We fill our lives with every type of escape from the facts of life. We want to be transformed, transcended, lifted up and remade from our ordinary existence. We have become artful dodgers and adept dreamers. We take delight in fantasy and in the end probably feel worse than before. 

The Trumpster can’t even imagine that he lost the 2020 election. He was screwed by everyone but his cohorts. He derides anyone who does not buy his BS and as a result has the Republican Party is in a full nelson. He has created an alternate reality. 

The Dems come off as holier than thou. We are for the people. Our candidate doesn’t misstep and have trouble with his faculties. What is clear to the eye is just an illusion brought about by anti democratic right wing wackos. It is a sleight of hand like three card Monti. We are the suckers in the crowd. 

We sat agape at Super Bowl weekend which was the culmination of everyones’ hopes and dreams for stardom and bragging rights. How apt that this year’s orgy took place in Sin City. We ate, drank and blew our brains out to escape this miserable world of war, death, pestilence and broken dreams. Is this any way to live?

TTG, you are such a killjoy! What is the problem with having a little, good, clean fun? You are so right. Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. An incredible amount of people had the Super Bowl flu and did not show up for work last Monday. People who had no idea what a football looks like watched carefully for even a glimpse of Queen Taylor. And this my friends is the world we live in. 

We have people pouring over the border in droves and our governing bodies are saying there is not problem. We run up a deficit of absurd proportions and economists tell us it is a good thing. We have a bunch of thugs beat the crap out of a couple of cops and we let them go without bail. We have the wealthiest saying they pay too much in taxes. We have the poorest pleading for help but not willing to do anything positive about their plight. 

Am I casting aspersions? Not really. I am as guilty as the next guy. Am I going to give up my Johnnie Walker black? Not just yet. Do I try to do a thousand things at once with the absolute belief that I am young as ever? Of course. I claim it is in my DNA. So I am not exactly throwing stones. I really am trying to duck. 

I have been doing research for a presentation I did on Monday about Global Warming. This has been going on for several weeks. It is fascinating but also a bit disconcerting to try to dig out the facts. Everyone is chock a block with numbers to support their side. The truth or reality as it were is somewhere in the middle. 

For me there are two sides to this equation. First is to come to grips with my humanity if that is not too heavy duty. Like all of us I am flawed and maybe more than most. I also know exactly what those malfunctions are. It is not self flagellation but a bit of a chuckle as I tell myself, “Who the hell do you think you are kidding?” Blame anyone you want. The solution is looking at you right in the mirror. 

Secondly is this thing called life. For some of us we will never be happy. Not for want of wealth but because there is always some itch we can’t scratch. We constantly keep score so we define our worth in relation to what we have not who we are. I know that sounds trite but I have never felt in more in my life. 

I did a celebration of life for a wonderful friend. Someone probably said, “He is in a better place.” Really? If you look at things he has had a pretty good life. A wonderful marriage and family. Sure things were tough at the end but you can’t order your departure time. Why can’t we just accept life warts and all? Why do we always have to look forward or back? 

We are told our lives are boring. We have all this pent up need to go out and splurge. We owe it to ourselves. We have been cooped up by COVID. We want to move but we can’t find anyone willing to sell.

Okay then, I am going to go on a cruise on some Mega ship that will blow my mind with all it has to offer. And on that cruise I will probably drink my brains out or pop some pills because I want the experience to be more intense. Do we really think this way? Not sure.

Reality really doesn’t suck. It is our perception of it that does. Bad things happen. Good ones too. Acceptance unfortunately has been translated to mean giving up in our current vernacular. That does not mean we don’t hope but our dreams have to be realistic. Look around you and take note. Is it really that bad?

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Fantasy Land:

25% of all pickups sold in the US were for bling and not work.

Someone in DC spent $1million in constructing their closet in their home! Not sure if it was a member of Congress?

The American Gaming Association, an industry trade group, states that gaming in the U.S. is a $240 billion industry, employing 1.7 million people in 40 states

Visitors spent $45 billion in Las Vegas last year. Good clean fun. 

No I am not joining the Women’s Christian Temperance Union….Just trying to be real!