When my grandmother was in her late eighties her beautiful blue eyes became cloudy from cataracts that she never bothered to remove. There was no Medicare back then and she and my grandfather lived on a rather small income, so I suppose she just learned to put up with diminished eyesight. Sadly it affected her ability to see when she was doing everyday tasks. We soon learned to be very careful when eating her food because sometimes things turned up in her dishes that were not supposed to be there. A stray bit of this and that found their way into what had before been her five star recipes. My mother showed me and my brothers how to be polite if we encountered something, but it made me sad to see her losing her sight. She was a culinary artist who also created incredible quilts, embroidered dainties and beautiful handmade dresses. Somehow all of that was lost for her in the last years of her life.
My mother and her siblings never had cataracts but I knew that my chances of getting them might be affected by the fact that I seem to be quite genetically matched to my grandmother. Recently my doctor noted that I had cataracts forming on both eyes and before long one was ready to be removed.
The process was incredibly quick under the steady hand of my ophthalmologist. It was the aftermath that required a bit more effort. I had to have four different kinds of drops put into my eye four times a day for a week. Then it tapered off until I was down to one medication once a week in the fourth week after the surgery. Additionally, I was not allowed to drive, bend over or pick up any objects heavier than ten pounds for at least two weeks. The doctor suggested that my best bet of a good recovery would be to spend my time reading and watching television.
I certainly love to read and having an excuse to do so sounded wonderful, but I am also an energetic soul who was soon chomping at the bit to get back to my normal routines. It took a great deal of effort and patience on my part to just slow down and enjoy that fact that I would not be partially blind like my grandmother had been. I also had to learn how to chill and like it.
I am admittedly concerned about the state of my nation, namely the United States, so I spent a great deal of time reading about the daily happenings. To say that it was depressing would be an understatement. I found myself uploading a great deal of anger as I learned more and more about the chaos that Donald Trump has inflicted on our nation. I began to worry if we will ever be able to stop his destruction and if we will be able to repair the damage he has done if and when his rule ever ends.
I suspect that we are in for a season of hurt but there are also brave and patriotic souls risking their own safety by pushing back, launching legal actions and revealing truths. Among them is Stephen Colbert who has used his penchant for witty repartee to expose the weaknesses of our president. In the spirit of humorous individuals who have remarked on societies for all of human history, he found ways to unabashedly point out the crudity and hypocrisy of Trump and his minions. I have enjoyed his nightly monologues and admired both his brilliance and bravery. Accordingly I was quite sad to learn that his show will end soon and he will no longer be delighting us with his late night editorials.
The bedrock of our freedom of speech has always been found in the wit and wisdom of authors, journalists and entertainers. Stephen Colbert is part of a long tradition of using humor to comment on society. Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, and George Carlin came before him and even in times past were not always given a wide berth to say whatever came to their minds. Nonetheless I had truly hoped that we had progressed enough that someone like Stephen Colbert would not be silenced out of fear of a president like Trump. Sadly, Donald Trump has shown over and over again how thin his skin is. He can’t take a joke or accept any kind of criticism. He hates Barack Obama because of a joke at a roast that made fun of him. He threatens over and over again to shut down people when they speak what is on their minds. He tells Republicans that he will come after them if they do not bow to his demands. He is an authoritarian whose playbook is filled with vengeance.
I am incredibly disappointed with journalism and media today. Trump’s hold over what is said or published is unhealthy for our freedoms and our democracy. Whether he likes it or not we have the right to disagree openly with him. I would expect newspapers, media giants and individuals to stand up to him like Stephen Colbert has done. The temerity of our press and Republicans is frightening because if we do not all stand up for our rights, our nation is doomed. We cannot let this continue without protest and we should all know that. CBS can make whatever excuse they wish for ridding themselves of Stephen Colbert but we are not stupid. We understand what has really happened.
We’d better voice our disapproval now or regret our loss of freedoms in the future. This is how nations lose their moral compass and fall into an abyss of evil. History has shown us this time and again. Will we do what we can to make sure that it does not happen here or will we cower in fear while the country that we pass on to our children becomes forever changed.? Stephen Colbert showed us what to do. We cannot look away now.
All It Takes Is A Little Love 