This goal of mine for 2026 gets harder by the month. “Choosing Joy” appears to be in jeopardy.
The Senses not discussed seem bland. Gustatory pleasures don’t fit when sky-high grocery prices have left taste buds flat. Fall officially begins on Sept. 22 but it’s still too soon for pumpkins and cinnamon.
What’s left are Tactile Joys - Touch. Whether that brings you Joy or not, now might be the time to reach out toward another human. Note: not a Chat Bot or talking back to the radio.
A real person, so go meet a new one and offer to take them to coffee, then the polling place and you both VOTE early. Talk to anyone whether they’re wearing red or blue, as long as you’re both clothed.
Shake hands and be friendly. We’re all in this together. While Texans usually don’t discuss their feelings, try to discuss current events. Hold your nose if necessary, but listen and calmly offer your opinion. The choices are difficult.
If you always do what you’ve always done, likely you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. But if you were to choose what you’ve never done, maybe you’ll get what you’ve never won.
My mantra for years! Meanwhile, stay ready to listen to your new friend’s response. Even if it gags you. Even if they don’t know what they’re saying or why they’re saying it.
Even if you know that their “because” vote will bring them - and everyone - more harm than joy in the long run. Repercussions from that voting choice - like needing social assistance - may gag them worse. If only they had heard you mention some reasons they should consider another candidate.
That’s my fear. The national debt doubling in a decade to $30 trillion when the federal budget balanced 30 years ago. Your great-grandchildren won’t even be able to pay off that huge amount.
Yet so many people either don’t know that has been in the news the last month - or they don’t care. Or they depend only on social media for news about who some influencer married or what they wore to the prom. Or rally. That’s just fluff.
Real news comes from professional journalists who travel with the officials who make (or react) to these decisions. Stay up or change channels and listen to network channels or even PBS for their very informative coverage of Washington Week or MSN. You won’t get preached to on those stations; you’ll just get the facts.
You’ll get something to chew on and make a decision about. Because what’s happening will scare the pants off ya!
Most recently the brains who created AI have confessed their fears that the huge machines inside those data centers could turn rogue and take over - everything. Our world could implode (maybe) within 10 years and we’ll all be off to meet our maker. Even a 10 percent chance is more than I’m comfortable with.
So with that news consider which current candidates are still pushing your county or another nearby to scoot over and make room for another 500 acre data center development.
Maybe they shouldn’t get your vote. So consider a female wearing blue at the polls.
The 25th sad anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy brought out many first-hand accounts from witnesses. Hearing such stories makes one wonder had that information been told “back then,” how many prior elections might have been affected one way or another, by those new facts about what happened that awful day- not 25 years later. Every presidential term was affected by 9/11.
Just like the Epstein Files on exhibit recently in the Metroplex. All the data in those files and the women’s lives it affected - and Congress and our representatives still couldn’t decide about the facts.
How do you spell b-r-i-b-e? Shameful!
If only Congress had a leader! Try to hold your member of that august body accountable - please. Coming up is the head-on collision Americans over 62 or 65 are facing with Social Security going broke by 2033. Those frantic about Democratic socialism better face up to the fact that a third or more citizens receives Social Security -- because they paid in to the plan and they had to! It was America’s pension plan before IRAs and annuities.
Now both GOP and Dem seniors receives a monthly check, even a stipend, beats living on the streets. So call them socialists!
Other American institutions were endangered from the current administration’s Executive Orders which touched - and killed - everything in its path. Think about DJT#47’s impact on:
World peace - isn’t. War and bullying growing. Energy - supplies declining and prices rising. USA status worldwide - falling fast. Protests against DJT bullying nations. VOA impacted. Hunger - starvation everywhere. USAID - closed worldwide. NATO - threatened. Climate - impacted by rule reversals. Fires, floods and all weather hazards increased. FEMA - funding destroyed. Insurance - declining. Communications - halted or threatened. Plus Washington D.C.
I guess what I’m saying is that politicians don’t know everything. Often they know diddly squat. But you’re the voter and you don’t have to believe everything that comes out of a candidate’s mouth, especially if it’s obnoxious or an obscenity. Nor should you believe anything any candidate says about another unless it’s a proven fact or on their record.
That’s why our brains are required to sort through the weeks coming up to the mid-term elections.
Use VOTE411 for nonpartisan information and view these races with a fresh eye. Things can change on a dime, especially if it’s your dime. So help change things now.
But if you really believe that a $5,000 Trump Dividend Check will be mailed to you for voting the GOP into a congressional majority, better check out his deal for the Brooklyn Bridge!
Shelly has worn more hats in the communications field than Carter had pills but forgot to retire when she closed her promotions business. She earned a BA in Journalism at NTSU (before it became UNT) and has never lost her love of words.
Source: Freepik.com