So here I go again, wondering what the heck is going on.
I took time off—just me, my camera and beautiful New England. A long awaited trip by Rail and Sail in the company of 19 fellow travelers, from Essex, Connecticut, up river, with time on the coast and mountains of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, ending in Casco Bay and out to the Atlantic. Chased by Hurricane Jose, we had rough seas, only one day of sun, cancelled sail time and detours to places unknown. But everywhere, we found America the Beautiful. I was awestruck and purposely almost isolated. I tuned in to just a bit of news so I would not miss anything earth shattering but otherwise blissfully disconnected from all electronics.
Now I am back. Confused, angry, despondent, trying to be hopeful, wanting to post and write—but where to begin? And what to say?
You have all heard it—over and over. But my takeaway has changed a bit in the last few days. The conversation about the “knee,” which I thought at first was the President once again trying to distract from the frightening and growing list of dangers and destruction on all fronts, now seems to be much more than that.
I think it is a morality play. It vividly puts center stage who we are. As Americans. As the entitled or the impoverished. As people of certain groups. As ideologues, activists, concerned and compassionate citizens or those who do not care or want to just tune out. As those who long for what they call the “good old days.”
And it forces us to consider our priorities at a time when there are so many…so much need, so little time. What does the future hold? How do we make it work with Liberty and Justice for All? Can we make it work?
And is there still room for posting pretty pictures of an adventure that reminded me of the beauty and awesomeness of this country?
Carole Leskin is a retired Director of Global Human Resources. Embarking on a second career as a writer and photographer concentrating on her personal accounts of aging, her essays and poetry, frequently accompanied by her photos, are published in Jewish Sacred Aging, Jewish Women of Words, Starts At 60, Navigating Aging ( a Kaiser Health publication), Women’s Older Wisdom, Time Goes By and Next Avenue. Her poems, “Father Time” and “Carole’s Debate” were selected for inclusion in the 2019 anthologies of poetry, New Jersey Bards. Her photos have been featured in Mart R Porter Nature Forum.
Be the first to comment