Month: November 2024

Gratitude and the Baptism

/ Alan Jablon / Leave a comment

Gratitude flows constantly in my life.  From the time I wake up with usually positive feelings for the day, until I feel the cool sheets on my skin in the evening, everything that happens to me makes me feel grateful.  So it is natural for me to appreciate things all day long.  However, this past Sunday I had a huge wave of appreciation come over me. 

My daughter-in-law’s (present and future) come in all sizes, shapes and backgrounds.  I like that a lot.  Anyone who knows how I think and feel, knows that I celebrate the fact that while we were all born in different places, and raised in different cultures, we have more in common with each other than our differences.  The differences can be superficial, and subtle, or they can make us blatantly unique, giving us qualities that we can learn from each other.  However, either way, I see the differences as all positive.  “Take the positive where you can find it” is my daily thought.   

Now for the reason for this post.  Sunday was Madden’s baptism day.  It was a first for him, and a first for me.  I never saw a baptism or had any of my children or grandchildren ever been baptized.  Sure, I’ve been to church and have seen my share of ceremonies.  It is always positive, joyous, and always reflects love.  While I don’t relate to the messaging, I do see happiness for others through their affiliation with their religious beliefs, so I enjoy taking that in. 

So back to Madden, Mellanie and Mike.  Mell is from Brazil, Mike is Jewish, and Madden of course is a combination of both.  How does that work out?  Mell made it easy.  Madden was baptized, has a nanny who speaks Portuguese, and the books they read to him at bedtime are Jewish children’s stories.  Mell picked our daughter Caitlin to be Madden’s Godmother, and her brother Mauricio to be his Godfather.  Honoring both extended families, Mellanie and Mike’s thoughtfulness and pragmatism touches me. Teaching him who he is, and where he came from will be so empowering to him as he gets older.  Mellanie’s inclusiveness for everyone is creating a family closeness that everyone can share forever. 

I always hoped that my children would be a better version of me as a parent and as a person. It was always my goal as a dad.  So far Pat and I have five happy children, and four very happy grandchildren.  So I think wherever life takes us, we can take pride that all is good “in the house”.    With much gratitude I thank every day, who or whatever made this life so wonderful.

POST ELECTION THOUGHTS ON A POLITICAL REVOLUTION

/ Alan Jablon / Leave a comment

So no one ever imagined that Donald Trump would run away with this election.  The first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years.  My first thoughts were how could anyone vote for a convicted felon, misogynist, rude, vulgar, narcissistic, dark thinking man such as Trump. But you know what?  It’s done.  He won and will be the President for the next four years.  Our democracy worked once again.  Flawlessly I might add.  The people have spoken, whether some accept their words or not.

But I do need to know why this happened.  Why did so many negatives about Trump not preclude him from winning?  I believe the answer has been obvious but we missed the forest for the trees. 

Those who voted for Trump were worried about the economy and the border.  Most people I know think that the economy is doing so well.  “Just look at the stock market”, they say.  “My home is worth so much more than just a few years ago.”  So many people never really think about how many Americans are not participating in this booming economy.  Only 58% of Americans own stock.  (4 of 10 people do not) Only 65% of Americans own their own homes, and many of these are older.  Only 47% of Americans under 50 are homeowners.  MOST Americans under 50 are not homeowners.  When they are told about how great Bidenomics is, they see it as a slap in their face.  Many of these people feel they are not being heard by the Democratic party so they voted for Trump. 

Trumps’ message was simple.  You have a problem and I will fix it.  That’s all so many people needed to hear because yes, they had a problem.  His message about illegal immigration was that this was the reason for their financial problems.  Simple.  They have a problem, he identified it, and he will fix it.  That’s all so many people needed to hear.  He never said how he would fix it.  He was too smart.  He didn’t need to.  Through Trump this part of America felt heard.  Kamala talked about what she would do to help home ownership, but these Americans knew she couldn’t really help them.  Was she going to buy them a house while they are living paycheck to paycheck?  While I have no doubt, she, and the Democratic party had the best intentions for all Americans, her message didn’t get through like Trump’s did. 

As the economic divide in our country widens, so does the Republican base.  I realize now that I was wrong about Trump followers.  I looked at friends and family and wondered how could they follow this man?  I never realized that to the degree that he is unfit to be president through the litany of negativity, that is how disenfranchised his followers felt. 

Think about that for a second.  They felt unheard THAT MUCH.  The Democratic party has a perception problem and this election is the result.  David Brooks from the NY Times put it this way:

The Democratic Party has one job: to combat inequality. Here was a great chasm of inequality right before their noses and somehow many Democrats didn’t see it. Many on the left focused on racial inequality, gender inequality and L.G.B.T.Q. inequality. I guess it’s hard to focus on class inequality when you went to a college with a multibillion-dollar endowment and do environmental greenwashing and diversity seminars for a major corporation. Donald Trump is a monstrous narcissist, but there’s something off about an educated class that looks in the mirror of society and sees only itself. 

So the reaction from the disenfranchised was severe.  America hired an unstable, unfiltered person, because he was the only one who heard them.  Things will be changed in this country forever.  I’m not fearing the end of democracy.  I am always a hopeful person.  Instead, I pray for inclusion for all in the American dream.  With so much wealth in the hands of so few, and with the exclusion of so many people from the amazing success of America, did anyone believe that could go on forever?  Better to have a revolution politically, than violently.   For me, so many times when I disagreed with someone politically, I would ask them not to talk politics.  I think that was the wrong tact.  Let’s try to talk about how we feel.  I think the left has gone too far left, and the right too far right.  Let’s calmly meet in the middle.