Friends of Terra Firma, good day. The February snow gods are reminding us once again of the power they hold over our lives. Some snow every day and never enough sunshine although our days are growing longer. So, get all cozy with some cocoa or any other beverage that will warm you and your spirit. Find that Snuggie your (now) least favorite aunt sent to you while you are battling winter and she is sunning in Boca and you were hoping for a plane ticket to visit her. Sit close, I want you to come with me on a journey. No worries, you’ll be back safe and sound in just a few. We are going to change the blog title to Clay’s Gray Corner; just for today.
I think, no I believe I am cursed. Not supernatural “cursed”, just that I see the world in multiple shades of gray. Thoughts, ideas, actions, emotions, behaviors and opinions, contrary to what some of my friends/family may think of me are not always black and white. Oh, I’m opinionated, all right. Sometimes my bite is worse than my bark.
Life is complicated. The world is filled with people that have different ways of looking at a challenge or a problem. Do you seek them out? Do you look to others who may be different from you for their ideas on the issues of the day, week, decade, millennium?
I think I’m a bit worn out from the presidential political process. So what I’m going to do (and you have NO idea how much I despise this affirmation) is take some lemons, make some lemonade and add a couple of items most likely not appropriate for lemonade and guzzle that sucker down. Oh, and I’m not talking about “civility”, either. I love to surround myself with passionate people. I think we need to drop this little “civility” charade and have candid, honest discussions on all the matters of our world. We can do that without throwing metaphorical (and sometimes real) punches. I love to argue: politics, religion, pop culture and the environment to name just a few. All because, no matter how strongly someone feels about an issue and I feel the exact opposite, I learn something. I may learn they are a moron, but at least I’ve learned something.
I’ve noticed in the recent Republican presidential debates just how black/white the candidates view the world. I’m not picking on the Republicans, they are trying to get back the presidency, so they are literally on the stage all the time. It seems as if when one of those gentlemen had a complicated response to a complicated problem it turned into a “mocking parade”. Either or. This or that. Black and white. No in-between. If you ponder something, you are perceived as weak.
Wait! Don’t leave. We’re ready to complete our time together for today. I want all of us to learn something. When it comes to the environment, sustainability, recycling, fracking, fossil fuels, solar energy, wind power and everything else under the sun, let’s make a commitment not to draw a line in the sand. Wars start that way. If someone in your life thinks climate change is bunk, hear them out. And make sure you ask them to hear you out, too. Maybe, just maybe when all the shouting is done we can work all of this out together. We only have one world. We have no where else to go. We need each other.
Until next time…the Corner will be Green
