Strange Days Indeed

In many ways, this past week has been gratifying. I was a guest on my friend Bob Cesca's podcast, and we had a good time talking politics (among other things). And then, to my great delight, that led to my being a guest on Stephanie Miller's radio show-- I've been a fan of hers since her show debuted in 2004, but I'd never been asked to be a guest. It was very cool to talk current events with her, and I hope I sounded reasonably knowledgeable. I heard from some of her listeners, and they were very complimentary. I appreciated that a lot! And then, there was the other good news: I am now 10 years cancer free. And a lot of folks on social media (more than 2,000 at last count) reached out to send congratulations, which definitely put a smile on my face.

But on the other hand, I'm still out of work, as are many of the colleagues who got laid off at the same time I did. I've been working since I was in high school, and I'm really not accustomed to being unemployed. Okay fine, I'm keeping busy with volunteering, I'm giving some historical talks at libraries, and I'm writing some free-lance articles-- but it's not the same as having a full-time job. (Plus, we had really good health insurance, but that's a story for another day.) Anyway, I hope I'll find something in the new year. As I've said many times, I can't imagine retiring. There are too many things I still want to accomplish, and I hope I'll get the chance.  

Meanwhile, the Trump administration hasn't officially begun yet, but already there's chaos. For those who were expecting a reality TV show, they haven't been disappointed. I'm still trying to figure out how Elon Musk, who is supposedly in an advisory capacity and was never elected to anything, is already so influential that he can kill a bipartisan budget bill. In fact, it's surreal to go over to Twitter/X and read some of Elon's endless series of tweets, as he berates members of congress and cheers for a government shutdown. I'm seeing lots of "likes" from Elon's followers, but I wonder if they've thought it through. Many of them rely on government services, and if suddenly those services were unavailable for a month (as Elon suggested), I doubt that any of them would be pleased. And by the way, my sister works for the government. She is one of many hardworking and honorable government employees, and it irritates me to hear folks insult what these civil servants do. 

I understand that "the government" and "the media" are frequently used as enemies by Donald Trump and other conservative politicians. But I spent 40 years in "the media," and I can tell you from experience that a strong media helps to keep a democracy alive. Whenever I hear politicians complaining about the media, I know for a fact that if they suddenly received no coverage at all, they'd be furious. And whenever I hear Mr Trump threatening to punish or sue reporters he dislikes (or go after their company's license), it makes me nervous, since that's how an autocrat talks, and I hope we're not sliding into autocracy.

As I told Bob Cesca, I've been making a list of all the moguls and major corporate executives who have made the pilgrimage to see Mr Trump and bend the knee. He hasn't even taken office yet, and he hasn't officially made any demands on them, but they all want to make sure they are on his good side, just in case. I find all of this obeying in advance very puzzling, and yet nearly every day, someone else I wouldn't have expected makes the trip and speaks glowingly of him. The things we do for tax breaks, I suppose...

This year is one of those rare times when Christmas and Hanukkah come at the same time. The Christmas decorations are pretty, yet I see few stores with Hanukkah decorations. Several days ago, I asked the manager in one of the stores why they didn't have any Hanukkah decorations; he got upset with me. Interestingly, that's a common reaction, and not just this year. I've never understood it. I mean, I'm not trying to take anything away from anyone, and I do recognize that Christmas is a much bigger holiday than Hanukkah. I'm just saying that here's an opportunity to include your Jewish customers and make them feel welcome. But evidently, it's too much bother or too controversial or something. 

So, yes, it has been an interesting week, filled with highs and lows, with things that made perfect sense and things that did not. The next time I write, it will almost be 2025. My only resolution is to try not to feel discouraged by some of what I'm seeing in the political realm, and to focus on what matters most: my health, and the people I care about. It still amazes me that so many folks wanted to congratulate me on being cancer-free. Even when times are difficult, it's good to know that kindness and compassion still exist, and the trolls on social media don't represent the vast majority of the folks out there. So, whatever you celebrate, and however you celebrate it, have a wonderful holiday; may you be surrounded by people who love you and wish you well.