I believe this is where we are in American politics today.

Some use the opportunity that chaos provides to manipulate others into doing things that help no one. It makes social media friend AND foe. Chaos brings out true nastiness and violence in those who are itching to cause trouble and those who are afraid (what else could it be?) of the "other". The other who is black or Asian or gay or not what the world should be.

Does the Other make such persons feel weak and helpless? To feel superior, someone needs to be inferior. If you are afraid of a challenge to your superiority what do you do?

​If no one felt superior (or inferior), what would that look like? Impossible to know.

Chaos can bring out goodness and thoughtfulness in others too and I am thankful for that.

The theme this year was Mask and Metaphor.
​I don't know who the creator of this piece is but I enjoyed their work.

...I dislike it but its results are inspiring.

Painting by Bernard Shaw

Sad and Beautiful: Ushering in the cold of Winter

Or is it a mitten? Mittove? Glitten?

When I first heard it sung by Concrete Blonde, I didn't know it was a cover of Leonard Cohen's song. Listening to the CB version this morning made me want to write , maybe because the song is so good and darkly funny.

It is the easiest thing to point a finger and blame. The hard question, which requires brutal honesty, is "what is my role in this?"

Even when we are not directly part of an issue, ​I believe that in every situation in which we are tempted to blame, we should ask ourselves this question.

​We may or may not like the answer but it may be the start of a good thing that improves our lives as well as others.

Long before the ubiquity of cell phones, I was on the train and overheard a woman broadcasting details of her life (or so it seemed to me) to the person on the other end of her mobile phone as well as to anyone within earshot. I thought it was annoying.

​Now here we are, smart phones everywhere and I am one of those people broadcasting their lives to anyone in earshot and anyone who reads this.

​I will say that I am still sometimes uncomfortable speaking on "the precious" when strangers are within earshot, but then what's the difference between that and having a conversation with someone in person...And in the same environment? -My own personal oddity?

Some might say that privacy doesn't exist anymore. I hate to agree that things seem to be headed that way, if we're not already there, especially with our ever present devices with apps that need to be able to access our personal info if we want to use them. And we WANT to use them, whether we need them or not.

Sometimes websites want us to enter our email just so we can see what they have to offer. End User License Agreement can ask for an arm and a kidney because most of us don't read them before we click "agree". If I want to buy tickets to see a band, I have to register before purchase and log in every time I want to buy tickets. And the same for so many others...Willingly giving up my privacy for covenience.

I almost​ want to throw my cell phone out right now...but that'll never happen. It's The Precious.