotions are evoked by a cursory reading of the front page of the NY Times this morning? Your understanding of the headlines and perhaps a few lines of a column or two will not be identical with mine. Every one of us brings a distinct set of experiences, and the consequent layers of their residue. There is a grid of emotive repertoire, the leftovers from painful defeats, and delicious successes by which we interpret what we read, and every thing that we hear. If I happen to have feelings of hatred, even murderous rage, a proclivity to do violence, that is about me. Inevitably I bring the legacy of my life to this juncture, — to what I just read, or to what you just said to me.
What is to be done? What about looking to politicians, liberal or conservative to “tamp down” the violent rhetoric? Are we not each minded to be violent or compassionate for our own reasons? Am I on any elected officials payroll, subject to their orders? Moreover do I not already know that my rage is a dangerous beast; that following my rage is the highway to hell?
I propose: Peeps.
That’s right, that we all make a pilgrimage to the candy isle at our local super market and purchase a package of Peeps. These are pastel colored, marshmallow baby chicks, coated with sugar,–highly prized by small children this time of year. Yes, let’s all enjoy a Peep or two, revel in the primal delight of sweetness, the texture of marshmallow, and be thankful that we are yet alive. And wonder of wonders, now we share a common ground upon which we can show appreciation for life, and comity. By virtue of this communal sacrament of goodness, a Peep —-we dial back the dark feelings a bit.
Go ahead and laugh. I need to laugh, to laugh at myself. And I need to laugh with you. Maybe some of us could send a package of Peeps to the White House and to Congress? They do have individuals on payroll, and they can use a break from the lash of circumstances. They can use lots of Peeps.
Things can be different. Have another Peep…….
2 thoughts on “Peeps”
I appreciate your moderation and sense of humor with regard to the use of Peeps. but my serious side reflects a different viewpoint, for there is an implicit violent nature inherent in the current administration. From the president’s tweeted threats of retribution to the defunding of the arts and social services and the ramping up of the military, every aspect of this way of thinking has to do with control, bullying and violence. Regardless of any threats to members of the government, the DT folks have turned a blind eye to a nationwide flurry of shootings and bomb threats against anyone who appears to be foreign or in many cases, non-white. Through executive orders, Trump has declared outright war on immigrants, the poor, women in general, liberals, the arts, tolerance, healthcare, and any other faction that is associated with those who disagree with him. I would have been astounded to find there were not threats against someone who has made it clear that the lives of those who disagree with him are not worth a nickel.
I see what you see as I try to understand the day to day acts of the administration. Terror is fear of what the future may bring. I think that the Trump administration is a manifest ground of terror for a majority of citizens. We can do little about that. They are going to do “what they do” no matter the objections or the consequences to others. I am concerned that we do something about the violence that potentially exists between ourselves as citizens. There are many possibilities for reaching out to one another. My Peeps offer was not meant to be amusing. Anything can work, if the motivation is good will, and recognition of the humanity that most of us share.
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