I'm an Ostrich

I remember sitting in our little silver Datsun station wagon in the driveway of our house in Byron, Wyoming in 1975 when I was in 7th grade. On a recurring basis, we would have just returned from some event, and my dad would be talking to us about some political turmoil going on in the world. It was when the Nixon/Watergate scandal was in the news every day, and shortly after the Vietnam war ended; there was much conflict in America.

As Dad would talk about these things, and tell us stuff and answer our questions, I would tell him, "okay, that's enough," and I wanted to go in the house and not listen to any more. It sort of freaked me out that there could be dishonesty in the White House, and that there could be a war where so many people fought and died for what they thought was one thing, when it was really a political game. He was gentle, but firm in his reaction. He would tell me that I needed to know what was going on in the world, and that I couldn't be an ostrich, and stick my head in the sand -- it wasn't healthy or wise.

Well, here we are in 2010, the Obama healthcare plan was just signed into law 3 days ago; 75% of our country's citizens did not want it, but he did it anyway. The news stations and talk radio are all a-flurry (is that a word?) with lots of interviews and opinions, politicians are going crazy happy or crazy mad, and the Republicans are making plans to oust all their representatives who did not represent them in the vote. There is LOTS of political turmoil in America today! I know the basics, but have remained pretty true to my ostrich tendencies when it comes to the whole healthcare debate, and politics in general.

Today I sang at a luncheon of the Republican Women of Williamson County. I was definitely an apple in a room full of oranges! I was learning so much listening to the women in the room, and then Brian Kelsey, the state senator who was the keynote speaker (and looked 12 years old, by the way), expounded on his plans for a "no state tax in Tennessee" bill...and then answered the inevitable questions about ObamaCare. It was very interesting and educational to me! And frightening to think of what the future holds...

I should really be more involved in local politics. I should be more informed, more vocal, stand up for what I believe, and be more dedicated to getting the "message of the masses" out there to fight the small but powerful minority. I was inspired today. I hope the ostrich in me can find the time and energy to be more like the tigers that surrounded me in that room.