Saturday, May 23, 2020

Wasting Time

I had one of those moments last night as I was responding to a long commentary on a journalist who resigned was fired after writing a column on public sector workers being paid full salaries during the pandemic and many private sector workers facing financial hardship. The views on this article were more than 10 times the views on a previous column in which he wrote about lifting all to a guaranteed income, even if it was just to the poverty line (my pet soap box advocacy as you all know).

The pitchforks came out for him and I defended him and his right to his opinion. Suffice to say, as I engaged once more with Facecloth and Twister and the privileged defending their rights to substantial pay-cheques, pensions and benefits while the peasants pay them through their income taxes, I thought: what the almighty hell are you doing wasting time on all of this?

Ever have one of those moments? It was around 10.00 pm as I read the latest attack on my miscomprehension of their rights. Did I not know that these same public sector workers did not complain when the oil sector workers were making more than they were? cos, you know, we are all in this together! This from a dude making both public sector and private sector income in his spare time from his public sector job. His income? Pushing close to $200,000. Nearly 10 times the poverty level. The air is thin up there when you can only count your own privileges against those making even more and think "bootstraps" for the rest of us if you have time to throw a thought our way at all.

So my moment came and I thought: stop it now. Make your life count for more than these ridiculous meaningless verbal sword-fights and just do exactly what you want to do. Stop the fighting. Remove yourself from social media. Cancel the subscription to the paper in protest of their pandering to the elite.

I had a dream last night of being swept away in this kind of tidal wave. I wasn't frightened. I landed on a huge rock and just calmly trudged on. I had a purpose and I was committed to it. The rock was washed clean by the wave every minute. It held a lot of meaning for me.

Write. Read. Knit. Disengage from politics and social media and meaningless debates. Make every day of what's left count. Read my blog buds for sustenance.

So here I am.

34 comments:

  1. Good girl.
    I'm trying to step back and watch my thoughts instead of being totally taken by them, letting them change my whole focus.
    It's a challenge. Old habits die hard. Often I'm caught up in the "story" my thoughts are telling me, and it isn't doing me any good.
    How much time and energy is wasted rehashing old conversations and arguments ... arrrrgggghhhhh ... and making no difference whatsoever except bringing me down or making me angry or disheartened!
    You're doing the right thing. -Kate

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    1. So very true Kate, it really was an epiphany for me. I stared out the window and up at Signal Hill for what seemed an eternity. No blame or shame, just this light-bulb of awareness of my life and times.

      Long may it stay with me!

      XO
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  2. I like your names -- Facecloth and Twister. I think they tell us all we need to know regarding how much attention we should pay to these things.

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    1. We never do see the true selves behind Facecloth, do we Tom, always through their fog of unreality and happy times every time.

      As to Twister you have to be one brave soldier indeed to swim into those waters. Enough already.

      XO
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  3. Couldn't agree more. Those discussions are a waste of time. I'm only on FB for 'my' groups on gardening, plant dyeing, soap making, church letters (mass schedules and live streaming), local history and local matters (Who found my bike? I have too many tomato plants ... very local, small villager here) and other creative and recreative endeavours. I gave up on those debates long ago it's just so many words in the wind. I like your dream!

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    1. I'm given up on all my groups too, far too many and yes, they are interesting and engaging but hoo boy the time wasted on those as well, they will do well without me. As will all social media!

      XO
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  4. I too enjoyed your names for the terrible twins "Facecloth" and "Twister", I'd also find the old East Yorkshire version of "Facecloth" appropriate too - "Faceclout". :)

    I waste far much too much time on reading about the pandemic and related issues, and watching TV on the same topics, but it keeps me occupied and thinking about something other than my medical issues. I hadn't watched MSNBC for years, but began once more during early lockdown days, to keep up with latest information. I've discovered a few of their anchors whose presentations I enjoy, so tune in daily. They, and the people they bring on to comment, all find Trump as disgusting as I do. It's helpful to me to hear it said on national TV! Trump has denigrated and insulted all of my favourite anchors in Tweets, and in person during his briefings.

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    1. Trump took up far too much of my time as did our own economic crisis here and our milquetoast premier pandering to the elites. I do like streaming though, gets me out of myself. Especially the British stuff. So well done. Acorn has a great selection. As to Trump on Twister, less said the better :)

      XO
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  5. Purrfect today, Wisewebwoman. I too had a lightbulb of awareness. I've spent the past three years following our descent as a nation, and now Covid-19. What has been the icing on my cake is that I am once again diagnosed w/ breast cancer. I have had genetic testing and discovered I have both BACA1 and CHEK2 which equates to recurrences of breast cancer. So I fought a good fight 20 yrs. ago and here I am - opposite breast w/ a different flavor of breast cancer. I'm simply exhausted with everything and the round of various tests has added to it. Soon I'll know what sort of treatment I have to ponder about. Not wasting any time on this other crap. At 80, I'm smelling the flowers, petting my critters at home, reading fiction, and listening to my music. I'm glad you've seen the light around the same time I've seen it. Hugs.

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    1. Oh my Regina, honestly and I know unintentionally, you make my troubles seem downright petty. You have such a platter full.

      this is pretty heavy news at 80 and of course you are strained to the max with this physically at least as you seem fine emotionally. Good for you on detachment from the news as I have. Yes we are in synch, Too much already. We need to smell those roses and read those books and play that music.

      XO
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    2. Oh Regina. I am so very sorry. I hope the roses and the furs and the fiction bring you comfort. And KNOW that they are all more healing than the news.

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  6. OOPS - SORRY: being intense mispelling genetic BRCA1 (not BACA1).

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  7. I read Regina's comment above and can't believe she has breast cancer again. Hope she survives this one.

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    1. Makes any of our troubles seem minor indeed. May the wind be always at your back Regina.

      XO
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  8. I couldn't agree more. Too many people are wasting their valuable time and words with futile arguments on social media.

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    1. It's a complete timewaster Ollie, the outcomes are a given, you can't make a leopard change their spots and entrenched privilege is gripped even tighter.

      XO
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  9. I hear you. I (mostly) choose my battles now. I do not have the energy to waste on ones where I know that I cannot change the outcome. So I register my protest (because I could not live with myself if I didn't) and step away.

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    1. I hear you EC, I registered a protest at one of the most ugly buildings being planned in our gorgeous city. Like a 6 yo's Lego attempt, complete with appalling colours. And our city is the oldest in North America with its heritage being destroyed metre by metre.

      XO
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  10. You are right, engaging with those who have no point of reference or don't realize their privilege has left them without compassion or empathy is futile. Until it is them, they will never know nor will they truly understand. Right now the Political Scene in America is so polarized as to be destructive, no Unity of Purpose and a Lunatic at the helm. I am not a Partisan person, Labels don't make you anything Special... I can wear a string of Pearls but it doesn't make me an Oyster, so I see no sense or reason with devotion to a Politician because of Party affiliation when the person is just vile in every respect than any intelligent person can clearly see. But it does no good to reason with the Passion behind Religion or Politics, those who have Cult like Devotion will excuse anything.

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    1. Thank you for this comment Bohemian you made so many points of agreement. I hate this political stripe nonsense, the cult like devotion to a party's lines resulting in the worst case scenario in Hitlers and Trumps. And all in between. There is something seriously wrong with a world that tolerates such blatant inequality.

      XO
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  11. I've never seen any point in arguing in social media. People have set minds and refuse even the most logical points. It would do my head in, in frustration.

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    1. I know Andrew, but the one that sent me over the edge was an acquaintance of long standing who works with impoverished children (paid handsomely but not quite getting the point.)

      XO
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  12. I've come to the conclusion nothing I could say would change folks minds unless they live my life. The real world life. Words won't do it.

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    1. Very true Gemma, we shriek from the battlements and they turn away.

      XO
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  13. Excellent. You will never change minds, and the sight of your back should be more meaningful.

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    1. It usually is but sometimes I tank out completely and I let fly.

      XO
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  14. I've ignored social media forever. I'm disgusted by how much "those people" think they're entitled to, but I put it from my mind as much as I can. I buy the newspaper daily, but only so I can cut out and keep the Calvin&Hobbes cartoon, I'm collecting them, and I do the daily puzzles.
    From our newspaper some time ago, a comment from a reader: "It is amazing that some politicians get the same amount of money in one week that pensioners get in 15."

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    1. River you are so right, I imagine you clipping and saving and doing the puzzles and probably lining the cat litter while you're at it. I must work out how much I make vs the premier here.

      XO
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  15. I am glad that you have come where you are comfortable.

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    1. Thank you Ramana. I know you're at where I am at now.

      XO
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  16. I used to get in arguments on facebook until my son said, "Mom, why do you always argue with stupid people?" He had a point. Now when I am tempted, I just remind myself to never feed the trolls.

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    1. Never feed the trolls and like another friend on here said: Enough. My new mantra.

      XO
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